The photographic news

• Bandzählung: 6.1862
• Erscheinungsdatum: 1862
• Sprache: Englisch
• Signatur: F 135
• Vorlage: Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Digitalisat: Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Digitalisat: SLUB Dresden
• Rechtehinweis: Public Domain Mark 1.0
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-db-id1780948042-186200003
• PURL: http://digital.slub-dresden.de/id1780948042-18620000
• OAI: oai:de:slub-dresden:db:id-1780948042-18620000
• Sammlungen: LDP: Historische Bestände der Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Sammlungen: Fotografie
• Bemerkung: Seite 1-72 fehlen in der Vorlage. Vorlagebedingter Textverlust.
• Strukturtyp: Band

• Digitalisat: SLUB Dresden
• Strukturtyp: Ausgabe

stock of the progress made since the first gathering together of the results of human skill and industry in 1851. In alluding to these wonderful structures, there is one honoured name which spontaneously arises in the mind ■whenever and wherever they are mentioned. It has often been said that the lamented death of the Prince is at this time especially felt as a national affliction, on account of the great ■work now in progress, which is so identified with his name. Yet, throughout the whole time that the Prince Consort so nobly filled that high position, of which we now recognize the greatness, by sadly noticing how vast is the blank which his loss has left, his efforts were unceasing to advance and assist everything that was good and worthy, so that had that " Sweet nature gilded by the gracious gleam Of letters, dear to Science, dear to Art,” been spared to us as yet a little longer, it must still have seemed, whenever the fatal summons came, that then his loss would least of all be borne. During the past year there have been recorded no great dis coveries in photography as a science, and comparatively few improvements in it as an art; but its progress has not been less marked than during former years ; for it has now entered on and made great advance in that most important phase in the development of every art, viz., its application to useful pur poses. But a few years ago photographs were a scientific curiosity; now it rivals the electric telegraph, or the railway in the multiple interests it subserves. The lawyer receives the pho tograph of a signature as evidence ; the doctor exhibits the re sult of his skill by photographs of the case before and after treatment; the engineer judges of the progress of his works from daily scraps of paper which the post bring him from the recording camera, and Government so confides in the value of results obtained by photographic aid, that attainment of the art is encouraged, and its practice profitably employed in all de partments where exactness in representation and reproduction is required. So great, indeed, is its utility now become, that every improvement in the process, however trifling in itself, acquires importance by its wide application. To the Royal Society there is yearly apportioned a Govern ment grant of money to be expended in furthering scientific investigations for the benefit of the country. The Council of the Photographic Society, pointing only to the practical results hitherto attained under unfavourable circumstances, would venture to suggest that assistance should be granted by Government towards improvements in the pro cesses of photography. It would serve to determine many difficulties and tend to increase the advantages now derived from the various employments of the art in different depart ments of the Government. A yearly grant, if only a tithe of the money saved by substi tuting photographs for the mechanical drawings formerly made in all ordnance, naval, and other departments, would stimulate advancement in the art, and assuredly more than repay the expenditure. The avidity for small full-length photographs has, during the last year, so remarkably increased, that this development of public taste appears almost worthy of historic note. And these little pictures, equally perfect and pleasing, vindicate the cor rectness of tire popular predilection in their favour. They recall, not merely the features, but the attitude and habit of the sitter, and are indeed “the abridgement of all that is pleasant in man.” As now produced, they admirably illustrate how conducive to 10 pleasures of the many photography may be made, whilst IS? v valuable to Die highest intellectual investigations, or of Drring the results, of mechanical skill. electedng the past year twenty-four new members have been accrue ‘rrnnd it is anticipated that a still greater addition will Ecietien om among those who have hitherto belonged to the S°hesnthathave ceased to exist. ndvantages r r8 of these have gradually diminished as the ionizd .2 one central and representative body have been 1 The Councoughout the country. • 1. Photon . 4 Dmt this cofidence, so generally expressed inttrstssofthgrarhic Society of Rondon, as representing the maintained. "nd progress of this science, may be always PHOTOGRAPHIC DIORAMA. [The following article from the North British Daily Mail will afford our readers some further information on the interesting application to the principle of the. diorama to the exhibition of transparent photographs. So far as we can learn, the joint labours of Dr. Taylor and Mr. McNab have been very success ful in this matter.—Ed,] In the present day, the wonders of magic are far more than realised by the plain realities of science. The electric tele graph and photography are perhaps the most marvellous dis coveries of an age in which marvels have all but ceased to bo wondered at. The art, or rather science, of sun painting has put within the reach of every one scenes and realities that are locally far removed from the observer. That a familiar land scape, or the likeness of some well-known and esteemed friend, can be presented by the photographic and stereoscopic pro cesses by the shadows of the objects being indelibly fixed on durable material, are triumphs of scientific discovery. What further progress these arts may yet make is hidden from our present ken, but that marvellous results may yet be attained is not only probable but most likely. When a landscape is pre sented on the stereoscope, the defects chiefly noticeable are absence of life, motion, and changing colour. It never can be possible to fix moving objects and show them acting and moving, but discoveries may be arrived at by which the effect, to some extent at least, may be obtained. We were recently shown the result of a discovery made by Dr. Taylor, of the Andersonian University, by which most perfect aerial effects were produced on photographic landscapes. Dr. Taylor is well known for many ingenious experiments with light, and for many ingenious practical applications of scientific discovery. In the matter to which we now refer, it is unnecessary that we should at present describe the mode by which the wonderful' effects are produced. Suffice it to bo said that the apparatus is simply a box fitted with lenses and other appliances. The pio- tures we saw operated upon were mostly landscapes aken in the East Indies by Mr. Andrew Williamson, of the firm of Williamson Brothers and Co., Calcutta, the scenes themselves being selected with great skill and taste—also, a few mamin cent Highland views, photographed by the Doctor himself in the noble demesne of the Duke of Argyle, at Inveray. The plates are of a large size, and are taken on glass, to w hich i I would seem that this invention is best adapted. The ■ bjoot is to produce the various atmospheric effects which are constantly occurring in the natural landscape, such as the pos-ing « clouds, sunset, sunrise, moonlight, &c., and the success which has been obtained by this ingenious invention is rily 1 wonderful as the effects aro pleasing. For example, wa ara looking through the glass at an Indian river scene. The glow of a tropical sun is gleaming in the sky and in the waters, the foliage and verdure on the river banks dazzle the eye v d h the brilliantly reflected light. But as you look a change creci over the atmosphere ; the clouds which seemed to han ; in L . sultry sky apparently move and assume a dusky hue, the wat " looks sombre, and the landscape begins to wear a deeper gre n. and gradually the light dies away and leaves you to en y —a cool and quiet of an evening on the banks of the Gauge or the Hoogley. The operator has merely again to say presto, and slowly the clouds begin to be lightened up, the sun sends up his red and gold from below the horizon, and as you gaze you have once more a noon-day splendour shining over all. t very fine Hindoo groups were also operated upon witli the most pleasing effect, but perhaps that which struck our ar nira- tion most were some avenue scenes from Inverary. The effect is about as superior to painting as are the works of a Clude or a Turner to the sketch of a mere schoolboy, although, in b own walk, there can be no substitute for painting. The invan- tion under notice, of course, requires an apparatus andcouzidor- able space to work it, and thus rather takes the pl ic f in exhibition than of a common picture. We are not a» are that Dr. Taylor has any wish to do more than make his discovery known, as it deserves to be. All that we need say of the modus operands is that it is extremely simple, and consists of a revolv ing cylinder, tho edge or rim of which is strongly colured with those hues that are required to produce the diormnic effects. A number of gas jets are so placed as strongly t illuminate the cylinder and reflect its hues upon the photo graphic plates. Tho effects produced are really surprising With such photographic plates and such an apparatus, a po son may never leave his own chamber, and yet in reality n