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

254 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [MAY 30,1862. in obtaining an original, that copying is resorted to. In portraiture the likeness of a distinguished person only accessible through the agency of position, ability, or influ ence, all of which constitute capital. In landscape, archi tecture, &c., places and scenes only accessible by privilege, or the expenditure of money. In subject pictures, where the genius in conceiving, and skill in working out, good ideas, not possessed by the incompetent. It is in regard to these, and such other things costing effort, skill, and money, and in which the property in an original is easily proved, that piracies arc most usually practised, and not upon common place subjects easily obtainable by all, and originality in which is not easy to dispute, nor worth the denial, that cases of piracy causing difficulty in enforcing the act would arise. But the truth is, these and other frivolous objections raised, originate with those who have a material interest in the continuance of photographic piracy. These gentlemen have been more active we fear in opposing the protection of the Bill, than photographers generally have been in seeking for it. The Solicitor General informed the Lord Chief Baron, President of the Photographic Society, that he had received various communications purporting to come from photographers, stating that photographers did not wish for such protection ! We have good reason to believe that Mr. Harvey Lewis, who opposed the protection of photographs when the Bill was in the Commons, was, as we then suggested, “ coached ” on the subject; but we did not then suppose that it was, as we have since been informed, by those interested in the maintenance of piracy. We have heard something of the arguments used against the Bill. It will cause endless litigation, it is stated. That can only happen if the pirates resolve on continuing their work; litigation can only arise out of infringement of the law ; and in such case, all laws for the protection of society might be said to cause litigation. It will be a great hardship, it is urged, upon the multitude of small shopkeepers of various kinds, who now sell pirated reproductions of album portraits, &c., who knowing nothing about the art or the difference between reproductions and originals, will become quite innocently amenable to the law and its penalties. To this we may reply in the first place, that however ignorant some of these dealers may be of photography, they arc not so entirely ignorant of the difference between copies and originals as might be supposed. They generally know how it effects the price. We have repeatedly lately inquired in such establishments, the prices of photographs, and asked why such a one was so much more than another. We have promptly received the answer, “ This is from life, and that is a copy from another picture.” If, however, this were not the case it in no wise affects the justice of the case. It is the duty of all persons engaging in any especial trade, to acquaint themselves with the laws which affect it. More over it would rarely occur we apprehend that the mere vendor transgressing the law in ignorance, would be called upon for penalties without warning, or except in the case of persistent delinquency. The law will not, unfortunately, be retrospective, and these dealers can continue the sale of the mass of rubbish which now disgraces the art, until the public taste is sufficiently educated to reject such things. A variety of equally frivolous and more irrelevant argu ments against the inclusion of photography in this Bill have been brought before us, and, we fear, before members of the legislature. It is quite possible that, even at this stage, unless every effort be made, that photographers will find themselves unrecognized by law, and without any pro tection against piracy. CARD PORTRAITS. Wb are in the habit of receiving from time to time, amongst other specimens of photography, various examples of card portraiture. As this class of portraiture is of very great in terest to photographers at the present time, and involves I 1 Iron Acetate of soda .. Water Pyroligneous acid Alcohol 4 drachma 1 „ ) 17 ounces ties of the late Mr. Lacy’s, and Mr. H. P. Robinsons- 1 recent group by the latter gentleman, consisting of W lovely girls standing in front of a rustic arbour is the fin card picture we have seen, and was recently pronounced ? a friend, one of the first landscape painters in water colow of the day, to whom we had shown a copy, to be the M photograph he had ever seen. We have noticed the P traits of Mr. Hawke as especially excelling in delical roundness, and vigour. We have recently received 80# specimens from Mr. McNab, of Glasgow, which, beside many excellences of arrangement, accessory, &c., are • questionable the most brilliant and vigorous, without be®? hard or wanting in delicacy, we have yet seen. The neg fives from which they are produced are evidently of t very best class: sufficiently dense in the highest lights 6 preserve intact the purity of the white paper; but ths high lights are most sparingly used, consisting of litl more than mere points ; there are no patches of white vib out drawing or detail. From these minute high ligb) descending by the most delicate gradations of half-tone" the deepest shadows, in which, although still cautiously ush we have points of black, evidently bare glass in the nep tive. On an examination of such pictures, we see hof sparingly either pure black or white may be used in obtain' ing brilliancy. It is in the infinite gradation and variety" tones, and not in crude harshly-contrasted masses of bla and white, that this quality consists. It is necessary, hor ever, in order to secure the widest scale of tones, to beg) with the lowest. A brilliant negative must be clean a* free from fog, commencing from bare glass. Mr. McNabb some especial conditions, whenever we meet with unusti. excellence, we endeavour to ascertain the precise form used. We have noticed from time to time the artistic qual pictures eminently illustrate this ; and as regards brill®®? and gradation of tone, they are perfect. Some very quig inobtrusive scenic backgrounds are introduced with go effect. The definition towards the edges is not in all cib quite satisfactory, probably from the use of a lens of sho" focus, but the principal parts are very sharp and well definel Mr. McNab supplies us with a few particulars of hiswoP ing, but, as will be seen, it is the old story; there is no secd to tell, merely careful application of well-known principle It will be seen that he does not swear by any formula, process, but uses his judgment as to the method which” 1 best suit the circumstances. He says :— “ It affords me the greatest pleasure to comply with y0, request in furnishing the formula? (if such they may * called) in use by me. In the first place, the collodion’ mostly of my own making, after Hardwick’s formula?: pap or cotton is prepared with weak acids at a higli temperatt" to ensure intensity in the collodion; but sometimes I find of advantage to mix it with that of other makers. T silver bath is prepared in the usual way, from recryst lized nitrate of silver, 35 grains to the ounce of water. 1 on using it for the first time, it shows a tendency to fos" is slightly acidified with nitric acid. I develop with irh 15 grains to the ounce of water when the light is good; b" in cold weather, and weak indifferent light, it is increos. to 20 grains. I sometimes find it of advantage to use t following:— “ The plates arc developed and well washed, and put 2511 in a rack to dry, until we find it convenient to clean the" When they are dry, a line of varnish is put round the edga to prevent the film from being removed in the followi3 operations of cleaning and intensifying. I find this sa much valuable time in the busy part of the day, " engaged in taking sittings. The plates arc wetted ag"" previous to clearing them with cyanide of potassium.