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240 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [May 14, 1869. found in postal communications.’ If this be not an enigma, and do not refer to some kind of cipher—and there is no reason for thinking that it does—Mr, Meyer will be among the famous of the future. We are further told that the apparatus is at work on the railway from Paris to Lyons, and the lines from Paris to Marseilles, and from Paris to Bordeaux will soon bo provided with it.” Misuse of Photography.—At Bow Street, on Tuesday, Sydney Powell, of 31, Chandos Street, photographer, was charged with selling indecent prints and pictures. Mr. Abrams appeared for the prisoner. Mr. Parker, one of the inspectors of the E division, went in plain clothes to the prisoner’s shop on Monday, accompanied by a person who was known to the pri soner as a customer, and was shown a quantity of obscene photographic slides and two oil paintings. The latter, though most filthy, were executed with great ability. They purchased a few of the photographs (one of them comparatively harm less), and the prisoner asked Mr. Parker if he thought he could find him a customer for the two oil paintings, the price of which was £105. Mr. Parker said perhaps he could, and called the next day with Chamberlain, also of the E division, and also in private clothes, who, after seeing the paintings, bid first 20 and then 50 guineas. The prisoner replied, how ever, that he could not take less than the price already men tioned—100 guineas. They asked to look at some prints, but he said he had sent them all away on the previous day; he could get them anything they might order, but he would not keep any in the house in future. He explained that he was obliged to be cautious, because the police were getting very sharp. Parker then produced his warrant, apprehended the prisoner, and seized the two oil paintings and a large quantity of obscene photographic slides. At the request of Mr. Abrams, who said he should be able to give a good defence on the merits, the prisoner was remanded ; but Mr. Abram's applica tion for the prisoner’s application to bail was refused.—Times. Photographic Presentation to Captain Shaw.—The firemen of the London Eire Brigade have, at the incitement and with the valuable co-operation of Mr. D. B. James, the photographer of Cannon Street, presented Captain Shaw with a musical album, fittingly embellished with portraits of all the officers of the Brigade. In accepting the testimonial of per sonal regard and esprit de corps. Captain Shaw mentioned that he had long desired to possess such a collection, but that the difficulty of obtaining so many good likenesses had seemed to him insurmountable.—Daily Telegraph. U0 Corxespondents, James Maycock.—A tendency in the practice of photography to produce inflammation of the eyes has not come under our atten tion ; but if a tendency to such inflammation existed, we can readily conceive that it might be aggravated by the fumes arising from collodion, especially if the collodion were old and made with methylated solvents. A little care, and ventilation of the dark room, might, we think, quite remedy this. It should be borne in mind that the vapour of ether is heavy, and falls to the ground. The dark room should therefore contain facility for ventilation through the floor as well as by the windows or roof. 2. Since you succeed so satisfactorily with the oxymel, we cannot recommend you to change. Gallic Acid.—A saturated solution of gallic acid consists of about 4 grains of the acid in an ounce of water. After development, the print may be placed in ordinary water. 2. A good, soft negative is required for producing enlargements; not a transparency. 3. You will find instructions for producing transparencies on wet collodion in our Year-Book for 1868. W. Hall (Brighton), writing on Mr. Sarony’s photo-crayons, states that he was prepared to buy the designs to the extent of £1, but not to the extent of 35. He then proceeds to make some com ments on Mr. Sarony’s patent, from which wo make some extracts, in order to point out that they are based on misapprehension. He says:—“ Now, sir, I hold that the labourer is worthy of his hire; but to me it is incomprehensible how a leading artist like Sarony—a man who has reaped a fair share of the golden harvest, which others have sown—should claim an exclusive right—for what ? An invention! Is it worthy of the name ? Rather say a little dodge, which has cost him neither waste of money nor waste of brains. What has the profession come to, if its magnates resort tosuch a little shift to raise the wind ? To many of the profession the principle is not new; but, I admit, the thanks of all are due to him for improvement, and for proving to the public what only men in his position can easily do, that this system has its merits ; but to admit that he is entitled to levy black mail for anything that he has done, I do not. It is a manifest injustice to the profession, and ho is unworthy of his name and high position.” A moment’s reflection must convince our coirespondent that such ideas and such language are absurdly unjust. A sitter might as justly charge our correspondent with using the beautiful art of photography as a means of levying black mail upon his customers. Mr. Sarony has introduced a style of portrait which had not been done before, and has patented the mode of producing it. He offers this method of working to photographers on terms which he thinks will remunerate him, and not one of them is under any necessity of adopting it unless he can make it pay. Surely, then, it is in in the worst of taste to express annoyance at Mr. Sarony’s terms. If they had been exorbitant, he would have had a right to fix them as he chose ; but as the price of the designs for backing is really very moderate indeed, it is, we think, in the last degree unfair to abuse him. Those who do not choose to take a licence are pre cisely in the same position as they were before Mr. Sarony obtained a patent. They then could not produce such portraits, because the thing was unknown; now they cannot produce them, because the right to do so belongs to another, and they do not choose to pay for a share of that right. NovUS.—The Philadelphia Photographer is always illustrated. Its price is half a dollar (about 2s.) each number. It is published monthly. The Photographische Miltheilange)^ published in Berlin, and the Photographische Correspondenz^ published in Vienna, are frequently illustrated; the latter, in some form or other, generally so. We believe you can get any of them through Trubner, of Paternoster Row. W. V. Foster.—We believe that Mr. Whiting’s camera is made up to 12 by 10, but our own impression is, that it is more suitable for smaller sizes. We believe that it is his intention to adver tise, it, but we are not certain; we are not in possession of any business particulars, and have not the maker’s address. Amateur.—It is not uncommon for skies, when stopped out with water colour, to peel off the plate. Bates’s black varnish is better than water colour. A piece of black paper answers well, using a little black varnish to paint round the horizon if necessary. Amos Palmer.—There is a photographic department in connection with the Royal Engineers ; but whether you would necessarily be employed in that department, in case of enlisting in the Engineers, we cannot, of course, tell you. The fact would probably depend on the opening which might exist for further assistance. Your possession of photographic experience would probably serve you considerably. Young.—It would be bad taste of any one having produced an en largement from your negative to exhibit a copy against your pro test ; but it might be a troublesome task to prevent him. Th 0 question is one which a lawyer could better answer. A. Z.—It is probable that all the engravings you name are non copyright, and may be copied without injury to any one. A. B. C.—A plain and tolerably light-coloured background is, of course, most suitable for producing any kind of vignette; but, with a little skill and management, it will be possible to produce vignette transparencies for Sarony’s photo-crayons from negatives with scenic backgrounds. The best plan will be to paint the back of the negative with black varnish, so as to stop out the images 0 all objects in the background. The stopping out may be brought close up to the outline of the figure, or it may be softened off a little, so as to form a vignetted edge. The negative so treated may then be vignetted, so far as the figure is concerned, in the usual way. No Dark Room for Views.—Seo answer to W. V. Foster, above' Wm. Beau. — We do not like silver dippers. It is tolerably certain that more or less of reaction is constantly going on between such a dipper and the bath, as any trace of acid would certainly attac the silver. Discard your silver dipper, which, from the symptonis you describe, is evidently mischievous. Use glass or porcelain* A strip of glass, with a shoulder cemented on by marine g-ue ’ the dipper we prefer. Your bath is also clearly out of ordc • Dilute with an equal bulk of water, add a little carbonate of Sode and sun thoroughly ; filter, strengthen, and try again. Several Correspondents in our next. Photographs Kegistere. Mr. R. Griffiths, Truro, Photograph of Mrs. E. Griffiths. Mr. Meloni, Eastwood, nr. Todmorden, Photograph of Mr. J. Paton.