The photographic news

• Bandzählung: 13.1869
• Erscheinungsdatum: 1869
• 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-id1780948042-186900000
• PURL: http://digital.slub-dresden.de/id1780948042-18690000
• OAI: oai:de:slub-dresden:db:id-1780948042-18690000
• Sammlungen: LDP: Historische Bestände der Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Sammlungen: Fotografie
• Bemerkung: Heft 545 (S. 73-84), Heft 547 (S. 97-108), Heft 589 (S. 599-610) fehlen in der Vorlage. Paginierfehler: Auf Seite 444 folgt Seite 443
• Strukturtyp: Band

• Digitalisat: SLUB Dresden
• Strukturtyp: Ausgabe

[June 4, 1869. faced and impudent than even this. Is it not surprising that in a land where education is supposed to be universal, and, as alleged by its admirers, of the most perfect kind, such a clumsy imposture should receive a moment’s credence ? Our American cousins arc undoubtedly a shrewd people; and yet it seems that in New York a photographer has been doing a thriving business in producing portraits of his sitters with a dim ghostly shrouded figure in the back ground, alleged to be the portrait of some ministering spirit of a deceased friend hovering near. And when, finally, the perpetrator of this trick was charged with imposture before a magistrate, he boldly maintained the supernatural cha racter of the photographs, and, notwithstanding the testi mony of several of the most able professional and amateur photographers, to the effect that the result exhibited was clearly traceable to means possible to every photographer, several of which were described, the accused was set at liberty. According to the New York Herald, some rather unseemly badinage took place in court. I subjoin an extract. One of the most amusing things of the very amusing “ spirit photograph” trial is tho question asked Mr. Bogardus by the counsel for the defendant, viz.: Whether or not he supposed that, if a photographer had been present at tho interview between Saul and the ghost of Samuel, ho could have taken a photograph of tho ghost ? This is a fresh question; one which, so far as our knowledge of biblical literature extends, has never been discussed by even the wildest of commentators. The scene which it calls up before tho mind is delightful to contemplate. The interview took place at night—a point which evidently escaped tho attention of both the counsel and Mr. Bogardus—thus tho photographs would have had to be taken by the light of the moon, struggling through tho ragged clouds of a murky night, or with a calcium or magnesium light. Saul, King of Israel, starts out, accompanied by the artist, whoso presence does not in the least disconcert tho Witch of Endor. The ghost appears; the artist adjusts his camera, puts tho black cloth over his head, and gets the ghost in focus, asking it to “ throw its head a little back.” Then the artist takes out his watch and re quests the ghos t to look at it for a few minutes. In tho meantime Saul and tho Witch perform a tableau. It is diflicult to take a photograph at night, even when tho object to be delineated is more substantial than a disembodied spirit, and, at best, tho photograph of a ghost can only be the ghost of a photograph. If the trial should prove that “ spirit photographs ” can bo taken, wo suggest an experiment: Let some artist endeavour to try his art yet further, and settle a quibble for us. Let him try to got a photo graph of M. Comte. It would be so delightful to have a negative of a positivist! . I have been, somewhat amused at the attempt to get up a controversy in the pages of a contemporary on the subject of collodion. A gentleman well-known as the manufacturer of a popular collodion having, by dint of cross-examination, been induced to disclose certain of the details of his manu facturing operations, is forthwith attacked as not having given sufficiently precise instructions to enable the writer of tho letter, whose name appears in advertisements as the maker or inventor of another commercial collodion, to pro duce good pyroxyline at a temperature so low as that stated in the remarks addressed to the Society, and tho first- mentioned manufacturer is challenged to state fully the results of his many years’ experience in collodion making, and generally justify his position! Now, if the photo graphic community at large would he benefitted by the publication of the information, I am inclined to fancy that the gentleman challenged, Mr. Blanchard, would be generous enough to give them the benefit of costly experience; but since photographers rarely make their own collodion, still more rarely their own pyroxyline, the publication of his mode of working could only be of interest to other manu facturers, to whom it is scarcely to be expected that any one having competing interests would be Quixotic enough to unveil his operations. I cannot help feeling some degree of regret that in such a discussion it becomes necessary to say anything apparently disrespectful of a man like Mr. Hardwich, who, as an earnest, if not very successful worker in the chemistry of photography, was esteemed by all who knew him. That he worked hard to throw light upon the conditions required in photographic collodion there cannot be a doubt; but that his final formula is satisfactorily workable I do not think any one will have the hardihood to allege. To the gentleman who now manufactures the excellent collodion bearing the name of Mr. THardwich is due, I have always understood, the credit of so modifying and improving the formula as to render it practicable. Secrecy in photography is a thing undoubtedly to be deprecated, and, with the writer to whose letter I have referred, I believe that Very few secrets exist in the general practice of photography. With regard to the manufacture of various photographic preparations, I think that secrets undoubtedly, and as naturally and justifiably, do exist, and that they would only mislead the public, if, like Canning's— not Southey’s—needy knife-grinder, they declared that story “ they had none to tell.” The revival of the velocipede mania—for it is, after all, only tho revival of a thing played out many years ago— possesses an especial interest to the amateur photographer, as it presents, at first sight, a promise of settling the often discussed point as to how to ramble, with tho necessary impedimenta for obtaining views, without the necessity of having an attendant to assist. I am afraid that the fact that the velocipede is best suited to level country, which is generally the least picturesque, will interpose a barrier to its very extensive or valuable photographic use. At present, I must confess that I have been unable to see much gain to the photographer beyond the fun of the novelty. It is odd enough how the velocipede and photography seem linked and associated. Nicephore Niepce, tho practical founder of photography, was the inventor of tho velocipede. More than a score of years ago one of the most expert velocipe- dists, and most intelligently interested in velocipedes, was Mr. .1. E. Mayall ; and one of the crack velocipedists—or velocipedestrians, whichever is correct—is his son, Mr. J. Mayall. Themeetingsof societies have continued interesting. Atthe Parent Society an excellent paper on the carbon process, by Mr. Johnson, was read. Unfortunately, his indisposition de prived the members of the promised demonstration ; and, for tunately, it is yet to come, for it is promised at the next meeting. A good discussion was raised on the cracking of negative films, by the exhibition by Mrs. Cameron of many of her negatives, which were covered with fine cracks. It was a singular and interesting incident for a lady to conic and take an active part before the members, by laying her troubles before them, and it was creditable to the President’s politeness that, seeing the lady had come for advice and aid, he should have proposed a vote of thanks to her “ for her communication.” At tho North London the proceed ings were of a conversational character. At the South an exhibition meeting was held, a capital display of pictures affording much opportunity for agreeable ami instructive conversation. The Edinburgh Society has had several good papers and good discussions ; printing on ivory, printing on any sur face, and velocipedes, being amongst the subjects. TRANSFER OF FILMS AND OTHER MANIPULATIONS. Adolf Ost's Pamphlet. It will be remembered that some discussion has recently taken place in Berlin and elsewhere—to which we have alluded in our Foreign Miscellanea, 19th March and 21st May—respecting tho publication, by M. Adolf Ost, of Vienna, of a pamphlet purporting to contain new and valuable information relative to certain photographic pro cesses. The price of the work is fixed at ten florins, and on many sides doubts have been expressed of the bond fide