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386 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [August 14,1863. of, then ? Very simply: by the use of two baths. Most professional photographers in large practice have two or three baths going, and some require a new one every two or three days, not because the old one is exhausted, but because it is surcharged with foreign matter, that it does not work well. Proceed as follows :—Make a new bath as usual, and get it into perfect order ; do not excite the plates in it, but in the old one which is supposed to be done. When the plate is withdrawn from this, covered, it may be, with greasy lines, from the accumulation of ether and alcohol, or covered with a sandy looking deposit, the sure forerunner of pin holes, &c., instead of putting it into the dark slide, put it into the new bath for a few seconds, moving it up and down once or twice. Now remove it to the dark slide—the greasy lines from ether and alcohol are gone—it looks per fectly smooth and even—the sandy deposit is removed, and all loose particles which have accumulated in the first bath from long use are washed off—the contaminated free nitrate which saturated the film is almost entirely replaced by a new solution. When the developer is applied it flows evenly over the plate, does not readily decompose, and, whilst it develops the image, it reduces pure nitrate of silver, and thus avoids the fog, streaks, pin-holes, &c., which are the common result of free nitrate containing organic and other contaminations. The negative consequently possesses all the delicacy, cleanness, and richness of colour which are the general result of a new pure bath. Besides the good results, there is a great saving effected. The new bath receives such slight additions of foreign matter that it serves as a second bath a very long time; whilst the first bath maybe used much longer than it could possibly be under other circumstances. When the first begins to be exhausted and useless, the second bath may be put in its place, and a new one made for the second immer sion. Some years ago, when glass positives were in vogue, we tried a similar plan, but with a slight modification. The second bath contained only ten grains to the ounce, the object being to avoid the rapid precipitate of a large amount of surface silver which had a tendency to bury the half-tones and give a coarse image. With the dilute second bath we had development more under control, and secured great delicacy and fine modelling. Our attention was recently called to the advantages of the second bath by a well-known metro politan portraitist. He had been somewhat troubled by the frequent necessity for new baths. Every week three ounces of nitrate of silver were necessary for replenishing the old bath or making a new one, and a large accumula tion of bottles of discarded nitrate solution began to fill the dark-room. The ether, alcohol, &c., accumulated and spoiled the solution much more rapidly than it was used up, and time was too precious to permit of evaporating, sunning, &c. The plan of using two baths, as we have described, was therefore tried, and found to answer admirably ; the in creased comfort, economy, and excellence of results, being out of all comparison greater than before. The trouble was found to be comparatively trifling. A plate was coated and excited in the old bath ; then removed and placed on a piece of blotting paper to drain. Whilst it was doing this, an other plate was put in the old bath, and then the first was sufficiently drained for immersion in the second bath, where it was allowed to remain about half a minute before placing in the dark slide. Replenishing the Bath.—The common method of replenish ing the nitrate bath is by the addition of fresh solution of the proper strength, or of a stronger solution where there is reason to suppose that the strength of the used bath has become impoverished. Erom some scarcely explained cause it is often found that the first result of such replenishment is not always improvement. It not unfrequently happens that a tendency to fog and streaks is the first result. These troubles may however be avoided by adopting another method of proceeding. Instead of making new solution, first take the proportion of water and add to the old solu tion. This will throw down some portion of the accu mulated iodide which was dissolved in the old solution. Now filter, and add the crystals of nitrate of silver neces sary to make up the proper strength. By adopting this method it will often be found that the bath is much im proved, and the troubles attendant on the old method avoided. We must defer our remarks on the correction of baths out of order until our next. REPRODUCTION AND COPYRIGHT. Oke of the most interesting features which struck us as distinguishing the French Photographic Exhibition, was the magnificent display of photographs from modern copyright paintings, rivalling engravings in all points in regard to which engraving is supposed to possess especial advantages, and decidedly surpassing it in others. In faithful transla tion of colour, in chiaroscuro, and in delicacy, vigour, and beauty, many of them—we arc especially speaking of those of Bingham—leave nothing to be desired; whilst in ac curate rendering of exact drawing, and even the very touch and handling of the artist, and in cheapness, they possess decided advantages over engraving. In this country the experiment of producing photographs from modern paintings has not been tried to any con siderable extent. This has been doubtless duo to two causes. In the first place, the absence, until last session, of any means of securing a copyright in such productions; and in the second place, little demand existing for such work, there are not many good photographers who have devoted attention to the especial production of such works, so that an impres sion largely prevails that it is impossible by means of photo graphy to translate into satisfactory monochrome the varied bright hues of modern painting. This first reason has ceased to exist, the new act affording effectual protection both to the painting and the photograph. In regard to the second the demand only needs to arise in order to bring forth capable men. Mr. Thurston Thompson’s photographs of Turner’s paintings, and Mr. Annan’s copies of the prize paintings in the Glasgow Art Union, are sufficient evidence of the existence of capability in this direction, and we arc satisfied that there are many more if the demand arose for their services. Mr. Gambart, in his recent pamphlet on copy right, suggests a third reason, the low estimate into which photographic reproductions have fallen having been chiefly confined to the hands of pirates. He says:— Want of justice to the . art of engraving, and its being delivered as a prey to unprincipled photographers, has been more destructive to photography than can be generally under stood. This course has not destroyed a trade which existed before, but prevented one of groat promise from being developed. Photographic copies of engravings, having got possesion of the market, are produced by only the lowest practitioners. No photographer of standing or ability will join in Buch a course. The sale of copies of English engravings is only carried on by hawkers or shopkeepers of broken fortunes, and their competi tion being unrestrained by want of capital, such copies, originally sold at from Is. to 5s. each, are now produced at the lowest possible price—one party actually supplying the trade with small photographic copies of my engraving from “ The Light o the World” at three-halfpence a dozen, so that the vendors can make but a slender return out of their nefarious practices. But, the low prices thus established ruling the trade, publishers of photographs in which there would be copyright, and conse quently capital invested, have no chance—the. necessity 0 charging a corresponding high price limiting their sales to the lowest ebb. And yet what a fine future photographers have before them ! Already in France, under an efficient copxng law, the photographer competes successfully with the engraver. Messrs. Bingham are reproducing Meissonnier's pictures., photography with the greatest success. Gerome s "Gladtoha and “ Death of Csar," and many other fine works arePuD in photography also, and largo sums have been paid tor right to the artists by the publishers of these Photog' P reproductions.