The photographic news

• Bandzählung: 11.1867
• Erscheinungsdatum: 1867
• 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-id1780948042-186700008
• PURL: http://digital.slub-dresden.de/id1780948042-18670000
• OAI: oai:de:slub-dresden:db:id-1780948042-18670000
• Sammlungen: LDP: Historische Bestände der Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Sammlungen: Fotografie
• Strukturtyp: Band

• Digitalisat: SLUB Dresden
• Strukturtyp: Ausgabe

JANUARY 4, 1867.] THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. 11 will be no detail in his face or hair. If he sit down you will get a good picture, or, if your studio is long enough to permit you to bring him forward (viz., five feet from the background), his face will then be in the focus of light, aud you will get a good picture as far as the figure is concerned ; but if it is a bright, sunny day, or a dark day, the corners of your picture will be dark, if you expose aud develop properly for your figure. With a studio the size I have given, a sitting figure will bear to be a foot, at least, nearer to the background than a standing figure ; but for those who cannot make their studios larger than I have mentioned, I would recommend the following for a studio eight to ten feet wide, and eight feet to the eaves :—Make the pitch as quickly as possible, and make only from four to five feet opaque over the sitter; whilst for a large studio, six feet opaque over the sitter will be correct. If what I have written be of any service to a country photographer like myself, I shall be well repaid for writing this; and I will only add further, do not adhere to any definite plan or formula given by any person, but exercise your own judgment as you go along. I shall have something to say, as soon as I can get time, about the different results obtained from baths treated with cyanide of potassium and with kaolin, as recommended by the “ Photographer’s Assistant.”—I remain, sir, yours truly, D. Welch. 9, Willoughby Place, Enniskillen, Ireland, “Pith Dec., 1866. [The cards enclosed show skill and judgment.—En.] CYANIDE OF POTASSIUM. S,—The first discovery of potassium by Sir Humphrey Davy, and the simple and ingenious manner in which his experiments were performed, may possibly lead others that have time and opportunity to make a trial. Davy’s first attempt to produce the metal in minute quantities was by the action of the galvanic batteries upon potash; but it was found to be produced on a large scale by chemical decomposition. The method was to put in a bent gun-barrel, well coated externally with clay, and passed through a furnace of clean iron filings; to one extremity of this barrel was fitted a tube containing a quantity of caustic potash; this tube was either shut at one end by a stopper, or by a glass tube luted to it, and plunged under the surface of mercury. To the other extremity of the gun-barrel was also luted a tube which was plunged into a vessel containing mercury. Heat was applied to the gun-barrel till it was heated to whiteness; then, by means of a chaffer, the caustic potash was melted, and made to trickle slowly into the white-hot iron filings. At the temperature the potash undergoes decomposition, the iron uniting with its oxygen, the potassium is dis engaged, and. being volatile, is deposited at a distance from the hot part of the tube, where it is collected after the pro cess is finished.—Yours respectfully, W. B. Alnsford, Hants, December 'Pith, 1866. Ualk in the Studio. Obituary.—We have to announce, with regret, the death of Mr. J. F. Goddard, one of the earliest workers in photography. An ardent lover of science from his youth, Mr. Goddard’s early years of manhood were devoted to lecturing on science in various institutions. Soon after the introduction of the Daguerreotype process into England, Mr. Goddard became associated with Mr. Beard, and devoted himself to assist in securing those improvements which permitted the application of the process to portraiture, and with considerable success, the introduction of the use of bromine being one of his important contributions to the art. Feeble health, business incapacity, and misfortune, brought penury in his declining days, and, as our readers know, an appeal to photographers was made about two years ago, in order to raise a fund to afford support and comfort to the remaining years of Mr. Goddard’s life. This appeal was heartily responded to, and the deceased gentleman’s last years have not been saddened by want. Iio died on Friday, of bronchitis, from a chronic form of which disease he had been for some years a sufferer, and was buried in the Kensal-green Catholic Cemetery on Wednesday. Although apparently older, ho had not far exceeded the threescore and ton years usually allotted to man. Wo believe that a report as to tho fund and its application, raised to rescue Mr. Goddard from penury, will shortly be issued by those to whose adminis tration it was entrusted. The Exhibition of 1867. —A meeting of photographers, in accordance with the invitation in our pages, was hold at the Society of Arts, in a room kindly lent by Mr. Peter Lo Nove Foster, to take into consideration the best arrangements for the convenience of photographers at the forthcoming exhibition. From a communication from Col. Wylde, to whoso department British photography will belong, it appears that the British Executive will undertake the reception, unpacking, and hanging of British photographs. It remained for photo graphers themselves then to enter into a combination for the transit of their goods to Paris, the charge of the packing cases there, and tho repacking and retransmission to this country. After discussing the question, tho meeting was adjourned, in order that information might be obtained as to the possibility of obtaining such an agent, and the charges at which this duty could be effected. More on the subject in our next. Alkaline Development FOR Fothergill Plates.—Mr. A. Keene, writing a short time ago, says : “ A recent Corres pondent did not fully state the case when referring to the effect of alkaline developers on Fothergill plates. I have observed a singular and marked difference between plates prepared by the Gordon modification (which leaves a portion of the ammonia nitrate of silver and albumen compound in the film) and those prepared by removing all free nitrate ; the former develop best under the action of plain ■pyro, the addition of ammonia rather retarding than accelerating development, but not producing fog; whereas the latter will not develop under the action of plain pyro 1 , and even when exposed suffi ciently to be developed with tho ordinary acid pyro and silver, will only give a very faint picture under the prolonged action of the plain solution, but quickly develop (with half the exposure) under the action of the alkaline pyro.” The Fire at the Crystal Palace.—In addition to tho losses to the Palace Company, serious damage was done to a portion of the apparatus belonging to Messrs. Negretti and Zambra's portrait-room. Outside the building, facing the high- level terminus, they have their solar cameras safely housed ; but they had another printing-room under tho Byzantine Court, where some sensitized paper and chemicals were destroyed, entailing a loss of about £50. Happily, the large stock of negatives was saved. Questionable PIOTOGRAPIIO Art Union.—An application was made the other day by a clergyman, at Lambeth Police Court, stating that tickets were in circulation for a distribu tion of prizes, on the Art Union principle, purporting to be on behalf of the South London Church Building Society. The ticket, after giving some particulars of this kind, proceeds to state : ‘ The purchaser of this ticket, in addition to the chance of winning one of the above prizes, is entitled to six cartes-de- visite for four shillings (tho usual price being 8s. 6d.), upon presenting the attached slip at tho studio of Mr. T. Carrick, 82, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus. All tickets not returned before the 31st January, 1867, will be reckoned as sold, and charged for. Price one shilling each.’ The first part of the ticket is what is called the duplicate ticket, and the third part what is called the “ societies’ ticket,” and purports to entitle its owner, on presentation to Mr. Carrick, to six cartes-de-visite. Mr. Wallis said that there was no such society as the “ South London New Church Building Fund,” and therefore, feeling that there was something suspicious in the matter, ho had made up his mind to take his worship’s opinion on it. Mr. Elliott said that, though tho publication of the tickets might bo intended as a puff or advertisement for Mr. Carrick as a photographer, that person had been guilty of a deception in representing that tho tickets were those of tho “ South London New Church Building Fund Society,” and it was his duty to come forward and give some explanation of the matter. Harrogate Waters.—A correspondent says :—“ In the Proceedings of the Bristol Naturalists’ Society, edited by Mr.