The photographic news

• Bandzählung: 35.1891
• Erscheinungsdatum: 1891
• 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-id1780948042-189100009
• PURL: http://digital.slub-dresden.de/id1780948042-18910000
• OAI: oai:de:slub-dresden:db:id-1780948042-18910000
• Sammlungen: LDP: Historische Bestände der Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Sammlungen: Fotografie
• Strukturtyp: Band

• Digitalisat: SLUB Dresden
• Strukturtyp: Ausgabe

110 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [February 6, 1891. the Esk," should be studied to see how plane melts into plane. No. 167, “The Jolly Miller,” by H. Stacy Marks, is one of the few figure studies, pure and simple; it is simple, and yet strong in its simplicity. On the screens may be seen two bird studies (Nos. 294 and 309) by the same master. Sir Oswald Brierly, marine painter to the Queen, sends several masterly pictures and sketches. No. 172, “ Waiting for a Breeze,” a Venice sketch in his usual able style ; No. 179, another Venice picture, broad, simple, and grey; No. 257, six small water and cloud studies; No. 333, Lowestoft boats; No. 345, H.M.S. Meander, a vessel in which the painter visited many foreign lands on a sketching tour, including Mexico, Peru, and Tongatabu. No. 181, “ Yarmouth Marshes,” Henry Moore, is a beautiful painting. No. 185, “Stromboli,” Albert Good win, a large and dramatic work, with some rather startling colour. No. 193, David Murray, shows the powerful effect of converging lines; a fine study in composition of line for photographers. No. 204, “ Country Girl,” by Miss C. Phillott, a good example of ideal painting. Walter Crane sends the four seasons in design, Nos. 234-5, 247-8—splendid studies of graceful line. No. 241, “Wreck of the Halswell," is of course of the sensational order. Walter Crane sends several paintings of places dear to the camera man who “does” the south coast, e.g., Nos. 261 and 265, Win- chelsea Strand, and Gatechurch ; nevertheless we prefer his beautiful designs. H. G. Glindon sends several characterand figure studies (Nos. 232,253,278, and others), all in the same semi-French, vignette style, undoubtedly clever, yet not altogether satisfactory. Miss Edith Mar tineau paints a farm lad and his dog, “ A Happy Couple ” (No. 271), surrounded by appropriate buildings, in a skilful and satisfactory manner. Some of the lighter tones are perfect in gradation and luminosity. E. A. Goodall, in No. 295, scores decidedly in the happy hunting ground of painters, viz., Venice, and again in No. 363 a similar suc cess is attained. No. 303 is a curious and equally interesting mono chrome allegorical study by Holman Hunt, showing a double rainbow. H. M. Marshall contributes a pleasing study of Whitby (No. 307) ; also a satisfactory view from London Bridge (No. 317). On no account must the student omit to notice several highly characteristic black-and-white drawings from the pen of G. Du Maurier, viz., Nos. 350, 352, 357, 362, noting especially the well-known mouth and eyebrow in the two latter. A small black-and-white study by A. Hopkins, No. 353, is one of the cleverest things in the room. There are many, many other pictures which every photographer should study in this room, even if he only were to learn from them a lesson which is sadly wanted in many quarters, viz., variety of subject. There is perhaps more sympathy between photographers and water colour workers than between the former and workers in oil medium. This room shows that the general tendency of water colour workers is towards the same class of subject which is most within the scope of the camera man—viz., landscape, with or without figures as part of and belonging to the scene. Another hint may also be taken from a gathering of pictures like this—viz., to glean information about some new, unexplored districts where food suitable for the camera is likely to be found. It is time that photo graphers gave Conway Castle its well-earned rest. PARLIAMENTARY ACTION IN RELATION TO THE DECIMAL SYSTEM* BY J. EMERSON DOWSON, M.INST.C.E. For some sixy years or more the question of having a decimal system of coinage, weights, and measures in this country has received more or less attention, and several public inquiries have been held ; but I venture to say that the subject has not been dealt with as comprehen sively and as exhaustively as it deserves. So long ago as 1841, when the Houses of Parliament were destroyed by fire, the Commissioners appointed, in consequence of the destruction of the standards of weights and measures, referred incidentally in their report to the advantages of decimal coinage, weights, and measures; and, two years later, a new Commission referred to and confirmed this opinion. In 1853, the appointment of a Select Com mittee to enquire into the whole subject of decimalising moneys, weights, and measures was proposed ; but, un fortunately, its scope was limited to moneys only when the appointment was made. This Committee reported strongly in favour of a decimal coinage, and recommended what is known as the “pound and mil system.” In 1857 a Royal Commission was appointed to consider the intro duction of a decimal coinage ; and, in their preliminary report, the Commissioners said that the question of decimalising the weights and measures was early forced on their notice, but that they could not deal with it, as the terms of the Commission “ restricted their investiga tions to the practicability and expediency of introducing the decimal principle into the coinage of this country, without contemplating any change in our present system of weights and measures.” In their final report, two years later, they were, however, so far impressed with the intimate connection between the weights, measures, and coins, that they remarked:—“It does not appear desirable, under existing circumstances, while our weights and measures remain as at present, and so long as the prin ciple on which their simplification ought to be founded is undetermined, to disturb the established habits of the people with regard to the coins now in use, by a partial attempt to introduce any new principle into the coinage alone.” This was the last inquiry into the coinage question; but in 1862 a Select Committee was appointed to report on “ the practicability of adopting a simple and uniform system of weights and measures.” They reported strongly in favour of the metric system, but, incidentally, the question of decimal coinage was forced upon them; and they added in their report that “ the evidence they have received tends to convince them that a decimal system of money should, as nearly as possible, accompany a decimal system of weights and measures,” so as to obtain the greatest advantage. All the seventy-two Chambers of Commerce of the Association of the United Kingdom have repeatedly pronounced themselves in favour of the decimal system, and the four large Chambers which are not members of the Association (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, and Manchester) have taken the same ground. At the last meeting in March, 1890, the Association resolved “that a deputation be appointed to wait upon the Vice-President of the Committee of Council for Education to urge that steps may at once be taken to make the study of the decimal system of coinage and weights and measures a I * A portion of a paper on the Decimal System read last Wednesday I night at the Society of Arts.