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314 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [April 24, 1891. result, for the relief is hardly pronounced enough for ordinary printing. There is also another way of obtaining a mould from a gelatine film of this kind, and that is by the hot moulding process commonly used in reproducing Meisenbach blocks, in preference to the common wax mould obtainable by pressure. In this hot process, a mixture of gutta-percha and other ingredients is heated, and while the plate to be copied rests upon a hot metallic surface, the mixture is poured over it, and afterwards slowly cooled. This process gives sharper results than the ordinary wax mould method, and it is easy enough to obtain an electrotypic copy from a mould so prepared. In Mr. Sutton’s paper read before the C. C., he said : “I must be understood as distinctly referring to half-tone block work.” It is only fair to remind our readers of this fact. In our experiments we have trespassed on ground which Mr. Sutton had no inten tion of touching, and we have done so in the hope that others may be encouraged to experiment in a very in teresting and important branch of photographic work. THE PROFESSIONAL SHOW-CASE FROM AN AMATEUR’S POINT OF VIEW. BY REV. F. C. LAMBERT. I CONFESS at once that curiosity often tempts me to stop and examine the contents of the photographer’s show or door-case. I am willing to admit that there may be a measure of selfishness in the matter. It may be a wish to see how others manage to overcome what to me are difficulties, or to gather a hint in the matter of pose, light ing, or grouping; or it may be to air my vanity and pat myself on the back, metaphorically speaking, for the credit able way I have managed home portraiture under difficul ties as compared with my more fortunate brother with his studio, screens, backgrounds, and other accessories. Whatever be my motives, it is only befitting that, hav ing had “more than I paid for”—as one ungenerous in dividual described my silent survey of his collection of yellow smudges—I should attempt to make some return by way of offering a suggestion or two. It may be as well, in the first place, to clear the ground by drawing attention to what, I cannot help feeling, are possible mis takes on the part of my professional brethren. They may often arise simply from want of thought upon so simple a matter, or it may be that they are too much occupied to attend to such trifles, yet I cannot think I am far different from an average specimen of the general public when I say that I, almost unconsciously, picture to myself the man, and also his surroundings, when I see his work. I have had the good fortune to make the personal acquaintance of a good number of professional men, and, with one or two exceptions, found them all I could wish. At the same time, more often than not, has my first impression, usually gathered either from the show-case or the window, been practically confirmed by the habits and character of the man. It is chiefly to this point to which I would suggest some attention be paid. Supposing a family are taking a short holiday at a seaside resort. It is just such a time that the inclination and leisure are both favourably disposed towards the family party “ being taken.” What is more natural than that the party will first scan the various show cases in the place, and be guided, not so much by the success of anyone portrait, seeing that the “specimens” are probably unknown to the spectators ; nor will they be wholly guided by price, because, when on a holiday, a few shillings saved in one way is spent in another; but the selection of the firm to which is to be entrusted the “ por- traiting” of “Pa, Ma, and the youngsters,” will be decided by the general impression and variety of subject displayed, together with the general good taste running throughout the whole collection, which is felt rather than seen. One offensive specimen will undo the good effect or impression of half a dozen other satisfactory pictures. This point brings me to my first suggestion, viz., quantity or number. I think it is a mistake to have too many specimens. When a window is full of photographs, the eye goes from one to the other, and is wearied by the very number of things to be seen, so that no one particular specimen is carefully examined, i.e., no one makes any special impres sion. The mental effort is cut up into a shower of fine drops, instead of being pleasantly drawn into a stream. The expression for the general idea which most people get from looking at a window or case over-crowded with specimens, is that the contents are “ very much of a much ness,” and by this expression they simply mean that they have received no distinct impression of quality, and only a bewildering one of quantity. Speaking as one of the general public, I should say, for myself, that I do not care to see more than a dozen speci- i^ens in any one case, and that I should prefer half-a-dozen —worth looking at. The half-dozen might stimulate the wish to see more ; a score would make me feci I had seen more than enough. But when, to the distraction of number, I find myself face to face with what I am told is a “ cut-out ” mount— viz., a contrivance whereby some two or three dozen portraits (of people who have nothing whatever to do with each other) are made to appear from behind a number of openings of very various shapesand sizes—and when, to this highly distressing arrangement, we add the utterly inexplicable device of causing these poor victims to appear tilted at all sorts of angles, then I am disposed to say to myself that the person who is responsible for this con trivance has made a mistake when he describes himself as “artist-photographer." The prevailing idea of this arrangement sometimes takes the alternative form of substituting for the one mount with many openings a large number of exceedingly thick mounts with gilt (real or sham) bevelled edges. These remarkable mounts are often adorned by a number of brass nails, whereby the structure is fastened to the back of the show-case ; and, in order to introduce a dash of “ high art,” the case is not infrequently lined by very inferior velvet of a bilious green or yellow tint. It would be interesting to know why these extremely thick mounts are used for this purpose, seeing that they correspond to nothing ever seen outside the show-case. From thick to thin mounts one may go at a step. A short time ago I saw some very nicely executed silver prints mounted on very thin cardboard, and attached to the back of the case by means of a couple of drawing pins for each mount. The natural result was that the mounts had curled so much that I could not help thinking that three of them placed edge to edge would make a very fair cylinder.