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318 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [APRIL 24, 1891. TECHNICAL SCHOOLS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY.* BY MAX JAFFE. Lessons in the auxiliary sciences should follow on the drawing lessons, and also lessons in chemistry and physics as far as they concern photography and the photo mechanical processes. However, this scientific instruc tion should not be conducted independently; it must be imparted with the general educational course, and by means of practice in the studios. In this stage of his school work the pupil must become acquainted with everything that he will have to use in practice, for this is the only manner in which the scientific instruction can be made of practical use to him. He must become familiar with the application of the utensils and apparatus that he will have to use subsequently ; next, he must engage in practice in subordinate things, and take part in the necessary pre parations for them ; finally, he must be initiated into the sundry departments of the educational course in the easiest manner—that is, by practice. This second part of the technical instruction, like the first, should occupy the pupil the entire day, and last for at least a year. Now follows the third part of this particular education, the practical instruction in photography and the photo-mechanical processes. We now come to the question : lu what manner is this to be accomplished ? and come back to the earlier state ment that the course of education is simply to follow the pattern which exists in the former apprenticeship ; and means must here be provided for the scholar to gain ex perience of all the needs of real life. A scholar who has finished the course of the technical schools, and who had, up to the time of his leaving, only such problems to solve as were set for him by the masters, will be much dis appointed by his entry into business practice, and feel strange in it, in the same way as we feel strange in those countries of which we have thoroughly learntthe language at school, but are not accustomed to its sound and form of expression. Real life is only to be infused into the technical schools by means of productive work. The severe and constantly changing claims of practice form an education of a lively and invigorating kind, while the academical method of professional instruction will simply finish in monotony and pedantry. There is scarcely a second profession in which the necessity of conducting education in the above-indicated manner appears so imperative as in ours. Let us compare another artistic profession; for instance, metal working. The scholar has an appointed exercise to perform—say, the fabrication of a candlestick in wrought iron in a pre scribed style, from designs of his own drawing. If he has accomplished this commission satisfactorily, one can realise by this finished work that he is an accomplished draughts man, and that he is well versed in knowledge of style, as well as that he has acquired a certain amount of experience in the treatment of wrought iron. It is entirely otherwise in our profession. There even the most interesting branches are seemingly easy of performance ; indeed, anyone may have produced a good negative copy, or picture, or even a print, photo-lithograph, or a helio-engraving, without being able to say that he has penetrated into the spirit of the matter, and has a thorough command of every process. In no other profession is it so valuable as in ours that * Continued from page 300. one’s knowledge be composed of the amount of experiences which each separate accident offers. This amount of experience is readily acquired by an amateur in self chosen objects ; but it is only acquired by a future professional man by dint of practice in the work which he intends to follow. To the uninitiated, and only half initiated, nothing appears easier than those processes on which the success of photography depends; the manner in which the multiplication takes place, and the develop ment of the negative ; especially in these days, when the sensitive plates can be bought ready for use. But, by closer consideration, it will be found—1st, that in spite of apparent easiness, success is only to be attained by long years of practice ; 2nd, that for many purposes, especially the reproduction department, the gelatine plate gives insufficient results, therefore the old and difficult processes must be resorted to; 3rd, that proportionately little is done by the command of technique, but that much more is to be looked for from the knowledge of how to grasp the object to be photographed with the mind’s eye, and how to use all accidental circumstances which would work together to favourably influence the result; that only in this many-sided combination of qualities the germ of the production of the negative is to be found, In other professions there may be great difficulty in organising technical schools on the basis of production ; in our profession the difficulty is not so great that it may not be surmounted with a good will. We have decided that the educational course shall be productive ; it must, therefore, be established similarly to a professional business establishment. But it is not in any way intended to imply by this statement that the schools are to receive commissions from any quarter. The final inspection of the professional instruction will always fall to the State. The educational management of each State has, in many branches of its business, a continual need of work in the photographic line, which need might be extended in many directions. These works would be furnished if possible by the technical schools. In this manner the schools could be supplied with the necessary funds for studying purposes, which would be otherwise unattainable. Even the branch of portraiture could be used very pro ductively for educational purposes; with it, a great deal could be done for medicinal, physiological, psychological, and other studies. Patterns or samples of portrait study might be made which might be sold at a certain fixed price like lesson-books. The landscape department could be made serviceable in manifold ways for studying purposes; for instance, for archaeology, geology, geography, farming and husbandry, forestry, and the science of warfare. This fact of the schools actually producing will have the following effect. The works issuing from them will have to undergo the severest criticism, and, therefore, they must continuously keep up with the prevailing spirit of the time. This circumstance will have this richly beneficial effect. Scholars who, through deficiency of talent or industry, cannot keep up with the course, can retire in due time, so as not to be a hindrance to the other more capable or more industrious scholars. On the other hand, it will necessitate the selection of only such men as teachers whose knowledge—in that department in which they teach—is fully up to the spirit of the time. It will also be indispensable that they possess in a very high degree capabilities to stimulate, educate, and cultivate the students. {To be continued.)