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THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. EDITED BT T- C- HEPWORTH, F-C.S. Vol. XXXV. No. 1707.—May 22, 1891. CONTENTS. PAGE Suggested by some Recent Exhibitions. By H. P. Robinson 377 Paramidophenol Developer. By Auguste and Louis Lumiere 379 Photographic Analysis of Movement 379 Photography in Germany. By Hermann E. Gunther 381 Registration of Parcels by Inland Post 382 Aluminium. By Joseph W. Richards 382 Notes 384 Photographic Fraud. By James Mew 385 Staining Films to Prevent Halation. By P. C. Duchochois ... 386 PAGE The Hoke Engraving Process 387 The Decomposition of Silver Chloride by Light. By Arthur Richardson 387 Automatic Photography 388 Photography in the Celestial Empire. By Romyn Hitchcock 389 Notices of Books 389 Patent Intelligence 390 Correspondence 391 Proceedings of Societies 391 Answers to Correspondents 392 SUGGESTED BY SOME RECENT EXHIBITIONS. No. I. BY H. P. ROBISON. The lessons of the past should have a beneficial effect on the performances of the future, and it may be profit able to consider one or two points that have become prominent in some of our more recent shows, that we may perchance attain another step or two in the direction of what we all desire—perfection. It may be said at once that the Liverpool was the largest, finest, and best managed exhibition of photo graphs ever held in England, and I think I may add the world. It is probable that no other town has such fine rooms available for the purpose, and the manage ment was beyond all praise. The energy of the president and secretary was so tremendous, that the one has been likened to a tornado, and the other to a hurricane, but the simile is not perfect, for storms are always capricious, and often destructive; the work of Mr. Lange and Mr. Mayne was well-regulated and all for good. The expenditure was - wisely lavish, the “side-shows” most admirable, and only one of the numerous lecturers failed to make his appearance, and his place was easily filled. The lantern lectures and exhibitions have probably never been equalled, and were so eagerly sought after that the doors were besieged like those of a popular London theatre on a first night, and the entertainments had to be worked like Richardson’s show, one down, another come on. The afternoon musical arrangements were well thought on, and good, and the festivities—for it was a festive time—began with a dinner, and concluded with a dance; nor should the unofficial gaieties be forgotten. The result was that 55,000 people were induced to pass the turnstiles to look at photographs, and with all the expenditure, there is a considerable balance of profit to the good. Could anything be more satisfactory or apparently less open to criticism ? Yet there are one or two things that I humbly think may possibly be improved in the future for the benefit of the art as an art, if not for the good of the gate money, and I know my Liverpool friends will forgive me for mentioning them, and will attribute all to a desire for a nearer approach to what they all wish, which is to produce a still more perfect model show than ever in their next triennial venture. The leading idea of the managers of the Liverpool exhibition is reform—which there can be no doubt is much needed in exhibitions—and to elevate the standard of public competitions in every way. The first principle they have adopted is that every picture exhibited should be new, or never exhibited before, within certain well-defined limitations. This is well intended and plausible in theory, but it does not work out well in practice. The clause in the conditions relating to this matter is as follows : “ Except in the champion class, no picture of any description shall be entered or allowed to compete which has been previously exhibited at any public competition in the United Kingdom, an exception being made in favour of the Photographic Society of Great Britain as regards its 1890 exhibition.” This clause, at one fell swoop, dis qualified all the best work that had been exhibited during the previous autumn and winter, except for the champion class. To show what was disqualified, it is only necessary to mention the Cornwall Polytechnic (the pioneer of prize giving shows, and an important one to which the leading exhibitors always contribute) and the Edinburgh. Thus the Liverpool public were deprived of seeing much of the good work of the year; but the clause has the still more objectionable dis advantages of inducing the feeling in the prize takers that they only obtained their medals after most of the best had been disqualified. Let us enquire as to what was the effect in the general appearance of the exhibition. I think it will be admitted that the first function of an exhibition should not be that of a competition at all. To me it seems that the object should be to show the people of the district in which it is held how the art has advanced since the last exhibition; to show the perfections of this marvel of our century; to convince the public that there is something more in it than they