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

512 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [July 17, 1891. Hotes. The Convention week at Bath will long be remembered by those who were able to be present as a very pleasant and profitable one—the pleasantness being represented by friendly meetings and greetings, and the profit derived from the many excellent papers read. It is true that there was a little unfavourable (convention) weather at the beginning of the week, but this cleared off, and there remained plenty of sunshine for the remaining days. A really successful week of this character, carried out as it was with a complete absence of friction, cannot be organised without plenty of hard work by those at the helm, and the members should not forget this. To Mr. Brigginshaw, the hon. secretary, must be accorded the chief praise, and he, we are sure, will be the first to admit that he met with much goodwill and responsive aid from others. May the next merry meeting pass off as merrily. Those photographers who are interested in matters artistic —and there are few no w-a-days who can afford to do other wise—would do well to read the course of lectures recently delivered before the Society of Arts on the “ Decorative Treatment of Natural Foliage.” Here they will pick up plenty of hints which are sure to be of service to them in a number of ways. But, even if we see no immediate result, commercial or otherwise, from a study of this kind, we must know inwardly that the acquirement of such knowledge is in itself a good thing, which cannot fail to reflect itself upon our every-day doings. Police-court trials are more often held in camera in Paris than they are on -this side of the Channel; but it is not often that a trial takes place in camera which has for its principal feature the wrongful use of the photographic camera. Such a trial has, however, recently terminated in the French capital, a man of the name of Schneider having been arrested in the neighbourhood of Stains as he was taking photographs of the forts. Of course, it was at once taken for granted that poor Schneider was an agent for the German Government, and, that fact being satisfactorily established to the minds of his judges, he was fined £120, and, at the same time, condemned to five years’ imprisonment. Poor Schneider! Is he really a German spy, or some innocent tourist who has been thus used as a scapegoat ? In a bicycle race the other day the judge declared the result to be a dead-heat. But there happened to be a camera on the ground, and the finish of the race was photo graphed. In the resulting picture, which we have care fully examined, one rider, A, is clearly in front of the other, B. Of course the judge’s ruling was accepted— for at the time the picture had not been developed—and the race was run over again. A was now clearly the loser, and the prize went to B. In such a case should the ruling of the judge be upheld, or should the photograph decide the question ? There is one industry in the higher grades of which England occupies the first place. Germany can make cheaper glass than we can, but she cannot compete with us in the better kinds. The German manufacturers of dry plates have discovered this fact, and, in consequence, are complaining of the high duties which have recently been imposed on imported glass. As a result of the tariff, the price of English glass has increased about 50 per cent., and the dry plate trade has been seriously affected. The German photographers, we are afraid, will have no alter native but to pay the increased charges, as the duty will apply equally to the coated glass of the English dry plate manufacturer, as to the uncoated glass imported for the use of the German manufacturer. Possibly the result will be an impetus to film photography. It is doubtful whether sufficient attention is paid to the framing of photographs. At one time, when a photograph was framed, an acre or so of white margin was considered indispensable. We grew out of this, and went to the opposite extreme, abolishing the margin altogether. It is, perhaps, difficult to lay down a rule which shall apply to all photographs, as so much depends upon the subject, the size, and the tone of the picture. It is pretty clear, how ever, that the choosing of the frame must not be left to the frame maker. A glance at the various picture galleries is sufficient to show that painters, as a rule, are very fastidious on this point. It is said that most artists now design their own picture frames. If this be needful in the case of a painting, much more is it necessary in regard to photographs. Photography has not, it would seem, quite lost all its attraction, since a feature of the new Cleopatra Swimming Baths, on the Thames Embankment, is to be a first-class photographic studio. We do not quite see the connection between swimming and photography, but this does not matter very much. The public have been photographed in every kind of dress, from foot-ball pants and jersey to fancy costumes, and we do not see why they should not be photographed in their bathing dress if they so wish it. The correspondent of the Daily News, in describing the lamentable accident on Mount Vesuvius, relates the ex perience of Dr. Johnson Lavis, who had been on the mountain the whole of the previous day and night taking photographs. Lying on the crumbling edge while a companion held his feet, Dr. Lavis was able to measure the precipitous walls of the shaft, which went sheer down for 170 feet to the glowing lava at the bottom. We are not told whether in this position Dr. Lavis photographed the sides or bottom of the crater, but we should fancy so enthusiastic a photographer would be certain to have a shot, despite the risk. No one has yet succeeded in photographing Lo Ben- gula, king of the Matabeles, so that there is one world left for Lord Randolph Churchill to conquer if his lord ship has a camera with him. Lo Bengula, like Uniban- dine, his cousin, and other native potentates, has a rooted objection to being shot at by the camera. The surgeon who accompanied one of the expeditions was promised a “ sitting ” one morning, but the king had disappeared in the night. The surgeon followed him on horseback some miles, and then Uis Majesty’s excuse was that no Matabele king could be photographed unless in full war paint, which he had not with him there ; but it turned out, from a remark dropped by Uis Majesty to another member of the expedition, that it would never do for him to be photographed, as his people would think that part of him (his soul) had been taken from him.