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536 exhibits here in ample time. Until our laws are changed, the present hindrance to a free interchange of photographs is likely to continue, F. C. Beach. Chairman of the Committee of Arrangements of the Society of Amateur Photographers, New York, July 10th. SOCIETY OF AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHERS OF NEW YORK. Sib,—I think the enclosed statement of facts may be of sufficient interest to the readers of the Photographic News to warrant your publishing. Early this year I received a prospectus of an exhibition to be held under the auspices of the Society of Amateur Photo graphers of New York. As I had some “ Interiors” of West minster Abbey, which I thought would be of exceptional interest to Americans, I wrote to the secretary, Mr. F. C. Beach, and in reply received a form of entry to be filled in. The exhibition was to beheld in New York between May 25th and June 6th. I accordingly prepared a series of the interiors in platinotype, mounted them on cardboard, and despatched by S.S. Umbria, leaving Liverpool on the 18th April. The series consisted of one view 15 by 10, and twelve views 8 by 10. Early in June I received a postcard as follows:—“Your exhibits not received till yesterday, too late for competition and catalogue ; sorry. I had to pay eight shillings charges to get it out of Custom House. We have them on exhibition at gallery, however. Very beautiful pictures.—Yours, F. C. Beach.” I wrote in reply showing date on which the photographs were sent off, &c. To this I had no reply until this morning, when I received the following :—“Dear Sir,—Mr. F. C. Beach, of New York, has requested me to remit you seven shillings per balance due from sale of photographs, after deducting expenses, and we now enclose cheque for the amount, which kindly acknowledge.” The net result is, firstly, owing to the peculi arities of the New York Customs—a parcel leaving England on April 18th is not in time for exhibition in New York on 25th May ; secondly, the net value of thirteen “ very beautiful photographs,” to quote the secretary’s words, the catalogue price of which was 23 10s., after paying expenses, is seven shillings. I think comment is unnecessary. A Member of the Camera Club. roceedings of Socetes. Holborn Camera Club. The usual weekly meeting of the Holborn Camera Club was held on Friday last, Mr. R. D. Lowe in the chair, when Mr. R. Luxton gave a very instructive and interesting lecture on “ Photo-mechanical Work.” He made special mention of the method of copying the picture, and spoke of the various stages through which the plate passes, beginning with the development and subsequent intensification of wet plates, varnishing, the preparation of the zinc plate, the printing, washing, rolling-up, and biting in. He gave various formula: and numerous hints during his lecture. He showed a wet plate after intensification, and zinc plates in the various stages of process. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Luxton, and the meeting separated. Lowestoft and District Photographic Society. A meeting was held last Friday at the School of Science and Art, Regent Road, Mr. W. Stringfield presiding. Prints and negatives were handed round, including a “Wood Scene” by Mr. Emuss; two prints, shown by Mr. A. M. Smith, one of a camp kitchen, taken during a late encampment of the Volun teers on the Denes, also an enlarged print of Mr. Gladstone leaving the station on the occasion of his visit to Lowestoft in 1890 ; examples of a new method of printing, shown by the Chairman, after which some slides were thrown on the screen, one by Mr. Hume, of “ Cattle on the Marsh.” The meeting terminated with a resolution that all members be requested to produce next month, all the slides they had previously exhibited, with a view of selecting those most suitable for a public exhibition, to be held in the autumn, on behalf of the funds of the Society. Answers to Correspondents. All Communications, except advertisements, intended for publication, should be addressed to the Editor of the Photographic News, 5, Furnival Street, London, E.O. All Advertisements and communications relating to money matters, or to the sale of the paper, should be addressed to the Publishers of the Photographic News, Messrs. Piper & Carter, 5, Furnival Street, London. Questions requiring a reply in this column should be addressed to Mr. John Spiller, F.C S., 2, St. Mary’s Road, Canonbury, N. R. M. — The Oxy-Chloride Theory. Dr. A. Richardson, of Bristol, in studying the decomposition of silver chloride by light, has, by a series of conclusive experiments, proved that there is no oxygen in the blackened product, and that Prof. Hodgkinson’s hypothesis has no foundation in fact. D. D.—Law of Copyright. See answer given to C. A. last week. E. P. (Ludlow).—Exhibition, 1891. The judges have been appointed, and the printed regulations governing the forth coming Pall Mall Exhibition may now be had, together with entry form, from the Assistant-Secretary, 50, Great Russell Street, W.C. Amateur.—Permanence of Pyro Solutions. We have made comparative trial of solutions of pyrogallol preserved respec tively by additions of nitric acid and of sodium sulphite with citric acid. Both are fairly and equally permanent if kept in stoppered bottles away from the light. A. L. B. —Egg. Statistics. The Minister of Agriculture (Mr. H. Chaplin, M.P.) reported at the Mansion House meeting a fortnight ago that eggs to the value of £3,400,000 were annually imported into this country. This estimate takes no account of a large additional quantity of egg-albumen, which comes over in the form of albumenised paper ready for photographic use. From these statistics it is again made clear that there is room for the development of this item of dairy produce by the efforts of British and Irish agricul turists, besides the extension and promotion of fruit culture, which constituted the main object of the Fruiterers’ Com pany in calling the meeting. M. W.—Second letter answered by post. Amicus.—Platinum or Silver. It is entirely a matter of taste ; for portraits, as a rule, we should prefer silver, but they would not be so permanent. Interiors and architectural details often come out better with platinum, but for foliage and the usual run of landscape work we are still inclined to favour the print in silver. B. E. N.—Hardwich’s Manual of Photographic Chemistry. The first six editions were prepared by the author ; the seventh was edited, in 1863, by Messrs. Dawson and Hadow ; the eighth by George Dawson alone in 1873, after which Mr. J. Traill Taylor took it in hand, the ninth edition appearing in 1883 of largely increased size. R. L.—Primary Colour Sensations. You will find these points fully treated of in Professor A. H. Church’s Cantor lectures, published just a year ago. See Journal of the Society of Arts, July 4th, 1890, page 747. D. C. (Bolton).—Reduction by Sodium Amalgam. We fail to see what advantage your method possesses over the ordinary process of reduction by zinc. Granting that all the silver will be thrown down, you would still have an amalgam to treat, and without special appliances the driving off of mercury fumes might be a deleterious or actually poisonous occupation. J. H. G.—The Brussels International Congress will hold its meetings from the 23rd to 30th August at the Palais du Midi, Boulevard du Hainaut, under the presidency of M. Joseph Maes, and will take into consideration some ques tions left undecided or remitted from the Paris Conference, besides a goodly number of fresh enquiries arranged under ten headings. For particulars apply to M. Ch. Puttemans, organising secretary. Delegates are admitted free, but from other persons wishing to attend a small fee of ten francs has to be paid, which covers for one copy of the report. Un fortunately, the date of the Brussels Conference overlaps the time fixed for the meeting of the British Association at Cardiff.
