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608 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [August 28, 1891. Motes. We learn that there is every prospect of the coming exhibition by the parent society at Pall Mall proving a success. The demand for entry forms is three times as great as usual, and already a large number of these have been duly filled up and returned to the secretary. We may, therefore, reasonably look forward to an improve ment in the standard of works exhibited, for it is evident that the hanging committee will have more pictures than they want, and will be in a position to pick and choose. We also learn that the Affiliation Scheme is gaining support, many of the provincial societies, including some of the largest, having signified their intention of joining it. Photographers know well how nervousness, or self consciousness, or some other quality ending in “ ness,” will make many of their clients assume an expression which, to the beholder, might suggest a visit to the den tist’s, if not to the scaffold ; and various are the methods by which they will endeavour to counteract this tendency on the part of their customers. “Now please look pleasant! ” is a very common, though rather ineffectual, appeal, for when persons are commanded to smile, the attempt to obey is generally productive of a rather ghastly result. It is akin to requesting a humourist to say some thing funny. Perhaps the most original formula for bring ing a nervous sitter to his senses is that which was lately recorded at the Convention in Buffalo, as a specimen of photographic procedure in the old days out West. The photographer of whom the story is told simply levelled a pistol at his client and said, “Look right square in the muzzle o’ this yer revolver, my man, and remember that I hain’t agoin’ to hev this picture spoiled with any o’ your foolin’! ” The unfortunate shareholders in the Automatic Photo graph Company have suffered so severely that probably no one among them will again invest in any photographic concern on the strength of what they read in non-technical journals. It seems curious that, although there are so many photographic journals, it struck none of these shareholders to ask one of them the question whether this company was likely to fulfil its wonderful promises before they contri buted their money to it. The general public is ready to swallow any statements with regard to the possibilities which may be achieved by either photography or elec tricity, and they are even gullible enough to believe in perpetual motion ; but they do not care to take the simple precaution of seeking the advice of those who know more than themselves before investing their money. It is doubtful whether the question of automatic photo graphy will be revived for some time to come, simply because of the impossibility of getting persons to subscribe to a scheme which has already proved to be abortive; but if it ever be again attempted, it must be on fresh lines altogether. As we have already had occasion to point out, the machines are wonderfully ingenious, but, except under certain conditions, cannot fairly be described as automatic. Skilled attention is constantly necessary ; but even with this attention, such machines cannot, from their very nature, be made to work for more than a very limited time, unless their customers are content to receive such terrible things as they have lately been doing. But the work can easily be put to experimental proof if we attempt to produce a few pictures under the same conditions as these machines work. Take three basins. In No. 1 place the developing solution, in No. 2 the fixing bath, and let No. 3 contain clean water. Now take a photograph in the ordinary manner in the camera, and dip the plate for twelve seconds in each of these basins in their numerical order. Supposing that the light and time of exposure are in harmony, we may get a pass able result at first, but what manner of chemical solu tions must these be which will stand the constant admix ture which must take place through the same unwashed hand or plate-holder dipping into them for successive pic tures? No practical photographer would look for any thing but failure under such conditions, and failure must be still more certain when unskilled labour comes in to complicate matters. In an interesting article on Mr. Muybridge’s later work, La Nature draws attention to his astonishing industry. The American photographer has now accumulated no less than 781 series of instantaneous studies, comprising more than 20,000 photographs. When Mr. Muybridge started in 1878 his ambition was very modest; but he soon became convinced that with improved appliances the work was almost without limit, and so, indeed, it has proved. The expense, however, was at first a great obstacle, and, but for the assistance rendered by the Pennsylvania University, might have been insurmountable. The 20,000 photo graphs alluded to comprise pictures of men, women, children, animals, and birds, walking, galloping, flying, working, dancing, &c. All these photographs arc repro duced in photogravure without any retouching, and form an altogether unapproachable and unique work. La Nature gives four reproductions of different studies—viz., the jumping of a horse over a hedge, the walk of the monkey, that of the elephant, and of the movements of a child picking up her doll. The exposures were a thousandth part of a second. Apropos of what may be called the science of instan taneous photography, the latest application is that of M. Demeney, an assistant of Mr. Muybridge’s rival in France, M. Marey. M. Demeney has recorded, by means of the camera, the movements of the lips in speaking, and the results are said to be very curious. One captious critic remarks that “Ich liebe Dich" looks like a masticating process, while “ Io t'amo ” is suggestive of a desire on the part of the singer to swallow his beloved one. If singers who make grimaces when vocalising were subjected to this minute photographic process, we should fancy they would be effectually cured. Manufacturers of the better kinds of sensitised papers are frequently handicapped by the difficulty of obtaining English paper equal to that made in Germany, when the supply of the German make falls short, as it sometimes does. As the “Paper Makers’Directory of all Nations” remarks, Germany leads the world in the making of paper, and it is a very interesting question to know why. There are 1,443 paper mills as against 270 in England and Wales, and 68 in Scotland ; while in the matter of the very best qualities the German market is supreme. One would think that England should be able to hold its own, but it does not appear to be so.