Volltext Seite (XML)
January 30, 1891.] THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. 79 graphic amateur was as yet unborn, swindles were common. The general public did not even know that a good light was necessary for the successful production of a portrait, and they would often present themselves at the studio long after the afternoon sun had begun to approach the horizon. But a likely customer was not to be spurned away on this trivial account. His money was taken, the order was booked, and the inno cent model was placed -before the camera for a sitting of long duration. There was no sensitive plate in that camera, and the operation was only gone through in order that the sitter should have an idea that he was getting something for his money. He was told later on that the picture had unfortunately been unsuccessful, that it was too late in the day to take another, and would he call the following day, when &c., &c. Perhaps it is hardly fair to call the transaction a swindle, because there was no intent to defraud, and no doubt the portrait was duly executed the next day. But under another category must come the dodge which has been exposed more than once, to which we next refer. This was practised by the wet plate process, and usually by two men, one of whom acted as tout, and the other as operator. Their stock in trade consisted of a perambulator fitted as a dark tent by means of a superstructure of the usual Hampstead Heath or Epping Forest pattern, and which contained the necessary chemicals, and one glass plate to fit the camera which they also carried. Their modus operandi was to call at a surburban house, and offer to take it for a certain sum. The idea was perhaps a novel one to the inmates, and they accepted the suggestion, grouping themselves on the doorstep, or perhaps at the windows, after paying the half-crown or other sum demanded by the enterprising artists. The negative was taken, and was shown to the clients, with the explanation that positive copies on card would be prepared, and sent to them in a few days’ time. Then that deceitful operator would, as soon as he was round the corner, wipe off every trace of that negative image from his one plate of glass, and would polish up its surface for a fresh coat of collodion, in readiness for the next order for a house that the tout would manage to get for him. Such are a few of the nefarious methods of getting a living which unscrupulous men have been able to elaborate out of a little photographic knowledge. But their field of labour is bound to suffer contraction now that a camera is such a common adj unct to a private household. It is a matter of surprise that, considering how ubiquitous the modern amateur certainly is, enough pigeons should have been found by the latest detected form of swindling to pay for the plucking. But then, of course, the grand formula with regard to “ branes ” already quoted is a factor which must not be neglected. PHOTOGRAPHERS' Benevolent Association.—At the meeting held on 23rd of January (Mr. W. Bedford in the chair), three applications for assistance were considered and granted ; and Messrs. Gray and Davies were elected as subscribers, PHOTOGRAPHY IN GERMANY. BY HERMANN E. GUNTHER. Development and Temperature—Warm Brown Tones with Bromide Prints—Transfers upon Stones with out Grinding off the Previous Engraving—Rapid Hydroquinone Developer. Development and Temperature. —An interesting paper wag read of late before the Berlin Association of Professional Photographers, on temperature in development, by Dr. Miethe. It is well-known that, in general, cold developers act less energetically than warm ones ; also, that cold deve lopers give harder negatives than warm developing solu tions. As regards the influence of heat on the reducing power of the developing substances, Dr. Miethe stated that this influence varied in different developers. With regard to the sensitiveness to temperature, the chief deve lopers may be arranged in the following descending order:— Hydroquinone, pyrogallic acid, ferrous oxalate, eikonogen. Eikonogen, as regards reducing power, seems not at all to be influenced by temperature ; hydroquinone, how ever, is subject to the influence of temperature to such a degree that, at 41° F., it was practically without any action on the exposed plate. Pyro-soda, as also ferrous oxalate, showed but slight action, even if cooled down below 32° F. Eikonogen, however, maintained a separate position; at low temperature the negatives turned out flat instead of hard, as in the case of the other developers. Dr. Miethe stated that, in his opinion, this was the cause of failures which many operators had met with in using this develop ing agent. Warm Brown Tones with Bromide Paper.—In a previous letter I gave a description of Dr. Stolze’s method of imparting to bromide prints beautiful reddish-brown tones; that description may now be completed by reproducing two formulae given by Mr. Robert Talbot in the Photo- graphische Nedheiten, which, as the author states, have proved to be very successful in his hands :— 1. With uranium nitrate. This method is very -well suited for Eastman positive paper, as well as for trans ferrotype paper. After the prints have been fixed, washed, and eventually transferred, the following two solutions are prepared:— Solution A. Ferricyanide of potassium ... ... 5 grammes Water... ... ... ... ... 500 c.c. Uranium nitrate Water Solution B. ... 5 grammes ... 500 c.c. Just before use, equal parts of solutions A and B are mixed. The print is immersed in the solution until the desired tone has been obtained, then washed thoroughly, and placed once more in the fixing bath ¬ water ... 100 c.c. Hyposulphite of soda ... ... ... 20 grammes After five minutes it is removed and well washed. The above gives warm red tones. Warm brown tones are obtained if the print is allowed to remain in the above bath until it begins to acquire a brown colour ; it is then immersed in a weak alum solution, when it is rinsed, fixed as above, and again thoroughly washed. 2. With potassium chloride. Three solutions are prepared:— Solution A. Water ... ... ... ... 1000 c.c. Potassium oxalate ,,, ,,, ... 330 grammes