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86 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [January 30, 1891. Rotes. Photography is still making headway in India. The Photographic Society of India now has 270 members, and the increase has long been at a steady rate, so some additions have been made to the body of managers. Those recently elected to serve are Colonel Rogers, Messrs. J. H. Lane, A. L. H. Palmer, W. H. Jobbins, and Captain Hayes. The new honourary secretary is Mr. T. A. Pope; the new president of the Society is the Hon. Sir Comer Petheram, Chief Justice of Bengal. The new committee of the Society does not like the proceeding of the old one in aban doning the International Photographic Exhibition, and has passed the following resolutions:—1st. That this committee regrets the decision arrived at by the late committee to abandon the holding of an International Exhibition. 2nd. That this committee believes the postponement of the Exhibition would have been sufficient to meet the case. 3rd. That this com mittee decides to cancel the previous committee’s decision, and to hold an International Exhibition on the 15th March next and following days, and empowers the Hon. Secretary to notify the same in the press. 4th. That a sub-committee be formed to make all the necessary arrangements to secure the return of the foreign exhibits now lying in Calcutta awaiting despatch to the senders, and to arrange for the return of such exhibits as have been already sent back by post. A pretty contention has now been launched upon the photographic world in relation to the best form of condenser for the magic lantern. Mr. Lewis Wright has issued in this country a book upon the lantern, and Mr. Andrew Pringle has launched one in America. In both triple condensers are spoken of as if no more practical use than one of the ordinary double form, Mr. Traill Taylor, however, who is an authority upon this subject, stated at the Camera Club that triple con densers transmit much more light, also that all the best lanterns in the United States have triple condensers. Last Tuesday, at the Photographic Society, Mr. W. E. Debenham made some remarks in favour of the triple form. One of the most essential points in a good lan tern is, that it shall have the best possible condenser, and it is remarkable to see two books on the subject in error, as we believe, about a vital element in the construction of an optical system of the better form, such a system as will, according to a diagram by Mr. Taylor, nearly double the amount of light thrown upon the screen. Mr. E. J. Wall, in his new “ Dictionary of Photography,” adopts Mr. Taylor’s views. The triple condenser being right in theory, the two authors display bravery in flying in the face of strong authority, including that of the screaming bird once described in Court by an American lawyer, whose client had stolen a pig, as " The glorious eagle of our country, which stands with one foot on the Atlantic Ocean, and the other on the Rocky Mountain, waving aloft the star-spangled banner, amid the wreck of matter and the crash of worlds! ” The Photographic Society is now domiciled in its new rooms, and before long will, no doubt, begin to feel comfortable therein; but at present everything looks newly finished. The entrance is directly oppo site to the entrance to the British Museum, and in the library of the latter is a wealth of literature relating to photography. There is no name or plate on the door of the new establishment, and the first flight of stairs is scarcely lighted at all at night, so that some people have entered and left the doorway under the impres sion that it was the wrong house. The Autotype Company has lent some fine photographs to decorate the walls of the room. Among them are some Alpine peaks photographed by the late W. F. Donkin, a sea view by Mr. Mayland, a lion by Mr. Gambier Bolton, and a view of Palmyra. The proximity of the offices to the British Museum will prove highly convenient to those photographers who are likewise literary men. The refreshing novelty of the primuline process, and its excessive cheapness, ought to present attractions to the general public if brought under their notice. One way of doing so, when a professional photographer has a transparency of a sitter, is to offer to mark his pocket-handkerchief with the sitter’s likeness; on a sunshiny day the whole operation can be gone through and finished in about fifteen minutes, and the sitter sent away rejoicing with a portrait upon cambric of himself in gorgeous colours, which will resist the action of hot soap and water. Recently, at a photographic conference in Lyons, the primuline process was spoken of by JI. Leon Vidal as one of peculiar interest to that city, so celebrated for the excellence of its silk manufactures. The other day we were at a lantern lecture where a somewhat unusual episode occurred. The top of the lantern front, just above the upper condenser—the instrument was a biunial—took fire. We also noticed that the top lantern, previous to this mishap, had, compared with the bottom one, been giving a very poor light. The instrument, we may add, was of first- rate construction by an eminent maker, but the opera tor had not used it previously, although it had been in constant and successful use in the hands of others. The flame was speedily suppressed, and the lecture was continued without the use of the top lantern, the cause of the mishap remaining for the time a mystery. After the lecture was over, we had an opportunity of enquiring into the cause of the contretemps, but could obtain no clue until we examined the lime cylinder which had been in use. This we found to be indented with a deep pit where the full force of the blow-pipe flame of the mixed jet had impinged upon it. The cause of the fire now became obvious. The operator had either neglected to turn the lime, or the