Filtering Paper, A Warning, 147 French and English Lenses, 448 Fulminate of Silver, 344, 382, 483 Historical Photographs, 293, 534 India-Rubber, Solvents for, 220 Light, Variations in its Actinic Power, 171 Artificial for Photography, 111 Chemical Power of, How to Register Thallium, for Photographers, 119 Lead Pipes in the Dark Room, 460 Action of Distilled Water on, 63 Preserving Eggs, 481 Poisons, Various Actions of, 385 and Picture-Dealers, 545 and War, 443 the Best Detective, 207 at Wimbledon, 318, 491, 498 Baths, To Improve Deteriorated, 255 Age of the Paper, 236 Preliminary Studies, 510 Paste, Glue, &c., To Preserve, 12 of Silver Prints, 50 Place for the Camera in Portraiture, 377, Preparing the Plate, 447 Preserve Protosulphate of Iron, To, 425 424 Principles of Art in Nature, 172 Photographing on board Ship, 317 Metallic Gold and Silver from Residues, Poisons, Sale of, Act, 377 255 Mounting Photos, 393 Mask Vignetting, 431 Marking Ink, Indelible, 184 Maddox Brown on Photography, 12 Phosphorescent Photographs, 269 Representing Sunlight, 317 Seal Portraits, 307 for Pocket-Cameras, 111 Eclipse, The, 62 Smokers, A Warning, 106 Sale of Poisons Act, 475 Experiments on Light, 177 Enlarging with the Magnesium Light, Non-Albumenised Paper, M. de Villec- New Photographic Tent, Mr. Dunmore On Correcting Nitrate Baths, Mr. J. R. Ornamental Art in Connection with Pinholes in Dry Plates, on the Causes of, Photolithography, &c., Mr. W. Griggs, 141 Improved Tripod, by S. S. C., 63 424 Photographic Exhibition, The, A Visitor, Long versus Short Exposures, 158 Long versus Short Exposures, Mr. Col- Low Prices and Bad Business, The Gos- Mr. Lane's Camera, Indicus, 376 Mr. Fennessy on Portraiture, F. Fly- Queries and Complaints, A Country Sur- Mr. Ross, New Lens, J. Stuart, 317 Photography and Health, T. Sutton, 122 Patents and Inventions, Nitric Acid, 317 Photo Engraving, Anglo-American, 437 Portrait Studios, A Sufferer, 437 Papers read at the Societies, The Repor- Palestine Exploration Fund, Cyanide, 317 Photographic Relief Fund, E. Dring, 520 South London Society, Trade Puffing at Spite v. Truth, Fairplay, 305 The Clique, "Acetic Acid," 521 The Goddard Fund, A Subscriber, 449 K. B. G., 254 A Reader, 242 W. Triphook, 242 The Gossiping Photographer, G. Dawson, 413 Magic-Lantern, J. C. Leake, 52 Markings in the Collodion Film, Mr. The Permanency of Wax-Photo, Peon, Mr. Price Redivivus, "Yolk," 508 Mr. Sutton in Reply to Messrs. Russell Mr. Salomon's Photographs, W. H. Ken- Washing Machines, J. Shivas, 182 J. Shearer, 171 The Illustrated Photographer. In publishing a new photographic journal-with which, as will be seen on the eighth page, one of the oldest is incorporated,-we are determined to deserve success. Without speaking disparagingly of the present aspect of photographic journalism, and fully appreciating all it has done, we nevertheless think a periodical devoted exclusively to photography may now well cover more extensive and comprehensive ground. less, straightforward, and independent journal. Above all, we hope to eradicate from its pages the isolating and mischievous influences exercised by unfriendly jealousies and rivalries, and to induce all who love or practise photography, whether amateur or professional, artistic, scientific, or mechanical, to work harmoniously together for the common good, encouraging and stimulating, imparting information, and promoting the upward and onward progress of the whole body, by extending a kindly and cheering influence to its individual members. But should the duty of reprehension be sometimes forced upon us-when, however little to our taste, we should be unmanly and wanting in public spirit to shirk it-we trust to exercise our power calmly and impartially, influenced by no spirit of partisanship, and anxious only to eradicate elements of danger or discord in our commonwealth. At all such times, we hope to express our honest convictions frankly and fearlessly, without losing sight of the necessary courtesies of good society. In concluding our address, we may also state that the proprietors have received promises of enthusiastic support, and many of the most eminent writers and practitioners of the art have already offered to make our pages their medium of communication with the photographic public. And now, dear friends and readers, we have done. Enter, exercise your judgment, and speak out freely, and if you are kind enough to give us the benefit of your opinion or advice, the favour will be duly appreciated by your obedient servants, THE EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS OF For years past the tendency of practical photography has been towards its scientific and artistic phases; but its literature has remained almost exclusively technical. While the art was in its infancy, and its wants were materials, processes, and apparatus, together with the various formula for their use, this was sufficient; but to persevere in confining the photographer's reading within such narrow bounds is to necessitate a great deal of vain repetition, much tinkering up and disguising of worn-out material, the frequent substitution of old lamps for new ones, and the consequent frequent discovery of SOME PRACTICAL THOUGHTS ON DRY PLATES. old lamps in supposed new ones. Hence papers are regularly published which do not contain a single novel suggestion or original idea, merely because they are the best available of a certain kind, and editors are therefore compelled to insert matter which they well know is neither interesting nor instructive. BY G. DAWSON, M.A., LECTURER ON PHOTOGRAPHY, NOTWITHSTANDING all that has been written by photographers of late years on their experience with the collodion dry processes, we are not yet much in advance of the early pioneers of 1856 in our knowledge of the principles on To avoid such evils, we shall venture to introduce which these processes are based. Nor is it likely we can sundry new and, we think, useful features, and make know much more on such a subject till we are better room for them, not by excluding anything of interest, acquainted with the real nature of the actinic action disbut by a careful process of weeding and sifting, judi- played in impressing the invisible image, or be able, by cious summarising, and condensation. We believe we absolute certainty, the character of the change effected chemical or microscopic examination, to pronounce, with can do this without sacrificing a grain of practical on a collodion film by organic preservative agents. By value, or making our journal in any one particular less dint of much experiment and by close observation, for useful than its contemporaries, while at the same time which we are mainly indebted to Dr. Norris and Major we can thus ensure a regular place for engravings, for Russell, great progress has undoubtedly been made in a systematic course of tuition in art, and for a compre-enhancing sensitiveness, and, generally, in diminishing hensive record of scientific progress. the chances of failure; but, as we have said, little or With these ends in view, it will be our constant care and nothing new has been added to the chemistry or philostudy to discharge our editorial duties fairly and honour-sophy of the change induced by the so-called preservatives. Of course we keep out of view, in the meanably; to make THE ILLUSTRATED PHOTOGRAPHER "of time, all those easily understood processes in which puff and party spirit all bereft," a thoroughly fear- deliquescent salts, glycerine, honey, &c., along with free VOL. I.-No. 1. nitrate, are employed merely to keep the film moist, and confine our remarks entirely to bond fide dry plates. There are dry processes without end, and many, if not all of them, capable of yielding good negatives under some conditions, which unfortunately are not alwaysindeed very seldom-laid down in the seemingly very precise formulæ. For instance, supposing the operator capable of performing all the necessary manipulations to a nicety, and suppose him also capable of distinguishing a good from a bad chemical, and using the former only, he is still liable to failure when he least expects it, unless he is thoroughly conversant with the kind of collodion film best suited for the preservative agent he is about to employ. Attention to this is the be-all and end-all of successful practice in dry plate photography. To a subject which we consider of such importance, we would therefore desire in this, and probably in succeeding articles, to draw the special attention of our readers who have got soured by repeated dry failures, but who are indisposed to encumber themselves with all the paraphernalia necessarily connected with a wet excursion. In all cases, the physical structure of the collodion film should exhibit a very marked porous character. This essential characteristic of a collodion best suited for any dry process can be very easily ascertained by sensitising a plate in the bath, and pushing the finger with pressure along the surface of the film. If the collodion turns up in large irregular fragments, leaving a very jagged line, it is too horny or close in structure to be depended on; but if the finger pushes the film along in a powdery state, leaving a well-defined, unjagged line, then the collodion may be considered most suitable. Other methods we might suggest, but the above is the one we always employ, on account of its reliability. Some dry processes are more independent of the physical structure of the film than others, yet all of them are infinitely more reliable when the conditions of collodion are such as we have mentioned. Of all processes, the collodioalbumen of Taupenôt and its modification by Mudd are, in our experience, the most independent of porous structure in the collodion. With even a very horny collodion it is quite possible to prepare good dry plates with collodioalbumen, after the methods of Taupenôt and Mudd; doubtless for the reason that the film is again sensitised after its structure has been modified by the albumen previously applied. Since the fact of a powdery or porous collodion being well suited, and a tough or imporous collodion being ill-adapted, for a dry process, has been fully substantiated by lengthened experience, it is presumed by many that the functions of a preservative are simply mechanical; that is, when poured over the surface of a porous and washed collodion film while still moist, it penetrates the open pores of the sensitive medium, prevents the particles of iodide or bromide of silver from coming into close contact by the contractile action of the film when drying, and thus places them in a position where they can be more energetically acted on by light and the developer. Without entering into the question of this or any other theory at present, it is enough for all practical purposes to know that a collodion of porous structure is a sine quâ non to the dry plate photographer. Now comes the question, How can such a collodion be made or obtained? We answer, in several ways. The first and, so far as we know, the best plan, is to keep the plain non-iodised or bromised collodion for many months in a dark and not over-warm place before using it. All collodions, but more especially those of the horny or contractile kind, undergo by such treatment a remarkable change. For instance, soon after a sample has been made, a portion may be poured on a glass plate and allowed to set for a short time. The film may then be lifted off in large coherent sheets. Such collodions are always very contractile and imporous. If we keep the same collodion for twelve months or more, and try a similar experiment on a sheet of glass, the collodion has now lost its tenacity, and can only be removed from the glass in the smallest of shreds. In short, for some reason or other which we cannot explain, it has changed its character and become a porous collodion eminently fitted for dry plate work by any process. Obviously, however, photographers could ill afford to wait for a year or two till their collodion for dry plates gets ripened by age. Nor is this necessary. A new collodion can easily be made, perfectly well adapted for the purpose, if proper precautions are taken in its preparation for the special object in view. Without descending to details of manufacture in the present article, we shall just indicate how the proper collodion can be at once made. If the cotton is steeped in nitro-sulphuric acids (sulphuric being in excess) at a high temperature, and so diluted that the resulting pyroxyline is much disintegrated and weighs, after thorough washing and drying, rather less than the original cotton, the product will be the best for our purpose. Dissolve the requisite quantity in three parts of strong alcohol and two of ether (the proportions may vary according to the strength of the solvents), and allow the sediment to settle down for a few days. The collodion is now ready for any dry process, and possesses the invaluable property in which old collodions-especially those kept in ill-stoppered bottles-are often deficient, it is very adherent to the glass during the many washings which it has to undergo, and bears much hard usage in the development. Some other methods we could suggest for rendering a naturally contractile collodion film porous, besides keeping the collodion till it changes its character, or making it specially for dry plate purposes. One, which often succeeds, consists in adding more strong alcohol to the pyroxyline solution, and then dissolving a little more cotton to keep up the requisite thickness of film. Another, which sometimes succeeds, consists in adding a drop or two of water to each ounce of collodion, and then shaking the bottle till the precipitated pyroxyline is again dissolved. The latter plan is, however, objectionable, because, although it undoubtedly makes the film more porous, it often renders the collodion rotten and non-adherent to the glass. A third plan is to iodise or bromise an imporous plain collodion, as far as practicable, with salts of ammonium or potassium, instead of cadmium, and keep for a few weeks. The salts of cadmium should be used with great caution in a collodion naturally of a horny or imporous character, because they all (the iodide most markedly) have a tendency to render the collodion viscid and of a still more contractile nature, both properties being hostile to efficiency in dry plate operations. A fourth method of opening the pores of a horny collodion has been put forward by Dr. Hill Norris. It is excessively simple, and, were we persuaded of its efficiency, would be invaluable. It consists in sensitising the film in a bath containing one ounce of absolute alcohol to each pint of nitrate solution. He says this succeeds, but, at the same time, admits its inferiority to the plan of ripening the collodion by age. For our own part, we have never found the slightest difference in the results, whether the horny collodion was sensitised in a bath containing alcohol or not; yet it might be different when different preservatives are used. In the meantime we conclude by observing, that the subject of the porosity of the film to which we have drawn attention has not been properly kept in view by dry plate photographers; for all our observation and experience go to prove the futility of following the seemingly precise instructions contained in this or that formula, unless the physical structure and adaptability of the collodion for the purpose in hand is first considered. More failures, we believe, have arisen from inattention to this, than from all other causes put together. To this subject we must again recur; and we hope, from our own experience and the communications of others working in the same direction, to be able to put our readers in possession of some safe and rapid dry plate operations. PHOTOGRAPHY AND CRITICISM. BY J. C. LEAKE. P ERHAPS, as a rule, photogra- Does the unfortunate photographer neglect altogether the canons of art, and produce mere diagrams of his sitters, they at once pronounce him ignorant; while, should he attempt to produce anything in an artistic direction, a whole shoal of critics, from R.A.'s to "pennya-liners," attack him as a presumptuous person, who evidently does not know how weak photography is as a medium wherewith to express artistic ideas; so he is pooh-poohed, graciously advised to limit his ambition, and for the future to confine his efforts to the reproduction of maps and commercial samples. It is much to be feared that many who thus sit in judgment on photographic art and its votaries, have never seen the best specimens produced, either in portraiture or landscape, but have formed their opinions from what they have seen in shop windows, or in the cases of Whitechapel or New-road "photographic artists." We cannot deny that photographers have too frequently neglected art-culture, and become so much absorbed in the fascination of the mere chemical part of their art, that they have almost lost sight of the fact, that manipulation, however perfect, or chemical combinations, however complete, are totally insufficient to produce anything really pictorial, unless they are guided by the rules of art. In fact, that a perfect control of the chemical processes, and the most dexterous manipulation, are really only the tools which must be directed and used, in order to produce pictures, by a mind thoroughly imbued with the artistic faculty, and conversant with the rules of art. Making, therefore, every allowance, and at once freely admitting the sins of omission and commission of which photographers have been guilty, we should remember that it is not altogether fair to pounce indiscriminately upon one of a photographer's productions, and proceed to judge it by the same rules as we should apply to, say a portrait in oils by one of our R.A.'s. Let us not be misunderstood. We do not assert that as good a composition cannot be made in a photograph as in a painting, or that the same rules do not apply as truly and forcibly in the one case as in the other; nor do we require that the laws of Chiaro-oscuro, or any of the canons of art, should be altered to meet the fancies of anyone; but what we do ask is, that those who criticise our works should remember that in nearly all our portrait work we are daily obliged to do violence to our own knowledge and convictions in order to meet the whims and prejudices of our patrons. We think that no one who is in the habit of associating with our best photographers will for a moment deny that they take a deep interest in their work; or that their greatest trouble and most frequent source of complaint is, that their sitters will not allow them to do their best, but will constantly hinder them in their efforts to produce artistic portraits by imposing upon them the most absurd restrictions. Here is the lady with the "retrousse " nose (fig. 1), who insists upon being taken in profile, because the portrait of Miss Smithson (fig. 2), which she brings with her, is so very satisfactory; while a lady with eyes "a kimbo " (fig. 3) is equally persistent in her determination to be gentleman (fig. 4), whose legs are not over straight, will be taken standing; while another (fig. 5), the happy taken full face, "as if she were looking at you." One they will have what they wish, or nothing; the consequence |