ducing these specimens, and he described the process as open to some practical objections, which are an element of uncertainty. The specimens were only faulty in the details of the deepest blacks; the middle tints and high lights were perfect. A proof from one of Mr. Braun's negatives of flowers was exceedingly fine, and the petals of some white flowers came out beautifully in all their delicate gradations. Very little grain was observable without a magnifier. Some specimens by M. Poitevin's process, and also by the process of MM. Lerebours and Barreswill, were shown me by M. Lemercier, who is the proprietor of both patents, and has the largest lithographic printing establishment in Paris. These were very bold and effective, the subjects represented being views of ruins, basreliefs, cathedral doorways, armour, shields, &c. Mons. Margal, who was associated with M. Poitevin in his earlier labours, at the time when he took out his patent, in 1855, showed me some photo-lithographs made by them jointly at that period, which were certainly not inferior to the specimens more recently produced. They represented fossil remains, and other scientific subjects, intended to

could and ought to be the rule, for we have chemicals of
extreme sensitiveness, and lenses of large aperture, sufficient
to take the picture almost, if not quite, instantaneously;
and surely a cheerful, bland, characteristic expression
might be caught and secured by an attentive operator.
However, the art, as usually practised, suffers much from
that adverse influence which I may term the "mesmerism of
the lens." Although I am acquainted with the processes of
photography, and familiar with the operations of por-
traiture, yet even I am restless, nervous, and very far indeed
from feeling at my ease when I sit on the prie-dieu chair,
with the camera staring before me, and the head-rest
pressing behind me; when I am told to remain quite still
and look steadily at some portion of the wall; but the
culminate of distress is when the operator reaches forth
his hand to uncap the glass. No subject, under the influence
of Doctor Stone, feels more delighted at the restoring words,
"All right." than I to get released. My experience shows
me how difficult it is for some people to get photographed,
conclusively evinces the necessity there is for some general
reform, makes me wish there was a fine levied on all head-
rests, so that they should be totally excluded, and very de-illustrate scientific treatises.
sirous that the artists themselves would oftener get portrait-
ised, that they might experience the needless torture they
inflict upon us, and, whilst being moved to mercy, learn
to think, to alter, and amend.

According to the experience of M. Lemercier, the demand for views by photo-lithography has hitherto been very limited, and altogether he believes he has not sold a dozen. The public greatly prefer common photographs, We could have a curtain concealing the camera and lens, whether permanent or not. In fact, the permanency of a and the place the eyes are directed to could be beautified proof is practically quite a secondary question. People buy by some rich bouquet of exotics, some sweet singing-bird, the print which pleases them best, irrespective of peror even a musical-box playing sprightly airs; and their manency. And why not? We live in a world of percharm, and their suggestive, tender influences would pro-petual motion and perpetual change, and permanency duce exquisite, sympathetic reaction, imparting to the features the satisfaction of the mind till the transcript beamed with geniality, cheerfulness, and animation. If our photographers consider it injudicious to hide so ornamental an appendage as the camera, at least let them contrive some less remarkable way of uncovering the lens. A metal plate could be contrived to slip up and down over the central stop of the portrait combination, and by pressing on it with the fingers, the light be admitted. When relieved, a small spring raises it up again and closes the aperture; the spring being so slight, and the diaphragm so easily moved, there would be no danger of clumsily shaking the camera. If this method is unsuitable, we might have a door or shutter inside the camera, closing near or against the back lens.

My idea of proper skirts and costumes for lady-sitters is not new; such have been employed by great and successful artists. In regard to gentlemen, I believe nobody has thought of directly biassing their ideas of dress and fashion; but if the ladies can be induced to act in the matter, with their purer and innate artistic perception, their graceful influence will sooner or later awaken responsive sympathy from the opposite sex, and we can still hope for a continuous and beautiful rivalry of good taste between the sexes.

PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHY IN HALF-TONE.

BY THOMAS SUTTON, B.A.

I HAVE seen lately, in Paris and elsewhere, a great many specimens of photo-lithography in half-tone by various processes. Some of these were printed from a single stone, others from two or more stones, as in chromo-lithography. The most perfect of the whole was shown me by Mr. Bingham, at Paris. It was a very large and most lovely portrait of a lady, quite perfect in all respects; it is impossible to conceive anything finer. This was printed by Mons. Marie, from more than one stone, each of which rendered in perfection a particular gradation of shade. The next finest specimens were printed from one stone only, by the process of M. Tessié de Mothay, of Metz. A considerable number were shown me by M. Braun, on a second visit which I have lately made to his establishment. That gentleman's youngest son, Gaston Braun, had assisted in pro

seems opposed to all laws of nature. At any rate it is a mistake to sacrifice any visible good quality to the idea of greater permanency. Here is a curious fact: Mr. Braun's traveller offers silver prints at 20 per cent. less than carbon prints from the same negative, and the silver prints are generally preferred, notwithstanding their reputation for want of permanency. As for photo-lithographs, it is impossible to produce them in half-tone without a grain, and the public dislike the grain. They admire in a photograph its special characteristics, and do not desire that it should resemble a work of art. Such is the undoubted fact, and the sooner it is generally recognised the better. There are a few who, like myself, care nothing for a photograph unless it does resemble a work of art, and who would gladly pay 20 per cent. more for permanency if its art qualities are not sacrificed. But we form a small class, and no one who works for commercial success would do right to consult our tastes chiefly. If a thing is to pay, it must please the public.

Apropos of M. Margal. If M. Poitevin had ever pro duced a veritable carbon print direct, by the process which he patented in 1855, that gentleman would certainly have seen it at the time; but he tells me that he has never seen any such prints, all M. Poitevin's carbon prints upon paper having been produced by rolling ink over a bichromate picture. This confirms me in the belief that Mr. Pouncy was really the first to produce a carbon print.

Mr. Woodbury suggests the use of gelatine, mixed with a certain proportion of some white pigment, such as oxide of zinc, as a convenient substitute for ground glass in backingup transparencies, &c.

Our American contemporary-Humphrey's Journalcomplains that one of our English photographic contemporaries extracts matter from its pages and republishes it, as if it were original, without acknowledgment.

We are far from agreeing with our contributor, having various sound reasons for holding quite a different opinion. The special characteristics of a good photograph are not, we believe, in any way antagonistic to artistic excellence, and artistic excellence is commonly appreciated even by those who do not understand it.-ED.

NEW PROCESS OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ENGRAVING BY E have great pleasure in placing before you some practical illustrations of the above, to which Mr. Seymour recently called your attention in his article on engraving for the typepress by photography. The production of these blocks is, we are informed, due to an improvement on, or modification of, the invention of Mr. Courtenay, carried out and patented by Mr. D. Fruwirth, of 1, Patace-road, Upper Norwood. It consists of a combination of a photographic process with that of Mr. Palmer's glyphography, the patent of which long ago lapsed, and the specimens now before you will sufficiently demonstrate the great value and utility of the invention when thus ably and effectively carried out.

Our phototype specimens, four in number, well illustrate the utility of the process. The cut on the opposite page is a copy photographed from the printed impression of an engraving, and faithfully reproduces the peculiar qualities of the woodblock. It is the same size as the original, and if placed side by side, two impressions-one from the original block, and the other from the phototype block-one could not be distinguished from the other. This illustration has special value, because it shows that, providing the drawing is such as is fit for the printer, the phototype block gives results in no way inferior to wood. The second illustration is from the same original-a German wood engraving-only it is enlarged. A careful examination will show that it has not suffered in any technical quality from being thus altered in size, and so illustrates a special and very valuable application of the process. The draughtsman or designer may make his drawing any size he pleases or finds best for his purpose, and it can be either enlarged or diminished when reproduced.

When diminished, as of course it can be with equal

facility, the refinement,
delicacy, and general ef-
fectiveness of a drawing
may be wonderfully in-
creased, and when en-
larged, nothing will be
found wanting, unless the drawing should
have been slovenly executed, when, of course,
its defects would become more prominent from
the mere fact of being enlarged."

page,

Our third illustration, that on the top of this is copied from a drawing made with an ordinary steel writing pen and common ink on a piece of Bristol board, by our artist, Mr. A. H. Wall. Mr. Wall states that the lines were not so clear, clean, and sharp in his drawing as they might have been, in consequence of his having used tools board was neither hard nor smooth enough, the ink was and material not quite suitable. The surface of the Bristol not so good for the purpose as black paint would have proved, and in place of the ordinary writing pen, a pen such as lithographers use, and a sable brush, would have been by far the better tools. Still the landscape, from a photograph of the Barbican entrance to Glenarm Castle, Ireland, taken by Mr. R. H. Kinnear, is a good illustration of this special application of phototype.

Our fourth illustration will be found illustrating Mr. Seymour's "Pencil Jottings," and is from a photograph by O. G. Rejlander. It was drawn by Mr. Wall at the less conspicuous in this specimen, because it was drawn same time as the above, but the above-mentioned faults are larger, and in the photographing was rendered smaller. It is not our present purpose to describe minutely the process,† or to consider its commercial and artistic import* Since the above was written, Mr. Wall has tried a black ink sold for ticket writing, and this would, he thinks, prove preferable. † We hope, however, to do this shortly.

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