• fii**. 
 
 THE 
 
 Studios 
 
 OF 
 
 EUROPE. 
 
 BY 
 
 H. BADEN PRITCHARD, F.C.S., 
 
 Late Honorary Secretary of the Photographic Society of Great Britain, 
 and Editor of the ( London ) Photographic News. 
 
 AUTHORIZED AMERICAN EDITION. 
 
 NEW YORK : 
 E. & H. T. ANTHONY & CO., NO. 591 BROADWAY. 
 
 1882, 
 
THE 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The practical worker is very seldom a writer. He not only- 
 lacks time and opportunity to record his experiences, but gene- 
 rally underrates their value, and does not think them worth 
 recording. This fact comes home very forcibly to those con- 
 nected with photographic journalism, and to it is due the 
 contents of this volume. Having found again and again the 
 practice of photographers so different to the teachings of text- 
 books and periodicals, we resolved upon a house-to-house visita- 
 tion among the principal studios of Europe, determined to write 
 down great things and small alike, as they came under our 
 observation, and so produce 1 a record of practice. At first, we 
 feared that friends on whom we called might possibly resent 
 our visit, and for this reason we made it a rule to intimate 
 straightway that " if you have anything you desire to keep secret, 
 do not mention it, and it will not get into print ; " but we may 
 say at once that the caution was never taken seriously, and we 
 did not once fail to get a straightforward answer to any of our 
 questions. 
 
 Our object in compiling this book has been two-fold : to pro- 
 duce a readable volume, and at the same time to afford practical 
 information. It is not for an author to say how his book shall 
 be read, but if we might offer a suggestion, it is that our 
 "Studios" may be perused as they stand, first of all; and 
 it is with this view that we have adopted a lighter and more 
 colloquial style than that usually to be found in handbooks. 
 The reader will thus obtain a general view of the contents, and 
 when he desires afterwards to refer to the practice of different 
 
4 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 men in different operations, the information is readily fonnd by 
 reference to this introductory chapter. As he will perceive, we 
 have tabulated the information under nine headings, to wit, 
 the Reception Room, the Studio, the Dakk Room, Appaeatus,. 
 Processes, the Negative, Mountants, Residues, and Miscel- 
 laneous ; and we have further placed the name of the photo- 
 grapher against the number of the page, so that our reader can 
 refer to the practice of one authority or the other as he pleases. 
 
 Let us suppose the reader desires to learn something of collo- 
 type or Lictitdruck printing. Under the heading of Processes, 
 and Printing, Collotype, he will find the names of the 
 authorities given, together with the pages where the information 
 is to be found. Here are not only all the formulae and the 
 manipulations involved, but they are the formulae and manipula- 
 tions actually made use of by the chief authorities, and which 
 have been found by experience to be the best. The whole- 
 practice, as we have personally viewed it in the studios of such 
 men as Obernetter, Albert, and Lowy, is put before the reader as 
 plainly and concisely as it is in our power to do. Or, take a 
 more simple subject, that of mounting. In five minutes the 
 reader may refer to the practice of half a dozen of the chief 
 ateliers in Europe, and adopt either one or other of the modes of 
 working as pleases him best. 
 
 We are well aware that our work is incomplete. The alterna- 
 tive was before us of postponing the publication of this volume 
 until the series of representative studios was more perfect, or 
 publishing forthwith such information as we had gathered 
 together during the past two years. ¥e decided upon the latter 
 course, for the reason that our writings already fill one goodly 
 volume, and that some little time may elapse before we have an 
 opportunity of visiting Russia and Southern Italy, where several 
 studios of note are to be found. In our next edition of the 
 " Studios of Europe" we hope to include a description of these 
 and several others ; but as it is, we do not think our readers will 
 complain of lack of enterprise. Where a studio of special 
 interest was to be found, we have permitted no difficulties to 
 stand in the way of seeing it. Whether the establishment was 
 within the span of a London cab-drive, or beyond the reach of 
 railways, we have visited it, if it were worth visiting, and the 
 fact that a distance of something like fifteen hundred miles lies 
 between Messrs. Valentine's studio at Dundee, and that of Herr 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 5 
 
 Koller in Pesth, is proof sufficient that our information was not 
 obtained without some labour and fatigue. 
 
 We have pointed out that it was with a view to watch photo- 
 graphers at work that we undertook these practical essays ; but 
 we are in hope the professional photographer will be able to 
 make use of our volume, beyond learning of the formulae and 
 manipulations of successful men. The arrangements of the 
 reception-room — the rules and regulations in vogue with 
 sitters — the prices charged for portraits — the sending out of 
 proofs, and matters that concern the business of the photo- 
 grapher generally, have received particular attention, and we 
 cannot but think that many will derive useful hints from the 
 information thus brought together. As to the construction of 
 the studio and dark-room, we have noted points from which 
 many cannot fail to profit, and those engaged in building a new 
 studio, or in re-arranging an old one, should derive benefit from 
 our notes on the subject. The good work of the photographers 
 we speak of in these pages will be known to our readers, and, 
 no doubt, the latter will be able to perceive in our account, now 
 and again, certain indications as to the manner in which this 
 good work is obtained. All must, perforce, learn something ; 
 every one who reads of an improvement on his own mode of 
 working will be gratified, no less than those who, cognisant 
 already of what these pages tell them, will be confirmed 
 in the proud knowledge that there is nothing other photo- 
 graphers can teach them. 
 
 Without further preface, we set down the contents of our 
 volume. 
 
 The Reception Room. 
 Fitting and Regulations of Reception Room. — Elliott, 42 ; Hills, 50 ; 
 
 Robinson, 126 ; Sarony, 148 ; Brown, 159 ; Lafosse, 161 ; Fergus, 184 ; 
 
 Wane, 187 ; Libert, 219 ; Benque, 211 ; Schaarwachter, 227 ; Prumm, 
 
 233 ; Adele, 251. 
 Proofs, Supply of — Hughes, 133 ; Slingsby, 143. 
 
 Priqes of Portraits. — Downey, 20 ; Elliott, 43 ; Hills, 55 ; Blanchard 
 (>1 ; Van der Weyde, 76 ; Bassano, 80 ; Mayland, 105 ; Robinson, 
 126; Mayall, 131; Hughes, 137; Slingsby, 143; Sarony, 147 ; Brown, 
 Barnes, and Bell, 156 ; Midwinter, 176 ; Fergus, 185 ; Wane, 191 ; 
 Lejeune, 210; Benque, 211 and 212; Nadar, 216; Lie'bert, 220; 
 Prumm, 234; Schaarwachter, 232; Adele, 252; Koller, 265 ; 
 Albert, 271. 
 
 Club Portraits. — Taylor, 37 ; Brown, Barnes, and Bell, 157 ; Lafosse, 162. 
 
(3 
 
 « \TRODUCTION. 
 
 Tbe Studio. 
 
 Apparatus in the. — See Apparatus. 
 Assistants, Fay of — Nadar, 216. 
 
 Backgrounds, Screens, Furniture, and Accessories. — Bassano, 82 ; Elliott, 
 44 ; H n ls, 54 ; Bassano's panoramic background, 82 ; Window, 83 ; 
 RoVison, 125 ; Slingeby, 144 ; May all's ribbed, 131 ; Hughes, 136 ; 
 Sb'ngsby, 145 ; Sarony, 149. Out-doorB, Lafosse, 162 and 163 ; 
 Valentine, 193; Adam- Salomon, 205 ; Midw'iter, 177; Russell, 181 ; 
 Lejeune, 210; Nadar, 216; Schaarwachter, 229; Prumm, 235; 
 Angerer, 260. 
 
 ConsU action and Lighting of. — Downey, 20 ; Blanchard, 61; Faulkner, 
 71 ; Bassano, 82 ; Van der Weyde, 71 ; Mayland, 103 ; Millbank 
 Prison, 116; Pentonville Prison, 121 ; Robinson, 124 ; Mayt'U's Royal- 
 Wedding Studio, 128; Mayall, 130; Hughes, 135; Slingsby, 144; 
 Sarony, 148 ; Lafosse, 163 ; Valentine, 193 ; Annan, 201 ; Adam- 
 Salomon, 205; Mid* .liter, 177; Russell, 180; Fergus, 186; Wane, 
 188 ; "Senque, 212 ; LiCbert, 220 ; Schaarwachter, 228 ; Luckhardt, 
 238, and Glazing, 240; Adele,250; Angerer, 259; Roller, 264. 
 
 Electric Studio. — Van der Weyde, 73; Swan's system, 169; Lie'bert, 
 219 ; Winter, 247. 
 
 Gas Studio. — Laws, 152. 
 
 Posing, Exposing, and Sitting. — Faulkner's drapery, 71 ; Faulkner's 
 ch ;, dren, 69. Time allotted, Bassano, 82 ; Mayland's children, 102 ; 
 M ;i lbank Prison, 117 ; Pentonville Prison, 122 ; Lafosse, 163; Adam- 
 Sr'omon, 204. Out-door gx-oups, Lafosse, 162. Architectural photo- 
 graphy, Barton, 172 ; Fergus, 185 ; Wane, 187 ; Lejeune's drapery, 
 209 ; Luckhardt's drapery, 237, and Posing, 239. 
 
 The Dark-room and Laboratory. 
 
 The I) ark -room. — Abney, 56 ; Window, 95 : Valentine, 194 ; 
 Annan, 202 ; Swan, 168 ; Barton, 174 ; Lejeune, 210. 
 
 Apparatus. 
 
 Actinometer. — Warnerke's, 108. 
 
 Balloon Apparatus. — Woodbury, 46. 
 
 Bath, Silver. — Burton's horizontal, 32 ; Barton's, 173. 
 
 Camera Apparatus. — England's lens-shade, 15 ; Faulkner's children's 
 camera, 70 ; England's stand, 16 ; Elliott's canopy, 44 ; Bassano's 
 shade, 82 ; Hills' electric camera, 52 ; Blanchard's copying camera, 63 ; 
 Hills' universal dark-slide, 53 ; Window's universal front, 95 ; May- 
 land's shade, 104 ; Warnerke's roller dark-slide, 106 ; Mayall's 
 lenses, 131 ; Mayall's stand, 130 
 
 Cupboard for Dry Plates. — England's, 18. 
 
 Hygrometer. — Woodbury, 50. 
 
 Zens -finder. — Barton's, 173. 
 
 Boiler, Velvet, for photo-lithography, 66. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 7 
 
 Screens.— PrUmm, 235 
 
 Shutters, Instantaneous. — Bedford's, 13 ; Valentine, 197. 
 
 Tent. — Barton's, 175. 
 
 Washing Trays. — Midwinter's, 179. 
 
 Backgrounds, How to Tint. — Robinson, 125. 
 Canvas, Photography on.— barony, 149 ; Winter, 246. 
 Cartes EmailUes. — See Enamelling. 
 Cartes Busses. — Lejeune, 209. 
 Coating Plates with Gelatino-bromide. — Sarony, 151. 
 Collodion Making. — Taylor, 41. 
 Collodion Transfers.— Taylor, 37 ; Hughes, 134, 136. 
 Coloured Photographs.— Woodbury, 46 ; Roller, 265 ; Albert, 271. 
 Copying. — See Enlarging and Beproducing. 
 Enamelling Cards. — Lie'bert, 221 ; Adam-Salomon, 207. 
 Electric-light Photography. — Van der Weyde, 73; Swan, 169; Liebert, 
 219 ; Winter, 247. 
 
 Enlarging and Beproducing. — Blanchard, 63; Jennings, 26. Taylor's 
 collodion transfers, 37; Window, 247; Brown, 161; Annan, 201 ; 
 Benque, 213 ; Schaarwachter, 230 ; Winter, 247 ; Angerer, 261 ; 
 Obernetter, 275. 
 
 Gaslight Photography. — Laws, 152. 
 
 Glass Plates, Cleaning. — Obernetter, 265; albumenizing, Schaar- 
 wachter, 230. 
 Lichtdruch. — See Printing, Collotype. 
 Mounting and Mountants. — See Mountants. 
 Opal Pictures. — Blanchard, 61 ; Sawyer, 34 ; Hills, 51. 
 Pigment Printing. — See Printing, Carbon. 
 
 Powder or Dusting -on Process. — Blanchard's for opals, 61; Obernetter's 
 graphite, 275. 
 
 Printing, Carbon. — Autotype, 33, 35 ; Window, 96. Making Autotype 
 
 tissues, 30. Transparencies at Autotype Company, 31 ; Jennings, 26. 
 
 Faulkner's red chalk, 69. Opal, Sawyer's, 34 ; Hughes, 133, 136 ; 
 
 Angerer, 261 ; Greruzet's manipulations, 277. 
 Printing, Collotype. — Lowy, 254. Working manipulations and formulae, 
 
 Lowy, 255. Schnellpress, Albert, 268 ; Obernetter, 272. Sternpress, 
 
 Obernetter, 273. 
 
 Printing, Photo-lithographic. — At Woolwich, 64. Preparation of sensi- 
 tized paper, 66. Transfer ink, 68. 
 
 Printing, Phototype (printing press blocks), 110. Camera work, 111. 
 Inking and transferring, 113. Etching, 113 ; Brown, 158. 
 
 Printing Platinotype. — At Platinotype Co., 76, 
 
8 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Printing, Silver. — Preparation of albumenized paper, England, 16. 
 Sensitizing of albumenized paper, Bedford, 12 ; England, 16 ; 
 Jennings, 25, 27 ; Taylor, 40 ; Valentine, 195. — Printing of albumen- 
 ized paper, blisters prevented, Taylor, 41. Cracked negatives at 
 Mayall's, 129; Sarony, 150. Ditto, vignetting, 151; Lafosse, 162; 
 Valentine, 194; Wane, 191; Schaarwachter, 231; Priimm, 234 ; 
 Albert, 270. — Toning of albumenized paper, Jennings, 28 ; Bro\» i, 
 160.— Fixing of albumenized paper, Jennings, 25, 29. — WasFng of 
 albumenized paper, Bedford, 11 ; England, 17 ; Jennings, 25 : 
 Taylor, 41. — Slate troughs, Brown, 160; Valentine, 194; Wane, 
 189.— Printing skies, Bedford, 13. 
 
 Printing Type on Glass. — Warnerke, 109. 
 
 Printing, Woodbury type. — Woodbury's modified, 47 ; Woodbury's 
 filigrain, 49, 157. Printing of gelatine matrix, 97. Pressing lead 
 plates, 98. Printing, 100. Transparencies, 101. 
 Residues, Recovering .—^zq Residues. 
 Retouching Negatives. — See Negatives. 
 Negatives. 
 
 Cracked Negatives, Printing. — Mayall, 129 ; Sarony, 150. 
 
 Gelatine Negatives, Development of. — Window, 94 ; Swan, 167 ; 
 Benque, 212; ditto, test of sensitiveness, Swan, 167 ; test of composi- 
 tion, Swan, 166 ; ditto, choice of materia), Warnerke, 109 ; Gelatino- 
 chloride, Eder, 244. 
 
 Intensifying, wet process for photo-lithography, 64. 
 
 Retouching. — Bassano, 82 ; Mayland, 104 ; Lafosse, 164 ; Valentine, 194 ; 
 Luckardt, 241 ; Adele, 253. 
 
 Storage o/.— England, 17; Downey, 22 ; Elliott, 45. 
 
 Varnish. — England, 17; Lafosse, 163 ; Luckardt, retouching, 241. 
 
 MOUNTANTS. 
 
 Mounting and Mounting Materials. — England, 18 ; Valentine, 197 ; 
 Adam-Salomon, 207 ; Russell, 182 ; Barton, 174 ; Wane, 189 ; 
 Benque, 213 ; Liebert, 218. 
 
 Residues. 
 
 Recovering Residues. — Bedford, 12; Valentine, 196. 
 Miscellaneous. 
 
STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 » ' 
 
 ME. FEANCIS BEDFOED AT CAMDEN EOAD. 
 
 Twenty years ago, shortly after the death of the Prince 
 Consort, his Royal Highness the Prince of "Wales started on a 
 journey to the Holy Land. The tour had been projected 
 by Prince Albert, who traced it out with much care and 
 forethought, the spots to be visited being such as he desired 
 to impress particularly upon his son's mind as being likely 
 to educate and interest the future King of England; and 
 after her husband's death, her Majesty .did not hesitate 
 to carry out the project. The party selected to accompany 
 the Prince was small, but well chosen. It included General 
 Bruce, who was to be a sort of commander-in-chief of the 
 party, Colonel Teesdale, Colonel Keppell, the Hon. Eobert 
 Meade, a college friend of the Prince, a physician in the 
 person of Dr. Minter, and Dr. Stanley, the late Dean of 
 "Westminster. As this modern crusade was on the eve of 
 starting, there came a hasty command from Osborne decree- 
 ing a further addition to the party; Mr. Francis Bedford 
 was sent for by the Queen, and, after a few preliminaries, 
 was introduced to the Prince of Wales as an extra travelling 
 companion. 
 
 It is pleasant, even after this lapse of time, to listen to Mr. 
 Bedford's reminiscences of this right Eoyal tour. They 
 journeyed straight to the Mediterranean, where H.M.S. Osborne 
 
10 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 was waiting to convey them into the Levant ; they boated on 
 the Nile, wandered over Palestine to Jerusalem, and visited the 
 relics of the Holy Land. The young Prince was affability 
 itself, and the life and soul of the party. At Hebron, the 
 Prince asked Mr. Bedford to remain behind to take certain 
 ' photographs, and insisted on our friend being provided with a 
 guard of fifty soldiers to keep him and his apparatus from harm. 
 A series of 210 plates were secured by Mr. Bedford on his tour, 
 and of these 175 were subsequently selected for publication, the 
 Prince good-naturedly permitting Mr. Bedford to do pretty well 
 as he pleased with them. But perhaps the best proof of the 
 good terms on which prince and photographer travelled was 
 afforded some years afterwards at Pall Mall, when the Prince of 
 Wales, busy inspecting the pictures on the wall, suddenly turned 
 round and said, " But where is Mr. Bedford? I don't see Mr. 
 Bedford." That gentleman, however, was at the Prince's elbow, 
 and the cordial manner in which Mr. Bedford was received at 
 once showed that His Highness still remembered vividly the 
 pleasures of the tour they made in company. 
 
 The bright landscape pictures of Mr. Francis Bedford, and of 
 his not less talented son, Mr. William Bedford, require no com- 
 mendation in these columns. In the same way as Mr. England 
 appears to enjoy a sort of monopoly in Continental pictures, 
 so the Messrs. Bedford stand pre-eminent in reproducing the 
 soft landscapes and craggy headlands of our own country. 
 Here is a trough a dozen feet long, in which many hundreds of 
 pictures of English scenery are washing, the moving water 
 bringing them into view one after another. The prints are 
 small, none larger than whole plate size, and many of them for 
 the stereoscope ; but they are all alike in this : they are sharp 
 and vivid, but so soft and delicate, withal, that they look like 
 exquisite engravings. " There is Exeter Cathedral," we say, 
 " and that is the Valley of Bocks, and that is Lynmouth, with 
 its big rocks and wave-beaten wall ; what a charming coast pic- 
 ture ! " The last photograph is a favourite with Mr. Bedford, 
 for it can never be taken again ; they have improved the place 
 and carried away those big frowning rocks by the causeway, he 
 tells us. 
 
 As a large publisher of pictures, Mr. Francis Bedford has paid 
 great attention to the question of permanency in silver prints. 
 He will have nothing to do with paper sensitized out of England, 
 
MR. FRANCIS BEDFORD. 
 
 11 
 
 and he is particularly careful to wash well. This is his plan : 
 after toning and fixing, the prints are thrown into water, and an 
 assistant, agitating them one by one by hand to free them as 
 much as possible from the hyposulphite, passes them into a 
 series of troughs. Into the first of this series of troughs falls a 
 fast running stream of water, which overflows into the second 
 trough, and from this into the third, and so on. The assistant 
 washes his prints up the stream, which may be likened to that 
 in the fable of " The Wolf and the Lamb," progressing from one 
 trough to another until the prints arrive at the source. They 
 are now taken out and put into the large washing trough, where 
 they remain for something like eighteen hours. The trough has 
 a false bottom of lattice-work, on which the prints rest — if they 
 may be said to rest at all — and under this lattice- work is a 
 serpentine tube through which, in winter time, passes hot water, 
 so that the washing is kept at a tepid temperature. Like Mr. 
 England, Mr. Bedtord employs a little waterwheel, but he 
 applies its motive power differently. When this water-wheel 
 revolves, which it does about once a minute, from its buckets 
 becoming filled, it naturally makes a revolution, and, so doing, 
 turns a crank ; this crank causes a sort of flapper to work to and 
 fro in the water, which is thus vigorously stirred, and agitates the 
 prints. Moreover, there is a long arm or lever in the water, to 
 the end of which is attached a float ; so long as there is plenty 
 of water the float swims and the lever does not act ; but should 
 the extreme end of the lever sink for lack of water, the other 
 end rises and at once checks the water-wheel, when the supply 
 of water flows into the trough uninterruptedly until the float 
 (at the end of the lever) rises again. 
 
 Next in importance to his washing arrangements, the plan 
 adopted by Mr. Bedford to collect residues calls for notice. 
 Not less than 75 per cent, of the silver expended in printing is 
 got back again at Mr. Bedford's establishment, a fact we would 
 impress upon our readers with particular earnestness. Economy 
 is frequently pushed to the extreme in studios in the matter of 
 purchases, while the saving of residues is deemed a matter of 
 secondary importance. Erom his hyposulphite solutions, Mr. 
 Bedford estimates that he recovers half as much silver as from 
 the first washing waters, a circumstance, we are sure, that will 
 cause surprise to many photographers. The plan adopted to 
 recover the silver from the washing of prints is exceedingly 
 
12 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 simple, effective, and very easily explained. Thethree first wash- 
 waters are supposed to contain all the silver salt that is worth 
 collecting, and these are poured down a sink in one corner of the 
 apartment ; in the next room is a rubber tube connected with 
 this sink, and here, too, are three big earthenware pans, each of 
 them of sixty-gallon capacity, embedded in sawdust for protection 
 against frost and injury. The rubber tube permits these pans 
 to be filled one after another. When No. 1 is full, hydrochloric 
 acid is added, and the liquid permitted to stand ; No. 2 is next 
 filled, and in its turn No. 3. By this time the chloride of silver 
 in No. 1 has been precipitated ; the clear liquid is drawn off, 
 and the pan, which is pivoted at the bottom, may be relieved of 
 its precipitate, or refilled with washings by means of the tube. 
 The precipitate is filtered through flannel, dried, and then sent 
 to the refiners ; the converting of the mass again into nitrate is 
 wisely left to the manufacturing chemist. 
 
 In the sensitizing room of Mr. Bedford's establishment — 
 which, by the way, is exceedingly compact and complete — are 
 facilities for exciting and drying 120 sheets of paper at a time. 
 Four huge baths of nitrate of silver are ranged in a row on alow 
 dresser, and by the time an assistant has floated a sheet on the 
 fourth, the first is ready to lift up and put over the drying rod. 
 A long trough upon wheels is placed under the wet sheets to 
 receive the droppings of the precious liquid, the trough being 
 moved along as every fresh row of sheets is added. 
 
 Most of the printing is conducted under glass, a linen screen 
 being pulled across overhead if the sun begins to shine, for the 
 sashes above are otherwise found to leave their mark on the 
 delicate pictures. Every negative is edged with black paint, for 
 the double purpose of giving the prints a white margin — especially 
 agreeable in the case of unmounted prints, and Mr. Bedford 
 issues all in this condition — and to economise the toning bath. 
 The deep black edges in an ordinary print, Mr. Bedford avows, 
 run away with as much gold as the picture itself. Finally, the 
 painting of the margin facilitates the marking of the negative 
 with its number. 
 
 The cracking of the negative film is rarely seen now, and this 
 is attributed by our host to the circumstance that the collodion is 
 better than it used to be. It is the latter, and not the varnish, 
 that is at fault. Mr. Bedford has had negatives closely packed 
 together, and almost unused, which on unpacking have shown 
 
 4 
 
MR. FRANCIS BEDFORD. 
 
 13 
 
 defects of this nature, while others freely stacked in boxes have 
 exhibited nothing of the kind. 
 
 An ingenious method of improving the skies in negatives and 
 softening the horizon line, and perhaps adding detail to a fore- 
 ground, is adopted by Mr. Bedford. His former plan, as many of 
 our readers know, was to cover certain portions of the negative 
 with tracing-paper, and work with pencil, stump, or brush upon 
 this. Tracing-paper, however, gets yellow and opaque in time, 
 and in any case shows a very decided outline. But by grinding 
 the reverse face of the negative — Mr. Bedford, like a careful 
 photographer, always employs patent plate — by means of a glass 
 muller and emery powder, a surface is secured upon which work 
 of any description can be done. A few free strokes with a brush 
 dipped in Indian ink, or with a pencil, add frequently to the 
 value of a negative, while the mere grinding of the glass behind 
 the horizon line, whether sea or ridge of hills, tends to soften 
 this portion of the plate considerably. In a word, there are very 
 few photographers who take such extreme care over their printing 
 as the Messrs. Bedford. 
 
 Mr. "William Bedford has recently devised an instantaneous 
 lens mount, which he describes as a ball and socket exposing 
 
 valve. He says : — " I give a diagram, where, in order to make 
 the arrangement more clear, the ball-and-socket are represented 
 
u 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 in perspective inserted in a cross section of the lens. Although 
 I have not yet practically worked out this design, the one I have 
 made is very similar to it, and almost identical with the stopcock 
 arrangement of Mr. Bolas, the only difference being that Mr. 
 Bolas prefers to place his between the lens and the sensitive plate, 
 whereas mine acts between the lenses of a double combination. 
 In this latter position the ball-and-socket principle would possess 
 the advantage of occupying less space, as the lenses can be brought 
 nearer to a ball than to a cylinder of the same diameter, so that 
 a larger working aperture of the lens is available. 
 
 In the diagram, the dotted circle marks the position of the 
 apertures in the tin metal ball when the light is turned off. 
 These apertures do not act as a stop, but allow the image to fall 
 on the plate, in much the same manner as a shutter sliding near 
 the plate djes. 
 
 Of course there are optical as well as mechanical difficulties to 
 be surmounted before any such principle would be practicable ; 
 but when we remember what was effected in the case of Johnson's 
 Phantascopic camera, may we not hope to have a somewhat 
 analogous principle successfully applied to such an important 
 branch of the art as instantaneous photography ? " 
 
 ME. WILLIAM ENGLAND AT NOTTING HILL. 
 
 When Brown saunters down the Rue de Rhone in Geneva, with 
 his hands thrust into the pockets of his tweed suit, proudly 
 conscious that he has done the Swiss tour as it ought to be done, 
 he begins to think about taking something home with him as a 
 souvenir of his mountain trip. He has had his Alpenstock 
 branded from top to bottom with the name of every peak and 
 pass he has visited, so that it now represents a capital of some 
 twenty francs ; and has weighted his trunk with a mass of curious 
 fossils and stones, which, somehow or other, appear less valuable 
 now than when he picked them up on the mountain side ; but 
 he has, so far, purchased nothing to remind him of the snow- 
 hooded peaks and crystalline glaciers he has seen on the " Con- 
 tinong." In these circumstances Brown is not long in making 
 up his mind, and before many minutes have elapsed he is inside 
 
MR. WILLIAM ENGLAND. 
 
 15 
 
 one of the bright stationer's shops, and putting the question, 
 u Avey-voos un photographe de la Mare de Glass ?" 
 
 Brown, of course, means to ask for a photograph, and not a 
 photographer, but, fortunately for him, the shopkeeper under- 
 stands, and in a little while a magnificent series of Swiss views 
 are at his disposal, from which he may pick and choose. How 
 much clearer and more delicate are the photographs than those 
 purchasable in England ! — and they are so cheap, too. 
 Brown makes quite a collection before he leaves the shop ; they 
 will astonish Mrs. Brown and the fellows at the club, and no 
 mistake. It is months afterwards, when these same pictures 
 are being examined in Brown's drawing-room, that a visitor with 
 sharper eyes than usual, points out to the travelling Briton, in 
 the corner of the yellow mount, and in very small type, the 
 name of William England. 
 
 Yes, Mr. William England is probably the largest Continental 
 publisher of European views, and here at St. James's Square, or 
 rather in a compact little establishment at the back of his resi- 
 dence, is the source of all the prints issued in his name. In the 
 summer, Mr. England travels in Switzerland, the Tyrol, and 
 Italy for months together with camera and apparatus, bringing 
 back with him additions to his series of photographs, the names 
 of which fill a good-sized pamphlet. Mr. England confines 
 himself for the most part to views of small size, or, in other 
 words, rarely goes beyond a 10 by 8 plate. His favorite travel- 
 ling camera is standing in a corner, and he sets it up for our 
 inspection ; it will do for stereoscopic pictures, or for whole- 
 plate negatives. " Here is a simple arrangement for shading 
 the lens," says Mr. England, and he shows us what appears to 
 be the peak of a cap made of mahogany. The front flap 
 measures four inches and the middle flap about three, and the 
 double hinge arrangement permits you to bend down the peak 
 right in front of the lens, if you like, so that you may almost 
 employ it as a cap. But for shading the lens the arrangement 
 is invaluable, and travelling photographers would be wise indeed 
 to adopt so simple a modification to their apparatus. The har- 
 mony and delicacy of Mr. England's landscapes are proverbial ; 
 the sun's glare is never permitted to exercise a baneful influence 
 upon the middle distance and horizon, and this simple shade has 
 much to do with Mr. England's reputation as one of the first 
 landscape photographers. 
 
16 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 11 And this is my travelling stand," says Mr. England ; u I have 
 knocked about with it all over the Continent for eleven years, 
 and it is as sound now as on the day it was made." It certainly 
 is a mode] tripod, with two very valuable properties : it has a 
 broad base-board, whereon to screw the camera, and it is ex- 
 ceedingly light. Indeed, it is wondrous strange that the material 
 of which it is made is not more generally employed for camera 
 stands ; its whole virtue is summed up in the word bamboo. For 
 strength and lightness the stand is simply unrivalled, and when 
 we say that the bamboo receives a good character from a man ot 
 experience like Mr. England, there can surely be no better recom- 
 mendation. 
 
 Mr. England is a man of resource. At St. James's Square he 
 prepares his own plates, and makes his own varnish, albunien- 
 izes his paper, prints and mounts his pictures, and does what 
 lithographic or letter-press work the mounts require. Here is a 
 model little printing establishment with two type-presses and a 
 litho-press ; and adjoining is the compositor's room, with type 
 trays and desks complete. Both litho-press and printing-press 
 are busily at work just now, and stacks of white and yellow 
 mounts are standing by ready for printing. Farther on, across 
 a spacious yard, half covered in with glass, where the printing 
 takes place, is another building devoted downstairs to the toning 
 and washing of prints, and upstairs to albumenizing paper and 
 sensitizing it. The albumenizing is done when eggs are cheap, 
 and there is very little mystery about the matter. The best 
 Saxe paper is employed, and this is floated upon the albumen in 
 the same way as paper is sensitized. White of egg to the extent 
 of a few gallons is worked vigorously by a revolving whisk, and 
 the salting solution added at the same time. The latter is in 
 the proportion of : — 
 
 Chloride of barium 5 grains 
 
 Chloride of ammonium 5 ,, 
 
 Albumen 1 ounce 
 
 the chloride being first dissolved in a little water. The albumen, 
 after whisking, is permitted to stand for three days, and after 
 being filtered through flannel is ready for use. Mr. England 
 does not have recourse to hot plate pressing, or any other similar 
 process. 
 
 The sensitizing takes place on a fifty-grain bath, a three-minute 
 
MR. WILLIAM ENGLAND. 
 
 17 
 
 glass, or egg-boiler, being methodically used to control the time. 
 Mr. England prefers to dry his paper by artificial warmth, rather 
 than spontaneously, and employs for the purpose a cupboard 
 heated by a water bath ; the water bath, while it causes the 
 paper to dry quickly, does not permit it to become horny. The 
 water bath supplies a damper heat than the outside air. The 
 paper shows no creases, and exhibits no tendency to blister. 
 
 Mr. England's washing apparatus has already been described in 
 the Photographic News, but we may refer to it once more. In 
 a big oblong trough is a big oblong tray ; the bottom of the tray 
 is composed of trellis- work made up of gutta-percha strips, and 
 into this tray the prints are put. The trough contains water, 
 and this naturally rises into the tray. Tl 1 e tray rests a few inches 
 from the bottom of the trough, being pivoted in the middle at 
 each end, so that it rocks on the slightest provocation. A little 
 water-wheel at one side furnishes this provocation. A tap of 
 water is running, and gradually fills up the buckets of the water- 
 wheel, and whenever they are full, the water-wheel makes one 
 revolution ; in doing this, it lifts an arm attached to one side of 
 the rocking tray, and the tray is thus lifted bodily on one side, 
 causing the prints therein to be considerably agitated. Thus the 
 prints lying in the water are vigorously shaken up every time 
 the wheel goes round, and this may be made to revolve automa- 
 tically once a minute or once an hour according as the tap of 
 water runs fast or slow. The washing trough is, moreover, pro- 
 vided with a syphon arrangement for changing the washing 
 water. 
 
 A very practical cutting-board, for cutting paper, is to be seen 
 in the same building, which is no more than a block of beech ; 
 the grain of the wood being end on, it presents a most durable 
 and perfect medium for cutting upon. 
 
 Mr. England stores some of his negatives — of which there are 
 hundreds of thousands at St. James's Square — in ordinary rack 
 boxes, and some braced together (with a sheet of blotting-paper 
 between) by elastic web bands. If a negative is coated with 
 proper varnish, there is no fear of the film rising, is Mr. Eng- 
 land's opinion ; and this is the way he makes his varnish. A 
 pound of the best seed lac is put into a quart bottle of methylated 
 spirit ; the lac is shaken up from time to time, but the solution 
 is not heated. After two or three days, the spirit will have 
 taken as much lac as is necessary, and the clear liquid is poured 
 
 c 
 
18 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 off. The residue may either be thrown away, or employed again 
 with fresh lac. 
 
 For mounting, Mr. England employs only gum — the very best 
 white gum — of which solutions are freshly prepared. Mounts 
 have given him a great deal of trouble, and now he tests for 
 antichlor or hyposulphite before he trusts to new cards ; he has 
 a liking for enamelled boards. His stock of prints, which is 
 obviously very extensive, is kept, however, in an unmounted 
 condition. A large staff of girls find employment in these 
 mounting and finishing rooms. 
 
 As our readers are aware, Mr. England is facile princeps in the 
 preparation and manipulation of gelatine plates, and his drying- 
 box is the best model yet devised. Itis nothingmore nor less than 
 
 a light-tight cupboard, with wires stretched across to support the 
 plates. Through the centre runs an inch gas-pipe, open at both 
 ends, at the bottom of which is a small gas jet which burns inside. 
 
MESSES. W. AND D. DOWNEY. 
 
 19 
 
 At the top and bottom of the box are two draught-holes cut, to 
 which a tin tubing of about three inches diameter is attached, as 
 shown in the figure. 
 
 The gas tube gets warmed with a very small jet of gas burning 
 in it, a mere pin-hole being sufficient exit for the gas. This 
 warms the air in contact with the tin tube, and also slightly the 
 air inside the cupboard. The consequence is, that a current of 
 slightly warm air is set up, and circulates amongst the plates 
 while supported on the wires, and the drying of the films takes 
 place rapidly. Five or six hours is a sufficient time in which to 
 dry the plates, whilst without the gas jet it would take twenty- 
 four hours or more. In the inside of the cupboard, and near the 
 top and bottom, are placed two cupboard discs to stop the possi- 
 bility of any stray light entering, and as the whole affair is 
 placed in the dark-room, the chances of any such access even 
 without it would be small. 
 
 Inside the cupboard door is fixed a thermometer, and the jet 
 is regulated so that a temperature of about 70° is indicated — 
 80° would do no harm to the plates ; beyond that temperature 
 it might not be safe to go. 
 
 The small gas jet used is the same as may be seen in tobacco- 
 nists' shops ; the hole in the end is plugged up, and a very small 
 hole drilled at the side. 
 
 MESSRS. W. & D. DOWNEY AT EBTJEY STBEET. 
 
 Some people may suppose that the Messrs. Downey reserve to 
 themselves the right of only photographing titled personages ; 
 this is a mistake. A circular published by them certainly 
 conveys the idea that " anybody, as calls himself anybody," 
 must perforce be portrayed by the famous Newcastle firm which 
 has now established itself in the neighbourhood of Buckingham 
 Palace ; but Messrs. W. and D. Downey are really not averse 
 } to take any of Her Majesty's subjects any more than the Queen 
 herself. Indeed, we may go further, and say that on com- 
 parison Messrs. Downey's charges will be found to be less in 
 some respects than those of other fashionable portraitists. You 
 may tender a guinea at Ebury Street without giving offence, 
 but for this guinea you can only command one pose ; for every 
 
20 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 additional position an additional charge is made, so that perhaps 
 in the end the fees are much the same as elsewhere. The new 
 Promenade or Panel portrait naturally enough commands the 
 highest prices, and for six of these £3 3s. are asked. Cartes 
 are one guinea the dozen — but you have only one position — and 
 cabinets are charged double ; as a matter of course, the fees are 
 * paid before the pictures are taken. The Panel portrait is cer- 
 tainly making way, the one drawback being, so we are told, 
 that it can only be used for standing portraits. 
 
 Messrs. W. and D. Downey occupy two modest little houses 
 in Ebury Street. The showrooms, which are also exceedingly 
 modest and simple in their nature, are on the ground-floor. 
 The public pass straight into them from the street, and to get 
 to the studios and dressing rooms there are but eight or ten steps 
 to mount. The studios are, therefore, easily come-at-able. We 
 have no need to speak of the excellence of the work of Messrs. 
 Downey ; their staple is evidently the Cabinet portrait just now, 
 and these are executed, as our readers know, with high skill 
 and artistic finish. At No. 61, Ebury Street, there are two 
 studios, and at No. 57, one glass room, which is only just 
 completed. 
 
 This new glass room is a very fine building. It faces, or 
 rather its entire length does, due north. It measures 42 feet by 
 14 feet. One side is a blank wall with a single window ; the 
 other three sides and roof may be described as entirely of glass. 
 Put it is all ground glass, and the soft illumination thus secured 
 is simply delightful. That portion of the roof which faces 
 south has white boards screwed over it, which boards may be 
 removed, one or all, at any time in winter or dull weather ; but 
 it may be taken for granted that they will be a fixture under 
 general circumstances. Wood is said to be the coolest roof that 
 can be secured ; but there is, of course, ample ventilation pro- 
 vided. Backgrounds, properly speaking, will be eschewed, and 
 the studio fitted up as much as possible to represent a light 
 drawing-room. The plaster wall is painted a French grey, 
 which almost resembles a lavender, and a panelling of ground 
 glass runs right round the skirting. Curtains running across 
 the apartment and movable screens permit of casting any 
 shadows that may be desirable, but it will be Messrs. Downey's 
 aim to photograph their models standing in front of a ground 
 glass window at one end of the studio. The light coming 
 
MESSRS. W. AND D. DOWNEY. 
 
 21 
 
 through this background window is, of course, very subdued, 
 but it will give a wonderful effect of relief, and represent the 
 model as standing beside the window of an ordinary drawing 
 room. On either side of the window are movable door-like 
 screens to aid in effect. At the other end of the studio the glass 
 is not seen, by reason of a practicable screen or partition that 
 has been erected ; but a door in this partition may be opened 
 to permit a model to stand, who will thus be lighted up as if in 
 a doorway or in an opera-box, &c. As we have said, there is 
 not one atom of clear glass about the studio. 
 
 It is just sixteen years ago, Mr. Daniel Downey told us, 
 since his brother and himself were called to Balmoral for the 
 first time by order of Her Majesty; and although no one will 
 deny that the firm has enjoyed opportunities which others have 
 not been so fortunate as to secure, it must be remembered that it 
 is not everybody who knows how to make good use of an oppor- 
 tunity. At that time there was no accommodation to be had 
 near the Castle and grounds, and the brothers were glad enough 
 to shelter themselves and their apparatus in a labourer's cottage. 
 But they did not want for personal comforts, for hardly had 
 they arrived than the Prince of Wales, knowing of the strait the 
 photographers were likely to be in, drove over in a waggonette 
 to see them, and good-naturedly sent up provisions and wine at 
 once for their especial behoof. The reception turned out to be 
 one of good omen, and is likely to remain in the memories of 
 Messrs. Downey many a long day. 
 
 Everybody has seen the portrait of the late Earl of Beaconsfield 
 in a black velvet coat taken by Messrs. Downey. It was 
 not an easy portrait to secure, and it was taken, it appears, 
 some nine years ago at Balmoral, when the ex-Premier's name 
 was not Beaconsfield, but Disraeli. The Messrs. Downey had 
 just completed a spell of work at the Castle, and had made 
 arrangements for a few days' tour in the Highlands before 
 returning to Newcastle. Accidentally the Premier ran down to 
 have audience of Her Majesty, and the brothers had to be 
 recalled from their pleasuring on purpose to photograph 
 Benjamin Disraeli. Back they came, and in the morning 
 Mr. Disraeli walked into the improvised studio in a coat of 
 azure blue and light trousers. They tried and tried again, but 
 the photographs did not please. It had been difficult before to 
 persuade the Premier to sit for his portrait, but he resisted all 
 
22 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 importunities the next day. Lady Churchill did all she could, 
 and only when the stubborn First Lord heard that it was Her 
 Majesty's keen desire to secure a portrait, did he consent to sit 
 once more. Unfortunately, it was a dull rainy morning, and 
 the natty velvet jacket in which he was now arrayed was a 
 source of constant anxiety to Her Majesty's Chief Minister ; a 
 few rain drops might spoil its gloss beyond redemption, and this 
 care, together with the long exposures necessitated by the dull * 
 light, again prevented, the photographs being successful. The 
 fruits of the second day were no more satisfactory than those of 
 the first. As to suggesting further sittings on the third morning, 
 it was more than any who valued peace of mind dared do. 
 There was the Premier still at Balmoral, walking about the 
 grounds, but who was to ask him ? At last, Lady Churchill 
 plucked up courage, and spoke once more to the First Lord of 
 the Treasury. He was obdurate at first, but in the end he 
 consented to give five minutes, but only five minutes. He 
 appeared again n the velvet jacket, and in a very bad humour ; 
 but the negatives secured on that occasion have become famous. 
 Hundreds of thousands of prints have been circulated, and the 
 negatives have been printed in silver, carbon, enamel, and both 
 woodbury typed and collotyped. It was some, time afterwards 
 before the Messrs. Downey consoled themselves for the loss of 
 that Highland holiday of theirs, but they seem now, at any rate, 
 to have quite got over the disappointment. 
 
 Messrs. Downey's printing for the most part is done at New- 
 castle, where also all the pictures for publication are mounted 
 and finished ; but some work has, of course, to be completed in 
 town. All negatives for private customers, which are not 
 required to stand so much wear and tear, are retouched after they 
 are varnished, but in the case of popular portraits the retouching 
 is first done on the film, which is then varnished. For washing 
 prints, white earthenware utensils are employed, for much stress 
 is laid on cleanliness in Ebury Street, and this is obviously 
 secured by having utensils that show the dirt very plainly. All 
 negatives are stored, packed in brown paper, and not loose in 
 racks. 
 
 We spoke on the subject of photographs of " Beauties " before 
 quitting Messrs. Downey's famous establishment. The affair is 
 by no means so simple as it seems. As a matter of course, no 
 portrait is ever published without the full consent of the sitter, 
 
MR. PAYNE JENNINGS 
 
 23 
 
 and we feel sure that this assurance of Messrs. Downey's finds 
 an echo in every studio of standing throughout the country. 
 But here is the difficulty. A lady gives permission to have her 
 portrait published ; as it is a very good one, and shows her in a 
 favourable light, she has no objection if it does meet the public 
 eye. Nay, more ; probably the more frequently her picture is 
 seen, the better she likes it. The photographers have taken 
 much pains upon the portrait, and they proceed at once to print 
 the negative. They do not issue the prints at once, for fear 
 these may be copied, but wait until they can stock the market. 
 Then the firm issues to the trade. Dealers in all parts of the 
 country buy, and the portrait circulates everywhere. At this 
 juncture, maybe, the lady repents of her decision, and comes 
 posthaste to Messrs. Downey, asking that the picture maybe 
 withdrawn. This is impossible ; the matter no longer rests 
 with the original producers. They may say, " Very well, we 
 will not print another copy ; " but this has not the effect of 
 withdrawing the print from sale. On the contrary, if dealers 
 already in possession of prints get to know that a photograph is 
 no longer printed, the price of it goes up at once, and very much 
 is made of it ; unscrupulous printers will set to work copying 
 under the circumstances. In any case, the producers are not 
 to blame^So far as Messrs. Downey are concerned, they have 
 never published a portrait without the full consent of the model ; 
 but ladies, and especially those who are given to changing their 
 minds, should remember that a permission once given is not, as 
 we have shown, so easily cancelled. 
 
 MR. PAYNE JENNINGS AT WEST DULWICH. 
 
 Apart from Mr. Payne Jennings' rare skill and refinement in 
 the art of making pictures — qualities that few of us can ever 
 aspire to — there is much in his work that may be studied with 
 advantage by every photographer. He has shown in the true 
 spirit of an artist how all-powerful is the pencil of light. He 
 coquettes with pebbly brook and leafy dell, wooing nature under 
 every humour. Now he follows the coy maid into green vale 
 and over purple moorland, now under shadow of deep boulders, 
 
24 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 beside the rushing foam, now among the yellow- green willows 
 of a placid backwater he makes his capture. Sunshine or shade ; 
 the bright lakelet or gloomy cavern ; the shadowy foliage of 
 lofty tree, or tender undergrowth of fern and flowret; the black- 
 lichened rock, or snow-flecked clematis — all are tenderly limned 
 upon the sensitive plate, and the sweet pictures thus crystallized 
 for ever. 
 
 Mr. Payne Jennings, then, is one of that small band — we 
 might almost count the number on our fingers — who can gather 
 pictures by the wayside with his camera. His pictures — and 
 one can only say this of a very few workers — are published and 
 purchased as pictures, and not as photographs of this spot or 
 that. But as an art-photographer he has done more than this. 
 4 ' Delicacy and brilliancy I believe to be perfection in a photo- 
 graph,' J said our host ; " and to secure these a light tone appears 
 to me absolutely indispensable. " It is to this decided opinion 
 that we owe the new school of printing, for we can hardly call 
 it by any other name, with which Mr. Payne Jennings has made 
 us familiar. AVarni tints and delicate tones arc no novelty, it is 
 true ; but when we have a photographer coming forward who 
 dares to risk the printing of all his work in one particular tint 
 and depth, we must acknowledge that he has courage to back 
 his belief in spite of every prejudice, while the success that has 
 attended Mr. Payne Jennings' publications is ample proof of 
 the correctness ot his views. 
 
 At Dulwich there is but a printing establishment, and nothing 
 more. Mr. Jennings rarely mounts his own pictures; all his 
 efforts, when not very busy with the camera, are confined to 
 printing ; and since he has to supply during the present season 
 some 90,000 impressions for Christmas cards, it may be taken 
 for granted that this work is quite enough to occupy his atten- 
 tion. "We all know that Christmas Annuals are written in the 
 summer time, and that the stories of snow-bound travellers that 
 are served up to us every year in coloured bindings in which the 
 holly berry and robin redbreasts prevail, are usually thought 
 out and elaborated in the dog days ; but even with this fore- 
 knowledge it strikes one as strange to see photographic printers 
 busy in the hot months upon work that is destined for midwinter 
 sale. Yet here, at Dulwich, in the piping hot sunshine, they 
 are printing away at photographs for Christmas at the rate of a 
 thousand a day. Heaps of prints lie before us, all of that 
 
MR. PAYNE JENNINGS. 
 
 25 
 
 delicate warm tone which Mr. Payne Jennings loves ; they are 
 little vignetted landscapes, carte size, in sheets of six, and, as 
 we look on, an assistant is hard at work with a pad of felt on 
 the table before her, and a short wooden knife in one hand, 
 smoothing and flattening them, sheet by sheet. Deftly she 
 seizes a curled and cockled print, and puts it, face downwards, 
 on the pad ; then, passing the wooden knife edge over the back, 
 working from the centre, she converts the sheet into smooth 
 paper, and gives it a " set,' 7 so that the impressions may be piled 
 without difficulty. 
 
 What are Mr. Payne Jennings' rules as regards printing? it 
 will be asked. In the first place, he employs a strong sensi- 
 tizing bath — or, at any rate, not a weak one — never under 
 fifty grains to the ounce ; he invariably sensitizes, prints, tones, 
 and fixes in one and the same day, performing the operations 
 as quickly one after the other as he can. He has recourse to 
 acetate toning, and, as everybody knows, he does not carry the 
 toning too far. He believes that the hyposulphite bath always 
 requires to be neutralized with carbonate of ammonia, and he 
 never employs anything but glazed earthenware in which to 
 wash bis prints, since it is not likely to harbour hyposulphite. 
 During the first hour that the prints remain in the washing 
 trough (into which fresh water is continually running), and 
 after they have passed through several preliminary rinsings, 
 they are continually being manipulated by hand, each sheet 
 being turned over and separated, so that they may be perfectly 
 washed. 
 
 The paper is very quickly sensitized and dried ; ten minutes 
 will usually suffice for the operation. This is the sensitizing 
 room, and very light and airy it is. The front is of glass, 
 covered with one thickness of yellow tammy ; but an additional 
 screen is provided to protect the sensitized paper, and to keep 
 in the warm air, just by the fire. A sheet is floated, drawn as 
 usual over a rod at the end of the bath, and then lifted against 
 the edge, so that it draws with a sucking action, bringing up 
 with it the minimum of solution. The sheet is then blotted 
 against filtering paper, to still further remove the liquid, and is 
 then so slightly damp that in five minutes all superfluous 
 moisture has been driven off. The surface is now rubbed with 
 a soft rag to remove any fibre from the filter-paper, and it is 
 ready for the printing-frame. Many might call the paper still 
 
26 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 moist, but, at any rate, it is not dry enough to cockle. The 
 pressure-frames are set in the shade, and, as all Mr. Jennings' 
 negatives are very thin, the printing goes on apace. Mr. 
 Jennings' paper has a faint roseate hue. 
 
 With few exceptions, Mr. Payne Jennings prints from repro- 
 duced negatives. Indeed, he could only print so many pictures 
 in this way. The original negative is treated as they do the 
 original dies at the Royal Mint ; the sovereigns that are coined 
 in large numbers every day are all from the same original 
 engraving ; but it is from replicas of this, and not from Mr. 
 Wyon's own handiwork, that the actual striking takes place. 
 Mr. Payne Jennings follows this example. Prom the original 
 negative a transparency is produced by means of carbon tissue, 
 which, r-s our readers know, the Autotype Company prepare 
 especially for such purposes. This transparency is usually dense 
 enough without any intensifying ; but when it comes to printing a 
 negative from it (also in carbon tissue), reinforcing, to some 
 extent, is necessary. This is done by means of permanganate of 
 potash, the tissue, be it stated, being developed invariably upon 
 thin patent plate coated with a film of gelatine. In this way 
 Mr. Jennings has no difficulty in producing negatives — which 
 are never dense — all of the same intensity, so that he can print 
 half-a-dozen of them at a time in one frame. 
 
 Besides the small work, and his large, well-known studies, 
 Mr. Payne Jennings is at this moment engaged in illustrating 
 no less than eighteen different volumes of poems — "all, I am 
 sorry to say, in silver," said Mr. Jennings. "I should much 
 like to employ a mechanical process, or carbon, or platinotype, 
 and I hope sincerely I may soon be able to do so ; my only desire 
 is to produce prints as delicately and brilliantly as I can, and, 
 so far as I have seen, none of these processes can compete with 
 silver. I shall be only too happy to adopt them when results 
 as beautiful are to be secured by their means." Mr. Payne 
 Jennings, as a producer of pictures, must please his master — the 
 public ; this is the main point he must keep steadfastly in view. 
 
 Mr. Payne Jennings, for his camera work, prefers either 
 spring or autumn. Spring in half -leaf is the best time, he thinks ; 
 the graceful outline of the trees is seen to advantage, and the 
 wind has less power than upon full foliage. Many photographs, 
 he thinks, are marred by accidental lights ; you want broad 
 effects, and not lighting here, there, and everywhere. Again, 
 
MR. PAYNE JENNINGS. 
 
 27 
 
 photographs against the light furnish finer contrasts than can be 
 obtained in any other manner ; masses of shadow thrown into 
 relief are then secured, and the lighting is much bolder. Mr. 
 Jennings does not think that extra-rapid plates, however useful 
 they may be, will add to the number of our artists ; the art- 
 photographer rarely wants to work with an exposure of one 
 five-hundredth of a second. He does not care much about 
 depicting express trains going at lightning speed, or four-horse 
 coaches at twelve miles an hour. He is concerned more in 
 obtaining a bit of romance or poetry in his sketches — in depicting 
 a deep-shadowed glen or a sedgy pool in which the yellow 
 water-lilies grow. An old water-mill beside the flowing river, 
 forsaken, and in ruins, that lies here on the table, seems cer- 
 tainly to bear out what our host says. It embodies the well- 
 known German ballad of the " Mill- Wheel " — 
 
 " In einem kiihlen Grunde 
 Da geht ein Miihlenrad, 
 Mem Liebehen ist verschwunden 
 Die dort gewohnet hat." 
 
 "I, for one," says Mr. Payne Jennings, " do not believe in 
 any formula giving a weak sensitizing bath. The paper dealers, 
 I know, frequently send out printed instructions, which you 
 are asked implicitly to follow, and give you a silver bath as low 
 as 30 grains to the ounce. I have, however, never been able to 
 work this successfully, and generally find 50 grains to be the 
 minimum strength compatible with good results. In the 
 sensitizing dish it will be well to have a glass rod attached to 
 one end, and each sheet of paper should be pulled over this after 
 sensitizing ; it may then be blotted off on stout blotting-paper, 
 and hung up to dry. I think it is much better not to have the 
 paper bone dry when placed in the frames, especially in summer- 
 time. Before placing the paper on the negative it should be 
 carefully wiped with a piece of clean linen or silk, as the fluff 
 from the blotting-paper adheres slightly to the surface. There 
 can be no doubt that shade-printing in all cases is the most 
 economical (except, of course, in the very exceptional case of a 
 ' hard negative), there being much less likelihood of your amassing 
 a large quantity of defective prints. The general depth of your 
 batch of prints must depend entirely upon the state in which 
 you keep your sensitizing and toning bath. The intelligent 
 printer knows well that it is here he must give his best atten- 
 
28 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 lion, if he desires uniformity in his daily results. Let the 
 printing bath be always of uniform strength, and the due 
 proportion of acetate of soda and gold in the toning bath, and you 
 will rarely, if ever, get into trouble. You know at once what 
 reduction will take place in your print, just as though you saw 
 it finished and dry before you ; but let irregularity creep into 
 the formula, and your day's work will certainly be more or 
 less a failure. The rules regulating the sensitizing and toning 
 baths must be rigidly observed, and to carelessness in this 
 respect may be attributed the majority of printing failures, and 
 general want of uniformity in results. To keep the silver bath 
 in workable strength, a stock solution of silver — 80 grains to 
 the ounce of water — should be kept in readiness to the hand 
 of the sensitizer, and 1 ounce of this solution added to every 
 five sheets sensitized, care being taken to agitate the dish, so 
 as to equalize the strength of the solution. 
 
 " Toning. — For toning the print, I believe the ordinary acetate 
 bath is the best, giving, as it does, such beautiful warm tones, 
 and which I myself am partial to. When the prints are taken 
 from the printing-frame, they should be well washed in three 
 or four changes of water, and, lastly, in water containing a 
 handful of salt. 
 
 Toning Bath. 
 
 Chloride of gold 1 gram 
 
 Acetate of soda ... ... ... ... 35 grains 
 
 Carbonate of soda ... ... ... 5 ,, 
 
 "Water 8 ounces 
 
 A convenient form of stock solution to add to the toning bath 
 
 (as it loses energy) is as follows : — 
 
 Chloride of gold ... 15 grains 
 
 Acetate of soda 2 drachms 
 
 Water ... ... ... ... ... 1 ounce 
 
 A portion of the solution, regulated by the daily average of 
 sheets of paper toned, should be added to the bath after the 
 day's toning is done ; it will then be in good condition for the 
 next use. It will, however, always be found wise to have two 
 or three baths in use, and work them alternately. 
 
 " The prints when taken from the toning bath should be again 
 placed in water containing a little salt, and afterwards well and 
 carefully washed in several changes of water. 
 
THE AUTOTYPE WORKS. 
 
 29 
 
 " Fixing. — For fixing, I believe a strong hyposulphite bath 
 is the best, not less than 4 ounces to the pint of water, care 
 being taken to neutralize with carbonate of soda or ammonia. 
 For washing, the best plan, in my opinion, is to wash a com- 
 paratively short time, and have a boy constantly turning the 
 prints over during that period ; first turning them all face up, 
 and then going through the whole batch again, and turning 
 them in a contrary direction, and so on." 
 
 AT THE AUTOTYPE WOKKS, EALING DENE. 
 
 "We have had the pleasure of visiting in our time the three 
 largest carbon printing establishments in Europe. In 1869 we 
 went down to busy Newcastle at the invitation of Mr. J. W. 
 Swan, and had the good fortune to see the interesting process of 
 printing photographs in carbon as practised by that gentleman. 
 As our readers know, in the Swan process the tissue, after 
 printing, was placed, face downwards, on india-rubber, and 
 when the image had been developed by warm water, transfer 
 paper was put upon it, and then the rubber sheet removed from 
 the back by softening with benzole. The Swan process, if not 
 so simple as that now practised, was thoroughly practical, and 
 gave pictures that bear comparison even with those now pro- 
 duced, facts that were fully borne out by the Eraun establish- 
 ment in Alsace, which worked Swan's patent. This we visited 
 in 1870, when France and Germany were on the eve of strife. 
 The mountain villages, we remember, were teeming with ex- 
 citement, and the blue hills of Alsace were soon to be disturbed 
 by the rude shock of war. Dornach was a contrast to New- 
 castle ; it is not far from the Swiss border, near Basle, sur- 
 I rounded by wooded slopes and sweet pine forests. At Dornach, 
 , the Swan process was to be seen on a larger scale than at the 
 ' home of its birth. Paintings from most of the European galleries 
 were reproduced by its means, of magnificent dimensions, and 
 we recollect to this day some excellent facsimiles from the 
 Sistine Chapel. The art treasures of Rome, Munich, Paris, and 
 other European capitals were here reproduced in large quantities, 
 and Braun's establishment became famous throughout Europe, 
 both by reason of the beauty of the work, and its permanence. 
 
30 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 We were fortunate ia being permitted by the late Mr. Johnson 
 to see his simplification of the Swan process, when this was 
 still under elaboration at his residence in Brixton, the simplifi- 
 cation in question being the germ of the single transfer process. 
 Mr. Johnson's important discovery was the fact that you needed 
 no cementing material to hold fast the tissue during development ; 
 if you soaked the tissue in water and clapped it down on any 
 impermeable surface, the image remained on that surface by 
 reason of the atmospheric pressure against it. This fact Mr. 
 Johnson must have shown us more than ten years ago, but it 
 was only recently that we visited the Autotype Company's works 
 at Ealing Dene, and were gratified with a sight of carbon print- 
 ing carried on at the present day upon a large scale and under 
 the most favourable auspices. We had expected much, but 
 what we saw far exceeded our expectations. 
 
 The Autotype Works are under the direction of Mr. J. R. 
 Sawyer, his partner, Mr. W. S. Bird, occupying the post of 
 general manager in town. The group of buildings at Ealing 
 shelter a personnel of eighty, and the manner in which the work 
 is organised and subdivided proves the presence of a master mind 
 somewhere about the premises. A large number of young 
 women find employment in the Works, especially in the retouch- 
 ing, mounting, varnishing, and mechanical-printing rooms ; but 
 in the taking of negatives, sun-printing, and development of 
 prints, only assistants of the male sex are employed. Mr. Sawyer 
 was good enough to conduct us personally round the establish- 
 ment, and if he will permit us here briefly to thank him for his 
 courtesy and attention, we will at once proceed to tell the reader 
 what we had the pleasure of witnessing. 
 
 Making the carbon tissue is naturally the first thing to look 
 at. Here is the mixing room, where the proportions of pigment, 
 gelatine, sugar, &c, are mixed, and the bichromate added, when 
 the tissue is to be produced ready sensitized. Carbon tissue, we 
 may inform the uninitiated, looks very much like black court 
 plaister. The pigment mixture, kept at a temperature of some- 
 thing above 120° E., is kept turning in a drum for upwards of an 
 hour to ensure perfect mixing ; the pigments employed are Indian 
 ink or vegetable black, with, perhaps, alizarine or indigo, or the 
 oxides of iron or sepia. In the finest tissues for enlarging pur- 
 poses, only Indian ink is used, for this pigment of all the others 
 is so fine that it may be filtered through cotton wool. The 
 
THE AUTOTYPE WORKS. 
 
 31 
 
 warm mixture is now transferred to a trough in the coating room. 
 Over the trough is an endless roll of paper, and this dipping 
 down into the trough is then passed upwards over rollers. The 
 room is not only maintained at a warm temperature (70° P.), 
 but there is above a huge ventilator with a fan worked by an 
 Archimedean screw, and this fan, carrying away the atmosphere 
 above, causes a stream of warm air to be constantly flowing 
 through the apartment. The consequence is, that before the 
 coated paper has proceeded very far over the roller, the black 
 gelatine has set : the tissue comes running along a travelling 
 bed, and here it is cut into lengths of twelve feet, which, one 
 after another, are taken up by an assistant by means of a sort of 
 haymaker's rake, and hung up to be further dried. In four or 
 five hours the tissue is quite dry. About 1,000 feet a day are 
 made in this room, but with the beginning of spring, when the 
 demands of photographers increase, a second and much larger 
 room is made use of, where 6,000 feet of tissue can be dried at 
 a time. 
 
 Here is the laboratory where the transparencies are made for 
 enlargements. This is very delicate work indeed, and is kept 
 apart from the ordinary printing. As we have said, a special 
 tissue is necessary. The glass to receive the transparency is 
 coated with gelatine, which is rendered insoluble ; the tissue is 
 printed under the negative to be enlarged, coated with collodion, 
 moistened in cold water, and then developed upon the glass. 
 That a trial transparency has generally to be made first of all 
 goes without saying, for so much depends upon the transparency ; 
 the development takes place within a few minutes of the wet 
 print being put upon the glass — they do not believe in waiting 
 at this stage at Ealing — and is first treated with warm water, 
 and then hot (perhaps 130° F., or 140° F.), for the insoluble 
 gelatine upon the glass surface is a famous material for holding 
 fast the image. 
 
 The transparency is next given over to the enlarging and 
 reproducing department, where we meet an old friend, Mr. 
 Burton, to whose management Mr. Sawyer has entrusted this 
 branch of the work. It is a very large branch, and as, in the 
 making of enlargements, it is necessary to have condensing lenses 
 of larger size than the transparencies, the apparatus here is well 
 worth studying. One pair of condensers measured twenty-two 
 inches across — the largest, we believe, made — and they weighed 
 
32 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 not less than a hundredweight. Oxy-hydrogen lamps are em- 
 ployed for producing the negative from transparencies, the 
 illumination being not only amply sufficient, but more constant 
 than daylight. The plates and baths employed are obviously of 
 large size, and one of the latter we measured was fifty-four inches 
 by forty. 
 
 These baths are well worth describing. They are not dipping- 
 baths, but swing on a pivot, so that they may be made to assume 
 a horizontal position at any moment. They are of wood, the 
 interior being coated with asphalte, beeswax, and boiled linseed 
 oil. That they are economical with respect to the amount of 
 silver solution required may be inferred from the circumstance 
 that the large bath, of which we have given the dimensions, re- 
 quires but five gallons of nitrate of silver ; a dipping-bath of the 
 ^ame dimensions would probably require three times the quantity. 
 To use the bath, it is sloped at the ordinary angle of a dipping- 
 bath, when naturally all the solution runs to the bottom. The 
 top side is lifted, and the huge plate laid down upon a series of 
 ebonite pegs ; then the bath is turned on its pivot until it assumes 
 a horizontal position, when the solution at once, in one clean 
 sweep, flows over the plate, and remains upon the film as long as 
 the bath is horizontal. After a few minutes the bath is tilted 
 back again on end, and the plate allowed to drain in an upright 
 position and in a moist atmosphere as long as the photographer 
 desires. Thus the bath saves both trouble and silver. In the 
 series of dark rooms there were eight enlarging apparatus, the 
 illumination necessary for developing the plates being provided 
 by a row of gas jets behind coloured glass, the jets being put up 
 and down as occasion required, like the float or footlight of a 
 theatre, Mr. Sawyer had kindly given us permission to note 
 everything we saw or heard, and we at once set about doing our 
 best for our readers. But it was a curious coincidence that our 
 friendly guide always seemed to find most to say when it was 
 darkest, and when, of course, pencil and note-book were not to 
 be seen ; it might have been accident, of course, but the "flow 
 of language " from our host's lips was never faster than when we 
 visited Mr. Burton's dark rooms. 
 
 They never photograph anything in a straightforward manner 
 at Ealing. They always appear to be shooting round the corner 
 with their cameras, and, what is more, Mr. Sawyer intimated 
 *hat it would be a very good thing indeed if other photographers — 
 
THE AUTOTYPE WORKS. 
 
 supposing they desire to print in carbon — were to follow the 
 example. Everything photographed direct at Ealing is taken 
 through the intervention of a mirror, and therefore the lens never 
 points in the direction of the object. A reversed negative is in 
 this way produced, capable of being printed by the single trans- 
 fer process, and pictures thus printed are likely to be as good 
 again as those developed through the medium of a support. As 
 a matter of fact, there are very few cameras, properly so-called, 
 used at Ealing at all ; huge dark-rooms are employed, in which 
 skeleton frames are set up, and these answer the purpose ot 
 cameras. Paintings to be copied at Ealing — and they are large 
 and many — are set up in the open air, with a big screen at their 
 back to stop the light ; from an embrasure or port-hole in an 
 adjacent wall — of course, at an angle — peep forth mirror and 
 lens, and if you go in to see the camera itself, there is nothing 
 but a skeleton frame, scarcely discernible in the dark, at the 
 end of which is the ground glass whereon the picture outside is 
 reflected. In a word, the orthodox photographer gets a good 
 deal bothered over the radical way in which the work is done. 
 
 There is a fixing-room where nothing but cyanide is employed, 
 and a varnishing-room, heated to a warm temperature, where 
 nothing but varnishing is carried on all day long. There is a 
 retouching room for negatives — the black-lead pencil and indigo 
 being the materials employed — in which constant employment 
 is found for a dozen assistants : and the finishing-room, with a 
 personnel of the same number, where the prints are mounted 
 with starch and finished. The printing-room is a long glass- 
 roofed building, practically contrived, but with little novelty ; 
 large tables bearing the printing frames are mounted upon wheels 
 which run on a series of tramways ; in fine weather these tables 
 are pushed out into the open air, in wet weather the printing 
 takes place under glass. 
 
 The developing-room affords a very busy scene. On either 
 side of a large apartment are water- tanks heated by steam. The 
 carbon tissue — for the most part single transfer prints — are 
 brought here as soon as printed. We saw a picture upwards of 
 four feet long developed. A sheet of stout white paper was 
 placed on a flat board and moistened with water ; the big carbon 
 print was thrown into a cold water tank, taken out again, and 
 placed face downwards upon the white paper. The squeegee 
 was used to ensure contact, and then the whole was thrown into 
 
 D 
 
34 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 warm water. There was no awkwardness about the operation ; 
 the tissue gradually dissolved away, and the skilful assistant 
 turned and twisted the huge print, allowed a jet of hotter water 
 to play here and there as occasion required, and, in the end, pro- 
 duced a magnificently toned picture. For copies of engravings, 
 which are but black and white, Mr. Sawyer employs a tissue 
 loaded with pigment, which ensures bright lights and shadows ; 
 but in the case of half-tones this description of tissue is avoided. 
 There were prints of sepia, red chalk, and purple, all being deve- 
 loped at the same time. In the case of double transfers, the 
 white flexible support which Mr. Sawyer himself has devised 
 proves invaluable, for not only may you bend a print to your 
 own wish, but the material being white, it permits you to develop 
 as delicately almost as in the case of single transfers which 
 never leave their paper basis. 
 
 Mr. J. E. Sawyer gives the following particulars to produce 
 carbon pictures on opal : — Take a piece of clean opal from the 
 rack, and immerse it with the printed tissue in perfectly clean 
 cold water ; the temperature of the water should not exceed 
 56°, or at the most 60° Fahr., and in hot weather it must be 
 kept down to something like this by the introduction of pieces 
 of clean ice from time to time, or by standing the tray in an 
 outer one, containing rough ice and salt. Almost as soon as the 
 tissue enters the water it begins to curl, first inwards — i.e., 
 towards the gelatine surface ; in a few seconds it will begin to 
 relax and soften ; now pass the palm of the hand over it to re- 
 move any adhering air-bubbles, and when it has nearly straight- 
 ened itself out (but not quite) adjust it over the surface of the 
 opal reposing at the bottom of the tray ; lift both out together 
 and place upon the wooden stool for the application of the 
 squeegee. 
 
 To squeegee a carbon print is, like many other things, very 
 €asy when one knows how. The printed tissue being in its proper 
 position upon the opal, take the squeegee in the right hand, and 
 hold the opal firmly with the fingers of the left ; now apply the 
 squeegee with a moderate, even pressure, a little past the centre 
 - — i.e., nearer to the left hand ; now, with an even steady stroke, 
 sweep off the water clean over the right-hand end, and turn the 
 plate round and repeat the operation for the other half the plate, 
 commencing, as before, a little past the centre. The tissue will 
 now be flat upon the plate \ the squeegee should now be used 
 
THE AUTOTYPE WORKS. 
 
 35 
 
 with some amount of force from the centre to the ends in each 
 direction, so as to ensure absolute contact between the surface of 
 the tissue and the grained face of the opal ; the opal may be now 
 placed upon a table, a piece or two of thick blotting-paper or 
 bibulous board laid upon the picture, then a sheet of glass or 
 metal, and upon that something heavy ; it should now be allowed 
 to repose for a quarter of an hour or so. 
 
 The foregoing method supposes that the negative is a reversed 
 one, and that the print can be developed straight upon the opal ; 
 but should the print be required from a negative made in the 
 ordinary manner, a modification will be necessary. A print 
 from an ordinary negative developed straight upon the opal 
 would be reversed. To avoid this, it must be developed upon 
 an intermediary or temporary support, from which it can be 
 transferred to the opal ; this is best accomplished by using the 
 patent flexible support, in the manner following : — Take a piece 
 of the support a shade smaller than the plate, and treat it as 
 follows: rub the glazed surface with a piece of soft flannel 
 moistened with a little of a waxing compound composed of yellow 
 resin six drachms, pure beeswax two drachms, turpentine one 
 pint ; having rubbed this well into the surface coating, polish it 
 off lightly with a second piece of soft flannel, avoiding any heavy 
 pressure ; the action of a French polisher is exactly what is 
 wanted ; allow it to remain for a few minutes till the spirit has 
 entirely evaporated, and the support will be ready for use. 
 
 Place the printed tissue and the piece of support in the tray 
 of clean cold water, and when the tissue has expanded, bring the 
 two surfaces into contact under water, lift out together, and 
 place upon a zinc or glass plate resting on the wooden stool, the 
 back for the tissue uppermost ; apply the squeegee as before 
 described, and allow the two adherent sheets to rest under a 
 weight and between bibulous paper for a quarter of an hour. 
 The development of the picture is carried on in the usual mannei 
 by placing it in water of a temperature of 110° to 120° Fahr., 
 and calls for no special remark ; the treatment does not differ in 
 the least from ordinary carbon methods. After development, an 
 immersion in the alum bath for a quarter of an hour, followed 
 by a thorough rinsing in clean cold water, and the print deve- 
 loped upon the support may be considered finished. 
 
 The transference of the picture now resting on the temporary 
 support is conducted as follows : — The picture should be allowed 
 
36 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 to dry spontaneously ; make np a solution of Nelson's No. 1 fibre 
 gelatine two ounces, water eighteen ounces ; soak the gelatine 
 in the cold water, and raise to a gentle heat ; when perfect solu- 
 tion has taken place, stir into it, with vigorous action, a small 
 quantity of a thirty-grain solution of chrome alum, adding the 
 chrome alum, solution in very small quantities, and stirring vigo- 
 rously. It is difficult to say how much may be added, as gela- 
 tine varies very much in its behaviour with chrome alum. 
 Probably this amount of solution will take about six drachms of 
 the chrome alum solution ; if too much be added, the whole goes 
 into a viscid mass, and may be thrown away at once ; if too 
 little, the fluid will be too thin and watery, and not have suf- 
 ficient strength to hold the picture firmly to the opal. A few ex- 
 periments, and the loss of a little gelatine, will soon show the 
 operator where he has got to. 
 
 The transfer solution being ready, and at a temperature of 
 about 100° Fah., should be placed in a tray large enough to re- 
 ceive the opal ; or the opal may be placed on a levelling stand, 
 and some of the solution poured upon it, distributing it over the 
 surface with a piece of clean paper. The picture on the tempo* 
 rary support, which should have been placed a short time pre- 
 viously in cold water, is now applied to the surface of the opal 
 resting in the gelatinous solution in the dish, being very careful 
 to exclude air-bubbles, or it may be imposed upon the plate 
 covered with the gelatinous solution resting upon the stand ; the 
 squeegee is now applied as already described ; the opal, with the 
 temporary support adhering to it, is allowed to dry spontaneously, 
 and when perfectly dry, the support may be stripped from the 
 glass, leaving the picture firmly anchored to its grained surface. 
 The piece of support will only require to be rubbed over with a 
 little of the waxing compound to be perfectly ready for use again. 
 
 A great deal may be done to a picture in opal with very little 
 trouble. A judicious application of ink eraser will improve the 
 vignetting, put in high lights, clean up margins, soften harsh 
 shadows, and impart an artistic character to the work. From 
 good and suitable negatives, prints on opals have beauties pecu- 
 liarly their own ; they are exquisitely soft and delicate in 
 appearance, and are susceptible of a great range of artistic treat- 
 ment, both in monochrome and colour 
 
MESSRS. A. AND G. TAYLOR. 
 
 37 
 
 MESSRS. A. & G. TAYLOR AT FOREST HILL. 
 
 " Yotr must make a good many collodion tranfershere," we said, 
 as our blinking eyes penetrated the gloom, and we became aware 
 of animated beings busily moving to and fro. " Two hundred 
 and eighty is an average day's work," was the reply, "and we 
 shall do that number to-day." 
 
 It was like the lower deck of a ship — dark and vague, and 
 with wooden machinery on every hand, the active ship's crew 
 going about its work quickly but quietly ; and yet not so much 
 like the 'tween decks as a carpenter's room under the theatre, 
 where there are all sorts of beams and sides and movable frames 
 to be seen. Only there was this difference : if you go into the 
 lower regions of the Theatre Royal Comus, among the " sinks " 
 and " traps," you cannot touch a beam or a cross-piece without 
 leaving an impression behind of your fingers, while in Messrs. 
 Taylor's big enlarging room there is, as one might imagine, not 
 a speck of dust to be encountered. As your eyes get accustomed 
 to the darkness, you begin to perceive all the clever arrange- 
 ments that exist for rapid and accurate working. There are no 
 less than twenty-four lenses in use, and, in consequence, twenty- 
 four enlarging stands ; the lenses and cameras are let into the 
 roof, or, at any rate, depend therefrom, so that the collodion 
 plate for the enlargement only requires to be laid down in a 
 horizontal position to receive the image. 
 
 But let us explain a little more definitely. It is a long room 
 with an arched roof. There are four principal assistants, and 
 each assistant has charge of six lenses ; the six lenses are 
 arranged in a group, so that they may be all served from one and 
 the same platform, the assistant requiring to mount a couple of 
 steps to reach this platform. Here is a sketch showing how the 
 instruments are arranged. Above is the camera (C). Daylight 
 through an opening in the roof comes in at the back of the 
 camera and illuminates the negative, which is in a slide (D). 
 The image thrown by the lens is vignetted by the diaphragm 
 (B), and then falls upon the table (A). It is upon this table 
 that the collodion plate is laid. The focusing is done by the 
 assistant moving the table up or down, a single screw permitting 
 this action without difficulty. The table (A) may, in fact, be 
 moved horizontally as well as vertically, by an equally simple 
 arrangement. 
 
38 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 It will be seen at once how quickly an arrangement of this 
 kind works. In the first place, the light comes down almost 
 vertical, and therefore it is the best of all lights for the purpose. 
 In cloudy weather the light is not interfered with in the least ; 
 but in bright sunshine a screen of opal glass is employed. The 
 
 assistant slips the negative to be copied into the camera ; he 
 focuses at A, measures with a quarter-plate in his hand the size 
 of the head (for all heads are enlarged to this size), and then 
 calls for a sensitized plate. A lad, whose duty it is to supply 
 him with these, withdraws a eollodionised plate from the bath, 
 drains it, and simply places it on the table (A). There is no 
 dark slide required — no loss of time involved in fitting the plate 
 into an apparatus of any kind ; it is bare and moist, and laid on 
 the table. An exposure of two minutes suffices, and the film is 
 then carried off for development. 
 
 All twenty-four lenses are of the same make — No, 1b 
 Dallmeyer's ; all the plates are coated with the same collodion, 
 and all are treated with the same developer, &c. Consequently 
 the work of all assistants should be the same if they work well 
 and conscientiously. The Messrs. Taylor thoroughly believe 
 in system, and they have here initiated a self-checking method 
 that cannot fail to work satisfactorily. 
 
 "We have been talking about collodion transfers only, but opal- 
 coated plates are here produced under the same conditions. But 
 
MESSRS. A. AND G. TAYLOR. 
 
 39 
 
 we ought, perhaps, to go back a moment to the preparation of 
 the glass, &c. The chief difficulty in making collodion transfers, 
 or collodion enlargements on opal, as many of our readers know 
 to their cost, is the tendency of these to stain, and on this point 
 we had some conversation with our good friend the manager. In 
 his opinion the staining is due, in nine cases out of ten, to the 
 glass. " We put our glass plates in acid for a week," said Mr. 
 Smith, " before we attempt to use them. We never albumenize, 
 and we always employ old collodion." Let our readers note this. 
 There is simply no firm in the world which has so much 
 experience of collodion transfers, and on behalf of our readers we 
 tender our best thanks to Messrs. Taylor for this practical 
 straightforward advice. After leaving the acid bath, the plates 
 are rubbed with spirit, and are then fit for use. The plain glass 
 (which is very thick, by the way, for thin glass bends under the 
 squeegee, and then the transfer, when stripped, is not so solid) 
 is dusted with talc before coating with collodion ; the pot-metal, 
 which is smooth, and not ground, is coated with collodion, with- 
 out, as we have said, receiving any preliminary film of albumen. 
 
 When the exposed plate is taken from table (A), it is at once 
 developed ; the developing, fixing, and washing arrangements 
 being situated on one side of the long dark room, while the 
 coating of the plates and sensitizing are confined to the other. 
 Eising out of the developing sink is a wood block, about five 
 inches square on the top, which makes a suitable resting-place 
 for the plate. There is no toning. The development is com- 
 plete within two minutes, and the plate then put under a rose of 
 running water; but it is not allowed to remain here many 
 minutes, as the stream of water is not found to arrest develop- 
 ment. The photograph is speedily popped into the hyposulphite 
 , bath, washed again thoroughly, and then backed at once. A 
 good quality paper, not too stout, which has received a facing 
 of gelatine, is wetted, placed upon the collodion plate, squeegeed 
 firmly, and then the overlapping margins of paper skilfully cut 
 off by rasping them against the sharp edge of the glass with a 
 wooden paper-folder. When dry, the transfers strip without 
 the least difficulty, and are then mounted on card-board for 
 touching and painting. 
 
 To tell the truth, we are rather glad to get out of the 
 enlarging-room, for the ether fumes cause one's eyes to smart a 
 little sharply. Mr. Smith tells us, however, that none of the 
 
40 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 assistants suffer after being at the work for a few days, while 
 cases of sickness are almost unheard of, and have certainly never 
 been traced to the inhalation of ether fumes. You have to be 
 very careful in opening and shutting the doors in this portion of 
 the building, and the invariable rule is to close one before you 
 open another — a regulation which is invariably complied with. 
 On looking round once, to see if a door had actually closed behind 
 us, and hesitating whether to go back, or run the risk of letting 
 it be as it was, we caught sight of a warning in big letters : 
 
 Everybody shuts the door but you. 
 
 u It's a very good idea, isn't it ? " said Mr. Smith. "I brought 
 it back with me from Chicago, and put it up here." It was a 
 good idea, certainly ; but one don't like to be caught napping, for 
 all that. Had no one been looking, we should have gone back 
 and kicked that door. Only fancy being brought to book by a 
 pale-faced bit of wood ! 
 
 The room for sensitizing paper is adjacent. 
 
 The strength of the printing-bath in vogue here is thirty-five 
 grains to the ounce, and in respect to the collection of residues, 
 a most systematic plan is adopted. All waste solutions contain- 
 ing silver, from whatever source they come, are first treated 
 with hydrochloric acid, and subsequently with liver of sulphur. 
 That is to say, having been collected in large jars, hydrochloric 
 acid is added to precipitate chloride of silver ; the liquid is then 
 drawn off into another receptacle, into which liver of sulphur 
 is put, which naturally brings down any other silver that may be 
 present, in the form of sulphide. By this exhaustive treatment 
 every particle of the precious metal is recovered. 
 
 Downstairs is the printing room. It is a rule, and a very 
 good one too, to fix down both vignette and negative in the 
 printing-frame, at the commencement of operations, with strips 
 of gummed paper ; in these circumstances, there is nothing to 
 fear from the carelessness of printers in permitting negatives or 
 vignettes to slip when changing the paper, and thus getting the 
 picture out of the centre. As "Forest Hill prints for a score of 
 branches, it is very necessary to put a distinguishing mark on 
 the prints as they are produced ; the printer who withdraws the 
 picture from the frame does this, pencilling on the back an initial 
 letter corresponding to the town whence the negative has come. 
 
 The spacious washing-room is next door. There are three 
 
MESSRS. A. AND G. TAYLOR. 
 
 41 
 
 large washing troughs of wood, lined with lead and coated with 
 shellac. A huge rose above supplies the water, which, when 
 it has risen to the top of the receptacle, is emptied by a syphon. 
 Blistering of the albumenized paper is almost unknown ; but 
 the addition of spirit to the sensitizing solution, in the propor- 
 tion of about 3 per cent., is regarded as a preventive measure 
 against the disagreeable phenomenon. The printing is accom- 
 plished under a glass roof, which, in summer time, is covered 
 with tissue paper. 
 
 We have no time to speak of the series of printing-rooms, 
 mounting-rooms, sorting-rooms, &c, through which our courteous 
 guide leads us. It is the club portrait that occupies all these 
 busy people — a collodion transfer painted in oil ; the finished 
 production may not have much claim to rank as a work of high 
 art, but there is an important point in all these portraits that has 
 probably had more to do with Messrs. Taylor's great success than 
 anything else. It is, that however much dress and garments 
 may be coloured and beautified, face and features are simply 
 covered with an even wash. In other words, advantage is taken 
 of the photographic shadows that already exist on the portrait, 
 and these supply sufiicient contrast, without there being any 
 necessity to tamper with the likeness by the application of 
 body-colours. 
 
 In an establishment which gives employment to between five 
 and six hundred employes, it is necessary to have strict rules and 
 regulations. The hours of assistants are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ; 
 the girls, however, not coming until 9 a.m. But six o'clock is 
 the maximum time, and many are released from their work, 
 especially in winter, some time before this. Wages vary, of 
 course, with the skill and capacity of the assistant ; but two 
 young ladies were pointed out to us in the painting room whose 
 average earnings were three pounds a week. 
 
 One word on the subject of collodion making, before we close 
 our rapid sketch. Collodion is generally three months old before 
 used, and sometimes is even permitted to rest a year before employ- 
 ment, Messrs. Taylor having a firm belief in a ripe material. It is 
 all made on the premises. The pyroxylin employed is half high, 
 and half low, temperature material. These are the proportions : 
 Pyroxylin ... ... ... ... 9 ounces 
 
 Ether ... ... ... •.. 4 gallons 
 
 Alcohol ... 3 „ 
 
42 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 In twenty-four hours dissolution is complete, and the collodion 
 is then turned into a mixing stone cask, having the tap half way 
 up. Here it remains a week or more to settle, and is then drawn 
 off and put into other stone jars, where it remains till required 
 for use. As only half the contents of the mixing cask can be 
 drawn off at a time (since the cock is half way up), freshly-made 
 collodion is always mixed with a proportion of old. In a word, 
 the collodion is treated in precisely the same way as connoisseurs 
 treat their whiskey, who by this means are able to detect a flavour 
 of the old "cratur " in every new supply. 
 
 MESSES. ELLIOTT & FEY AT BAKEE STEEET. 
 
 There is a comfortable look about the Talbotype Gallery in 
 Baker Street, at once reassuring to the visitor. If we are to 
 suppose that sitters are for the most part in an uneasy, not to say 
 excited, state of mind when they enter a studio, there is much in 
 the establishment of Messrs. Elliott and Fry to allay such feel- 
 ing. There are no reception rooms, in the usual acceptation of 
 the term. The visitor walks upstairs from the vestibule, and 
 finds himself in a gallery of paintings and photographs. The 
 pictures, too, are of such a character as to at once attract atten- 
 tion. Here is the painting that brought Hubert Herkomer his 
 gold medal at the Paris Exhibition, and had very much to do 
 with securing him the coveted A. E.A., "The Last Muster," a 
 scene at Chelsea Hospital. Another painting, equally fine, if 
 smaller, " Im "Walde," by the same artist, also graces the walls 
 of the first gallery, with other fine productions ; while as we 
 progress through the establishment other no less worthy pictures 
 meet the eye. Mr. Fry, who courteously acts as cicerone, is 
 evidently a great lover of the young Scotch school, for we meet, 
 also, with some fine sea studies of Colin Hunter, Peter McNab, 
 and others. 
 
 It is only when we leave the first gallery and proceed to the 
 % second and third, that we come among photographs. It is nearly 
 \ all large work. There are some fine carbon prints upon opal or 
 porcelain, fifteen by twelve and smaller, not only more varied in 
 tone than collodion transfers, but naturally more permanent ; 
 enlargements in carbon of Lord Chelmsford "in his fighting 
 
MESSRS. ELLIOTT AND FRY. 
 
 43 
 
 dress," a sort of Norfolk jacket ; and next to him two other good 
 pictures, the one vigorous and forcible, the other soft and har- 
 monious to a degree, representing the brave and the fair — Evelyn 
 Wood and Eveleen Bayne. 6 ' We try to show what photography 
 can do in vieing with painting in the production of large artistic 
 portraits," said Mr. Fry ; and we think photographers would run 
 portrait painters hard if they all succeeded as well as the eminent 
 Baker Street firm. There is a striking portrait of the violinist 
 "Wilhelmj — or, as the British poblic choose to call him, William J. 
 — and the last picture taken in England, genial and bright, of 
 the Prince Imperial in evening dress. If an enlargement is to 
 be made, Mr. Fry prefers, if possible, to secure a cabinet picture 
 in lieu of a carte. 
 
 "We will go upstairs. Shall we inquire terms at the little 
 mahogany counter before we proceed to the studio ? The brass 
 rail and busy clerks behind it suggest a bank, and we will hope 
 that it is as good as one to the proprietors. A guinea is the 
 stipulated fee, and in these days, when half that sum is charged 
 at any fashionable theatre in town for a stall, we think it 
 exceedingly reasonable. To judge from what one sees, having 
 your portrait taken is deemed by many an amusement a la mode, 
 and there can be no doubt that ladies at the West End will pass 
 an hour in a studio pour se distraire. The guinea entitles the 
 sitter to a dozen and a-half cartes, or six cabinets. There 
 is a clause about children : " Children under eight are charged 
 half" — so the circular says, and we make a point of the statement, 
 because Messrs. Elliott and Ery are, we believe, the first who have 
 had the courage to make the announcement— " are charged half- 
 a-guinea extra for the first set." 
 
 The studios are three in number : one, the smallest, is well 
 adapted for vignettes, the others are of larger size. There was 
 everything of the best downstairs, so we naturally supposed there 
 would have been a north-light studio: But Messrs. Elliott and 
 Ery did not build Baker Street ; they had to take it as they found 
 it. Their light is easterly. There is not only top side-light, 
 but actually top light ; but the latter, Mr. Fry assured us, was 
 never used in taking gentlemen with bald heads. It is needless 
 to say that every means of shutting off the light is at hand, 
 together with what might be termed palm-leaf screens, which 
 may be stood anywhere. Of backgrounds there were twenty- 
 six in one studio, and notwithstanding the experience already 
 
44 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 acquired in their preparation, there were, as a rule, two back- 
 grounds rejected for every one kept. A fine Windsor Park 
 picture — painted in distemper, of course — with a soft shadow 
 falling from the trees in mid distance, was a successful example 
 of a background. 
 
 The main feature of the studios was an elongated canopy 
 stretched over the cameras. This canopy was no less than twelve 
 feet long in one of the studios, so that the photographer looked 
 through a sort of tunnel of this magnitude at his sitter. Every 
 one has, of course, employed means for shading the camera, but 
 we have never seen it carried to such an extent, nor carried out 
 so successfully. 
 
 The rule of the establishment is to keep the sitter the shortest 
 possible time in the glass room. Ten minutes, and sometimes 
 five, suffice. " You cannot have secured a good portrait, for I 
 was only taken twice during the few moments I was in the glass 
 room — sometimes they take ten or fifteen of me," is not unfre- 
 quently the remark made to Mr. Fry, who prefers to get his 
 sitters thoroughly at ease before they go into the studio at all. 
 His dressing rooms are fitted up especially to this end ; we went 
 into seven of them, and they were all hung round with paintings, 
 without a single photograph to remind the victim of what he 
 shortly would come to. The rooms were admirably appointed — 
 that goes without saying ; but what will the reader say when 
 he hears that gems by David Cox, Birkett Foster, J. D. Watson, 
 and other celebrities adorn the walls in profusion ? We should 
 not like to say the sum at which the paintings in the Talbotype 
 Gallery are insured for, lest we may be taxed with exaggeration, 
 but we have said enough to show that they are of considerable 
 value. 
 
 Cabinet pictures are evidently still the favourite format here, 
 but the promenade is making way slowly and surely. At first it 
 was proposed to call it the " Court portrait," but it is not always 
 in this world as " man proposes." The promenade, unmounted, 
 measures seven and three-quarters by three and three-quarters, 
 and is mounted on cards supplied by Marion, having dark mar- 
 gins and gold bevelled edges. Albums are already being made 
 for the promenade, and such portraits should, if mounted panel- 
 like, three in a page, make a handsome show. 
 
 The negative rooms afford subject for more wonder. There 
 are four rooms stored with them, and, strange to say, not packed 
 
MR. WALTER WOODBURY. 
 
 45 
 
 in paper, but loose and open in grooves. !No special care in 
 respect to heat or damp is taken, and the negatives do not suffer. 
 Rising of the film or worm-marks are unknown, for Mr. Pry- 
 thinks that if negatives are properly varnished they run no risk. 
 Yellow shellac varnish is employed. 
 
 The printing is done at a branch establishment at Earnet, 
 where both silver and carbon work is carried on. Retouching is, 
 of course, resorted to when necessary, and is for the most part 
 carried out with a lead pencil upon the film. We should not 
 like to say how many the personnel of the establishment musters, 
 but they include several foreign artists of considerable ability. 
 
 Gelatine plates are already well known here in the studio, and 
 the difficulties of development are now things of the past. To 
 stop the light of his dark-rooms, Mr. Pry has found that paper 
 saturated with uranium, and treated to a single coating of boiled 
 oil, sufficiently protects the film during development, and he has 
 no difficulty in securing pictures with one-tenth of the exposure 
 given to a wet plate. 
 
 ME. WALTER WOODBURY AT SOUTH NORWOOD. 
 
 If we divide the history of photography into two periods, that 
 which preceded collodion upon glass, and that which has 
 followed it, we shall find in the second era no name more 
 prominent than that of Mr. Walter Woodbury. Woodburytype, 
 to the modern photographer, is as " familiar in his mouth as 
 household words," and is, and apparently will be, for many 
 years to come, the only photo-engraving process of practical and 
 commercial value. What a fortunate idea to light upon, many 
 have thought in becoming acquainted with Woodburytype for 
 the first time, and how lucky Mr. Woodbury was to have con- 
 ceived it ! Eew consider the matter seriously, nor dream that 
 there have been tedious experimenting and elaborate labours 
 preceding the work. 
 
 Mr. Woodbury appears to have never been without a camera 
 since he was old enough to carry one. Articled to a civil 
 engineer, he had barely served his time, than he went off to 
 Australia, when thirty years ago the popular tide set in that 
 direction. Like Moses with the green spectacles, he forthwith 
 
46 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 purchased a camera with his available cash — about the most 
 useless thing he could possibly buy, without chemicals and 
 other necessaries for the taking of photographs. However, the 
 latter were afterwards acquired, when Mr. Woodbury had 
 suffered some of those vicissitudes which the bard tells us 
 " acquaint a man with strange bed-fellows.' ' Indeed, so success- 
 ful was he with his camera, when once firmly on his feet, that 
 in 1854 the prize medal was awarded to him for photography in 
 the Australian Colonies. 
 
 Quitting Australia, we find Mr. "Woodbury in 1857 and 1858 
 in J ava, taking pictures for the Sultan, and to prove how well 
 these were executed, we have but to refer the reader to the 
 charming transparencies of scenery in the Tropics, published in 
 1859 by Negretti and Zambra. We were looking at a series 
 the other day of these glass stereoscopic slides, the photographs 
 printed upon albumen, and we fearlessly assert that nothing of 
 the kind which has been produced in recent years excels the 
 delightful pictures of luxuriant foliage and eastern vegetation 
 which Mr. Woodbury produced nearly a quarter of a century 
 ago. 
 
 What is this curious little picture Mr. Woodbury brings to 
 us ? It is in a tiny frame, and represents a table decked with 
 fruit and flowers, coloured vases, and gilded ornaments. It is a 
 photograph, and yet it is resplendent in colours. Mr. Woodbury 
 laughingly strips off the backing, and then we find it is a Wood- 
 bury transparency on glass, with a roughly-coloured ground 
 beneath. It was made in 1868, and represents one of the 
 earliest examples of this kind of work — a photographic image 
 over a coloured groundwork — which, from that day to this, 
 has been brought before the public under one name and the 
 other. The French patented process, of which we have heard 
 so much lately, about photographies des couleurs impressionees 
 par la lumiere, is, of course, simply one example the more of this 
 old dodge. 
 
 But we must come to the present day. Mr. Woodbury has 
 plenty to show us, and here at Manor House he has laboratory 
 and workshops full of interesting matters. This oblong little 
 box standing on end, about fourteen inches high, and six inches 
 broad, is Mr. Woodbury's balloon apparatus. It is not difficult 
 to explain. It is carried into the air by a small balloon, which 
 is tethered to the ground by an electric wire. It hangs down 
 
ME. WALTER WOODBURY. 
 
 47 
 
 from the balloon exactly in the position in which we see it 
 standing upright on the table. The lens is uncapped at will by 
 a revolving disc, which revolves once every time the operator 
 sends an electric current from below. He sees when the balloon 
 has done gyrating, and between the turns makes his exposure. 
 He can make four exposures at every ascent of the balloon, for 
 he has four plates. These four plates are fixed to four faces of 
 a cube, and this cube also makes one quarter turn (bringing 
 another face, or plate, into position) whenever the operator sends 
 an electric current up to the balloon from the earth. The 
 system has the double advantage that only a small balloon is 
 necessary, and that no risk is incurred by an aeronaut ; for 
 according to recent experience, there seems to be no diffiulty 
 about bringing down a war balloon if you can get a cannon 
 within two thousand yards of it. 
 
 " What a capital workshop you have here ! " we say; it is 
 divided into four compartments for workmen, a broad passage 
 running along at right angles to the divisions. 4 i It is a very 
 useful one," says our host, and then he adds, briefly, " I made it 
 out of a four-stalled stable.' ' And so he had; verily Mr. 
 Woodbury is an inventor to some purpose. 
 
 Mr. "Woodbury took out his patent for Woodburytype in 
 1864, but he no longer practises it in its original form ; the 
 process is now reduced to a very simple matter, Mr. Woodbury 
 proceeds to show us. As our readers know very well, this 
 modified process has already appeared, and what we are about 
 to describe is therefore nothing new. Indeed, we have no 
 doubt that anybody interested in the subject would be quite 
 as welcome to witness the simplified process as we were. 
 Seeing is believing, however, and it was for this reason that 
 we begged Mr. Woodbury to receive us. 
 
 Imprimis, Mr. Woodbury takes a piece of carbon tissue and 
 prints a picture upon it. This picture he develops upon a 
 piece of glass — patent plate glass. He has now, therefore, to 
 all intents and purposes a carbon transparency, which every 
 carbon printer knows how to produce. This carbon trans- 
 parency, still on glass, is, when dry, rubbed over with a little 
 pomatum, and then a sheet of tin-foil put upon it. The two 
 are now run through a small rolling press, such as every photo- 
 grapher possesses, with the result, of course, that the tin-foil 
 is pressed into the carbon print. 
 
48 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 The carbon print, with its facing of tin-foil, is next care- 
 fully put into an electrotyping bath, where it is left for some 
 hours. Copper deposits itself all over the tin-foil, and when 
 the plate is raised from the bath, instead of presenting a shining 
 silver surface, it is covered with beautiful red copper. 
 
 Now for the next step. A thick slab of glass covered with 
 resin is put upon an oven or water-bath to warm. The resin 
 melts so that the top surface is adhesive. Under these circum- 
 stances, we take the electrotyped plate and press the copper 
 surface firmly upon the resined glass. The whole is now 
 cooled, and there remains attached to the glass block the 
 copper and the tin-foil ; the carbon transparency comes away. 
 You see the sheet of tin-foil now, and find it has taken a cast of 
 the carbon transparency, and this cast or mould, backed up by 
 the copper and the resined plate, represents the printing block. 
 From this printing block prints may then be taken in trans- 
 parent ink, in the ordinary well-known manner. 
 
 The carbon transparency which comes away so easily, 
 thanks to its treatment with a little pomatum, may be used 
 again and again for the preparation of printing blocks, so that a 
 dozen may be made, if necessary, without difficulty. No 
 special apparatus whatever is necessary except the actual 
 printing-press (which is a very simple matter), and a battery. 
 Provided with these, any photographer might begin "Woodbury 
 printing to-morrow. 
 
 An ingenious little apparatus which Mr. "Woodbury has to 
 aid him in his work deserves description. It is a veritable 
 multum in parvo. It is a small iron casting, measuring about 
 twelve inches, and its framework represents a levelling stand. 
 Place over it an iron plate, and below a spirit lamp, and it yields 
 a hot plate for coating the glass block with resin. Put upon 
 the iron plate a little oblong vessel filled with water, and there 
 is at hand a water-bath, useful for melting the resin (a lower 
 temperature being now necessary), to affect the adhesion of the 
 electro plate ; again, this little water-bath may be removed, and 
 a deep upright vessel substituted, also to contain warm water, 
 but with a grooved interior, employed for the development ot 
 the carbon prints. 
 
 Paris, it seems, has been taking up the modified Woodbury 
 process very warmly ; so little apparatus is required, and the 
 manipulations have been so much simplified, that the photo- 
 
MR. WALTER WOODBURY. 49 
 
 grapher has it in his own hands now to multiply impression s, 
 and print them by photo-engraving. Hutinet and Lamy, of 
 Paris, are occupying themselves with the manufacture of the 
 carbon tissue, &c, and photographers of high rank — like Nadar, 
 and others — are seriously setting to work to print in Woodbury- 
 type instead of silver. 
 
 About the preparation of the printing ink, in respect to which 
 a good deal of mystery has been made, we may mention that it 
 is but gelatine and water with any colour added, such as Indian 
 ink, or alizarine ; in summer one-fifth to one-sixth gelatine to 
 water, in winter more water. The ink is kept warm in the 
 water-bath we have spoken of. 
 
 Lastly, here is the filigrain process. u I call this the cheapest 
 photographic image ever made," says Mr. Woodbury ; he takes a 
 carbon print developed on paper, hard and dry, of course, and 
 sends it through the little rolling-press, in company with a sheet 
 of plain paper. The consequence is that when the latter comes 
 out, it has a water-mark of the same design as the carbon print 
 with which it has been pressed in contact. Any design may be 
 thus impressed. Here are visiting-cards with the portrait of 
 
 the visitor to be seen if you hold them up to the light ; writing 
 paper with all sorts of fancy designs ; trade-marks, labels, &e. 
 Eiligrain, if it is the simplest, is also the most fascinating of 
 "Wbodburytype applications. 
 
 E 
 
50 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 Photographers working any process where gelatine is used, 
 whether in the making of dry plates, working the carbon, Wood- 
 bury, dusting-on, or collographic processes, should be provided 
 with a hygrometer, of some sort or other, to test the amount of 
 moisture in the room they are working in. Mr. Woodbury has 
 devised a very simple form, which is shown in the diagram 
 (page 49), and can be made by anyone in a few minutes. It is 
 constructed of two pieces of wood, one forming a base 
 to support the other. In the upright piece a notch is made with 
 a fine saw, about half-way up, and in this is inserted a piece of 
 carbon tissue, about four inches long and an inch broad. At the 
 back is tacked a piece of card with a scale marked on it, the 
 lowest number representing 100, and the highest zero. 
 
 With a moderate amount of moisture, the paper will remain 
 almost horizontal, in a very damp atmosphere will take the 
 curve of the lower dotted line, and in an excessively dry state 
 of the air will curl upwards as in the higher one. In combina- 
 tion with thermometric observations, probable changes in the 
 weather may also be foretold by it. 
 
 MESSRS. HILLS & SAUNDERS AT PORCHESTER TERRACE. 
 
 Some years ago, when cabinet pictures were more of a novelty 
 than they are now, a practised amateur of our acquaintance used 
 to exhibit on his mantelpiece two well-finished prints which he 
 considered representative photographs of English and Erench 
 portraiture. The one was bright, clear, and well modelled, a 
 cabinet portrait from Reutlinger's studio on the Boulevard 
 Montmatre ; it represented one of the actresses of the Palais 
 Royal, and although, no doubt, a good deal of retouching had 
 been done to the negative, the picture was full of esprit and 
 " go," and altogether a delightful result to look upon. The 
 British portrait did not pretend to such vivid clearness ; it was 
 more sketchy than vigorous, and was soft and delicate to a 
 degree. It was that of a lady in a deer-stalker's hat, with fair 
 curls, the features rounded, and the hair as soft as silk — a 
 happy portrait of the late Miss Amy Sheridan, and the work 
 of Messrs. Hills and Saunders. 
 Messrs. Hills and Saunders have always taken high rank in 
 
MESSRS. HILLS AND SAUNDERS. 
 
 51 
 
 London. They may be found " at home 99 at other places besides 
 Bays water, at Eton, Aldershot, Sandhurst, Oxford, and Cam- 
 bridge ; but the studio in Porchester Terrace is, we believe, the 
 head-quarters. We have said studio, but the word is something 
 of a misnomer. Any casual passer-by would fail to recognize 
 the exterior as that of an eminent firm of photographers, and 
 when the visitor has rung the bell and been ushered into the 
 drawing-room, the fact is no more apparent. There are a good 
 many photographs on the walls., and several albums on the table, 
 but scarcely more than you would find in the reception-room of a 
 private gentleman. If Messrs. Hills and Saunters will excuse the 
 remark, there seemed to us an amateur- business-like aspect about 
 the place, which certainly had this effect, that it set the visitor 
 at his ease, and did away with all formality and nervousness. 
 
 The enlargements to be seen were none of them on a very 
 large scale, but all exhibited a soft, pear-like tone that was 
 difficult to understand at the first moment. They were one and 
 all pictures upon porcelain, or, rather, pot-metal. Some were 
 by the carbon process, the medal picture to which we have just 
 alluded being one of these ; but the majority had been secured 
 by the aid of the powder process. Finely-grained opal glass was 
 the basis in all cases, the ground surface permitting the artist 
 to touch with stump or brush without previous varnishing. The 
 powder process practised by Messrs. Hills and Saunders does not 
 differ in the main from that detailed by Mr. Valentine Blanchard 
 (p. 61). But there is this particular precaution to be taken, Mr. 
 Cowan tells us (whom, by the way, by a breach of good manners, 
 we have failed hitherto to introduce to our readers), namely, 
 that hand-ground opal is chosen. A cheap form of grinding has 
 lately been introduced, by directing a blast of fine sand against 
 the opal surface, which, however well it may answer for other 
 purposes, is not suitable for the preparation of a glass surface 
 that is to serve for photographic work of this kind. The sand 
 particles are not equal in their action, and the consequence is 
 that the surface is pitted here and there. It requires no mag- 
 nifier to show these minute cavities, which can be well seen on 
 closely examining a glass surface held horizontally towards the 
 light, and pigment lodged in these cavities is very apt to leave 
 the glass surface subsequently ; a hand-ground plate, on the 
 contrary, has a matt milky appearance, with a surface perfectly 
 free from such imperfections. 
 
52 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 The cabinet portrait is the favourite format still at Porchester 
 Terrace, and Mr. Cowan, in turning over the leaves of a large 
 album, showed how the backgrounds in every case were diffe- 
 rent. " Oh, I know where you had that taken ; that's So-and- 
 so's background ! " is a remark not unfrequently heard ; but at 
 Bayswater, by the simple arrangement of a few ferns, dried 
 palms, grasses, and rustic fencework, no two pictures are ever 
 alike. Moreover, if it is a question of enlargement afterwards, 
 these grasses, &c, help to avoid a lot of retouching. 
 
 Leaving the drawing-room by folding doors, you pass through 
 an ante-room into what was evidently a conservatory once upon 
 a time, but is now a well-lighted glass-room of wonderful 
 capacity. Here again the visitor feels at his ease ; there is no 
 trudging up a flight of stairs, and getting hot and flurried in 
 the process ; you might pass into the studio without knowing it, 
 if it was not for a curious sort of camera that stands in the path, 
 and never takes his glassy eye off you. " We'll teH of you, 
 my fine fellow I" was the idea that occurred to us, and we shall 
 now do so. 
 
 This camera lives alone by itself. Mr. Cowan told us in con- 
 fidence, and we repeat the secret under the same reserve, that 
 there was no other camera in the studio. This is not, we believe, 
 because Messrs. Hills and Saunders' means are ineffic ient to 
 provide a second instrument, so much as that the one now in.' 
 possession of the floor of the studio has no rival. We ourselves 
 observed him work his optic more than once, without any visual 
 agency, just to intimate what he could do when he tried; while 
 his ability to secure a carte or cabinet or a ten-inch plate is only 
 equalled by the readiness with which the base-board can be 
 elongated, and his body converted into a copying-camera, when 
 he goes on reproducing cliches without making the least diffi- 
 culty about it. Despite its solidity, this occupant of the glass 
 room turned with considerable ease ; near its foot were two cells 
 of an electric battery which supply its vitality, and cause either 
 a drop-shutter to fall, or a cap to be lifted, in obedience to its 
 master's wish. The latter, provided with electric wires, may, as 
 in the case of the Cadett shutter, move to some distance from the 
 camera, and approach and talk to the sitter while he exposes 
 his plate. To describe intelligibly the clever electrical arrange- 
 ment which Mr. Cowan has ingeniously brought to bear would 
 be impossible, nor would it serve any useful purpose, since to 
 
MESSES. HILLS AND SAUNDERS. 
 
 53 
 
 viise such an instrument a man must be something of an 
 electrician, 'and if he is this, he would probably do his best to 
 -contrive a plan of his own. The making and breaking of con- 
 tact, and magnetising and de-magnetising of a piece of iron, is, of 
 course, the principle upon which the actions rest ; most people 
 know that if you twist wire round a bit of soft iron, this soft 
 iron will become a magnet any time that an electric current 
 passes through the wire. The electric current, in encircling the 
 iron, magnetises it ; break the current, and on the instant the 
 iron loses its magnetic virtue. Mr. Cowan simply makes use of 
 electro-magnetism, or magnetism evolved from electricity, to 
 work his camera. 
 
 Cabinet and carte plates are made interchangeable in a simple 
 way. The back of the camera is a flat circular disc which 
 revolves ; it is, in fact, very similar to a turn-table on a railway, 
 only it is perpendicular instead of being horizontal. There are 
 a pair of rails — or grooves, rather — running across the turn-table, 
 and into these grooves is slipped the dark-slide. If a cabinet is 
 wanted the plate stands on end (fig. 1). 
 
 Fig 1, 
 
 If cartes are desired, the table is turned, and the dark-slide 
 stands ready for securing three cartes (fig. 2). 
 
 The glass-room may be said to be two rooms joined at right 
 angles, and so favourably situated in respect to a north aspect, 
 that it is frequently possible to work without blinds at all. A 
 blue banner screen, some two feet square, stretched stiff, and 
 
54 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 borne upon a pedestal, so that it may be suitably adjusted over 
 the head of the sitter, is in some cases the only shade employed 
 in the studio. Mr. Cowan has no great faith in Seavey's back- 
 grounds ; his own, he tells us, are, for the most part, painted 
 for five shillings a-piece, by an old hand who has been a scene- 
 painter in his day. Bather than the conventional drab-grey 
 usually affected in backgrounds, a warm brown or brownish-grey 
 is the tint preferred. The backgrounds are of various kinds ; 
 
 there is one with rollers top and bottom, an endless panorama ; 
 others moving in grooves, as if they were wings at a theatre ; 
 and a third description that is hinged, and acts like a practical 
 door. 
 
 "We were shown the properties wherewith all the rustic 
 changes to be seen in Messrs. Hills and Saunders' cabinet pic- 
 tures are carried out. Hay, dried grasses, dead palm leaves, 
 together with a few growing plants in pots, and some branches 
 and twigs, comprised the whole. " We throw nothing away," 
 said our host, taking up a brown palm leaf from the floor; " we 
 only take care to change the arrangement with every picture." 
 
 "We have scarcely time to speak of the laboratory and dark- 
 rooms. Gelatine plates are in constant requisition at Porchester 
 Terrace, but so are wet plates. The ordinary dipping bath is 
 not to be seen at all here; the sensitizing baths are of a 
 horizontal character, swinging on pivots, of the same nature as 
 those we described at the Autotype Company's works. The 
 
CAPTAIN ABNEY. 
 
 55 
 
 interior is of paraffined wood, and they possess the advantage 
 that less silver solution is needed, while the plates are permitted 
 to drain more effectually. 
 
 " One guinea for the sitting, which must in all cases be paid 
 at the time,' 7 is a notice we extract from the card of Messrs. 
 Hills and Saunders, and for this guinea the sitter may take his 
 choice of twelve cartes-de-visite, twelve vignettes, twelve 
 medallions, six cabinets, or four boudoir pictures. Proofs are 
 generally sent out the same evening, but always in an untoned 
 and unmounted condition. 
 
 CAPTAIN ABNEY AT SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM. 
 
 Ik a remote corner of the vast establishment which has grown up 
 of late years at South Kensington, among the workrooms and 
 repairing lobbies, where works of art, statuary, models, pictures, 
 &c, are setup, and generally put to rights, prior to their admis- 
 sion into the bright galleries of the Museum — behind the scenes, 
 as it were, of the spectacular entertainment which is provided 
 for the London public on such very cheap terms — is to be found 
 one of the laboratories of Solar Physics. To come upon this 
 laboratory, as we did, after traversing a quarter of a mile of 
 brilliant glass cases and polished floor, of pleasant pictures, 
 shining vases, and gorgeous war trophies that tempted one to 
 linger at every step— to be ushered, we say, after this, into a 
 sort of backstairs and lumber room department, was not agree- 
 able. There was a cold, draughty, unfurnished look about the 
 place, that caused you to wish yourself back again in the Museum 
 itself ; and it wanted all Captain Abney's warm reception and 
 welcome to dispel these very unpleasant feelings. 
 
 To say that Captain Abney was busy photographing the red 
 end of the spectrum, when we entered, need scarcely be set down ; 
 it is but a matter of course. We believe, ♦in fact, that the region 
 of the red is now universally admitted to be his own private 
 domain ; at any rate, there are very few physicists who would 
 care to dispute the matter with him. 
 
 It is not so long ago, despite Sir John Herschell's dictum, 
 that the photographing of the lines in the red end of the 
 spectrum was regarded as an impossibility ; but, thanks to our 
 
56 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 advanced physicists, and particularly to Captain Abney, the 
 ultra-red can now be recorded upon a photographic plate, if not 
 as readily, at any rate as accurately, as the violet and ultra- 
 violet portion of the spectrum. 
 
 His present investigations are confined to photographing light 
 through various media, such as water, alcohol, glycerine, &c. 
 Just now it is water, and he passes his light through a column 
 of this medium no less than five feet in breadth. There is a long 
 table ; at one end shines an electric light, and the rays from this 
 light are thrown by means of a condenser in a horizontal direc- 
 tion through a long tube, also placed horizontally, filled with 
 water. At the end of this five-foot tube is the slit of the 
 spectroscope, Captain Abney employing on the present occasion 
 as many as five prisms to refract the rays ; and at right angles 
 to the spectroscope is the camera. We can see the red end of 
 the spectrum limned in soft delicate colour here on the focussing 
 screen, and remark how intense the ruddy glow is in the centre 
 of the image ; it is, of course, but an accident that Captain 
 Abney's assistants should be attired in the same colour, but the 
 scarlet-coated Sappers, as they move about with dark slide or 
 lens, are all in harmony with the experiment. 
 
 There are two openings in the wall of the laboratory, which 
 appear at first sight like tiny windows ; they are condensers for 
 the purpose of employing solar light ; and looking out into the 
 open, you see beyond, the pedestals whereupon stand the helio- 
 stats, which keep pace with the motion of the sun, or rather, of 
 the earth, and permit a constant ray to be reflected into the 
 laboratory through these condensers for hours together. In this 
 way you may avail yourself very conveniently of the sun when 
 it shines, and carry on solar work with a degree of comfort and 
 convenience that experimenters do not always enjoy in pursuing 
 their physical researches. 
 
 The dark-room of our photo-chemist is capable of all sorts of 
 lighting. The collodion emulsion employed for photographing 
 the red end of the spectrum appears to be more sensitive than 
 the gelatine film, and very little light indeed is employed during 
 its manipulation. So far as gelatine work is concerned, we may 
 inform our readers that Captain Abney employs a gas jet with 
 a glass globe, which globe is painted with a mixture of aurine 
 and aniline scarlet applied by the aid of negative varnish. The 
 aurine is an efficient substitute for yellow or orange, and the 
 
CAPTAIN ABNEY. 
 
 57 
 
 aniline scarlet for ruby glass or fabric;, a combination which, as 
 most of us know, is very effective in cutting off troublesome 
 rays from the gelatine film. 
 
 Captain Abney has taken a leaf out of Mr. England's book, in 
 the preparation of gelatine plates, and possesses an efficient cup- 
 board of the England pattern. He gives the England cupboard 
 a very good character, and has no difficulty in maintaining a con- 
 stant temperature of something like 76° Eahr., which dries the 
 gelatine plates effectually. 
 
 After developing, and before fixing, our host makes it a 
 practice to dip his gelatine plates into a saturated solution of 
 alum ; he prefers operating in this way rather than fixing the 
 negative first of all. His development is carried out in white 
 dishes of enamelled iron, They are somewhat after the shape of 
 a Yorkshire pudding dish, and, besides being unbreakable, they 
 have the advantage of showing when they are dirty and when 
 they are clean. 
 
 Here is Captain Abney's method of preparing collodion emul- 
 sion sensitive to the infra-red region of the spectrum. He 
 says: — "A normal collodion is first made according to the 
 -formula below : — 
 
 Pyroxyline (any ordinary kind) 16 grains 
 
 Ether (*725 s.p.) ... 4 ounces 
 
 Alcohol (-820) 2 „ 
 
 (i This is mixed some days before it is required for use, and 
 any undissolved particles are allowed to settle, and the top por- 
 tion is decanted off. 320 grains of pure zinc bromide are dis- 
 solved in |- ounce to 1 ounce of alcohol (-820) together with 
 1 drachm of nitric acid. This is added to 3 ounces of the above 
 normal collodion, which is subsequently filtered. 500 grains of 
 silver nitrate are next dissolved in the smallest quantity of hot 
 distilled water, and 1 ounce of boiling alcohol -820 added. This 
 solution is gradually poured into the bromised collodion, stirring 
 briskly whilst the addition is being made. Silver bromide is 
 now suspended in a fine state of division in the collodion, and if 
 a drop of the fluid be examined by transmitted light, it will be 
 found to be of an orange colour. 
 
 " Besides the suspended silver bromide, the collodion contains 
 zinc nitrate, a little silver nitrate, and nitric acid, and these have 
 to be eliminated. The collodion emulsion is turned out into a 
 
58 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 glass flask, and the solvents carefully distilled over with the aid 
 of a water bath, stopping the operation when the whole solids 
 deposit at the bottom of the flask. Any liquid remaining is 
 carefully drained off, and the flask filled with distilled water. 
 After remaining a quarter- of -an-hour, the contents of the flask 
 are poured into a well- washed linen bag, and the solids squeezed 
 as dry as possible. The bag with the solids is again immersed 
 in water, all lumps being crushed previously, and after half-an- 
 hour the squeezing is repeated. This operation is continued till 
 the wash water contains no trace of acid when tested by litmus 
 paper. The squeezed solids are then immersed in alcohol '820 
 for half-an-hour to eliminate almost every trace of water, when, 
 after wringing out as much of the alcohol as possible, the con- 
 tents of the bag are transferred to a bottle, and 2 ounces of 
 ether (-720) and 2 ounces of alcohol (-805) are added. This 
 dissolves the pyroxyline, and leaves an emulsion of silver bro- 
 mide, which, when viewed in a film, is essentially blue by 
 transmitted light. 
 
 " All the operations must be conducted in very weak red light 
 — such a light, for instance, as is thrown by a candle shaded by 
 ruby glass at a distance of twenty feet. It is most important 
 that the final washing should be conducted almost in darkness. 
 It is also essential to eliminate all traces of nitric acid, as it 
 retards the action of light on the bromide, and may destroy it if 
 present in any appreciable quantities. To prepare the plate 
 with this silver bromide emulsion, all that is necessary is to pour 
 it over a clean glass plate, as in ordinary photographic processes, 
 and to allow it to dry in a dark cupboard. 
 
 " For development of exposure I recommend what is known as 
 the ferrous oxalate developer. This is prepared by dissolving 
 ferrous oxalate in a saturated solution of neutral potassium 
 oxalate, adding the iron salt till no more is taken up. To make 
 up the developing solution, equal parts of this solution of ferrous 
 oxalate, and of a solution of potassium bromide, 20 grains to the 
 ounce, are employed. This mixture is placed in a clean 
 developing glass just before development takes place. The film 
 is first softened by flowing over it a mixture of equal parts of 
 alcohol and water, and is then well washed. The developer is 
 now poured over the plate, taking care to keep the fingers from 
 touching any part of the film. The image will appear gradually, 
 and should have fair density when all action is exhausted. 
 
MR. VALENTINE BLANCHARD. 
 
 59 
 
 "The intensity can be materially increased by using the 
 ordinary intensifying solutions of pyrogallic acid, citric acid, and 
 silver nitrate. The unreduced silver bromide is removed by a 
 saturated solution of sodium thiosulphite in water, from all traces 
 of which the film should be thoroughly washed before being; 
 allowed to dry. 
 
 " The operation of development should take place in a verjr 
 subdued red light, that recommended for the preparation of the 
 emulsion being the safest. It is, however, somewhat remark- 
 able that when the developing action has once been set up, a 
 greater quantity of light may be permitted to fall on the plate 
 than before the action commences. The bromide of potassium 
 probably prevents any further action by the light, which may 
 account for it. It should be noted that the image may be- 
 developed by the ordinary alkaline method, though not so satis- 
 factorily, a slight veil being usually apparent. 
 
 " I may here state that by diminishing the amount of nitric 
 acid to one-fourth the amount given in the preparation of the 
 emulsion, it is possible in very cold weather to obtain plates 
 which are sensitive to very low radiations, such as the radiations 
 proceeding from boiling mercury, or even boiling water. In 
 summer time this emulsion, as would naturally be expected, 
 produces what are known as " foggy pictures ; " but it can be 
 rendered of use by flooding with hydrochloric acid. In the pre- 
 paration of such an emulsion the water bath must be kept at a 
 temperature but little above that of the boiling point of the 
 ether." 
 
 ME. VALENTINE BLANCHAED IN EEGENT STEEET. 
 
 In the neighbourhood of Eleet Street there have established 
 themselves for several years past a body of gentlemen known by 
 the name of the Whitefriars Club. This club is not a large one, 
 and has never, we believe, since its commencement, numbered 
 more than seventy or eighty members. It is for the most part a 
 literary club — its predilection for the neighbourhood in question 
 indicates as much — and amongst its past and present members 
 may be cited men of considerable mark. Novelists, such as 
 "William Black and Charles Gibbon ; editors of the great London 
 dailies — to wit, Captain Hamber and Alfred Bate Eichards ; con- 
 
^60 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 ductors of humorous periodicals that enjoy scarcely less influence 
 in the country, the late Tom Hood of Fun, and William Sawyer 
 of Funny Folks ; actors of the first rank, like Barry Sullivan and 
 "William Creswick ; painters and cartoonists, such as Orchard- 
 son, R.A., and John Proctor ; these, to cite a few examples, are 
 upon the roll of Friars. But the Cluh, noted as it is for the long 
 list of talented men enrolled under its name, is famous in one 
 other respect : it possesses, beyond question, the finest gallery of 
 photographic portraits to be found in any hall or room in London. 
 Probably, the collection does not at this moment fall short of 
 half-a-hundred, and the pictures are all of them of magnificent 
 proportions, taken direct on 15 by 12 inch plates — vigorous, life- 
 like, and characteristic. Moreover, they are all of them the 
 work of Mr. V. Blanchard. 
 
 In a word, no better evidence of Mr. Blanchard's ability can 
 be afforded than this fine collection of portraits at the Whitefriars 
 Club. It shows, too, the school, or style, of portrait, for which 
 Mr. Blanchard has achieved a very extensive reputation. His 
 large direct portraits — massive, dignified, full of life- — are, 
 indeed, too well known to require any detailed description here, 
 for every visitor to the Pall Mall Exhibitions during the past 
 half-dozen years must have witnessed examples of his handiwork. 
 Mr. Blanchard is, to some extent, a disciple of Adam-Salomon, 
 the late well-known sculptor and photographer of Paris ; but he 
 has added to his portraits qualities which are personal to himself. 
 The rich, luscious shadows of the Adam-Salomon school are 
 present, together with other attributes inherent to Mr. Blanchard 
 himself. We do not mean to say that the latter' s portraits are 
 better than those of his illustrious Paris confrere, but that, equally 
 with Adam-Salomon's pictures, they have characteristics which 
 mark them as the work of an artist in the foremost rank. 
 
 Mr. Blanchard' s reception-room has but few pictures upon the 
 walls, but they are well chosen examples of his best work. The 
 most striking are " Rebecca at the Well," a fine Eastern study, 
 which secured a medal at Pall Mall, and the picture of a Greek 
 girl, that received a similar honour. In both of these pictures 
 the management of the drapery is beyond praise ; it falls in soft 
 and graceful folds over the figure, without marring the outline 
 of the latter. The Greek key pattern on the tunic of one of the 
 models was pencilled by Mr. Blanchard himself, for he found 
 that the addition of an edging or braiding to the drapery imparted 
 a stiffness which was very, objectionable to the picture. Miss 
 
MR. VALENTINE BLANCHARD. 
 
 61 
 
 Furtado, as Esmeralda, is another study Mr. Blanchard may well 
 feel proud of, and some manly portraits on 15 by 12 plates com- 
 plete the collection. Mr. Blanchard' s charge for these pictures 
 is £4 4s. ; for cabinets, £2 2s. per dozen is asked, and for cartes, 
 £1 Is. 
 
 The studio upstairs, at first sight, impresses one in a very 
 singular manuer. Instead of being light, it is dark. Indeed, 
 there is little doubt that Mr. Blanchard employs less illumination 
 than most of his brethren ; he objects to flood his models with 
 light. Half-a-dozen movable screens are about the studio, 
 standing some eight feet in height, and measuring six feet in 
 breadth. These are put about with very little ceremony. " My 
 light here is dead south," said Mr. Blanchard. "If I get 
 bothered with the sun coming in, I simply stop the light from 
 this portion of the studio, and go oyer there with my camera, 
 where the light is easterly." And in a moment, our host had 
 contrived by means of his screens a second studio at right angles 
 to his first. " I consider," said Mr. Blanchard, "that the most, 
 perfect lighting a photographer can have is when the sun is ob- 
 scured by a white cloud, and I endeavour to imitate this pheno- 
 menon in my studio. You see I have subdued illumination all 
 on this side, and admit pure light only through two or three 
 squares of glass." 
 
 Mr. Blanchard has an excellent plan for subduing his illumina- 
 tion. The side and roof, where it is of glass, and where the light 
 is to be softened, are furnished with transparent screens of a 
 movable character. In cloudy weather they are not needed ; in 
 sunshine they are. These screens are covered with papier 
 mineral, which has the appearance of fine ground glass; the 
 papier mineral has the advantage over ground glass of being far 
 cheaper, and much lighter to handle. "English tracing paper 
 won't do," says our host; "it goes yellow after a few weeks, 
 and then good-bye to your white cloud effect ; you get a yellow 
 glare then, which is very unpleasant." 
 
 Mr. Blanchard has been working the powder process to good- 
 effect in producing pictures on opal. His formula is : — 
 Dextrine ... ... ... 4 drams 
 
 Grape sugar ... ... ... ... 4 ,, 
 
 Bichromate of potash ... ... ... 4 
 
 Glycerine 2 drops 
 
 Water 12 ounces 
 
STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 This is applied twice to the clean opal plate, carefully drying by 
 heat in between ; then, says Mr. Blanch ard, the plate is ready 
 for the printing operation. To make a print on the bichromate 
 film, which should be even and bright, and of a deep yellow 
 colour, a transparency, not a negative, is necessary. This trans- 
 parency must be inverted, and, therefore, a print on glass by 
 direct contact with the negative will not do. The transparency 
 must be made in the copying camera, and care must be taken 
 that the negative have the film side away from the lens. This 
 transparency, in order to give the best result in the after-process 
 of printing, should be very delicate and full of detail, but with 
 clearness in the highest lights — in fact, bright as well as delicate 
 — or the print will be dull and wanting in harmony. It is best 
 to varnish the transparency for fear of accident, but it is not 
 absolutely necessary. Now whilst the prepared opal is still 
 warn? (after the drying operation), lay it with film up on a board 
 covered with dark velvet, and carefully place the transparency, 
 which should also be warmed, with the film down on to the opal. 
 Care must be taken to place it so that the head comes in the 
 proper place on the opal. It must now be carried into the light, 
 and exposed to clear "bright light, not necessarily sunlight. 
 "Were this the same always, it would make the timing of the 
 exposure much more simple. But it is impossible to indicate the 
 exact exposure ; this can only be found by experiment. After 
 a little practice, it will be possible to judge by the amount of 
 browning which takes place, for the bright yellow after a time 
 gives place to a brown, not unlike ripe corn. Prom two to ten 
 minutes in a dull light, or a few seconds in sunlight, will be 
 found sufficient. When the plate is taken back to the dark- 
 room, and the transparency removed, a faint image will be visible. 
 The development is brought about by the employment of any 
 finely-ground pigment, such as ivory-black or in indian red, in 
 combination with black in suitable proportions to satisfy the 
 taste of the operator. 
 
 NTow apply the powder by the aid of a large camel-hair brush, 
 beginning on a portion of the dress, or in the shadows of the hair, 
 and not on the face. Should the powder attach itself too readily, 
 and the camel-hair pencil appear to drag at all, the film is too 
 tacky, and it will be better to shake off the powder and slightly 
 warm the film before proceeding further. On the contrary, 
 should the powder refuse to adhere after gently rubbing with the 
 
MR. VALENTINE BLANCHARD. 
 
 63 
 
 pencil for some little time, shake off the powder and gently 
 "breathe upon the plate, and move it backwards and forwards 
 until the moisture has evaporated, and again apply the powder 
 as before. This operation may be repeated until the image is 
 sufficiently brought up. If the exposure be too short, the powder 
 will too readily attach itself, and the image will be muddy and 
 wanting in contrast ; whilst, on the other hand, if the exposure 
 he too long, the image will be too much defined on the opal, and the 
 powder will refuse to adhere even after a lengthened application. 
 When, however, the exposure has been rightly timed, the powder 
 will attach almost immediately, and a clear image will readily 
 be developed. If, however, after varied exposures the powder 
 refuses to adhere, it may be well to increase the proportion of 
 the grape sugar in the solution, and the use of the separate solu- 
 tion of grape sugar mentioned above will be at once apparent. 
 
 The plate is now ready for fixing. This is accomplished by 
 pouring over saturated solution of boracic acid in alcohol. After 
 carefully drying, the plate must now be carefully soaked in a dish 
 of clean water. After a few changes^ to wash out the bichromate, 
 the plate may be taken out and dried, and the picture is ready 
 for the artist. If, on trying the /plate with the finger, the 
 powder be easily rubbed, the plate must be immersed for a few. 
 minutes in a bath composed of sulphuric acid two drams, water 
 one pint. After a few changes of water the plate may be again 
 dried. 
 
 Mr. Elanchard's copying camera for making his transparencies 
 for the process is simple in the extreme. There is a long plank 
 upon which the camera stands ; at a little distance in front of the 
 lens stands an upright board with a perforation in which the 
 negative is placed. Beyond the negative, again, is a bit of white 
 cardboard, or paper, sloping at an angle of 45°. The white 
 paper reflects the light through the negative ; and before focus- 
 ing, a black cloth is simply thrown over the camera and over 
 the upright board that carries the negative in order to shut out 
 the light. This is the whole arrangement ; there is no con- 
 denser, a No. 1 or Bo. 2B lens being employed for copying ; and 
 the apparatus has the inestimable advantage that it can be 
 cleared out of the way in an instant, and rigged up again with- 
 out delay, trouble, or expense. 
 
64 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 AT THE WOOLWICH ARSENAL PHOTO -LITHOGRAPHIC 
 ESTABLISHMENT— THE YELVET ROLLER. 
 
 Hebe is the studio — a lofty glass-house — iu which the negatives 
 are secured, and running down the middle of it is a little tram- 
 way. The rails are some twenty inches apart, and upon them run 
 the castors of a heavy oblong table ; the table carries the camera, 
 which is in this way advanced or retired without difficulty, a 
 few simple wedges fixing the castors as soon as the necessary 
 focus has been obtained. Under ordinary circumstances a spirit- 
 level would be necessary to see if the camera is truly horizontal, 
 and a plumb-line to ascertain if the drawing-board, upon which 
 the plan to be copied is stretched, is quite perpendicular ; but, 
 with the assistance of suitable fixtures, such testing is no longer 
 necessary. The camera-table, as it runs along the rails, is known 
 to be properly adjusted, and the solid board fixed upright at 
 right pngles to the tramway is always in position. This upright 
 board is covered with a sheet of white paper, in the middle of 
 which is a tiny cross that marks the centre or axis of the lens. 
 
 Here is a drawing ready for copying ; it is on tracing-paper, 
 and we remark at once upon its greyish tint. "Is the ground 
 white enough to give an opaque film? " we ask. " When it is 
 backed with white cartridge paper it will be," is the reply ; and 
 having first provided it with this backing, the tracing-paper is 
 fixed by means of drawing pins before the camera. The sheet 
 measures three feet, and the photo-lithograph is to be twelve 
 inches. There are fine lines and broad ones, dotted lines and 
 delicate curves, but they seem to give no difficulty. The focus 
 is taken midway between centre and margin of the picture, the 
 lens, by-the-bye, being a rectilinear of twenty-six inches equiva- 
 lent focus. It is a wet plate. A short exposure is given to get 
 a delicate, thin image, and this, after fixing, is intensified by 
 Dr. Eder's lead process, which consists in washing the negative 
 scrupulously, and immersing it in a filtered solution of— 
 
 Distilled water 100 grammes 
 
 Red prussiate of potash 6 „ 
 
 Nitrate of lead 4 „ 
 
 The negative should be dipped into this bath as soon as it is 
 fixed, and then but a few minutes are necessary for intensifying. 
 If, however, the negative has become dry, then it should be put 
 
AT THE WOOLWICH ARSENAL. 
 
 65 
 
 to soak in water for some hours before it is put into the lead 
 bath. Even in that ease the process of intensifying takes a 
 much longer time. Por this reason it is better not to let the 
 negative dry before it is intensified. 
 
 During the action of the lead bath, there is deposited upon 
 the silver parts of the picture a faint yellowish- white precipitate, 
 which makes the film appear quite white, and possesses an 
 extraordinary amount of intensity. It is necessary to allow 
 the negative to remain in the lead bath until it has assumed the 
 same amount of density which you require in the end, for the 
 next treatment with sulphide of ammonium is for the purpose 
 rather of rendering the film permanent than to augment its 
 density. 
 
 The action that goes on is similar to what takes place in 
 the uranium intensifying process. The silver works as a 
 reducing agent, and the red prussiate of potash passes into the 
 yellow form, which then becomes an insoluble compound— ferro- 
 cyanide of lead — with the lead salts that are present. It is now 
 necessary to convert the unstable lead compound into a perma- 
 nent and, perhaps, more opaque compound, and this is done by 
 the action of the sulphide of ammonium. 
 
 After the negative has been taken out of the lead bath, and 
 well washed with distilled water, the sulphide of ammonium is 
 applied. In washing, the colour of the film should become 
 almost white ; and if it is desired to know whether the washing 
 process has been carried far enough, a few drops of the rinsings 
 are allowed to fall into a little iron developer. If no blue 
 colouring is to be observed, then the washing has been com- 
 pletely successful. The sulphide of ammonium is employed in 
 the form of an aqueous solution of 20 per cent, strength, and 
 immediately upon its application the image becomes perfectly 
 black. The operator waits until the image is blackened right 
 through, and then the sulphide of ammonium is washed off with 
 ordinary water. In this way the most transparent lines may be 
 secured upon a perfectly black ground. Distilled water should 
 always be used for first washing the plate throughout these 
 operations. 
 
 We are now taken in hand by Mr. Baker, the chief draughts- 
 man of the establishment, under whose immediate charge the 
 work of photo-lithography is conducted. " We have come to 
 see the velvet-roller process, " we tell Mr. Baker. "It is so 
 
66 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 promising that it bids fair to oust the older process altogether," 
 is his reply ; and, in confirmation of his opinion, he exhibits a 
 series of prints that have been pulled from the stone from a 
 transfer just made. 
 
 The sensitizing-room is a small apartment with one large 
 window, of which the lower half is darkened by a shutter, and 
 the upper hung with tammy. Here the paper is sensitized. 
 Only Bank Post is employed, a very tough and smooth material. 
 " There are two kinds of Bank Post," says Mr. Baker ; " one 
 having parallel lines running across the sheet, and this is of no 
 use whatever in the process." The paper is floated upon the 
 bichromate and gelatine mixture* (one coating is usually 
 sufficient, if it is skilfully done), and, when dry, exposed under 
 the negative in the shade. Pive minutes' printing is ample in 
 the summer time, if the lines of the negative are pure and clear : 
 but the time can only be well .judged by an experienced printer. 
 "When looked at in the dark-room, the faint brown marking of 
 the image on the yellow paper is scarcely perceptible, and, for 
 this reason, it is well to mark the face of the paper with a black- 
 lead pencil immediately before sensitizing. 
 
 "We have now before us a bichro mated gelatine print, and we 
 are going to treat it by the velvet-roller process. It is handled 
 very much like carbon tissue that has j ust been printed. Mr. 
 Baker throws it into cold water, and allows it to remain immersed 
 for four or five minutes. He now takes a glass plate, rather 
 shorter than the print, so that the ends may tuck under, and 
 puts the impression carefully on the glass surface. The opera- 
 tions may henceforth be conducted in the light, for as soon as 
 the print goes into cold water, you need be under no apprehension 
 of spoiling it by daylight. The wet print is squeegeed upon the 
 glass plate, and the superfluous moisture further removed by 
 lightly laying upon the surface a sheet of bibulous paper. "Let 
 the print be too wet, rather than too dry," says our friend the 
 chief draughtsman, as he carries it off to the lithographic room. 
 
 * Two solutions are made, and, for sensitizing, mixed together and kept 
 warm ; these are — 
 
 Best gelatine ... ... ... ... ... 3 ounces 
 
 Water 40 „ 
 
 4nd 
 
 Bichromate of potash ... ... ... ... 2 ounces 
 
 Water 10 
 
AT THE WOOLWICH AESENAL. 
 
 67 
 
 Here some ordinary re-transfer ink has been considerably 
 thinned with turpentine, and well rolled upon a slab with an 
 ordinary leather roller. A burnished steel plate, close at hand, 
 is now coated with a fine even surface of the dilute transfer ink 
 by the application of the same roller, and then the velvet roller 
 is taken in hand. This is passed over the steel plate to take up 
 the ink, and then delicately rolled over the bichromate print. 
 The ends of the print being double under the glass plate, it is 
 kept flat and firm, and, to allow the lithographer sufficient play 
 for his hands, the slab on which the glass plate rests is no larger 
 than necessary for the purposes of support. At first the velvet 
 roller is passed lightly over the surface, but some weight is 
 afterwards borne upon it. " You see, I treat the silver print 
 precisely as I would a stone," said the skilful lithographer, and 
 he certainly did. The bichromate print was sponged and 
 rubbed, and rolled and watered, just as if it were a lithographic 
 stone, and, in a few minutes, the blank sheet of paper, which at 
 first bore but the faintest of brown markings, was covered with 
 fine black lines of the most exquisite sharpness — a design in 
 miniature of the original drawing. Continued rolling up — 
 carried out, be it remembered, by a skilled lithographer — 
 brought more of the viscid black ink upon the lines, and in a 
 quarter-of-an-hour — for very little cleaning was necessary — the 
 plan was ready for transferring to stone. When wetting the 
 paper is undesirable, breathing upon it will often impart 
 sufficient moisture to the film to enable it to repel the ink from 
 the roller. Before applying the finished transfer to a litho- 
 graphic stone, it is well washed in cold water to remove the 
 superfluous gelatine from the surface. 
 
 The velvet roller is of cotton velvet, light to handle, and, as 
 the chief draughtsman remarks, " puddingy" in character. He 
 prefers to employ two rollers in the working up, using them alter- 
 nately, so that they may dry a little in between. Of course it 
 is impossible to scrape the ink from a velvet roller. The best 
 way to preserve the roller is to put it into a bag after use, 
 without any further manipulation whatever; then, before 
 beginning work again, free the roller from the old ink by rolling 
 it on a clean slab, cleaning the slab at intervals with turpentine 
 of the old ink. The velvet 'roller should always be cleaned in 
 this way before using. 
 
 There is one more important point, and that is the mixing 
 
68 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 of the transfer ink for application to the slab and to the roller. 
 So that these instructions may be as practical as possible, we 
 append here the directions of a practical photo-lithographer on 
 the subject : — 
 
 Take 2 ounces of transfer ink from the pot, add J-ounce of 
 olive oil, mix well together with the muller on a slab ; this, 
 you will find, gives a paste about the consistency of butter. 
 Such paste makes capital stock. "When the printer is ready to 
 roll up the transfer, reduce the above with turpentine to about 
 the thickness of cream ; you will now find your ink is ready for 
 the roller. Charge the roller liberally, and roll the roller well 
 up on the slab. In so doing, you will find the turpentine 
 evaporate, leaving the ink in beautiful condition for a first-class 
 transfer. 
 
 Should you find your ink get too stiff, reduce it with 
 turpentine ; be sure you roll your transfer one way only, namely, 
 from you. 
 
 ME. EOBEET FAULKNEE IN BAKEE STEEET. 
 
 This is the kingdom of Lilliput. Prom the walls look down 
 upon you tiny forms and chubby faces ; they smile or pout, are 
 roguish or coy, bright or tearful, under the gentle sway of the 
 silvery-bearded monarch who here reigns supreme. Like the 
 pied piper of Hamelin, Mr. Faulkner can do as he pleases with 
 his little people. It is not a question of obedience ; it is an innate 
 power he possesses, which renders them subservient to his will. 
 We all of us have heard the German legend : how the pied piper 
 was engaged by the village mayor to get rid of the rats, and 
 having performed his task, got laughed at for his pains ; how, in 
 revenge, he went away playing upon his pipe so sweetly, that 
 all the children, great and small, were perforce compelled to 
 follow him ; how he led them into a chasm in the mountain side, 
 which closed upon the pigmy procession, so that the children 
 were never seen again. Only one little fellow escaped — he was 
 lame, and could not hobble along on his crutches so fast as the 
 other children. He was shut out by the rock, and remained to 
 tell the story. So, apparently, Mr. Faulkner has only to exer- 
 cise his will to make his tiny subjects follow him. In his hands 
 
MR. ROBERT FAULKNER. 
 
 69 
 
 they are not only plastic as clay, but smiles and tears, humour 
 and pathos, are called up in the little faces at his bidding. Let 
 boys and girls be ever so stubborn, Mr. Faulkner has but to 
 breathe his spell, and they follow him. As Goethe has it : 
 
 " Und waren Knaben noch so trotzig, 
 Und waren Madchen noch so stiitzig, 
 In meine Saiten greif ich ein, 
 Sie mils sen alle hinter drein." 
 
 It is not easy to get beyond the reception room. The merry 
 dimples and winsome faces are for ever luring you to stay. 
 Here is a little miss, in mob cap and loose gown, with curly 
 locks and pensive look, who seems to have strayed out of a pic- 
 ture by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Here is a tiny being, her eyes 
 as black as sloes, who has put up her bare arms behind her round 
 head, and beams wickedly across to you. Here, a fair-haired 
 urchin in the guise of a petty officer, looking every inch a sailor ; 
 and here again a study, of which Mr. Faulkner is justly proud, 
 the " Infant Samuel," whose upturned face is full of pathos 
 and devotion. 
 
 Passing on, we enter a spacious gallery, in which are larger 
 examples of Mr. Faulkner's work. Mr. Faulkner believes that 
 a carte or cabinet negative is sufficiently large for most purposes, 
 and his bigger pictures are all taken from these. Mr. Faulkner 
 has a high opinion of powder pictures, but, unfortunately, he 
 says, there is no one to whom the retouching of them can be 
 trusted. A clumsy or ill-judged touch of the brush upon a 
 delicate cheek or softly-moulded dimple will ruin the picture, 
 and he now prefers to print his enlargements by the carbon pro- 
 cess, confining the work of the retouching brush to simple 
 " mending." " There is not five shillings' worth of retouching 
 work on any of these pictures," said Mr. Faulkner, pointing to 
 a fine series of studies, of which many have been published with 
 marked success. A transparency is produced in the first place, 
 and it is upon this transparency that depends the value of the 
 finished work. Mr. Faulkner can bear out the adage, " If you 
 want a thing done well, do it yourself," since he is compelled 
 to produce every one of his transparencies by his own hand. But 
 he has the great consolation of knowing that he is successful. 
 Of some of his studies printed in " red chalk" carbon, no less 
 than 10,000 copies have been sold, for Mr. Faulkner appears 
 just now to have the monopoly of producing sketches of this 
 
70 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 nature, which are highly prized and eagerly purchased bjr 
 painters and sculptors, as well as by the general public. 
 
 Mr. Faulkner speaks highly of gelatine plates for making re- 
 productions, the soft, subdued character of the image yielded by 
 a gelatino-bromide film being specially applicable to such work. 
 For all his studio work, gelatine plates are also employed, and 
 Mr. Faulkner's establishment is one of the few in which the 
 silver bath has been wholly and completely got rid of. 
 
 We will walk upstairs into the glass room, for our readers are 
 doubtless eager to learn all they can of Mr. Faulkner's method 
 of treating his infant sitters. Our host courteously affords every 
 information. How does he arrest their attention, call up that 
 glow of intelligence in their faces, and give that vivid animation 
 to their features ? we ask ; is it a matter of toys, or conjuring, 
 or story-telling? " A ball is the best of all toys," replies our 
 host ; " this cow that gives real milk, often provokes wonder ; 99 
 it is a toy treated Abyssinian fashion, a steak being removed 
 from one of the flanks in order to permit the introduction of the 
 milk in the first place ; but one must rely a good deal upon one's 
 sayings and doings." 
 
 The camera and stand must be described. The stand is of 
 iron to give solidity, and upon it are placed, one above the other, 
 two cameras of almost equal size. The ground glass of the 
 upper camera can be seen without stooping, and hence the focus- 
 sing is done with the greatest ease. A guard or screen, perma- 
 nently fixed, throws the ground-glass into shadow, and there is 
 no occasion, therefore, for a dark-cloth. The cameras are fixed 
 together ; hence one focussing arrangement does for both. The 
 lower camera only receives a dark slide, the upper one is employed 
 simply for focussing 3nd watching the sitter ; in a word, the 
 upper camera acts as a " finder." Under these circumstances, 
 as may be understood, the operations go on with smoothness and 
 ease. There is no dark cloth, no pushing on one side the focus- 
 sing screen to admit the entrance of a dark slide. There is a 
 sensitive plate always ready in the lower camera, and no sooner 
 has the model taken its seat than the operation may begin. The 
 slide holds a plate large enough for four or six portraits, and if 
 one of these is successful, Mr. Faulkner holds himself a happy 
 man. 
 
 A movable pedestal, eighteen inches from the ground, serves 
 as a platform whereon to pose the model. The sitter may thus 
 
MR. ROBERT FAULKNER. 
 
 71 
 
 be presented to the camera under one aspect or the other, with- 
 out being troubled to move at all, and the photographer standing 
 behind the cameras watching his opportunity has every chance 
 in his favour. Often the sitter, immediately it sits down, is at 
 its best ; while under ordinary circumstances, the model has to 
 obey twice, namely, at the time of focussing and the time of ex- 
 posure, and sometimes gets so fatigued over the former operation 
 that it has lost all animation during the latter ; Mr. Faulkner, by 
 the assistance of his movable platform and double camera, is 
 enabled quickly to seize any and every favourable opportunity 
 that presents itself. 
 
 That Mr. Faulkner is an artist of a high order, and stamps his 
 work with the imprint of his genius, is known to all who are 
 familiar with his work, and obviously we cannot follow him very 
 far, unless we too possess the same attributes. But we can all 
 of us do our best, if we like, and a visit to Mr. Faulkner's estab- 
 lishment shows how much may be done in photography if one is 
 gifted with taste and endowed with application. Mr. Faulkner's 
 studio has little in it that is remarkable, but he employs, as we 
 have seen, his means to the best of his ability. The lighting is 
 of a very simple character. A skirting board rises live feet from 
 the floor, and there is no top-light. The side where it is glazed 
 is of large sheets of transparent glass ; but this is used with the 
 utmost moderation. Blinds are freely drawn near the camera, 
 and in the vicinity of the sitter large squares of transparent paper 
 may be made to cover the glass. 
 
 Mr. Faulkner has no other models than the little sitters who 
 come to him in the course of business. The delightful studies in 
 red chalk that he publishes in such large numbers are simply 
 selections from his negatives. He pays, however, much atten- 
 tion to the dressing — or, rather, undressing — of his models. 
 This little garment, we see, apparently of yellow silk, it is so 
 soft and glossy, is but fashioned out of fine calico, the edges 
 frayed, not hemmed, and dipped roughly into a little Judson's dye 
 to give colour. Dressed in this simple tunic, no wonder the pink 
 arms and legs of the model appear to such advantage, and that 
 the drapery is rendered with such harmony and detail, But Mr. 
 Faulkner has a grievance : he is dissatisfied with the printing 
 processes of to-day for small work. Carbon printing, he avows, 
 is not at the present moment sufficiently advanced for the print- 
 ing of cartes, although it answers so admirably for larger pictures. 
 
72 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 The only thing that can give us the full amount of delicacy and 
 permanence, in Mr. Faulkner's opinion, is collodio-chloride paper. 
 " I have an album downstairs, which I will show you, in which 
 all the prints are fifteen years old ; they are mounted on plate 
 paper, and therefore should be the last to show traces of fading. 
 But in that book there are only two pictures in which these 
 traces cannot be recognised ; the one is a Wothlytype, the other 
 a collodio-chloride picture." 
 
 As to the delicacy furnished by albumen and collodio-chloride, 
 there is no doubt as to the advantage being on the side of the 
 latter. Before the prints go into the fixing bath, the albumen- 
 ized paper prints will doubtless compare well enough with col- 
 lodio-chloride, but the fixing bath removes fine gradations from 
 the albumen surface ; the collodio-chloride, on the other hand, 
 is not attacked by the hyposulphite solution, and retains all the 
 delicate gradations with which it has been impressed during 
 the pr'nting operation. But collodio-chloride paper cannot 
 be purchased fresh and new in this country. " The Germans 
 have makers of collodio-chloride paper in their midst ; cannot 
 we find a single manufacturer of photographic materials enter- 
 prising enough in this country to give us what we want ? " asks 
 Mr. Faulkner. 
 
 THE VAN DER WEYDE ELECTRIC STUDIO IN REGENT 
 
 STREET. 
 
 The lamps in Eegent Street are lit, for the light fades early 
 these short wintry days. It is still afternoon ; the Quadrant is 
 full of life ; the gay costumes of the promenaders, now veiled 
 in the mist of twilight, now made resplendent by the vivid 
 illumination of the shops, lose none of their attraction, but, on 
 the contrary, seem enhanced rather u between the dark and the 
 daylight when the night is beginning to low'r." Longfellow 
 is not alone in loving the period ; we believe every thorough- 
 bred Cockney rejoices in this time between the lights, and it is the 
 one thing that reconciles him to winter when it comes upon us. 
 There is a feeling of warmth, of cosiness, of brightness, of 
 snugness prevailing at such times, which dwellers in great 
 cities always delight in, and which may be considered a set-off 
 against the many advantages our country cousins enjoy. 
 
VAN DER WEYDE. 
 
 7a 
 
 u I like to stroll down Eegent Street," says the song, and 
 between afternoon and evening the sentiment appears to be a 
 very popular one. It is Cattle Show week, and this may have 
 something to do with augmenting the busy crowd of loungers 
 that hustle one another upon the glimmering pavement before 
 the bright shops and under the glittering lamps. It may not be 
 "the season " in town; but London is full, for all that, and so 
 bustling and animated a scene is rarely found at any other time 
 of the year. 
 
 It is hardly a seasonable hour to visit a photographic studio, 
 one would think ; but we have purposely delayed our call. 
 The card of invitation says any hour before 7*30 p.m., so we are 
 in plenty of time. Mr. Van der Weyde's studio is in a magni- 
 ficent position in the very centre of Eegent Street ; and, of 
 what Mr. Van der Weyde is very proud, it is under a slate 
 roof. There is not even a sky -light, lest the suspicion should 
 gain ground that sometimes daylight is employed for photo- 
 graphic purposes. The Van der Weyde establishment is a 
 winter studio par excellence, it might be said, only that, 
 curiously enough, it is in summer when most of the work is 
 done, for the simple reason that the London season is during 
 the longer months. "What strikes one, indeed, in looking over 
 the portraits here, is that so many persons should be represented 
 in evening dress ; but the mystery is solved by the explanation 
 that the ladies and gentlemen in question have been photo- 
 graphed in the evening before they sat down to dinner, or maybe 
 rafter they came home from the opera. It is but the other day 
 we read of the Prince of "Wales being photographed, after having 
 first passed the evening at the play ; while it is not so long ago 
 that Mr. Van der Weyde had a call from Captain Shaw, of the 
 Pire Brigade, accompanied by a certain duke whose fire-loving 
 qualities are well-known, the visitors arriving at midnight, and 
 not departing till one in the morning. "Whether they came to 
 see if the electric studio were on fire is a moot question, but 
 certain it is they were not permitted to go till some very excel- 
 lent portraits had been taken. 
 
 Mr. Van der Weyde's series of Eoyal pictures is a large one ; 
 but, fine as it is, the collection of " professional " portraits he 
 has made is the most attractive. Perhaps ladies and gentle- 
 men who are in the habit of appearing before the footlights 
 make better pictures with artificial illumination. Here is a 
 
74 
 
 STUDIOS m LONDON. 
 
 portrait of Josef Gung'l, the composer; here is Toole, the 
 comedian ; here is Edwin Booth, and here is Henry Irving. 
 All are clear, forcible, and brilliant — well lighted, and agreeably- 
 posed. Mr. Van cler Weyde has discarded the dioptric or 
 " lighthouse " lens he formerly employed, and of which a 
 description was given some years ago. His electric light has a 
 brilliancy equal to 6,000 candles, and is produced by a Gramme, 
 or Siemens, machine, as may be found most convenient, for both, 
 systems find a place in the engine room. The engine is one of 
 Otto's gas engines, Mr. Van cler "Weyde, we believe, having been, 
 the first to apply a gas engine to the evolution of electricity. 
 
 Mr. Van der "Weyde, in explanation of his light, said : — "I 
 had my gas-engine put up September, 1877, in direct opposition 
 to the advice of the manufacturers of my electric machine. I 
 never use an electric lamp, but, as you see, have invented a 
 much more practical arrangement for my purpose. I simply 
 bring my carbons together by a movement of the hand. The 
 positive 20-millimetre carbon is stuck right through the saucer, 
 and can be pushed in from time to time as it burns. The nega- 
 tive 15-millimetre carbon, fastened in a rod which passes through 
 the back and centre of the reflector, is also adjustable. The 
 saucer and positive carbon, being fixed to a flexible brass rod, 
 can be made to approach the other carbon by simply pulling the 
 cord attached, and which passes through the back of the reflector, 
 and over a small drum. I first designed another position for the 
 carbons, but on the same principle, but find this better, as 
 the reflector gets the full benefit of the strongest rays." 
 
 We walk into one of the studios. The most prominent object 
 is a large cup-shaped reflector, in the middle of which is the 
 electric light. This reflector is five or six feet in diameter, like 
 the half of a huge globe, the interior being of white paper ; it 
 hangs loosely from the ceiling, and is provided with a handle, 
 so that an assistant, who holds it the while, can direct the light 
 as he pleases. As a rule, it reflects the light downwards on 
 the sitter at an angle of something like 45°. The electric glow 
 of the carbon points is not seen by the sitter, because a little 
 saucer, situated just below the spark, intervenes, throwing the 
 light upwards into the parachute reflector, whence it is reflected 
 upon the sitter. Mr. Van der Weyde does not cover in his 
 electric light by means of a sheet of thin paper (giving it the 
 form of a kettle-dium inverted), as do M. Liebert, of Paris,, 
 
VAN DER WEYBE, 
 
 75 
 
 and the Stereoscopic Company, but employs the full force of the 
 light without subduing it by a medium. He is thus enabled to 
 make very quick exposures. Cartes of children are secured in 
 one or two seconds ; while the cabinet portraits and promenade 
 portraits, which are Mr. Van der"Weyde's speciality, require but 
 from six to seven seconds, gelatine plates being, of course, made 
 use of. 
 
 The sitter is surrounded by white screens during the exposure, 
 except, of course, on the side of the reflector ; there is even a 
 screen in front of the sitter, pushed, in the case of a vignette, 
 within a foot or eighteen inches of the model, an opening in 
 the latter screen permitting the camera to peep through. There 
 cannot be a doubt that, under some circumstances, a front screen 
 —such as this — especially if it had movable wings, or reflectors 
 at sides, top, and bottom, might be advantageously employed for 
 daylight portraits. 
 
 A young lady is ready posed as we enter. Mr. Yan der 
 Weyde himself arranges the model, and directs the lighting. One 
 assistant, holding the reflector, obeys his directions, while a 
 second focusses, and makes the camera ready. The portrait is to 
 be a profile, illuminated by an edge light, and the reflector is so 
 turned that the white screen at the back — which serves as back- 
 ground — is cast somewhat in the shadow. We peep through the 
 camera opening, and the effect is delightful. The lady is young 
 in years and comely in face, and, as she sits there, the pure 
 electric light flooding face and shoulders, and brilliantly illumi- 
 nating her features, we are reminded of the good fairy in the 
 enchanted island of dazzling light, or the pretty princess of the 
 realms of brightness, with whom we all become acquainted about 
 Christmas time. 
 
 In practised hands the reflector permits of a wide range of 
 lighting, and it is the effects thus obtained that have had much 
 to do with the success of the Yan der Weyde portraits. Again, 
 instead of being hard, or black and white, the fault inherent, one 
 would think, to artificial lighting, the pictures, by reason of the 
 skilful lighting, ar® soft to a degree, and Mr. Yan der Weyde 
 tells us he has never to retouch a high-light. 
 
 A little incident of the studio may here be mentioned. The 
 lady would like a second picture, without her bonnet. There is 
 no need to get up and go away to arrange her hair or head-dress ; 
 an elegant little toilet table on castors, with mirror and brushes,. 
 
76 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 is pushed towards her chair, and, without moving, she can make 
 her toilet as comfortably as in a boudoir. Not only is the lady 
 not inconvenienced, but the photographer is not kept waiting. 
 Mr. Van der "Weyde always employs a loud-ticking metronome 
 in the studio ; as his source of light is pretty constant, if he 
 accurately regulates the exposure, he is sure of securing negatives 
 of equal density. 
 
 We mention the studio, but there are no studios in the ordi- 
 nary sense of the term ; the portraits are taken in two ordinary 
 rooms, thickly carpeted and warmly furnished, and presenting 
 little difference from sitting or drawing-room. The one is for 
 groups, the other for single pictures ; but, beyond the fact that 
 in the former the reflector is rather bigger, the rooms are much 
 alike. The dressing-rooms are well appointed, and in one of them 
 was a large so-called Japanese mirror, a mirror such as many of 
 our readers have seen, with folding wings, which, when opened 
 at right angles to the front mirror, permit the fair observer to see 
 even the back of her head, if she likes. A looking-glass like 
 this is a more handsome piece of dressing-room furniture even 
 than a cheval glass. 
 
 Mr. Yan der Weyde charges for sittings, and not for portraits. 
 A sitting for the promenade portrait, including eight copies, is 
 charged three guineas ; for " cabinet," including twelve copies, 
 two guineas ; or, if large heads are desired, then a guinea more 
 is the fee. Cartes are one guinea a dozen. 
 
 THE PLATINOTYPE COMPANY AT BKOMLEY KOAD. 
 
 A bad negative, or an indifferent one, is best printed in silver ; 
 since you can see better what you are doing, you can control 
 and dodge the better. For this reason, silver is, and will ever 
 remain, a favourite process; but given a good negative, then 
 platinotype may be used with advantage in a great many respects. 
 'It is true, that if you compare two prints from a fine negative, 
 the one in platinum and the other in silver, the former, as a result, 
 is still behind the latter, in the opinion of some photographers ; 
 but then comes in the balance of advantages. Although, as a 
 photographic result, the silver print is to be preferred, the deli- 
 , cate warm grey tone of the platinum impression goes for much 
 
THE PLATINOTYPE COMPANY. 
 
 77 
 
 with a large number of people, and with painters and artists in- 
 particular, who hold it in high favour by reason of its fine 
 engraving-like aspect. Moreover, as much by reason of its tone 
 as on account of the unglazed surface of the print, the platino- 
 type is thoroughly well adapted for artistic colouring. 
 
 But the principal advantage of platinotype is its permanence. - 
 Mr. Spiller has made a searching investigation of the matter, 
 and his opinion is that the print will last as long as the paper. 
 His plan of testing the prints he thus describes : — 
 
 "Some of the prints were cut into sections and separately 
 treated, so that the portions could afterwards be patched together 
 again for comparison, when any loss of vigour or alteration of 
 tone would become at once apparent. 
 
 " In this way I have tried the action of all the common acids, 
 using these of such degrees of strength as seemed fair to the 
 paper basis of the photographs. Thus, the nitric acid was 
 diluted with an equal bulk of water, and sulphuric acid with 
 three measures of water ; but hydrochloric acid, having itself so- 
 little action upon paper, permitted of its being employed in tha 
 concentrated form. After an hour's immersion not one of these 
 acids exerted the slightest action upon the platinum prints, nor 
 did weak caustic soda, sulphurous acid, hyposulphite of soda, 
 strong ammonia, or cyanide of potassium. The last-named re«- 
 agent draws a sharp line between a platinum print and an 
 ordinary gold-toned photograph, showing a clear distinction in. 
 favour of platinum black as against reduced gold, and negativing 
 a direct assertion on this head by Dr. Van Monckhoven. 
 
 " With regard to chlorine, I found, much to my surprise, that 
 a slip suspended within the neck of a flask from which chlorine 
 gas was freely disengaged suffered no harm ; nor even in another 
 trial when, by accident, the print fell into the acid liquid from 
 which the chlorine was being evolved. Further, I am prepared 
 to say that nascent chlorine does not affect the platinotypes 
 unless the conditions are very severe, or such as to bring about 
 an actual disintegration of the paper, as by an attack of warm 
 aqua-regia." 
 
 But we must proceed to describe the process. Mr. Berkeley, 
 who is one of the directors of the company, has some prints at 
 hand that have just come from the frames, and these we examine 
 in a subdued white light. "You know the process perfectly 
 well, of course," says Mr. Berkeley, " Of course, of course," 
 
78 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 is our reply, and then we hesitatingly add in effect, after the 
 manner of the Bourgeois Gentilhomme, " mats faites comme si je 
 ne le savaispas" 
 
 Mr. Berkeley is good enough to accede to our wish. " This, 
 you see, is a roll of paper as we receive it," he says. Since it 
 is a roll some five feet broad and a yard or two thick, there is no 
 difficulty about seeing it, and we at once say so. " Only Saxe 
 paper is employed, and this comes direct from Steinbach," and 
 then Mr. Berkeley proceeds to say how it is prepared for 
 platinotype purposes. 
 
 After a preliminary sizing, a coating of ferric oxalate and 
 platinous chloride is applied to the surface of the paper by means 
 of a brush or pad, the work being done by girls, who are more 
 light-handed than men. The platinum salt employed is that 
 most easily reduced, and the paper is now sensitive to light and 
 fit for issue. But platinotype has one arch-enemy, and that is 
 damp. If you will only keep the paper dry, and all things that 
 come in contact with it, your printing will be a success ; but not 
 otherwise. There is little difficulty about doing this, if you will 
 follow the instructions of the Company ; a tube or cylinder of 
 tin is a handy utensil for storing paper or prints, the cylinder 
 having at one end a receptacle for chloride of calcium, while as 
 to keeping the paper dry in the printing frame, this is done by 
 the simple precaution of putting a soft rubber pad or sheet over 
 negative and paper. 
 
 The sensitiveness of platinotype paper is calculated to be about 
 three times that of chloride of silver paper, but you cannot watch 
 the progress of printing quite so well. The image is very faint, 
 and it is not until the printer has had a little experience that he 
 can judge accurately. The difficulty is one, however, easily 
 surmounted, and, moreover, when it comes to the development 
 of the print, you have the means at hand to correct over- and 
 under-exposure. 
 
 To development Mr. Berkeley now proceeds: — A solution of 
 oxalate of potash is heated in a flat dish tol70 p orl80°P. If 
 the prints are under-exposed (the first print of the batch is a good 
 tell-tale), then the temperature is raised ; if over-printed, the 
 developer is used less warm. Mr. Hollyer — one of the masters 
 of platinotype printing — sometimes employs the bath only tepid, 
 taking half a minute to develop a print. But, as a rule, the 
 picture is developed instantly. No sooner have you placed the 
 
THE PLATINOTYPE COMPANY. 
 
 79 
 
 phantom brown image, face downwards, upon the warm solution 
 than a bright vigorous picture starts into view — -a dark grey- 
 print, forcible and strong, and yet possessed of that softness and 
 delicacy which make platinotype so beloved by artists. 
 
 There is no toning, fixing, or even washing in the ordinary 
 sense of the term. A water bath acidulated with a little hydro- 
 chloric acid receives the print, which, after a minute or two, is 
 lifted into a second, and, may be, a third similar bath. The 
 object is to discharge all the iron salt remaining in the paper, 
 and as soon 1 as the baths have no longer a yellow tint, the 
 washing may be discontinued. 
 
 Of what is the finished image composed ? it may be asked. 
 Pure platinum, in the form that is known as spongy platinum, 
 or, rather, platinum black ; in a word, the finest state of division 
 in which that metal occurs. Metallic platinum, as everybody 
 knows, is one of the most stable of substances, and, therefore, 
 there is little fear of any change taking place on account of 
 contact with chemical substances that may come near the film. 
 That is to say, the platinum is not likely to change ; but since 
 platinum black is known to chemists as possessing strong 
 catalytic action (the power to induce decomposition in another 
 body without itself undergoing perceptible alteration), any sub- 
 stance in contact with it might not share the same immunity. 
 Stephenson's well-known rejoinder to the question what would 
 happen if a cow got upon his new railway, "So much the 
 worse for the coo," might well be paraphrased here, for, 
 apparently, in the case of any chemical body coming near a 
 platinum print, the resulting danger would be only to the body 
 in question. For all this, however, no pigment has ever been 
 found to change on application to a platinotype. 
 
 The developing liquid — oxalate of potash solution — is 
 employed over and over again, and must not be thrown away, 
 since it contains after use a good deal of platinum that 
 may be recovered in the form of residue as easily as silver is 
 from washings in the ordinary printing process. Tn the same 
 way, trimmings and cuttings of the paper are valuable, and 
 should not be thrown away. The prepared paper has a yellowish 
 tint, and for this reason the laboratory or printing-room should 
 not be illuminated by yellow glass ; a feeble white light is far 
 preferable. 
 
 As most of our readers know very well, vignetting and fancy 
 
80 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 printing is as easily conducted with, platinotype as with the 
 chloride of silver process, the results, in every case, possessing 
 the cold grey tone inseparable to platinum. This tone, however, 
 much as the absence of much warmth may be regretted, is at a 
 premium with book-publishers, by reason of its harmony with, 
 letter-press and engravings. Silver prints never harmonise well 
 with type, but platinotype does so very perfectly. 
 
 Mr. Berkeley was good enough to show us some examples of 
 platinotype enlarging, sent over from New York by Mr. Willis, 
 to whom we all know the elaboration of the process is due ; these 
 enlargements were secured from small negatives by the aid of 
 electric light, and were exceedingly satisfactory, both in respect 
 to vigour and detail. 
 
 ME. ALEXANDER BASSANO AT OLD BOND STREET. 
 
 Me. Bassano's gallery in Old Bond Street at once impresses you 
 with this idea : it is exactly the sort of studio we should all of 
 us like to have. A handsome suite of rooms on the first floor in 
 a fashionable thoroughfare, a clientele that troubles you only in 
 the season, and sitters who do not object to pay well for the 
 attention they receive. Listen to this, good friends, who believe 
 that photographic portraiture is no longer worthily recompensed. 
 " Mr. Bassano's terms are : Two guineas for the sitting, which 
 sum entitles the sitter to either twelve cabinets or twenty carte- 
 de-visite photographs.' ' This we take from Mr. Bassano's card ; 
 and another little bit of pasteboard in our possession, " Appoint- 
 ment for sitting," says: " Should it not be convenient to keep 
 the above appointment, notice must be given to that effect by 
 return of post, otherwise the fee for the sitting will be charged ; 
 or the appointment card may be transferred to a friend at the 
 option of the intending sitter." 
 
 The reception rooms in Bond Street are a series of well- 
 appointed drawing rooms in which sitters and callers may lounge 
 at leisure. Everything here is quiet and subdued, and if any 
 fault can be found, it is rather that the elegant furniture and 
 soft carpets are a little too quiet. Some magnificent carbon 
 enlargements adorn the walls, rather larger than life-size, we 
 should say, for they are mostly three-quarter portraits, and taken 
 
MR. ALEXANDER BASSANO. 
 
 81 
 
 on plates 48 by 36. " People are beginning to find out that 
 silver pictures are not permanent,' ' said Mr. Bassano, " and every- 
 day carbon pictures are making headway." A magnificent pic- 
 ture of the Duke of Connaught, and another — this one especially 
 fine — of the Duchesse de Marino, may be mentioned as master- 
 pieces, while, almost as a matter of course, there are oil paintings 
 and crayons to be seen, all executed upon a photographic basis. In 
 one corner of the room are three busts — the Duke of Connaught, 
 the Prince Imperial, and John Evelyn, of "Wooton, a lineal 
 descendant of him of the Diary, all the personal work of 
 Mr. Bassano, for, like his late Parisian confrere, Adam-Salomon, 
 our host is a sculptor of some note. But a few minutes before 
 our visit, indeed, the Duchess of Connaught had paid a private 
 call to see her royal husband in plaster. 
 
 Mr. Bassano is introducing a new portrait which he terms the 
 Holbein, and which he considers is calculated to show both a full 
 and half-length portrait to advantage ; the size is 7-J by 5 inches, 
 and the proportions are certainly very handsome. Photography 
 cannot idealise, but should be " nature apprehended in its most 
 intellectual phase," is Mr. Bassano' s view; and there will be but 
 few who do not agree with him. Nothing idealistic ought to be 
 attempted, since the photographer is sure to fail ; his province is 
 rather to make a graceful and happy portrait, and with this he 
 should fain be content. A stout scrap-book of large dimensions, 
 such as would not suffer if handled a bit roughly, stands con- 
 venient to visitors, and here they can at once see how far 
 Mr. Bassano is true to his principles. It contains a whole series 
 of Zulu heroes : Sir Thomas Pearson, a bluff British colonel ; 
 Eedvers Buller, Y.C., longheaded and intellectual ; Chard, of 
 Eork's Drift, the beau ideal of a dashing young officer, &c, &c. 
 A stout scrap-book of this kind is, our readers might note, an inte- 
 resting item in the reception room. 
 
 There is a charming Eembrandt portrait of Mrs. Langtry, a 
 bold picture of H.E.H. the Field Marshal Commanding in Chief, 
 and of other illustrious personages worthy of note. But we must 
 go upstairs to the studio. We leave the comfortable reception 
 room — having first signalled our coming above at one of a series 
 of ivory whistles, which plainly betoken system and order — and 
 ascend a broad staircase. We peep into the dressing rooms on 
 our way — all of them apartments of considerable dimensions, for 
 ladies, if in court dress, like plenty of room for their trains and 
 
 G 
 
82 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 feathers — and then mount once more. There are two studios, 
 lighted from the same direction, N.E. and S.E., so that both 
 ends of the studios may be made use of. In the principal studio 
 — 26 feet in length — there was but one background. But it was 
 a long one. It measured no less than 80 feet, and was mounted 
 on perpendicular rollers like a panorama. Its handiness was 
 obvious. As it was deftly passed in review, the tint changed 
 from warm to cold, the scene from outdoor to indoor, and, in a 
 word, progressed through every phase. Mr. Bassano permits 
 the sitter to be in his studio half-an-hour, and as several pictures 
 are taken, this period he holds to be quite brief enough. It is 
 another matter with a vignette, where, perhaps, but a turn of 
 the head is necessary to alter the pose ; but with full or three- 
 quarter length portraits, much time is necessary. Moreover, he 
 believes that the trouble taken is not thrown away, for if you 
 please a sitter, he generally holds to the same portrait year after 
 year, and asks for it to be printed in this style or that, rather 
 than go to the trouble of a fresh sitting. The cameras, by the 
 way, are provided with a square hood or funnel of black, pro- 
 jecting twelve inches beyond th.e lens, to shade this from the 
 light. 
 
 Another point that struck us in the studio was the presence 
 of nought but real furniture. The tables, chairs, and bookcases 
 were real, the piano was real, the Persian carpet was real. 
 The illumination was a high side light, the skirting board 
 coming up about two feet six inches from the floor, and 
 the curtains of blue linen were so arranged that by the lower 
 ones being permitted to rise and the upper ones to fall, you 
 could light the sitter by a central illumination, which central 
 illumination could be high or low as occasion required. Mr, 
 Bassano permits the sitter to be accompanied by his or her 
 friends into the studio; he makes no restriction; they may do 
 as they please. There is a portion partitioned off by curtains 
 where friends may sit, and whence issue the dark rooms. 
 
 Of course Mr. Bassano is fully alive to the advantages of 
 gelatine plates, and considers they were sent as a sort of provi- 
 dence during our heavy fogs. But the gelatine films are 
 difficult to retouch upon. Mr. Bassano' s work requires a staff of 
 three artists to be constantly engaged on the work of retouching 
 negatives. The ordinary retouching frames are used, and a 
 sharply-pointed pencil, either "Wolff's or Faber's. But a B or 
 
DR. HUGGINS. 
 
 83 
 
 HB won't do upon a gelatine film. A four H pencil was being 
 employed by one artist, and on our enquiring of another if lie 
 were using the same, be replied, "No, I am employing a five H 
 point." To give tooth to the film, a little turpentine rubbed on 
 with the finger is found to be most efficacious. The quality of 
 the gelatine negative was exceptionally fine, the film as smooth 
 and harmonious as that of the best wet collodion plate. 
 
 Mr. Bassano reserves his Bond Street establishment for 
 photographs taken by appointment, while a second gallery in 
 Piccadilly takes the impromptu work. In Piccadilly there is 
 little else but top light available, but since the pictures taken 
 there have made Mr. Bassano' s reputation, we may assume that 
 something besides light is necessary for successful portraiture. 
 
 BE. HUGGINS AT UPPER TTJLSE HILL. 
 
 41 TTette are my star photographs," said Br. Huggins. A small 
 drawer is before us filled with neat little leather boxes, that 
 might be jewel cases, only that their contents are more precious 
 than jewels. For truly no labourer in the diamond fields ever 
 worked harder than Br. Huggins has done to secure these tiny 
 gems. Here is a tray of them ! Each represents a glinting 
 star from our lustrous firmament. This one is Sirius, or the Bog 
 Star; this is Vega; this, one of the glittering constellation 
 known as the Great Bear; another is Arcturus; yet another 
 Capella ; and this last, the yellow star Aldebaran. Were they 
 but rubies and sapphires, a lucky search would have secured 
 them in a month ; as it is, they represent the labours of a life- 
 time. 
 
 They are minute photographic negatives, as we see clearly 
 enough now we are permitted to take one in our hands and ex- 
 amine it under a magnifier. The image is half an inch long, 
 and about an eighth of an inch broad, a little white band with 
 zebra stripes — or more, perhaps, like a bit of bamboo straw with 
 well-marked joints. The stripes are not all of the same thick- 
 ness, nor are they always at equal distances, and it is to this 
 circumstance particularly that our host calls attention, for on 
 the presence or absence of these lines the whole teaching of Br. 
 
84 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 Huggins' wonderful discoveries in connection "with the star 
 world depends. 
 
 But we must go back a little to explain Dr. Huggins' research 
 clearly. For instance, they teach us, as we shall presently see, 
 how it is possible to classify the stars ; how some are very much 
 like our sun — which is simply a star, and nothing else, and only 
 appears larger because it is not so many millions of miles off, as 
 the rest of them — and how some are glowing masses of matter 
 only just beginning to burn, while other have been alight so 
 long that they are nearly burnt out. These old, worn-out stars 
 — or suns, if you like to call them so — will in all probability 
 soon become but a mass of cinder or pumice-stone, such as our 
 moon now is, which, as everybody knows, gives forth no light 
 itself, and only shines when it reflects back the sunlight thrown 
 upon it. 
 
 The pictures before us are not simply photographs of the stars, 
 but photographs of the spectra of the stars. And, here, please, 
 one word before embarking on our explanation. Lest the reader 
 take fright at the word spectrum, or spectra, we want to say at 
 the outset that we are not going to use any scientific terms 
 whatever, or allude to any abstruse matters. We are going to 
 give as unscientific an account of Dr. Huggins' investigation as 
 we possibly can ; that is our only object, and we shall be but 
 too pleased if we err on the side of puerility. 
 
 We say Dr. Huggins photographs the spectrum of a star, and 
 not the star itself, and this is easily explained. Everybody who 
 has entered a room in which a chandelier with glass drops 
 happens to be, or lustres on the mantelpiece, knows very well 
 that the colours of the rainbow frequently hover about them. 
 The reason of this, too, most people know. A ray of sunlight, 
 or daylight, however white and shining it appears under ordi- 
 nary circumstances, is made up of a bundle or faggot of coloured 
 rays, and the coloured rays are seen whenever the faggot gets 
 dispersed. Many things will cause the dispersion of light, and 
 turn a white ray into a broad coloured band, or ribbon of red, 
 yellow, blue, and violet. Out of doors the rain often does it 
 for us, and then we get the rainbow ; but indoors the dispersion 
 of light is generally due to the triangular or prism-like drops of 
 our chandeliers and lustres. "Whenever you put a prism of glass 
 in the path of a beam of sun-light, you get this dispersion or 
 separation of the faggot ; and this dispersion is called the spec- 
 
DR. HUGGINS. 
 
 85 
 
 trum. If it be a beam of sunlight that is dispersed into colours, 
 we call the band of colours the spectrum of the sun or solar 
 spectrum ; if we look at the light from one of the stars, putting 
 first of all a prism in the way between our eye and the star to 
 disperse the ray, then the colours shown we term the spectrum 
 of a star. 
 
 " But what amount of light can possibly come from a star ? " 
 the reader will exclaim. " Surely the twinkling spots we see 
 in the heavens are not sufficient for dispersion, and for the for- 
 mation of a coloured rainbow or spectrum ?" We answer, not 
 only is the light of our stars sufficient to give a tiny rainbow— 
 by making it go through a prism — but this tiny rainbow or star 
 spectrum can be photographed, thanks to rapid gelatine plates, 
 and it is just this wonderful feat which Dr. Huggins has 
 accomplished. 
 
 Of course, in his tiny pictures, we see no colour ; this has yet 
 to come. But we see something that is more important even 
 than colour. We have spoken of star spectra, and of the spec- 
 trum given by the sun, and we may mention that most bodies 
 that emit rays are capable of furnishing a spectrum. A red hot 
 poker, for instance, will give you a spectrum, and so will a glow- 
 ing coal. But if you want to see the colours to perfection, as 
 they come from the prism, you must look at them in the dark ; 
 just as in camera work you can see best to focus when extraneous 
 light is cut off. Thus, if you darken the room in which your 
 prism is, and only let in a beam of sunshine through a chink in 
 the shutter, your colours, or spectrum, or rainbow, whatever 
 you choose to call it, will be very vivid. You see the white ray 
 coming sharp and straight from the shutter to the prism, and 
 then dispersed into a spectrum. The more narrow your chink 
 or slit, the clearer will be your spectrum, and when you have 
 narrowed the slit to something like sio of an inch, you will find 
 in the spectrum something more than a row of mere colours. 
 You will see a lot of little upright lines, which you have not seen 
 before ; and it is these lines, particularly, their place in the 
 spectrum, their number, and their thickness, which is of impor- 
 tance. They are a language, which we cannot as yet read dis- 
 tinctly, but which, little by little, we are beginning to under- 
 stand. Already these lines in the spectrum have told us much of 
 which before we knew nothing ; what they will reveal in the 
 future, the future alone can tell. 
 
86 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 Dr. Huggins, then, photographs the spectrum of a star ; that 
 is, he does not present his camera directly at the heavens ; "before 
 the light of the star is allowed to shine upon his sensitive plate, 
 it is compelled to pass through a prism to he dispersed, and it 
 is this dispersed light — this band of colours — this spectrum — of 
 which he gets an image. And he gets not only an image of the 
 spectrum, or rainbow, but of the little upright lines in the 
 spectrum, too. As we said before, his negative pictures are little 
 white bands with " zebra stripes," these stripes, more or less 
 vivid, being no other than the lines in the spectrum. 
 
 Now, what do these lines mean ? They have reference to cer- 
 tain metals or substances. Thus, if we take a spoonful of common 
 salt — or chloride of sodium, as chemists call it — and burn it in a 
 flame, and then examine that flame, we shall find in the spectrum 
 that it casts an upright line of a vivid yellow. This line appears 
 in the red part of the rainbow, or spectrum, and whenever 
 sodium is present in a flame, no matter how minute the quantity, 
 this line always makes its appearance, and always in precisely 
 the same position of the spectrum. We can only argue one thing 
 from this ; that there is sodium piesent whenever we see the 
 line. Hence it is called the sodium line. Mr. William Crookes, 
 the first editor of the Photogeaphic Hews, one day burning 
 some sulphur, and looking at the spectrum of the flame, dis- 
 covered, to his surprise, a line he had never seen before. It was 
 a single green line, and hence he knew there must be something 
 present in the flame of which chemists at that moment knew 
 nothing. He proceeded with his investigation, and, in a few 
 days, was able to announce to the world that he had discovered, 
 through the medium of the spectrum, an entirely new metal, to 
 which he gave the name of Thallium. 
 
 Since, then, the lines tell us of the presence of certain bodies 
 we have in the spectrum, we have here a very easy and simple 
 way of finding out what is in a substance that is burning. We 
 can tell if it contain copper, iron, sodium, &c. The lines pro- 
 claim the fact at once. It is, in a word, a most efficient and 
 quick method of analysis, this method of spectrum analysis. A 
 ray of sunshine, falling on a prism, and dispersing, exhibits lines 
 that leave little doubt that in the glowing mass we call the sun 
 there is sodium, iron, hydrogen in vast quantities, &c. Dr. 
 Huggins, in like manner, has examined the light from various 
 stars, and, from the lines he has obtained, he tells us how, in the 
 
DE. HUGGTNS. 
 
 87 
 
 bright star Sirius, there is sodiuni, magnesium, hydrogen, and 
 iron, and in the yellow star Aldebaran these are to be found in 
 conjunction with bismuth, antimony, and mercury. 
 
 Now we come to the important task which photography has 
 fulfilled in connection with this wonderful investigation. We 
 have hitherto spoken of lines visible to the eye. But, at one edge 
 of the rainbow, or spectrum, in the violet and lavender regions, 
 there are lines which are invisible to the eye, but which can, 
 nevertheless, be photographed. Dr. Huggins, indeed, does not 
 care to photograph more than half the spectrum ; the red and 
 yellow parts he can best examine with the eye, and therefore 
 he confines himself to photographing the lines in the violet and 
 lavender regions, and in the region beyond, which, curiously 
 enough, we cannot see at all. And it is precisely these regions 
 that appear to be most interesting so far as the stars are con- 
 cerned. His little photographs show at once that there are, at 
 any rate, three distinct classes of stars. There are those, for 
 instance, which give twelve distinct lines, or zebra stripes. 
 These lines are evidently due to hydrogen, and denote vast masses 
 of this inflammable gas to be present in the stars. All white 
 stars give these twelve lines, such as Sirius, Vega, the Great 
 Bear, &c, and for this reason it is presumed that they are youth- 
 ful stars. Next, there are stars that give lines, or spectra, so 
 much like the lines given by our own sun, that they are doubtless 
 of the same age, and have been burning about as long ; Capella 
 is one of these, which, among other things, do not show the hydro- 
 gen lines so perfectly. Finally, we have old suns, like Arcturus, 
 and the yellow star Aldebaran, which seem to be rapidly burn- 
 ing themselves out ; the spectrum here is very different, the 
 twelve hydrogen lines, as an instance, being reduced to six. 
 
 Dr. Huggins invites us into his observatory, and we climb the 
 stairs in his company. We make our way through a well- 
 appointed laboratory, then ascend into an apparatus room, full of 
 magnificent electrical paraphernalia and optical appliances, and 
 finally, pushing opon a trap above our heads, reach the " star 
 chamber.' ' It is not very high up, after all, where Dr. Huggins 
 holds communion with the stars. Yet we may here see farther 
 into the heavens than from the loftiest spire upon earth. 
 
 In the centre is a vast telescope, some twelve feet long and 
 twenty inches in diameter ; it is inclined upwards through an 
 orifice in the roof, the roof itself being dome-shaped, and capable 
 
88 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 of revolution, so that the whole hemisphere of the heavens may 
 in turn he examined. 
 
 It is here that the work to which we have alluded has "been 
 performed — work which may seem simple enough to the reader, 
 but which has involved the exercise of patience and perseverance 
 indescribable. Who shall tell of the countless watchings, the 
 indomitable fortitude, the persistent activity by which the triumph 
 has been gained ? Fortunately, our worthy host has a worthy 
 assistant in the person of Mrs. Huggins, to whom is due, in no 
 small measure, the success of his labours. Our readers know full 
 well how feeble is the light of a star ; and when they bear in 
 mind that only as much of that light as can come through a slit 
 3 J 0 of an inch is permitted to act on the photographic plate, this 
 light being not in the form of a pin's point, but spread over half 
 an inch surface, they will understand that a long exposure is 
 necessary. Sometimes, indeed, two hours are required to impress 
 the image, and during the whole of this weary interval it is the 
 duty of the doctor's chief assistant to watch that star, and see 
 that it remains in its proper place upon the slit of the instrument. 
 The stars, as we all know, are constantly moving — or, rather, 
 the earth is, which is the same thing — and the consequence is 
 that the big telescope, in which the camera and spectrum 
 apparatus are placed, has to be kept moving, too, by clockwork, 
 to keep up with the star. But, delicately-regulated as the clock- 
 work is, it cannot always be depended upon to move the telescope 
 exactly at the same rate as the earth. For this reason it is that 
 Mrs. Huggins duly watches to see it do its duty, the lady having 
 appliances at hand whereby she can amend the speed, and catch 
 the star again by going a little faster, or slower, as the case 
 may be. 
 
 Mrs. Huggins is also an accomplished photographer, and is 
 conversant with all the advances recently made. Indeed, it is 
 only, as one can well understand, with the aid of very sensitive 
 gelatine plates that some of the stars — the red ones and the 
 yellow ones particularly — can be made to tell their interesting 
 story. " It is all very well to speak lightly of doubling 
 the exposure/ ' said Dr. Huggins, "when it is a question of 
 seconds only; but, in my case, it is a matter of hours." Dr. 
 Huggins, in his work, soon gets to know of a plate's sensitive- 
 ness ; making long exposures during the weary watches of the 
 night is a crucial test for the sensitive film. 
 
BR. HUGGINS. 
 
 8 
 
 And now, if the reader will but listen another moment, we 
 can, in a very few words, explain how Dr. Huggins does his 
 photographic work. "We have said that the little camera and 
 spectrum apparatus are inside the telescope, and we have 
 explained how it is necessary, in order to get a proper image 
 upon the sensitive plate, that the light from the star should shine 
 into the apparatus through a tiny slit not more than 3 5 0 of an inch 
 broad. The great thing to be accomplished, therefore, is to get 
 the little luminary to settle exactly upon this slit, and to keep it 
 there during the long time necessary for the exposure. It 
 is done in this way. The telescope, which is nothing more 
 than a hollow tube, is directed towards the heavens, and in such 
 a way that the star shines down the tube. There are many stars, 
 of course, but Dr. Huggins has only to do with one at a time. 
 At the bottom of the tube or telescope is a mirror, and the con- 
 sequence is that the star, looking down the tube, shines upon the 
 mirror. The mirror, then, by careful handling, is made to 
 reflect the particular star upon the slit of the camera apparatus, 
 and very nicely indeed has the mirror to be adjusted to do this. 
 But this difficult task it fulfils, nevertheless, under the skilful 
 hands of Mrs. Huggins, and to that lady, as we have said, falls 
 the onerous duty of continually watching to see that the tiny 
 spot of light keeps hovering ove~ the slit. Of course the big 
 telescope is moving all the while, and the camera inside as well, 
 by means of the clockwork, to which we have; referred, in order 
 to keep up with the moving star ; but let the mechanism be ever 
 so well-regulated, it requires unremitting attention, so that, as 
 we have said, the eye has continually to watch the position of 
 the star upon the apparatus the whole weary time of the 
 exposure. 
 
 It is only on certain nights in the year that star photography- 
 is at all possible. You must be for ever on the alert, watching 
 your opportunity. The night must not only be clear, but steady. 
 After rain the stars are sometimes very bright, and they do not 
 twinkle, a sure sign of atmospherical disturbance. Here is the 
 tiny camera fixed at the end of the spectrum apparatus, and here 
 the little dark slide that receives the plate ; it is half-an-inch 
 broad and two inches long — surely, the smallest dark slide in the 
 world ! Autumn and spring Dr. Huggins perf ers for his photo- 
 graphic work, and, if possible, he brings his labours to an end 
 at midnight. In wintry weather he can commence work about 
 
90 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 six ; but in the summer time he has sometimes to wait till ten 
 before the stars are bright enough for his purpose. 
 
 Dr. Huggins, in describing his apparatus, says : It 'was neces- 
 sary to devise an apparatus which should produce on the plate a 
 well-defined spectrum, full of fine details, with the least possible 
 loss of light. As glass is but imperfectly transparent to light 
 beyond the visible spectrum, it was necessary to avoid the use of 
 this substance. The telescope was a reflector of the Cassegrain 
 form, having a metallic speculum eighteen inches diameter. The 
 form of spectrum apparatus is represented in the accompanying, 
 wood-cut : — 
 
 a is a base-plate with bevelled eJges, which slides witlfa suit- 
 
DR. HUGGINS. 
 
 91 
 
 ably grooved plate fixed at the end of a telescope, b is the slit r 
 having a width of 3 5 0 th part of an inch ; c is the prism of Iceland 
 spar, a substance very transparent to the ultra-violet rays, and 
 possessing a power of dispersion equal to moderately dense flint. 
 The lenses, d and e, are of quartz. The plate is placed at /, 
 and inclined so as to bring as large a part as possible of the 
 spectrum to focus upon it. The photographic spectra taken with 
 this apparatus measure half an inch from g to d, and the defini- 
 tion is so excellent, that seven lines may be seen between H and 
 K in the solar spectrum. 
 
 The difficulty arising from the star's apparent motion 
 required a special arrangement to enable the star's image to be 
 brought upon and kept accurately within the very narrow chink, 
 the 3 J 0 th of an inch wide, through which the light must pass. 
 
 In addition to a massive equatorial mounting, and a driving 
 clock of great excellence, due to the inventive skill of Mr. Howard 
 Grubb, the arrangement shown in fig. 2 was adopted. 
 
 Fig. 2 shows parts of the telescope. The spectrum apparatus 
 
 a is fixed so that the slit may be exactly at the principal focus of" 
 the mirror b. Over the slit is placed a polished silver plate, c, 
 with an opening corresponding to the slit. By means of a small 
 mirror, d, artificial yellow light is thrown upon this plate. 
 
 Fig. 2. 
 
92 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 Behind the hole in the centre of the speculum is placed a small 
 Galilean telescope or opera-glass. If the telescope is directed to 
 a star, and the observer looks into this small telescope, he sees 
 the silver plate and the slit within the opening by means of the 
 artificial light. He sees also upon the plate the image of the 
 star as a bright point. It is then within his power to bring this 
 bright point exactly upon any desired part of the slit, and by 
 continuously watching it during the whole time of photographic 
 exposure, which may be an hour or more, to correct instantly, by 
 hand, any small irregularities of the motion of the telescope. 
 
 It was necessary, further, to have the means of being able, 
 from comparison with a known spectrum, to determine the wave 
 lengths of the lines in the spectra of the stars. For this purpose 
 the slit was provided with two shutters, g and li (fig. 1 J. During 
 the exposure the shutter g only was open ; when the photograph 
 had buen taken this shutter was closed, and the second shutter, h, 
 withdrawn : through this half of the slit a second spectrum was 
 taken upon the same plate. This might be the sun's light re- 
 flected from the moon, or the spectrum of a known star, or a 
 terrestrial spectrum, or direct sunlight on the following day. 
 
 MESSRS. WINDOW & GROVE AT BAKER STREET. 
 
 The establishment of Messrs. Window and Grove is, in some 
 sort, historical. If not the first, the late Mr. Window was one of 
 the first to settle in that fashionable quarter, constituting the 
 loadstone towards which so many have since gravitated. Why 
 photography and Baker Street should have become synonymous 
 terms is not very clear ; but we suppose fashionable loungers 
 are naturally attracted towards Baker Street Bazaar, and fashion- 
 able photographers have come after them. But the Window 
 and Grove establishment has other claims upon history. The 
 cabinet portrait was born here. Mr. Window was the first to 
 suggest and press upon the attention of the public this familiar 
 style, which has not only become popular in this country, but as 
 the " carte album" is in favour throughout the Continent and 
 in America. We ourselves remember seeing years ago, in one 
 of the first studios of Vienna, half a-dozen cabinets from the Baker 
 
MESSRS. WINDOW AND GROVE. 
 
 93 
 
 Street studio, which had been sent for to serve as models, while 
 woodcuts appeared in the foreign journals of Mr. Window's work, 
 to show size, proportion, and style of the new portrait. Again, 
 the cameo portrait — four heads taken from different points, and 
 embossed upon a card, in the form of a diamond — was due to Mr. 
 Window, a format that enjoyed a good deal of popularity, and 
 deserved yet more ; while it was here, in this studio at Baker 
 Street, that the first essay at printing portraits in carbon was 
 made by a private firm. 
 
 It is not surprising that an establishment which has had so 
 much to do with the cabinet portrait should still look with 
 favour upon a child of its own. Mr. Grove, who is good enough 
 to receive us, and to act as guide through the establishment, tells 
 us the demand made for cabinet pictures is still so brisk, that no 
 endeavour has been made to introduce the panel picture, which, 
 in many studios, has long been fashionable. A vignetted bust is 
 the favourite portrait, the delicate tinted ground being secured, 
 as we presently see, by means of fawn-coloured cloth, stretched 
 without a fold to serve as background. Carbon upon opal — the 
 red chalk carbon — is also a speciality of Messrs. Window and 
 Grove, the pictures measuring from fifteen to twenty inches, 
 being produced from enlargements of the original cabinet nega- 
 tive. In a word, the establishment is working, and to some 
 purpose, too, upon the lines it adopted a dozen years ago. 
 
 The light is not very good, for it is a dull February day, and 
 Mr. Grove, who has been using gelatine plates of two of the best 
 known firms, tells us that cartes have required an exposure or 
 from eight to ten seconds, and cabinets from sixteen to twenty. 
 It is Mr. Grove's practice to take two views of each pose, giving 
 the one, two, or three seconds' more exposure than the other, and, 
 in this way, he can rely pretty well upon his gelatine films. 
 
 " You are using, then, nothing but gelatine ?" we say. 
 " To-day I am, and throughout the winter I have done so ; but I 
 shall get back to wet collodion when I can." Mr. Grove fully 
 appreciates the value of gelatine ; it enables him to take pictures 
 and guineas at the same time, which otherwise would be lost to 
 him ; but were both mediums equally open to employment, he 
 would unhesitatingly prefer a wet plate. It might be difficult, 
 possibly, to specify the particular point of advantage — whether 
 it lies in being able better to control the development, or in 
 securing deeper and more harmonious effects ; but that the wet 
 
94 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 plate, when there is light enough, has an undoubted advantage — 
 for the present, at any rate — Mr. Grove fully believes. It is in 
 the print, according to Mr. Grove, rather than in the negative, 
 that the weakness of a gelatine film is to be seen, and a practised 
 eye should have no difficulty in pronouncing any print the result 
 of a wet or dry plate. 
 
 Mr. Grove invariably employs the oxalate developer, for one 
 reason because many of his negatives have afterwards to be en- 
 larged for carbon work, and it is impossible to get a good enlarge- 
 ment with any negative showing a trace of pyrogallic staining. 
 We are invited into the enlarging-room. It is of the simplest 
 kind : an empty room lighted by a single window, looking on to 
 a small yard. By craning your neck out of window, you might 
 get a glimpse of the sky above, but not otherwise. Yet Mr. 
 Grove makes good use of the parallel rays that fall into this well 
 of aplace. The window can be shuttered at a moment's notice, 
 with the exception of a single pane, in which a bellows camera 
 has been fitted. The transparency is fitted in the camera, and 
 
 the light reflected upon it by a large sheet of opal glass, twenty- 
 four inches square, that is outside the window fixed to a board 
 that slopes at an angle of 45° with the casement. The enlarged 
 image thus thrown into the room is received upon an upright screen, 
 which either bears a focussing glass or carrier with plate. The 
 focussing or enlarging is easily done by approaching or receding 
 the screen. This latter is a sturdy frame-work of wood, standing 
 five or six feet high, the bottom being fixed in a four-wheel cart 
 or trolly, which moves on a tramway laid across the room. The 
 
MESSES. WINDOW AND GROVE. 
 
 95 
 
 wheels are small, and as the whole structure is rather heavy, it 
 -only moves slowly when pushed, and does not, indeed, move at 
 all unless considerable force is brought upon it. So that both 
 large and small pictures may be taken, there is an arrangement 
 in the frame-work for lowering or heightening the focussing 
 screen or dark slide, the latter being kept in position by a simple 
 wood clamp. The whole frame-work and trolly together is so 
 simple that any carpenter could put it together, its solidity being 
 one of its most valuable qualities. 
 
 The studio is one of the smallest we have seen in a first-class 
 studio, and you wonder at first where the dark-room and labora- 
 tory can be. There is but one camera visible, with a hood ex- 
 tending some four feet in front of the lens ; but although room is 
 limited, there is not the least sign of crowding. Mr. Grove 
 believes in simplicity in a studio, and it is well he does so, other- 
 wise a glass room twice the size would not have sufficed. While 
 there is but one camera, there is a whole battery of lenses, here, 
 under the table, of all sorts and sizes to fit it. Our host makes 
 use of a universal adaptor — or universal front, it might be called 
 (see fig.) ; that is to say, instead of having half-a-dozen spare 
 flanges to each lens, he has each lens screwed into a front, and 
 the whole series of fronts (all of the same size) lift in and out of 
 the one camera. 
 
 Another simple arrangement is the method of supplying the 
 plates from the dark room. This is underneath the studio, so that 
 there is no smell of collodion in summer time, and the heat is 
 never oppressive. A little shaft runs down into the apartment 
 beneath, and the carrier and plates are in this wise conveyed to 
 the glass room. There is a speaking-tube, moreover, between 
 the apartments ; but signals are usually conveyed by a whistle. 
 One whistle from below means that the plate has been developed 
 and is all right, and that the visitor may be bowed out. In 
 these circumstances, even gelatine plates may be developed before 
 the sitter departs, for there is no delay in immersing the plate in 
 the oxalate bath. As only one sized plate is used in the 
 establishment, whether for carte or cabinet pictures, simplicity 
 here comes in again to aid in the work. 
 
 Mr. Grove's highest class of work is the red carbon portrait 
 upon porcelain. We do not know if our host represents the only 
 firm of portraitists in London who are carbon printers, but we 
 rather think so. Here is the developing room, and here the 
 
96 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 three huge tanks, some three feet square, required for the pro- 
 cess. The first is for warm water, the second for cold, the third 
 is the alum bath. The carbon printing is conducted under Mr. 
 Grove's personal supervision, for it is, as everybody knows, 
 touchy work at the best. It is not unusual to develop a score 
 of pictures in order to obtain one that will please. " You may 
 secure a very good impression on the second or third trial,' ' said 
 Mr. Grove, " but then you always try again to see if you cannot 
 get a better one still." "When you have a good carbon print, it 
 is worth all the trouble, our host thinks, and he is quite satisfied, 
 apparently, with the results of his tedious labour. Certainly it 
 is not everybody who would work so hard for success. 
 
 Carbon portraits upon paper are more difficult to obtain perfect 
 than upon opal ; the pot-metal helps out a good many defects, 
 and the film dries upon the surface in a more satisfactory manner.. 
 It is M*\ Grove's opinion that carbon pictures — at any rate, for 
 large portraits — must become popular, since the public are- 
 gradually getting to know of their permanence, and will in the 
 future be satisfied with nothing else. But it is very plain — and 
 Mr. Grove speaks as a carbon printer of many years' standing — 
 that indomitable perseverance and inexhaustible patience are 
 indispensable in the production of high-class carbon pictures. 
 
 THE WOODBURY PERMANENT PRINTING COMPANY AT 
 KENT GARDENS, EALING. 
 
 In a remote corner of Ealing, where the suburban villas come 
 to an end, and the madowland slopes away to the green hills 
 about Harrow and Pinner, are to be found the works of the 
 Woodbury Permanent Printing Company. The Company has 
 evidently a notion of taking care of itself, for at Brompton, we 
 remember, where it was last located, the neighbourhood was an 
 exceedingly agreeable one, and there are certainly few work- 
 ing establishments in and about London which can boast so fine 
 a site as Kent Gardens, Ealing. The building is nothing less 
 than one of the fine villas that are here to be seen in goodly 
 number, or rather, we believe, an hotel, it is so spacious ; the 
 rooms are light, airy, and lofty, and the grounds amply suffice 
 for the outhouses — printing sheds, studios, developing rooms, &c. 
 
THE WOODBURY COMPANY 
 
 97 
 
 — which, are necessary to the carrying on of the multifarious 
 duties with which the Company occupies itself. 
 
 The Company produces its own carbon tissue, for, as our 
 readers are aware, it has acquired for some years past a high 
 reputation for enlargements printed in permanent pigments, and 
 possesses all the necessary facilities for printing and developing ; 
 but, as a matter of course, it is the photo-relief or "Woodbury 
 process that constitutes the chief feature of the Kent Gardens 
 establishment. The Company has it all its own way when it 
 comes to a question of rapid printing from portrait negatives, 
 and, what between electioneering orders and orders connected 
 with Eoyal marriages, there is plenty to do. Election agents 
 are very much alive to the publicity which photography is 
 capable of giving to the features of the respective candidates, 
 and orders are sometimes given for as many portraits of a would- 
 be member as there are voters on the election roll. Again, the 
 daughter of King Eumpeltiltskin is a favourite just now, the 
 Princess Eadoura, for she is shortly to be married, and Continen- 
 tal dealers are clamouring for her portrait. Comes an agent 
 across the seas with a couple of negatives of the fair Princess ; 
 he will not leave them — they are too precious — but waits un- 
 comfortably for a few hours at Ealing, while the necessary gela- 
 tine moulds are made for printing off the pictures mechanically. 
 Then he travels back again post-haste to continue solar printing, 
 which has been momentarily interrupted, leaving behind him 
 instructions to despatch 50,000 copies of the fair Princess as 
 soon as Ealing has stamped them off. 
 
 Our readers are well acquainted with the "Woodbury process, 
 we know, but we shall nevertheless take the liberty of briefly 
 describing it once more as it stands in its present state of perfec- 
 tion. The first room is where the sensitive film is kept. It is 
 in thin transparent sheets, and consists of gelatine with a backing 
 of collodion treated with bichromate solution ; it very much 
 resembles the gelatine employed for cracker bonbons, only it is 
 tougher and a little stouter. After sensitizing, it is put into a 
 chloride of calcium box to dry, the operation being there very 
 steadily and thoroughly carried out. The sensitive gelatine film 
 is put under a negative in an ordinary printing-frame, and printed 
 in the sun. They used, at Erompton, to put the printing-frames- 
 at the bottom of a box, to ensure the rays coming straight down 
 upon the film ; but this they find is not necessary if the frames 
 
98 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 are made to face in the direction of the sun. But direct rays 
 are indispensable to the production of a good photo-relief. The 
 gelatine film, by printing under a negative, becomes insoluble in 
 parts (where the light has got at it), and the consequence is, that 
 when immersed in warm water, only a portion of the film washes 
 away, leaving an image of the negative in relief. The washing 
 takes place very gradually , the film being placed on end, and the 
 water passing through. The shadows in the negative being 
 represented by transparent patches of glass, the light has worked 
 through here, and the result is that the gelatine film is, after wash- 
 ing, all over prominences, these prominences being the shadows ; 
 and they are more or less in relief according as the shadows were 
 deep or otherwise, or according, as we have said before, as the glass 
 negative was more or less transparent. These gelatine impres- 
 sions are permitted to dry upon patent plate glass so that they 
 may be perfectly flat, and are further toughened with alum. 
 Stripped from the glass when dry, we have a perfect mould, in 
 which the shadows are represented by prominences, and the lights 
 by hollows. 
 
 Now comes the production of the metal plate, which is taken 
 from this gelatine mould. There are two hydraulic presses in 
 this room for pressing the gelatine mould against a sheet of lead ; 
 one of these presses is capable of exerting a pressure of 150 tons, 
 and the other, which is employed for pictures up to 14 inches by 
 10, is equal to giving a squeeze of 500 tons. It is the necessity 
 for having the presses which evidently stands in the way of 
 Woodburytype becoming vulgarised ; that is to say, photo-relief 
 printing is of itself such an elaborate industry, and requires such 
 expensive apparatus, and withal the employment of so many 
 skilled hands in one department and another, that unless a 
 photographer sees his way clear to issue hundreds of thousands 
 of prints, it would never be worth his while to take up with the 
 hydraulic process, although, it is true, Mr. Woodbury's new 
 Stannotype process bids fair to bring photo-relief printing within 
 the means of the every-day portraitist. 
 
 Pure lead is employed for securing the .counter-mould of the 
 gelatine film, the lead being rolled into plates. A steel plate 
 serves to rest the gelatine mould upon, and this steel plate forms, 
 as it were, the bottom of a tray, the sides of the tray being 
 sharp knife edges. The reason of this tray-like formation is 
 soon evident. The gelatine mould, as we say, is put upon the 
 
THE WOODBURY COMPANY. 
 
 99 
 
 steel bottom of the tray, and then a sheet of lead, larger than 
 the tray, is put upon it. "When subjected to pressure in this 
 way, the knife edges cut the lead, and the latter thus accurately 
 and entirely fills up the tray. The gelatine film cannot escape 
 the pressure, because of the steel plate below, and the con- 
 sequence is that the lead is pressed into every detail of the 
 gelatine, and these details cannot spread, because the tray is 
 completely full of metal. The consequence is, that the com- 
 paratively frail gelatine impresses the metal plate with its like- 
 ness. The pressure is so evenly and skilfully managed, that 
 they say a fern leaf can be put in the tray and pressed ; and the 
 fern leaf, soft and yielding as one might suppose, is still capable 
 under the circumstances of impressing its form on the metal. 
 
 "We ha\e in the lead plate an engraving in which the shadows 
 are now represented as deep hollows, and the high-lights by 
 prominences ; indeed, the deeper the shadow in the original 
 photograph, the deeper are the cavities. We now proceed to 
 another room to see the process of printing from these metal 
 plates. It is a large apartment with eight circular tables. 
 There is a printer at each table ; the table revolves on a pivot, so 
 that he can bring under his hand, one after another, a series of 
 printing presses, of which there are seven to each table, fixed 
 round the margin. The process of printing consists in the fact 
 that you employ a dark transparent ink, and the thicker the 
 ' layer of this ink upon paper, the blacker it appears. The printer 
 opens one of the presses, and you see, face upwards, the metal 
 plate ; he pours a little pool of the warm gelatinous ink upon the 
 plate, claps a sheet of white paper on the pool, and then, with 
 a turn of the handle, makes the paper press down upon the 
 plate. The result is that the superfluous ink is squeezed out, 
 and when you open the press again presently, there is an image 
 made up of ink of different thicknesses. The hollows in the 
 plates have permitted a good deal of ink to remain, thus repre- 
 senting the shadows of the picture, while in the lights nearly all 
 the ink has been pressed out, and in these portions the paper is 
 white — or almost white. 
 
 As we have said, each printer stands before a round table that 
 revolves. He has seven presses to attend to, and inks them one 
 after another ; a minute, or rather more, is consumed at each 
 revolution of the table, so that the gelatinous ink of each picture 
 has this time to set. They are printing a portrait of Miss 
 
100 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 Genevieve Ward at this table, as she appears in "Forget-me- 
 Mot," at the Prince of Wales's; it is to illustrate a theatrical 
 journal. Ihe printing goes on very fast; a wine bottle, kept 
 "warm in a water-bath close by, holds the ink, and from this it 
 is poured upon the shining metal. There is a dirty pool of 
 liquid, and a white sheet of paper clapped upon it ; a turn of the 
 press, and the moment afterwards the pool and the paper are 
 converted into four Miss Genevieve Wards, all looking as stern as 
 stern can be, but as fresh and perfect as a clean silver print. The 
 inking goes on, the table revolves, and the Miss Genevieve Wards 
 accumulate, until a boy carries them off to a canvas tray to dry, 
 of which there is a perfect stack in the department; 30,000 
 cartes can be here printed in a day. 
 
 Only the purest pigment obtainable — Indian ink — can be 
 employed in the printing of Woodburytypes, for accidental 
 particles of pigment, however small, would ruin the pictures if 
 they appeared in any of the high -lights. The process, so far, 
 looks simple enough, but in practice there are many difficulties 
 to contend against. The matter of securing perfectly good 
 prints depends upon the printing surfaces being perfectly flat. 
 Any unevenness of the paper is enough to spoil the picture, for 
 as the printing is simply the accurately pressing out of super- 
 fluous ink between paper and plate, if these are not both perfectly 
 level, one side of the print will have more ink than the other, 
 and hence the picture will be dark on one side and light on the 
 other. Great care is, therefore, taken to flatten the paper used 
 in printing. It is pressed between steel plates, and, moreover, 
 varnished and gelatined to prevent the ink subsequently being 
 pressed into the pores of the paper, for the Woodbury print, to 
 be successful, must be a true surface print. 
 
 In other rooms, the drying, aluming — for the gelatinous 
 picture requires to be tanned to render it permanent — sorting, 
 flattenning, and mounting take place. The Woodbury Company 
 gives employment to something like sixty hands, and this number 
 will soon be further increased, for the managing director (Mr. 
 Whitfield) contemplates extending his carbon tissue manufacture, 
 and having an electric light, with suitable engine, on the premises, 
 for helping in his work. The Company appear to do anything 
 and everything in connection with photographic printing. From 
 Mr. Whitfield's well-known work, "Men of Mark," down to all 
 sorts of advertisements and show-cards, executed in thousands, 
 
MR, WILLIAM MAYLAND. 
 
 101 
 
 for wholesale houses, the Kent Gardens Establishment occupies 
 itself. Here are pictures of rifles, fowling pieces, vases, shirt- 
 fronts, fenders, fire-irons, neck- ties, pianos, &c. — photographs 
 produced by the thousand. "We peep into the glass-house for a 
 moment, and cannot repress a momentary shudder at the uncanny 
 appearance that meets the eye. First of all, it looked like a 
 group of personages perfectly immovable ; then it resolved itself 
 into so many heads, hanging lifeless, a sort of Blue Beard's 
 chamber ; and it is only on a second glance that we perceive there 
 is but a collection of head-dresses, with no heads in them at all. 
 Our guide evidently notices our scared look, for he says : "Oh ! 
 that's nothing; we had a hearse here yesterday." 
 
 The Woodbury Company are famous, as everybody knows, for 
 their transparencies for the lantern. Photographers frequently 
 send a whole series of negatives to be made into lantern, slides 
 (sufficient for an hour's lecture or entertainment), and, during 
 the autumn and winter months, work of this kind is one of the 
 Company's chief occupations. The transparent gelatine ink is 
 thoroughly well adapted to the magic lantern, and permits the 
 light to pass far more freely than it can do through the opaque 
 particles of a silver positive. The way to make it will be found 
 on referring to the chapter devoted to Mr. Woodbury. 
 
 ME. WILLIAM MAYLAND IN BEGENT STREET. 
 
 Some years ago official business called us to Marlborough House. 
 It was a cold foggy morning at the fag end of October, and the 
 wide vestibule struck us as intensely chilly, on our entrance ; 
 moreover, on ascending the thick carpeted stairs, we were 
 ushered into a room on the first floor in which the door was 
 kept permanently open. It was the equerry's room, and that 
 gentleman received us with exceeding courtesy. But he, too, 
 was cold, and his faultless attire did not give one the impression 
 that he derived any warmth from it. Our conversation was 
 
 • conducted in tones scarcely above a whisper, and there was a 
 degree of unrest observable that was anything but comfortable. 
 The open doorway commanded three corridors — the one by 
 which we had ascended, that continuing past the equerry's door, 
 
 .and a third en face in the direction of the Prince's apartments. 
 
102 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 These corridors it seemed the equerry's especial duty to watch, 
 and, during the period of our visit, that officer never took his 
 cold eye off the doorway. Portly footmen in red coats, white 
 stockings, and low shoes came and went without a sound, and 
 startled you by their vivid appearance in the chill silence. Our 
 companion was " family doctor " to the Princess of "Wales, and, 
 by virtue of his position, indulged occasionally in a little joke 
 by way of thawing the frigidity that prevailed ; but the equerry 
 did not unbend, and even the brisk entrance of Prince Arthur 
 (he was not Duke of Connaught then), who good humouredly 
 exchanged half-a-dozen bright sentences, was without effect 
 upon the stern official. But as we still waited and watched the 
 corridor opposite, and His Eoyal Highness failed to appear, the 
 equerry, knowing that the doctor and ourselves were conversant 
 with photographic matters, mentioned the circumstance of some 
 little enamels having just arrived for the Princess, and these he 
 submitted for our inspection. They were medallions of the 
 Eoyal children, and taken, he said, by a little firm in Regent 
 Street, of which he did not quite remember the name, but he 
 thought it was that of Mr. "William Mayland. 
 
 Since that day Mr. Mayland has had the good fortune to win 
 a medal for photographic enamels, the only award of the kind, 
 we believe, given in England. Like his late partner, Mr. 
 T. E. Williams, he appears to confine himself to small work of 
 exquisite softness and finish, and to trouble himself little about 
 other phases of portraiture. A saunter round the reception- 
 room of the u little firm in Eegent Street" at once supplies the 
 reason why Mr. Mayland receives such distinguished patronage. 
 Her Eoyal Highness the Princess of Wales might well choose 
 the " little firm" to execute her work, for in enamels and the 
 portraiture of children evidently lie Mr. Mayland' s strong points. 
 Here is an infant Hercules, bold and defiant ; here, two tiny 
 children, muffled up against the cold, standing opposite one 
 another ; you can almost see their breathing in the cold air, and 
 they seem to have served as models for Kate Greenaway, whose 
 pictures have been so popular this winter. They wear little 
 coal-scuttle bonnets, and quaint cloaks of fur, and their chubby 
 cheeks are aglow with health. Here is a lady in a garden hat, 
 feeding a canary (a delicate cabinet picture this), and here is 
 a row of military heroes, for once without any semblance of 
 loudness and vulgarity. One reason, no doubt, for the general 
 
ME. WILLIAM MAYLAXD. 
 
 103 
 
 success of these pictures is the fact that Mr. Mayland, and Mr, 
 Mayland alone, is the author of them ; every sitter, we are told, 
 has his personal attention. 
 
 We go upstairs into the studio to see Mr. Mayland, ushered by 
 a polite young lady, who harbours grave doubts, however, as to 
 the policy of our visit. She scarcely holds with our notion 
 of giving an account of what we see; but consoles herself 
 with the reflection, expressed naively enough in our presence, 
 that " to be sure it does not matter much, for not one in ten will 
 ever look at it." Mr. Mayland is busy with a sitter — a clown in 
 motley. He is not a large clown ; in fact, he is a very little one 
 — a tiny scaramouche who has been present at some fancy ball, 
 and whose mamma desires that he should be perpetuated in 
 Grimaldi attire. We ask Mr. Mayland not to mind us, and he 
 does not. 
 
 We always thought photographers had an aversion to children ; 
 at least, half the woes of which disciples of the camera com- 
 plain seem to take their rise from tender offspring ; but to Mr. 
 Mayland such work seems to afford the greatest treat in the 
 world. The way in which the little fellow is entreated, prayed, 
 joked, cajoled, and flattered, makes him eminently obedient. No 
 wonder Mr. Mayland is one of the few photographers in London 
 who seems entirely successful with children. He has in an 
 eminent degree that rare combination of qualities — patience, 
 perseverance, tact, and skill — combined with that delight in the 
 work, which is necessary for managing juvenile humanity. In 
 a word, he converts what to many little sitters is a trying 
 ordeal into a merry game that they thoroughly enjoy. 
 
 The glass-room of the "little firm in Regent Street" can 
 scarcely be regarded as a model, and, therefore, it need not be 
 described in detail. In fact, to many photographers it would be 
 a wonder how such softly-rounded features, such delicate model- 
 ling, and rare finish could be here secured of this perfect manner 
 in a studio which has no side-light, but one directly facing the 
 sitter, and this of a westerly nature. Fortunately, there is an 
 ample supply of illumination (indeed, the studio was built for 
 Daguerreotype work, when light, and plenty of it, was the 
 only consideration), so that a good deal may be done with 
 curtains and screens ; but it is only between the hours of 10 and 
 12*30 that Mr. Mayland can work with effect. The studio has 
 a length of thirty-three feet ; the skirting-board facing the sitter 
 
104 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 rises some three or four feet, and then, after a few feet of 
 window, there comes the sloping glass roof. 
 
 To shade his cameras, Mr. May land was formerly in the habit of 
 employing a canopy overhead ; but this, by reason of his defective 
 lighting, he was compelled to abandon. He now uses but two tiny 
 laths which project in an upward direction beyond the lens some 
 eighteen inches, and over which a piece of black velvet is spread. 
 "With a view to amuse children, there are plenty of quaint pictures 
 of the Reinecke Fuchs order on the walls, while another marked 
 feature is a round disc of chamois leather with a bleeding heart in 
 the centre. Fortunately, before we had taken a sketch of the 
 latter to present to our readers, as a novelty for attracting the 
 sitter's attention, we were informed that it had no photo- 
 graphic value at all, but was there simply for the purpose of 
 practising with the foil ; for Mr. May land, it seems, is a skilled 
 fencer. 
 
 Mr. Mayland was good enough to develop some gelatine plates 
 in our presence. He employs for the purpose only artificial 
 light. He has had a lamp expressly made, which is of metal 
 on all sides except the face. This has a drop front of ruby 
 textile fabric, purchased of Mr. Thomas, of Pall Mall. The 
 lamp measures about twelve or fourteen inches in height, and 
 has a gas burner, which is always kept low. He develops, 
 after the sitters have left, the whole batch of negatives taken 
 during the day. He cuts his double plates into halves with a 
 diamond ; immerses the first in the developer, and acts upon the 
 second with a weaker or stronger solution, as the first seemed 
 to indicate. The development of the first plate is quite sufficient 
 for all the rest. To ascertain whether a gelatine film is perfectly 
 clear (for it should not have the slightest tinge of brown), it is 
 placed upon a sheet of white paper. The brown tinge is evidence, 
 not that the solution was not strong enough, but that there was 
 too little of it. "With plenty of developer, followed by an alum 
 bath, no browning of the transparent^ portions will ensue; and 
 how detrimental to the printing qualities of a negative this brown 
 tint is, need not be stated. For retouching, he employs, before 
 using his pencils, a little of the "autotype medium/' which 
 answers very satisfactorily in his hands. The negative is 
 moistened with this " medium" by means of a bit of rag, and, 
 in five minutes, is as good as paper for pencilling upon. E or HE 
 pencils are used, and if the retouching does not please, it is easily 
 
ME. LEON WAlvNEBKE. 
 
 105 
 
 removed again by the " medium." When the negative has been 
 satisfactorily retouched, it is varnished. Mr. May land has not 
 employed a wet plate for two winters in his studio, and he 
 estimates the comparative sensitiveness of his gelatine films 
 at about eight times that of collodion. 
 
 Mr. Maylancl was good enough to show us his laboratory for 
 the preparing of enamels, and the muffle furnace he employs in 
 his work. The process is of so delicate a nature that he can 
 trust it in no other hands than his own. 
 
 To those interested, we may mention that the charges made 
 by the "little firm in Regent Street" are respectively a guinea 
 and a guinea- and- a-half, the former entitling the sitter to twelve 
 carte portraits, and the latter to eight cabinets. The charge 
 made for enamels is from two guineas. 
 
 ME. LEON WARNEEKE AT CHAMPION HILL. 
 
 Mr. Waenekke's house is not difficult to find, although the 
 pleasant suburban neighbourhood is unfamiliar to us, and the 
 shades of evening have fallen, as we climb the slope of Champion 
 Hill. We know the thoroughfare, however, and we have been 
 told we shall find the house plainly marked when we get to it ; 
 and so it is. Although darkness is beginning to enshroud trees 
 and houses, the word " Silverhowe " presently shines forth on a 
 gate before us in clear white characters. " The name is written 
 in phosphorescent paint," explains Mr. "Warnerke, laughing, 
 when we congratulate him on the matter. How fervently we 
 wish the plan were generally adopted in town and suburb. 
 Phosphorescent paint would save many a grumble at dinner 
 parties ; fewer tempers and fewer dinners would be spoiled by 
 late-comers. 
 
 Mr. Warnerke is an indefatigable experimentalist, as every 
 photographer knows, and since there is scarcely any branch of 
 the art-science in which he has not engaged, a visit to him is 
 unusually interesting. The only difficulty we experience is 
 that of giving our readers anything like an adequate account of 
 our pleasant reception, for as we move from one room to the 
 other, chatting upon a hundred and one subjects, it occurs to 
 
106 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 us more than once — and very vividly, too — that our humble 
 powers can but faintly reproduce the many interesting facts put 
 "before us. 
 
 This is Mr. Warnerke's chemical laboratory, a roomy apart- 
 ment fitted with all the appliances of the modern chemist. 
 There are no less than five Sprengel pumps in one corner, a 
 portable gas engine on wheels in another, apparatus for mixing 
 rubber solution, for collodion making, for the preparation of 
 phosphorescent calcium, and a vast paraphernalia of utensils of 
 various kinds. A photographic laboratory, or dark room, is next 
 door, and upstairs we find a room devoted to mechanics, for Mr. 
 Warnerke is an able mechanician as well as chemist. Those 
 acquainted with his roller dark slide know this ; but only those 
 who, like ourselves, have seen the most recent form of this 
 ingenious contrivance, can fully appreciate his talents as a 
 theoretical and practical worker. And this leads us to speak of 
 the most important feature of Mr. Warnerke's recent investiga- 
 tions. The preparation of a flexible sensitive tissue of gelatino- 
 bromide is now an accomplished fact, and we had the pleasure of 
 inspecting not one or two film negatives of this description, but 
 a series of one hundred. The series represented, too, the first 
 negatives produced on the first batch of tissue ; and when we 
 say that of these experimental pictures, three-fourths at least 
 were really good photographs, while of the rest, scarcely one 
 could be pronounced a bad, we have said enough to show that good 
 times are, indeed, coming for photographers, and especially for 
 those who engage in travelling and out-door work. Having 
 ourselves made practical trial of the old form of "Warnerke tissue 
 and roller slide, on two mountain tours, we feel at liberty to 
 speak with some emphasis on the point ; and if tissue as rapid and 
 uniform in quality as the ordinary commercial gelatine plate can 
 be prepared, we prognosticate a grand future indeed for Mr. 
 Warnerke's recent invention. The new tissue, we are glad to 
 hear, is made without india-rubber, the paper on which it rests 
 being simply coated with gelatine ; and the resulting film is so 
 stout and durable that the negatives may be safely printed with- 
 out a glass support, an advantage too apparent for us to dwell 
 upon. 
 
 Our readers maybe familiar with the former roller dark slide. 
 There were two rollers in a box, and the tissue, as it was exposed, 
 a small area at a time, left one roller to embrace the other. 
 
MR. LEON WARNERKE, 
 
 107 
 
 There was a liny window or opening in the box, to enable the 
 photographer to watch the progress of the tissue as he unrolled 
 it, to bring forward a fresh piece for exposure ; and by watching 
 for numbers in succession — for instance, 3, 4, 5, 6, &c. — he knew 
 when the tissue was properly fixed in position for exposure. 
 Our own roller slide held a strip of tissue enough for forty pic- 
 tures, and not until this number of exposures had been made, 
 and the number 40 appeared through the little window, was it 
 necessary to replenish the apparatus. Obviously such an arrange- 
 ment will not answer for a highly sensitive gelatino-bromidc 
 film; ruby and yellow glass combined would no cloubt be suffi- 
 cient to protect the tissue in the slide, but then it would be 
 impossible for the photographer to read numbers on the tissue 
 through this double thickness of glass. Mr. Warnerke, there- 
 fore, constructs his new roller slide differently. The long band 
 of tissue, ere it is wound on the roller, is provided near the 
 edge with a series of small perforations or holes. If it is a five- 
 inch roller- slide, to take pictures five inches high, these perfora- 
 tions are punched at intervals of five inches. The tissue is now 
 wound round the upper roller, and stretched clown to the lower 
 one, in which position it is ready for use. 
 
 "We will now suppose the first exposure has been made, and 
 the photographer desires to shift the tissue, so as to bring a second 
 surface into the field. He revolves his rollers, by an ingenious 
 arrangement that we need hardly describe in detail ; the two 
 rollers are set in action by turning one handle, and the tissue 
 passes from one roller to the other. Presently a bell rings ; it 
 is the signal to stop. The perforation in the tissue of which we 
 spoke just now has arrived at a certain spot, and a little metal 
 stud comes into contact with a metal surface from which it has 
 hitherto been separated by the tissue. A tiny chloride of 
 silver battery, that finds a place, with the electric bell, inside 
 the slide, furnishes the electric current, and the bell continues 
 to ring so long as the metallic contact continues. 
 
 While admiring the ingenuity of this perfect little arrange- 
 ment, many will be tempted to ask whether the rollers and the 
 bell and the electric battery do not make up together a somewhat 
 costly and elaborate bit of mechanism. The idea is very natural, 
 especially by reason of our wordy explanation. But a glance 
 at the apparatus suffices to dispel any fear of this sort. The bell 
 is not much bigger than a thimble, the battery is equal in bulk 
 
108 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 to a couple of fingers, and the cost will not exceed one-fourth 
 more than the sum formerly charged for a roller- slide. The 
 slide we were shown had its battery fitted in May last ; it had 
 done a journey to Eussia and back, and been transported by rail, 
 steamer, and camel, and served for the production of three hundred 
 tissue negatives. Yet its power was still intact, and the bell 
 obeyed the current immediately. 
 
 We should like to describe some of the pictures. Here are 
 interiors, with all absence of blur about the windows — this is a 
 most important quality inherent to the tissue — and here is a 
 picture of the quays on the Dwina taken from a moving steamer, 
 Mr. Warnerke's camera being provided with one of Cadett's 
 clever shutters. Here is a village dance by Russian woman, their 
 handkerchief head-dresses reminding one of Lancashire lasses. 
 Here is an open-air theatre at Warsaw, the strangest spectacle 
 in the "world ; the proscenium is surrounded by natural decora- 
 tions, trees, shrubs, &c, with a space for the orchestra in front, 
 while the auditorium, in amphitheatre-shape, is separated from 
 the stage by a placid river which forms an effectual gulf between 
 players and spectators. 
 
 Most of us are acquainted with the actinomctcr and sensito- 
 metcr of Mr. Warnerke, but few know of the labour and cal- 
 culations these cost to devise. In the case of the actinometer, 
 indeed; the work had to be done a second time, for Mr. 
 Warnerke's first calculations were based upon daylight in 
 February and March, and when the summer time came, provision 
 was found to be necessary for measuring light of much greater 
 intensity. To ensure all instruments being of the same character 
 — or, in other words, the deposit of coloured medium in the 
 different degrees being all of the same thickness— Mr. Warnerke 
 works from one standard only. Thus, having by means of paper 
 layers built up his degrees of various thicknesses, he takes a cast 
 of these in Spcnce metal. This, the original cast, represents the 
 standard, and is carefully put away, after supplying moulds in 
 plaster of Paris ; like they do the original die of our sovereign at 
 the Royal Mint, it is kept as a record after it has served to strike 
 off a matrix. From the plaster of Paris mould other impressions 
 in Spcnce metal are taken, from which the scales arc printed. 
 
 Spence metal has occupied much of Mr. Warnerke's attention 
 of late, and in his hands it bids fair to become a most valuable 
 photographic material. The suggestion first made by us to 
 
ME. LEON WARNERKE. 
 
 109 
 
 employ Spence metal for plioto -relief printing Mr. Warnerke was 
 not slow to adopt, and he was good enough — as some of our 
 readers may remember — to publish the results of his first experi- 
 ments in the Photogeaphic News. Since then, he has assiduously 
 continued his investigations, and has prepared photo-relief or 
 "Woodbury plates of Spence metal, and fitted them in adequate 
 printing-presses. As we have said, the scales of the Warnerke 
 sensitometer are printed off from Spence-metal moulds. "With the 
 employment of Spence-metal, Mr. Warnerke hopes further to over- 
 come the stumbling-block which has stood in the way hitherto of 
 producing large Woodburytype prints. The difficulty of getting 
 large metal surfaces truly flat is almost insurmountable, and if 
 printing surfaces are not true in AVoodburytype printing, an un- 
 evenness in inking results, and uniform pictures are unobtainable* 
 But the easily-molten Spence metal will supply any number of flat 
 surfaces without difficulty, if care is only taken to cast it upon a 
 true level ; while the delicacy of its impression may be gathered 
 from the fact that a finger mark upon the mould is reproduced 
 in the Spence cast in the most perfect manner. 
 
 Mr. Warnerke was good enough to show, too, how he printed 
 his black figures on the sensitometer, and as photographers may 
 sometimes find it convenient to be able to print letterpress on a 
 glass surface, we communicate his ingenious method. Mr. 
 Warnerke makes use, for the purpose, of an ordinary clothes- 
 wringing machine, provided with a rubber roller. What is 
 wanted on the glass suiface is printed first of all on paper in a 
 printing-press in the usual manner, and then, while the ink is 
 still fresh, the paper imprint and glass plate — face to the glass — 
 are passed through the wringing-machine at considerable pressure. 
 There is no risk of breaking the glass, and, if the pressure is 
 sufficient, the print-off is exceedingly black and clean. If the 
 ink is dry on the paper before it can be used in the wringing- 
 machine, no doubt a little turpentine rubbed on the back would 
 at once facilitate its transfer. 
 
 Mr. Warnerke, besides the preparation of his new gelatino- 
 bromide tissue, is also busy establishing the preparation of gelatine 
 plates in Eussia ; and we may mention that Nelson's No. 1 flake 
 gelatine and ammonium bromide are the staples he prefers in the 
 production of the sensitive film. The gelatine in question, in his 
 experience, is much more free from ' 6 plague spots" than any 
 other description with which he has worked, a dictum that many 
 of our readers will be glad to note. 
 
110 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 A CITY PHOTOTYPE ESTABLISHMENT. 
 
 Our visit has to be made at twice, for the photographic opera- 
 tions connected with the preparation of phototype blocks cannot 
 be undertaken in the city. But first a few words by way of 
 preface. The word phototype is so universally applied to all 
 sorts of photo-mechanical printing, that it has almost ceased to 
 have any definite meaning, and, therefore, the process we are 
 about to describe requires a little explanation. It is the produc- 
 tion of typographical blocks — blocks that can be worked in the 
 ordinary printing-press along with type we refer to, and which, 
 as we shall presently show, are produced by a combination of 
 three arts — viz., photography, lithography, and etching. The 
 production of these printing- blocks has of late become a busy 
 trade, particularly in Paris, London, and New York. We men- 
 tion Paris first, because it seems to have been the cradle of the 
 -art, and the employes in London are for the most part French- 
 men. "We can get plenty of good photographers and 
 lithographers in this country, it appears; but those who 
 understand etching are few and far between. If you can call 
 to your assistance a skilled photographer, a skilled lithographer, 
 and a skilled etcher, then there is little difficulty in the produc- 
 tion of typographical blocks by the aid of photography ; but it 
 is only in the presence of these three that success can be hoped 
 for. The difficulties in the way of producing good work are so 
 many that it requires the most practised in each craft to contend 
 with them ; and let a man be ever so ready in understanding 
 the three processes involved, if he has not served an apprentice- 
 ship to them all (and this is very unlikely), he will not succeed 
 unaided. 
 
 The raison d'etre of these phototype establishments is not far 
 to seek. Our cheap illustrated newspapers cannot pay for wood 
 blocks — at any rate, for all their pictures — and a less expensive 
 substitute is imperative. Photography stands ready to lend a 
 hand in the dilemma. Any picture that appears in the foreign 
 illustrated journals of sufficient interest is made to do duty again 
 over here. The picture is sent to a city phototype establishment, 
 and, in a couple of clays, a suitable printing-block is returned. 
 It does not matter what the size of the original picture may be^ 
 or what is the size of the block desired ; the camera is ready to 
 
A CITY PHOTOTYPE ESTABLISHMENT. Ill 
 
 faring about any modifications of this kind that may be requisite, 
 and the work is done — thanks to considerable competition — at 
 a very low rate ; the charge is but threepence halfpenny to five- 
 pence per square inch, so that a zinc printing-block, measuring 
 four inches each way, is produced for less than eight shillings. 
 
 The " studio" we visit — if an open, glass-roofed shed can be 
 dignified by the name — is the most simple of its kind within 
 our knowledge. The photographic arrangements, too, are of a 
 most primitive description. There is a solid square table in the 
 middle of the apartment, measuring about four feet, and the 
 camera, with a long base-board, is pivoted on it. The base- 
 board, if it may be so termed, is continued in front of the camera, 
 and ends in an upright, against which the picture to be copied 
 is placed. It is rare that any large work has to be copied, and 
 rare, too, that the picture has to be reproduced the same size as 
 the original. The camera is, indeed, somewhat small for the 
 purpose, capable of taking nothing larger than a twelve-inch 
 plate. " Bat we never have an order for any very big work of 
 this kind," says our informant. 
 
 The camera and base-board is so loosely pivoted, that it can 
 not only be revolved with the greatest ease to suit the lighting, 
 but either end — camera end, or the end at which the upright 
 and picture are — may be heightened or lowered, which is done 
 simply by wedging a block of wood underneath, much as if it 
 were a see-saw. A rectilinear lens, of twenty-six inches equiva- 
 lent focus, is employed for the work, and the negatives present 
 no point of difference from ordinary photo-lithographic plates. 
 Transparent lines upon an opaque ground is, of course, the result 
 aimed at, and this is produced by the ordinary bichloride of mercury 
 intensifier, although, to our thinking, the Eder and Toth lead 
 intensifier, in use at the "Woolwich Photo-lithographic Establish- 
 ment, gives greater opacity, and is more simple to" use.* 
 
 Before quitting this part of the establishment, attention was called 
 to the "balance" arrangement for copying-cameras, in use in 
 America, and of which we give a sketch. This arrangement would 
 be found particularly useful for phototype work, and we may men- 
 tion, by the way, that this cut was reproduced from the Scientific 
 American by the phototype process we are now describing. By 
 its means the camera and object are always kept parallel. 
 
 * See the <c Woolwich Photo-lithographic Establishment." 
 
112 STUDIOS IX LONDON. 
 
 The lithographic and etching operations are carried on in a 
 dark little court in the vicinity of Fleet Street, and thither we 
 journey in company with some prints upon bichroniated gelatine 
 
 paper from the negatives we have seen taken. The "studio,' r 
 we have said, was rough and crude enough, and the workshops 
 here are in keeping with it. The place is littered with old 
 frames and dirty machinery ; but there is plenty of work going 
 on, nevertheless. This first division of the shop is confined to 
 lithography; at the further end the etching process is gone 
 through. 
 
 One of our prints is faced with ink.* The lines of the 
 drawing, which previously were of a dark brown upon the 
 yellowish bichromate paper, appear, now the superfluous ink 
 has been removed, of a jet black, the viscid ink standing up in 
 
 * The velvet roller, described in the ' 1 Woolwich Photo -Lithographic 
 Establishment, " might be used here with much advantage. 
 
A CITY PHOTOTYPE ESTABLISHMENT. 113 
 
 ridges. In the photo-zineographic process, as it is carried on at 
 Southampton and elsewhere, this impression in fatty ink, or 
 transfer, would be laid upon the zinc plate, and the latter then 
 etched in acid. But it is different in producing a typographical 
 block, and this is a point to which we want to direct our readers. 
 The inked photograph is first put upon stone before it is trans- 
 ferred to the metal. This is an important point, and this is 
 where the skill of the lithographer is made use of. He can pro- 
 duce a much better result on a lithographic stone than on a zinc 
 plate. The former surface is so even and smooth, and, more- 
 over, is so well in hand in the press, that if the photo-litho- 
 graph is at first deficient in some respects, it is soon improved 
 under the hands of the lithographer. We see our print now on 
 the stone to which it has been transferred by pressure, and the 
 lithographer, by all the little means at his disposal— inking-rag, 
 acid-sponge, scraper, roller, and camel-hair pencil — coaxes and 
 amends the image to such a degree that we hardly know it again. 
 One sees at once why a skilful lithographer, and not one who 
 has a passing acquaintance only with the process, is necessary. 
 
 The black-lined image on stone, now well rolled up with the 
 ink roller, and with no trace of that rottenness in the lines which 
 was here and there visible when the picture was originally trans- 
 ferred, is now ready for re- transfer to zinc. If the first re- 
 transfer is not successful, another may be taken, and so on, once 
 the image is on the stone ; so the intermediate process, besides 
 its utility, acts as a sort of insurance against failure. An im- 
 pression is taken on a suitable piece of transfer paper, and the 
 latter is then pressed into contact with a well-cleaned zinc 
 surface. The image in fatty ink now rests upon the zinc plate, 
 and this is ready for etching. 
 
 The etching process in all takes from three to eight hours. A 
 big shallow tray or bath is filled with water acidified with nitric 
 acid. "We dip a finger into the liquid ; to the taste it is acid, 
 but not unpleasantly so. This is the first bath, and a weak one. 
 As the etching goes on, a stronger solution is employed. During 
 the immersion of the zinc plate the bath is kept continually 
 rocked by a lad who sits beside it. Ten minutes or a quarter of 
 an hour passes, and then the plate is lifted out. It is taken to 
 a side table and then rolled up with an ink roller as if it were 
 a lithographic stone ; thence it goes upon a heated slab, which 
 quickly dries the plate ; afterwards some finely-powdered resin 
 
114 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 is sifted over it, and then the plate once more goes into the 
 etching bath. This treatment is repeated at frequent intervals, 
 the image being rolled up every time it comes from the bath, 
 and powdered resin being sifted over, sometimes when the 
 plate is wet, sometimes after it has been dried and warmed, 
 according as the etcher sees fit. The ink and the resin pre- 
 serve that part of the zinc which they cover from the action 
 of the acid, and as the process proceeds, and the layer of ink 
 gets thick, the etching may go on with increased rapidity. 
 But until the fine lines are safely etched, it is necessary to pro- 
 ceed with caution. The heating of the zinc plate is for the 
 purpose of melting the resin so that it may run down and protect 
 the walls or ridges upon which the fine raised lines stand, and 
 prevent any under-mining by acid. Towards the end of the 
 process, we have said, a much stronger solution of nitric acid 
 is employed, and the eating away of the metal goes on apace. 
 In the end the image appears raised from the surface of the 
 plate to the extent of a twentieth of an inch, and the finished 
 printing-block is before us. 
 
 AT MILLBANK PRISON. 
 
 It is a clear morning, but a sharp east wind is blowing over the 
 parapet from the steely Thames, as our hansom carries us quickly 
 along the Embankment. "We pass the Abbey, Old Palace Yard, 
 the tall and majestic Victoria Tower, the magnificent stone 
 archway known as the Peers' Entrance, and then, suddenly 
 leaving all these fine buildings and grandeur behind us, enter the 
 narrow street that leads to Millbank. Here we come out upon 
 the river again, and the wind blows more chilly than ever ; or is 
 it that solemn fortress-looking building, that pile of grim brick 
 and barred windows, that causes the shivering ? There is little 
 time for reflection, for cabby presently pulls up at a massive stone 
 gate, beside a black doorway all studded with bars and bolts. 
 
 A big round knocker confronts us, for all the word like a 
 heavy iron fetter, but our unsteady hand fails to raise it. " Try 
 the bell, sir," says cabby; who coolly waits to see how we get 
 on, and, in the hope, no doubt, that admission will be refused, 
 speculates about the chance of a fare back. But he is doomed to 
 
AT MILLBANK. 
 
 115 
 
 -disapointment. The door opens but slowly, and a little way 
 only, it is true, but it opens sufficiently to show a warder in steel 
 buttons and a shining chain with keys attached to his girdle ; he 
 takes the card we thrust into the yawning crevice, and reads it. 
 The card is satisfactory, and in another moment we are standing 
 in the lodge, and indulging in a weak joke about the difficulty 
 of getting into prison. But we are not there yet. Another iron 
 gate has to be unlocked — after the first has been carefully shut 
 — and we are then at liberty to enter confinement. 
 
 The shape of Millbank prison is that of a star-fish, the centre 
 being occupied by the governor and various officers, and the 
 radiating wings by the prisoners. We walk, unattended, along 
 a silent and solemn avenue, to the central offices, the dull prison 
 walls on either side, their embrasure-looking windows more like 
 a fortress than ever ; there is no noise, and not a soul is to be 
 seen. But we pass by a warder presently, standing in a recess 
 so quietly that he quite startles us, and then we go by two 
 others, one of whom has a note-book in which he makes an 
 entry. "We ask our way to the governor's offices ; a gesture, 
 rather than words, is the reply we receive. 
 
 But once in the centre of the establishment, the aspect of 
 affairs changes. You feel that chill wind no longer ; there are 
 green leaves and ivy to gaze upon, and dilute sunshine even ; 
 you pass through busy workshops and yards where men are at 
 work and at exercise. 
 
 A cheerful office full of busy clerks is here, and comfortable 
 furniture and a bright fire. There is a savoury smell of lunch 
 about — of Irish stew, if we mistake not — which exerts quite an 
 appetising effect. One begins to think that a prison is not such 
 a bad place to live in, after all, for a short, a very short time, if 
 — if — only they did not make such a bother about opening that 
 big black door at the entrance. There is nothing unusual about 
 anybody, now one grows accustomed to the scene. If it were 
 not that the majority of the men were clad in a monotonous grey 
 dress, and the minority wore a dark uniform with steel buttons 
 and steel chains at their side, which have a metallic handcuff 
 ring about them, one might easily mistake Millbank for some 
 other Government establishment, say Portsmouth Dockyard or the 
 Arsenal at "Woolwich. 
 
 Armed with the governor's authority, a guide now leads the 
 -way to the photographic studio in which we are interested. He, 
 
116 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 too, has a steel chain with a pass-key. Here is the glass-house — 
 a little erection in a yard by itself. "We enter. It is a model of 
 neatness and cleanliness ; in fact, we unhesitatingly say it is the 
 brighest little studio we have seen in our experience of "At 
 Homes." The floor is as white from scrubbing as the deck of a 
 man-of-war; there is not a thing out of its place ; not a piece of 
 apparatus is awry or in disorder ; not a speck of dirt is visible. 
 Strips of clean carpet are laid in the gangway, and where the 
 sitter is posed the floor is painted black. 
 
 What about the lighting? it will be asked. The lighting, we 
 reply, fulfils the requirements of a model studio, as we heard 
 them recently expressed at the establishment of Messrs. Hills 
 and Saunders. A high wall at some distance from the studio, 
 that the sun cannot get over, so that there is little or no necessity 
 for blinds, and the diffused light can be used as you find it. 
 The Millbank studio is not lighted from the north, it is true ; 
 but there is plenty of illumination, and it may be employed 
 without stint. 
 
 The photographer at Millbank is one of the steel-buttoned 
 warders, and we congratulate him on his well-arranged studio. 
 Here are some pictures he has just taken — half profile, bold, 
 clear, and vigorous portraits, well lighted, and altogether unlike 
 what prison photographs usually are. There is no 'prentice hand 
 here, and we say so. In reply, our warder unbends his austere 
 manner, and introduces himself as a former acquaintance. He 
 is no other than Corporal Laffeaty, late of the Eoyal Engineers, 
 an apt pupil of Captain Abney's, and one of the clever Sappers 
 who took part in the Transit of Yenus Expedition. The mystery 
 is solved ; no wonder the Millbank portraits of late have been so 
 good. 
 
 A sitter is departing as we arrive — a man in ordinary attire, 
 his short, cut-away beard giving him the appearance of a foreigner. 
 Our guide sees our look of astonishment : "He is a liberty man, 
 and is photographed in liberty clothes ; he goes out next week, 
 and has, therefore, been permitted to grow a beard during the 
 past three months ; " and on Ihe desk we sec a printed form 
 referring to him, to which his photograph will presently be 
 attached. " Seven years' penal servitude, three years' police 
 supervision," we note is upon it. His crime was forgery. 
 
 What, we ask, if a man refuse to be photographed just before 
 the expiration of his sentence? Our guide smiles: "It is a 
 
AT MILLBANK. 
 
 117 
 
 very simple matter ; a man is usually set at liberty before his 
 time, but only if lie conforms to our regulations. " 
 
 Our guide leaves us for awhile, and Mr. Laffeaty asks if he 
 shall go on with his work. We reply in the affirmative, and 
 : he quits the studio to fetch a sitter. He is not long gone, for 
 there are plenty outside in the yard we have just crossed, men 
 in grey, ambling round the flagged area at a rapid pace at fixed 
 distances from one another, and reminding you vividly of a 
 go-as-you-please race at the Agricultural Hall. He is a young 
 man of stalwart build, the sitter, when he appears, and he is as 
 docile as a dog. He is clean shaven, and has an ugly black L 
 on his sleeve, which means, poor|fellow, that he is a " Lifer." 
 
 There is a wooden arm-chair for posing. "Look here, I want 
 you to sit down like this," says our friend the photographer, 
 placing himself sideways in the settle, so as to give a half profile. 
 The convict does as he is told, and evidently enjoys the business 
 immensely. " Don't throw the head back quite so much ; there, 
 that will do. Now put up your hands on your breast, so." For 
 the shrewd governor (Captain Harvey), it seems, believes that 
 a photograph of a man's hands is as important almost as that of 
 his face. 
 
 The warder-photographer retires to coat his plate, and we 
 are left for a moment alone with a ""Lifer." "Why shouldn't 
 he make a rush for it, fell us to the earth, and have a try for 
 liberty? He might be a murderer; that he had committed a 
 terrible crime was certain from his sentence. Keep the camera 
 between yourself and the man, and be ready to roar out lustily 
 if he so much as move a muscle, was one precaution that occurred 
 to us ; or should we knock him down at once out of hand before 
 he began any mischief at all ? * 
 
 No such precautionary measures are called for. Indeed, it 
 made one smile to think of such a thing as resistance. One 
 might, perhaps, conjure up such thoughts as these in the presence 
 of an imaginary convict ; but the facts here are very common- 
 place. On the arm chair opposite you sits a young man, almost 
 a boy, with a frank, good-humoured face — a poor fellow who is 
 
 * We hear afterwards that this convict was arraigned on a charge of 
 murder; but a verdict of manslaughter only was returned. He stabbed a 
 woman with a sharp pipe-stem, wounding her so grievously that she died 
 in twenty minutes. 
 
118 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 evidently luxuriating in a delightful moment of release from 
 drudging work and monotonous labour. Do what.you want him 
 to ? "Will he be obedient ? Why, he would stand on his head 
 to please you and to escape for a few minutes longer his daily 
 toil. And as to bravado and ruffianism ; there is just the same 
 difference between the daring robber, and this grey-clad, humble 
 individual, as there is between a fighting cock with his plumes 
 and feathers, and a plucked fowl on the poulterer's connter. 
 
 Mr. Laffeaty comes back to the docile prisoner, focusses, gives 
 an exposure of fifteen seconds with a wet plate and No. 2B 
 lens, and secures an admirable negative. " I have never had 
 the least difficulty," he tells us, after he has taken back his 
 charge, " either with the men or with the women. The men 
 are apt to be too grave, the women are sometimes given to 
 giggling ; that is, perhaps, the only drawback I have to contend 
 against. T never take any full-face portraits in the old style, 
 and I think I have improved the photography itself of late. 
 There was an article in the Photogkaphic News called - At Home 
 at Scotland Yard ' some months ago, and I have taken up several 
 of the hints given there." 
 
 Mr. Laffeaty has to work very quickly at times, and, as a 
 consequence, develops and fixes at once, without waiting to 
 intensify. The latter operation he does in the light, with a few 
 drops of sulphide of potassium in water, a method which, 
 while ready and effective, does not appear to give too much 
 hardness. 
 
 We cross the yard once more to make a call on the governor. 
 The grey coats are still hard at it at their go-as-you-please 
 race, except a few men who have falleu out, and standing still 
 with their faces turned to the wall like naughty boys. They 
 have an hour's exercise a day, and some of them seem to be 
 trying to get double the amount out of the time. 
 
 To Captain Harvey is, in a great measure, due the improve- 
 ment in photography that has of late distinguished the Millbank 
 establishment. He is good enough to show us several series of 
 pictures. Here is Kurr, of turf swindling notoriety. This long 
 face belongs to Paine, convicted the other day of poisoning a 
 woman with drink, and who, it appears, was one of the men we 
 just now saw exercising in the yard below. Here are the two 
 Stauntons connected with the Penge mystery, and other more or 
 less well-known criminals. All these are "first convictions," 
 
AT PENTONVILLE PENITENTIARY. 
 
 llg 
 
 who are confined by themselves, and bear a much better charac- 
 ter from the warders than the " habitual criminal " class, for 
 whose special behoof photographic portraiture has been provided. 
 It is for the passer of counterfeit coin, the burglar, and the 
 swindler — who have little interest for the public, but a great deal 
 for the prison and police authorities — that criminal registers are 
 required, to aid the suppression and detection of crime. 
 
 AT PENTONVILLE PENITENTIAKY. 
 
 A very mistaken notion prevails upon the subject of photo- 
 graphing prisoners. The popular idea is that the prisoners them- 
 selves are very unwilling to submit to the ordeal, and usually 
 make all sorts of difficulties and disturbances, sometimes not 
 easily over-ruled. Strange accounts have been published of 
 cunning devices and ingenious tricks practised upon convicts in 
 order to secure a photograph of their features ; and we remember 
 seeing, not long ago, a talented picture, the subject of which was 
 an unwilling sitter maintained in position by a couple of stalwart 
 warders, while the photographer did his worst, or rather his 
 best. Such representations work, from the nature of things, a 
 marked impression upon the public mind, and hence is due the 
 impression that the photographing of prisoners is peculiarly 
 troublesome and difficult. But it is the exceptions that the 
 public hear about, and not the ordinary operations. 
 
 No doubt obstreperous criminals are met with, from time to 
 time, and no doubt, too, the photographer has often his work to 
 do over and over again ; but some little experience has shown us 
 that a more docile body of sitters than our convicts do not exist. 
 We do not say this because, as photographers, they are easily 
 satisfied — because they never offer a remonstrance or suggestion 
 — never ask to see the negative — and, above all, do not importune 
 for a second sitting. But, so far as we have seen, they sit quieter 
 and steadier, and are more ready to fall in with the exigencies 
 of photography, than their brethren in freedom. 
 
 Pentonville Penitentiary is the largest establishment of the 
 kind in England. At the time of our visit there were eleven 
 hundred prisoners within the walls, and a much larger number 
 
120 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 can find accommodation if necessary. Every man sentenced to 
 penal servitude comes to Pentonville, and the first nine months 
 of the period of his conviction he passes there. It is during this 
 period that he is photographed, and the photographic records of 
 Pentonville thus include every man in the kingdom sentenced to 
 penal servitude. There is the same strict watch and vigilance 
 at entrance and lodge which we described as existing at Mill- 
 bank. There is the same military discipline among the warders 
 — the same grey monotonous appearance about the prisoners. 
 Millbank had ivy and shrubs as its principal ornament ; at 
 Pentonville, it is the green grass plots upon which the prisoners 
 rest their eyes for relief. 
 
 So that these green spots may exist within the tall sombre 
 walls, grass is grown in the exercise squares, and circular paths 
 of asphalte, some two feet wide, appear like gigantic rings one 
 within the other. The prisoners are at exercise at this moment, 
 and we can see them from" a window in the governor's room, 
 walking round and round the green — an outer circle and an inner 
 circle of them, a warder on a raised > platform looking on. The 
 men are closer together than at Millbank, and step out with 
 military precision, and for the most part with jaunty air and 
 elastic step ; some even smirk and smile as they catch sight of us 
 at the window ; swinging their arms and wagging their heads, 
 there are not half-a-dozen who appear dull or dejected. Perhaps 
 it is the bright sunshine that pours down upon them in their 
 roundabout tramp. One poor fellow walks to and fro in a corner 
 by himself ; he has a wooden leg, and cannot keep up with the 
 brisk march of his fellows. 
 
 On our way to the studio we pass through the central hall of 
 the prison, the lofty white walls rising sixty or eighty feet on 
 either side ; tiers upon tiers of cells, having access to light iron 
 galleries, one over the other, run the length of the hall, which is 
 spanned at intervals by iron bridges. "Warders are posted every- 
 where, in vestibule, gallery, and bridge. "We look into one of 
 the cells; it measures, perhaps, 12 feet by 8 feet, and contains a 
 hand-weaving machine, at which the prisoner works. The cell 
 is whitewashed, is very clean, and lightened by a window some 
 nine feet from the floor. 
 
 The governor is good enough to show us the tailoring shop, 
 the shoemaker's shop, the laundry, the infirmary (where a dozen 
 poor fellows are lying in bed, but as comfortable, apparently, as 
 
AT PENTONVILLE PENITENTIARY. 
 
 121 
 
 they would be in any hospital in London), and the kitchen, 
 where huge boilers and stewpans are all attended by convicts. It 
 is suet pudding day to-day, the only day in the week when there 
 is no meat ; but the governor says it is a favourite meal, for all 
 that, and we are invited to taste the pudding — a pound block like 
 a tinned loaf— which is made of whole flour, and served with the 
 same weight of potatoes. 
 
 Universal silence reigns everywhere — in kitchen, workshop, 
 and yard, for a prisoner is reported if he so much as opens his 
 lips. During the whole of his sentence he is forbidden to speak 
 to anyone but the warders, and these, as we enter, salute the 
 governor, and immediately call out their brief report without 
 waiting for any invitation to do so. 
 
 The photographic studio is on the second floor of a solitary 
 building in one of the yards, and has been built by someone 
 possessing a knowledge of photography. The days are long 
 since gone by when a wooden bench in front of the prison wall 
 was the only convenience at the photographer's disposal. The 
 glass room is, however, far from perfect, for not only is the aspect 
 faulty, but the skirting-board rises too high to permit of a good 
 side light. Indeed, when the prisoner sits down to be photo- 
 graphed, the line of light from the side is above his head. The 
 consequence is, the top half of the studio is very light, where 
 the sitter is not, and the lower half, where the sitter is, com- 
 paratively speaking, in shadow. But the photographer, who is 
 at present entrusted with the work of taking portraits, is fortu- 
 nately clever enough to combat with some success against the 
 existing drawbacks, among which may also be cited apparatus 
 that leaves something to be desired. 
 
 Six convicts file into the studio attended by a warder. They 
 remove their caps, and sit down in a row on a form ; in grey 
 jackets and knickerbockers, with shaven faces and cropped hair, 
 they look like big school boys. One of them takes up a narrow 
 black board, some six inches wide, and proceeds to write very 
 neatly in chalk the number and name of the first sitter, the 
 board being then placed above the man's head when his picture 
 is taken. He sits on a high-backed chair, and with no head-rest 
 remains perfectly still for the seven seconds the exposure lasts. 
 " Look at those bottles in the corner," says the photographer, 
 briefly, so that the man may turn his head a bit ; and then the 
 lens is uncapped. A double carte plate is used ; but the men are 
 
122 
 
 STUDIOS IN LONDON. 
 
 so steady that rarely is a second negative taken ; another convict 
 takes the seat, and the narrow black board above the head is re- 
 versed, the back bearing the second man's name and number. 
 
 While the double plate is being developed, and another put 
 into the slide, there is time to clean the black board, and put upon 
 it two other names. There is no speaking ; the convict simply 
 pulls out of his jacket pocket a wooden tablet bearing name and 
 number, and this is copied. 
 
 "Look at those bottles," repeats the photographer, rather 
 sharply, to his next sitter, for the man has not heeded the first 
 request ; " and put your chin down." The sitter smiles faintly, 
 but does not obey. Ah ! here is a refractory prisoner at last ; we 
 are glad of it, for we shall be able able to see how matters are 
 managed. But we arc disappointed. "He is deaf," says the 
 warder, who no sooner comes forward and explains to the sitter, 
 than the latter is all obedience. 
 
 According to the regulations, every prisoner's head should be 
 depicted an-inch-and-a-quarter in length, but this is only taken 
 as an approximate size. The photographer does better than 
 measure the head every time ; he takes every one of the same 
 proportion ; that is to say, the distance between lens and sitter 
 is always the same, and is never varied, a measuring rod at once 
 regulating the interval. In this way a much better idea of the 
 size of a man's face and features is obtained than if large heads 
 and small were all depicted of the same dimensions. 
 
 It is necessary to produce rather hard negatives, otherwise it 
 is almost impossible to secure contrast of any kind. The men 
 being shaven and shorn, they present little contrast in themselves, 
 while the dress they wear, being of a dull grey and with few 
 folds, makes but a poor monotonous result if the negative errs 
 on the side of softness. Under any circumstances, with the 
 black board and its chalk writing above the head, the hands 
 pressed close against the breast — for a picture of the hands is 
 deemed as requisite, as we have said before, as one of the face, 
 from the fact that they are so much an indication of the man's 
 calling — and the ugly dress, a prison photograph can never be 
 anything but a doleful result ; but it is nevertheless satisfactory 
 to find that the photographs, as photographs, have of late years 
 been much improved. 
 
 Bssides securing records of prisoners, the practice of photo- 
 graphing them has one other advantage. In itself it acts as a 
 
MR. H. P. ROBINSON. 
 
 12& 
 
 deterrent of crime. Every criminal is aware that a picture has 
 been taken of him, and he never knows how much this may be 
 the means of bringing him to justice if he relapses once more 
 into evil ways. He is apt to over-estimate rather than under- 
 estimate the power of photography, and it forms, at any rate, one' 
 reason the more why he should refrain from crime hereafter when 
 he is again a free man. 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 ME, H. P. ROBINSON AT TUNBRIDGE WELLS. 
 
 Theke are photographers and photographers. Perhaps in no 
 other profession except those of literature and art do we find so 
 vast a gulf as between the highest and lowest in photography. 
 Among painters there is the President of the Royal Academy, 
 and the humble producer of signs. Among authors there is the 
 historian who is making his name immortal, or the poet Laureate, 
 who is the glory of his generation, and the penny-a-liner who 
 hunts up conflagrations, and writes sensational reports upon big 
 gooseberries. In photography we have those who, by earnest 
 study and thorough education, have elevated their art to the 
 level of the great professions, and the man— to be found in every 
 town — who manufactures cartes at a few shillings per dozen. 
 "We do not wish to speak deprecatingly of the low-priced photo- 
 grapher ; he is just as useful in his way as are the humbler 
 workers in literature in theirs ; he perforins an important duty 
 to the community by supplying cheap portraits, which, if they 
 do not stand high as art productions, present at least recognisable 
 likenesses. It is his object to produce portraits at a cheap rate, 
 and he does well what he is called upon to do. But it is not 
 of him or his class, useful as it may be, that we have to speak, 
 but of a gentleman who is truly one of the princes of the camera, 
 who has helped to make photography into the great art, as, 
 apart from science, it has now become. 
 
 The author of " Pictorial Effect in Photography' ' is so well 
 
124 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 known to our readers in his pictures, which have been exhibited 
 year after year, and gained medal after medal, that we have no 
 need here to dwell upon the charming compositions that have 
 issued from his studio. The poetry of " Fading Away" has not 
 only stirred the breast of many onlookers, but has inspired the 
 novelist, for in "Old Charlton" we may read of an incident 
 suggested by this very picture. "When the Day's "Work is 
 Done" is another touch of pathos conveyed by the camera, and 
 the same may be said of the gay summer scenes, the deep 
 shadowed pools, the open heather, the breezy yachting pictures, 
 that Mr. Eobinson has transferred to paper. These works need 
 no praise on our part, for the simple reason that their high 
 excellence has been acknowledged by competent judges time after 
 time. 
 
 There is, indeed, no other photographer living who has been 
 honoured v. ith so many medals for pictures and portraiture as 
 Mr. H. P. Eobinson, the awards in gold, silver, and bronze, 
 which it has been his good fortune to receive, amounting at the 
 present moment to more than half-a-hundred. The gold medal 
 of the last Paris Exhibition — only one was given for por- 
 traiture — came to Tunbridge Wells, to the Great Hall Studio; 
 and so great a show does the shining collection of awards make 
 in Mr. Eobinson' s atelier, that one might almost mistake his 
 vocation for that of a collector of medallions rather than that of 
 an artist. 
 
 Mr. Eobinson' s studio is one of the very few buildings that has 
 been built for the particular purpose they fulfil. Moreover, 
 from the fact that it was planned and constructed after years of 
 experience gained at Leamington and in London, we may take 
 it that its design is well nigh perfect ; but if further proof of 
 this were wanting, it is afforded by the charming studies of 
 children that meet one at every turn, and which, at one and the 
 same time, proclaim the artist and the man of tact. Por, in the 
 case of these infantile portraits, the possession of art knowledge 
 does not, as every photographer knows, alone suffice. The taste 
 and rare skill with which the tiny sitters are posed and draped 
 is easily accounted for, since, beyond being a fervid disciple of 
 the camera, Mr. Eobinson has been a painter all his life, the 
 Eoyal Academy having admitted his work before he had attained 
 his twenty-first birthday. But long study of photographic art, 
 and of the requirements of camera and sensitive plates, has also 
 
MR. H. P. ROBINSON. 
 
 125 
 
 been necessary to give our host the command he exercises over 
 his models ; and the reason why so very few photographers 
 succeed as Mr. Eobinson succeeds, is because they either lack his 
 knowledge, or do not tal^e such infinite pains over the work. No 
 doubt his studio permits him to secure more easily the effects he 
 desires ; but this, too, is the result of his labours as a photo- 
 grapher and artist combined. 
 
 Mr. Eobinson' s studio is remarkable from the fact that it does 
 not contain one of Seavey's backgrounds. The backgrounds here 
 are all prepared by our host by a modified Faulkner process. 
 This clever method of Mr. Faulkner, which has now been pub- 
 lished, was to rub wet chalks of the proper tint upon wet 
 canvas, and afterwards soften down the effects with an ordinary 
 clothes brush. This method of using chalks is as simple as it is 
 effective. A skilled eye and practised hand are indispensable 
 for applying them and wielding the brush ; but any photographer 
 who is something of an artist, will find the plan far more simple 
 than the distemper painting. " Just took me an hour," said 
 Mr. Eobinson, pointing to a bit of sea and rock, against which 
 he had been posing some bare-legged youngsters; the back- 
 ground had evidently taken their fancy, or something else, for 
 their portraits were as lively and merry as if the beach were 
 before them. 
 
 The studio measures thirty-six feet long by some fifteen feet 
 wide. The lighting is north, and as the wainscoting at the 
 side runs up to a height of five feet, it is from a steep sloping 
 glass roof that the illumination comes. There are a few curtains, 
 and of the most simple character. Mr. Eobinson never sees the 
 sun the whole clay long. Here is the camera pointed ready for 
 a panel or promenade portrait, for Mr. Eobinson has for some 
 time past introduced this style of picture. " "What lens are you 
 using?" we ask. " Dallmeyer's 2a portrait," is the reply; 
 and then, in his bluff characteristic manner, our host adds, 1 1 not 
 that I think it's the best ; but I've got it." 
 
 Mr. Eobinson thinks there is a great future for the panel 
 portrait. Already he has albums for them. " I always insist 
 upon angular openings," says Mr. Eobinson, in reference to these 
 albums, " and I have great difficulty in getting them." The 
 panel portrait permits the photographer to exercise taste and 
 skill in arranging drapery, and ladies' dresses lend themselves 
 particularly well to the style. 
 
126 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 A series of theatrical scenes which Mr. Robinson has just 
 executed were exceedingly good. You saw the whole breadth 
 of the stage, which was bordered in excellent taste with ferns 
 and flowers, out of which grew the footlights. The pictures 
 presented certain episodes in play and farce, and the action and 
 expression of the players were capital. Here is a party of six 
 at one of those scrambling untidy dinners, inherent to the 
 " screaming farce ; " here a drawing-room, with two ladies 
 tete-a-tete ; here a verandah looking on the briny ocean, with a 
 lady evidently in hysterics, and. a nervous gentleman at his wits' 
 -end to soothe her. "What Mr. Robinson does, he certainly does 
 well. The series, which numbers upwards of a score, were 
 secured upon gelatine plates, but Mr. Robinson gives all the 
 credit of their success to an able stage manager. Be this as it 
 may, they are certainly the funniest, as they are the most per- 
 fect, theatrical representations we have seen reproduced by 
 photography. 
 
 "We must not forget to say a word upon the subject of carbons 
 on opal, apparently the most delicate form of photographic 
 portraiture produced by the method which Mr. J. R. Sawyer 
 has given with considerable detail in these pages. Nor must 
 we omit to mention the beautiful photographic enamels for 
 which the Great Hall Studio has been famous for some years 
 past. "We see that the prices asked for enamels vary from 
 fifteen shillings to three guineas. 
 
 The whole of Mr. Robinson's establishment, so far as the 
 public is concerned, is on the ground floor. The reception room 
 opens into a small gallery, fresh and green with ferns, out of 
 which lead the dressing rooms, while further on is the studio. 
 Children's portraits, as we have remarked, is what Mr. Robinson 
 delights in, and everywhere these laugh at you from the walls, 
 or coyly peep from the corners. As we gave a last look round 
 at these happy faces, we could not help thinking what a world 
 of good the misanthrope would derive from a contemplation of 
 them all. 
 
 A good test of the quality of a man's productions (on the 
 principle that a thing is worth what it will fetch) is the price 
 he gets for them. Mr. Robinson continues to maintain respect- 
 able and " professional " charges, notwithstanding what many 
 people would consider severe competition, for there is a host of 
 photographers in Tunbridge Wells, and of all degrees. But 
 
MR. ALDERMAN MAYALL. 
 
 127 
 
 cheap photography does not really injure the heads of the pro- 
 fession ; the public have become appreciative, and know that 
 .good work can only be got for a good equivalent in love or 
 money. At the same time there is this difference between a 
 true artist, like Mr. Bobinson, and the ordinary commercial 
 .photographer — the latter must make a profit on everything, the 
 former spares no trouble or expense to get the best results. He 
 says it pays in the end, and we believe him. 
 
 ME. ALDEEMAN MAYALL AT KING'S BOAD, BEIGHTON. 
 
 The 9th of January, 1840," said Mr. Mayall. We had asked 
 our host the date of his first handling a Daguerreotype, and this 
 was his reply. " You know Groddard suggested the employment 
 of bromine in 1840 in conjunction with iodine for sensitizing the 
 silver plate ; well, although I was one of the first to employ 
 bromo-iodide of silver, I practised the slower process with iodine 
 alone, when I began photography." Mr. Mayall came to 
 England in 1845, and then commenced that war between him 
 and Mr. Beard on the subject of the Daguerreotype patent. The 
 process had been improved, added to, and modified so much since 
 the patent was granted, that it could scarcely be deemed the same 
 thing. In 1851 Mr. Mayall made his great coup y and his pic- 
 tures of the International Exhibition, which many of our readers 
 have seen, brought him at once to the front rank. The Prince 
 Consort was especially kind, and took Mr. Mayall by the hand, 
 consulting him now and again upon the rapid strides which 
 photography began to take. "When it was suggested, in 1855, 
 to Lord Panmure that the camera might be made a useful 
 observer upon the field of battle, it was to Mr. Mayall our 
 military authorities turned for advice. Two young officers, 
 Ensign Brandon and Ensign Dawson, were selected to perform 
 the duty of military photographers, and these were ordered to 
 report themselves to Mr. Mayall for instruction. So spiritedly 
 did everybody enter into the work, that within a month these 
 officers had been tutored and equipped for duty, and despatched 
 to Sebastopol. The pictures sent home by the young military 
 photographers are still to be found in the archives of the War 
 
128 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 Office, together with the fine prints secured at the Crimea by 
 Eoger Penton and Bobertson. 
 
 On the occasion of the wedding of the Prince and Princess of 
 Wales, Mr. Mayall accomplished a feat which, eighteen years 
 ago, made considerable stir among photographers. He was com- 
 manded by Her Majesty to proceed to "Windsor to take a series 
 of pictures of the Royal pair, of the bridesmaids, and other 
 illustrious visitors. The command reached him about forty- eight 
 hours before the time fixed for the wedding, and ho w he was to 
 make arrangements for so much work was a problem not easy to 
 solve. There was no corridor or conservatory at Windsor suit- 
 able for the purpose, and all the authorities could offer him, in 
 reply to his telegram, was a canvas marquee. Bridal dresses 
 of glaring white are at all times difficult subjects for the camera, 
 and to photograph a score or two of them in a marquee, and 
 photograph them well, was a task only to be contemplated by a 
 strong man. In a frame of mind less complacent than his wont, 
 Mr. Mayall was hunting in a hansom cab along the Euston Road, 
 to get together, as speedily as possible, the numerous requisites 
 for his responsible task — for heirs to the throne are not married 
 every day — when he caught sight, in one of the long front 
 gardens of that thoroughfare, of a spacious glass house for sale, 
 with the notice, " Can be erected anywhere. " The cab was 
 stopped, the builder called, and the price asked. "I'll purchase.' ' 
 said Mr. Mayall, i i if you will pull it to pieces and set it up for 
 mc at Windsor by ten to-morrow morning." The builder was 
 an enterprising man, and, learning its object, at once caught the 
 bridal infection, and gave his hand on the bargain. 
 
 ' We sat in that glass house, now a trim little conservatory, 
 not so long ago, and, amid scarlet pelargoniums and purple 
 heliotropes, and in a dewy atmosphere redolent with perfume, 
 Mr. Mayall told us its history ; for after the structure had done 
 duty so well at Windsor, our host carried if off with him to make 
 an adjunct to his own dwelling. The series of bridal pictures of 
 the Prince and Princess of Wales and bridesmaids taken by Mr. 
 Mayall on that occasion are historical, and need no comment on 
 our part, and, from their popularity and wide-spread publication, 
 it can readily be imagined that the photographs brought their 
 producer some profit ; but there are few who guess the extent of 
 the sum that actually was realised. 
 
 We have shown that Mr. Mayall is intimately connected with 
 
I 
 
 MR, ALDERMAN MAYALL. 
 
 129 
 
 the history of photography ; but there is one other reason why 
 you cannot set foot into his studio without thinking of " old 
 times." There is, probably, no other photographer who possesses 
 such an extensive collection of negatives of bye-gone celebrities. 
 Here is the Prince Consort, quiet and dignified ; here, two tough 
 Chancellors of the old school — Lord Lyndhurst and Lord 
 Brougham ; on another wall there is Kossuth, and further on 
 Lord Palmerston, Marshal Pelissier, the late Lord Derby, and 
 Earl Bussell, Sir J. Herschell, Sir David Brewster — nay, even 
 a picture of Daguerre himself is to be espied in a corner. The 
 value of some of these negatives is very great, and here is a 
 wrinkle we may mention out of hand, which our readers will do 
 well to make a note of. You can hardly keep a stock of glass 
 negatives a quarter of a century, especially if you print much 
 from them, without running some risk, and with the best care 
 in the world they occasionally get cracked and broken. Of Mr. 
 Mayall's costly collection there are some in this condition, but 
 still, strange to say, the prints exhibit no sign of the defect. 
 And for this reason ; all cracked negatives are printed by them- 
 selves, and in a singularly ingenious manner. There is a simple 
 roasting-jack on the printing roof, and from it depend four cords 
 holding up a square board by its corners. When the jack is 
 wound up, this board revolves first one way, and then the other, 
 and cracked negatives laid upon it to print, leave no record 
 behind them of the defect. Por vignette printing, whether 
 cotton wool or glass masks are used, this mode of proceeding 
 should be very valuable, and we commend it strongly to our 
 readers. A jack may be purchased for a few shillings, 
 and does not require to be wound up more than four times an 
 hour.** 
 
 To Mr. MayalFs manager at Brighton we have to tender 
 our best thanks for all we saw in the way of practical work* 
 ing. "This is one of our studios," said the manager, as we 
 ascended to the first floor. "W e looked in. It was a spacious 
 drawing room with two windows, with couch, table, and mantel- 
 piece within eight or ten feet from the light. That there 
 should be no deception, he insisted on posing us upon the sofa, 
 and taking a portrait forthwith. "I am employing a landscape 
 
 * Mr. Tulley has commented on the utility of the roasting-jack in a. 
 similar connection. 
 
 K 
 
130 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 lens, and I am not sure of the sensitiveness of these plates, as 
 they are some of a batch I made last night, so I shall stop down, 
 and give you fifteen seconds." And in less time than it takes 
 to write, a drawing-room picture was secured. A white screen, 
 placed on the shadow side to reflect back the light from the 
 windows, was the only adjustment necessary. 
 
 " In making gelatine emulsion," said our friend, "I always 
 prepare four or five small batches rather than one large one. I 
 then test, and, as they turn out in sensitiveness, I mix. A 
 batch that shows tendency to fog is cured of the evil by mixing 
 with a comparatively insensitive batch, and so on. I always 
 test with a landscape lens well stopped down, for it is only by 
 means of a long exposure that you can thoroughly get at the 
 qualities of your emulsion.' ' 
 
 "We went upstairs to the ordinary studios. They are three 
 in number " Sitters for portraits are requested to place them- 
 selves as much as possible in the hands of the artist," is a notice 
 conspicuously placed. A feature of these studios is the cameras. 
 They are all fixed upon heavy cast-iron stands, and stand and 
 camera are never severed. The stands, though heavy, being 
 upon small wheels, may be moved smoothly and with ease. On 
 no account are cameras to be dismounted, is one of the rules of 
 the establishment. The lenses are very carefully hooded, and, 
 moreover, the end of the glass-room at which they are worked 
 is very dark. But how, it will be asked, if one end of the room 
 is always dark, can a sitter be depicted from one side or other 
 of his face, as may seem desirable ? Mr. Mayall gets over the 
 difficulty in a very si mple fashion. His studio rises right above the 
 Brighton houses, and, on one side, faces the sea ; there is con- 
 sequently plenty of light. Two of the studios are built parallel, 
 and only divided from one another by a heavy tapestry curtain. 
 In the one you have a westerly light ; lift the curtain and 
 walk into the adjoining room, and the light is easterly. The 
 third studio has northerly lighting, and in this there is an arrange- 
 ment for darkening the room in a few seconds. Sitters are 
 always pleased to see their portraits life-size, and, by the aid of 
 this darkening arrangement and a solar camera let into the wall, 
 they may be at once gratified in this respect. From the 
 circumstance that the Mayall establishment produces a large 
 number of enlargements, we may well presume that this ingenious 
 contrivance is not without some influence upon visitors. 
 
MR. ALDERMAN MAYALL. 
 
 131 
 
 Of lenses, Mr. Mayall has a battery — or shall we say a park ? — 
 for the huge instruments remind one very much of artillery, 
 their calibre is so big. The condenser of the solar camera 
 measures no less . than 24 inches. Here is a triplet of 
 Dallmeyer's ; it is eighteen inches in length and six inches in 
 diameter. Next to it lies a shining instrument of Voigtlander, 
 with a calibre of no less than nine inches, together with another 
 of seven, and a monster by E-oss that actually measures ten inches 
 across. This last magnificent instrument has upon the face of 
 it markings like drops of water; they are the effects of a heavy 
 hammer wielded by one who, in a temporary fit of madness, 
 essayed to demolish this lens out of sheer wantonness. How 
 well the hard glass resisted the ill-treatment is really marvellous, 
 and, strange to say, the markings have no effect upon the lens 
 as an optical instiument. 
 
 There are few curtains and screens in the studios. The 
 curtains above are of blue linen simply stretched upon wires 
 three feet apart, the curtains being brought over, or pulled back, 
 by means of a pole — a simple and effective arrangement that 
 never gets out of order. There are some bits of tapestry, for 
 employment as backgrounds, but the most striking of these was 
 one of an exceedingly novel character. It rose some eight feet 
 high, and was constructed of jointed or ribbed wood, or, more 
 properly speaking, of laths standing upright. It could thus be 
 made to assume various forms — a semi-circle round the model, 
 a recess, and consequently shadow, to his left or right, or, if 
 necessary, a column might be shaped at one side by bending the 
 plastic screen suitably. The covering of this background was 
 of grey cloth, which, naturally enough, was rendered dark or 
 light, according as it was put into the shade or not. 
 
 The terms at Mr. May all's establishment are not high, for 
 Brighton is a cosmopolitan town, and all tastes have to be 
 satisfied. A dozen cartes are charged fifteen shillings, and 
 eighteen one guinea, while for a group of two, half as much 
 again is demanded. For a guinea you have six cabinets, and 
 twelve for a guinea-and-a-half . 
 
132 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 ME. JABEZ HUGHES AT EEGINA HOUSE, EYDE. 
 
 The " regal establishment " of Mr. Hughes, its square white 
 tower rising above the green trees of Eyde, is not unknown to 
 some of our readers. The prominent site and elegant construc- 
 tion — a pile of Portland stone and pale brickwork — standing, as 
 it were, on a pedestal in the middle of a bright little town, tell 
 much for the position and emoluments of photography now-a- 
 days ; and approaching from the pier, one hardly knows which 
 to admire more, the straight lofty fabric, or the idea of choosing 
 such a beautiful spot as Eyde for its construction. The studio 
 is built at the top of the green fringed hill upon which the town 
 stands, and in consequence Mr. Jabez Hughes enjoys the un- 
 alloyed satisfaction that his light cannot be interfered with. 
 
 There is surely no credit in making pictures in such a pretty 
 spot, and we tell Mr. Hughes so. Look at those garden-bordered 
 quays, and the sunlit waves dotted with yacht j sails that drive like 
 snow-flakes over the blue water ; see the delicate rigging of that 
 big ironclad, the Hercules, running down the Solent on her 
 way to Portland to join the Channel Fleet, and far-off Osborne 
 Point, covered with yellow-green foliage that seems to dip down 
 to the water's edge. Prom here you can just see the twin towers 
 of Osborne House rising above the woodland slope. Now turn 
 round and look across over the strait to Portsmouth town, that 
 lies lit up in the sunshine yonder, between the low grim batteries 
 by the harbour ; and look, too, at the brown hills beyond, with 
 great niches of white where the chalk quarries are. Glance 
 your eye right and left at the azure sea, and the tiny black forts 
 jutting out of the water like " beauty spots " upon the face of a 
 blue-eyed belle. The Queen's photographer cannot help making 
 beautiful pictures under such influences, we say, though 'tis true 
 we once did hear of another reason why good photographs are 
 taken at Eyde ; it was given us by a mutual friend — no other 
 than Mr. Toole, the comedian — and he told us it was because 
 they got Hughes to it. 
 
 We walk up the street to the studio in company with our 
 host, and enter the handsome reception room. Here is something 
 of which the owner of Eegina House may feel even more proud 
 than of anything we have yet noticed. Every carte and cabinet 
 picture is printed in carbon. Permanent pigments have ousted 
 silver ones in Mr. Hughes' establishment, and the countless pic- 
 
* 
 
 MR. JABEZ HUGHES. 
 
 133 
 
 tures in the show cases are all of them carbon prints. "We 
 believe Mr. Hughes is alone in being able to make the proud 
 statement that here appears: " Every portrait is produced in 
 permanent photography, and will never fade." 
 
 Mr. Hughes prints by a chromotype process of his own — if 
 ' chromotype it can be called, when the prints are produced un- 
 glazed, and without a margin. In other words, the negative is 
 not reversed, but printed upon carbon tissue, which is developed 
 on collodionised glass. The opal plate is simply rubbed with 
 Erench chalk before the collodion is applied, and then there is 
 no difficulty about separating the latter when it comes to the 
 transfer process. In the end, the glaze upon the surface is re- 
 moved with moisture, and in this way carbon prints are secured 
 quite equal, apparently, to those by the single transfer method. 
 
 " I have said I always employ permanent pigments in general 
 work," said Mr. Hughes ; " but that is not strictly true. I do 
 print from my negatives with the fleeting silver process, but only 
 the unfixed proofs supplied for approval. I may say, therefore, 
 that I utilize in their proper sphere the fading as well as the 
 permanent process." Mr. Hughes turns this preliminary print- 
 ing in silver to further account, for it affords him a valuable 
 criterion of the density of his negatives. He employs Durand's 
 paper, which is very uniformly sensitive, and he knows that his 
 carbon tissue will require just one-third the amount of printing 
 that is necessary for albumenized paper. "While on the subject 
 of printing, Mr. Hughes also said a good word for platinotype, 
 which he employs for special work, the results of which he 
 likened in character to prints upon fine salted paper. 
 
 As to reticulation ? we asked. Mr. Hughes would admit that 
 lie was sometimes troubled with this defect, but not frequently. 
 There were two kinds, he said 5 one of a mechanical nature, 
 which arose possibly from a tenderness of the gelatine, and which 
 could, with care, be kept under control, the use of spirit being a 
 very general remedy ; the other was due to decomposition, and to 
 cure that was impossible. He preferred keeping his carbon 
 tissue two or three days after sensitizing ; the results were then 
 much more uniform and certain. 
 
 We have spoken hitherto of the general work, but Mr. Hughes 
 has also a speciality in the shape of his large collodion transfers. 
 Indeed, at Eegina House, the usual order of things is reversed. 
 While the small work is all printed in carbon, the large is done 
 
134 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 by collodion. Mr. Hughes assured us that for the past twelve 
 years he had taken no portrait negative bigger than a cabinet ; if 
 larger pictures are desired, these are invariably produced by the 
 collodion process. The upper studio at Eegina House contains 
 little else but enlarging cameras for this kind of work. There 
 cannot be a simpler enlarging process, argued our host ; the 
 negative is simply placed in the camera, and an enlarged positive 
 is taken, which is toned and worked up as required. In other 
 processes you have a transparency to prepare and work up ; from 
 that you produce a negative, which must also be worked up ; 
 and, finally, when you have secured your prints, these have to 
 be worked up into the bargain. 
 
 But we have meanwhile progressed no further than the recep- 
 tion room. We now pass on, glancing into the well-appointed 
 aressing-rooms on our way to the forecourt of the glass room, all 
 of which aje on the ground floor, with a garden parallel with 
 the studio. It is delightful to linger here, especially this hot 
 summer's day. There are ferns and fresh ivy, and a plashing 
 little fountain among the rockwork and greenery. Some rustic 
 garden seats are at hand, and altogether the cool grotto-like 
 aspect of the place is exceedingly pleasant. But we cannot afford 
 
 to lose time, and enter the glass room. The diagram presents 
 section of the rooms, and will enable us to explain the mode 
 
MP.. JABEZ HUGHES. 
 
 135 
 
 lighting. The lower half of the diagram represents the end of 
 the studio on the ground-floor, and the upper, that of the studio 
 above it. The portions indicated by black lines comprise the 
 opaque parts, and the portions indicated by lighter lines repre- 
 sent the glazed parts. In each instance the side-lights are of 
 clear glass, and top-lights of fine corrugated glass, running from 
 end to end of each room. The glass is, in all cases, in very large 
 panes. Those in the roof of the lower studio are 7 ft. 4 in. long 
 by 2 ft. wide, the panes in the side-light being 7 ft. 4 in. long 
 by 6 ft. wide. Those in the roof of the upper studio are 7 ft. 2 in. 
 long by 2 ft. 3 in. wide ; and in both rooms there are ready 
 facilities for opening the windows, so as to secure not only venti- 
 lation, but the effect of open air lighting uninterrupted by glass. 
 The only blinds required are curtains running on a rod, so as to 
 shut out portions of the side-light when necessary. It will 
 readily be seen that, with such a flood of north light, working 
 is rapid and the arrangement convenient. It is an apartment of 
 handsome dimensions, measuring 35 feet by 20, and it is, more- 
 over, some 18 feet high. Its size is the more striking from the 
 fact that it is unencumbered with furniture. The lighting is 
 north, and, as we see it now, the only illumination that enters 
 is a high side light. Above is an ordinary ceiling, and no sky- 
 light at all ; but inasmuch as the side wall, after rising some ten 
 feet, slopes inwards towards the ceiling, and this slope is glazed, 
 sufficient light comes in to give a soft, subdued illumination all 
 over the apartment. This upper part of the side wail is covered 
 in with dull glass of a greenish hue, known, we believe, as 
 " Hartley's patent rolled," and in consequence there is no definite 
 top light, as would certainly be the case if clear glass were em- 
 ployed instead. The lower part of this north side of the studio 
 is also glazed, but at present screened with thick curtains, which 
 are withdrawn in part after the sitter has taken his place. The 
 light that enters from above is sufficient to illuminate the model 
 over all ; side light is then employed to give a definite effect, to 
 point high lights, and to throw shadows. Not a ray of sunshine 
 ever enters Mr. Hughes' studio, so admirably is it constructed, 
 while, nevertheless, its illumination is so perfect that the most 
 rapid exposures may be given. The full advantage of all this is 
 realised when we remember that there is no puffing and blowing 
 to climb to the top of the house, and no sweltering in a hot glass 
 room when you arrive there, for Mr. Hughes' studio is in no 
 
136 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 sense a glass room ; everything is cool and quiet, with a pleasant 
 look-out on the garden through the large door- windows. The 
 studio furniture is in every case real. Tables and chairs are of 
 solid oak, while couch and settee, with their mouse-coloured 
 velvet coverings, are worthy of notice, if only because of the 
 excellent carving upon them. In a picture they appear hand- 
 some, for the simple reason that they are handsome. 
 
 We next visit the dark-rooms, situated behind the studio, the 
 distinguishing feature of which is their great height, for they, 
 too, have an altitude of eighteen feet. Mr. Hughes has him- 
 self suffered so much from the effects of photographic vapours 
 and fumes, that he determined, in the construction of Eegina 
 House, to make thorough ventilation one of its chief characte- 
 ristics. A system of hot- water pipes pervades the whole building, 
 and it is only in dining and drawing-rooms that mantel-pieces 
 and chimney-places are to be found. A hundredweight and 
 a half of coal daily suffices, by these means, to warm twenty-five 
 rooms. 
 
 We go upstairs to the printing-rooms. The carbon tissue is 
 sensitized here, the strength of the bichromate solution varying 
 from three to five per cent., according to the density of the 
 negative to print. The drying of the tissue is effected in a dark 
 cupboard, from which the air is exhausted from below ; the 
 sheets hang upon laths radiating from a centre, which centre 
 depends from a roasting-jack, and is thus made to revolve. In 
 this way the surfaces of the sheets are exposed freely to the 
 air, and are uniformly dried. Here we see the gelatine process 
 complete — gelatine negatives and gelatine prints under 
 manipulation. 
 
 We pass to the upper studio, where collodion transfers are 
 prepared. There is little here to tell. The collodion enlarge- 
 ment is projected on to a screen, the dark-room itself forming 
 the camera, and, after development and fixing, toned with 
 judgment and palladium. To judge of the extent of toning, the 
 plate is turned over and examined from the back, for it is from 
 this side, it must be borne in mind, that the print will eventually 
 be viewed. After stripping, the film is usually covered with a 
 bright or a matt varnish, and may then be touched little or 
 much, as circumstances dictate. 
 
 We descend to the mounting and retouching rooms, and the 
 negative store-room, where countless plates, each packed in a 
 
THE KEW OBSERVATORY. 
 
 137 
 
 paper envelope, are ranged in rows of pigeon-holes. " Billiard- 
 room at Osborne," " Queen's sitting-room," " Drawing-room, 5 ' 
 we read upon various packages, for every envelope bears outside 
 the name of its negative. Here are the negatives of the Princess 
 Predrica and her husband, who have just been photographed in 
 bridal attire " by command of Her Majesty," and here, too, are 
 the pictures of Lord Beaconsfield, and of his private secretary, 
 Lord Rowton. 
 
 We may mention, in conclusion, the terms at Regina House 
 for cabinet and carte^pictures in carbon. The former are charged 
 at the rate of a guinea and a half per dozen, and the latter at 
 eighteen shillings. But Regina House does not make it a 
 practice to issue a printed list of prices. 
 
 THE KEW OBSERVATORY. 
 
 When George III. was king, and the good old monarch, tired 
 with the affairs of State, betook himself into retirement, he spent 
 a good deal of his time at an observatory he built for himself at 
 Richmond. It was a sort of hermitage, a white block building 
 standing alone in the green vista of park-land and verdure, and 
 in this quiet solitude many hours in the evening of his life were 
 passed. Several fine telescopes were fitted up here for the old 
 king's use, and with a few congenial companions he occupied 
 himself in peering into the heavens and watching the movements 
 of the planets. Some said that the king's intellect was weak, 
 and that this last predilection of his for the moon and the stars 
 was the symptom of a diseased brain ; but there was method in 
 his madness, if madness it was, and the scientific men of to-day 
 have much to be thankful for to his Majesty, for he gave them 
 Kew Observatory. 
 
 The telescopes and other astronomical instruments are no 
 longer to be found at Kew, and it is now a magnetical and 
 meteorological observatory par excellence. The establishment 
 is under the charge of Mr. W. M. Whipple, and a more efficient 
 superintendent it would be difficult to secure. Mr. Whipple's 
 duties, as we shall presently see, are very varied, and when we 
 add, that to a thorough acquaintance with the matters with 
 which he has to deal, he unites considerable tact and an amiable 
 
133 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 and courteous disposition towards the numerous scientific and 
 general visitors who call at the Observatory, we have said 
 enough to prove that he is essentially the right man in the 
 right place. 
 
 The Observatory is delightfully situated. A few minutes' 
 walk from Richmond station you pass into a large farm, and 
 once through this farm you are in the old Deer Park. A stretch 
 of green meadowland is before you, and more than a mile in 
 front, with a background of verdant foliage, is the white Obser- 
 vatory, the clustering trees of Kew Gardens to your right, with 
 the quaint Pagoda rising high above their branches. The silver 
 Thames is seen here and there on the margin of the grounds, and 
 on the left, among the yellow green boughs of oak and chestnut, 
 is the bridge that spans the river near Richmond. Afar off is a 
 trim lawn that has been turned into a cricket field, and tiny 
 forms in white are rushing about in the sunshine ; while close 
 at hand, in deep contrast, is a black spreading cedar, in the 
 shadow of which the brown cattle are lazily feeding. 
 
 In no other establishment can "better proof be afforded of the 
 aid photography lends to science. The art is here the hand- 
 maiden to half-a-dozen branches of science, and excellently 
 well does it perform yeoman service. Day and night photo- 
 graphy notes the temperature of the air, the pressure upon the 
 barometrical column, the electric condition of the atmosphere, 
 and the magnetical disturbances that take place in our mighty 
 earth. A camera is ever busy watching the motion of a pencil 
 of light which moves with every slight meteorological change, 
 thus securing a record valuable to the world at large. Kew is 
 in connection with seven other observatories in Great Britain, 
 and with more than twenty situated throughout the world, and 
 at each and every one of these stations observations go on simul- 
 taneously, which are of the utmost importance for comparison. 
 In far-off China an observatory has been established, and Mr. 
 "Whipple showed us the first record just received from that 
 distant station. 
 
 "We will turn our attention to the thermometer first. The 
 photographic record in this case is termed a thermogram, and 
 here is a representation of one. 
 
 The upper line is the record of an ordinary thermometer, the 
 lower of a wet bulb thermometer. The zig-zag, as it rises and 
 falls, indicates rise and fall of temperature, and the time of day 
 
THE KEW OBSERVATORY. 
 
 139 
 
 is given by the figures above. The exact value of these zig-zags 
 
 A.M. p. M# 
 
 2 4 6 8 10 noon. 2 4 6 8 10 midnight. 
 
 or curves, in degrees, is at once found by placing over the 
 thermogram a glass plate upon which are engraved certain 
 lines and cross-lines ; these lines constitute the key, and show 
 at once the value of a curve half or a quarter of an inch ia 
 height. 
 
 "Now let Us look at the instrument in action. We enter a 
 quiet darkened room, in which two shaded lamps are burning. 
 We can see but a portion of the thermometer, but it is just that 
 portion we want to see. It is somewhat different to an ordinary 
 thermometer. The column is of mercury, and there is a little 
 bubble in the column which moves up and down as the tempe- 
 rature varies. The thermometer, therefore, presents a perfectly 
 opaque body, except where the bubble is. Light from a lamp 
 shines upon the instrument, and, as a necessary consequence, the 
 light is seen coming through the bubble as it would through a 
 window. At every change of temperature, therefore, this little 
 spot of light rises and falls. Now the camera comes into play. 
 It is an ordinary lens and camera, except that, instead of a sensi- 
 tized plate, there is a cylinder, round which sensitized paper is 
 rolled. The back of the camera is opened, and we see a tiny 
 bright spot upon the sensitized paper, the spot representing the 
 bubble of the thermometer. There is a clockwork movement 
 attached to the cylinder, and the sensitized paper thus gradually 
 moves, the pencil of light making its mark the while. 
 
 At the end of twenty-four hours, or forty-eight, as the case 
 may be, when the cylinder has made one revolution, the sensitive 
 paper is taken out of the camera, and carried to the developing 
 room, where a zig-zag line or curve is developed, indicative of 
 the rise and fall of temperature during the past twenty-four 
 hours. 
 
 The rising and falling of the barometrical column is written 
 down by a camera in something after the same fashion, but we 
 have to descend deep down into the basement to see this camera, 
 
140 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 at work, so that the mercury column may be affected as little as 
 possible by variation of temperature. In company with the 
 barograph, in this cellar-like apartment, are three magnetical 
 instruments, with cameras attached. These record the magne- 
 tical disturbances of the earth. The light in all these cases is 
 obtained from argand gas-burners, and the moving pencil of 
 rays is sent from a tiny mirror poised upon the magnetic needle. 
 According as the magnets are pivoted, so they tell of the different 
 forces in action— declination-force, horizontal-force, and vertical- 
 force. Magnetical currents, even of a delicate nature, passing 
 through the earth, are not without action upon these delicately- 
 swung magnetic needles, and if the needle is affected in the 
 least degree, the mirror in like manner moves, and thus the 
 pencil of light is moved also. Revolving cylinders, covered 
 with sensitive paper, here also record the movements during the 
 twenty-four hours. 
 
 Records of this nature were first made at Kcw as far back as 
 1858, and these were preceded by experiments several years 
 earlier, in the days of Daguerreotype. In 1858, too, Kew first 
 began to take its solar photographs, which have since become 
 so famous. Prom 1858 until 1871 a photograph of the sun was 
 taken almost daily, and the assistants at the establishment are 
 said to have made no less than 5,000 measurements of sun's 
 spots. As may be supposed, the Kew astronomical photo- 
 graphers possess some experience now in the matter, and they 
 still incline to the use of wet plates for such work. To be of 
 any value, a solar picture must be under-exposed and under- 
 developed (in ordinary photographic parlance), and, moreover, it 
 should not have a sharp disc-like appearance ; on the contrary, 
 towards the limb the sun-picture should gradually soften. The 
 Transit of Venus photographs did not prove so successful as they 
 might have been, because they did not comply with these 
 preliminary conditions. 
 
 The hours of sunshine during the day are also recorded at 
 Kew. Sunshine, however, only writes itself down when it it 
 strong enough to char paper with the aid of a burning-glass. 
 Sunshine that is at all hazy, or sunshine in the early morning 
 and towards sunset, when it has little power, is not recorded. 
 The instrument is very simple. In order to have a burning- 
 glass that will act all day, a crystal globe is employed, three 
 inches in diameter. This is placed on the roof of the Observatory, 
 
THE KEW OBSERVATORY. 
 
 141 
 
 and around, but not touching it, in a sort of bowl, is a blue 
 strip of paper. This paper is in the focus of the globe, and when 
 the sun shines a pencil of light chars the card to the extent of a 
 pin's head. If the sun goes on shining all day, the hot ray of 
 light travels gradually round the interior of the bowl, charring 
 a line upon the paper ; if the sun comes out by fits and starts, 
 the burnt line is not continuous, but appears at intervals. At 
 the end of the day, the card strip is removed ; it is divided into 
 sections to represent hours, and it is apparent how long and 
 when the sun shone during the day. 
 
 We have not time here to refer to the good work done by 
 Mr. Whipple and his assistants at Kew in respect to the testing 
 of barometers and thermometers by the standards that are kept 
 here; but we must just say a word upon the photographic 
 paper that is prepared at the Observatory. The process em- 
 ployed is a modification of the Calotype method, and very 
 similar to that made use of at the Eoyal Observatory at Green- 
 wich. The paper is of very fine structure, and transparent, so 
 that a second sheet may be rolled upon the cylinder, and a 
 duplicate record secured. It is treated with iodide and bromide 
 of potassium, sensitized on a strong silver bath that contains a 
 little acetic acid. The development is effected slowly by the 
 aid of gallic acid, the sheet being placed upon a glass plate and 
 the developer poured over it, sufficient of the solution being 
 
 absorbed for the operation. Sometimes three hours is taken up 
 in development. The only difficulty that occasionally bothers 
 
142 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 the observers is the tendency of the paper to blacken, arising, 
 Mr. "Whipple believes, from the ozone in the atmosphere. 
 
 The late Mr. C. Brooke, E.R.S., was the first to construct a 
 photo-magnetic recording instrument. His principle is shown in 
 annexed cut, in which a represents a part of a bar magnet ; b a 
 concave mirror, resting on a stirrup firmly attached to the sus- 
 pension apparatus, the whole being supported by a single thread ; 
 c, an ebonite cylinder wrapped round with photographic paper ; 
 d a plano-convex lens ; e a lamp placed a little out of the line 
 which joins the centres of the cylinder and magnet in operation. 
 A pencil of light passes from c through a very narrow aperture, 
 diverges and spreads over the mirror b, from which it is reflected, 
 and diverges to the lens d, and is condensed into a well-defined 
 spot of light at the surface of the paper. The action of the spot 
 upon the photographic paper is to leave a trace, which is, how- 
 ever, imperceptible until subsequently revealed by the applica- 
 tion of a developing solution. 
 
 MR. ROBEET SLINGSBY AT LINCOLN. 
 
 Thebe is this difference between photographic studios of England 
 and those on the continent. In the latter, the capitals appear 
 t ) absorb all the best photographers ; in the former, men in 
 the first rank are to be found as well in the provinces as in 
 town. Mr. H. P. Robinson, of Tunbridge "Wells ; Mr. Jabez 
 Hughes, of Ryde ; Mr. J. E. Mayall, at Brighton ; and Mr. 
 Slingsby, of Lincoln, are examples of this. Good work steadily 
 makes its way, no matter where it is executed, and if only 
 photographers had the advantage of exhibiting their pictures in 
 public a little more, their claims as artists would soon be 
 undisputed. They will not be long without this advantage, 
 and it may be well to record here the success that has been 
 attained already by a single photograph, with the limited 
 publicity at present at our disposal. We speak of " Alone," a 
 picture that has drawn more criticism, laudatory and hostile, 
 than any yet produced by the camera. When we visited 
 Mr. Slingsby, at Lincoln, he was still busy printing "[Alone," 
 and he will apparently be condemned to go on with the 
 
MR. ROBERT SLINGSBY. 
 
 143 
 
 work as long as the negatives last. The composition is well 
 known; a placid sea washes the foot of some white sand- 
 hills, and, in the foreground, alone, is a dainty little lady in 
 summer costume. One hardly knows which to admire most, the 
 rare charms of the maiden, the bright seashore that stretches 
 along the picture, or the smooth hillocks of sand, so fine and 
 silvery that you long to pass it through your lingers. Mr. 
 Slingsby has had no rest since he exhibited that picture on the 
 walls at Pall Mall. It mattered little whether it was produced 
 at Lincoln or Timbuctoo, said Mr. Slingsby to us: "Only one 
 copy has been sold at Lincoln, and that was never paid for." 
 But no picture produced by the camera has ever brought its 
 originator such substantial reward, the sum already paid being 
 more than that fetched by many a clever painting exhibited at 
 the Eoyal Academy. In the words of an official accountant, 
 we may say that we have examined Mr. Slingsby's books, and 
 find that £450 has already been received on account of "Alone," 
 and the popularity of the picture seems to be increasing rather 
 than on the wane. This fact will be of interest to many, we 
 are sure, if only to prove that an artist can .make it pay to do 
 pictures by photography just as well as with brush or crayon. 
 
 Mr. Slingsby has established a very good rule with regard to 
 his visitors. He has two studios ; they are on the same floor, 
 and divided only by a laboratory. One — the further and larger 
 one — is marked, "Mr. Slingsby's Studio;" the other, "No. 2 
 studio." In the first, our host himself is to be found ; in the 
 other, an assistant rules. In a city like Lincoln there is, 
 naturally enough, a good deal of second-class work to be done, 
 " and there is no reason," says Mr. Slingsby, "why I should 
 send sitters away." Everybody in Lincoln cannot afford to pay 
 high prices ; the second studio, therefore, suits a large number 
 of customers, while those who desire the services of Mr. Slingsby 
 himself are, of course, called upon to pay for them. All 
 proofs are sent out untoned. "It has taken several years to 
 educate our customers to untoned prints," says our friend, "but 
 that is now our invariable rule." The advantages of such a 
 rule are so obvious that it is a wonder all photographers do not 
 adopt it. 
 
 Panel or promenade portraits are the "new style" in Mr. 
 Slingsby's studio, who has deemed it worth his while to "go 
 in" for a new lens expressly for them — the 3a Dallmeyer, an 
 
144 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 instrument that requires an interval of from sixteen to eighteen 
 feet between camera and sitter. The principal studio is built 
 on his own model ; it has a northerly aspect, measures forty feet 
 in length, and is glazed with transparent glass. The roof is 
 
 steep, the centre being sharply depressed, as if a hugc~notch 
 had been cut into it, a plan, we believe, that Mr. Slingsby 
 originally patented. In this way rather more front light is 
 thrown upon the sitter, whether he is posed at one end of the 
 room or the other. Mr. Slingsby has an arrangement whereby 
 white linen blinds can be drawn over one part or other of his 
 glass roof ; but he prefers to work with large squares of bare 
 glass, and then bring close to the sitter a gauze screen, or, 
 rather, a frame over which fine muslin is stretched. These 
 
MR. KOBEKT SLING SB Y. 
 
 145 
 
 screens, which, are about three feet broad, take the roof form of 
 the studio ; that is to say, they consist of an upright frame about 
 eight feet in height, and another frame above, bending inwards 
 with the line of the roof, measuring another three or four feet. 
 They are obviously very practical, for they can be placed close 
 to or far away from the sitter at will, and thus modify the 
 illumination. Mr. Slingsby believes much in the mobility of 
 screens and backgrounds. The latter he stretches on frames, 
 but does not fix. He prefers to be able to adjust them as he 
 pleases, and, by inclining them slightly towards or against the 
 light, to modify their character. You can get all sorts of back- 
 grounds and accessories, but choosing them is a difficult matter. 
 Photographers frequently overdo it by selecting backgrounds of 
 too florid a character, with far too much park and ornamental 
 waters about them ; while accessories — whether balconies, 
 balustrades, columns, or pedestals — appear usually too smooth 
 and finely-finished in the picture. Mr. Slingsby has made a 
 very happy selection, to judge from the subdued results in his 
 pictures, and, although he employs aids of this kind without 
 stint, they have none of that superfine, brand-new appearance 
 which, it may be remembered, was a feature of the Veneering 
 household described in Our Mutual Friend. 
 
 "We need say little of the laboratory, except that it is one of 
 the lightest dark rooms we have ever entered. For the purpose 
 of adapting it to gelatine work, Mr. Slingsby employs a screen 
 made of two thicknesses of deep ruby tissue paper stained witli 
 aurine. The hyposulphite bath for fixing is very conveniently 
 stowed away ; a handy counter is at the right hand of the window^ 
 which serves to rest plates or developing dishes upon ; and when 
 a plate is to be fixed, a flap door in this counter is lifted, the 
 plate lowered into the bath, and the trap shut down again. 
 Mr. Slingsby has also several cupboards with drop doors, which 
 are exceedingly handy for putting plates temporarily away from 
 the light in these days of gelatine work. The ordinary table 
 drawer is a very inconvenient thing for a hiding place, as every- 
 body knows. a "We must have better means of getting intensity 
 in our plates, though/ ' says Mr. Slingsby, " if we are to work 
 gelatine regularly for portraiture. " 
 
 In the printing room, among other work, we saw the four big 
 frames required for the printing of " Alone." The negatives 
 are stopped out with ordinary black varnish. K"o. 1 pressure 
 
 L 
 
146 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 frame contains the portrait negative cemented fast to a twenty- 
 four inch glass plate ; No. 2 has the foreground similarly 
 cemented down, which really consists of two negatives ; No. 3 
 has the white sandhills ; and No. 4 the sky. The last requires 
 the most attention, and is the only one that calls for our host's 
 personal care. " Ready for a change, sir," sings out the printer, 
 when the turn of No. 4 frame comes, and then the delicate task 
 of printing in the sky has to be performed by the principal. It 
 was the foreground of this picture, however, that gave Mr. 
 Slingsby most anxiety when it was taken, for two cart-loads of 
 stones had to be carried to the foot of the sand-hills in order to 
 break the line of the view. 
 
 AT SARONY SQUARE, SCARBOROUGH. 
 
 A jotteney of nearly 500 miles, undertaken for the sole purpose 
 of visiting a studio, is no little matter, even in these days of 
 fast through trains and comfortable carriages ; but we may say 
 at the outset that a peep at the Sarony establishment at Scar- 
 borough is well worth a few hours' hard travelling. In any 
 case, we fear it would be hopeless to enlist the sympathies of 
 the reader in our behalf ; for, after all, a couple of days spent 
 at the queen of watering-places during warm autumn weather, 
 just as the outbursts of sunshine are getting few and far between, 
 and it behoves one to make the most of them, can scarcely be 
 termed a grave hardship. We shall say nothing, therefore, 
 of our swift journey down north, of a two hours' halt at York 
 for dinner, and a peep at the Minster ; its massive roof so clearly 
 lit that every trait and niche in the white stone is plainly 
 visible, and its magnificent windows — especially "The Five 
 Sisters of York," endeared to us by Dickens' charming legend — 
 which are among the finest in the world. Nor shall we enlarge 
 on our first glance at Scarborough, as we looked down upon it 
 at night, from the high cliffs, and saw below the glittering lights 
 of the Spa Gardens, the curved quay studded with lanterns, the 
 illuminated bridge and grand hotel opposite, and far away at 
 the further sweep of the bay, the outline of castle and hill 
 dimly visible in the twilight. These and other matters we 
 
AT SARONY SQUARE. 
 
 147 
 
 must be silent about, if we do not wish the reader's sympathy 
 to turn into absolute envy. 
 
 Imagine a well-built square of white houses in a fashionable 
 ■ part of the town. The garden of the square is protected with 
 handsome railings ; there are green shrubs and trees in the 
 vicinity of the railings, and, for the rest, a well-kept lawn decked 
 with flower-beds, and intersected with brown gravel walks. In 
 the centre of this garden is the Sarony establishment. It is a 
 solid, oblong building, Grecian in style, and, at a rough guess, 
 120 feet long. The building is white, with cream-coloured 
 -corner stones, and a broad flight of steps at either end of the 
 building form a fitting entrance. "We go in by the eastern door 
 — the threshold guarded by a pair of lions rampant — the aspect 
 of the interior being more that of a public establishment than a 
 private one; indeed, as we soon discover, the Sarony Gallery is 
 one of the sights of Scarborough. Visitors may come and go 
 any hour between nine and five ; and beyond the many pro- 
 ductions of a photographic nature on view, there is, on the floor, 
 a fine collection of paintings, for the most part the work of 
 P. Jones Barker, the painter, it may be remembered, of " The 
 Allied Generals before Sebastopol," a well-known picture that 
 has been engraved and extensively sold by Messrs. Graves, of 
 Pall Mall. " The Charge of the Light Brigade, " by Mr. Barker, 
 now occupies a post of honour in the Sarony Gallery, and there 
 are other noteworthy paintings and portraits which make the 
 fine hall a point of attraction and fashionable lounge with the 
 visitors to this favoured spa. 
 
 But we have, as yet, got no further than the corridor. On 
 the right hand is the business department, where a specimen of 
 every form of portrait may be seen. Here we are met by Mrs. 
 Sarony, who is good enough to give us a hearty welcome, and 
 by Mr. Pisher, one of the managers, in whose company we are 
 to make a round of the premises. Mr. Fisher tells us that the 
 Promenade, or Panel portrait, has taken very firm root at Scar- 
 borough, being the favourite picture of the season ; and while 
 in the business department, we may mention that the charge 
 made for promenade portraits is one guinea for five plain por- 
 traits, or four vignetted and enamelled; for in the Sarony 
 establishment enamelled pictures are still in favour, and sitters 
 readily pay a larger sum for the extra finish imparted by a 
 glaze of gelatine and collodion. Cartes-de-visite are charged 
 six for half -a- guinea, or twenty for a guinea. 
 
148 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 We walk along the corridor. On the right, as we proceed, 
 are the reception and waiting rooms. These are magnificent. 
 Handsomely furnished, more after the style of a French salon than 
 an English drawing room, the apartments are the embodiments 
 of good taste and costly elegance. Eich divans and velvet 
 lounges, lofty mirrors and gilded tables, attract the eye on all 
 sides ; pictures are on every wall, and one of the salons contains 
 a collection of most exquisite water-colours. Two studios lead 
 out of these reception rooms on the ground floor, and here most 
 of the portraits are taken, for although there are other glass rooms 
 above, the sitter is not troubled to ascend, unless it is absolutely 
 necessary. 
 
 We go through the door of one of the salons and enter the 
 studios. They are both lighted from the north. In the middle, 
 where they join, the cameras are placed, and the dark rooms 
 are situated. Thus two sitters, taken at the same time, sup- 
 posing there were no division between the studios, would be 
 facing one another. In this way, husband and wife can be 
 secured from different aspects, while yet lighted from the north, 
 and an assistant can operate indifferently in one studio or the 
 other without altering the conditions of his working. The 
 studios strike one as very different to those usually met with. 
 They are small, low-roofed, sombre, and cool : and as we look 
 at them, we call to mind the predilection for low studios that 
 has of late years manifested itself, among Berlin photographers 
 especially. In a word, the Sarony studios are the very opposite 
 to what glass rooms usually are. The rooms are painted a 
 French grey, which looks the darker by reason of the absence 
 of height. On the light side, the curtains are drawn from the 
 end of the studio up to a line with the sitter ; then comes an 
 area of six or eight feet square of plain glass, usually covered 
 with gauze, while in the rest of the studio, in front of the 
 sitter, the light is exceedingly subdued. At the camera end of 
 the studio it is, indeed, comparatively gloomy, so that the assis- 
 tants may enter the dark rooms which adjoin (and which serve 
 for both studios) without inconvenience to themselves or the 
 operations they may be conducting. There is provision for top- 
 light, but little use is made of it, the illumination here being 
 kept under control by a sort of Venetian blind arrangement 
 placed horizontally — or nearly so — upon the roof. 
 
 At first sight there is apparently not much room for back- 
 
AT SARONY SQUARE. 
 
 149 
 
 grounds — they are all Seavey's — in these small studios ; but on 
 looking nearer, we find ample provision has been made in this 
 respect. The backgrounds are ingeniously contrived to rise from 
 below, and so well balanced are they, that with one hand you 
 can change the scene without difficulty. The accessories in use 
 are very few, and none, we were glad to see, had that highly- 
 polished, glace aspect, which is so much in favour with many 
 makers of these articles. 
 
 At the entrance we remarked a huge tabular statement of all 
 the rooms in the building, and these we now proceed to visit. 
 In the corridors, on the staircases, and in many of the rooms, the 
 window panes are photographic transparencies, not" only of sub- 
 jects direct from nature, but of paintings, prints, &c, whose 
 appearance is exceedingly attractive. Here, on this floor, is a 
 series of artists' rooms; here is an apartment with rows upon 
 rows of opals in a more or less finished condition ; here are the 
 retouching rooms ; here enlargements on canvas. At the Sarony 
 establishment all enlargements on canvas are made in silver, and 
 on expressing a desire to see the process in operation, we are 
 forthwith ushered up to the second floor. u The great thing in 
 the preparation of the canvas is to wash with plenty of water," 
 said our guide ; "but, of course, it is necessary to remove to the 
 last degree any pigment or preparation that may have previously 
 been applied.' ' As we enter, a canvas is in process of sensitizing. 
 It is resting upon a board, its four corners fixed up with clips, so 
 as to form a tray ; it has previously been treated with equal 
 parts of bromide and iodide by way of " salting," and it is now 
 under the action of a thirty-grain solution of nitrate of silver. 
 In its position upon the board the canvas may be handled at will, 
 and presently the bath is poured off, and the fabric, wet as it is, 
 stretched for printing. A Monckhoven enlarging apparatus, 
 sunshine being employed as the illuminating agent, projects a 
 magnified image upon the canvas, and in two minutes the latter 
 is ready for development. It is taken down, placed once more 
 upon the board, the corners clipped as before, and the developer, 
 containing equal parts of citric acid and pyrogallic acid, poured 
 over. The development is complete in about five minutes, and 
 then a solution of salt and water is poured on ; the fixing may 
 be at once proceeded with, or may be postponed almost inde- 
 , finitely, as may seem best. 
 
 "We now proceed to the basement, where are the workshops, 
 
150 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 the negative rooms, the enamelling and printing rooms. Two 
 little points in the printing-room, scarcely very novel, perhaps, 
 are still worth noting. To secure faultless prints from 
 a cracked negative, it is put at the bottom of a narrow 
 box, two feet deep, with blackened sides; a sheet of tissue 
 paper is then dropped upon the face of the printing-frame, 
 
 and the box carried out of doors, where, obviously, only 
 parallel rays can reach the plate. This method, according to 
 
AT SARONY SQUARE. 
 
 151 
 
 Mr. Fisher, is the simplest way of treating cracked negatives, 
 and that it is a perfectly efficient one, we can testify. The other 
 point is the method of vignetting adopted. A very great deal 
 of vignette printing is done, and a quick and effective plan is, 
 therefore, very necessary. It would never do to issue a faulty 
 vignette bearing the name of Sarony. The printing in the 
 summer is all done under frosted glass, and in these circumstances 
 very delicate tones are obtained. The vignette masks are made 
 in a very ready manner ; a piece of thin cardboard, the size of 
 the printing-frame, has cut out of it a pear-shaped opening the 
 size of the bust or figure, and round the circumference, or mar- 
 gin, of the opening are punched holes, all of the same size, 
 exactly as shown in our cut (p. 150). If one part of the pic- 
 ture requires to be printed a little more, a few extra holes are 
 here punched in the cardboard. This is then fixed upon the 
 top of the printing-frame, being about half an inch above the 
 negative ; and so diffused is the light that passes the mask, and so 
 well is this contrived, that the most delicate gradation is produced 
 without the printer being at the trouble of once moving the 
 frames during printing. "With a punch at hand, a vignette mask 
 of this kind is fashioned in a few seconds. 
 
 A very highly albumenizecl paper is employed at the Sarony 
 establishment, and, in reply to a question on our part as to the 
 occurrence of blisters, these, the chief printer told us, were 
 generally found to be due to the employment of too strong a 
 silver solution. The defects usually disappeared on weakening 
 the bath. The washing of the prints is conducted in circular 
 troughs with a syphon arrangement. Messrs. Sarony and Co., 
 of ScarboiV, have recently produced a number of large negatives 
 on bromo-gelatine plates measuring 54 by 40 inches, and 30 by 
 25 inches. Mr. T. Gr. "Whaite, who prepared the plates and 
 produced the negatives, has devised a simple "coater " for large 
 plates consisting of a V-shaped trough, one side of V being thin 
 wood, the other of double muslin, which is coated to within an 
 
 eighth of an inch of bottom of V with shellac varnish. Here is a 
 picture of it. The emulsion is supplied to the trough as it is 
 
152 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 Toeing drawn over the plate, on which it acts as a brush, u paint- 
 ing" the plate, free from air-bells. Mr. Whaite says, in respect 
 to it : "I find the above coater act admirably, but it must be very 
 light, and easily handled with one hand, hence the necessity of 
 only one side being wood ; coating the muslin with shellac pre- 
 vents too much running out over the plate ; in fact, the coater 
 ficts much as the stylographic pen — the emulsion is dragged out, 
 as it were, by drawing over the plate. 
 
 ME. P. MAITLAND LAWS AT NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE. 
 
 Photogkapuy by Gaslight. 
 
 To visit Newcastle and not to see Mr. Laws' clever arrangement 
 for taking portraits by gaslight would have been a mistake 
 indeed. Perhaps we expected to see more, or perhaps the sim- 
 plicity of the apparatus surprised us ; but in any case, the im- 
 pression on the mind, after you had been in the studio some 
 minutes, was that you could go out again as soon as you liked, 
 there being nothing to keep you. We once engaged in a terrible 
 struggle of many minutes' duration, we remember, to get a peep 
 at Garibaldi sitting in a carriage drawn up before one of the rail- 
 way stations, and, hot and breathless, at last succeeded in push- 
 ing right into the front rank to look upon the famous patriot. 
 He was bare-headed, and dressed in that well-known grey toga, 
 a sight well worth seeing. But, after all, there was only a 
 human face and some grey cloth to look upon, and you could not 
 go on staring at these simple things for ever. So it was with Mr. 
 Laws' gas apparatus ; it seemed so simple, it was hardly worth 
 coming to see. The gas-burner is no novelty, and the dome- 
 shaped reflector inside is of silvered glass like other reflectors ; 
 as the Cockney said of St. Peter's at Borne, it is well scooped out, 
 but there's nothing in it. 
 
 The apparatus, nevertheless, represents the fruit of much hard 
 work and ingenuity. * Mr. Laws set himself a problem, and 
 worked it out by himself. A year ago, taking portraits in the 
 studio by gaslight in the ordinary way of business would have 
 been laughed at as an extravagant idea. Walk into Mr. Laws' 
 studio to-day, and the whole matter is so obvious, you are tempted 
 to declare there is nothing in it at all. There is a gas flame, 
 
MR. P. MAITLAND LAWS. 
 
 153 
 
 and there is a reflector — voildtout! Mr. Laws might, however, 
 be tempted to say, Just so; voild tout I a gas flame and a re- 
 flector ; but no electric light, no gas engine, no Gramme machine, 
 no complicated screens, no pyrotechnic display, no magnesium 
 fumes, no sulphur and chlorate of potash, no puffs and no smoke, 
 no mixing of anything in a mortar or winding up of any clock- 
 work, and, above all, no patent ; there is a gas light and there is 
 a reflector, that is all." Mr. Laws deserves honourable recogni- 
 tion for having devised a plan of artificial illumination that is 
 unsurpassed for efficiency and simplicity. 
 
 As to the nature and delicacy of the pictures produced by gas- 
 light, we merely say that they are only second to those taken 
 by the aid of the sun. Any of our readers who are [interested 
 would, no doubt, be welcome to an example from Mr. Laws by 
 paying the nominal cost of the print, and we venture to say they 
 will be unable to point out any great difference — if, indeed, any 
 difference at all — between it and pictures taken by daylight. Of 
 course Mr. Laws prefers daylight, like anybody else, and only 
 employs his gas lamp in the winter months and in dull weather. 
 Unfortunately, the public are not of the same mind. "I saw 
 none of your gas-light pictures in the reception room," we re- 
 marked. "No, I have been forced to remove them," said Mr. 
 Laws ; " everybody wanted to be taken by gas-light in the 
 summer time." 
 
 One other remark before we describe the apparatus. The 
 multiple gas flame is rather a large one, and it might be supposed 
 that the Insurance Companies would therefore be inclined to 
 augment the premium ; but, notwithstanding the fact that an 
 ofiicer was sent to inspect the studio, no addition was made to 
 Mr. Laws' charges on account of fire assurance. 
 
 On the following page is a sketch of the apparatus, which is 
 placed at the side, and a little in advance of the sitter. We will 
 begin with the burner. Eroni the floor rises an upright pipe or 
 standard, 4 ft. 6 in. high, with burner at the top, A ; over the 
 'burner is a chimney, the lower portion of which is of mica, B, a 
 material transparent and unaffected by the heat of the flame. 
 There is a tap for turning the gas on and off, C, when the expo- 
 sure begins and ends ; but so that the flame, or rather flames, may 
 not be entirely extinguished, there is a little bye-pipe which may 
 always be left turned on. The burner is one of Wigham's, and 
 consists of 68 jets, capable of yielding an illuminating power, it 
 
154 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 is said, equal to 1,250 standard candles. The shape of the re~ 
 flector may be said to be that of a Dutch oven, only it is domed 
 instead of angular. It is of galvanised iron, and lined throughout 
 
 with strips of silvered glass. The upper concave portion of the 
 reflector supplies top light, the lower parts side and front light. 
 The reflector is suspended from the ceiling by an iron rod, and in 
 such a manner that a slight touch is enough to swing it round 
 and alter its position. The measurement of the reflector across 
 the front is forty inches. "When fixed for use, the top of the 
 reflector in front is six feet from the floor, while the back (the 
 reflector has a sloping and rounded roof, it must be borne in mind) 
 is four feet three inches from the floor. In the centre of the 
 roof or the reflector an opening eleven inches in diameter leaves, 
 
MR. P. MAITLANB LAWS. 
 
 155: 
 
 room for the chimney. The walls of the reflector in front 
 measure forty inches. 
 
 A burner and reflectoi of this kind near the sitter is a little un- 
 pleasant, both by reason of the heat and glare that are perceptible ; 
 but these disagreeable characteristics are at once shut off by a 
 screen of blue glass that Mr. Laws adjusts to the front of the 
 apparatus, and which is not shown in our cut. It is simply a 
 frame measuring 40 inches by 40, filled up with strips of blue 
 glass. This screen is quite sufficient to remove any unpleasant- 
 ness, and the sitter, as we ourselves can testify, suffers no more 
 from the light than he would in looking out of window. Strange 
 to say, there is very little actinic power cut off by this blue 
 screen, the exposure of a plate for eight seconds with the screen 
 giving as good an image as one exposed for seven seconds with- 
 out it. Eight seconds is the time fixed for a carte portrait with 
 the extra sensitive gelatine plates of Mr. Swan, who has from 
 the commencement taken great interest in Mr. Laws' work, 
 and seconded his efforts in many ways. Eor cabinet portraits, 
 twelve to fifteen seconds amply suffice. 
 
 Mr. Laws told us that Messrs. Edmondson, of London and- 
 Dublin, have inspected his reflector, and are in a position to make 
 others of a similar nature ; but, as our readers will observe, there 
 is nothing particularly difficult in the way of constructing the 
 apparatus. Mr. Laws has tried naphthalising his gas in order ta 
 increase its brilliancy, but the results of his experiments in this 
 direction show that there is little if anything to be gained by 
 such means. "We may mention, by the way, that according to 
 the Act of Parliament, gas supplied in London should have an 
 illuminating power of not less than sixteen sperm candles, em- 
 ploying a standard burner, and further, that per 100 cubic feet 
 there should not be more than ten to twenty grains of sulphur, 
 and not 'more than five to ten grains of ammonia. But in the 
 provinces the standard is scarcely so good. 
 
 Mr. Laws speaks highly of gelatine plates for ordinary studio 
 work. He has employed the silver bath scarcely at all, and 
 does all his daily work with dry plates. He employs the. 
 oxalate developer, made up according to Eder's simple formula, 
 and makes it a rule to expose no more than two plates on every 
 sitter, so familiar has he become with their qualities. 
 
156 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 MESSRS, BROWN, BARNES, & BELL AT LIVERPOOL. 
 
 There was no reason to go all the way to Liverpool to visit a 
 studio of Messrs. Brown, Barnes, and Bell, for London contains 
 two of their establishments, and there are a round dozen of others 
 in the principal towns of Great Britain ; but it is at Liverpool 
 that the firm is "at home," and to Liverpool we accordingly 
 journeyed. Even at Liverpool we did not visit the whole of the 
 premises occupied by the firm. We were, we frankly admit, 
 only at the principal studio in Bold Street, and at the principal 
 printing and mounting establishment in Mount Pleasant ; but it 
 will be difficult, nevertheless, within the space of this article, 
 to give an adequate account of what we did see of the doings of 
 this enterprising triumvirate of photographers. 
 
 "We have inspected a good many studios, both in this country 
 and abroad, but, as a photographic establishment which does not 
 publish work, that of Messrs. Brown, Barnes, and Bell is by far 
 the biggest that has come under our observation. We counted 
 a score of employes m the printing department alone, all en- 
 gaged upon solar printing, and in the mounting and spotting 
 branch the hands were more numerous still, the former work 
 being undertaken by men and boys, and the latter by women 
 and girls. In the toning-rooms, an average of 2,000 impressions 
 pass into the bath daily ; in the sensitizing-room, from 130 to 150 
 sheets of paper are floated every day. 
 
 " We may not go in for the very highest class of work," said 
 Mr. B., one of the members of the firm; "our motto is, 1 Go 
 ahead,' and we do go ahead as much as we can. The London 
 branches do their own printing and finishing; but Glasgow, 
 Birmingham, Edinbro', Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Wigan, 
 Henley, Southport, Bootle, Nottingham, and* Newcastle, all 
 send their negatives to us at Liverpool." 
 
 In short, the firm's object is to cater for the million, and not 
 for the few ; their ambition is to do good work of a good class, 
 and at a moderate cost. Here are the prices : — Twelve cartes- 
 de-visite, 7s. 6d., or if vignetted, then only half-a-dozen are given 
 for this sum. Cabinets are 15s. 6d. the half-dozen, and one guinea 
 the dozen. " Photographs to be paid for at the time of sitting," 
 is the universal rule. On approval, the negative, together with 
 the order, are sent to head-quarters to be dealt with. 
 
MESSES. BROWN, BAKNES, AND BELL. 157 
 
 The first proof from every plate is pasted on a sheet of paper,, 
 or printed schedule, which is filled in with the necessary 
 particulars, and the colour of this sheet, whether yellow, blue r 
 red, orange, &c, indicates the locality from which the photo- 
 graph has been received. Obviously, it is only by adopting a 
 most business-like system, that so vast and intricate an establish- 
 ment could be organized and kept going; and when we mention 
 that not only portraiture, but all sorts of miscellaneous work,,, 
 is likewise undertaken by the enterprising Liverpool firm, it 
 must be a good system indeed to work without a hitch. 
 
 The head-quarters office is at Bold Street. "We pass by a 
 fine collection of photographs, in which the new panel or 
 promenade pictures are conspicuous, and walk upstairs. The 
 firm desires that we should see something of what they propose 
 to do in the future, before we proceed on our visiting round. 
 Imprimis, there is a handsome folio volume to admire, "The 
 Pictorial Eelics of Ancient Liverpool." Eine paper and bold 
 type are seen in conjunction with some exquisite, rare reproduc- 
 tions of sketches made half-a-century ago and more, of Liverpool. 
 The sketches — seventy-two in number — were collected from, 
 many portfolios, their owners placing the pictures freely at the 
 disposal of the firm, who were thus enabled to produce the 
 magnificent volume before us. "It's not bad for a provincial 
 production," said Mr. E., in reply to our encomiums, and, indeed, 
 Liverpool is fortunate in possessing such "pictorial relics."' 
 "When will London have such a volume, we wonder ? 
 , Here is something else equally attractive. Milled note-paper 
 has been popular, but people are getting tired of it ; so Messrs* 
 Erown, Earnes, and Eell propose to impart to letter writing a 
 further charm. Here are half-a-dozen designs — pieces of card- 
 board some twenty inches high — which may be regarded as 
 magnified sheets of note-paper. Upon each sheet is an elegant 
 linear design in Indian-ink; there are, perhaps, a score of 
 parallel lines down the page, to aid in writing straight, and at 
 the margin are scrolls, and crests, and water-lilies, &c, &c, 
 finished also in Indian-ink. These designs will be photographed, 
 and a block prepared by the Woodburytype process, or, rather, 
 by a modification of it, which is familiar to many of our readers, 
 under the name of photo-filigrain. "With this block note-paper 
 will be embossed, and the result will be sheets with a delicate 
 water-mark design and a slightly embossed surface. There is 
 
158 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 this material difference, however, between the ordinary water 
 mark and that imparted by Mr. "Woodbury's ingenious process : 
 in the former the markings are formed by lines uniformly 
 transparent and of considerable thickness. The photo-filigrain 
 process, on the other hand, not only permits the formation of 
 very fine lines, but will reproduce half-tones as well, if these 
 were present in the original design. 
 
 Another obvious advantage is cheapness. To make a fine 
 design for water-marking is very costly, fifty to a hundred 
 pounds being sometimes spent upon it; to practise photo- 
 filigrain, you may take your design whence you choose. What- 
 ever the camera reproduces can be adopted as a design. Our 
 host, Mr. B., indeed, hopes soon to be able to say to photo- 
 graphers, " Send us an impression of any portrait negative upon 
 the sensitive tissue we forward you, between folds of yellow 
 paper ; we will then supply you with a quire or more of note- 
 paper, in which your portrait shall be exhibited as a water-mark." 
 The Liverpool firm, in a word, propose to make a clever use of 
 a clever process. 
 
 We have little time to speak, as we should, of the efforts 
 Messrs. Brown, Barnes, and Bell are making in conjunction 
 with Mr. Woodbury to supersede engraving on wood or steel. 
 In Paris, as our readers are aware, the firm of Goupil et Cie. 
 have already out-distanced all others in the success that has 
 attended their efforts in this direction, and there are now to be 
 seen mechanical portraits that cause us to rub our eyes, and 
 •doubt whether it is photography or a true engraving we are 
 looking at. The Liverpool firm is a competitor in the same race, 
 but at present their efforts are more particularly directed towards 
 turning a draughtsman's sketch into a type-block for printing. 
 A French publication — "La Vie Moderne" — already exists, 
 which employs the camera to translate its sketches ; but these 
 newspaper illustrations are capable of considerable improvement. 
 It is indispensable to have a grain throughout the picture in a 
 process of this kind, and one of the most successful plans that 
 has been tried in Liverpool is to make the sketch upon a paper 
 over which a network of black lines has been traced, the veil- 
 like markings having a close likeness to that borne by reticulated 
 tissue. Upon this black-veiled paper an artist sketches in 
 crayons; wherever his point touches, a black line results, 
 covering up the network, the result being a drawing of a some- 
 
MESSRS. BROWN, BARNES, AND BELL. 159 
 
 ivhat degraded character, since there are no high-lights. To 
 get these he employs an eraser, or the point of a knife, which 
 scrapes away the black veil, and thus lays the white surface bare. 
 Therefore, in the end, the picture is made up of three gradations, 
 if we may so term them : bare white paper for the high-lights, 
 the net- work for the middle tints, and black crayon lines, more 
 or less close, for the shadows. Of this sketch a photograph is 
 taken on the Woodbury tissue, which, by washing, is made into 
 a mould, and from this mould a plaster cast is secured. It is 
 then a comparatively easy matter to get a type-block from the 
 plaster cast. 
 
 At Bold Street, there may be said to be three reception rooms, 
 one above the other, on the ground, first, and second floor ; so 
 that, if there are many customers waiting, this circumstance is 
 not rendered too obvious to the last comer, who might be 
 frightened away if he saw the full extent of the queue. But the 
 rooms are not only elegantly and comfortably fitted up ; they 
 are so full of interesting pictures, that half-an-hour is quickly 
 spent within their walls. Collodion enlargements on opal, collo- 
 dion transfers, and carbon prints are here in profusion — some 
 perfectly untouched, others more or less highly finished in oil, 
 and black-and-white, to suit all tastes and all purses. Here is 
 a charming enlargement — two tiny sailor boys perched aloft on 
 the truck of the main mast among the rigging, with a clear-lit 
 sea behind them. In the studio presently, we see the " acces- 
 sory " that has been here employed, an object of a very simple 
 character, which is placed in front of a sea background, the seat 
 being some five feet from the ground, so as to give the effect of 
 height. Not far off is another picture of interest — the portrait 
 of a rough gold-digger in a Calif ornian landscape. "He came 
 to us," said Mr. B., "with a yellow, stereoscopic picture, 
 showing the spot where he made his fortune, and the wooden 
 shanty in which he had lived during the making of it. ' Here's 
 my diggings, and here am I myself ; now, can't you make a 
 portrait of me, and put me alongside the old place ? ' " The 
 Calif ornian' s wish was gratified, and the picture before us tells 
 how successfully the tour de force was accomplished. 
 
 These are legal pictures. Here is a substantially-built house, 
 with two tumble-down cottages beside it. The owner of the 
 house heard that his friends next door were about to pull down 
 the adjoining premises, and build them up again on a finer 
 
160 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 scale ; there was talk of a lofty establishment that bade fair to 
 obscure the light of the house-owner, so the latter conceived the 
 happy idea of having the old buildings photographed forthwith, 
 as they stood, so that, in case of a law dispute about ' ' ancient 
 lights,' ' good evidence should be forthcoming as to the actual 
 height of the old dwellings. Another illustration. The nose 
 of a ship has been damaged, and, while it is lying in the dry 
 dock, a photograph is taken to record the extent of the injury. 
 It is the result of a collision, and there will probably be a 
 dispute as to the amount to be made good. " This is the birth- 
 place of Gladstone, in Eodney Street," said Mr. B. " An old 
 lady living there objected to our taking the photograph ; we told 
 her Mr. Gladstone was public property, and we should do as 
 we liked. However, she was perfectly satisfied in the end, 
 when we presented her with a copy of the picture.' 7 There are, 
 by thu way, many fine pictures, on a large scale, of private 
 residences, and we doubt whether there are many photographers 
 who are so alive to the turning of an honest penny in this branch 
 of business as Messrs. Brown, Barnes, and Bell. 
 
 "We go across to the printing and mounting establishment, 
 having first announced our coming through the telephone. 
 Nearly a hundred people are here employed, and Mr. B. tells 
 us the number of employes and families dependent on the fimi 
 are scarcely less than one thousand. Think of that, all you 
 who despair of getting a livelihood out of photography ! Here 
 are store-rooms for incoming and outgoing packages ; here is the 
 frame-makers' department, in which frames of all sizes are turned 
 out by the gross, the firm's business in club enlargements being 
 especially great. Farther on are the toning rooms ; lime toning 
 only is employed, and in washing, toning, and fixing, the 
 utensils employed are all of slate. In Mr. B.'s opinion there is 
 not a cheaper and better material for the purpose than enamelled 
 slate. The slabs are screwed together, and the joints made tight 
 with white lead. The water in the bath remains clear and cool, 
 and a utensil, two feet square, costs but twenty shillings. 
 
 The outhouses and yard devoted to printing present a very busy 
 scene. In the open, upright screens secure shadow ; but there 
 are conveniences for printing under any conditions. Tou can 
 easily tell the dry plates from the wet when they are in the 
 frames; the former are black, the latter white. " You don't 
 like dry negatives, Mr. Oliver, do you?" says our host; and 
 
M. LAFOSSE. 
 
 161 
 
 Mr. Oliver, who has had charge of the printing arrangements for 
 the past fifteen years, replies most emphatically that he don't. 
 
 "We go upstairs, moving from room to room. Sensitizing, 
 mounting, touching, and painting are busily going on. Prom the 
 first floor we go to the second, and from the second into the roof, 
 where the collodion enlargements are made. There is just as 
 much bustle up here as down below. Coating, sensitizing, and 
 stripping are going on in a series of laboratories, and close by is 
 the enlarging-room. An opening in the roof receives the small 
 negative, under this is the lens, and a table below receives the 
 sensitized collodion plate. No sunlight is employed, but direct 
 rays from the sky, and, under these circumstances, an enlarge- 
 ment is secured in ten seconds. There is no dark-slide, the 
 room being sufficiently gloomy to prevent the film taking harm 
 when it is carried about; the negative is adjusted and focussed, 
 and then the sensitized opal plate is brought from the bath, and 
 laid on the table, upon which the enlarged image falls. After 
 an exposure of ten seconds, the plate is taken up and developed. 
 A hundred collodion enlargements a day are sometimes made in 
 these laboratories. 
 
 M. LAFOSSE AT KNOLL'S HOUSE, MANCHESTER. 
 
 Delightfully situated in its own grounds at Higher Broughton, 
 above the vapours of murky Manchester, is a quaintly built villa 
 of black oak, a bit of mediaeval architecture that seems to have 
 been forgotten by the modern builders, who have been so busy 
 planting their bricks and stucco around. It is Knoll's House, 
 and, posed on its terrace-like pedestal, it appears all the brighter 
 and more pleasing by reason of its contrast to the solemn square 
 edifices in the neighbourhood. The gable roof and shining black 
 beams are charmingly picturesque, and as the building lies back 
 at some distance from the road, there are quietude and repose to 
 still further enhance its beauty. 
 
 The interior is no less pleasing. An oak passage, somewhat 
 low and sombre, with shining casques of steel and polished breast- 
 plates on either side, leads to a panelled room in which there is 
 much exquisite carving. Here everything is in good taste and 
 keeping with the structure. The furniture is all of black oak, 
 
 M 
 
162 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 and on the massive sideboard are tankards and platters of 
 burnished silver. The fireplace is of mediaeval design, and the 
 settees and curtains have an air of the tapestry age about them. 
 To be brief, in the construction of Knoll's House, every bit of Old 
 Manchester that could be collected together by its builder was 
 made use of, and the experiment, a risky one, has yielded a very 
 happy result. It is only the oak room and hall, however, that 
 possess an old-fashioned air. The rest of the rooms have lofty 
 ceilings and modern furniture, although in the handsome gallery 
 or reception room there are also much antique work and rare 
 carving to admire. 
 
 M. Lafosse has a business establishment in the town of 
 Manchester itself, and it is only the higher class camera work 
 that is executed at Knoll's House. M. Lafosse' s name stands so 
 high as an artist that we need not speak here of the merits of 
 his pictures ; he executes large numbers of cabinets, for which 
 he possesses a wide reputation, while in respect to club portraits 
 on opal — to take another branch of work — they are produced 
 upon so large a scale that M. Lafosse actually employs a staff of 
 framers on the premises. 
 
 A courtyard separates the house from the working depart- 
 ments, the studios being again connected by a passage with the 
 front entrance. "We cross the yard, and M. Lafosse points out 
 where his large groups are taken. There are a rustic bench and 
 two or three chairs upon a platform, the boarded background 
 being painted of a greyish tone, and trained with imitation ivy. 
 "After two o'clock I can do anything I please there; I know 
 my effects as well as in the studio indoors." "We pass on into the 
 framing room. "Here are the cheap club portraits we were 
 talking about just now ; our charge, finished in colours, is thirty- 
 five shillings, or two guineas in black and white." The pic- 
 tures are all upon opal, the latter being simply albumenised, 
 coated with collodion, and sensitized in the ordinary way. In 
 reply to a question as to toning, M. Lafosse says : " The tint is 
 so satisfactory after development that we never tone." 
 
 "We enter the printing room. It is a model of construction and 
 ingenuity. It is an oblong apartment, and, as a matter of course, 
 not very light. Along the length of the room runs a dresser or 
 bench, upon which the pressure-frames are stood for changing. 
 In front of the printers are large roof -like windows, and the 
 frames, put upon a sliding tray, may be either pushed forward 
 
M. LAFOSSE. 
 
 163 
 
 under these windows, or farther still into the open air for print- 
 ing. There are six of these sliding trays, measuring some five 
 feet broad, all of which in turn are drawn in upon the dresser, to 
 change the frames ; and according as the tray is pushed out 
 again into the light much or little, so the printing proceeds 
 quickly or slowly. Conveniently situated behind the printers is 
 the darker sensitizing room, whence fresh supplies of paper are 
 drawn, and also the negative store room, so that the employes 
 have all necessary to do their work conveniently to hand, and 
 the operations proceed smoothly and uninterruptedly. The nega- 
 tive room has racks for 14,000 negatives, each pigeon-hole con- 
 taining ten plates ; hence the numbering is at once plain and 
 straightforward. M. Lafosse is never troubled with rising of 
 the film ; he employs both Hubbard's and the Autotype varnish. 
 
 There are two fine glass rooms at Knoll's House, at right 
 angles to one another. Our kindly host insists upon taking a 
 portrait, so we sit down. When the picture is taken, however, 
 we scarcely know, for there is such a humorous rattle the whole 
 time, and all sorts of conjuring going on with a fan, and anec- 
 dotes about past sitters and present ones, that by the time we 
 begin to compose ourselves, he says it is all over. M. Lafosse 
 is of opinion that French photographers are certainly not ahead 
 of those in England now-a-days. " But Paris photographers 
 have many advantages — that is a nice little fan, isn't it ? — you 
 see their models pose so much better than you English people do 
 — that's a capital smile ! — and then they dress so much better. 
 Here you have people who don't know how to dress at all ; they 
 come arrayed in glaring satin or a nasty shiny grey, like that you 
 are wearing — capital laugh that ; just keep it on — thank you." 
 
 M. Lafosse's principal studio, which is about fifty feet long, 
 is tinted a dark grey-green. There is a skirting-board at the 
 light side eighteen inches from the ground ; then three feet of 
 ground-glass, and above that, sloping inwards, three feet of 
 clear glass. All or any portion of the ground-glass may be shut 
 out by opaque sliding screens, and there is a very ingenious 
 arrangement for modifying the top side light that comes through 
 the clear glass. A row of small white screens hang down from 
 the roof, and in this position do not obscure the glass. But if 
 sloped to the right or left — and by means of a frame-work they 
 all move together — the light is reflected on to or away from the 
 sitter, or, by pulling taut the glass, obscured altogether. The 
 
164 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 screens, indeed, are constructed something after the manner of a 
 Venetian blind. The studio contains a vast number of clever 
 properties, but the best of all is a large musical box, which 
 M. Lafosse finds exceedingly useful when making exposures, as 
 sitters then have something else besides themselves to think 
 about at the eventful moment. 
 
 In working, M. Lafosse believes it well to make up collodion 
 and silver bath in batches. For instance, he makes up one 
 hundred ounces of nitrate of silver into bath, and mixes up at 
 the same time as much collodion as he is likely to require for 
 the same. When these are expended, he prepares fresh supplies . 
 In the same way he albumenises a hundred or a thousand plates 
 at a time, for M. Lafosse invariably employs an albumen sub- 
 stratum both for ordinary work and for his opal enlargements. 
 The varnishing is done in an ingenious manner, which our 
 readers will do well to note. Our host makes use of a little 
 "cheerful stove." 
 
 M. Lafosse's retouching room is also worth making a note of. 
 The light enters from a wide window in front, but a curtain 
 depending from the ceiling shuts out direct illumination, except 
 where the row of retouching frames are placed. The ceiling and 
 wall behind are painted a dark neutral tint to absorb the light 
 and not to reflect it, so that while the apartment is softly illu- 
 minated, the light behind the negatives is still exceedingly 
 vivid. Altogether this retouching room is a model. 
 
 M. Lafosse is of opinion that something novel is necessary to 
 give healthy impetus to photographic work, and he has not much 
 faith in the promenade or any other style of portrait effecting 
 such beneficial change. " We do not want merely a variation in 
 the cutting or mounting of photographs, but some modification 
 of the photograph itself. A real cameo, or bas-relief portrait, in 
 which the face stands out from a dark background, would make 
 an attractive picture, for example, if we could only produce such 
 things. " Possibly, now the Woodbury patent has lapsed, we 
 shall have some attention given to the production of photographic 
 portraits in relief ; at any rate, M. Lafosse's idea is well worthy 
 of record here. 
 
MR. J. W. SWAN. 
 
 165 
 
 MR. J. W. SWAN AT NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE. 
 
 Maott of our readers will envy us an afternoon spent in Mr. 
 Swan's laboratory, but we will do our best to share the benefit 
 of it with them. Mr. Swan has always been a pioneer in photo- 
 graphy, and where he does not originate, he makes such sound 
 improvements, that he never fails to leave his mark upon any 
 branch he has to do with ; and there are few branches to which 
 he has not given attention. The names of carbon printing and 
 Swan are synonymous ; and if the photo-relief process had not 
 been so timely secured to himself by Mr. Woodbury, the eminent 
 Newcastle chemist would have made it is own. Mr. Swan pre- 
 ceded Baron Yon Lenk by some years in the manufacture of 
 guncotton from " slobbings and rovings" instead of from cotton 
 wool, for soon after the exhibition of 1851 Mr. Swan commenced 
 to prepare pyroxylin from this description of cotton, and has 
 continued to do so for collodion making ever since. When the 
 news was flashed from America that Mr. Edison had at last 
 found out the way of lighting up our dining rooms and libraries 
 with electricity, by the simple expedient of rendering incan- 
 descent a tiny horse-shoe of carbonised paper, it was found that 
 Mr. Swan, quietly working in his laboratory at Newcastle, had 
 made the discovery some time before, and, moreover, had taken 
 the precaution to patent it. The Swan lamp was in the market 
 six months before the Edison lamp could be purchased. 
 
 As Mr. Swan has of late occupied himself with the preparation 
 of gelatino-bromide, it goes without saying that he has made 
 himself master of this new and delicate branch of photography. 
 At the same time Mr. Swan is no enthusiast ; on the contrary, 
 he is somewhat sceptical upon the matter of new phenomena, 
 and is more likely to disbelieve than to adopt a novel dictum. 
 If you propound a theory in development, or express a belief in 
 the special treatment of a film, he puts his hands behind him, 
 and permits you the privilege of demonstrating the fact yourself, 
 placing apparatus and chemicals at your disposal for the purpose. 
 If you succeed, well and good ; if you fail, he does not congratu- 
 late himself upon his foresight, but, like a generous foe, straight- 
 way proceeds to help you, repeating the experiment himself, to 
 be quite sure that nothing has gone wrong, and that the theory 
 expressed shall, at any rate, have every chance. The matter of 
 development in the light, or rather commencing the development 
 
166 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 of a gelatine film in the dark, and continuing the operation in 
 subdued light, did not answer in Mr. Swan's hands, for half of 
 the plate which had been treated entirely in the dark proved, 
 on careful comparison, the better and brighter. At the same 
 time, he was ready to admit that in the case of a comparatively 
 slow plate, and under the action of very subdued light, a gelatine 
 film, especially in the non-actinic oxalate developer, would not 
 be likely to suffer to an appreciable degree. 
 
 Mr. Swan, in the manufacture of his plates, fully believes in 
 the addition of a small proportion of iodide. We mentioned the 
 opinion of several photographers who were unable to detect any 
 difference between a film prepared wholly with bromide and one 
 containing a proportion of iodide. Said Mr. Swan, you must be 
 quite sure that there is iodide of silver in your plates before you 
 make comparison ; it is possible to employ an iodine salt when 
 making your emulsion, and yet not form any iodide of silver, or r 
 at any rate, get any of it in the finished product. But whether 
 there is iodide present or no, is soon apparent on taking the 
 films into daylight. " In this case you have only bromide of 
 silver present," said Mr. Swan, showing us a series of plates of 
 a pale primrose colour, which, when held up against the light, 
 could scarcely be called opaque; " while here, again, this brim- 
 stone colour proclaims the presence of iodide of silver.' ' These 
 latter films were quite opaque, and this test, therefore, we com- 
 mend to our readers as one that is likely to stand them in good 
 stead. The plates must be examined as soon as they are brought 
 into the light, as their tint changes after exposure for a minute 
 or two ; and in judging their colour, look at, and not through, 
 the films. 
 
 The presence of iodide, therefore, from the fact that it gives a 
 more opaque film, and thus prevents blurring, is an undoubted 
 advantage, while for the same reason it adds vigour to the 
 image. Mr. Swan also believes that the addition of iodide is 
 of value in contributing towards clear shadows and vigorous high 
 lights. 
 
 As to the quality of the bromide formed, and the nature of its 
 particles, whether coarse or fine, of which we have heard a good 
 deal of late, Mr. Swan has no hesitation in saying that the 
 coarser the particles, the more sensitive is the bromide. More- 
 over, he believes that the colour seen, when viewing a glass- 
 plate coated with emulsion, as a transparency, is not due to the 
 
MR. J. W. SWAN. 
 
 167 
 
 emulsion itself, but simply to the passage of light between the 
 particles ; that is to say, when the particles are fine, the light 
 transmitted appears to be orange or red ; while if the bromide 
 particles are of a coarse nature, the light transmitted is grey or 
 blue. 
 
 Notwithstanding the greatest care in emulsifying and pre- 
 paring the plates, Mr. Swan finds it impossible to control the 
 sensitiveness within certain limits, and for this reason he adopts 
 the common-sense plan of carefully testing the plates by a 
 standard after the emulsion is made, and recording this sensi- 
 tiveness. In this way he knows what he has made, if he does 
 not know how he has made it. Every batch of plates is tested 
 for density, sensitiveness, frilling, and spotting. The plates after 
 coating are permitted to set — under an hour is the time neces- 
 sary — and then dried in an atmosphere very slightly raised 
 (between 70° and 80° Eah.) for a period of twenty-four hours. 
 They are then packed, not only with a view to shelter them 
 from light, but also from that arch-enemy to gelatine, damp (the 
 packing we need not describe, as any purchaser of the plates can 
 examine it for himself), and they then come before the inspector. 
 One assistant is engaged on no other work but that of inspection, 
 and it is his duty to take haphazard a per centage from every 
 batch for trial. The plate is put into a printing frame under a 
 standard negative of known intensity, at a distance precisely of 
 ten feet from an ordinary fish-tail gas-burner. A standard deve- 
 loper is employed, and a sand glass that runs exactly three 
 minutes and a half serves to fix the time for the plate to remain 
 in the developer. With these fixed conditions, the sensitiveness 
 of a batch of plates is soon determined approximately by an 
 experienced assistant, and he then decides whether the plates 
 are 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 times quicker than wet collodion, 
 information that is at once marked outside every packet of the 
 batch. 
 
 Mr. Swan showed us an interesting series of negatives illus- 
 trating the effect of strong and weak developers, and the influ- 
 ence of varied intervals of development, in order to prove the 
 control that may be exercised is coping with under- and over- 
 exposed films. His normal developer in this case was six grains 
 of ammonia and six grains of bromide dissolved in one ounce of 
 water on the one hand, and on the other, pyrogallic acid dis- 
 solved in one ounce of water in various quantities. Thus we 
 
168 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 saw plates (all with the same exposure) developed with half a 
 grain, a grain, and two grains of pyrogallic acid, and further 
 examples showing the effect of these developers after an interval 
 of two minutes, three minutes, and six minutes. Mr. Swan 
 believes that many failures in development are due to employ- 
 ing ammonia of not sufficient strength, and pyrogallic acid 
 not freshly prepared. The whole formula obviously is deranged 
 if attention is not paid to these details. 
 
 In removing the film from a gelatine plate, when such a thing 
 is desired, Mr. Swan has recourse to the employment of 
 methylated spirit for hardening ; that is to say, when the film 
 has been alumed and floated off by the application of a little very 
 dilute hydrochloric acid, he toughens and contracts it again by 
 immersion in spirit, when the film may be handled without 
 much fear of the consequences. Whether the operation can be 
 done in the case of paper remains to be seen. 
 
 Mr. Swan's laboratory is an affaire de luxe ; it opens into a 
 glass corridor, at the one end of which is a dark closet, and at 
 the other a fine glazed studio. The laboratory is a most agreeable 
 apartment, being, in fact, Mr. Swan's library, which is converted, 
 by very simple means, into a dark-room. The two doors are pro- 
 vided with strips of list, and with mats fitting into the threshold, 
 so that no light passes them. The large window is covered 
 with a four-fold thickness of orange paper, and the lights of the 
 gaselier — with the exception of one jet that is turned up now 
 and then for testing — are provided with ruby chimneys. The 
 orange paper, by the way, is of Mr Swan's own preparation, and 
 has been made especially for his plates. 
 
 There is a tap and sink in one of the cupboards, and some big 
 porcelain trays with hyposulphite and alum conveniently at 
 hand. You have simply to turn the keys of the two doors and 
 lower the gas, and you are in a dark-room that is by no means 
 dark. But, with his very sensitive plates, Mr. Swan has to take 
 care, and, therefore, he has his developing-dishes provided with 
 covers, which are employed as frequently as possible. 
 
 In respect to the gelatine which is most suitable to the 
 preparation of plates, Mr. Swan does not mind that which 
 is a bit turbid ; in fact, he does not lay much stress at all 
 upon this quality, so long as the material is otherwise sound. 
 But he will have nothing to do with gelatine that contains 
 traces of acid, no matter how transparent it may be. Mecha- 
 
MR. J. W. SWAN. 
 
 169 
 
 ideal tests, or its capacity for absorbing water, are not gone 
 into ; but, on the other hand, no sample is approved until it 
 has been actually tried for emulsion making. 
 
 Speaking of a suitable electric light for the studio, which 
 would be required for a brief period at intervals, Mr. Swan says 
 the lamp may be of the simplest description. Two sockets to 
 hold the two. carbons, one fixed, and the other to slide or screw 
 in a tube, so that by hand the two carbons may be brought 
 together or separate, is all that is absolutely necessary for photo- 
 graphic work. 
 
 For portraiture, where everything ought to go as quickly and 
 smoothly as possible, it is an advantage to have a lamp with a 
 simple automatic action for instantly distancing the carbons 
 when the current is turned on by the switch. 
 
 The upper carbon should be large, and the lower one smaller 
 and pointed. The two should not be in the same axial line ; 
 the point of the lower carbon should abut against the front edge 
 of the upper carbon, so as to produce the excavation on its point 
 edge indicated in the sketch. The object of this arrangement is 
 to have the whole light of the incandescent crater which forms in 
 the positive carbon, and which is the chief source of the light, 
 thrown forward. The upper carbon is, of course, supposed to be 
 the positive carbon. 
 
 With a lamp of this kind, the light need not be turned on until 
 it is wanted. The turning on of the light should be effected 
 by a strong and massive switch. In the distancing mechanism 
 the click action of the Brush lamp has been adopted. 
 
 A description of the lamp is given on next page. Its action 
 is as follows : — 
 
 The current, passing up the column and through the electro- 
 magnet to carbon holders, at once causes the electro-magnet to 
 attract the keeper, which in its turn lifts the clutch at each 
 side, and causes it to raise the carbon holder and carbon, the 
 arc is established, and the current passes through the lower 
 carbon holder to the negative binding screw and through the 
 battery. 
 
 The moment the arc becomes too long the electro-magnet is 
 weakened, and the keeper, clutch, and carbon drop, to be at 
 once snatched up again by the re-invigorated magnet, and the 
 arc is again formed. 
 
 When the current ceases, the keeper, clutch, and carbon 
 
1. Cast-iron stand. 2. Pillar supporting upper carbon mechanism, made of brass 
 tube bent, as shown, to avoid heat of arc ; the lower end is secured on to the base by means 
 
 of brass bolt, screwed inside tube, and 
 nut on the other side of base. The upper 
 end holds the platform 4, and is fastened 
 to it in the same manner as the base 
 connection. A hole, large enough to 
 admit the insulated wire, passes through 
 the bolts at top and bottom of standard. 
 
 3. Lower carbon holder, made of brass 
 tube, the exact size of carbon, with screw 
 to secure it. A brass angle piece is sol- 
 dered on to the lower part of holder, and 
 insulating material— ebonite, vulcanite, 
 or asbestos card of the shape shown — is 
 introduced between holder and stand. 
 The two binding screws, 9 and 10, are also 
 insulated from the base in like manner, 
 and connection is made between 9 and 3 
 by a copper plate screwed under both. 
 
 4. Brass platform, supporting electro- 
 magnet and upper carbon holder. The 
 brass case, covering electro-magnet, is 
 soldered on to the platform, on all sides, 
 except where pillar is fastened. The lid 
 of case is fastened to case with three 
 screws, and the electro-magnet is screwed 
 on to the lid . 5 . The upper carbon holder, 
 with set screw and ebonite top, slides freely 
 through the regulating screw and the top 
 of case, and is guided thereby. 6. The 
 electro-magnet, of the type known as a 
 cylinder magnet. The outer pole is 
 screwed on to the inner one at the top, 
 and two layers of insulated copper wire 
 are wound inside. 7. The magnet keeper 
 is a washer of soft iron, guided by a tube 
 soldered to it, and working upon the car- 
 bon holder. There are two brass fingers 
 screwed on to the keeper opposite to each 
 other, a layer of paper separating magnet 
 and keeper. 8. Clutch is a washer with 
 raised edge inside, split through the centre 
 and hinged on each side of carbon holder ; 
 it is just large enough to allow the carbon 
 holder to slide easily through it when the 
 halves are in one plane, but the moment 
 it is raised by the fingers on each side it 
 grips the carbon holder. The regulating 
 screw alters the lift given to the upper 
 carbon ; it forms a table for the clutch to 
 rest on. 9. Binding screw, insulated from 
 the stand, and connected with lower car- 
 bon holder by copper strap underneath 
 stand. 10. Binding screw, insulated from 
 stand, and connected with upper carbon 
 holder by copper wire, with one end 
 screwed underneath nut of binding screw ; 
 the other end of wire passing up the 
 column to electro-magnet, 11. The flex- 
 ible cord. The top end of the electro- 
 magnet is pierced to allow of the insu- 
 lated wire passing through, and one end 
 of a piece of flexible cord, composed of a 
 
 great number of small copper wires, is soldered to the wire from the electro-magnet 
 which projects above the cover ; the other end of the flexible cord is soldered to the top- 
 of the carbon holder. 
 
MR. W. HARVEY BARTON. 
 
 171 
 
 drop ; the keeper rests on the small shelf which is highest on the 
 clutch, the clutch rests on the regulating screw, and the upper 
 carbon on the lower one. It will be noticed that the lower car- 
 bon is slightly in advance of the upper one, in order that the 
 glowing crater formed by the arc may be in front. 
 
 Both carbon holders are open at top and bottom, to allow of 
 any length of carbon being used. The lamp is strong, and, 
 having little mechanism, is not liable to get out of order, and it 
 can be easily taken to pieces. 
 
 The binding screws are shown in the engraving, for the sake 
 of clearness in explanation, out of their proper places ; they 
 should be opposite one another at right-angles to a line drawn 
 between the column and lower carbon holder. 
 
 There is no regular feed in this lamp, as the regulations of 
 the arc will be few, and it is not likely that one would occur 
 during the time the lamp was used for the photograph, and even 
 if a regulation did occur, it would be so quick as to be almost 
 inappreciable. 
 
 ME. W. HAEVEY BABTON AT LLAN HOUSE, BBISTOL, 
 
 "A Bristol Mansion in the Olden Time." The picture is so 
 familiar, we need scarcely describe it. A lofty, narrow building 
 with peaked roof, storey above storey projecting; queer bay 
 windows of mullioned glass, panels and quaint wood- work 
 everywhere, and a prevailing air of antiquity that calls vividly 
 to mind times and events we read of in history. Here is some- 
 thing more than a dusty page to remind us of days long ago. 
 "With the picture before us, we can people the old house again : 
 the grand dame with her hooped skirt and peaked bodice, her 
 high-heeled shoes and flaxen curls; the sedan that will presently 
 arrive to bear her ladyship to rout or card-party ; the yellow 
 waxlights in heavy candelabra soon to illumine the windows. 
 By-and-bye, ancient Dogberry and the watch will come their 
 rounds, and call the hours of the night. There is no vulgar 
 lamp -post, or figure in modern attire, to mar the delightful 
 picture. 
 
 It is such a scene as Charles Dickens would have loved — one 
 of those forgotten nooks and corners the great novelist always 
 
172 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 delighted to paint. Indeed, if we were asked to compare photo- 
 graphers with writers, we should at once pronounce Sir. Harvey 
 Barton the Charles Dickens among photographers, and for this 
 reason : not only does the Bristol photographer display a 
 reverence and loving fondness in choosing his subjects, but he 
 treats those subjects as though he loved them. He is but their 
 slave, and he works earnestly, conscientiously, indefatigably, 
 and with his whole strength and will to do the best he can. 
 Mr. Barton, in his true, straightforward manner, sacrificing all 
 to the attainment of an aitistic result, reminds us more of 
 He j lander than any living artist. 
 
 "We have purposely dwelt upon Mr. Barton's rare treatment 
 of architectural subjects, rather than on his excellence as a land- 
 scape photographer (and only those who know his sweet summer 
 pictures are aware how high is his reputation in this branch of 
 the art), because it is in architectural photography that we 
 possess few, very few masters. The difficult technicalities Mr. 
 Barton has not only overcome, but, by his choice and treatment, 
 he manages to inspire the pictures of brick and stone with 
 sentiment and nobleness. Look at the lofty tower of St. 
 Stephen's ; it is delicately and harmoniously limned from base to 
 spire ; there are no inky shadows below, no eating in of the 
 lights on high, and, above all, the grace and elegance of its 
 proportions are fully displayed. 
 
 We cannot tell our readers how Mr. Barton manages to breathe 
 this spirit of poetry into his pictures, but we can do this : we 
 can place before them the subject of an hour's chat with a , 
 modest, kindly gentleman, who expressed himself over and over 
 again not only willing, but anxious, to place at the disposal of 
 his brethren any experiences he might possess. Our first 
 question was naturally touching the fine architectural views he 
 had produced, and we are sure Mr. Barton's frank statements 
 on this subject will be duly appreciated by our readers. 
 
 " I am afraid I hardly work in accordance with acknowledged 
 rules," said our friend. "Many, about to take an architectural 
 subject, begin by tilting the camera; this I always leave to the 
 last. I first choose the highest station I can find (that tower of 
 St. Stephen's was taken from a window thirty feet from the 
 ground), and then choose the longest focus lens I can use. The 
 third thing is to raise or lower the lens out of the centre of the 
 camera ; I do not know whether there exists in this country 
 
ME. W. HARVEY BARTON. 
 
 173 
 
 another apparatus besides my own that permits of lowering the 
 lens below the centre ; but it is, nevertheless, frequently a 
 matter of necessity. Having done this, I finally tilt my camera, 
 and adjust the swing-back." 
 
 Mr. Barton then proceeded to detail other important points. 
 Forty-five degrees is a convenient angle for the light to shine 
 upon your object; a small stop must be used, and full exposure 
 given, the usual stop employed with a 26-inch focus lens being 
 from J to f inch. One of Mr. Barton's lenses, by the way, has 
 forty inches focus. More importance still is attached to the 
 character of the collodion, developer, and bath employed. Mr. 
 Barton employs collodion of standard makers, sometimes alone, 
 sometimes mixed ; but he invariably employs this, as also his 
 iron developer, in an unusually ripe condition. To the collodion 
 he always adds from half to one grain of bromide of cadmium 
 per ounce. "The faults of architectural pictures, the inky 
 shadows, &c, which you were mentioning just now," said Mr. 
 Barton, " are always exaggerated if attention is not paid to this 
 subject." The collodion must be yellow, and the developer 
 yellow ; but the bath must be as fresh as may be. Mr. Barton 
 employs a shallow horizontal bath (made simply of pinewood, 
 varnished, with its crevices filled with marine glue), and, in 
 busy times, he makes up a fresh lath every day. 
 
 " I always think doctoring baths waste of time," is Mr. Barton's 
 opinion. However, he does two things invariably to ensure a 
 good bath : he fuses his silver crystals himself, and only employs 
 water of his own distillation, sometimes adding permanganate to 
 the water before it is distilled. The bath is fully saturated 
 with iodide before beginning to work, and the first plate im- 
 mersed should be a success. A new bath is a condition to the 
 production of brilliant and harmonious negatives. 
 
 Here is Mr. Barton's battery of lenses, and here is his range- 
 finder, or, rather, lens-finder. The lenses are contained in a 
 compact box; here is the single landscape, here the rapid 
 rectilinear, the symmetrical, the wide-angle, &c, each to be 
 used upon occasion. As we have said, Mr. Barton employs a 
 long-focus lens when he can ; but, like all of us, he has to bend 
 to circumstances. He has taken up his station, fixed his camera, 
 and has now to choose his lens. There is no hesitation, lor his 
 lens-finder tells him at once. Here is a description of it. 
 
 There is a brass frame-work (A) ; this embraces the picture 
 
174 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 you are to take, and, as you hold it up before you, you make it 
 frame the view you want. On the rod (B) slides to and fro a 
 sort of back sight (C) which has a small opening for the eye. 
 
 You look through this back sight at the frame (A), sliding the 
 back sight (C) nearer to or farther from A, until you see the 
 whole of the view you want. This done, you look at the scale 
 upon the rod, and according where the back sight rests, so you 
 choose the lens indicated on the scale. The instrument is a very 
 simple one, and any photographer can make one for himself in the 
 same way as Mr. Barton did, viz., by practically trying every lens 
 with the instrument, and noting the result on the rod on which 
 the back sight slides. 
 
 Mr. Barton has a simple and ingenious way of getting rid of 
 vibration from a drop-shutter ; it is to provide the latter with an 
 extra leg for itself, which thus renders it practically independent 
 of the camera. This spare wooden leg is, indeed, a valuable 
 bit of apparatus, for it serves, too, to give steadiness to a large 
 camera when this is pulled out to its full extent, and requires 
 extraordinary support behind. 
 
 "Weha^ve no time to tell of Mr. Barton's big apparatus, his tall 
 solid stands (that for cathedral work is some fourteen feet in 
 height), for there are the printing, mounting, washing, and 
 emulsion rooms to be visited. In the last, Mr. Barton reverses 
 the order of things, having a light cupboard in a dark-room, 
 whither he can retire at will. The mounting is done in a some- 
 what original manner; it is the reverse of dry mounting. 
 The prints, still wet, are brought into the mounting-room, and 
 laid, face downwards, on linen shelves, placed in tiers under the 
 mounting counters. Here they dry flat. The large mounts of 
 soft card are moistened over their entire surface ; a girl dips a 
 
MR. W. H. MIDWINTEE. 
 
 175 
 
 brush into hot glue (pale Russian glue is employed), and applies 
 the liquid lavishly to the mount, without confining herself to 
 the space shortly to be occupied by the print. The latter is 
 similarly steeped in the transparent liquid, placed upon the card- 
 board, and then pressed down, and the superfluous glue removed 
 with a squeegee. 
 
 We should like to have described Mr. Barton's low, sturdy 
 
 tent (Mr. Barton follows Mr. Francis Bedford's capital plan of 
 sitting down at work), his printing arrangements, his travelling 
 apparatus, &c, but our space forbids. "We show, however, a 
 sketch of the tent, which will at once demonstrate its stable and 
 convenient character. 
 
 ME. W. H. MIDWINTER AT PARK STREET, BRISTOL. 
 
 In appointing their jurors to award the medals of the Inter- 
 national Exhibition, the Bristol Photographic Association acted 
 wisely in nominating, among others, a portraitist in the town of 
 established reputation. Mr. Midwinter's portraits would, indeed, 
 entitle him to take high rank in the metropolis ; but, perfect as 
 
176 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 they are, both, from an art and technical point of view, it is not 
 on this account alone that we introduce Mr. Midwinter's studio 
 to our readers. It is more because the little establishment of 
 Midwinter's — for it is not a large one — is one of the most finished 
 and perfect ateliers we have ever seen, and is, indeed, in_many 
 respects, a model studio. 
 
 If you want a thing well done, do it yourself, is the axiom 
 adopted by Mr. Midwinter. The studio and dark rooms have 
 but one ruler. " Before the advent of gelatine plates, I required 
 the services of two assistants ; now I have only one. Nobody 
 seems to have insisted upon the saving gelatine has worked in 
 this direction," said our host; " gelatine plates save me the 
 salary of a junior assistant, and this is a matter of some con- 
 sideration in a small establishment." Mr. Midwinter is so 
 fervent a believer in gelatine, in fact, that he has not a silver 
 "bath in the house, and for the past eighteen months has employed 
 none but the gelatino-bromide process. 
 
 But we must first say a word or two about Mr. Midwinter's 
 portraits. Had we to describe their prevailing feature, we 
 should say it was to be found in simplicity of pose. The back- 
 grounds and accessories, when apparent, are the very reverse of 
 elaborate, and the pose and attitudes chosen appear to be alto- 
 gether unstudied and natural. We say, appear to be, because, 
 as everybody knows, the less one sees of an artist's handiwork 
 in his result, the more modest, unaffected, and pleasing is that 
 result likely to be. How few photographers, for instance, could 
 pose a model like this female figure on the easel ! She stands 
 before you a supple form, full of grace, her arms in front of her, 
 one hand simply laid upon the other. Or, turn to this group, 
 and look at that little maiden laughing at you — a fresh, girlish 
 laugh, like a burst of sunshine. There is nothing mechanical, 
 tricky, or stagey about the picture ; it is nature itself. 
 
 Our readers will like to know what the Bristol public pay for 
 good portraits. According to the card of terms, cartes-de-visite 
 are charged from ten to twelve shilling a dozen, large heads 
 being at the rate of fifteen shillings ; while cabinet portraits, if 
 plain, are twenty shillings, and vignetted, thirty shillings a dozen. 
 Underneath, we are glad to read the words : " The above terms 
 are strictly for payment at the time^of sitting." The reverse of 
 the card of terms is an appointment form, in which the date and 
 hour require to be filled in to complete it. 
 
MR. W. H. MIDWINTER. 
 
 177 
 
 We pass into the studio. It is the lightest and brightest we 
 have ever seen. The whole of one side, barring a three-foot 
 skirting-board, is of glass, and the sloping roof is, to a great 
 extent, glass also. The fact, too, that the ribs and frame- work 
 of the structure are of iron, adds further to its light and airy 
 nature. A pale blue paper covers the walls, and as there is 
 nothing but a camera at one end of the studio, and two or three 
 screens at the other, a sense of space and freedom prevails, rarely 
 to be met with, even in very big studios. All is as clean and 
 bright as a new pin, qualities that photographers might certainly 
 study more than they do. 
 
 Our visit is on a dull December day, and at the moment Mr. 
 Midwinter is availing himself of all the light he can — a lucky 
 man, indeed, to have so much at his disposal. 
 
 But how does he manage to subdue the illumination in fine 
 weather, it will be asked ? In the first place, he acts after the 
 manner of many Parisian photographers ; he can stop out the 
 top light by a system of blue blinds or white blinds, or even both 
 together. Eoller blinds are used that lap one over the other, the 
 blinds at the top pulling down, and those below pulling up. 
 The roof is neither clear nor ground, but frosted glass, and 
 with very good effect. This frosting Mr. Midwinter brings about 
 by the application of a mixture of driers and oak varnish, to 
 which a little French blue is added to take away the yellowness. 
 But the model is lighted — or, rather shadowed, if we may so* 
 term it — by local screens, rather than by the window blinds. 
 On the light side of the sitter is a fine cambric screen similar to 
 that employed by Mr. Slingsby, of Lincoln,* while on the 
 shadow side is a screen of calico with a canopy at the top, 
 bending over at right angles above the sitter, this canopy being 
 heightened or lowered at will to suit the height of the sitter. 
 The canopy is of a blue or slate colour, and so that our readers 
 may more fully understand its nature, we give a sketch of the 
 whole structure. By the aid of these screens the local lighting, 
 of the model is easily controlled. 
 
 Mr. Midwinter's experience of his studio and the light therein 
 permits him to develop with singular constancy. His rule is 
 to develop invariably for sixty seconds, and he holds a negative 
 to be unduly exposed that does not give a good result with this 
 
 See Mr. Slingsby at Lincoln. 
 
178 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 constant treatment. He has learnt to know his developer so 
 -well that he prefers to take this as his starting point, and to 
 make other conditions bend to it. He employs a pyrogallic 
 
 The structure consists of two side screens, one above the other, and an over- 
 hanging or head screen. Of the two side screens, the lower one remains 
 stationary, but the other one, which overlaps, may be made to rise to its full 
 extent ; in our sketch it is half-way up. The structure may, in fact, be 
 raised to 8 feet, or lowered to 4 feet. The head screen rises and falls with 
 the side screen, and, provided with the lever arrangement shown in the 
 sketch, may be made to assume any angle. The lower cord raises or lowers 
 the side screen, and the upper cord regulates the angle of the head screen or 
 canopy. 
 
 developer, but uses only half the quantity of pyrogallic set down 
 by standard makers in their formulae. When results are not as 
 they should be, he does not vary his development, but prefers to 
 alter the lighting or time of exposure. Mr. Midwinter lays 
 great importance on the circumstance of having one condition in 
 the preparation of a negative always constant. 
 
 The employment of gelatine plates is not the only economy 
 Mr. Midwinter practises. He employs nothing but albumenized 
 paper ready sensitized for printing, and avows that the tones and 
 quality of his pictures are fully equal to paper sensitized at home ; 
 so that he neither requires a sensitizing bath for plates or paper. 
 The printing rooms and washing rooms, all in apple-pie order, 
 are distinguished for the same brightness and cleanliness we have 
 before remarked upon — qualities, we believe, inseparably con- 
 
MESSES. RUSSELL AND SONS. 
 
 179 
 
 neeted in the minds of tidy housewives with the fact that you 
 can — if you like — eat your dinner off the floor. 
 
 Mr. Midwinter shows us his washing trays and dishes. They 
 are self-made ; a frame-work of wood, with a sheet of plate glass 
 let in, not at the bottom of the frame, but only half way down, 
 so that each utensil is a double dish. You might employ one 
 side for a hyposulphite solution, and having done with the liquid, 
 and thrown it out, turn over the bath, and employ the other side 
 for developing dry plates in pyrogallic solution. There is thus 
 no fear of contamination. A glass plate bottom being perfectly 
 flat permits of employing much less liquid than is necessary in 
 the ordinary bath. A shellac varnish applied to the woodwork 
 protects it from the action of any liquid with which it may come 
 into contact. 
 
 MESSRS, RUSSELL & SONS AT WORTHING. 
 
 The judges at the Pall Mall Road Exhibition recently awarded a 
 medal to Messrs. Russell and Sons, of "Worthing, the particular 
 picture securing the honour being a group of three ladies posed 
 with rare grace and skill. This, coupled with another excellent 
 picture — that of a rough countryman laughing and showing 
 every tooth in his head, a laugh so infectious that you could not 
 pass the portrait without laughing too — showed what good work 
 could be done in Messrs. Russell's studio, and we were very glad, 
 therefore, when opportunity permitted us to pay it a visit. The 
 two pictures we have alluded to were so excellent that the 
 judges must have had some difficulty in selecting the one 
 to which the green label "medal" should be attached; they 
 chose, as we have said, the group. We should have chosen the 
 other. 
 
 This couutryman picture deserves just a word of comment. It 
 was the work, we believe, of Mr. Eielder, the principal assistant 
 of Messrs. Russell and Sons, and was forwarded to the Exhibi- 
 tion as a result which had received " not a touch on the negative, 
 nor a touch upon the print." Now this is a very important 
 point, but, unfortunately, the information was by some oversight 
 omitted from the catalogue. Had the fact been duly chronicled, 
 
180 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGrLAND. 
 
 not only the judges, but the visitors too, would have taken much 
 more interest in the picture, for although no objection may be 
 raised to moderate retouching, the absence of any working up — 
 all things being equal — adds obviously to the value of a photo- 
 graph. We mention this not for the purpose of questioning the 
 judges' dictum, nor on behalf of Mr. Fielder — for to that gentle- 
 man was due the production of both studies — but simply to show 
 the desirability for publishing the fact of a picture being un- 
 touched when this is really the case. Naturally, the artist prides 
 himself a good deal upon this circumstance, and yet, despite its 
 importance, it is ignored altogether. As to the jovial country- 
 man himself, with his flowered waistcoat and unkempt hair, we 
 may add something else, only our readers must take what we tell' 
 them in the strictest confidence. The countryman is an old hand 
 at making people laugh, and that is why he succeeds so well in 
 the picture ; it is Mr. Harry Poulton, the comedian. 
 
 Messrs. Russell's studio is a spacious oblong apartment,, 
 measuring, perhaps, 30 feet by 16 feet. It has a northerly light, 
 which is, however, only permitted to enter in moderation. There 
 is a skirting-board four feet high, while practical blinds are 
 capable of shutting out the side light. It is the top light that is 
 most employed for illumination, but the glass here does not 
 reach to the apex of the roof. Therefore the light above is not 
 strong, since it comes, so to speak, from a window in the roof, 
 and not through one whole half of the roof itself; moreover, the 
 glass is rough and not clear. The curtains to admit the side 
 light are adjusted when the model is seated ; those nearest the 
 sitter are light, and they get darker towards the camera end of 
 the room. " Pronounced shadows and high lights should be in 
 every picture," says Mr. Fielder; " but, of course, you want 
 something besides black and white." 
 
 For taking any photograph above the size of a carte or cabinet,. 
 Dallmeyer's rapid rectilinear for 10 by 8 pictures is here used, 
 an instrument which Mr. Dallmeyer himself, singularly enough, 
 simply recommends " for general use out-of-doors." For the 
 panel or promenade style, as we ourselves can testify, the lens is 
 excellent, rendering drapery on the margin of the picture with 
 marvellous Fritz Luckhardt-like detail. There is an ordinary 
 chimney-piece and fender in the studio, and this is made to do 
 duty with good effect, both in winter and summer ; only, so it 
 seemed to us, it was the lady who affected the mantelpiece and 
 
MESSKS. RUSSELL AND SONS. 
 
 181 
 
 mirror in the summer time, and the gentleman, with his foot 
 on the fender, in winter. 
 
 Of backgrounds there were very few in the studio, but a snow 
 landscape deserved attention. The trunk of a tree with matted 
 snow on one side, as the result of a drifting storm, was a promi- 
 nent feature, but the white landscape was not overdone ; the 
 flooring was of canvas, with a few roughly-marked foot-prints, 
 and cotton-wool was employed to add to the effect. A grass 
 ground was also very clever, made of green silk threads — one of 
 Atkinson's, we were told — and with this some good recumbent 
 models had been photographed : gentlemen lying at their ease on 
 the sward, reading and smoking. " We have all sorts of possible 
 and impossible accessories,' * said our host, " pointing to a large 
 stock of furniture, " but we like to employ them as little as 
 possible now-a-days." 
 
 The silver bath has been for some time past dispensed with at 
 the Worthing studio, and only gelatine is employed ; and this, 
 strange to say, without any alteration to the dark room. This 
 has an orange-stained window and two tammy curtains. But 
 the relief in being able to do without collodion was beyond de- 
 scription. The dark room is on the roof, and therefore exposed 
 to the action of the sun, the consequence being that in summer 
 the ether and alcohol fumes were well-nigh insupportable. 
 " Only those who work in a dark room like this,' 7 said our host, 
 " can appreciate the value of gelatine plates. The health ques- 
 tion alone would be enough to bring gelatine into favour." 
 
 Messrs. Russell and Sons print a proportion of their work in 
 carbon by the so-called chromotype method, " but it requires a 
 very good negative to stand it," we were assured. Beside the 
 printing room is an open flat roof that serves as an out-door 
 waiting room for visitors. "We thought of M. Liebert's " terrasse 
 d'agrement," where models in waiting smoke their cigarettes ; if 
 he could only secure a prospect like this, the bright expanse of 
 sea, the green waves and white cliffs extending as far as Beechey 
 Head, our Parisian confrere would be happy indeed. 
 
 Gelatine plates have given little difficulty in the experience of 
 Messrs. Russell. Never to proceed with a batch if the first or 
 second film turns out questionable, is the invariable rule followed, 
 and in this way much trouble and worry are saved. Gelatine 
 plates, when good, are simple and easy to work, and when they 
 ; give trouble, the fault, nines times out of ten, lies in imperfect 
 
182 
 
 STUDIOS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 preparation. Therefore, rather than lose precious time in attempt- 
 ing to secure an inferior result with a second-class plate, the 
 questionable batch is put on one side and returned. When the 
 developer is once fairly at work on the film, one or both of the 
 tammy blinds are drawn up, and the manipulation proceeds 
 behind a single thickness of orange glass. From this it will be 
 seen that Messrs. Eussell and Sons do not prepare their own 
 plates. They give two reasons for this, and it must be admitted 
 that they are good ones. In the first place, they are quite satis- 
 fied with the films that they purchase ; and in the second place, 
 the time of their establishment is already fully occupied in 
 camera and printing work, So long as it is possible to obtain 
 trustworthy films at a reasonable rate, say Messrs. Eussell, we 
 shall prefer to leave the difficult work of preparing gelatine 
 emulsion to others. They are very proud of their mounting 
 material at the Eussell studio ; as at many other establishments, 
 the mounting of pictures caused a good deal of trouble and 
 anxiety, but these have not been known since the employment 
 of a material proposed in one of our Yeak-Books. Since that 
 time the Messrs. Eussell have never employed any other mate- 
 rial, and seeing it has given so much satisfaction, we take this 
 opportunity of repeating its composition : — 
 
 Best Bermuda arrowroot ounces 
 
 Water . 28 „ 
 
 Sheet gelatine or glue ... ... .,.160 grains 
 
 Methylated spirit ... ... ... ... 2 ounces 
 
 Pure carbolic acid . ... ... ... 12 drops 
 
 Mix the arrowroot with six ounces of water into a paste, then 
 add 22 ounces of water and the gelatine. Boil and stir for three 
 or four minutes, then let it partly cool. Finally, add carbolic 
 acid and spirit ; keep stirring till properly mixed. 
 
STUDIOS IN SCOTLAND. 
 
 ME. JOHN FEEGUS' STUDIO AT LAEGS. 
 
 "When we first projected a visit to Scotland, with a view to 
 seeing some of the principal studios north of the Tweed, we made 
 inquiries not only in the photographic world, but also outside that 
 circle, with the object of eliciting opinions as to the most profit- 
 able way of spending our time. Strange to say, a most singular 
 unanimity prevailed. Professional and non-professional opinions 
 all centred upon one name, and that was Mr. John Fergus, of 
 Largs. 
 
 "Where was Largs ? A place called Lairg we knew, many 
 miles north of Inverness, for we visited it two summers ago, 
 walking thence on foot over the breezy moorland and purple 
 heather, by heaven-blue lakes and silvery crags to the extreme 
 north-west of Scotland — Cape "Wrath — a promontory of red 
 granite rising steeply out of the fretful waves. Mo, it was not so 
 far north as that, we were told. You went to Glasgow, and 
 afterwards by rail to Wemyss Bay ; thence it was another seven 
 miles to Largs, but there was no rail, and a carriage or boat 
 became necessary. To put it roughly, it would cost a Londoner 
 a journey of nearly a thousand miles, or, at any rate, nine hun- 
 dred, to go to Largs and back. 
 
 But if the journey was sure to be a long one, it was equally 
 certain that we must not attempt to sketch the studios of Scotland 
 without including in the number Mr. Fergus' establishment. 
 Nay, so highly esteemed is Mr. Fergus' name by one and all in 
 North Britain, that it is but a matter of course that in attempting 
 to describe Scotch studios, a sketch of his must of necessity come 
 first. 
 
 We land from one of the Clyde steamers. Largs, apparently, 
 is a fishing village, but is a modest little watering place as well, 
 though scarcely so well-known as Rothsay, Millport, and 
 Dunoon, hard by. It looks something like a Normandy port. 
 There are a few shops on the quay, and a " Temperance Hotel" 
 painted the colour of cafe au hit. We walk up the main street, 
 consisting of half-a-dozen shops on either side, and thence pro- 
 ceed through the village of quaint one-storied dwellings. Not a 
 
184 
 
 STUDIOS IN SCOTLAND. 
 
 sign of a studio is there, so we pass on until we get into the open 
 again. "We cross a bridge, and come upon a country road, the 
 houses getting few and far between. Indeed, we are growing 
 despondent, when, at a turning to the right, affixed to a blank 
 wall, we find a modest little direction — " To Mr. Fergus' 
 Studio." 
 
 It is a house standing in its own grounds — so quiet and 
 secluded, it might be a hermitage. But the spot is typical of its 
 master. Mr. Fergus does not court publicity. He trusts to his 
 work alone to bring him clients, and labours on quietly without 
 occupying himself with aught else. He has no other studio 
 than this at Largs, where he has been working conscientiously 
 for twenty years past. Those who desire to be pourtrayed by 
 Mr. Fergus must journey to Largs. To within the last year or 
 so, Mr. Fergus has been his own chief operator, audit is only by 
 reason of severe domestic affliction that we find him absent at 
 this moment. 
 
 "We enter the gallery. It is a fine lofty hall, with a Gothic 
 roof, built of polished pine. The same wood is in the passages 
 and corridors, and makes a handsome flooring. Everything is 
 very neat, and exquisitely bright and clean. The hall and cool 
 corridors are hung not only with photographs, but with many 
 choice paintings ; and at intervals are marble statuettes and fresh 
 blossoms to add still further to the brightness and charm of the 
 establishment. Our plan here (fig. 1.) is but a rough one, made 
 
 0££i* 
 
 GALLERY 
 
 CORRIDOR 
 
 ROOMS- 
 
 STUDIO [ STUDIES STUD Iff 
 
 5 
 
 Fig. 1. 
 
 from memory, but it will convey some idea of the disposition of 
 the establishment. From the gallery leads a corridor to a flight 
 of steps, by which a longer and larger passage is reached Con- 
 
MR. JOHN FERGUS. 
 
 185 
 
 nected with this second corridor is a series of five dressing rooms, 
 all elegantly appointed, the rooms leading by other doors to the 
 studios, of which there are three. 
 
 Mr. Fergus' principal work is the cabinet portrait. An in- 
 spection of a series of these at once proclaims the master. The 
 portraits are simple in pose — soft, and of exceeding brilliancy. 
 Indeed, we have rarely seen such brilliant photographs. They 
 are without glaze, but printed, evidently, on very thickly- 
 albumenized paper, Mr. Fergus showing a predilection for a sur- 
 face having a slightly roseate hue. Many of the portraits have 
 plain backgrounds ; none of them show elaborate accessories. 
 Much taste is evident in the disposal of drapery, and the flowing 
 robes of a model are marked with harmony and detail to the 
 extreme margin of the picture. Yet it must not be thought that 
 Mr. Fergus strives after effect by means of gorgeous raiment ; 
 the most charming study we saw was the simple portrait of a 
 widow lady attired in weeds and crape-trimmed dress. The 
 hair, streaked with silver, and the pale features, were limned with 
 rare taste and delicacy, and in perfect harmony with the white 
 cap and black dress ; there was plenty of vigour, and yet no 
 violent contrasts. 
 
 Mr. Fergus' charges for cabinet portraits are a guinea for the 
 proof copy, and half a crown for every subsequent print. For 
 cartes, a charge of eighteen shillings per dozen is made ; and for 
 the Imperial portrait, in size about twice as big as the cabinet, 
 the proof copy is charged £3 3s., and every subsequent print 
 five shillings. 
 
 "We pass on to the studio, and, as we do so, cannot help 
 admiring the perfect manner in which the establishment has 
 been designed and fitted. A most complete system of electric 
 bells finds place in the establishment, so that the chief has literally 
 every employe under his thumb. The cool air comes through an 
 open window at the end of the white corridor, and we can look 
 out upon the sunny grounds, the red gravel walks, and dark 
 shrubbery that surround the house. "We know not whether the 
 casual visitor is permitted access to Mr. Fergus' charming gar- 
 den ; but we doubt much if any other photographer in the world 
 owns such a delightful residence. Through the dark foliage of 
 fir and laurel are seen glimpses of the blue waters of the Firth 
 of Clyde, while above rise the smooth green hills of Ayrshire — 
 4t Burns' ain countrie." 
 
186 STUDIOS IN SCOTLAND. 
 
 The studios are light and lofty. From our roughly-sketched 
 section (fig. 2.) some idea may be gleaned of their character. On 
 
 Fig. 2. 
 
 The thick b] ,ck lines represent opaque wall ; the shaded lines dull glass ; the open lines 
 
 clear glass, 
 
 the light side there is dull glass rising to about twelve feet ; 
 above that, the glass is clear, while on the shadow side there is 
 also some four feet of clear glass for top light. It goes without 
 saying that the studio is not made use of (except, perhaps, in dull 
 wintry weather) with all this light flooding into it, but that both 
 curtains and screens — the latter especially — are made use of to 
 modify and subdue the wealth of light at the photographer's dis- 
 posal. Mr. Fergus takes few negatives bigger than cabinet size, 
 and if larger portraits are necessary, these are made in the usual 
 way* by enlarging and printing in pigments. 
 
 The wet process still lives at Largs, and seeing the beautiful 
 results that have been secured by collodion, and the success 
 which it has brought in its train, the silver bath is scarcely likely 
 to be neglected for some time yet. Gelatine, however, has 
 knocked at the door here, as at every studio throughout the 
 country, and has received, if not a hearty welcome, at any rate 
 respectful attention. But Mr. Fergus' work is carried on so 
 quietly and methodically, that innovations have not the same 
 influence at Largs as elsewhere. 
 
 One can scarcely leave Mr. Fergus' establishment without 
 feeling pleasure in the fact that good reward has followed good 
 work. Says Addison : — 
 
 u 'Tis not in mortals to command success, 
 But we'll do more, Sempronius, we'll deserve it. ' 
 
MR. MARSHALL WANE. 
 
 187 
 
 Mr. Fergus certainly deserves the success he has gained, and 
 we are happy, indeed, to find the reward has been so abundant. 
 If we were now asked the question, " Where is Largs? " we 
 should unhesitatingly reply, " Where Mr. Fergus' studio is." 
 
 ME. MARSHALL WANE IN EDINBURGH. 
 
 Tbjj first in our series of Scotch studios — that of Mr. Fergus, 
 at Largs — was selected by vote ; this (the second) we chose 
 ourselves. Nevertheless, we shall take little credit for our dis- 
 crimination, for the name of Mr. Marshall Wane has been so 
 long a household word in photographic circles, that to visit the 
 city of Edinburgh without entering Mr. Wane's studio would 
 have been foolish indeed. We do not know exactly how many 
 medals Mr. Wane's magnificent pictures have brought him, but 
 we counted at least five gold ones among the emblems of honour 
 he has won ; and those who are familiar with his work will not, 
 we are quite sure, grudge him the possession of them. 
 
 Mr. Marshall Wane's studio in George Street ranks second to 
 none in the kingdom. The handsome pair of rooms on the first 
 floor, which contain examples of Mr. Wane's art, make a 
 magnificent show, and especially for this reason : his portraits 
 are not only executed with taste and artistic effect, but they 
 are of grand proportions. What say our readers to studies taken, 
 direct from life measuring 24 by 20 inches, possessing all the 
 vigour, brightness, and finish we are wont to see in first-class 
 small work ? Mr. Wane seems as used to plates of these Erob- 
 dignagian dimensions as if he had handled them all his life. 
 There are a dozen examples of portraits in the gallery of these 
 dimensions, and their breadth, atmosphere, and rich shadows are 
 wonderful. Look at the brilliancy and purity of tone of this 
 series of fancy-dress portraits, all taken direct on 24 by 20 plates. 
 Here is a Madame Pompadour, the blue and pink satin represented 
 by delicate grey and almost purple tones ; and here a running, 
 footman of the olden time, with shining black hat and white 
 gloves. They are but monotone prints, but the richness and. 
 harmony to tone seem to compensate for the absence of colour. 
 A portrait of Miss Carlotta Leclerq, in a dress presumably of 
 
188 
 
 STUDIOS IN SCOTLAND. 
 
 damask satin, also deserves mention. The sheen of the satin is 
 delightful; and the damask figures in robe, according as the 
 light strikes them, and makes them appear sharp or hazy of 
 outline, are particularly effective, leading one almost to suppose 
 that a clever painter must have been at work on the drapery. 
 Mr. "Wane, of course, make use of gelatine in the production of 
 these fine pictures, and it is certainly putting the "new power " 
 to good purpose. During our visit one of these monster plates was 
 exposed ; a cabinet picture was first secured as a trial-plate — for 
 it was a new batch of gelatine films — and then the bigger plate 
 was put in the camera and exposed. Dallmcyer's 8d, a lens of 
 eight inches calibre, was used, with an exposure of fifteen seconds. 
 We may mention, by the way, that Mr. Wane's studio experi- 
 ence of gelatine plates is, that they are practically from four to 
 five times as rapid as wet collodion. 
 
 A forcible portrait of Sir H. Lock, the Governor of the Isle of 
 Man, is a picture of which Mr. Wane may be justly proud, the 
 modelling of the hands and vigorous rendering of the beard 
 being masterly. " I think Mr. Wane's photographs wonderfully 
 good," is a dictum bearing the signature " Louise Lorne ; " and 
 we make so bold as to echo Her Royal Highness' s opinion ; only, 
 if we remain here in the gallery all day, we shall never get a 
 peep behind the scenes. 
 
 There are two studios, and they arc both of them very roomy. 
 There is little furniture about, and all of it is real and sub- 
 stantial. In Edinburgh there is plenty of light, and consequently 
 it may be screened off without compunction. Mr. Wane, on the 
 
 Fig. 1. 
 
 light side of his studio, uses a double tier of screens, one above 
 the other, each screen measuring about four feet square ; the 
 screens fit into grooves against the glass, and so slide to and fro 
 at will. The roof (see fig. 1) is raised in the centre, so as to 
 give additional height, an arrangement, in Mr. Wane's opinion, 
 
MK. MARSHALL WANE. 
 
 189 
 
 that permits of more effective lighting under certain circumstances. 
 The dressing rooms are fitted with Japanese mirrors, viz., a 
 mirror in front, with others on hinges at each side thereof. at 
 right angles — certainly the most favourite form of looking-glass 
 with ladies. 
 
 This is the finishing room. Mr. Wane uses fresh paste for 
 mounting, and eschews black cards. As each picture of carte or 
 cabinet size is finished, it is put into a large table drawer, of 
 which there are several divided into small partitions or nests. 
 The partitions have a little nitch cut into the side, so that the 
 cards may easily be lifted out and counted at any moment. As 
 soon as the number of cards is complete, and the order satisfied, 
 they are taken out and sent off. By this table-drawer arrange- 
 ment, the chief can always inspect the state of an order at any 
 time, examine the work, and know how far it has progressed. 
 
 Upstairs are the enlarging, printing, and washing rooms. In 
 Mr. "Wane's establishment the scissors are used for trimming 
 prints, the cuttings being collected every day and burnt, so as not 
 to get trodden on and dirtied. In one of the rooms the fire-place 
 has been removed, and, in lieu thereof, an iron box measuring 
 about 24 by 18 inches, and some twenty inches deep, is located, 
 into which the cuttings are put and ignited. This is not only a 
 most tidy arrangement, but an economical one into the bargain. 
 
 Mr. "Wane washes his prints in a revolving cylinder, with the 
 nature of which some of our readers are familiar. After the 
 pictures have been fixed, and rinsed in three or four changes of 
 water, Mr. "Wane professes to wash them in twenty minutes ; 
 and we are bound to say that some prints we took away with 
 us, and examined for hyposulphite t of soda by the well-known 
 iodide of starch test, proved quite free from that compound. 
 The washing apparatus consists of a drum-like cylinder, perhaps 
 two feet in diameter and three feet long. It is placed in a 
 horizontal position, as shown in our sketch (fig 2, page 190). 
 
 The outside cylinder, A, is simply a casing of tin to keep in 
 the water ; the inside cylinder, B, that revolves, is a few inches 
 smaller than the exterior one, and it is simply a frame-work 
 covered with a twine netting. If you look inside the apparatus 
 when it is at work, you see this inside skeleton cylinder, B, 
 revolving rapidly, upon the net- work being laid prints in the 
 act of washing. These prints are washed in a two-fold manner. 
 Water is squirted upon them in the form of little jets, and this 
 
190 
 
 STUDIOS IN SCOTLAND. 
 
 water is again thrown off by centrifugal force, as the skeleton 
 drum bearing the prints rapidly revolves. In fact, the machine 
 sot only washes the prints, but, at the end of the operation, when 
 the water is turned off, it goes a good way towards drying them ? 
 
 Fig. 2. 
 
 for as the drum continues to revolve, the water is thrown off the 
 wet pictures. The outside cylinder, or jacket, as we have said, 
 is simply for the purpose of preventing the water thrown off by 
 centrifugal force being sent into every corner of the apartment. 
 
 The water is supplied by two iron tubes pierced with small 
 holes, which tubes run lengthways through the drum — or, to 
 speak more correctly, parallel with its axis. One tube, indeed, 
 runs right through the middle of the drum, D, and the jets of 
 water from it fall upon the faces of the prints as they come round 
 in turn, lying inside the skeleton drum. The other tube, C, also 
 pierced along its length with water holes, is at the top of the 
 apparatus, between the outer cylinder and the revolving cylinder, 
 so that the prints lying upon the network come round with their 
 backs towards the falling water. Thus the prints, as they re- 
 volve, are first treated to a shower in front, and then at the back, 
 and one can readily understand that pictures subjected to a con- 
 
MESSRS. VALENTINE AND SONS. 
 
 191 
 
 iinual spray, and, moreover, to centrifugal action, for twenty- 
 minutes, are likely to be as well freed from any hyposulphite they 
 may contain, as immersion in running water for many hours. 
 
 The apparatus may be turned by hand, for it very light ; but 
 Mr. "Wane objects to this, for the reason that a stoppage at any 
 time may bring about a fall of the prints, since these are kept in 
 position around the inside of the cylinder by centrifugal force. 
 On this account Mr. Wane has recourse to a water-motor, E, 
 which is nothing more than a water-mill ; the water main 
 supplied to his house in Edinboro' is quite potent enough to work 
 the motor, which, we may mention, can be constructed by any 
 water-engineer who knows his business. It may be mentioned 
 that a washing drum working vertically does not seem to answer 
 so well as the horizontal arrangement. 
 
 "We have no time to speak of Mr. Wane's excellent printing 
 arrangements (the printing is all done under ground glass, or 
 under tissue paper), nor of his admirable way of storing negatives, 
 each with its number plainly marked under the rack ; but from 
 an elegant little card of terms, we quote the following to show 
 that good prices are to be had in the Scotch capital for good 
 work : — 
 
 0 to £1 1 0 
 0 to 2 2 0 
 ... 2 10 0 
 ... 3 10 0 
 ... 5 5 0 
 ... 7 7 0. 
 ... 8 8 0 
 
 Cartes, per dozen ... from £0 15 
 Cabinets, per doz ... from 1 5 
 10 by 8 in gold frame complete 
 
 12 by 10 
 
 15 by 12 . 
 
 20 by 1 6 (direct from life) 
 
 24 by 20 ( do. do. ) 
 
 MESSES. JAMES VALENTINE & SONS AT DUNDEE. 
 
 The largest photographic establishment in Scotland, and one of 
 the largest in the world — that of Messrs. James Valentine and 
 Sons — takes very high rank indeed. Mr. James Valentine 
 himself died two years ago, just as he had completed the re- 
 organization of the vast undertaking which bears his name ; 
 but his sons (Mr. W. D. Valentine and Mr. George Valentine) 
 have shown themselves in every way equal to the task of carry- 
 ing out their father's designs. As many as forty employes are 
 
192 
 
 STUDIOS IN SCOTLAND. 
 
 to be found in the establishment of Messrs. Valentine, and it 
 says something for their administrative ability that this number 
 of hands is engaged all the year round. The work is so well 
 regulated that, both summer and winter, there is plenty to do, 
 in one department or the other. 
 
 Perhaps the best idea of the extent of work done is to be 
 gathered from the fact that 3,000 prints a day is not an unusual 
 number to produce, while upon the printing-tables may be 
 found, at any rate in dull weather, as many as 700 frames. 
 The principal work is the production of views of Scotland, 
 Mr. "W. D. Valentine being responsible for the negatives, which, 
 as our readers know, include the most delightful scenes that 
 have ever been taken of that delightful country. Every phase of 
 Scottish scenery is here. A cluster of dark granite boulders, 
 strewn with brown seaweed, and beaten by angry waves, whose 
 white foam is tritely characteristic of their spent wrath ; a placid 
 loch, with stately craft floating calmly on its surface ; a solitary 
 lighthouse of silver grey, rising from a clump of black rocks, and 
 surrounded by turbulent waves flecked with white — a very 
 painting ; lichen-grown crags, sweet forest glades, delicate fern 
 gardens, bowery foliage — in a word, nature in every shape and 
 mood is here represented. 
 
 The Messrs, Valentine also enjoy high reputation as por- 
 traitists, and it is, indeed, into the portion of the establishment 
 devoted to portraiture that we are first led. A hall tastefully 
 furnished leads to the reception room, whence again a corridor 
 takes us through the dressing-rooms to the studio. "We may 
 mention here that it is in the reception-room that the only open 
 fire in the whole establishment is found, for, following the 
 example of Mr. Marshall "Wane, of Edinburgh, Messrs. Valentine 
 employ hot-water piping throughout. They make use of 
 Keath's boiler and coil, which is found to be exceedingly 
 economical, for upwards of forty rooms are heated by its means, 
 at an expenditure of between six and seven shillings a week. 
 Gas cinders only are required for consumption, perhaps the most 
 economical fuel one can use. 
 
 The studio itself, which is forty-six feet long, was most 
 agreeably warmed (and this, too, albeit our visit was in Feb- 
 ruary). Studios are apt to strike chilly in our experience, and 
 if a sitter has to divest him or herself of any garments, a cold 
 glass-room is not only unpleasant, but adds to the difficulties of 
 
MESSES. VALENTINE AND SONS. 193 
 
 the photographer. In Dundee, no doubt, cold is a greater 
 enemy than in most towns ; but still, the example of Messrs. 
 Valentine is one well worth following. Moreover, the system of 
 heating obviates many winter difficulties. " The snow never 
 lies on the roof here," says Mr. W. D. Valentine, " for there is 
 always warmth sufficient to melt it as it falls." 
 
 Curtains are almost unknown in Messrs. Valentine's glass 
 room. Side light, and light from the roof, is tempered by means 
 of upright zinc shutters on hinges. The height of the lower 
 range of shutters is 3 feet 6 inches, and of the upper one 2 feet 
 6 inches, their breadth being about 20 inches, the same as the 
 sash. They are painted on the inside (that next the glass) of a 
 pure white, and when opened more or less, reflect light upon the 
 model at the end of the studio. Our sketch will give some idea 
 of their construction. 
 
 Not only the end of the studio, but also the angle farthest 
 from the glass, is fitted up as a background. The angle, indeed, 
 forms a rustic arbour, tastefully arranged with fragments of 
 cork bark, ivy, &c, so that with but little trouble it is con- 
 stituted an apt and unconventional background for groups, &c. 
 
 o 
 
194 
 
 STUDIOS IN SCOTLAND. 
 
 A change from the ordinary flat background is at times very- 
 welcome, and by simply turning the camera this is here secured. 
 
 We pass through the retouching room, noting on our way two 
 little points. The one is a plan of concentrating light upon 
 negative or print ; the ordinary plan, which has already been 
 pointed out, is to have a spherical decanter of water near at 
 hand, which condenses the light upon any spot upon which you 
 desire to work ; but Messrs. Valentine employ, instead of water, 
 a weak solution of sulphate of copper, the greenish hue of the 
 latter being less trying to the eyes. "It is what jewellers 
 always use," explains Mr. Valentine. The other point is that 
 of employing a developed gelatine plate instead of pure glass to 
 support the negative during retouching ; the brown tint of the 
 former is also preferred, as being less injurious to the eyes. 
 
 There are no doors to the dark rooms. Mr. Valentine holds 
 them to be not only unnecessary, but positively harmful. They 
 give rise to dust, and they are always in the way. They are, 
 too, easily done without. The passage leading to the dark 
 rooms is only lighted from the top, the panes of the skylight 
 being reddened. In these conditions of lighting from above, all 
 that is necessary is to place inside the entrance of the dark room 
 a broad barrier, or partition, round which you must walk to get 
 into the room. In one of his dark rooms, by-the-way, Mr. 
 Valentine showed us a huge pane of ruby glass, which, after but 
 two years' exposure to light, had lost more than half its original 
 colour. Photographers, therefore, will do well to look after 
 their windows occasionally ; fortunately, most of them begin by 
 working in a light that is far more subdued than is actually 
 necessary. 
 
 But we must pass on. We go downstairs to the printing 
 department. This occupies the whole of the basement, the 
 principal portion being a long room, in which there are no less 
 than twelve tables ranged side by side, each measuring about 
 9 by 2 feet. It is the biggest printing room we have ever seen. 
 At each of the tables stands a girl with printing frames, and her 
 duty is simply to open each frame, withdraw the print, provide 
 a fresh piece of paper, and then to push the frame through an 
 open window to the printer. For, opposite each table, there is a 
 window of this kind, opening directly into the yard, so that all 
 the girl need do is to carry her freshly-filled frames to the 
 side, and the printer, by putting his hands through, reaches them 
 
MESSRS. VALENTINE AND SONS. 
 
 195 
 
 without difficulty. In the same way, the frames are afterwards 
 returned. In all photographic establishments, the difficulty is 
 with new hands ; but the Messrs. Valentine, by thus subdividing 
 the work, get over it very well ; that is to say, those inside the 
 printing room need have very little experience compared with 
 those occupied with the actual printing, who number among 
 them the most skilled employes of the establishment. 
 
 The printing is done in the open air or under shaded glass, 
 according to the season of the year. Many of the pictures 
 require skies printing in, and this of course necessitates double 
 work. Mr. "W". D. Valentine arranges with the head printer 
 what sky negative shall be employed for a particular picture, 
 and then the printing frame containing this, instead of being 
 returned to one of the ordinary changing tables, is taken to a 
 separate department, where the sky negative is adjusted, and a 
 suitable mask fitted. 
 
 The sensitizing of the paper takes place in a compartment at 
 the end of the printing room. Three baths are employed, large 
 enough to take a whole sheet, each bath provided at the end 
 with a glass bar or rod, over which the sheet is dragged after 
 being lifted from the liquid. There is no draining of the sheet ; 
 the glass rod has removed the spare liquid from the surface, and 
 immediately afterwards the paper is pressed between blotting- 
 paper. It is half dry by this time, and requires to be hung but 
 a very short time to be completely desiccated. Nevertheless, 
 Messrs. Valentine contemplate drying still more quickly by 
 means of hot- water boxes, over which the paper will be stretched 
 on net-work. The regulation time of floating the paper is two 
 minutes ; the strength of the baths, fifty-five grains of silver 
 nitrate to one ounce of water. 
 
 It is one man's duty to fold the sheets of sensitized paper, and 
 to cut them, a knife fixed hinge-wise to a board serving to do 
 this very rapidly. " By this means, our prints have always 
 clean-cut edges, a matter of much importance when it comes to 
 toning and washing," says Mr. Valentine. 
 
 "We have not time to speak of the negative rooms — all negatives 
 in use being racked, while reserve and stock plates are packed 
 in paper — but must pass on to the washing room. Here, raised 
 in the centre of the long apartment, are a number of baths ; 
 there is, in fact, a double row of seven, so that two sets of 
 assistants, facing each other, can work at the same time. The 
 
196 
 
 STUDIOS IN SCOTLAND. 
 
 prints are first put into No. 1 bath, rinsed, and then placed in 
 No. 2, whence they are conveyed to No. 3, and so on till they 
 get to No. 7. Above the baths are hanging india-rubber tubes, 
 which supply both warm and cold water; and each bath is 
 supplied with an outlet that empties it rapidly. The water from 
 the first four baths runs off into a residue tank in the yard, but 
 the other washings are thrown away. Each print is taken 
 separately in hand, and handed from one assistant to another. 
 After toning and fixing, a washing even more thorough ensues, 
 for after rinsing all night in tanks, in which each print is nipped 
 separately between laths to prevent conglomeration, the prints 
 are put one by one on a glass plate, and subjected to the action 
 of falling water, both warm and cold. 
 
 Messrs. Valentine have given the question of residues careful 
 study. The tanks are placed in the open yard, in the full glare 
 of daylight, for they find that the deposition of the chloride takes 
 place much more rapidly out-of-doors, than in. In summer 
 the deposition is very rapid, while in winter it is comparatively 
 slow ; but still there is no danger of losing suspended particles 
 by drawing off liquid that has stood twenty-four hours in their 
 tanks. Moreover, with the washing arrangement we have just 
 described, the assistant cannot throw away valuable washings, 
 but the liquids must of necessity run into the tanks. The 
 bottom of these is wedge-shaped, so that when emptied of liquid 
 the residue cannot be carried off. 
 
 Section of Kesidue Tank. 
 
 The old hyposulphite baths used for fixing prints are collected 
 in a separate tank. The most economical plan is to treat them 
 with so-called liver of sulphur, and thus extract the precious 
 
MESSRS. VALENTINE AND SONS. 
 
 197 
 
 metal in the form of sulphide. But, practically, Messrs. Valen- 
 tine find it best to throw down the silver in the metallic form by 
 means of zinc. Fragments of old zinc will do — sheeting, water- 
 spouts, &c. — and from .these the black deposit is brushed from 
 time to time, and collected. " The silver collected from our 
 hyposulphite washings fetched thirty pounds last year," said 
 Mr. Valentine, in reply to our question as to whether it paid. 
 
 We are next led into the mounting room. The mountant 
 employed is gelatine soaked in water, and then dissolved in hot 
 spirit. But they are very particular about the brushes employed, 
 since most of these leave " brush-markings." A brush two 
 inches broad, of red sable, is the only instrument permitted in 
 the establishment, and the price of these, we were told, was no 
 less than fourteen shillings. The tables here are all covered 
 with linoleum, not only to protect them from wet, but also because 
 the soft character of this material is not likely to injure any 
 albums or finely-bound books that come into the place. 
 
 Mr. "W. D. Valentine has devised a very simple and effective 
 shutter constructed of thin sheet metal. The actual drop piece 
 is represented by figure 1 ; and by making the opening A of the 
 J shape indicated by the drawing, somewhat less 
 
 exposure is given to the central portion of the 
 plate than would be the case if a plain rectangular 
 opening were adopted. This drop piece slides in 
 a flat tube built up out of similar sheet metal, 
 a pair of circular holes corresponding to the maxi- 
 mum working aperture of the lens being cut in 
 this flat tube, and the whole arrangement fits into 
 a slot which must be cut through the lens tube 
 just in front of the diaphragm guide ; a pair of 
 arc-like pieces of brass, which are soldered on to 
 the apparatus, serving the double purpose of keep- 
 ing out light, and of ensuring that the apparatus 
 shall always be so placed that the circular apertures 
 /\ correspond with the central portions of the lens 
 / \ | mount. 
 
 The arrangement for releasing the drop is neat, 
 and well worthy of note. Figure 2 represents it in 
 section. The three interior lines represent a 
 sectional view of the flat tube and the drop, while the 
 outer shaded portion stands for a light metal frame 
 
 \0 
 
 Fig, 1. 
 
198 
 
 STUDIOS IN SCOTLAND. 
 
 which can slide across the apparatus, but which is held 
 towards the side A by the spiral spring. "Under these circum- 
 stances the internal stud shown near B presses on the drop, and 
 may suppoTt it either at the point C, figure 1 (half-cock), or at 
 D, figure 1 (full-cock). Pressure on the end A of the sliding 
 framework serves to release the drop. 
 
 Fig. 2. 
 
 To use the shutter, a slot has to be cut through the tube of 
 the lens close to the diaphragm ; then the shutter is inserted in 
 the opening, the small flange keeping it in place, and preventing 
 light getting in. To focus, press the spring slightly, at same 
 time drawing up the drop till it catches and leaves shutter open. 
 To expose, draw up the drop to its last catch. A very slight 
 pressure on spring A releases shutter, which falls and shuts 
 itself; a small piece of lead on B prevents any jar when the 
 drop falls. It is well to carry several drops with different sizes 
 of openings, using them according to light, subject, &c. 
 
 It will be well for our readers to bear in mind that it is 
 generally undesirable to cut the lens tube for such a shutter as 
 that of Mr. Valentine, it being a much preferable course to send 
 the lens to the maker and get him to make a special tube with 
 the required slot in it. On one occasion we required such an 
 extra tube for a lens by one of the leading opticians, and the 
 extra tube was in our hands four hours after we had taken the 
 lens back to the maker. 
 
 MESSES. T. & E. ANNAN AT GLASGOW. 
 
 Messrs. Annan 9 of Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, deserve honour- 
 able mention, if only for this : they are the one firm of photo- 
 graphers north of the Tweed which manufactures and uses its own 
 carbon tissue. Many of us know the difficulties and vexations of 
 carbon printing ; but few have had the courage to make tissue for 
 themselves, and fewer still continue to do so in spite of heart- 
 
MESSRS. T. AND E. ANNAN. 
 
 199 
 
 breaking failure and systematic discouragement. Messrs. 
 Annan Brothers have for years steadily clung to the production 
 of carbon tissue, and, at their works at Lenzie, near Glasgow, 
 have succeeded in producing a material of excellent quality, as 
 abundantly proved by the transparencies and enlargements which 
 issue from the firm. 
 
 At Lenzie, too, Messrs. Annan have a manufactory of gelatine 
 plates ; but, in the present paper, we shall confine ourselves 
 simply to a description of the Glasgow establishment, which 
 furnishes us with matter quite sufficient for our purpose. Here, 
 in the Gallery at Sauchiehall Street, we perceive at once one 
 very important fact, namely, that permanence in photographic 
 prints is one of the principal aims of Messrs. Annan. Look at 
 this carbon print upon opal, representing Sir Noel Paton's 
 u Fairy Baid." It is a photograph finished in black and white, 
 we are glad to hear, by the artist himself, a circumstance alone 
 that deserves record, since it shows that photography is no longer 
 looked upon with such jealous eyes by painters. This carbon 
 print upon opal measures no less than four feet, certainly the 
 largest and finest we have seen of the kind, while we need 
 scarcely speak of its excellence and beauty, since it has been so 
 highly appreciated by Sir Noel Paton. Messrs. Annan have 
 published many works of art of this kind, and, as photographic 
 publishers, indeed, they take very high rank. Here is a series 
 of portraits of the professors of Glasgow University, both taken 
 and printed in carbon by Messrs. Annan, than which no finer 
 collection of its kind has appeared. The portrait of Sir William 
 Thompson, the electrician, is one of the best of them (they are 
 taken 8 J by 6 J inches), and it is something to reflect that such 
 good portraits are printed in permanent pigments. Here is a 
 volume containing the divinity professors, and yet another filled 
 with those of the medical staff, all of them names famous in the 
 University world. In fact, Messrs. Annan might well be termed 
 photographic publishers to the University, for we find still 
 another volume filled with views of the Old College, which dates 
 back to 1450 — photographs that must be dear to all those in- 
 habiting the second city of the empire, as we believe Glasgow is 
 now entitled to rank. 
 
 Another excellent series of pictures we must allude to before 
 we pass from this subject. They depict the whole of the painted 
 windows in Glasgow Cathedral, and form a valuable record of 
 
200 
 
 STUDIOS IN SCOTLAND. 
 
 this branch of the art. There is almost colour in some of these 
 casements, so delicate are the half-tones ; while the " staining " 
 effect upon the glass could scarcely be better in the original 
 windows. There is not, strange to say, a single instance of hala- 
 tion or blurring in these window pictures, which represent 
 masterpieces of the modern German school. They are the work 
 of Hess, Schrandolph, and Moritz von Schwind, the last-named 
 artist distinguished more especially by his being chosen to 
 renovate the Castle of the "Wartburg in Germany, revered by the 
 whole Lutheran Church on account of Luther having translated 
 a large portion of the Bible within the venerable pile. The art 
 of modern window painting — so far, at any rate, as designs go — 
 may well be studied from this fine series of photographs, which 
 puts vividly before the student, sitting at home at ease, transcripts 
 of the master's work. Indeed, in glancing over these valuable 
 publications of Messrs. Annan, the idea comes over us now 
 and again, whether such work is sufficiently recognized. At 
 Messrs. Braun's establishment in Dornach, which we visited a 
 dozen years ago, a great deal of work of a similarly classic 
 character is also prepared, and we could not help calling to 
 mind the Alsace studio as we examined Messrs Annan's photo- 
 graphs. Fortunately, as in the Dornach establishment, these 
 reproductions are all in carbon, and hence we may trust that the 
 work undertaken at such great expense may, by reason both of 
 its intrinsic value and permanence, be ultimately a source of 
 profit to its progenitors. 
 
 As landscape photographers Messrs. Annan enjoy an enviable 
 reputation. In London, we have repeatedly been made familiar 
 with good work from the Glasgow studio ; but, to thoroughly 
 appreciate its skill and taste, it is necessary to examine the 
 beautiful pictures of exteriors and interiors of Scotch strong- 
 holds which here adorn the walls. Here is princely Glamis 
 Castle, with its rounded turrets and spires, its grey walls, its 
 weather-beaten casements, and handsomely wrought stone work. 
 Here is Alnwick Castle, its fine lines sharp and clear in the 
 leafy landscape ; here Dumbarton Castle on the Clyde, and 
 here again Hamilton Palace. But better than all are these 
 interiors taken on 16 by 13 plates, some by a Dallmeyer 12 by 10 
 rectilinear, and others by a Boss wide-angle lens. The 
 " Duchess' Bedroom/ ' for example, is perfect; the satin bed 
 furniture, the quilted coverlid, the folds in the rich drapery, are 
 
MESSRS. T. AND R. ANNAN. 
 
 201 
 
 rendered as softly as by the painter's art, while yet they possess 
 all the detail and clearness of photography. " The Library," 
 Hamilton Palace, is not less successful ; the furniture, the book 
 cases, the table-cloth — all are rendered with surpassing harmony 
 and clearness, as if, forsooth, the photographer had chosen 
 accessories of his own shade and hue, in order to secure the 
 highest effect. There is no blurring, no halation, no solariza- 
 tion ; the light is diffused as evenly and effectively as in a well- 
 lit studio. All these interiors were taken with wet collodion, 
 some of them with nearly an hour's exposure. Says Mr. Thomas 
 Annan : "I use gelatine plates of our own making for interiors 
 now, but we have not given up the use of collodion for outside 
 work." 
 
 "We go upstairs. Here are carbon prints and carbon 
 transparencies in various stages. Impressions measuring 
 24 by 18 inches are considered but ordinary work, and three-feet 
 pictures are not made much fuss about. The enlarging is done 
 an the usual way from a carbon transparency, produced by 
 printing upon tissue under the original negative, and in this 
 way securing a vigorous, transparent positive. Some of the 
 red-tissue prints of Messrs. Annan are very successful. A hunts- 
 man surrounded by his pack on the steps of a hunting-box 
 looks like an old engraving by Hogarth, and so anti-photographic 
 is it in appearance, that one wants the assurance of the printer 
 almost to believe it. 
 
 The studio is spacious and roomy. It is lighted from the 
 north : but the sun itself never gets into it the whole livelong 
 day. What there is of wall on the light side of the studio is 
 painted dark, while the bare glass is, for the most part, obscured 
 by curtains of very dark blue. On the shadow side of the 
 studio the walls are of a light tint. One feature deserves special 
 mention. The slope of the roof is but slight, and on both sides 
 it is glazed ; but, on the shadow side, the glass is covered in by 
 seven or eight boards, their ends towards the apex of the roof. 
 Under ordinary circumstances, therefore, they permit no top 
 side-light to enter from the shadow side. At times — in winter 
 more especially — light is, however, desirable from this particular 
 direction. Tor this reason the planks are hinged lengthways, 
 and capable, therefore, of falling or assuming any slope — and, 
 therefore, casting more or less light — towards the object to be 
 photographed. Two cords — one near each end of the plank or 
 
202 
 
 STUDIOS IN FRANCE. 
 
 board — permit of moving the plank, and either allowing it to 
 fall altogether, so that it hangs edgeways, or of pulling up the 
 flap flat with the roof, in which circumstance no light at all 
 enters. 
 
 The dark-room is one of the best ventilated we have seen. 
 There are two ventilating shafts, one on each side of the apart- 
 ment, with pipes no less than eighteen inches in diameter. 
 The shafts are not only bent at an angle, like a magic-lantern 
 chimney, to keep out rays of light, but there is, moreover, 
 placed at a short distance below the orifice of each, a dead-black 
 disc, to make security more secure. 
 
 STUDIOS IN FRANCE. 
 
 M. ADAM-SALOMON IN THE KUE DE LA FAISANDEKIE, 
 
 PARIS. 
 
 M. Adam- Salomon died the week after Easter in last year, and 
 it was on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday that we last had the 
 pleasure of meeting him. Although suffering from impaired 
 eyesight, he was then in good health and spirits, and talked hope- 
 fully of an operation for cataract which was to bring back to him 
 his strong vision once more. On Sunday, a hot summer's day, 
 he was in company with an old colleague, a doctor of medicine, 
 and brother Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, and during a 
 stroll together in the sunny garden among the odorous wall- 
 flowers and fresh green chestnuts, there was a running fire of 
 gaiety and jokes. They called blithely to one another among the 
 trees, and rallied each other like schoolboys. " Where are you, 
 docteur ? " cried M. Salomon, lustily, for the doctor had seated 
 himself in an arbour, out of pretence to avoid the artist's raillery. 
 " Where you can't find me," was the other grey-beard's reply. 
 With all the freshness of a lad of twelve, M. Salomon quizzed 
 his friend about his cleverness, whereupon "docteur" replied 
 that his hair had not grown white for nothing. "Cheveux 
 blancs," cried M. Salomon, explaining to us what an impostor 
 his friend was ; " il est un brun, avec la tete poivree." 
 
M. ADAM-SALOMON. 
 
 20a 
 
 We like to recal the scene now the kindly heart beats no more, 
 not only because it is one of the last and brightest reminiscences 
 of a gifted artist, but because it shows how lightly his years sat 
 upon the shoulders of Adam-Salomon. Everybody knows that 
 he held high rank as a sculptor ; but, skilled as he was in the 
 use of the chisel, it was as a photographer that his fame travelled 
 to the four corners of the earth. Strange to say, he did not 
 begin photography till 1861 — it was one of the last things, he 
 said to us — and yet, in 1867, at the Paris Exhibition, we find 
 him so far ahead of all other portraitists, that his position was 
 undisputed by his own countrymen, and spontaneously acknow- 
 ledged in every land. 
 
 But to return to our visit. M. Adam-Salomon comes down 
 the gravel walk to unlock the gate for us. His beard is whiter 
 and more flowing than it used to be a dozen years ago, when we 
 first met the 'premier portraitist, but he is as genial, as warm, as 
 winsome as ever. In his button-hole he jauntily wears the red 
 ribbon of the Legion, and his manner has all the old gaiety about 
 it. He calls out a blithe welcome as he rattles the key in the 
 gate, and shakes hands again and again. 
 
 In his kindly hospitable fashion he has insisted on our taking 
 dejeuner with him ; but come early, he has said, for " h midi je 
 vous chasse." So between ten and eleven, this sunny April 
 morning, we present ourselves at the little villa, so close to the 
 green confines of Paris and the fortifications as to have been 
 unsafe to inhabit during the investment of the capital by the 
 Germans in 1870. The balmy air is redolent with the odour of 
 wallflowers, and it is so warm that the house door stands wide 
 open. As everybody knows, M. Saloman is a sculptor before he 
 is a photographer, and evidence of his handiwork is here in the 
 little garden, and in the handsome gallery we now enter. 
 
 A pleasant chat about friends and acquaintances who have 
 visited him in Paris, or M. Saloman has met in London, revives 
 recollections of that famous display of portraits in 1867, when he 
 took the photographic world by storm. The long article by the 
 Times special correspondent at the Paris Exhibition, in which a 
 high tribute was paid to M. Salomon's pictures, our host still 
 remembers with unaffected delight, as also the many other re- 
 cognitions of his work that have come from Great Britain. His 
 skill as a sculptor has been no less complete, and M. Salomon 
 speaks with deep feeling of the homage paid to his work by the 
 
204 
 
 STUDIOS IN FRANCE. 
 
 English press, particularly in respect to the bust of Mr. Chad- 
 wick, C.B., exhibited two years ago at the Eoyal Academy. Un- 
 fortunately — and our readers will read it with infinite regret — 
 M. Salomon's eyesight for some time past has been very defective, 
 and has compelled him to put aside almost entirely his photo- 
 graphic work. " Here is my last essay at posing," said our 
 host, showing an unmounted print; " I did it the other day, 
 but I was able to do no more than pose." It is a standing por- 
 trait of a violinist at the moment of attaqrue. The chin presses 
 the instrument, the arm is raised, the bow just touches the 
 strings — the musician will instantly commence. 
 
 " It is a gelatine plate, of course, with a pose of three seconds," 
 says our host : " I could not have secured that with collodion." 
 
 An exposure of twenty seconds he used to consider a 
 short one in taking the brilliant 10 by 8 pictures for which 
 he was so famous — pictures, as our readers know, not less 
 delicate than they were brilliant. A portrait of Mr. Blan- 
 chard, which he took in Mr. Elan chard's own studio in London, 
 is here, and M. Salomon shows it us with pardonable pride, for 
 it proves how well he can succeed far away from his own studio 
 and familiar surroundings. 
 
 On either side of the spacious gallery — furnished with rich 
 Turkey carpet and handsome Louis XIY. furniture, its walls 
 being deep chocolate — are examples of his skill as a sculptor. 
 A bust of the late Pope Pius IX. is here, to model which, a 
 journey to Eome was necessary. This is Guizot, full of force 
 and vigour ; and this Cousin, another noted French minister, a 
 magnificent work in white marble. Earl and Lady Granville 
 . are to sit to our host as soon as his eyes are better, he tells us ; 
 at present he is engaged in modelling a bust of Thiers, which we 
 are forthwith invited to see in the atelier. "We pass into the 
 garden, and thence into a large room where finished and un- 
 finished work is on every hand. M. Salomon throws off a cloth, 
 and before us, in dark plastic clay, are the familiar features of 
 the late liberator of his country ; the lips seem to speak, so full 
 are they of life and vitality, and one can almost perceive a smile 
 playing over the face of the benevolent statesman. It is a mar- 
 vellous work. These grand models seem to point to the reason 
 of our host's success in photography, for his portraits are 
 essentially statuesque. Eelief and plasticity is a marked, 
 if not the principal feature in them, and when we are 
 
M. ADAM-SALOMON. 
 
 205 
 
 further invited up into the photographic studio, we see un- 
 mistakable signs of M. Salomon's great endeavour to give 
 a statuesque character to his work. Eepeated accounts have 
 in past years appeared of M. Adam-Salomon's method of work- 
 ing, but, for all that, our readers will forgive any repetition, 
 we are sure. 
 
 The studio is on the first floor of a detached building in the 
 garden, so that light from every side is available. " A droite, a 
 droite, je vous prie ! " cries M. Salomon, as we mount the wooden 
 steps, for they are a little unsafe in places. The studio is very 
 spacious, and very few curtains are made use of ; so roomy is it, 
 indeed, that you might point the camera in any direction. The 
 principal light is top-light, and here is the alcove or semi-circular 
 background which M. Salomon has repeatedly used with such 
 effect. It is some twelve feet across, and, inside, of a chocolate 
 
 colour. The way to use it is very simple, and it has the advan- 
 tage of producing almost every effect of lighting. If need be, 
 the model need not move at all. He stands or sits in the 
 centre, and the semi-circular background is revolved, if we may 
 so call it— shifted round a little to one side or the other— as the 
 
206 
 
 STUDIOS IN FRANCE. 
 
 photographer deems necessary. Thus the lighted side of the 
 model may be contrasted with the shadow side of the background, 
 and vice versa. Again, the background may be bodily advanced 
 or receded from the light — the model remaining stationary — 
 when another modification of the illumination is broght about. 
 Many photographers have a bust or statue in the studio as a 
 corpus vile whereon to make experiments in lighting, &c. M. 
 Adam-Salomon, although himself a sculptor, with an array of 
 these at his disposal, does not avail himself of such aid ; he em- 
 ploys something more to the purpose. "Madame Tussaud's," 
 he says, jokingly, as he pulls aside the curtain from an alcove. 
 We see two life-sized figures dressed in black coats and trousers, 
 and, to all appearance, habitues of the famous Baker Street 
 establishment. These models M. Salomon employs for his essays 
 in lighting and since he has here the contrast of black drapery 
 and white features, which is the plague of the photographer, he 
 knows pretty well that if he can succeed with these, ho can suc- 
 ceed with live models. 
 
 M. Salomon is an indefatigable experimentalist ; for some time 
 he employed a red- glass camera in his work — this is, a camera 
 with windows of red glass on top and sides — and he has still a 
 good word to say for it. It was quicker in action than the 
 ordinary camera, and in some circumstances, the slight greyness 
 in the prints from negatives taken therein was not disadvan- 
 tageous; but, of course, with gelatine plates any accelerating 
 means of this kind are quite unnecessary. 
 
 All who have seen M. Salomon's pictures know that these 
 were never issued unmounted. In the same way as no effort was 
 spared to secure in the highest degree results of modelling and 
 harmony, so M. Salomon never neglected the smallest detail in 
 finishing and mounting his pictures, with the view of securing 
 the very best ensemble. His portraits were not only mounted 
 upon glass, but rubbed with a wax or paste, the composition of 
 which has already appeared in these columns, and which we 
 repeat at the end of this article.. No better "finish" has since 
 been suggested, and Salomon's encaustic paste still finds a ready 
 sale on the Continent and in this country. M. Salomon told us he 
 had himself purchased it at various times, and laughingly alluded 
 to the grave protestations of a shopman to whom, on one occa- 
 sion, he had expressed doubts as to the efficacy of the compound. 
 
 " When in London I purchased, too, some pictures of myself," 
 
THE MAISON LEJEUNE. 
 
 207 
 
 said M. Salomon, recounting another anecdote. It was " dans 
 la cite" and naturally he desired, before making the purchase, 
 to know whether the portrait was ressemblant. " Tres ressem- 
 blant," was the shop-keeper's assurance ; "and on the strength 
 of his word," continued M. Salomon, " I purchased half-a-dozen 
 of the pictures. But from that day to this I could never trace 
 the resemblance myself." 
 
 Here is the composition of the Salomon paste, and manner of 
 employing it : — 
 
 Pure virgin wax ... 500 parts 
 
 Gum elemi ... ... ... ... 10 
 
 Benzole ... 200 „ 
 
 Essence of lavender 300 ,, 
 
 Oil of spike 15 5 , 
 
 Melt the whole on a water-bath, mixing thoroughly, and strain 
 through muslin. Or the elemi may be dissolved in the solvents, 
 and the melted wax added after filtration. To make it thinner, 
 add a little more lavender essence. 
 
 The encaustic paste is put on the print in patches in three or 
 four parts, and then rubbed with a light, quick motion, with a 
 piece of clean flannel. If a thick, rich coating be desired, a very 
 light pressure in rubbing is used. In the case of a retouched 
 print, the rubbing should be very light. 
 
 THE MAISON LEJEUNE IN THE EUE ST. H0N0EE. 
 
 IVe have always had a sneaking fondness for the Eue St Honore. 
 Despite the grandeur of the adjacent Kue de Eivoli, and of the 
 broad Avenue de 1' Opera, with its massive shops and electric 
 lamps, the Eue St. Honore is quite competent to hold its own. 
 From its less aristocratic end, where old-fashioned shops of the 
 true Parisian type are still to be found — where salads, cheese, 
 apricots, sausages, and other comestibles, are seen in queer little 
 windows, where restaurants flourish for the bourgeoisie, with the 
 steaming kitchen on the threshold, so that customers may make 
 up their minds as to the quality of the viands before entering — 
 we repeat, from this unaristocratic quarter right away to the 
 Faubourg, where the Elysee and the British Embassy are 
 
208 
 
 STUDIOS IN FRANCE. 
 
 loeated, this favourite street of ours is full of interest. "We 
 are not particularly aged, but still old enough to remember 
 the days when diligence travelling was resorted to on many of 
 the French highways, and we have seen the heavy yellow 
 vehicles swing out from under that archway in the Rue St. 
 Honore, which before the days of railways was the main point 
 of arrival and departure with Paris visitors. The word 
 " Messageries " still appears above that archway, and beside it, 
 in newer letters, the word "Rationales" ; it was " Messageries 
 Imperiales," we remember, when we first saw it, a quarter of 
 a century ago. 
 
 Very nearly opposite that hostelry, dear to English visitors, 
 the Motel de Lille et V Albion, is a lofty building of white stone, 
 wherein is situated the atelier Lejeune. The present head of the 
 firm is Monsieur L. Joliot, and to him, both on behalf of our 
 readers alid ourselves, we tender thanks for a hearty welcome, 
 and permission to visit one of the very first studios in the French 
 capital. That he had nothing of novelty to exhibit, was an 
 assurance he gave us over and over again ; but, that we might 
 judge for ourselves on the subject, we were at liberty to go where 
 we pleased. 
 
 M. Joliot' s establishment is on the second floor. Two hand- 
 some salons, furnished with excellent taste, are at hand for the 
 reception of visitors, and from one of these, half a dozen carpeted 
 stairs lead to the studio. M. Joliot has a speciality in the shape 
 of the Cartes Busses, which attracted considerable attention at 
 the last International Exhibition. They are bust vignettes on a 
 black ground. The style is especially suitable for ladies, and is 
 pleasing to a degree. It was, indeed, these Cartes Russes that 
 decided us upon an early visit to the Maison Lejeune, for, strange 
 to say, although the cards are well known in Paris and St. Peters- 
 burgh, at home they are comparatively unknown. The 
 Promenade or Panel portrait is also in favour with M. Joliot' s 
 customers, and we may here mention that, as with us in England, 
 the Parisians have not yet made up their minds in respect to a 
 general name for the format ; " Portrait de Paris " is one of the 
 titles by which it is known. 
 
 M. Joliot believes that there is fashion in photography as in 
 everything else. The public are capricious, and they would just 
 as likely take up with a style because it is fashionable, as 
 because it is artistic and elegant. From the circumstance that 
 
THE MAISON LEJEUNE. 
 
 209 
 
 the present costume worn by ladies is well rendered in tlie panel 
 portrait, this cannot fail to become a favourite style, if for no 
 other reason. Unfortunately, said M. Joliot, the recent seasons 
 have brought satin very much into fashion for ladies' dresses, and 
 of all materials that plague the unfortunate photographer, this 
 shining fabric is the worst. M. Joliot takes the liberty of 
 advising his sitters as to the nature of their costumes ; in his 
 circular he says, (i Costumes of white, blue, violet, mauve, rose, 
 and light grey, should be avoided, except in the case of Cartes 
 Susses, when these tints are especially to be chosen, since they 
 are the only ones giving goods results. Moire antique, black 
 velvet and satin generally produce unsatisfactory effects ; black, 
 dark grey, green, yellow, chestnut, and brown, are good photo- 
 graphic colours.' ' 
 
 M. Joliot admitted, however, when we referred to the subject 
 of drapery, that the ideas of photographers had of late years under- 
 gone a vast change, and that many colours that were formerly 
 regarded by the photographer with dislike, are now chosen in 
 order to secure effect. To produce the best result upon a dark 
 background, as in the case of his favourite style, there was 
 nothing equal to " une laine claire " (a light merino or cashmere) ; 
 and even colours like blue were not to be despised, since they 
 were reproduced of a light tint, without the glare which white 
 material shows if not carefully handled. Silk was very agreeable 
 in a photograph, but was not rendered so well as woollen fabric. 
 
 M. Joliot' s studio is exceedingly roomy. The dressing- 
 apartments open almost immediately into the studio, and 
 further on is the laboratory. The studio is divided into two by 
 a huge canopy, under which the cameras stand ; the latter are 
 thus capable of being directed to one end of the studio, or the 
 other. One portion of the studio is devoted to the sole produc- 
 tion of the vignetted portraits on a black ground. Here there is 
 but a single background, of a dark red, so dark that it scarcely 
 appears red at all. To produce the Carte Russe, the sitter is 
 placed some eight feet from this ^background, so as to permit 
 plenty of side light to intervene between it and the model, the 
 result of which is that the finished portrait has something of a 
 Eembrandt look, the features rounded, and standing out well in 
 relief. On the shadow side of the sitter either white or blue 
 curtains are arranged, to reflect back the light, and not to permit 
 too much shade on this side of the face. A negative taken under 
 
 p 
 
210 
 
 STUDIOS IN FRANCE. 
 
 these circumstances does not require to be manipulated at all so 
 far as face and shoulders are concerned, since these stand out 
 boldly from the black ground when the negative is printed ; but 
 some little skill is necessary to cut off the bust and print the 
 paper black below the portrait. But this printing is of a " fond 
 degrade/' M. Joliot assured us; is a matter soon got over with a 
 little practice ; and it is altogether a subject of secondary con- 
 sideration. A final darkening round the margin of the print 
 finishes the picture. Portraits produced in this way, especially 
 of ladies in light summer or ball-room dress, are exceedingly 
 effective. 
 
 At the other end of the studio ordinary portraits are taken. 
 M. Joliot employs Seavey's backgrounds. " No doubt our Paris 
 artists could paint them as well, if they gave themselves the 
 trouble, but they won't, and hence we have to go to America.' 1 
 M. Joliot does not stretch his backgrounds or hang them on 
 rollers. There are half-a-dozen wires running across the studio 
 at the end, and the backgrounds, provided with hooks, hang upon 
 these ; they are slidden backwards and forwards, into position, 
 or out of it, according to the whim of the photographer. 
 
 The lighting is from the north, and there is so much of it 
 that in summer weather blue blinds have to be exchanged for 
 white ; there is but a foot of wainscoting, the side being of clear 
 glass, and the sloping roof of ground glass. The laboratory is 
 in two compartments, the one for coating and sensitizing plates, 
 and the other for developing. Everything here was in apple-pi 
 order. M. Joliot employs the vertical dipping bath, and put 
 in a good plea for its use. He can cool or warm his baths with 
 very little trouble. His bath frame has three compartments, 
 into which you can fit three baths if you like, the baths fitting 
 very loosely into the compartments ; he, however, only puts two 
 glafs baths into them, leaving the centre compartment empty, 
 and it is by means of this centre compartment that he maintains 
 his bath solution at any temperature he likes. In winter, luke- 
 warm water may be introduced, in summer time a little ice. The 
 sides of the compartment being perforated, the temperature of 
 the baths is soon lowered or increased. In this way he always 
 works under the same conditions. As M. Joliot pointed out, it 
 would be impossible to keep horizontal baths at an equal tem- 
 perature by means of arrangements of such a simple nature. 
 
 In the developing room was another arrangement worthy of 
 
MM. BENQUE ET CIE. 
 
 211 
 
 note. The developing solutions were kept in large glass barrels, 
 standing upright in a row at the right hand of the assistant. 
 Here were the iron, pyrogallic, and silver solutions ready for use, 
 the vessels provided with glass taps, underneath which stood 
 suitable glass measures. A handle at the left hand of the 
 assistant further provided for augmenting and lessening the 
 light that gained admittance into the dark room, so that he could 
 control the illumination at any moment, and to any degree, 
 without moving from his place. 
 
 At the Maison Lejeune the terms are : — 
 
 15 Cartes-de-Visites, plain (2 poses) ... 30 francs 
 
 15 vignetted ,, ... 30 ,, 
 
 12 Cabinets, plain or vignetted ... ... 60 ,, 
 
 15 Cartes Rimes ... ... ... ... 45 
 
 15 n 72 „ 
 
 MM. BENQTJE ET CIE. IN THE ETJE BOISSY D'ANGLAS. 
 
 A handsome salon on the first floor is a fitting reception room to 
 the studio, which of late years has attained such high reputation, 
 both in Paris and in Milan, as that of MM. Benque et Cie. 
 Fluted columns, draped with rich maroon curtains, are at the 
 entrance to this apartment, into which not a ray of direct sun- 
 light enters. All is soft and sombre within. There are exten- 
 sive windows, but these are hidden by loosely festooned drab 
 silk, so that while there is plenty of illumination, it is subdued 
 and yet refulgent. The walls are of chocolate brown, the damask 
 chairs and furniture gold and black, the fittings rich and hand- 
 some. This fine carbon portrait in frame complete, standing a 
 meter high (39 inches) is a speciality of the firm Benque et Cie., 
 and sells for a thousand francs. These pictures on the table are 
 what is termed the " Paris-portrait," similar in height to the 
 panel or promenade, but half an inch broader, a very attractive 
 size, but still, to our thinking, not so elegant in its proportions as 
 the promenade. Of cabinets, there is also a collection, not large, 
 for we believe that there are not more than a score of photographs 
 in the whole salon. Two or three cartes are here also, but 
 during the past three months, our host tells us, not a single carte 
 
212 
 
 STUDIOS IN FRANCE. 
 
 picture has been taken in the establishment* Here, too, we find 
 Madame Nilsson, not in a frame, but in the flesh ; she is looking 
 at some portraits of sister artistes, after undergoing a lengthened 
 sitting. " We have just taken one hundred cliches," our friend 
 whispers, " and within the space of an hour and a half." 
 
 Before we walk upstairs, we are presented with a card o£ 
 terms. Here it is : — 
 
 12 Cartes-de-Yisite 30 francs 
 
 The dozen following 20 „ 
 
 12 Cabinet Portraits 80 
 
 6 „ », 50 „ 
 
 The dozen following 60 ,, 
 
 12 Paris Potraits 120 „ 
 
 6 „ „ 80 „ 
 
 The dozen following 100 ,, 
 
 In the Eenque establishment, gelatine reigns supreme. u Do 
 you develop at once, or in the evening?" we ask. "Always 
 in the evening — we are now so confident of our results ; of those 
 hundred cliches just taken of Madame Nilsson, not one will be 
 developed till to-night." The development is done by artificial 
 light, by means of a gas-burner behind ruby glass, a convenient 
 tap permitting the photographer to heighten and lower the jet 
 at will. The developing, too, for the most part is done mechani- 
 cally. As soon as some idea has been obtained of the exposure of 
 the plate, and the time and strength of development, half-a- 
 dozen cliches are put together into a rocking tray. The deve- 
 loper is poured over the films, and then the tray rocks to and 
 fro by itself, kept in motion by a heavy pendulum that swings 
 underneath. It saves a world of trouble, our host tells us, and 
 produces very uniform results. We always like to take the 
 sense of photographers on the development of dry plates, and we 
 put the question whether pyrogallic or oxalate treatment is pre- 
 ferred. "Oxalate, tou jours — Oxalate toujours" — is the 
 energetic reply. 
 
 The studio is large and roomy — the largest in Paris, our friend 
 says ; at any rate, it measures fifteen metres (nearly fifty feet in 
 length). There is nothing particular to be noted about the 
 lighting f top-light is the dominant light. The walls are of very 
 dark brown, and we remark upon this. They are dark, admits 
 our host ; but when they are again painted, we shall colour them 
 
MM. BENQUE ET CIE. 
 
 darker still. Large plates are in general use at the Benque 
 establishment, and large cameras. As a rule, six poses are taken 
 on one plate. He mentioued the other day the circumstance of 
 Madame Judic being pourtrayed 132 times in this studio at one 
 sitting. She was at the atelier for two hours only, and, during 
 that time, changed her dress four times. Twenty-two poses 
 were taken, of each six cliches, with an exposure of about three 
 seconds. The negatives were developed at night, and there 
 were only two technical failures. " Ellene voyait plus," when 
 she went away after the ordeal, our host remarked of the fair 
 comedienne. Certainly, such rapid work could not have been 
 undertaken before the days of gelatine. There is no dark-room 
 adjacent to the studio; the plates in their slides are sent up a 
 shaft from the laboratory below, and delivered close to the assis- 
 tant's hand in the studio, after the manner of Messrs. "Window 
 and Grove's studio, described on another page. The exposures 
 are made by means of the ordinary pneumatic- Cadett shutter. 
 
 In the enlarging-room there is one point worthy of mention. 
 The camera is disposed pretty well as usual ; but just in front of 
 the transparency is placed a swing looking-glass or mirror, per- 
 haps twenty inches high. This permits, in a most convenient 
 manner, the concentration upon the transparency of light that 
 comes through a small opening in the wall, and if the mirror is 
 turned to its proper angle by hand, the hand being never quite 
 steady, no partial lighting is likely to ensue. 
 
 There are two printing-rooms, and MM. Benque send the 
 negatives to one or the other, according to their density. Thus 
 in the top printing-room, which is on the roof, the denser cliches 
 are to be found, and those which will bear strong light ; while 
 in the more subdued light of the lower printing room are located 
 such cliches as require more delicate treatment. Erom 1,200 to 
 2,000 prints are produced here every day, for the firm has now 
 a large publishing connection, and their portraits go to every 
 capital in Europe. Printing to this extent would be impossible 
 in a London atmosphere, and for this reason our big metropolitan 
 firms have usually an establishment in the suburbs for the pur- 
 pose. But in Paris they burn charcoal more than they do coal, 
 and, moreover, when this is used, it is of a much less sooty 
 character than that employed in this country. 
 
 Starch, prepared fresh every day, is invariably employed for 
 mounting at the Benque establishment ; where so much publish- 
 
214 
 
 STUDIOS IN FRANCE. 
 
 ing is done it is a matter of imperative necessity that the mount- 
 ing should be depended upon, especially as black mounts are 
 largely used just now. "We are glad to hear, by the way, that 
 of late these black mounts are more satisfactory than was the 
 case a short time ago. Numerous cases of fading were then rife, 
 and the cause, as our readers know, Mr. Spiller was able to 
 trace to the presence in the mount of a considerable quantity of 
 sodium chloride, or common salt. The test to discover this — 
 namely, the adding of a few drops of nitrate of silver solution to- 
 water in which one of these has been steeped for some hours, 
 and observing whether any turbidity results — is so simple that 
 any photographer can make use of it for himself. 
 
 Besides making itself known through its publications, the firm 
 also adopts the practice of exhibiting its works largely in Paris. 
 The Eoissy d'Anglas, although a turning out of the Faubourg St. 
 Honore, is not a very frequented thoroughfare, and hence visitors 
 to Paris might well escape seeing the studio. MM. Beuque et 
 Cie. have, therefore, opened an exhibition in the Rue Eoyale, 
 that familiar street leading from the Madeleine to the Place de 
 la Concorde, and here a display of the firm's finest work is ex- 
 hibited. A piece de resistance is always present in the form of a 
 scene from one of the Paris plays. Whatever happens to be 
 popular on the boards for the moment, is here illustrated. 
 
 M. NAME, IN THE EUE D'ANJOU ST. HONOKE. 
 
 In the dark days of the Paris siege in 1870-71, when the fair 
 capital was encircled for nearly six months as by a girdle of iron, 
 two photographers brought hope and comfort to the besieged 
 citizens. The one (M. Dagron) showed with what rapidity and 
 facility despatches were to be photographed upon pellicle, and 
 in such a way that a pigeon could carry a thousand of them at 
 its tail ; and the other (M. Nadar) as captain of a balloon equip- 
 ment, demonstrated how aerial photography could be practically^ 
 applied for scouting. " A la nouvelle de l'approche de Tarmee 
 Prussiene," we read, " sous les murs de Paris, M. Nadar organise 
 k Montmatre le premier poste de ballon captif pour observer 
 Pennemi." 
 
M. Is AD A R. 
 
 215 
 
 In ths words of our neighbours, MM. Dagron and Nadar 
 deserved well of their country, and although their brother 
 citizens would wish to forget as speedily as possible those 
 anxious hours of misery and bloodshed brought so vividly home 
 to them, they still remember with gratitude the aid which these 
 gentlemen brought at a time of dire distress. It is an ill- wind 
 that blows no good, and among other lessons that the siege of 
 Paris taught was that a regular "poste aerienne" could be 
 established now-a-days by the aid of photography and balloons, 
 and that the latter, moreover, afforded an excellent means of 
 observation or reconnoitring for an army in the field. 
 
 Our host, the captain of the aerial scouts, in the red blouse in 
 which his stalwart figure is usually attired " at home," presents 
 a handsome figure enough ; M. Nadar is still in the prime of 
 life, his fair brown moustache and bright eyes conveying the 
 idea of strength and determination, while his broad shoulders 
 tell that he can both do and dare. His aerial photography 
 experiments, he tells us, have cost him 30,000 francs ; he con- 
 siders the problem, however, practically solved, and if his 
 balloon pictures are not perfect in every respect, they require 
 but little more attention to detail to render them so. But one 
 fine example, we may say at once, leaves little to be desired. 
 It is a picture to which the late Sir Charles "Wheatstone referred 
 us on one occasion, during a discussion upon aerial photography, 
 as the best result of its kind. Balloon photographs are very 
 rare, and, besides those of Nadar, we only know of one tolerable 
 success, namely, a picture of Boston, TJ.S. The pictures of 
 M. Nadar were secured upon three-inch plates with the briefest 
 of exposure, and have been enlarged to something like twenty 
 inches. The most successful of all, of which we have spoken, 
 was secured at a height of 320 metres. There is, of course, 
 something of a haze, due to the flood of light ; but we see the 
 main buildings of Paris and the heights around with map-like 
 distinctness. To the extreme right, is just a comer of the Arc 
 de Triomphe ; there are the Eglise E-usse and the Pare Monceaux, 
 with twenty spires and domes that a Parisian would recognize 
 and call by name. Great difficulty was experienced in over- 
 coming the gyrations of the balloon ; but, after all, it is rapidity of 
 exposure, according to M. Nadar, that is the key of the problem. 
 
 The Nadar establishment is a very extensive one. Passing 
 through the corridor you enter a fine square hall, which probably 
 
216 
 
 STUDIOS IN FRANCE. 
 
 measures forty feet each way. Here are pictures of Paris, under 
 the earth and over the earth, the former, representations of the 
 famous catacombs, secured by electric light. M. Kadar, junior, 
 was good enough to accompany us on a tour of inspection, and 
 chatted affably over prospects of photographers and their position. 
 The carte panneau — the panel portrait — was already in such 
 requisition at the Nadsr establishment that quite one-third of 
 the work done was in this form. Besides this new format, there 
 was the carte Naclar, a very large and handsome format, about 
 the size of two panel portraits placed side by side. The price 
 charged forpanel portraits was 120 francs the dozen, while asmuch 
 as 200 francs per dozen was asked for the carte ISadar. Thirty 
 francs, for which the sitter received fifteen cartes-de-visite, was 
 the lowest fee charged. 
 
 To ascend from the magnificent entrance hall a lift is pro- 
 vided, which takes the visitor to the dressing-rooms and studio. 
 The former are tastefully fitted up, and the studio is large and 
 lofty. So lofty, indeed, and so much light is there, that blue 
 curtains are stretched across at some distance from the roof to 
 lessen the illumination. These blue linen curtains arc strung on 
 wires, so as to be manipulated with case. There is very little 
 skirting-board or wainscoting, the side window coming down 
 very low. They like dark backgrounds at the Nadar establish- 
 ment (those we saw were all of a blackish drab), and, to prevent 
 the flooring being seen in a standing portrait, or the line of the 
 background where it touches the floor, sand is thickly strewn 
 about. The effect of the latter was remarkably good in the 
 panel portraits we saw. 
 
 M. JS T adar fils discussed with us at some length the difficulty 
 of securing talented assistants. It is not a question of money 
 at all, he assured us ; good competent photographers, who are 
 artists as well, could command high prices. The pay of assist- 
 ants du premier rang was 500 francs per month (£240 per 
 annum) ; but he knew a case — an isolated one, it is true — in 
 which mille francs, or double the above amount, was paid. In 
 the principal studios in Paris, Vienna, and Berlin there were 
 assistants of all nationalities. But while the Germans, some 
 time ago, by reason of their skill with the retouching pencil, 
 were to the fore, the Italians now seemed to be making way. 
 These rates, of course, only referred to first-class men 5 but they 
 were such as well-known studios paid. Unfortunately, the 
 
M. NADAR. 
 
 217 
 
 number of talented assistants available -was very small, for he 
 who secured a good man took care never to lose him again. A 
 percentage of the profits, or sometimes an offer of partnership, 
 was necessary to retain him. The studios of Yienna, Paris, 
 London, Berlin, &c, in the first rank were, after all, not very 
 numerous, and consequently you might tell the number of com- 
 petent assistants upon your fingers. 
 
 As to photographic apparatus, said M. Nadar fils, touching 
 upon another point, you have it all your own way in England. 
 U I am coming to London in a little while, and for no other 
 reason than to purchase instruments and apparatus. " "But 
 don't you find our apparatus rather more expensive than what 
 you buy on the Continent ? " we naturally asked. M. Kadar 
 did not think so. " Your work is so good that it always pays 
 to buy it." So our opticians and camera-makers need not 
 despair yet, and we hope sincerely that they may long continue 
 to enjoy the same reputation. That they have been in the van 
 for years past is well known. Ten years ago, when on a visit 
 to Lr. Yogel, in Berlin, we well remember the ecstatic delight 
 with which one of the worthy doctor's pupils spoke about the 
 new camera that was coming all the way from England. We 
 often think of him now, when we see the shining mahogany, and 
 its brass and ivory fittings, and wonder if our sanguine friend in 
 Germany was satisfied with the apparatus which gave him so 
 much anticipatory pleasure. 
 
 The Nadar establishment is singular for the fact that no cartes 
 emaillees issue from the premises, a style, as we have before 
 remarked, which is still exceedingly popular in Paris. Eor the 
 glaze and embossing, the public are quite willing to pay half 
 as much again, and thus both customer and photographer join 
 hands. But M. Nadar is evidently bent upon pushing the panel 
 picture instead, and, as the portraits of a large number of cele- 
 brities have recently been published in this form, it is daily 
 growing more and more popular. At the same time, 120 francs 
 is not an amount that all the world and his wife is ready to pay ; 
 although it always seems to us that a sum that visitors grudgingly 
 give at home is freely disbursed in the French capital. 
 
 Those who visit the Rue d'Anjou will say that M. Nadar has 
 given up the command of his war balloons to some purpose. He 
 seems to be quite as successful in his peaceful pursuits here, as 
 when scouting in the air with the Prussians, at the walls of 
 Paris — as good a man behind the camera as before the enemy. 
 
218 
 
 STUDIOS IN FRANCE. 
 
 M. LIEBERT IN THE RUE DE LONDRES. 
 
 Not very far from the Ouest railway station, with which 
 passengers coming from England by the Newhaven and Dieppe 
 route first become acquainted on their arrival in the French 
 capital, is the new studio of M. Liebert. The establishment is 
 noteworthy is this respect, that it has been built expressly for 
 photography, and with a view to meet the requirements of the 
 art and its votaries. For some reason, which we were not clever 
 enough to discover, M. Liebert calls his studio by the name of 
 4 1 Photographie Americaine," for whether it is like an American 
 photographic establishment or not, we are unable to say. It is 
 a lofty building in the Rue de Londres — M. Liebert has a 
 formidable rival near iu the person of M. AValery — and from 
 cellar to basement it is taken up with photographic requirements* 
 Downstairs, in the back portion of the house, the toning, fixing, 
 and washing of prints are carried on, operations that arc thus con- 
 ducted with little change of temperature ; while in front are 
 situated the engine and electric machine that supply M. Liebert 
 with illumination at night. The engine is one of the Otto gas 
 engines, which bid fair to supersede boiler and steam engine 
 altogether in cases where limited power only is required, and 
 this in a dwelling-house or populous locality. There is no need 
 to light a fire an hour previously, for the purpose of getting up 
 steam, nor of enlisting into your service a trained engineer 
 learned on the subject of pressure guages and boiler fluids. 
 "When you want to begin work, you simply turn on the gas, light 
 a single jet, give one of the wheels a swing round, and the 
 engine is started. The consumption of gas in an engine of about 
 one-horse power is said to be about threepence per hour. M.. 
 Liebert has a Granmie machine for grinding out his electricity, 
 and this is then conducted above to the first floor, where the 
 electric light studios are situated. 
 
 We now ascend to the ground floor. Here are the mounting 
 room — M. Liebert employs starch mixed with a little gelatine 
 for mounting — the lobby, and entrance hall. The visitor walks 
 upstairs to the first floor, the passage and staircase windows 
 tastefully set with photographic transparencies, produced upon 
 carbon tissue. We now reach the bureau, and right and left are 
 two handsome salons filled with pictures of every kind and des- 
 
M. LIEBERT. 
 
 2m 
 
 cription. M. Liebert, besides being an author of some note — 
 his u Photographie en Amerique " being a most trustworthy hand- 
 book — is a thoroughly business man, and marches with the times. 
 Portraits are taken day and night, and there is a wide choice 
 before the customer as to the mode of finishing. The other 
 evening, M. Maurel and a party of brother and sister artistes 
 visited the studio in costume after their performance at the Grand 
 Opera, to be pour tray ed by the electric light, and thus saved the 
 trouble of making a morning appointment. If ladies and gentle- 
 men tire of looking at pictures, there are other amusements open 
 to them in the establishment. M. Liebert provides a " Salle de 
 Billard" and a " Terrassc d'Agrernent" for the convenience of 
 his clients while waiting, and no doubt if they asked to be 
 accommodated with a croquet green, or with a lawn-tennis 
 ground, M. Liebert would have sufficient enterprize to provide 
 these too. Indeed, for a i i Photographie Americaine " to be with- 
 out an American bowling alley is already a glaring defect, we 
 beg to point out. Only, the great difficulty in providing 
 luxuries — as, no doubt, M. Liebert has found out by this time — 
 is to know where to stop ; however this may be, our host draws 
 a hard and fast line at billiards just now. 
 
 Enamelled portraits, or cartes emaillees, are here very much in 
 vogue, and so is the new panel portrait, a pair of which M. 
 Liebert presents us with, taken by electric light. He has two 
 electric-light studios leading out of the salons, the one for 
 vignettes, and the other for plain portraits. The reflector, 
 which is hoisted on high at one side of the sitter, is a huge basin 
 of white paper measuring three or four feet in diameter, the 
 electric light being thrown into this receptacle by a little saucer- 
 shaped reflector placed against the electric spark. The rays are 
 thus thrown into the interior of the large white reflector, to be 
 cast back again upon the sitter. M. Liebert can get a good panel 
 picture with the electric light in five seconds if he uses a gelatine 
 plate, but an exposure of not less than forty seconds is necessary 
 in the case of wet collodion. The pictures M. Liebert was good 
 enough to give us we have very carefully examined, and they are 
 certainly little inferior to results obtained by daylight. 
 
 Before proceeding upstairs, we secure a card of terms at the 
 bureau. The carte emaiilee is so much a matter of course here 
 that it occupies a very prominent position in the list of prices at 
 M. Liebert' s establishment. 
 
220 
 
 STUDIOS IN FRANCE. 
 
 Cartes, per dozen, 20 francs, or Enamelled, 35 francs. 
 Cabinets, ,, 40 ,, ,, 65 
 
 Cartes, per hund., 100 ,, 220 ,, 
 
 Cabinets, ,, 225 ,, 425 
 The panel portrait is charged at the rate of a hundred francs the 
 dozen, not enamelled. 
 
 It will be seen that a very considerable charge is made for 
 enamelling — we will describe M. Liebcrt's modus operandi 
 presently — and it is for this reason that the style of portrait is 
 humoured by Parisian photographers. " As an artist,' ' said M. 
 Liebert to us, very frankly, " L dislike them much ; as a man of 
 business, I regard them as a very good thing. The public are 
 enchanted with them ; they like the high glaze and finish, for it 
 flatters their vanity to make them appear like the superfine 
 pictures we see on bonbon boxes, and I am not the man to stand 
 in the way of my patrons." 
 
 There is little to remark in M. Liebert's studios ; he has two, 
 a large one fitted for the taking of ordinary portraits, and a smaller 
 one upon the roof, and, therefore, with plenty of light, for the 
 special treatment of children, and where shortness of exposure is 
 the main desideratum. It was very hot during our visit to the 
 studio, but, strange to say, in M. Liebert' s studio the tempera- 
 ture was comparatively cool. And for this reason ; by a clever 
 contrivance water was permitted to run down the roof and sides 
 of the studio, not in a torrent, but in a thin flowing and con- 
 tinuous stream, which had the effect of effectually cooling the 
 atmosphere within. A sound roof is obviously necessary if such 
 a system is made use of, but in the case of M. Liebert's studio 
 not a drop of moisture found its way between the panes. 
 
 M. Liebert believes in plenty of room in his dark laboratory ; 
 for it is without exception the largest apartment of the kind we 
 wot of, if we leave out of consideration the roomy laboratories of 
 the Autotype Company at Ealing. Only those who are cramped 
 all day long in close dark closets can appreciate to the full a 
 spacious dark room where the air is cool and there is plenty of 
 it. It opens, too, into the cooler part of the glass room, as should 
 be the case in well-constructed studios. Considering that assis- 
 tants have often to remain for hours together coating and deve- 
 loping plates in the dark room, it is surely a wonder that so 
 little attention is usually paid to its temperature and ventilation. 
 Since the production of glazed photographs, or cartes emaille'es, 
 
M. LIEBEKT. 
 
 221 
 
 still receives so much attention in Paris, we make no apology for 
 referring once more in these columns to their production. The 
 method of preparationrecommended by M. Liebert is as follows : — - 
 Some plates of glass (patent plate) are carefully cleaned ; they 
 are either rubbed with a little powdered talc, or with wax dis- 
 solved in ether; but, better still, the edges are straightway 
 covered with fresh albumen solution laid on with a brush. After 
 drying for a quarter of an hour or so, normal collodion is applied, 
 to which a f ew drops of hydrochloric acid have been added, the 
 acid, however, being only used when neither wax nor talc has 
 been applied to the glass. The plates thus coated are put care- 
 fully away to dry, while the prints are being prepared. 
 
 These prints are first dipped into warm gelatine. One hundred 
 grammes of good gelatine are soaked in a litre of cold water for 
 an hour, and then dissolved by the aid of a water-bath. The 
 solution is filtered warm through a piece of muslin into a vessel 
 standing on the water bath, and thus maintained at a warm tem- 
 perature, in which condition the gelatine must remain during the 
 whole process. A collodion plate is coated with some of this 
 gelatine, and then one of the prints, which have been dipped 
 into the warm solution also, is placed face downwards upon the 
 glass surface. (The carte or cabinet print, by the bye, should 
 have been trimmed first of all.) Then a sheet of cardboard, 
 previously dipped into warm water, is laid upon the print and 
 pressed down by means of a thin piece of waterproofing, which 
 has also been kept in warm, water. 
 
 A stout strip of glass, such as used for squaring, is now energeti- 
 cally drawn to and fro across, with its angle against the water- 
 proof, and in this way all air-bubbles are rapidly got rid of. The 
 waterproof, after this thorough manipulation, is removed, the 
 plate is put upon a stand, and allowed to dry in a highly heated 
 chamber. At the end of this rjeriod the print is cut round with 
 a sharp knife inside the border of albumen, and will then leave 
 the glass of itself. It may be embossed in a press, or finished in 
 its present condition. 
 
 Instead of thin cardboard, successive sheets of paper, all dipped 
 into the warm gelatine, may be laid upon the print to mount it, 
 a plan preferred by many. Finally, the cartes emaillees should 
 have a fly-sheet of tissue paper attached to them to protect the 
 surface as much as possible. 
 
222 
 
 STUDIOS IN FRANCE. 
 
 AT THE PEEFECTUEE DE LA POLICE IN PARIS. 
 
 A stone gateway, with a red flag drooping over it, is pointed 
 out to us as the Prefecture. The armed sentry in front asks no 
 questions, so we pass on under the arch into a cheerful court- 
 yard smoothly asphalted. AVe hear a long, official-looking 
 document hy way of introduction, and this we keep ready to 
 hand, lest some sudden attempt at arrest he made, hefore there 
 is time to show our credentials. Fortunately there is no fear of 
 this. A policeman in the courtyard bars the way for the first 
 time ; but he is anything but a dangerous character. He is dis- 
 posed to be argumentative, though, and in the end gets very 
 excited over the address on the letter. It is for the chief of the 
 Paris detective department, but, unfortunately, the name has 
 been written with a y instead of an e. "We point out that 
 probably this will make no difference — it is the same thing. 
 " But it is not the same thing," is the hot reply. " Cet y grec, 
 la, — what does it mean ? " As he taps at the ' ' y grec " excitedly, 
 we carefully look at it again, but can afford no .other explana- 
 tion. " Dites done, M'elle," says the policeman, turning to a 
 young lady who is quietly sewing at an open window in the 
 court-yard; "have the goodness to look at that letter." The 
 young lady reads the address, and thinks it is all right. 
 " Mais cet y grec," responds the guardian of the law, still 
 warmly. The young lady calmly thinks with us that it does 
 not matter much, and in these circumstances the policeman gives 
 the point up, and permits us to proceed. 
 
 Upstairs to the top of a lofty building and we enter an ante- 
 room, where several stern-faced men, clothed from top to toe in 
 sombre black, are sitting at a table. We perform our best bow, 
 and present our credentials. "No one makes an observation, but 
 we are carefully scanned, and then ushered into a salon, and 
 the handle turned upon us. 
 
 It is a salon comfortably furnished, the chairs and settees 
 uniformly covered in dull, green cloth. There are no nick-nacks 
 beyond a clock, which ticks solemnly. The walls are bare ; the 
 sideboard is bare ; but on the table are two solitary objects, an 
 inkstand and a little bowl of sand, for the instant drying up of 
 writing, so that you could be sent to the Bastile — if there were 
 one — on the spot. Time goes on, and we wait a good half hour 
 by the clock in the salon vert. We begin to wish we had read 
 
PREFECTURE DE LA POLICE. 
 
 223 
 
 that letter of introduction before we presented it. "Lock up 
 the bearer," or " The gentleman being rather inquisitive, keep 
 him for the morning and let him go," might have been inside. 
 We have plenty of time to think over the insanity of practical 
 jokes, and the silliness of some people who continually practise 
 them. 
 
 Presently the door is opened, and one of the solemn black 
 greffiers beckons us. "Without a word we follow him down one 
 passage and up another, until he throws open a door, and we are 
 in the presence of the chief of the Paris detective police. 
 
 A courteous gentleman, still young, with a smiling face and 
 friendly manner, wc find him, this head of the secret machinery 
 of the gay capital ; he is good enough to place himself entirely 
 at our disposal. "I will accompany you through our photo- 
 graphic establishment myself, and you shall see everything that 
 interests you." 
 
 He is as good as his word. He puts on his hat, and leaving 
 word with one of our former solemn gaolers that he is gone to 
 the photographic establishment, accompanies us down several 
 flights of steps. "We cross a yard, and perceive through an open 
 door the dark forms of policemen, ready armed and accoutred, 
 lying at full length over the floor in various attitudes. "La 
 poste," explains our friend — it is a force ready to turn out for 
 duty at any moment. We reach at length the basement of the 
 building. Here all is prepared for our reception; we had 
 evidently been kept waiting until the rooms were put into apple- 
 pie order. An officer of the rank of inspector of police, under 
 whose direct charge the rooms are placed, receives us, and in his 
 company we proceed to make the inspection. 
 
 This is the mounting and finishing room, and here are batches 
 of prints — carte size — ready for issue. Let us look at this double 
 row of portraits on the table, first of all ; they are copies, and 
 taken obviously from portraits more or less good. They are of 
 men, some of them old, and some very young, habited in ordinary 
 clress, and for the most part very untidy about the hair and 
 beard. There is not the trace of a razor among them. Hairy 
 individuals, who have an aversion to the barber, and whose 
 features would evidently be improved by the lavish application 
 of yellow soap, they are most of them the counterparts of whom 
 may be seen every day in the back streets of Soho. " Nihilists," 
 the chief briefly explains. 
 
224 
 
 STUDIOS IN FRANCE. 
 
 Affairs in Russia have made European Governments extra 
 cautious about the un soaped and unshaven of the community ; 
 and this collection is the result of extensive research by the 
 police of Paris. 
 
 "Enfants perdus," explains our friend a second time, for wc 
 have taken up some pictures of children who seem innocent 
 enough. These portraits are exceedingly useful in trying to find 
 out parents ; the police cany the pictures into any quarter in 
 which the children are likely to be known, and show them 
 about. Photography has been found a most efficient aid in 
 restoring children to their parents, or rather in discovering the 
 whereabouts of those who have deserted their offspring. 
 
 These pictures are scarcely so attractive. The dull look of 
 remorse borne by most of their sad, still faces is terrible ; they 
 are portraits taken at the Morgue, where all unknown dead 
 bodies found in Paris are carried. A large number of copies 
 are printed if foul play is presaged, but every unknown body is 
 thus recorded. 
 
 This heap of untrimmed and unmounted portraits of men and 
 Women represent the daily takings of the Paris police. They 
 will be mounted, sorted, and presently put upstairs in the 
 Record Office. They arc ordinary persons enough, the sitters, 
 of a low class most of them, but with nothing at all to show 
 they are criminals. As portraits they are admirable, however, 
 and we may at once say that the work at the Prefecture is simply 
 very good indeed. The manner of proceeding by the Paris police 
 is as follows : — Everyone charged with crime or misdemeanour 
 of a grave nature, who is brought to the Prefecture, is photo- 
 graphed forthwith. It does not matter whether in the end he is 
 proved innocent or guilty, he is taken to the studio, which is 
 situated in the same block of buildings as the court. As the 
 prisoner quits the court he is at once brought before the camera. 
 On an average, forty to fifty portraits a day are taken, and these 
 are forthwith printed ; some few may afterwards be cancelled, 
 where innocence is manifest ; but if there is the least suspicion, 
 the portrait is pigeon-holed ; it maybe difficult to take the like- 
 ness a second time. In this country, as most of our readers 
 know, it is not permitted to photograph an unconvicted person. 
 Gelatine, by the way, has not yet found its way to the Prefec- 
 ture ; as the portraits are only carte size, however, an exposure 
 of five or six seconds usually suffices. 
 
PREFECTURE DE LA POLICE. 
 
 225 
 
 The French criminal portraits are certainly more valuable than 
 our own. The men and women in Paris are pourtrayed as they 
 usually are in everyday attire, and with all their peculiar 
 personalities about them, as to manner of wearing hair, beard, 
 &c. Most of our portraits, on the other hand, depict the men 
 shaven and shorn, in the grey convict dress, and therefore as 
 they are never likely to be seen outside the prison walls. In 
 France the governors of prisons care little about the appearance 
 of their charges ; it rests with the detective and police depart- 
 ment to look after criminals at large, and these authorities, to 
 assist themselves, prefer to have portraits of the men and women 
 as the latter are seen every day in the streets. 
 
 We go upstairs into the Record Office. There are two huge 
 presses, containing in all the portraits of 40,000 bad characters. 
 In one press are portraits arranged according to names, in the 
 other according to crimes. In deep pigeon-holes fit long narrow 
 trays, full of cartes-de-visite. Each tray measures about two feet 
 in length, and when slipped into the pigeon-hole, it shows on its 
 outward face certain letters of the alphabet. The first is marked 
 A — A M, and it contains portraits of criminals whose names 
 begin with these initials. The cartes are loose in the long box, 
 but all in order, so that a man or woman may be picked out at 
 once. Here, in the other press, the pigeon-holes are divided into 
 groups, over each being the nature of crime, such as assasinat, vol, 
 expulses, moeurs, &c. The chief, at random, takes down a long 
 box of the expulses, or banished ones, and looks them through. 
 We divine what he is doing. Out of compliment to ourselves he 
 is trying to find an Englishman among them, but his search is 
 in vain. Italians turn up without number, and Austrians and 
 Eussians, but no English. We suggest that the search is 
 impossible — there are no bad Englishmen. "Attendez," says 
 the inspector, and he goes to work at another box. Eut chef and 
 sous-chef are equally unfortunate, and in a few minutes laughingly 
 give up the job. The name and other particulars are scratched 
 on the negative, so that they print in black upon the portrait, 
 and are quite inseparable. This is a neater and better plan, 
 we think, than chalking the particulars on a black-board and 
 photographing the latter with the convict, the plan adopted in 
 Great Britain. 
 
 Another feature in the photographic establishment is the 
 enlarging of handwriting, to establish, if possible, identity of 
 
226 
 
 STUDIOS IN FRANCE. 
 
 character between an acknowledged hand and that upon a spurious 
 document. Here is a name written across a receipt-stamp 
 enlarged ten or twelve times ; there is no difficulty about examin- 
 ing the giant up and down strokes in every particular. If any 
 writing is characteristic of a man, the character comes out in a 
 marked manner as soon as enlargement takes place. Any slight 
 spluttering of the pen in making an upstroke, or any particular 
 flourish or defect about certain letters, is at once detected. On 
 the walls of the Record Office are many examples of enlarged 
 handwriting, which have served to discover forgery, and of 
 which the police-photographers are very proud ; they attach, 
 indeed, exceeding importance to this feature of photographic 
 detection. 
 
 The printing room and the washing room offer little of 
 importance ; they are well arranged, exceedingly clean, and 
 judiciously appointed. But before taking our departure, the 
 chief invites our attention to the photographic carriage, which is 
 a valuable item of the establishment. It is a fine vehicle, 
 painted black within and without, about the size of an ordinary 
 police van. It is fitted as a dark laboratory, with sinks, shelves, 
 handy seats, and all conveniences. In cases of fire, murder, and 
 serious crimes, a view is taken of the scene or surroundings, and 
 if a body is found under suspicious circumstances, a photograph 
 is taken on the spot, if possible, before the body is tampered with. 
 It is to perform duties of this description that the van is made 
 use of ; and such importance does the Prefecture attach to 
 photographs secured on the spot, that it did not hesitate to spend 
 a sum of 7,000 francs on the vehicle. On the whole, the police 
 photographic establishment in Paris is most complete ; and it is 
 not only a model establishment, but one that has not its counter- 
 part in any other country. 
 
STUDIOS IN PRUSSIA. 
 
 HERR J. C. SCHAARWACHTER IN THE FRIEDRICHS- 
 STRASSE, BERLIN. 
 
 A neat little office, with counter and show-cases around the room, 
 forms the ante-chamber of Herr Schaarwachter' s studio. Herr 
 Schaarwachter enjoys a high reputation as a portraitist — perhaps 
 the highest in Berlin. His work, whether it is a soft vignette, 
 or a deep and vigorously-printed study, betokens the care and 
 assiduity of a man who loves his calling, and strives his every 
 nerve for success. Like Luckardt, "Herr Schaarwachter poses 
 every model himself, and employs plate after plate on a difficult 
 subject until the sun declines, and the model grows aweary. 
 The photographer himself, however, seems never to tire ; the 
 interest he takes in his work keeps up his unflagging spirit. 
 Herr Schaarwachter' s hour for ending his labours in the glass- 
 room is two o'clock ; but it was five ere he regretfully gave back 
 his sitter — a tiny, blonde-haired English Miss, of four or five — 
 into the charge of her parents. 
 
 Before we leave the office, there is one practical feature about 
 it that may be recorded, since it demonstrates what may be done 
 in a small space towards the exhibition of pictures. There is 
 against one of the walls a cabinet, on the inside of which are 
 attached photographs of various kinds. The inside wall, you 
 see, is not, however, the actual back of the cabinet, for you may 
 seize and open it (it is on hinges), and behind is displayed 
 another show of pictures. This second back opens in like 
 manner, and displays a third and fourth, so that the cabinet 
 holds a large collection which, while readily displayed, are within 
 a very small compass. But the best of the arrangement is its 
 exceeding simplicity. The false backs, or walls, that open one after 
 another, are all on the same hinge, or, rather, turn on the same 
 pivot. As shown in our sketch, it is only necessary to lengthen 
 the arm of every successive hinge, in order to make one back 
 fold over the other. Thus the outer back or flap of the cabinet, 
 which folds over all the rest, is made fast to hinge a, while the 
 next in order is fixed to b, until we come to the inside flap of 
 
228 
 
 STUDIOS IN PRUSSIA. 
 
 all, which is carried by hinge e. "With this economical means 
 of exhibiting pictures, the customer need go no further than the 
 little counting-house to select the kind of portrait he desires. 
 
 A handsome salon, the furniture covered with green velvet, 
 serves as waiting-room ; but there are few portraits to be seen 
 here, as the visitor is supposed to have made his selection ere he 
 penetrates thus far. 
 
 In the glass-room there are several points to note. In the 
 first place, Herr Schaarwachter has no lines or cords for the 
 moving of his blinds or curtains. These, of blue linen, hanginvery 
 loose festoons from the roof . Brass wires run the whole length 
 of the glass roof ; they are parallel, and, perhaps, two feet apart. 
 They are kept taut — this is very necessary — in the same way, 
 pretty well, as our wire fencing ; that is, each end of wire passes 
 over a roller (a), and then round a wheel furnished with a cog 
 
 (i). On the face of the cog-wheel are two holes (c) into which 
 a key or winch fits, for the purpose of keeping the wire taut. 
 The arrangement can easily be understood from our cut (fig. 2). 
 It is necessary that brass wire be employed, and not iron, for 
 
 Fig. i. 
 
 Fig. 2. 
 
HERR J. a SCHAARWACHTER. 
 
 229 
 
 the latter rusts, and then loses its smoothness ; and unless the 
 wires are smooth, the curtain rings will not run upon them with 
 ease and facility, for, as we have said, the curtains are quite 
 loose and baggy. Here is a transverse section of the roof (fig. 3), 
 
 Mg. 3. 
 
 showing how the wires are fitted, and how the curtains are 
 arranged, a, a, a, a, are sections of wires, and 5, b, b, the 
 curtains, which are so hung as to overlap one another. Herr 
 Schaarwachter simply uses a light bamboo pole to manipulate 
 his curtains. He pushes the curtains away at this part of the 
 roof, or makes them cover that part. The rings on the stretched 
 brass wire move with exceeding facility, and a more simple plan 
 of manipulating curtains to effect light and shade cannot be 
 conceived. " One of its advantages is that it never gets out of 
 order,' ' says Herr Schaarwachter, moving the blinds backwards 
 and forwards with his pole, to show how easily they work. 
 
 The backgrounds, of which half-a-dozen hang one behind 
 another, are drawn out for use with the same ease. The bottom 
 of the background does not touch the floor, for the screen is 
 suspended from above ; the top is attached to two reels, which 
 run upon a stout wire, and may thus be brought out at the back 
 of the sitter, or pushed in again, with a motion of the hand (see 
 fig. 4). A light and narrow skirting board is put down to cover 
 the small space between floor and background, or, if it is an out- 
 door scene, the join is covered by a fringe of grass, or something 
 of the sort, attached to a suitable foreground. The stretched 
 backgrounds move out and in so easily, that it is no trouble at 
 all to change them. Most of the backgrounds are Scavey's, but 
 one of home manufacture, representing a piece of faded tapestry, 
 is marvellously good. Its subject was not only in keeping with 
 
230 
 
 STUDIOS IN PRUSSIA. 
 
 many portraits we saw, but its faded, neutral aspect afforded a 
 striking contrast to the vigour and modelling of the sitter. The 
 studio is protected from direct sunlight on the outside by an 
 upright canvas screen about ten feet high. "But I always 
 remove it in the winter time/ ' says Herr Schaarwachter. 
 
 Fig. 4. 
 
 "We walk into the laboratory. During the past winter Herr 
 Schaarwachter employed nothing but gelatine plates with oxalate 
 development ; but for summer work he still prefers wet collodion, 
 except for children. Here is an assistant washing plates and 
 albumenizing them ; each sheet of glass is held under the tap, 
 rubbed rapidly with a rag, rinsed again, and then albumenized, 
 the solution being poured first upon one angle of the plate and 
 drained, and then applied a second time from the opposite angle. 
 Two whites of eggs beaten up and mixed with 8 lb. of water, 
 to which a few drops of ammonia are added, serves for the pre- 
 liminary coating of the plates. 
 
 "But I do not give up gelatine plates altogether in summer," 
 says Herr Schaarwachter, leading us into his enlarging-room. 
 "All my diapositives are made with gelatino-bromide. A collo- 
 dion positive is not only not so delicate, but it frequently exhibits 
 a halo round the blacks, which gelatine never shows. Moreover, 
 as enlargements all tend to hardness, while gelatine invariably 
 tends to softness, the latter is a good counterpoise." 
 
 Herr Schaarwachter, however, although he produces small 
 diapositives, does not make them in the ordinary way by placing 
 negative and gelatine plate in contact in a printing-frame. He 
 thinks you cannot control the exposure so well. He prefers 
 
HERR J. C. SCHAARWACHTER. 
 
 231 
 
 making his transparency with the gelatine plate in a camera in 
 the same way as the enlargement is afterwards made, giving a 
 tolerably long exposure, and having recourse to leisurely develop- 
 ment. A more satisfactory transparency is thus secured, he 
 contends, for enlarging purposes, where it is very important 
 that the utmost uniformity should exist. Herr Schaarwachter 
 employs an enlarging apartment very similar to that we have 
 described at Messrs. Window and Grove, and elsewhere. He is 
 wise enough also to use a horizontal bath, swinging on a pivot, 
 for sensitizing plates, which permits of the draining of the plate 
 so thoroughly ; indeed, on the score of economy, little waste of 
 solution, and cleanliness, this (so-called) Burton bath is 
 exceedingly effective. 
 
 The printing-room is an apartment fitted on one side with 
 glass, towards which the printing-frames are turned. The 
 frames are in tiers upon tall sloping stands, that much resemble 
 flower-stands. The glass is not shaded, but, in case the light is 
 too strong, the stands are simply moved back — they are on a sort 
 of tramway- — two or three feet, according to the judgment of 
 the printer. The printing is said to proceed more rapidly than 
 when a screen of tissue paper or dull glass is employed. 
 
 Herr Schaarwachter packs every negative in paper, putting 
 half a hundred together in one pigeon-hole. Each negative is 
 simply numbered consecutively, and a ledger describes them. If 
 a negative is too large for the pigeon-hole, the searcher for it 
 finds a piece of cardboard in place of the plate, and this cardboard 
 tells the locality of the particular cliche. a I shall never throw 
 away any of my negatives. I was thinking only the other day 
 of clearing out the bottom row of old cliches, when I received 
 an order for forty thalers(£6) from two or three of the portraits. 
 As that sum represents a hundredweight or so of glass, I can 
 look upon this old part of my stock as paid for." 
 
 Herr Schaarwachter had but just returned from a holiday on 
 the shores of the North Sea, and he was good enough to show 
 us a practical little outfit, made by a well-known hand (Stege- 
 mann, of Berlin), that had served him to bring back some 
 reminiscences of his stay. To a spirit level upon his tourist 
 camera he attached considerable importance, for he found it one 
 of the readiest means of levelling his camera, a point of some 
 importance with tourists, whose small pictures have sometimes 
 to be trimmed rather considerably to make them square. A 
 
232 
 
 STUDIOS IN PRUSSIA. 
 
 changing-box by Stegemaim, to hold a dozen plates, Herr 
 Schaarwiichter also pronounced to be very practical. 
 
 Just now Herr Schaarwiichter is making a speciality of the 
 Boudoir portrait ; a single example of this is delivered to the 
 customer for fifteen marks or fifteen shillings. If he desires 
 more afterwards, he may have a dozen for eighty marks. 
 
 HERR TH. PRUMM, UNTER DEN LINDEN, BERLIN. 
 
 Unter den Linden ! We have a grievance, and Ave mean to set 
 it down here. It concerns the Linden or Limctrec Avenue that 
 give their name to the most famous thoroughfare in Berlin — nay, 
 in the whole Fatherland. Ten years ago we paced the flags of 
 the capital under the same sense of injury, and to-day the trees 
 appear even smaller and slighter than they did then. Only 
 fancy a wizen plantation of pigmy trees with stems that you 
 might clasp almost with your hands, and not an offshoot that is 
 worthy of the name branch, after you have been dreaming of a 
 mighty avenue with shadowy over-spreading foliage, lofty tops 
 reaching to the sky, and massive translucent greenery redolent 
 with the sweet perfume of the lime blossom ! All this and more 
 does the name " Unter den Linden " call up in the traveller's 
 mind ; he fancies himself walking under shadow of big green 
 boughs where the glaring sun and blinding white dust cannot 
 reach him, where comfortable seats offer cool repose, and where 
 he may find a soothing retreat after the busy turbulent streets 
 of the metropolis. Yisions of lofty limes he has seen elsewhere 
 haunt his memory, and he hopes for something that shall com- 
 bine the sylvan attractions of Hyde Park with the brightness 
 and sparkle of the Boulevart des Italiens. Alas ! when he looks 
 upon the reality, he finds that the only thing romantic about 
 Unter den Linden is its name, and that the gieen glades and 
 arcadian paradise exist only in his imagination. 
 
 "We must, however, be fair in our criticism. Having now 
 aired our grievance, it behoves us to admit that it is the name, 
 and the name only, that causes disappointment. Unter den 
 Lirden, from the famous Brandenburger Thor to the Palace of 
 the Emperor, is a magnificent thoroughfare, and well worthy 
 of its capital. There are fine public buildings and bright shops 
 
HERR TH. PRUMM. 
 
 233 
 
 throughout its entire length, and as a fashionable promenade it 
 takes rank with the chosen spots of Paris and London which we 
 have just named. In one of the best positions in Unter den 
 Xinden we find Herr Priimm's studio, and as it is one of the 
 two leading establishments we have selected to visit, in order to 
 give our readers an insight into the studios of Berlin, we make our 
 call, and are fortunate enough to find the principal " at home." 
 
 In Berlin, the high class studios differ slightly from those 
 elsewhere. There is no reception room, in the way in which we 
 usually understand the word. There is rather a counting-house, 
 fitted with elegance and taste, and one or more waiting rooms, 
 also well-appointed, but notjmaking the same display of speci- 
 mens as is usual with us. The difference is very slight, but 
 still there is the difference ; the customer usually comes to some 
 understanding in the ante-room, or comptoir, as to the nature of 
 his wants before entering the waiting room. 
 
 Below, and also on entering the studio, a printed notice 
 informs visitors that the studio is open from nine to six, and from 
 nine to two for taking of portraits. The same arrangement — not 
 to take portraits after two — we noticed in other establishments ; 
 and although the photographer has at times to go beyond the rule, 
 the regulation is a very good one for two reasons ; in the first 
 place, work is not carried on after the best of the light has gone ; 
 and secondly, the photographer is released after a sufficient 
 spell of labour. The public, too, are taught to come betimes, 
 and thus a good deal of hurry and haste is avoided. 
 
 To Herr Priimm we have much to be thankful for. It seems to 
 strike very few, that journalists are sometimes busy men, and that 
 their time is valuable. In our own case, and especially when we 
 have travelled some hundreds of miles to pay a visit (t at home," 
 there is often but a certain narrow and fixed limit of time in 
 which to make a call ; and yet our friends apparently conceive 
 a notion, at times, that we are going to settle down among them, 
 and that whether we delay our visit till next day or the day 
 ; after, is immaterial. Herr Priimm was very good in this respect. 
 He bade us welcome at once ; he was actually guilty of keeping 
 a sitter waiting some minutes in order that his reception might 
 not seem to lack warmth, and for this attention, as well as for 
 his generous hospitality, we cannot enough thank him. Our 
 only hope is that in comparing notes in the theory and practice 
 of photography he may have benefitted in some slight degree by 
 
234 
 
 STUDIOS IN PRUSSIA. 
 
 our conversation, as we believe our readers will benefit by our 
 brief description of his compact and elegant little studio. 
 
 Herr Prumm's bargain with the public is, that they pay half 
 the amount only of the order at the time it is booked, and this- 
 condition is posted up in plain characters in the studio. It is 
 the best arrangement that could well be devised. No doubt to 
 pay the whole amount is wise under some circumstances, but it 
 not unfrequently happens that the sitter would give a bigger 
 order if it were not for the fact that he hesitates to disburse a 
 large amount at the outset. Moreover, the half is a fairer 
 transaction towards the public. In any case, Herr Priimm has 
 found out the advantage of such payments, and he proposes to 
 keep to it. His customers are numerous, and of the highest 
 class, and there is, perhaps, no photographer who is so successful 
 in producing vignetted baby portraits as our kindly host in 
 Berlin. The poses of the little sitters are quite humorous from 
 their sprightly and natural character, while the soft style of the 
 negative and of the print are thoroughly in keeping with the 
 subject. 
 
 "While speaking of the sketchy harmonious character of Herr 
 Prumm's vignettes, we may mention how they are printed. 
 " You will see how fast it goes, if you will come out upon 
 the roof," says Herr Priimm, " and we follow him. The printing 
 is not done under glass, but the frames are simply laid upon 
 upright stands, which are not placed in the shadow, but merely 
 turned away from the sunlight. There is not that loss of power 
 which is sometimes very great under a roof or in a sheltered 
 recess, and the consequence is that a dozen prints may be pro- 
 duced on a bright day. Most of the delicate vignettes have a 
 piece of fine tissue paper laid over the frame, and during the 
 printing the frame is occasionally reversed, but otherwise no 
 particular care is taken. " I have tried many ways of printing, 
 but have always come back to this simple plan. Once, at the 
 suggestion of a friend, I had a series of planks nailed to the 
 printing stand, so as to form recesses for the frames, and only 
 allow parallel rays to strike them ; but the result was to produce 
 very hard negatives," says our host. In Herr Priimm's establish- 
 ment — as, in fact, throughout Germany — lavish use is made 
 of carmine, with which to cover the weak parts of a negative ; 
 the red solution is simply applied in patches on the back of the 
 negative, and thus modifies the action of the light. 
 
HERR TH. PRUMM, 
 
 235 
 
 There is not a single painted background in Herr PriinimV 
 studio. Indeed, there was only one practical background of 
 any sort that we saw, this being apparently a solid screen on 
 castors, one side of grey cloth stretched flat, and the other side 
 shaped convex, or alcove form, which would naturally give a 
 darker ground. We say the screen was solid, because it seemed 
 so ; but when we touched it, it was so light and mobile, as to be 
 easily moved with one hand. But in his pictures, Herr Priimm 
 usually employs the end studio wall as background ; he uses, 
 in a word, a real wall, properly decorated, of course, together 
 with ordinary chairs, tables, and other furniture. In effect,. 
 Herr Priimm neither makes use of background nor accessories 
 in the ordinary acceptation of the term, but photographs his 
 sitter as if the latter were in an ordinary room among ordinary 
 furniture. 
 
 The curtaining of the studio requires no remark, nor the 
 mode of lighting. On the walls are some attractive pictures, 
 one of them a humorous sketch by HansHartmann — of the well- 
 known firm of Loescher and Petsch — who has done his best to- 
 put sitters in a good temper by depicting an improvised studio 
 in the backwoods among the Indians, "Where tatooing is the 
 custom and scalping of every-day occurrence, one naturally 
 expects apparatus to be a little rough, and we are not surprised,, 
 therefore, to see an ochred visaged model, standing against a 
 tree, whose head is kept firm to the stem by the aid of a long 
 corkscrew, which, after piercing the wood, is made to enter the 
 Chickaehaw's cranium. With such an awful example before 
 them, sitters in Herr Priimm's studio are not likely to cry out 
 against the European head-rest, which, by good fortune, has 
 fallen to their lot, instead of the primitive apparatus of the 
 prairies. 
 
 A simple head-screen deserves mention. It is merely (see fig., 
 p. 236) around diaphram, about two feet in diameter, of violet 
 gauze, which casts a shadow about the head of the sitter with- 
 out cutting off much light. The screen does not darken the tint 
 of the hair, while it casts sufficient shade over the parting or 
 premature baldness to prevent these being exaggerated in the 
 photograph. The screen stands scarcely six feet high. 
 
 "This series of prints on the wall are all taken on gelatine 
 plates," says Herr Priimm, pointing to a fine collection of 
 brilliant cabinet pictures. We ask our host if he still uses 
 
236 
 
 STUDIOS IN PRUSSIA. 
 
 emulsion. " I employed nothing else for five months during 
 the last autumn and winter, and would have been glad enough 
 to continue. But there were two reasons against it ; in the 
 first place, I could not get uniform films, not so much as regards 
 
 sensitiveness, as in respect to thickness. I was plagued with a 
 lot of thin films, and in these I found the bromide was generally 
 thrown down in tiny black spots, as when an old silver bath is 
 used in the wet process. In the second place, I find my wet 
 plates work fast enough in summer, and I have no occasion for 
 more rapid exposures.' ' Herr Priimm employed oxalate deve- 
 lopment throughout, and was good enough to show us some 
 plates taken on a summer tour in Switzerland and on the Stelvio 
 Pass, whence he has just returned. 
 
 To the matter of washing, Herr Priimm devotes considerable 
 care. He makes it an invariable rule that each print shall be 
 taken up separately by the assistant and washed by hand in 
 eight changes of water, after which the picture is thrown with 
 others in running water for the night. In the morning the 
 prints are again separated, and rinsed one by one by hand. 
 " Those prints of mine in the show-case have now been there two 
 or three years exposed to all sorts of weather ; they have never 
 once been tampered with, and yet there is not a trace of yellow- 
 ness to be found." 
 
 At Herr Priimm's establishment the charge for a dozen cartes 
 is fifteen marks or shillings, while half-a-dozen cabinets are 
 charged the same, and these prices may be regarded as those of 
 all first-class studios in Berlin. 
 
STUDIOS IN AUSTRIA. 
 
 
 
 FKITZ LUCKAKDT AT THE HOTEL NATIONAL IN 
 VIENNA, 
 
 u Under no circumstances whatever can portraits of little chil^ 
 dren be taken ! " So reads a significant notice in the reception- 
 room, which makes many a visitor stare ; it is one of the first 
 subjects, too, on which we speak, when Herr Luckardt kindly 
 bids us welcome. " You see, I am not a baby's photographer, 7 r 
 says our smiling host. " It requires a good deal of natural tact 
 to deal with children, and I frankly confess I have not the proper 
 attributes. The children's photographer must possess an even 
 temperament and a contented mind ; nor must he be put out if 
 the child gets eight toes to its feet instead of five." 
 
 If we were asked with whom of all our English photographers 
 we should compare Herr Fritz Luckardt, our answer at once 
 would be, Mr. II. P. Bobinson, of Tunbridge "Wells. There is a 
 spirit of independence, and a straightforward way of speaking 
 and acting, very characteristic in both gentlemen. "We spoke of 
 Herr Luckardt to several friends in Vienna and Berlin, and the 
 comment invariably was, "Ah ! when I have such a good name, 
 and so firmly established a reputation, as Herr Fritz Luckardt, 
 then will I, too, be independent." But there is something more 
 than independence that makes up our friend's character ; it is the 
 independence of a thorough artist, the strong will of a man who 
 knows that he is right, the firm assertion of a master who is 
 confident of his power. At the same time, there never was one 
 more cognisant of his weakness, and the shortcomings of his art. 
 He knows when success will reward him, and when his labours, 
 try as he will, must necessarily fail. The perfect rendering of 
 drapery in Fritz Luckardt' s studio is proverbial ; the delicate 
 folds of robe or mantle, right to the very margin of the plate, the 
 exquisite shades that play upon the fabric, the fineness of detail, 
 while yet softness and harmony prevail, are all subjects for 
 wonder ; and yet Herr Luckardt never dictates as to the tint or 
 style of his sitters' dresses. " I take my sitters as they come. 
 If they consult me as to dress, I tell them to wear what they 
 like best." 
 
238 
 
 STUDIOS IN AUSTRIA. 
 
 "With all our host's success in portraiture, he is not always 
 contented. " Sometimes a lady appears in the studio, and, before 
 I have well time to say good morning, she begins with, "Oh! 
 Herr Luckardt, I have been taken by Sehulze, and Schmidt, and 
 Miiller several times ; and now I come to you to give me a 
 proper picture." Well, if I am in a good humour, I say, a I will 
 do what I can, madam, of course ; but it seems to me, if all these 
 gentlemen have tried their best and failed, that the fault is not 
 theirs, but your own." 
 
 Herr Luckardt' s studio is a low-roofed one. It strikes the 
 Tisitor at once as a broad and shallow apartment. On the light 
 side there is a three-feet skirting-board ; then, perhaps, seven 
 feet of glass. The glass roof slopes but slightly, and, as its 
 width is probably eighteen feet, the glass room naturally strikes 
 one as being very low indeed. The entire length of the studio 
 is about twenty-seven feet, of which seventeen is glass. This 
 glass portion of the roof is surmounted along the edge (outside 
 the studio, of course) by an upright metal screen, six feet high, 
 which serves the excellent purpose of keeping the direct rays of 
 the sun from entering through the roof (fig. 1). 
 
 This sun-screen permits the photographer to work with but 
 few curtains, and to employ top-light without fear of the sun. 
 Indeed, in Herr Luckardt' s studio, most of the work is done by 
 light that comes through the roof. There are curtains every- 
 where ; but use is rarely made of them, the metal shield answers 
 its purpose so well. 11 Employ as few screens as possible," says 
 our host ; and there is no need for them, since the light is not 
 direct. So little account does Herr Luckardt take of his side- 
 light, that the panes are, many of them, covered with dark 
 
 Fig. l. 
 
FRITZ LUCKHAEDT. 
 
 239 
 
 calico, while others are screened with, transparent tracing-cloth. 
 The tracing-cloth is below, and the more opaque calico above, so 
 that a low shadow may be cast if necessary. 
 
 " I put my model here," says Herr Luckardt, placing a chair 
 not more than six feet from the light side of the studio. 1 1 Then, 
 as a rule, I move my camera a little to this side or that, until the 
 lighting and pose appear most favourable. It is so much easier 
 to move the camera than the sitter." To secure light or shadow 
 about the dress of the model, a movable screen but five feet high 
 is employed, fitted with both light and dark fabric, like dark and 
 light blinds that are made to pull up and down. You may pull 
 the dark blind down over the light one, and so have a dark 
 screen ; or you may have only a light one to reflect the lower 
 part of the dress ; or, again, you may have the screen parti- 
 coloured — the lower part light and the higher part dark, or 
 vice versa, A method of constructing such a screen will suggest 
 itself to most people, and its value is evidenced by the exquisite 
 lights and shadows to be seen in the drapery of Fritz Luckardt' s 
 models. 
 
 The shadow side of the studio is too far away from camera and 
 sitter to exert any great influence, and is covered with paintings 
 and works of art likely to interest the sitter. Herr Luckardt 
 has also a good method of attracting the sitter's attention during 
 exposure, consisting of a little clock-work apparatus, with a 
 carte-de-visite opening. The sitter looks at the opening, and is 
 interested to see portrait after portrait come into view (" they 
 are all of Vienna celebrities/ ' says Herr Luckardt) ; in this way 
 an animated expression is secured, without any strain upon the 
 sitter. There is so much light in his low-roofed studio, and so 
 little of it is cut off by curtains (thanks to the sun-screen outside), 
 that exposures are comparatively quick, and Herr Luckardt has 
 found no use for gelatine plates. " I always take plenty of time 
 over each sitter, you know ; although one of these days my mode 
 of working may alter," observes our host, laughing, " and I shall 
 have to take portraits at express speed ; gelatine plates will then 
 be very handy. My assistant will cry out sharply over the 
 bannister, « No. 45 now sitting ; please send up Nos. 46 and 
 47."' 
 
 Herr Luckardt not only poses and arranges every sitter, but 
 does much of the technical work besides. More than this ; what 
 he himself cannot do, he does not leave in unskilled hands. His 
 
240 
 
 STUDIOS IN AUSTRIA. 
 
 chief assistant is, perhaps, only second to himself in ability and 
 artistic capacity, and it says something for Herr Luckardt, as a 
 principal, that his first lieutenant has remained with him for 
 many years. Talented assistants are not so rife that one can 
 afford to part with them, and Herr Luckardt is evidently wise 
 enough to know when he is well served. Only silver printing 
 is resorted to in the Luckardt establishment ; indeed, carbon 
 printing, if not unknown, seems to have scarcely a disciple in 
 Vienna. 
 
 Herr Luckardt is very complimentary towards English sitters. 
 They are of a quieter disposition, he says, and are more obedient 
 and plastic. 4 ' Unfortunately, in your English faces, the front 
 teeth arc apt to be prominent, and one has sometimes to choose 
 between an animated face, with the mouth open, and a glum 
 expression, in which the teeth are not shown. Directly I ask 
 my English sitter to close his lips, his brightness vanishes." 
 Many of our readers will be able to bear out what Herr Luckardt 
 says, but it is only, of course, when the British face is contrasted 
 with those of other nationalities that the character is most 
 apparent. 
 
 Herr Luckardt has something to say about the glazing of 
 studios, and hopes that a plan he has advocated for some time 
 past may ere long be universally adopted. The inconvenience of 
 a leaky glass roof is too well known to require that any stress 
 be laid upon it, and it is Herr Luckardt' s opinion that if glass 
 plates were only made of rhomboid form, and so laid one over 
 another towards the top of the roof, there would be no longer 
 any complaint of leakage from rain. But it is not only necessary 
 that the glass panes for the roof, fig. 1, should be rhomboid in 
 
 • 
 
 Fig. 2. 
 
 shape — that is to say, not rectangular — but it is also requisite 
 that they be placed not hori%ontally. Therefore, ^it is necessary 
 
FRITZ LUCKHARDT. 
 
 241 
 
 that the iron rods upon which they are made fast should be cast 
 or rolled in such a way that the pane of glass rests a little higher 
 on one side than the other ; the drops of moisture or rain will 
 then, as they collect, run down from one edge to the other. At 
 present, the usual plan is to place the panes of glass (c) as in 
 fig. 3, in a horizontal position, and the iron rods (a a) also on a 
 
 tig. 3. 
 
 level, while the fastenings (J J) are likewise the same one side 
 as the other. witim* 
 If, however, Herr Luckardt says, the arrangement was that 
 shown in fig. 4, then the rain drops would be carried off from 
 
 Fig. 4. 
 
 one pane to the other by the point d. The rain as it collected 
 
 would pour from d into the channels, which might easily be cast 
 
 upon the iron rods at the time these are made. 
 
 The varnish Herr Luckardt employs for retouching is a little 
 
 different to that generally employed, and is compounded of the 
 
 following ingredients, viz. — 
 
 Alcohol 300 parts 
 
 Sandarac 50 ,, 
 
 Camphor 5 ,, 
 
 Castor oil 10 ., 
 
 Venetian turpentine « 5 ,, 
 
242 
 
 STUDIOS IN AUSTRIA. 
 
 DR. J. M. EDER AT THE IMPERIAL TECHNICAL 
 ACADEMY IN VIENNA. 
 
 A massive, square-built pile is the Technical Academy. It is a 
 btone building, erected at the beginning of the present century, 
 and situated in the city itself. There is a statue of Ressel in 
 front, the discoverer of the screw steam-ship, according to 
 Austrian authorities ; but there is no pretension to ornament 
 outside or in. The only sense, as you enter, is that of bewilder- 
 ment, standing in the wide vestibule, and gazing at the multitude 
 of doors that lead to innumerable class-rooms. Nobody heeds 
 you ; all who like, apparently, are welcome to come in, and, so 
 we afterwards learn, there is actually no fee demanded from 
 those who desire to attend Dr. Eder's lectures on photographic 
 chemistry. We enlist the services of a guide, and pass from one 
 cold passage to another ; presently the pungent odour of chemicals 
 is wafted on the air, and in another moment we enter Dr. Eder's 
 laboratory. 
 
 We take his portrait as best we can without camera and 
 gelatine plates. A tall, sprightly figure, sparely built ; he wears 
 a slight beard and moustache, quite black, and has dark piercing 
 eyes, that glitter the more, possibly, because of his spectacles. 
 Still young, he has the exuberance of a boy, and the elan 
 of a Parisian student. His exhaustive researches, instead of 
 telling on his nature, appear only to have increased his thirst for 
 investigation, and before a quarter-of-an-hour has elapsed, we 
 have rapidly reviewed the most prominent problems of the day, 
 not forgetting the gelatino-chloride process, which has of late 
 taken up so much of his time, and that of his brother-in-law, 
 Captain Pizzighelli. 
 
 We ask about bis present work ; if he is busy just now ? Our 
 friend shrugs his shoulders, and glances round the laboratory. 
 Then he looks at us with his arms akimbo, and laughs. There 
 are some half-a-dozen experiments going on in the laboratory at 
 this moment, touching oxalate development, consistency of gela- 
 tine, and the treatment of gelatino-chloride. 
 
 " These experiments here," says Dr. Eder, " have reference 
 to the double salt formed by iodide of mercury and hyposulphite 
 of soda, as it occurs in Edwards' intensifier. It is a new double 
 *aitt, and I want to find out something about it. The Edwards' 
 
DR. J. M. EDER. 
 
 243 
 
 intensifier is decidedly sensitive to light ; in the dark, after a 
 few days, a yellow precipitate falls, which, for the most part, 
 consists of sub-iodide of mercury ; while in daylight a dark pre- 
 cipitate forms, and there is a larger quantity of it. I want to 
 get at the true cause of this," says our energetic chemist. 
 
 Dr. Eder moves on to another part of the laboratory. " I am 
 doing something here, as you may see, with iron salts. By 
 the decomposition of ferricyanide of potassium in light (red 
 prussiate of potash), f erro-cyanide is, of course, formed ; but, at 
 the same time, another Hue product results, which has never 
 yet been properly investigated. So I am going to try what I 
 can do in the matter." 
 
 There are other investigations to which the versatile chemist 
 briefly refers, touching the behaviour of aqueous solutions of 
 chlorine, bromine, and iodine in light in the presence of organic 
 bodies. "These experiments, I am glad to say, I am just 
 finishing," adds the doctor blithely. 
 
 Eeturning to the Technical Academy itself, we ask Dr. Eder 
 for information about his lectures. These, it appears, are held 
 during the winter half-year only, and they take place in the 
 evening from five to six, so that photographers, their assistants, 
 and, indeed, any one who has occupation during the day, can 
 attend. Every Thursday and Friday, at this hour, some thirty 
 students attend in the class-room, where Dr. Eder holds forth, 
 there being, as we have said, no fee to pay so long as certain 
 conditions are complied with. 
 
 The audience is a singular one, says the doctor. Some of 
 them are university students, who attend the course of lectures 
 as a branch of chemistry and physics, and on whose account it 
 is necessary to go systematically into photography in all its 
 scientific bearings ; another portion are, on the other hand, 
 practical men and working photographers, who come for technical 
 knowledge, and live in hopes of hearing of some universal 
 formula by which, notwithstanding clumsy development and 
 blundering manipulation, they may still be able to produce 
 beautiful pietures; finally, there are young assistants, whose 
 principals take care that they shall be well grounded in the 
 tiieory of their work. 
 
 Under these circumstances, Dr. Eder has rather a difficult 
 task to perform. He must, perforce, touch upon purely chemieal 
 points, as weil as those of a thoroughly practical character ; 
 
244 
 
 STUDIOS IN AUSTRIA. 
 
 otherwise, he naturally enough loses a portion of his audi- 
 ence. 
 
 "To do this," continues the doctor, in quick, earnest chat, 
 " I change my plan of lecturing year and year about. One 
 season I begin with photo-chemistry (that is to say, I treat of 
 oxidation in light, of chlorine and hydrogen, &c), and then discuss 
 the silver salts and optics at the end of my course; the next year 
 I begin my lectures by treating of optics, and then take the 
 salts of silver, &c. But I always lay great stress upon iron, 
 uranium, chlorine, &c, because I find I can teach the essence of 
 photo-chemistry much better through them than through the silver 
 salts." In a word, Dr. Eder considers that the reactions of the 
 above-named elements are more easy of comprehension by the 
 students, and when the lecturer has instilled a knowledge of their 
 behaviour, the rather complicated changes that silver salts undergo 
 when acted upon by light, and by developing and fixing solutions, 
 are more readily grasped. 
 
 Here are the gelatino- chloride transparencies which were 
 exhibited by Dr. Eder and Captain Pizzighelli. They are a 
 magnificent series. All are portraits, and nearly all from one 
 and the same negative — a charming bust picture of a Viennese 
 beauty. They appear more brilliant than carbon transparencies, 
 and, by reason of their varied tone, they are to be preferred to 
 ordinary silver impressions with collodion or albumen. Of the 
 thirty or more in the series, no two are alike. The darker tones, 
 the doctor tells us, are all produced with ammonio-chloride of silver 
 and citrate of iron, or citrate of iron and gallic acid. These are 
 decidedly the most elegant transparencies, especially when toned 
 with gold, to wit : a bath of chloride of gold, hyposulphite, and 
 sulpho-cyanide of ammonium. The yellow-brown tones and 
 crimson tints, some of which are delightful in their warm glow, 
 are produced with silver chloride alone, or with hydrochinone. 
 By ringing the changes on the developers, the most delightful 
 shades are apparently to be secured, and the series show that 
 Dr. Eder and his clever coadjutor have taken gelatino-chloride 
 out of the domain of experiment, and made a practical process of it. 
 
 It may be supposed that, with these investigations on hand, 
 the worthy doctor's time is fully occupied. Hot so, how- 
 ever. "When test-tube and beaker are out of his hands, he must 
 needs drive a quill, and to some purpose, too. Ho sooner had 
 he finished " Modern Dry Plates," than he began a work of 
 
MESSRS. WINTER BROTHERS. 
 
 245 
 
 much larger dimensions. His object is to write a complete manual 
 of photography — a work that will fill, according to his present 
 calculation, some 500 to 600 pages. He proposes to make it a 
 history of the art, and to include both the high-ways and bye- 
 ways of photography ; that is to say, treat of experiments and 
 processes which so far may have led to no practical results, but 
 of which a record is almost as desirable as the every-day methods 
 in general use. Dr. Eder, in a word, designs to write a book 
 like Hunt's — a comprehensive treatise on photography, which 
 shall be a history as well as a book for the student. Of this 
 work, the two first parts have now been published by Knapp, 
 of Halle, Germany. 
 
 MESSES. WINTER BROTHERS IN VIENNA. 
 Enlargements upon Canvas. 
 
 "We had seen so much second-class work in the nature of photo- 
 graphic enlargements upon canvas, that we did not feel at all 
 enthusiastic when our friend Dr. Eder proposed a visit to Messrs. 
 "Winter's establishment. We suppose something of the sort must 
 have appeared in our face, for he added, " Well, do me the 
 pleasure to come, at any rate ; if you are not delighted, you shall 
 denounce me as I deserve." We went, and we were delighted. 
 
 Their working establishment was in full swing at the time of 
 our visit, and Messrs. Winter unreservedly conducted us through 
 every portion of it. On the upper floors, in half a dozen different 
 rooms, were artists engaged upon painting the canvases ; upon 
 their skill it is not necessary here to dwell, for in Messrs. Winter's 
 establishment, as everywhere else, you can engage good artists 
 if you will only pay them. Our business is strictly with the 
 photographic portion of the work, and to a description of this 
 we shall confine ourselves. 
 
 Imprimis, however, we must describe what it is Messrs. 
 "Winter set themselves to do. It is this. They say to photo- 
 graphers in general : If you will send us a portrait, either nega- 
 tive or positive, we will produce you an enlargement on canvas 
 worked up in monochrome. The success of their undertaking 
 lies in the circumstance that they do not produce coloured work 
 — or, at any rate, it is exceptional on their part to do so — but 
 
246 
 
 STUDIOS IN AUSTRIA. 
 
 devote their efforts to the production of an artistic portrait in 
 brown or sepia. In this way they can make full use of the dark 
 brown photograph itself ; there is less necessity for tampering 
 with the enlarged image, and natural blemishes in the model 
 itself may be softened and modified, without interfering much 
 with the true lines of face and features. The monotone enlarge- 
 ments of Messrs. Winter, again, exquisitely as most of them are 
 finished, do not appear to provoke the opposition of the painter ; 
 they do not cross his path, and hence he is more willing to do 
 them justice. Many a would-be purchaser has been frightened 
 out of his intention to buy an enlargement by the scornful 
 utterance of an artist friend about " painted photographs,' 1 and 
 in these days of cheap club portraits there is certainly much risk 
 of good work falling into disrepute. But a well-finished portrait 
 in monotone disarms the painter, and he is willing to concede that 
 the picture has merit. 
 
 " We cannot use English canvas, or i shirting/ as you call it," 
 said one of our hosts ; " it seems to contain so much fatty matter." 
 The German material, on the other hand, would appear to be fit 
 for photography as soon as it has been thoroughly worked in hot 
 water and rinsed. Here, in this apartment paved with red brick, 
 we see several pieces of canvas drying. It is a large room, very 
 clean, here and there a washing trough, and in one corner two 
 or three large horizontal baths. The appearance is that of a 
 wash-house, except that all the assistants are men, and not 
 washerwomen ; there is plenty of water everywhere, and the 
 floor is well drained to allow of its running off. We are to be 
 favoured with a sight of the whole process, and this is the first 
 operation. 
 
 Into one of the horizontal baths, measuring about 5 by 4 feet, 
 is put the salting solution. It is a bath that can be rocked, or 
 inclined in any direction, for its centre rests upon a ball-and-socket 
 joint. It is of papier mache, the inside covered with white 
 enamel. Formerly, only bromine salts were employed, but now 
 the following formula is adopted : 
 
 Bromide of potassium .. . ... ... 3 parts 
 
 Iodide of potassium ... ... ... 1 part 
 
 Bromide of cadmium ... ... ... 1 part 
 
 Water 240 parts 
 
 Four assistants are required in the operation, and the same 
 
MESSRS. WINTER BROTHERS. 
 
 247 
 
 number when it comes to sensitizing and developing, all of which 
 processes are commenced in the same way. The bath is tilted 
 so that the liquid collects at one end, and near this end two 
 assistants hold across the bath a stout glass rod ; then the canvas 
 is dipped into the liquid, and drawn out by two other assistants 
 over the glass rod. In this way the canvas is thoroughly saturated, 
 and, at the same time, drained of superfluous liquid. 
 
 The canvas is hung up to dry ; but as some time must elapse 
 before this particular piece will be ready for sensitizing, we pro- 
 ceed with another canvas which is fit and proper for that process. 
 The room, we should have mentioned, is provided with windows 
 of yellow glass ; but as there is plenty of light nevertheless, the 
 fact hardly strikes one on entering. The sensitizing, with a 
 solution of nitrate of silver, is conducted with a glass rod in the 
 same way as before, the solution being thus compounded : 
 
 Nitrate of silver ... 4 parts 
 
 Citric acid ... ... ... ... 1 part 
 
 Water ... ... ... ... 140 parts 
 
 Again the canvas is dried, and then comes its exposure. 
 
 This is done in a room adjoining. We lift a curtain and enter 
 a space that reminds one of the underground regions of a theatre. 
 There are curtained partitions and wooden structures on every 
 hand, dark murky corners combined with brilliant illumination. 
 Messrs. "Winter use the electric light for enlarging, a lamp of 
 
 a, electric light ; 3, condensers ; c, cameras ; d, canvas on screen ; e, tram- 
 ways ; /, curtained partitions. 
 
 Siemens driven by a six-horse power engine. The lamp is 
 outside the enlarging room, and three large lenses, or condensers, 
 on three sides of the light, permit the making of three enlarge- 
 
248 
 
 STUDIOS IN AUSTPwIA. 
 
 ments at one end at the same time. Our rough sketch gives an 
 idea of the dispositionjof affairs (see fig., p. 247). 
 
 The condenser collects the rays, and these shine into a camera 
 arrangement in which the small negative is contained. The 
 enlarged image is then projected, magic lantern fashion, upon the 
 screen, to which is fastened the sensitized canvas. The screen 
 in question is upon a tramway — there are three tramways and 
 three screens in all, as shown in our sketch — and for this reason 
 it is easy to advance and retire the canvas for the purpose of 
 properly focussing it. 
 
 Even with the electric light now employed, it is necessary to 
 expose a considerable time to secure a vigorous impression. From 
 ten minutes to half an hour is the usual period, determined by 
 the assistant, whose experienced eye is the only guide. We should 
 estimate the distance of the cameras from the enlarging apparatus 
 to be about fourteen or fifteen feet in the instance we saw, and 
 when the canvas was taken down, a distinct outline of the image 
 was visible on its surface. 
 
 By the way, we ought to mention that the canvas is in a 
 decidedly limp state during these operations. It has just 
 sufficient stiffness to keep smooth on the screen, and that is all ; 
 the treatment it has received appears to have imparted no 
 increase of substance to it. Again is it brought into the red-brick 
 washing apartment, and again treated in one of the white 
 enamelled baths as before. This time it is the developer that is 
 contained in the bath, and the small limp table-cloth — for that is 
 what it looks like — after being drawn over the glass rod, is put 
 back into the bath, and the developing solution rocked to and fro 
 over it. The whiteness of the bath lining assists one in forming 
 a judgment of the image as it now gradually develops and grows 
 stronger. Here is the formula of the developer : — 
 
 Pyrogallic acid ... ... ... 10 parts 
 
 Citric acid ... ... ... ... 45 
 
 Water 410 „ 
 
 The developer — which, it will be noted, is very acid — is 
 warmed before it is used, say to a temperature of 30° to 40° C. ; 
 nevertheless, the development does not proceed very quickly. 
 As we watched, exactly eight minutes elapsed before Mr. Winter 
 cried out sharply, "That will do." Immediately one of the 
 assistants seizes the wet "anvas, crumples it up without mor e 
 
MESSRS. WINTER BROTHERS. 
 
 249 
 
 ado, as if it were dirty linen, and takes it off to a wooden wash- 
 ing trough, where it is kneaded and washed in true washer- 
 woman fashion. Water in plenty is sluiced over it, and after 
 more vigorous manipulation still, it is passed from trough to 
 trough until deemed sufficiently free from soluble salts to tone. 
 
 The toning — done in the ordinary way with gold — removes 
 any unpleasant redness the picture possesses, and then follows 
 the fixing operation in hyposulphite. As canvas is more perme- 
 able than paper, these two last processes are quickly got through. 
 
 The final washing of the canvas is very thorough. Again it 
 is treated with all the vigour with which a good laundry-maid 
 attacks dirty linen, the canvas, in the end, being consigned to a 
 regular washing-machine, in which it is systematically worked 
 for some time. 
 
 "When the canvas picture at last is finished, it presents a very 
 rough appearance, by reason of the tiny fibres that stand erect all 
 over the surface. To lay these, and also to improve the surface 
 generally, the canvas is waxed ; the fabric is stretched, and a 
 semi-fluid mass rubbed into it, heat being used in the process, 
 which not only gives brilliancy, but seems also to impart trans- 
 parency to the shadows of the/ picture. The result is a pleasant 
 y .^ish, without vulgar glare or glaze, the high-lights remaining 
 beautifully pure and white. 
 
 Of course, the price of these canvas enlargements varies with 
 the amount of artistic work subsequently put upon them ; but 
 the usual charge made by Messrs. Winter for a well-finished life* 
 size portrait, three-quarter length, is sixty florins, or about £5 
 sterling as the exchange now stands. Besides working for 
 photographers, Messrs. "Winter are reproducing a large number 
 of classic paintings and cartoons by photography on canvas in 
 this way (some of them almost absolutely untouched), and these, 
 as may be supposed, are finding a very large sale among dealers. 
 Such copies must necessarily be of considerable value to artists 
 and collectors, and altogether it would seem that Messrs. Winter 
 have hit upon a novel undertaking, which bids fair to make them 
 a handsome return for the outlay (large as it undoubtedly has 
 been) made upon their Vienna establishment. 
 
250 
 
 STUDIOS IN AUSTRIA. 
 
 THE ATELIER ADELE IN VIENNA. 
 
 As in London, so in Vienna, it is difficult to say which studio is 
 the very first. Nevertheless, we may say this of the Atelier 
 Adele, it is second to none in the Kaiserstadt ; whilst we may 
 also remark that in some respects it is the finest studio we have 
 ever visited. In the first place, its glass-rooms — there are two 
 of them — are not photographic studios at all in the ordinary 
 sense, but brightly fitted salons. They are light, lofty apart- 
 ments with elegant panels of white and dark wood, fitted with 
 ornamental mirrors here and there, with a flooring of polished 
 pine, and ornamental windows. The roof is of fluted glass, 
 what glass there is, while the side light comes through matt 
 glass windows, which have fancy panels figured over them. 
 Everything appears as clean, bright, and new, as a modern 
 dining-room or library, except that the woodwork is rather light, 
 and there is an abundance of illumination. 
 
 There is little of photography in these elegant glass-rooms. A 
 single camera is seen, and not even one example of a fancy back- 
 ground. Two or three plain backgrounds are all that meet the 
 eye, with here and there a banner screen, made use of occasion- 
 ally instead of the blue blinds, with which the glass may at any 
 time be covered. One screen is exceedingly elegant. It is 
 simply a light wooden frame, about five feet high, over which 
 is negligently thrown two pieces of gossamer satin, one blue, 
 the other white. Either one reflecting surface or the other is 
 employed near the sitter as may be necessary, the delicate sheen 
 of the glossy surface, either white or pale blue, yielding a very 
 soft reflection ; while to the eye, the pretty screen, with its 
 shining fabric unstretched, is particularly pleasing. 
 
 Photographers who have not got on very well with gelatine 
 plates, and still practise the wet process, may take consolation 
 in the fact that the gelatino-bromide method is as yet unknown 
 in the Atelier Adele. " I have tried dry plates in my branch 
 establishment on the Prater," says Herr Perlmutter, to whom, 
 by the way, this beautiful studio belongs, " but only for eques- 
 trian portraits. But as I find I can get a very good wet collo- 
 dion picture in the open air with a second's exposure, I do not 
 find any necessity for adopting gelatine even there. I will not 
 throw over collodion, ,, continues Herr Perlmutter emphatically, 
 
THE ATELIER ADELE. 
 
 251 
 
 " until I see that vastly superior results can be obtained with 
 something else ; and, in my opinion, gelatine negatives are not 
 superior. 7 ' It is only fair to say that the Vienna light is a very 
 good light ; the exposure for a cabinet picture is never more 
 than seventeen or eighteen seconds, and frequently requires only 
 twelve, while carte negatives are taken practically instan- 
 taneously. 
 
 The entrance to the Adele studio is very imposing. Viennese 
 
 SIDE 
 SALOON 
 
 ** 
 
 
 
 
 SIDE 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 STUDIO-* 
 
 
 
 SALOON 
 
 
 1 *~ 
 
 
 
 photographers have a way of locating themselves on the top floor 
 of an hotel — Luckardt, it may be remembered, is to be found at 
 the top of the Hotel National — and a stranger feels rather diffi- 
 dent at first about penetrating the depths, or rather heights, of 
 a hostelry in order to pay a visit to the studio above. When, 
 however, the summit of the Hotel Miiller is reached, you are 
 adequately repaid for your trouble. Like the fine reception room 
 of MM, Benque et Cie., in Paris, the Atelier Adele is very dark. 
 There are no windows in the broad corridor by which you enter, 
 and you begin to think that they must have closed the shutters 
 by mistake. The corridor leads into a central salon, still rather 
 gloomy, for the two windows are draped with heavy curtains, 
 and the furniture and floor are sombre to a degree. Everything 
 is dark. The paper in one room is dark crimson, and in the 
 other dark blue ; here, in this apartment, the furniture is ebony 
 and gold, in that, dark oak and gold ; either drab velvet or dark 
 satin covers the chairs; the floor is of dark polished wood, 
 cohered with dusky Turkey rugs ; the portraits that are on the 
 
252 
 
 STUDIOS IN AUSTRIA. 
 
 walls are deep and vigorous, and mounted in shining black 
 frames, while even the books of specimens have dark binding. 
 
 In the centre of the main salon is a handsome vase with green 
 foliage and fresh grasses, forming the middle of a luxurious 
 settee. Altogether, the apartments are most richly furnished, 
 and when once accustomed to the subdued light, you feel a repose 
 and quiet in these cool drawing-rooms that is very enjoyable 
 after the hot sunshine and dusty streets of Vienna. While wait- 
 ing, the visitor may read some couplets over the doors, the gist 
 of which is to warn him not to expect too much flattery from 
 the camera. Here is one of them : — 
 
 Ein Schmeichler ist der Spiegel nicht 
 Er gibt dir immer dein wahr Gesicht. 
 
 The charge for cabinet portraits is fifteen florins per dozen, a 
 florin being said to be equal to two shillings English, although 
 it is not so much just now by threepence or fourpence. Eor 
 boudoir portraits, a style as long as the well-known promenade 
 or panel, but twice as broad, the cost is thirty-six florins a dozen. 
 
 Herr Perlmutter is occupying himself a good deal with eques- 
 trian portraits, as we have hinted ; he finds that if it is difficult 
 to secure a pleasing picture of man and horse, still, in the event 
 of success, it is a success, indeed — both from an artistic and pecu- 
 niary point of view. In fact, Herr Perlmutter is thinking seri- 
 ously of invading England, and coming to London to try his hand 
 on this especial branch of photography, with which, our readers 
 will remember, M. Disderi occupied himself at Brompton many 
 years ago. If there is work among cavaliers at Yienna, there 
 must be ten times as much in our "West End. It is a difficult 
 task making good equestrian portraits, Herr Perlmutter admits ; 
 but he does not think photographers have ever fairly tried to do 
 the work. If they did, they could not fail to get plenty to do, 
 for those who own valuable horses are generally more anxious 
 to get pictures of their property than of themselves. The number 
 of people who own valuable horses is very large, and they repre- 
 sent a large clientele to be had for the asking. In any case, 
 Herr Perlmutter' s heart is in his work, and he frankly says that 
 \i ne succeeds in producing a good equestrian picture, it gives 
 him ten times more delight than any photograph secured in the 
 studio. 
 
 For all that, Herr Perlmutter makes some charming studies 
 in his atelier. Large direct portraits as big as those submitted 
 
THE ATELIER ADELE. 
 
 253 
 
 in the Crawshay Competition are to be- seen in the waiting rooms, 
 for he prefers securing pictures direct, rather than enlarging, if 
 money is no object. He works mostly with Voigtlander lenses, 
 " Have you no Eoss or Dallmeyer on the premises ? " we ask 
 Herr Perlmutter shrugs his shoulders. " I should very much 
 like to have an instrument of Mr. Dallmeyer, but I cannot pur- 
 chase one. There are none to be had ready made. I must order 
 one to be constructed, and if I did that, it might not be what I 
 wanted when I got it." 
 
 Silver printing, and no other, is employed in the Atelier Adele, 
 and black mounts edged with gold are evidently much in favour. 
 The albumenized paper here, as in most German studios, has a 
 faint roseate hue, which, while pic asing in portraits of small 
 size, is also chosen because of the idea that it may counteract 
 any yellowness that may subsequently appear in the pictures. 
 This, as it may be, rosy-tinted paper is a little out of place in a 
 vigorous masculine portrait. 
 
 " Do you retouch much?" Again Herr Perlmutter shrugs 
 his shoulders. " So far as ladies are concerned, we must retouch 
 a great deal; otherwise our lady customers won't have the pic- 
 tures — that's all." The matter is no longer in the hands of the 
 photographer ; retouching is absolute with the Viennese dames, 
 and they require a great deal of it. " We generally use Faber's 
 2H," adds Herr Perlmutter. 
 
 We pass from the glass-room into the laboratory, where plates 
 are being fixed and washed, the day's work collected on draining 
 racks ready to be varnished. As a rule, they are treble-plates, 
 but m summer time the thin end is sometimes not exposed, as 
 the third image in those circumstances leaves much to be desired. 
 They are all wet plates, as we have said, and their manipulation 
 presents no feature of novelty. 
 
 HERR LOWY IN VIENNA. 
 The Lichtdbttck Pbocess in Detail. 
 
 Lichtdexjck is German by name and German by nature ; that is 
 to say, it is among German-speaking people that the process is 
 carried out to perfection and upon a large scale. Munich counts 
 three large Lichtdruck establishments at least — those of Herrn 
 
254 
 
 STUDIOS IN AUSTRIA. 
 
 Albert, Bruckmann, and Obernetter ; Vienna has certainly as 
 many ; while in Berlin, Dresden, Frankfort, Mayence, Hamburg, 
 and elsewhere, first-class Lichtdruck firms are to be found. 
 
 Herr Lowy's studio at Vienna is one of the most complete 
 photographic establishments we have met with, since it combines 
 the taking of high- class portrait negatives with silver and mecha- 
 nical printing. We should much like to describe the portrait- 
 taking branch of the establishment, as well as the more industrial ; 
 but, in the first place, we have not the space at our disposal ; 
 and secondly, by reason, as it was explained to us, of an 
 "unruhiges Erauen-zimmer " in the glass-room, we could do no 
 more than take a hasty glance at that part of the building. We 
 must be content for the present to bear testimony to the charm- 
 ing bust portraits of Viennese ladies for which Herr Lowy has 
 recently become well-nigh as famous as Luckardt, and pass on to 
 the Lt chtdruck rooms ; for a full description of the process as it 
 is practised at the present day cannot fail to be interesting to 
 our readers. 
 
 In Herr Lowy's compact establishment there is a personnel of 
 no less than forty, of which the greater number are employed 
 upon Lichtdruck. There is both the Schnell-press (quick-press) 
 and hand-press here, for Herr Lowy dees work of all sorts, from 
 the finest to the roughest. It is rather a warm atmosphere into 
 which we are first introduced, an apartment not very roomy and 
 not very light, and here we are initiated into the first stage of 
 the process. 
 
 Here is a sheet of glass. It is "v^ry thick, apparently a 
 quarter of an-inch, and it is to be made into a printing block. 
 The glass has been cleaned, and is now ready to receive the pre- 
 liminary coating. The solution must be used fresh, and is pre- 
 pared of — 
 
 Soluble glass 3 parts 
 
 White of egg 7 „ 
 
 Water 9 to 10 „ 
 
 The soluble glass must be free from caustic potash. The mixture 
 is filtered and made use of the same day, being applied to the 
 glass as evenly as possible. The superfluous liquid is poured off, 
 and the film dried either spontaneously, or by slightly warming. 
 The film is generally dry in a few minutes, when it is rinsed with 
 water, bearing an open, porous fcurfa-cethat is said to be slightly 
 
HERR LOWY. 
 
 255 
 
 opalescent. "We are bound to say, however, that this opalescence 
 is so slight as to be scarcely visible to our inexperienced eyes. 
 
 Many of these plates (the surface now perfectly dry) are here 
 ready for further treatment ; they stand upon a slate slab, which 
 is warm, for underneath is a water-bath. Herr Furkl, the skil- 
 ful manager of this department, is one of the most experienced 
 of Lichtdruck photographers, and he sees at a glance the quality 
 of a prepared plate without any practical testing. " Now, this is 
 a good preliminary film," he says ; it is a glass that is trans- 
 parent, and yet slightly dull. The film is so thin, you can 
 scarcely believe it is there. 
 
 We now come to the second stage of the process — the applica- 
 tion of a film of bichromated gelatine to the plate. This is the 
 formula generally used : — 
 
 Bichromate of potash 15 grammes 
 
 Gelatine ... 2 J ounces 
 
 Water 20 to 22 „ 
 
 According to the weather, the amount of water is varied ; but, 
 in any case, the solution is a very fluid one. An ounce is about 
 35 grammes, as our readers know. 
 
 The bichromated gelatine is poured upon the plate (it makes a 
 very thin film), and the glass then put into the drying-chamber. 
 Much depends upon the drying. A water-bath with gas-burner 
 is used for heating, and a slate slab, perfectly level, receives the 
 glass plate. The drying-chamber is kept at an even temperature 
 of 50° C. The object to be attained is a fine grain throughout 
 the surface of the gelatine, and unless this grain is satisfactory, 
 the finished printing-block never will be. If the gelatine film 
 is too thick, then the grain will be coarse ; or, again, if the 
 temperature in drying be too high, there will be no grain at all. 
 The drying is complete in two or three hours, and should not 
 take longer. 
 
 The film is now ready for printing under a negative, and this 
 is done in an ordinary printing-frame. The sensitive film being 
 upon the surface of a thick glass plate, it is necessary that the 
 cliche or negative employed should be upon patent plate, or not 
 upon glass at all, so as to ensure perfect contact. Best of all is 
 it to employ a stripped negative, in which case absolute contact 
 is ensured in printing. It is only in these circumstances that 
 the most perfect impression can be secured. 
 
256 
 
 STUDIOS IN AUSTRIA. 
 
 The exposure is very rapid. Any one accustomed to photo- 
 lithographic work will understand this. At any rate, every 
 photographer knows that bichromated gelatine is much more 
 sensitive than the chloride of silver he generally has to do with. 
 There is no other way of measuring the exposure than by photo- 
 meter or personal experience, and the latter, we are assured, is 
 by far the best method. 
 
 The impression is taken from the pressure-frame, and put into 
 cold water. Here it remains for half-an-hour or an hour, accord- 
 ing to discretion. The purpose is, of course, to permit the solu- 
 ble bichromate to wash out. It is when the print comes out of 
 this bath that judgment is passed upon it. An experienced eye 
 tells at once what it is fit for. If it is yellow, the yellowness 
 must be of the slightest ; indeed, Herr Furkl will not admit that 
 a good plate is yellow at all. A yellow tint means that it will 
 take up too much ink when the roller is passed over it. 
 
 The washed and dried plate should appear like a design of 
 ground and polished glass. The ground-glass appearance is given 
 by the grain. If there are pure Lights (almost transparent) and 
 opalescent shadows, the plate is a good one. 
 
 We have now a printing-block ready for the press. If it is to 
 be printed by machinery (that is to say, in a Schnell-press), the 
 surface is etched ; if it is to be more carefully handled in a hand- 
 press, etching is rarely resorted to, and it is moistened only with 
 glycerine and water. 
 
 Here is a plate about to be etched. It is placed upon a level- 
 ling-stand, and the etching fluid poured upon it. The formula 
 is — 
 
 Glycerine 150 parts 
 
 Ammonia ... ... ... ... 50 ,, 
 
 Nitrate of potash (saltpetre) 5 „ 
 
 Water 25 „ 
 
 Another equally good formula, which is recommended by 
 
 Allgeyer, who managed Herr Albert's Lichtdruck printing for 
 
 some years, is — 
 
 Glycerine 500 parts 
 
 Water 500 „ 
 
 Chloride of sodium (common salt) ... 15 ,, 
 
 In lieu of common salt, 15 parts of hyposulphite of soda or other 
 hygroscopic salt, such as chloride of calcium, may be employed. 
 
HERR LOWY. 
 
 257 
 
 The etching fluid is permitted to remain upon the image for 
 half an hour. Herr Furkl invites us to touch the plate, and by 
 gently moving the finger to and fro over the surface we dis- 
 tinctly feel the swelling or relief of the image. The plate is 
 not washed afterwards, but the etching fluid simply poured off, 
 so that the printing block remains impregnated with glycerine 
 and water ; at the most, a piece of bibulous paper is used to 
 absorb any superfluous quantity of the etching fluid. After 
 etching, the block goes straight to the printing press. 
 
 The inking up and printing are done very much as in litho- 
 graphy. If it requires a practised hand to produce a good litho- 
 graphic print, it stands to reason that in dealing with a gelatine 
 printing block, instead of a stone, skill and practice are more 
 necessary still. Therefore, at this point the photographer 
 should hand over the work to the lithographer, or rather the 
 Lichtdruck-printer. It is only by coaxing judiciously with 
 roller and sponge that a good printing block can be obtained, 
 and no amount of teaching theoretically can beget a good printer. 
 To appreciate how skilful a printer must be, it is only necessary, 
 indeed, to see the imperfect proofs that first result, and to watch 
 how these are gradually improved by dint of rolling, rubbing, 
 etching, cleaning, &c. 
 
 In all Lichtdruck establishments, two kinds of ink rollers are 
 employed, viz., of leather and of glue. In some establishments, 
 too, they employ two kinds of ink, but Herr Lowy manages to 
 secure delicacy and vigour at the same time in an impression by 
 employing one ink, but rolling up with two kinds of the roller. 
 
 Lichtdruck prints, and portraits particularly, are usually var- 
 nished ; they are first coated with a dilute solution of gelatine 
 to act as sizing, and then a spirit varnish employed. If the 
 varnish were applied before the print is sized, the varnish would 
 pass through the paper. 
 
 We describe the Schnett-press in action in our " At Home" 
 with Herr Albert, and we propose to say something about 
 hand-presses when we come to Herr Obernetter's well-known 
 establishment at Munich. 
 
 s 
 
258 
 
 STUDIOS IN AUSTRIA. 
 
 HERR HOF -PHOTOGRAPH VICTOR ANGERER IN VIENNA. 
 
 Vienna has long enjoyed a reputation for brightness and gaiety 
 among European capitals. It now bids fair to lead the way by 
 reason of the magnificence of its architecture, the grandeur of 
 its public buildings, and the handsome character of its squares 
 and public gardens. The Ringstrasse, as a thoroughfare, is 
 likely to be unique ; the broad belt of fortified wall and glacis 
 which formerly surrounded the city has given place to a hand- 
 some and aiiy boulevard, with lofty buildings of white stone, 
 green gardens, and verdant avenues. The fortifications, there- 
 fore, if they did not stop the Prussian army twenty years ago, 
 have been useful in peace, if not in war; for, had they not 
 existed, there could have been no open space around the city for 
 the construction of a Ringstrasse, and Vienna would have been 
 the poorer by its finest thoroughfare ; while, from a sanitary 
 point of view, it had been bereft of a healthy breathing apparatus. 
 "We doubt, indeed, if ever fortifications were put to a better use. 
 
 Viennese life has much of the elan of Paris life, while being 
 peculiarly its own. The warmer climate permits of mo^e out- 
 door recreation, and consequently cafe and " Vauxhall life " are 
 found in perfection; music is a part of the existence of a 
 Viennese citizen, and waltzing is not an accomplishment, but a 
 custom. The busy streets have a tinge of Eastern life about 
 them — Turks from Constantinople, Greeks from the Levant, and 
 turbaned Armenian Jews are occasionally met. The Graben, 
 Kohlenmarkt, and Karntner Strasse are always bustling and 
 lively, the Viennese cab-driver contributing thereto his fair 
 quota, for he usually drives a pair, and, with the loosest of 
 reins, maintains his steeds at a hand gallop through the streets, 
 let them be wide or narrow. The handsome Opera Ring (a bit 
 of the Ringstrasse where the Opera is situated) forms a magni- 
 ficent promenade, and so does the Volksgarten, which abuts the 
 same circular street a little farther on. Verily, there is but one 
 Kaiserstadt and only one Ringstrasse. 
 
 The name of Angerer has long been associated with the Kaiser- 
 stadt. It was not Herr Victor Angerer, however, but his 
 brother, who first enjoyed the title of Court-photographer. The 
 present principal is one of the most genial of men — suave, polite, 
 and eminently good-natured. He is a keen sportsman, and a 
 
VICTOR ANGERER. 
 
 259 
 
 great fisherman, besides being an accomplished photographer. 
 A more unpretending, courteous gentleman it has not been our 
 lot to meet. 
 
 We "visited the Angerer studio ten years ago. Then the glass- 
 room was entirely of blue glass — perhaps the only establishment 
 that has ever been glazed throughout in this manner; but, 
 whatever theory may say as to the benefits to be derived from 
 such illumination, in practice white light has decidedly the 
 advantage ; the blue-glass studio of Angerer exists no longer. 
 The present glass-room of the Court-photographer is very 
 spacious and lofty, and, strange to say, it is the only instance 
 we remember of a studio being " downstairs," for thither we 
 are at once invited to meet our host. 
 
 But though asked downstairs, we do not leave the waiting 
 room for the moment, and for this reason. A young lady and 
 gentleman have just come from the studio, and are now at the 
 further end of the room in conversation with a clerk who holds 
 a ledger before him in his hands. The gentleman is arrayed in 
 a tie of snowy whiteness, and the young lady, in bridal attire, 
 carries a bouquet. They have been photographed in anticipation 
 of the wedding, and are a little flurried ; the lady evidently 
 thinks the man with the book means marrying them out of hand, 
 and perhaps a passing thought that she has been inveigled here 
 for the purpose crosses her mind. In any case, she will have 
 nothing to do with the clerk. The gentleman is equally timid, 
 and objects flatly to give either his name or address, under the 
 impression that he is being taken advantage of. "I have paid, 
 and that's enough," cries the bridegroom. "But, sir, we must 
 have some address to which we can send proofs," urges the 
 book-keeper. The customer begins to see there is some force in 
 this argument ; but after a moment's thought he relapses into 
 his fit of obstinacy again. " No, you don't want any address ; 
 I will call," and away rush the timid lovers. 
 
 The studio where Herr Angerer bids us welcome is said to be 
 the largest in Vienna. It measures fifty-four feet in length, 
 and at its highest is twenty-five feet. A gallery runs along the 
 top of the room, which then slopes gradually down to the glazed 
 side- wall, looking into a cheerful garden. Indian straw-matting 
 is hung about the room, forming alcoves here and there — under 
 the gallery — and altogether the apartment has the appearance 
 of a fine conservatory or palm-house. Blue hangings are to be 
 
260 
 
 STUDIOS IN AUSTRIA. 
 
 seen on the glass side, while brown hangings for the most part 
 are on the other. For backgrounds, too, Angerer occasionally 
 employs screens of straw or cane, such as are to be found in 
 drawing-rooms, and in this way he produces portraits that seem 
 to be taken at home. One movable screen we saw was very 
 practicable, as it permitted the lighting up of the lower part of 
 the sitter's garments most effectually. It was simply a stand 
 with two movable surfaces, the top being of light blue, and the 
 bottom of white, as shown in our sketch (fig. 1). Herr Angerer 
 
 Fig. 1. 
 
 always poses, and indeed is a very hard worker in the studio. 
 
 "We walk out into the garden. There is here a Swiss chalet or 
 garden-house, with balcony, &c, erected solely for the purpose 
 of taking groups and out-door pictures. It is painted a dark grey, 
 the best colour, Herr Angerer finds, for a photographic back- 
 ground in the open. But what our host desires more particularly 
 to show us is his enlarging apparatus, which is a wonderful 
 structure. Imagine a turn-table, as large as those to be seen on 
 our lines of railway ; rails are laid down in a circle, and this big 
 table on wheels then turns on its axis. The diameter of this 
 circular table is no less than 38 feet. At one point, on the 
 circumference, of this table is located the camera, with a recess 
 or alcove built over it, and directly opposite, at the other margin 
 of the table, is another small structure, under which the picture 
 to be copied is placed. Here is a sketch of the whole arrange- 
 ment (fig. 2). The camera under its alcove can be advanced and 
 retired at will towards the picture. As both the camera and 
 picture are in this way boarded over, no objectionable rays of 
 
VICTOR ANGEKER. 
 
 261 
 
 light can strike either one or the other, while from the fact that 
 the table carrying camera and picture can be turned in any 
 direction, it is possible to choose the very best light for the 
 
 Fig. 2. 
 
 A is the turntable, B is the pivot, C is the camera, and D the picture to be copied. 
 
 object. The photographer focusses the picture, and then, while 
 still gazing at it on the focussing glass, gives the word to his 
 assistants to revolve the turn-table ; when the lighting is at its 
 best, he cries " k Halt! " the table is fixed, and the exposure is made, 
 Mo rays but direct rays fall upon the picture. Certainly the 
 arrangement is very perfect, and it is carried out on a grand scale. 
 
 "I only wish I could print faster," says Herr Angerer, 
 alluding to his large negatives of four and five feet that stand 
 here in their frames in deep shadow. Both silver and carbon 
 printing — the only place in Vienna where we saw carbon printing 
 — are here in operation ; but Herr Angerer cannot get satisfactory 
 results, he says, unless the light is very diffused ; and this brings 
 us to the subject of enlargements, which Herr Angerer produces 
 in a different way to that in vogue in this country. Moreover, 
 when we detailed our usual method of making a small trans- 
 parency in carbon to begin with, he replied that he had tried it 
 repeatedly, but that it did not yield him such perfect results as 
 his own plan. This is, to make from the small negative a large 
 collodion positive, in the first instance, which is done in a dark- 
 room fitted up like a huge camera ; from this collodion positive, 
 after careful retouching, is printed in a printing-frame a carbon 
 print, which is developed on a glass plate. This large carbon 
 impression on glass is of course negative, and rarely requires 
 further touching before being employed to produce the finished 
 
262 
 
 STUDIO IN HUNGARY. 
 
 print. The elaborate retouching is all on the first collodion 
 positive, and not upon the carbon negative, and Herr Angerer 
 believes that when the retouching has been thus translated, the 
 finished effect is better. 
 
 Dark rooms and developing rooms open from the studio, which, 
 as we have said, is " downstairs," from the front of the house, 
 although on a level with the back garden ; so that the washing 
 rooms and laboratories are half -cellars, exquisitely cool and dark. 
 Herr Angerer employs for his washing, fixing, and toning baths, 
 very large but very shallow wooden tubs, like low washing 
 tubs, which are, indeed, exceedingly practical. 
 
 STUDIO IN HUNGARY. 
 
 HERR KOLLER IN PESTH. 
 
 "Mind you hear some Hungarian music,' ' says Dr. Eder, as we 
 shake hands at the Northern Railway Station in Vienna; "you 
 get it to perfection in Pesth." "We make a mental note of the 
 advice, and our pleasant anticipations add something, no doubt, 
 to the admiration with which we regard the beautiful country 
 that lies between the capitals of Austria and Hungary. Now 
 and then there are glimpses of the broad, placid Danube and its 
 green banks, with tiny villages grouped here and there — the 
 churches surmounted by shining cupolas, which remind us more 
 vividly than aught else that we are travelling in Eastern Europe. 
 Near Pressburg we pass through miles and miles of vineyards ; 
 hill and dale are covered with the bright green vine, beyond 
 which the dazzling white houses and red roofs of the town are 
 just visible. Presently the hills grow bigger and become more 
 rugged ; the railway winds in and out beside vast precipices and 
 giant peaks. We are among the Carpathians, and a magnificent 
 range of mountains they are, viewing them at close quarters 
 like this. By-and-bye, these lofty black pyramids are left be- 
 hind, and the blue Danube favours us with its company once 
 more. It is blue, of course, only in the sense that invisible 
 
HERR KOLLER. 
 
 263 
 
 green is green. But it is getting dusk now, and all one sees is 
 a broad, steel-like band in the moonlight, beyond which rise the 
 dark irregular outlines of the Carpathians. 
 
 The proverb tells us, " All cats are grey in the dark," and it 
 may be said with almost equal truth that all strange cities appear 
 beautiful by night ; and if this holds good with most towns, 
 Buda Pest, which takes rank as one of the finest of European 
 capitals, is naturally enoughjstill further enhanced. Indeed, to 
 the stranger who arrives on a moonlight night, who walks the 
 acacia-bordered quays (for the broad Danube flows straight 
 through the city), and watches the dotted lights of Buda oppo- 
 site, their lurid reflection in the water at his feet — who sees the 
 mighty fortress rising aloft in the gloom, all the more stupendous 
 because of its indistinctness — the glitter of the Palace across the 
 water, the lamps of the bridges, the tall stone buildings that rise 
 at every corner, the broad, lighted squares, the summer cafes — 
 all life, mirrors, and bustle — he who sees all this must perforce 
 believe he has entered an enchanted city ; and the idea becomes 
 stronger still when he alights at the broad steps of the hotel, 
 and, looking beyond the corridor, sees a magnificent stone square, 
 filled with white-clothed tables, flowers, lights, and music, 
 where mortals are gaily supping in a scene all brightness and 
 animation. 
 
 There is a reverse side to the picture, it is true. Our room 
 is on the third floor, looking into the square, and we open the 
 windows to gaze down upon the sparkling scene, and listen to 
 the Hungarian music we have been told to heed. It is pleasant, 
 very pleasant : but when we have heard a dozen instrumental 
 pieces, have supped our fill, and have retired to rest, we begin 
 to think the music might be hushed with advantage. The day's 
 travelling has been heavy, and we yearn for a good sleep ; but 
 midnight strikes, and the Hungarian music below is still in full 
 swing. Next night there is as much and more of the Magyar 
 strains, for it is a military band this time that comes and plays 
 under our roof till the small hours. We begin to think that 
 there was no need for Dr. Eder's advice, after all. 
 
 And now the national music is off our mind, we will give our 
 reason for coming to Pesth. Eight years ago a charming collec- 
 tion of photographs forwarded to Pall Mall from the " Seven 
 Mountains," by Herr Koller, were very justly rewarded with 
 a medal. Herr Koller, we heard, had settled in Pesth, and, 
 
264 
 
 STUDIO IN HUNGARY. 
 
 as might have been expected, he at once took the lead among 
 photographers in the Hungarian capital. Since we had a desire 
 to visit one of the first studios in the kingdom of Hungary, we 
 wrote to Herr Koller to receive us. He consented, and hence 
 our visit. 
 
 A thorough chemist, a man of highly- cultivated taste, Herr 
 Koller has a most amiable and winning manner. That his work 
 is that of a master is known to our readers who saw the photo- 
 graphs we allude to ; but to view the conditions under which 
 that work is done is to see one example the more that it is the 
 man, and not the tools, that makes the mark. "You have 
 never seen such a glass-room as this, I am sure," says Herr 
 Koller, opening a door leading to the studio. "We look round. 
 It is surrounded on all sides by lofty buildings, and there is no 
 clear view except over-head. Still, we jokingly reply that we 
 have : "At one of our prisons in London — Millbank, a place 
 like your Kuf stein — there is a studio with just such high walls 
 on every side." 
 
 Herr Koller' s studio is singular in this respect : there is no 
 side-light at all. It has a large, low roof of glass, and all the 
 illumination that enters gets in through the roof. Herr Koller 
 may be said to out-Luckardt Luckardt in respect to lowness of 
 roof ; it has very little slope, and the greater portion is clear 
 glass. The walls of the studio are painted — the upper portion 
 a light blue, and the lower a dark brown. Of course, there are 
 curtains : but, as a rule, only a light screen is used to modify the 
 light upon the sitter. The illumination of the room, at its best, 
 is never bright ; but the light, if dull, is soft and pleasant, and 
 is at once fit for photographic portraiture with very slight 
 modifications. 
 
 As we have said, the studio is surrounded by walls. These 
 are at a distance of some sixty or eighty feet, and rise skyward 
 to a great height. He has painted these distant walls blue (or 
 prevailed upon his neighbours to do so), " and for this reason," 
 says Herr Koller, "there is more light in the studio than is at 
 first apparent. Sometimes, when I come in from the front, I 
 w onder where the light is ; but it is so diffused and manageable 
 that I find I can take a portrait in any part of the room almost 
 at any time of the day." 
 
 His exposures, nevertheless, are rather longer than elsewhere. 
 He is well satisfied if he can make a cabinet picture with an 
 
HERR KOLLER. 
 
 265 
 
 exposure of twenty to twenty-two seconds. Like Luckardt, 
 he works very much to secure delicate details in the drapery of 
 his sitters, and the subdued, diffused light of the studio appears 
 to have much to do with success in this respect. Our readers 
 may remember the in-door groups and interiors of Herr Koller, 
 which secured him the medal at Pall Mall ; their strong point 
 was the marvellous detail in the shadows, and the absence of all 
 inky blotches in corners and recesses. These effects are due to 
 working with a more uniform light than that employed by most 
 photographers. 
 
 In Buda Pest, which, it must be remembered, is the biggest 
 city in a line between Vienna and Constantinople, there is as 
 much life and gaiety as in any other European capital, while 
 the people are more busy and go-a-head in their notions than 
 their German neighbours. One sees this in photography, and 
 Paris and London might take a lesson from Buda Pest in some 
 respects. The finish of the pictures, the elegant mountings, 
 and the assortment of styles is noteworthy in the show-cases of 
 even second and third-class studios. The slender promenade or 
 panel — termed the Mahart — is, perhaps, more popular here than 
 in any locality in Europe ; while the boudoir, which is very 
 slow in making way with us, is almost as well known as the 
 cabinet. 
 
 Herr Koller will accept an order for a single promenade por- 
 trait, and for this the sitter pays eight florins (roughly, sixteen 
 shillings) ; then further copies are charged at a reasonable rate 
 — namely, one and a-half florins (three shillings each). In these 
 circumstances a dozen promenades cost forty-eight shillings — or, 
 perhaps, more strictly speaking, forty-five — a price that com- 
 pares favourably with other European studios du premier rang. 
 This plan of charging for the first copy is a very good way of 
 getting over the proof difficulty, as also the dislike of a customer 
 for his portrait after he has paid for it. If he objects to the 
 picture, he has always the consolation of knowing he has not 
 disbursed a very large amount, and if he desires to re-sit, he can 
 do so at no great cost. At Herr Koller' s establishment, as in 
 Berlin, there is a counting-house attached to the studio, into 
 which the customer first enters ; this comptoir gives quite a 
 business aspect to the undertaking which is absent from our 
 British studios. 
 
 Herr Koller makes a speciality of one form of portrait, for 
 which he receives orders frequently from places as far distant 
 
266 
 
 STUDIO IN HUNGARY. 
 
 as Paris. This portrait is exquisitely coloured, very fine and 
 transparent in nature, and does not usually measure more than 
 twenty inches. Herr Koller puts a specimen in our hands, and 
 asks us to guess how it is finished. It is a picture of two young 
 girls with golden hair, and bright hazel eyes. Its delicacy and 
 translucent character are something extraordinary. " Is it upon 
 enamel, ivory, or porcelain ? " we ask. Herr Koller shakes his 
 head, and will show us how it is done. The method is not 
 novel, he admits, and success lies in the execution, rather than 
 anything else. 
 
 To get the transparent effect he has recourse to the method 
 which photographers are aware gives this property with effect. 
 He employs two pictures, one over the other, as has been pro- 
 posed over and over again, the last time in connection with the 
 ill-fated " Colour Company." Says Herr Koller : 11 Photography 
 plays but a subordinate part, you will perceive : success mainly 
 depends, as a matter of course, upon the skill of the painter 
 engaged in colouring the picture." To begin with, a photo- 
 graphic print upon algseine paper is produced ; this may be a 
 direct impression, or it may be an enlargement. Algseine paper 
 permits of the most exquisite work by the water-colour artist ; 
 it is thin, and easily rendered transparent. The paper print is 
 finely painted, and then placed upon a sheet of glass. It is now 
 ready for treatment with an encaustic paste. "This," says 
 our host, " is a preparation of my own, and made up with gum- 
 dammar and Canada balsam." The whole surface of the coloured 
 picture as it stands upon the glass is covered with the mixture, 
 and submitted to a tolerably high temperature, which has the 
 effect of impregnating the picture through and through with the 
 compound, rendering the paper transparent, while it seems to 
 heighten the brilliancy of the colours. The semi-transparent 
 coloured portrait at this stage does not possess any particularly 
 good effect — it looks, in fact, rather disagreeable, and it is only 
 when it is placed over another roughly-painted sheet — the paper, 
 in this case, being thick and coarse, and the colour only applied 
 in patches — that the charming effect we have alluded to is 
 produced. Herr Koller has firm faith in the permanence of the 
 photographic portion of his picture for two reasons : there is 
 no albumen, and there is the great protection afforded by the 
 encaustic preparation. Herr Koller has made the process his 
 own, and the labour he has spent in perfecting it has certainly 
 not been thrown away. 
 
STUDIOS IN BAVARIA. 
 
 HEEE HOF-PHOTOGKAPH JOSEF ALBERT IN MUNICH. 
 
 They are early people in Munich. There is no need to wait 
 until noon to make a call for fear you may interfere with the 
 commencement of the daily labour. At nine o'clock you will 
 find the busy establishments here in full swing, and, possibly, 
 if you ventured there at eight, nobody would feel put out but 
 yourself. Going to work so early reminds one of the visit of the 
 Emperor of Brazil some two years ago, when his Imperial 
 Majesty always began the serious labours of the day about six. 
 The comic papers, we remember, made very merry over the 
 Emperor being up betimes, and published humorous diaries of 
 what was done in the small hours ; but it was not such fun for 
 those who had to rise from a comfortable bed, hours before their 
 wont, to attend upon his Majesty. We ourselves were called 
 upon to explain the various applications of photography to 
 military purposes while the morning air was still raw and chill, 
 and, before seven, had gone through a demonstration of the 
 carbon process to his Majesty's entire satisfaction, if not to our 
 own. Herr Albert, it seems, has done a good deal of work for 
 the Emperor of Brazil, and, we believe, holds an appointment 
 under his Majesty. Thus it comes about that early rising and 
 photography are coupled in our minds as we are here in Munich, 
 paying a visit " At Home." 
 
 Mr. Court-Photographer Joseph Albert has his establishment 
 in one of the best streets in Munich, the Karlstrasse. He holds 
 high rank as a portraitist, and as we pass into the broad entrance, 
 between handsome columns, we see many magnificent examples 
 of his work. The reception room is small, but well appointed, 
 and on the walls are some large direct portraits with six-inch 
 heads, as well as some highly-finished enlargements, all of them 
 of notable persons. The Emperors of Germany, Eussia, and 
 Austria, the boy-like King of Bavaria, as well as potentates from 
 Saxony and Hanover, are here represented, from negatives taken 
 by Herr Albert himself. All the prints are, however, in silver, 
 and there is not a single example of carbon printing on the walls. 
 Herr Albert prints either by silver or by Lichtdtuck, and, if you 
 
268 
 
 STUDIOS IN BAVARIA. 
 
 like, he will take you a carte portrait and furnish you with five 
 hundred copies of it for thirty marks, or thirty shillings; a 
 thousand copies cost £2 10s. ; or, if it is a cabinet portrait, then 
 a thousand copies cost £3 10s. The prints are only upon writing 
 paper if delivered at this price, and thick plate paper or cardboard 
 pictures would, naturally enough, cost more. For glazing, an 
 extra twenty per cent, is charged. 
 
 We must not, however, lead our readers to suppose that very 
 high class Lichtdruck portraits are furnished for this amount. 
 As most of us know very well, to give good Lichtdruck impres- 
 sions, not only must the negative be suitable, but the object as 
 well. A gentleman in a black hat and black coat could not be 
 satisfactorily reproduced by Lichtdruck except under much 
 difficulty, and in ordinary circumstances people who know what 
 silver prints are would not be satisfied with impressions in 
 Lichtdruck. In a word, while very much can be done in collo- 
 type printing, and, in the case of reproductions of paintings, 
 &c, the most satisfactory prints produced, we have not yet got 
 so far as to print off ordinary portraits by steam ; and when 
 Lichtdrucks are particularly well done, we may be sure no pains 
 or time have been spared in their production. 
 
 Collotype printing is not merely done by hand-presses now-a- 
 days, but by machinery ; and here across the yard we see two 
 so-called Schnellpressen (quick presses) at work. A gas-engine 
 of six-horse power is employed to drive the machines, and each 
 machine requires the attention of a skilled mechanic and a girl. 
 The press is very like the lithographic quick-press with which 
 some of our readers are doubtless acquainted. Upon a big steel 
 bed lies the little collotype printing block. It is a piece of 
 glass nearly half-an-inch thick, its uppermost surface carrying 
 the bichromated gelatine image. The block seems very small 
 for so large a press, for, as the metal bed moves to and fro, and 
 the big cylinder that carries the paper revolves, only a double 
 cabinet print results therefrom. The mountain moves, and a 
 mouse issues forth. It takes, perhaps, a minute to produce the 
 pair of prints. At this particular machine they are printing 
 copies of Schiitzenlisl, a work just now much in request by the 
 Munich public. The negative is from a huge painting of a 
 Munich beer-girl — a lively young person indigenous to the soil, 
 who trips about among her patrons with half-a-dozen foaming 
 tankards in each hand — and as there is a good deal of gradation, 
 
JOSEF ALBERT. 
 
 269 
 
 and large quantities are required quickly and cheaply, the 
 Schnell-press is employed in preference to the slower and more 
 accurate hand machine. 
 
 Let us watch the printing for a moment. The glass printing 
 block, with its brownish film gelatine, moves horizontally to and 
 fro, and, as it does so, passes under half-a-dozen ink rollers, 
 which not only apply ink, but disperse it. Some of the rollers 
 are of leather, and some of glue, and whenever the printing block 
 retires from underneath them, an inked slab takes the place of 
 the block, and imparts more ink to the rollers. It is the man's 
 duty to see that the ink is duly carried to the rollers, and applied 
 by the latter in sufficient quantity ; while to the girl, who 
 stands at some height above the machine, falls the task of placing 
 a sheet of paper around a huge cylinder, which, in evolving, 
 presses against the block, and thus secures an impression on the 
 paper. Sometimes as many as eight different rollers are 
 employed for inking — the surface of the block being touched by 
 all as it passes underneath them — for the difficulty in working 
 by machinery is to apply the ink as delicately and equally as 
 possible. 
 
 It is necessary at intervals to damp the block, and when the 
 printer in charge finds this to be the case, he stops his press for 
 a few minutes. The gelatine film from the first has been 
 impregnated with a little glycerine, which serves to retain mois- 
 ture, and now a little more glycerine and water are applied by 
 means either of a cloth or sponge. Then, previously to resuming 
 work, a leather roller is passed over, to remove surplus moisture, 
 and the block is again ready for printing. 
 
 The quick presses in use at the Albert establishment will pro- 
 duce from 800 to 2,000 copies a day, but, as we said before, the 
 work is obviously not so fine as that produced by a careful 
 printer with a hand-press. At the same time, there is a vast 
 amount of work that naturally falls to the lot of the Schnellpress. 
 The printing of pictures for catalogues offers a wide field. 
 Hatters, ironmongers, engineers, bookbinders, tailors, furniture- 
 dealers, &c, &c, are all beginning to find out the value of 
 photographic illustrations, and Lichtdruck renders great service 
 in permitting them to place before the public representations of 
 objects for sale in a most novel and satisfactory manner. 
 
 The actual preparation of the printing blocks we detail 
 in our " At Homes" at Herr Obernetter of Munich, and Herr 
 
270 
 
 STUDIOS IN BAVARIA. 
 
 Lbwy at Vienna, merely remarking here that Herr Albert, no 
 more than his colleagues, does not practise the old method of 
 Lichtdruck, in which two films of bichromated gelatine are 
 applied. Herr Albert's original plan — and he was the first to 
 employ Lichtdruck practically, if we except Gamier' s beautiful 
 process — was to apply a preliminary coating of bichromated 
 gelatine to the thick glass plate, the film being exposed through 
 the back of the glass, and thus rendered insoluble and tightly 
 cemented to the surface ; this firm film served as a basis for the 
 second sensitive coating that was afterwards impressed by the 
 negative. This double treatment of the thick glass plate is now 
 definitely abandoned in most Lichtdruck establishments, and, 
 instead, a preliminary coating of soluble silicate and white of 
 egg dissolved in water is employed. This solution must be very 
 dilute, it must be prepared fresh, and last, but not least, the 
 silicate must be entirely free from caustic potash ; otherwise the 
 result is never perfect. The preliminary film is exceedingly thin, 
 and prior to the application of the bichromated gelatine it is 
 rinsed with water, so that an open porous surface may be 
 obtained. The printing, which is done in an ordinary printing 
 frame, is usually conducted with a stripped negative, but a 
 reversed negative taken on patent plate can be pressed sufficiently 
 in contact to give a sharp impression. 
 
 Most Lichtdruck prints are treated with shellac varnish after 
 drying, and in this way are made to look very much like silver 
 prints, for which they are frequently sold. Carefully printed 
 Lichtdrucks on matt plate paper are not varnished, these being 
 generally used for book illustrations. 
 
 We pass from the Schnellpress room into the ordinary silver 
 printing room, where a revolving table for vignettes at once 
 attracts notice. It is a round table about four feet in diameter, 
 upon which the printing frames are laid. The motive power is 
 a large clock, or rather the works of one, the clock being set in 
 motion by two heavy weights, such as one sees attached to the 
 ordinary Dutch clock. " It is a very simple affair," says our 
 friend ; " I constructed it myself. The table moves very slowly, 
 but goes on all day, if you pull up the weights occasionally." 
 "We saw the vignettes thus automatically printed, and they were 
 very finely graduated. 
 
 In Herr Albert's establishment, the cabinet portrait style is 
 most favoured by the public, the charge made for a dozen pictures 
 
JOSEF ALBERT. 
 
 271 
 
 T3eing 27 marks or shillings; but then Munich, it must be 
 remembered, is altogether a cheap city. 
 
 Some specimens of colour printing in Herr Albert's studio 
 deserve mention. Herr Albert has been experimenting with 
 some success on the method which is usually connected with the 
 name of Ducos du Hauron. A painting is photographed three 
 times ; the first negative is taken through a red screen, the 
 second through a blue screen, and the third through a yellow 
 screen. Albert employs coloured liquids for his screens, and in 
 this way he secures three negatives, in the taking of which 
 respectively the rays of the three primary colours have been ab- 
 sorbed. The negative taken through the red screen is then 
 printed upon red carbon tissue, and the other two negatives 
 printed respectively with blue and yellow tissue. Then the three 
 prints in red, yellow, and blue are superposed, and the picture 
 is finished. By working in this way, Herr Albert claims to 
 have reproduced a coloured picture of Lemercier, which had been 
 produced from eighteen stones (and therefore contained eighteen 
 different tints) in all its pristine beauty. As the original was 
 not at hand for comparison, it was impossible to say how far 
 success had been secured, but certainly the Albert pictures are 
 very pleasing and interesting. To talk of the process as one of 
 photographing in natural colours is of course nonsense, for there 
 is no relation between the colours absorbed by the screens and 
 the particular pigment which happens to be in the carbon tissue; 
 but, as an important experiment, the matter deserves notice. 
 But more satisfactory still than the compound pictures in colours 
 was a compound picture we saw (from the three negatives) 
 printed in monochrome or sepia ; the painting was here repro- 
 duced far more satisfactorily than when a single negative only 
 was employed for printing. In effect, the colours of the original 
 picture appeared to have been more truthfully translated into 
 monotone by taking three negatives under the particular con- 
 ditions ; so harmonious, indeed, was the result, that we should 
 not be surprised if in future, in the photographing of paintings, 
 recourse is not had to this particular method, or a modification 
 of it. 
 
 HERR J. OBERNETTER IN MUNICH. 
 Whethee there is any truth in the proverb that work prospers 
 most upon hallowed ground, we know not ; but we can say this 
 
272 
 
 STUDIOS IN BAVARIA. 
 
 much, at any rate, that we did not see better Liehtdruck work 
 during our recent tour in Europe than that met with in Herr 
 Obernetter's establishment. If not situated in the Senefelder 
 Strasse itself, the printing-rooms are within a stone's throw of 
 the thoroughfare named after the discoverer of lithography, and 
 we may surely expect that if photo-lithography, collotype, and 
 arts allied to lithography, are to be found anywhere in perfec- 
 tion, it is near the spot where Senefelder was born. 
 
 Be this as it may, Herr Obernetter — who enjoys the reputa- 
 tion of an ardent photo-chemist and experimentalist, not only in 
 Germany, but wherever photography is known — has arrived at 
 a wonderful pitch of excellence in his work. He has no Schnell- 
 press on the premises, but only hand- presses ; but then his aim 
 is more to do the best work, rather than much of it ; that is to- 
 say, his principal work lies in the printing of negatives from 
 nature, rather than the printing of negatives of pictures, engrav- 
 ings, &c. ; and everybody conversant with mechanical printing 
 knows the former to be the more difficult. Doubtless Herr 
 Obernetter requires a higher price for his work, for, in some 
 cases, it proceeds very slowly indeed. 
 
 We need not here recapitulate the processes and formulae of 
 the Liehtdruck process, which, if not identical, are very similar 
 indeed to those we have already given in our " At Home" at 
 Herr Lowy, in Yienna. Here, as in that establishment, the 
 main point is the preparation of bichxomated gelatine images on 
 the Liehtdruck plates, from which prints are struck off in the 
 press. Herr Obernetter, since he only employs the slower and 
 more careful hand-press, goes to work rather differently in the 
 preparation of his Liehtdruck plates. Instead of the bichro- 
 mated gelatine being applied to solid plate glass, half an inch 
 thick, only patent plate of ordinary thickness is used. It is 
 more handy of manipulation, and is better adapted to the com- 
 mon printing-frame. Afterwards, when taken to the press, the 
 patent plate is laid upon a bed of plate glass, and in this way 
 receives the necessary support. 
 
 Another thing that struck us was that the gelatine images 
 upon the Liehtdruck plates were rather more yellow than those 
 we saw in Vienna. The yellowness, it is true, was a mere 
 tinge, but still those elsewhere were sometimes quite colourless, 
 and this had been pointed out as a sign of perfection. Herr 
 Obernetter's work proves, at any rate, that the yellowish tinge 
 is by no means inseparable from good results. 
 
HERE J. OBERNETTER. 
 
 273 
 
 The laboratory, washing room, drying-cupboards, &c, are all 
 on the basement, and here, too, are the reproductions of nega- 
 tives made by the graphite process, to the excellence of which 
 Herr Obernetter called attention six or seven years ago, and 
 which then, as now, is one of the most valuable reproducing 
 methods we have. A great many of the cliches Herr Obernetter 
 receives have to be reproduced before they can be transformed 
 into Lichtdruck plates, and he employs either the wet collodion 
 process or the graphite method, according to circumstances. If 
 he desires to make the copy softer than the original, he employs 
 collodion ; if he desires to infuse vigour, and make the copy 
 stronger than the original, he uses graphite. The qualities of 
 the gelatino-bromide process he does not think lend themselves 
 to making reproductions suitable for Lichtdruck. 
 
 If a negative is otherwise satisfactory, it usually requires 
 stripping, an operation performed in the simplest manner. The 
 negative is put upon a levelling stand, and fluid gelatine of 
 tolerable consistence poured over it. When dry, a penknife is 
 run round the margin, and the film leaves the glass without any 
 trouble. A stripped film is always preferred for printing the 
 Lichtdruck impression-, since, with pressure, there is no difficulty 
 about getting perfect contact ; where fine detail exists, this is 
 absolutely necessary. A large series of Lichtdruck plates ready 
 for printing are passed in review, some of them exceedingly 
 delicate. " We are satisfied if we get from 100 to 400 copies 
 from plates like these,' ' says the manager of the laboratory ; 
 " as there is no difficulty now in making the plates, we never 
 push the printing too far." 
 
 We walk upstairs into the printing room. Here are a dozen 
 presses at work, all of them known by the name of the Star or 
 Stern-press. They are small lithographic presses, one man 
 sufficing to work them, who turns a revolving wheel, which 
 reminds one of steering a ship. As we have said, the Licht- 
 druck plate, gelatine image upwards, is laid upon a sheet of plate 
 glass by way of bed, the film having first been treated with 
 glycerine and water, as we have previously described. The work 
 is very similar to lithography, except that more time and care 
 are spent over it. In the first place, a moist sponge is rubbed 
 over the surface ; then comes a soft wash-leather roller, whose 
 surface is soft and of the appearance of crepe, which is rolled 
 over the Lichtdruck plate two or three times to remove surplus 
 
 T 
 
274 
 
 STUDIOS IN BAVARIA. 
 
 moisture. The ink rollers that are now applied are of glue com- 
 position, and as the impression requires two inks — it is a Pom- 
 peian window — the thick ink is first put on. The roller is not 
 passed once, but half a dozen times at least over the plate, and 
 then another roller charged with thin ink is applied in the same 
 manner. It takes fully five minutes to sponge and roll up the 
 plate, the rolling being done gently, but firmly. A sheet of 
 paper is now laid upon the plate, the tympan lowered, and the 
 scraper adjusted with due pressure ; a revolution of the wheel 
 completes the printing, the well-known scraping action of the 
 lithographic press being used in the operation. 
 
 A more gentle and time-taking process still is in operation at 
 the next hand-press. Here is a delicate interior (from nature), 
 and the printer, one of the skilful hands, is paying it great atten- 
 tion. Not only does he spend more time over the sponging and 
 rolling up, but the paper for the print is carefully laid on, 
 tamped with the fingers on the back, and then gently rubbed 
 with the palm of the hand, before the tympan is lowered and 
 pressure applied. Altogether it is a most delicate process, and 
 we question whether a dozen prints per hour are pulled. Eut 
 they are very fine and perfect pictures that result. 
 
 Some of the prints are taken on thick plate paper, and are then 
 ready for binding without further ado ; these are usually for 
 book illustrations. Other pictures, that are to pass muster 
 among silver photographs, are, on the other hand, printed upon 
 fine, thin paper, and then varnished and pressed to impart to 
 them a better surface. The varnishing is done by first sizing in 
 a thin solution of gelatine, and then dipping in a solution of 
 shellac in spirit. 
 
 Another class of work is the printing of little vignetted 
 photographs upon note and letter paper. Everybody is 
 acquainted with the pictorial letter paper, sold at a penny a 
 sheet at all spas and tourist resorts, each sheet having, by way 
 of heading, a coarse engraving of some local spot or building of 
 interest. A German publisher has conceived the idea of printing 
 real photographs, instead of these woodcuts, upon letter paper, 
 and at one of the presses here a collotype printer is printing off 
 such copies at the rate of about sixty an hour. 
 
 We pass on through the varnishing-room into the photo- 
 graphic studio. As no portraits are taken here, but it serves 
 simply for making reproductions, the only aim has been to make 
 
HERR J. OBERNETTER. 
 
 275 
 
 the apartment as light as possible. The photographer attached 
 to the establishment is engaged upon wet-plate work. He does 
 not albumenize before coating with collodion, but prefers well- 
 polished plates, which, he avows, are better produced by rubbing 
 with thin Chinese paper and a little old collodion, than in any- 
 other way. Chinese paper does not give rise to loose fluff and 
 fibre, like fabric — a point that may well be noted. 
 
 Here is Obernetter's graphite process for reproducing negatives. 
 A patent plate is coated with the following, when filtered : — 
 
 Dextrine 62 grains 
 
 Ordinary white sugar 77 
 
 Bichromate of ammonia ... ... 30*8 ,, 
 
 Water 3*21 ounces 
 
 Glycerine 2 to 8 drops 
 
 The film is dried at a temperature of 130° to 140° F., in about 
 ten minites, and while still warm is printed under a negative in 
 diffused light for a period of five to fifteen minutes. In a well- 
 timed print, the image is slightly visible; the plate is again 
 warmed a little above atmospheric temperature in a darkened 
 room, and then fine levigated graphite is applied with a fine 
 dusting brush, a sheet of white paper being put underneath to 
 judge of the effect. 
 
 Breathing upon the plate renders it more capable of attracting 
 the powder. When the desired vigour has been attained, the 
 superfluous powder is dusted off, and the plate is coated with 
 normal collodion. Afterwards the film is cut through at the 
 margins of the plate by means of a sharp knife, and put into 
 water. In a little while — from two to five minutes — the collo- 
 dion with the image will be detached from the glass ; the film is 
 at once turned over in the water, and brought out upon the glass 
 plate. Under a soft jet of water any air-bubbles that may exist 
 between the collodion and the glass are removed, and then the 
 image is poured over with a thin solution of gum-arabic (two 
 grammes of gum dissolved in one hundred grammes of water), 
 and allowed to dry spontaneously in an upright position. 
 
STUDIO IN BELGIUM. 
 
 M. GERUZET IN THE RUE DE L'ECUYER, BRUSSELS. 
 
 M. Geeuzet enjoys a distinction of which he may well be 
 proud. Of all portraitists on the Continent of Europe, he is 
 the only one who prints his work in carbon, and in carbon alone. 
 "I made a vow, two years ago, to produce only permanent 
 portraits," says M. Geruzet to us, " and I have since kept to it. 
 If a better process than the carbon is brought forward, I sha 1 ! 
 be quite ready to adopt it, for printing in pigments is not un- 
 attended with difficulty ; meanwhile I take the best process I 
 can that will give me durable work." 
 
 All the prints, then, we see around us — from tiny carte to 
 life-size pictures — are printed in permanent pigments. " What 
 of their quality ? ' ' it will be asked . 0 ur reply is that M . Geruzet, 
 five years ago, was in the first rank of portraitists in the Belgian 
 capital, and in that position he is still as firm as ever. It may 
 be that in small work the impressions are less bright and pretty, 
 occasionally, than might be produced from highly-albumenized 
 paper of roseate hue, as M. Geruzet himself readily admits ; but, 
 among the many prints we critically examined at the studio, 
 there were none that were anything but satisfactory, while, 
 in many cases, it would have puzzled an expert to say whether 
 silver or pigment constituted the impression. 
 
 We shall say but little of M. Geruzet' s studio, into which 
 we were first invited, for the simple reason that we desire to do 
 justice to the carbon operations in progress at the establish- 
 ment Suffice it to say that M. Geruzet employs now only the 
 gelatino-bromide process. He purchases the dried pellicle 
 always, and dissolves it for use as required ; and he uses none 
 other than oxalate development. For carbon printing he thinks, 
 indeed, that oxalate development is imperative ; but a daily 
 experience of eighteen months has proved to him its superiority 
 over the pyrogallic developer in many ways. In this respect, 
 by-the-bye, M. Geruzet does not differ from his brethren in 
 Brussels and in Paris, for, at the chief ateliers in the French 
 capital — Benque, Yan Bosch, Lejeune, Walery, Nadar — the 
 oxalate developer is also in favour. It is so difficult to judge the 
 printing density of a pyrogallic negative, and, since the whole 
 
M. GERUZET. 
 
 277 
 
 success of a carbon print depends upon this, it is naturally a 
 matter of the first importance. "JNon, non," says M. Geruzet, 
 emphatically, "pas de pyro." 
 
 The sensitizing of the tissue is conducted in the cool domain 
 of the cellar. The solution of bichromate varies from 3 to 5 per 
 cent, in strength, the tissue, as it comes from the bath, being 
 gently squegeed on a glass plate to remove the superfluous 
 liquid. It is contact with the bichromate solution that is one 
 of the most vexatious drawbacks of the carbon process, for one 
 cannot but admit it is injurious to health. To take care that 
 the skin is touched by the solution as seldom as possible is one of 
 the standing precautions ; but it is not so easy for a principal to 
 get^ his assistants to carry out even regulations provided for 
 their benefit. The temperature at Brussels in the summer, and 
 also in spring, is often so warm that the sensitizing of the tissue 
 cannot be carried on uninterruptedly in an ordinary room, for 
 gelatine runs when the thermometer points to 90° E. or there- 
 abouts. At the same time, after thoroughly draining and 
 squegeeing, the tissue is found to set so quickly, that within ten 
 minutes or a quarter- of -an-hour of its being sensitized it can be 
 carried into one of the upper rooms to dry. Heat is now a 
 matter of little consequence, so long as there is a good current 
 of air ; and M. Geruzet allows the drying to go on as quickly 
 as possible. Keeping the tissue for twenty-four hours after 
 sensitizing, instead of being hurtful, is, in some conditions of 
 the tissue, a positive advantage. But this question is a matter 
 in which experience is the only guide. 
 
 We now proceed to the printing- shed on the roof, and here a 
 singular sight presents itself. There are probably five hundred 
 small negatives printing, and yet not a single printing-frame. 
 The printing is conducted in the open, but in the shade. ' ' Many 
 talk of the comparative rapidity of carbon printing," says 
 M. Geruzet; "but, practically speaking, owing to the care 
 necessary in the operation, the work does not go on more quickly 
 than the production of good silver prints." 
 
 We have said that no printing-frames are used. Each carte 
 or cabinet is simply made fast to an under glass by means of two 
 or three American clips. A piece of pigment tissue is put 
 under the negative ; this is backed up by half-a-dozen pieces 
 of red blotting-paper to act as a pad, and the whole clamped 
 between the two glasses. It is the simplest arrangement con- 
 
278 
 
 STUDIO IN BELGIUM. 
 
 ceivable. Since it is never necessary to look at an impression 
 in course of printing, the whole raison d'etre of a complicated 
 pressure-frame disappears, the negatives can be closely packed 
 in rows on the printing-board, and, when printed, the process 
 of changing the tissue of a hundred negatives or so is but the 
 work of a few minutes. 
 
 Every negative has gummed round it a paper margin or mask, 
 so that an unexposed border of tissue is around every print. 
 The negatives are examined by the printer before the printing 
 commences, and he estimates their density ; they are then put 
 in closely-serried rows upon the prin ting-board, according to 
 the density they present. Thus one row will remain exposed 
 to light until the photometer — Marion's photometer is em- 
 ployed — records five degrees, another row until six is recorded, 
 and so on. M. Geruzet, by means of the oxalate developer, 
 can now control the density of his negatives so well that they 
 all range between five and eight degrees. 
 
 We will now follow a batch of exposed pieces of tissue to the 
 developing room. This is a sombre apartment with plenty of 
 water, warm and cold, laid on. The development of the prints 
 takes place on sheets of opal glass measuring about 12 by 10 
 inches. The surface of the opal is polished, and this first 
 receives a preliminary coating of white wax, which is simply 
 rubbed on and off again ; afterwards thin normal collodion is 
 poured on, and the plate put into cold water until the greasiness 
 of the surface has disappeared. Here in a shallow bath of cold 
 water are half-a-dozen such prepared plates ready at hand for 
 development. 
 
 Six or eight small pieces of the printed tissue are now thrown 
 into cold water, * and, when thoroughly soaked, say in two 
 minutes, they are pressed, of course face downwards, upon the 
 wet opal plate. A little while elapses, to permit the tissue to 
 become firmly adherent to the glass, and then immersion in warm 
 water follows. The temperature of this water, as most of our 
 readers know, must depend to some extent on the tissue, whether 
 it is fresh or stale, but 90° to 95° E. is the usual warmth. A^ 
 the pieces of tissue are supposed' to have received the same 
 amount of printing, and should, therefore, develop simulteneously, 
 
 * With very fine work, it is well to coat the printed tissue also with 
 collodion, prior to its immersion in cold water for development. 
 
M. GERUZET. 
 
 27$ 
 
 but this does not happen in practice. It becomes necessary to 
 hasten the washing of the more tardy images, and this is done 
 by using ammonia. A coffee-pot-looking utensil stands close 
 at hand containing warm water to which a little ammonia haa 
 been added, and this mixture is carefully poured over the sur- 
 face of those prints from which the superfluous pigment refuses 
 to wash away. In this way the development is at once accek • 
 rated, and the manipulation of half a dozen impressions can be 
 proceeded with at the same time. 
 
 The white opal surface, of course, permits one to judge of 
 the success of the print on development, and we need scarcely 
 say that this part of the process is the most difficult and cruci^ 
 of all. Besides skill and experience, the carbon printer must 
 have an inexhaustible amount of patience. " If you will only 
 wait, you will get what you want," is a proverb that the carbon 
 worker must have closely at heart, for it may happen that he 
 has to develop half-a-dozen impressions before securing that pitch 
 of perfection he desires. Fifty per cent, of failures M. Geruzet ' 
 would probably take as a low estimate ; in any case, however 
 frequent failure may arise, he pushes on until success at last 
 attends his efforts. 
 
 The application of gelatined paper to the developed prints 
 when dry, and stripping the latter from the glass surface, are 
 matters of less moment. M. Geruzet employs fresh paste for 
 mounting, but with carbon prints, obviously, this operation plays 
 a far less important role than when silver impressions are under 
 consideration. 
 
 We have only referred to the printing of small work, for it 
 is in this that so many photographers have failed. M. Geruzet 
 succeeds where others do not, for the simple reason that he has 
 a larger stock of patience, and has the courage to . condemn all 
 but first class work. As we have said, among the vast collec- 
 tion of prints we saw, there was not one picture that was unsatis- 
 factory ; but this was due to the fact that he destroys all 
 mediocre pictures. In saying this, we do not desire to underrate 
 M. Geruzet's experience, skill, and keen judgment on points 
 connected with carbon printing, but we are sure that these would 
 never have led him to success unless he possessed much courage 
 and patience into the bargain. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Abney, Captain, at South Kensington, 
 
 London, 55 
 Adam-Salomon, M., in Paris, 202 
 Adole, Atelier, at Vienna, 250 
 Albert, Herr Josef, at Munich, 267 
 Angerer, Herr Victor, at Vienna, 258 
 Annan, Messrs, T. and R., at Glasgow, 
 
 198 
 
 Autotype Works, Ealing, London, 29 
 Barton, Mr. W, Harvey, at Bristol, 171 
 Bas : ano, Alexander, Mr., in Old Bond 
 
 Street, London, 80 
 Bedford, Francis, Mr., at Camden Town, 
 
 London, 9 
 Benque et Cie., MM., in Paris, 211 
 Blan chard, Valentine, Mr., in Regent 
 
 Street, London, 59 
 Brown, Barnes, and Bell, Messrs., at 
 
 Liverpool, 156 
 Downey, W. and D., Messrs., at Ebury 
 
 Street, London, 19 
 Eder, Dr. J. M., at Vienna, 242 
 Electric Studio, Van der Weyde's, 
 
 London, 72 
 Elliott and Fry, Messrs., at Baker Street, 
 
 London, 42 
 England, William, Mr., at Notting 
 
 Hill, London, 14 
 Faulkner, Robert, Mr., in Baker Street, 
 
 London, 68 
 Fergus, Mr. John, at Largs, 183 
 Fry, Elliott and, Messrs., at Baker Street, 
 
 London, 42 
 Geruzet, M., at Brussels, 276 
 Grove, Window and, Messrs., at Baker 
 
 Street, London, 92 
 Hills and Saunders, Messrs., at Porchester 
 
 Terrace, London, 50 
 Huggins, Dr., at Upper Tulse Hill, 
 
 London, 83 
 Hughes, Mr. Jabez, at Ryde, 132 
 Jennings, Payne, Mr., at West Dulwich, 
 
 London, 23 
 Kew Observatory, 137 
 Koller, Herr, at Pesth, 262 
 Lafosse, M., at Manchester, 161 
 laws, Mr. T. M., at Newcastle, 152 
 Lej> une, Maison, at Paris, 218 
 Lowy, Herr, at Vienna, 253 
 
 Luckardt, Ilerr Fritz, in Vienna, 253 
 Mayall, Mr. J. E., at Brighton, 127 
 Mayland, Mr. W., in Regent Street, 
 
 London, 101 
 Midwinter, Mr. W. H., at Bristol, 175 
 Millbank Prison, London, 11 
 Nadar, M., in Paris, 214 
 Observatory at Kew, 137 
 Obernetter, Herr, at Munich, 271 
 Pentonville Penitentiary, London, 119 
 Perlmutter, Herr, at the Atelier Ad£le, 
 
 Vienna, 250 
 Photo-lithographic Establishment, Wool- 
 wich, 64 
 
 Phototype Establishment in London, 110 
 Platinctype Company at Bromley Road, 
 
 London, 76 
 Prefecture de la Police, at Paris, 222 
 Prison, Millbank, in London, 114 
 Priimm, HerrT., in Berlin, 232 
 Robinson, Mr. H. P., atTunbridge Wells, 
 
 123 
 
 Russell and Sons, Messrs., at Worthing, 
 179 
 
 Saloman, Adam, M., in Paris, 202 
 Sarony Square at Scarborough, 146 
 Saunders, Messrs. Hills and, at Porchester 
 
 Terrace, London, 50 
 Schaarwachter, Herr J. C, in Berlin, 227 
 Slingsby, Mr. Robert, at Lincoln, 142 
 Swan, Mr. J. W., at Newcastle, 165 
 Taylor, A. and G., Messrs., at Forest 
 
 Hill, London, 37 
 Valentine and Sons, Messrs., at Dundee, 
 
 191 
 
 Wane, Mr. Marshall, at Edinburgh, 187 
 
 Warnerke, Mr. L., at Champion Hill, 
 London, 105 
 
 Weyde, Van der, Mr., in Regent Street, 
 London, 72 
 
 Window and Grove, Messrs., at Baker 
 Street, London, 92 
 
 Winter Brothers, Messrs., at Vienna, 245 
 
 WoodburT,W., Mr., at South Norwood, 
 London, 44 
 
 Woodbury Permanent Printing Co., at 
 Ealing, London, 96 
 
 Woolwich, Photo-lithographic Establish- 
 ment, 64 
 
To Photographers, Crayon Artists, 
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 Painters, Workers in Pastel, Cray- 
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 IT will pay you to write for my new reduced 
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 Hoping to hear from every artist in the United 
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 Yours truly, 
 
 W. R. REID, 
 
 Manufacturer, Importer, and Jobber of FINE ART GOODS of ALL kinds, 
 
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 PHOTOGRAPHERS FRIEND, 
 
 SEVENTH EDITION. 
 
 (Illustrated with Steel Plate Portrait of the Proprietor ) 
 
 JUST OUT.— GRATIS. 
 
 Our Literary Works are known the World over as the 
 Most Practical, Cheapest and Best. 
 
 TUG Most Popular Periodical or tlie times, is issued from this estaDlislment. 
 
 Twenty- two years successful conduct* 
 
 Photography our fort (e) which we defend. 
 
SttaMiofxcb 1865. 
 
 WILSON, HOOD & CO, 
 
 DEALERS IN 
 
 PHOTO. GOODS. 
 
 SOLE AGENTS FOR 
 
 ROSS and STEINHEIL LENSES. 
 
 Orders solicited for any of the following makes of lenses, 
 
 Voigtlander, Morrison, Waterbury, 
 
 Dalltneyer, Zentmeyer, Platyscope, 
 
 Peerless, Harlot, E. A. & G. C. 
 
 CAMERA BOXES MANUFACTURED BY 
 Am. Op. Co., Anthony, S. Peck & Co. and Semmendinger. 
 
 CHAIRS MANUFACTURED BY 
 
 Knell, Schindler, Bowdish & Scovill. 
 
 , HEAD RESTS. 
 
 Wilson, and Spencer. 
 
 ALBUMEN PAPERS. 
 
 N. P. A., S. & M., Morgan's, Hovey's, etc, 
 
 DRY PLATES. 
 
 Carbutt's, Eastman's, and Cramer & Norden's. 
 
 DRY PLATE OUTFITS OF ALL KINDS, ALWAYS IN STOCK, 
 
 COLLINS' CARD STOCK. 
 
 We keep the largest and most complete stock in this city. Trial and Outfit Orders 
 solicited. Complete Price-lists and estimates furnished. 
 
 825 AM SL Wilson, Hood & Co., PHILADELPHIA 
 
W. J. HAZENSTAB, 
 
 Formerly 406 Market, 
 
 Is now Installed in New and Larger Quarters, at 
 
 918 OLIVE STREET, 
 
 Where tve ivill be able to double the orders formerly 
 received from our friends, patrons and strangers. 
 
 All tkose visiting ST. LOUIS will do well to CALL at ABOVE NUMBER. 
 
 WE COULD NAME THIS THE 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHERS' BLOCK, 
 
 ~**J& AS THERE ARE 
 
 Mr, A, J, Fox at 916, and Mr. J. A, Scholten at 920 ; then to?, have 
 Messrs. Hurlbut & Thorndm % ff, Mr. D, C, Redington, Mr, 
 D, B. Taylor, and lately, Mrs. J, H. FUzglbbon, 
 
 8ll Opposite ottf $tofe. 
 © 
 
 ^THANKS FOR PAST FAVORS^ 
 
 And hoping to be favored with all orders, both large and small, with 
 prompt attention to all that is intrusted to our care, we are, as ever, 
 
 Your Most Obedient, 
 
 W. J. HAZENSTAB, 
 
 9 8 Olive St., ST. LOUIS. 
 
Morgan's 
 Albumenized Paper. 
 
 =e ■ : 
 
 ^Ive c^e^vt £U£4i44tei4 t£apet; 414 
 
 Tones more easily, with less gold, and keeps 
 white after silvering in hot weather longer than 
 any paper offered for sale. 
 
 Send for sample dozen. 
 
 THOS. H. McCOLLIN, 
 
 Trade .A-gent. 
 631 Arch St., PHILADELPHIA. 
 
— AND— 
 
 Wo. 411 Worth 4th St., ST. LOUIS, MO. 
 
 ^hatagrdfihic ^huhimxU^c of f§verg €!c^mptian. 
 
 Prices are exceptionally low, and our gools always fresh and reliable. 
 
 We shall be pleased to serve you. Send for our new illus- 
 trated Catalogue, the largest and most complete Photographic 
 List ever published. 
 
 of known reliability always on hand. The "Mound City" 
 Brand being especially recommended for real merit. Ask 
 your dealer for them and take no other. 
 
 Correspondence on subjects relating to Photography solicited 
 and all questions cheerfully answered. 
 
 The Leading House of the West. 
 
 Novelties in our Accessory Department Continually Arriving. 
 
 DRY PLATE MATERIAL 
 
 Yours to command 
 
 H. 
 
 411 N. 4th Street, 
 
 ST. LOUIS, MO. 
 
Chas. Cooper & Co., 
 
 Manufacturing Chemists & Importers, 
 
 194 Worth St., NEW YORK, 
 
 near Chatham Square. 
 Guaranteed Strictly Pure. 
 
 CROSS SWORD DRESDEN 
 
 ALBUMEN P APER, 
 
 SAXE EVAPORATING DISHES, 
 SOLID GLASS BATHS, 
 USENER'S PORTRAIT LENSES. 
 
 Refining of Photographic Wastes and Residues 
 a Specialty. 
 
 yj O P V K S AT J^EWAF^K, |^ . jl , 
 
11 
 
 1878. A , N K M\M 1 
 
 No. 250 MERCER ST., 
 
 Bet. 3rd & 4th Sis., One block wesl of B'wav. 
 
 Having now (Removed to the above location, 
 and Stock fully arranged, I am prepared to fill 
 all orders promptly and at bottom prices. 
 
 Ml Jans olj Jtutft} l|mfl of J\nh- 
 tjntjpfytt daubs, 
 
 WET and DRY. 
 
 George Murphy, 
 
 250 Mercer St., 
 
 NEW - - YORK. 
 
THE OLD RELIABLE ! 
 
 P. SMITH & CO., 
 
 141 & 143 WEST FIFTH STREET, 
 
 Cincinnati, Ohio. 
 
 AND 
 
 BRANCH AT 
 NO. 6 EAST BROAD STREET, 
 
 COLUMBUS, OHIO. 
 
 WHERE 
 
 The Amateur and the 
 
 Professional Photographer 
 
 WILL FIND EVERYTHING 
 
 Requisite for either the WET or the DEY PLATE 
 PROCESS. 
 
 Dry Plates and Outfits in Great Variety. 
 Velvet Frames, etc., etc., etc., 
 
TEXAS HEAD-QUARTERS 
 
 FOR 
 
 Blessing & Bro., 
 
 Galveston, Texas. 
 
 M^raf tic §>mi$ of all feintfe, 
 
 LENSES, BOXES, and 
 
 APPARATUS of every description, 
 
 CARD STOCK, 
 
 DRY PLATE OUTFITS 
 AND REQUISITES. 
 
 FERROTYPE MATERIAL, 
 FRAMES, MATS, ALBUMS, 
 STEREOSCOPES AND VIEWS, ETC., ETC. 
 
 $11 kt % Lowest Prices. 
 
 INCLUDING 
 
 PURE CHEMICALS, 
 
 FRESH PAPERS, 
 
 Send for Catalogue and Price-Lists. 
 
Wilson's Photographic Publications. 
 
 The Philadelphia Photographer. — A monthly magazine, illustrated by pho- 
 tographs of superior merit. $5 00 a year ; $2 50 for six months. Stands ahead of all its 
 kindred. Seventeen years of success is a sufficient guarantee of its value and use to the 
 practical, working, growing photographer. Do not go without its valuable help. Send 
 for circular and sample copy. 
 
 The Practical Printer.— By C. W. Hearn. Price, $2 50. Second edition now 
 ready. This is a most handy and reliable book. It goes into all the operations of plain 
 and fancy silver printing, and is Jull of good. 
 
 Photographers' Pocket Reference Book.— By Dr. H. Vogel. Price, $1 50. 
 For the dark room. It meets a want filled by no other book. Full of formula— short, 
 practical, and plain. 
 
 The Perrotypers' Guide.— Price, 75 cents. Cheap and complete. For the Fer- 
 rotyper this is the only standard work. Seventh thousand. 
 
 Pictorial Effect in Photography.— By H. P. Robinson. For the Art Pho- 
 tographer. Cloth, $1 50. Paper cover, $1 00. 
 
 Wilson's Lantern Journeys. — By Edward L. Wilson. In two volumes. 
 Price, $2 00 per volume. For the lantern exhibitor. Gives incidents and facts in enter- 
 taining style of about 2,000 places and things, including 300 of the Centennial and Paris 
 Exhibitions. 
 
 Big*elow's Artistic Photography.— Price reduced to $4 00. For the lover 
 of art. Beats his " Album of Lighting and Posing." Superb ! With twelve photo- 
 graphs and instructions. 
 
 Burnet's Hints on Composition.— Price $3 50. All should study it. A 
 splendid work, largely illustrated, giving all the rules and principles of artistic posing. 
 
 Studies in Artistic Printing 1 .— By C. W. Hearn. Price $3 50. Embellished 
 with six fire cabinet and promenade portrait studies. 
 
 The Photographic Colorists' Guide.— By John L. Gihon. Cloth bound, 
 $ 1 50. The newest and best work on painting photographs. 
 
 Photographic Mosaics.— 144 pages practical matter. Price 50 cents. 
 
 "WIL SON'S PHOTOG-RAPHICS. 
 
 Just Published, A HEW PHOTOGRAPHIC LESSON-BOOK, by E. L. WilSOll. 
 
 The author believes it to be the best effort he has ever made, and begs to call attention 
 to its peculiar advantages as a 
 
 Standard JBoolc for all Worhers in Photography. 
 
 Lesson A. Treatment of the Subject— B. The Needful Apparatus— C. The Objective 
 or Lens — D. The Dark Room — E. Preparation of the Glass — F. Chemicals and Solu- 
 tions — G. The Manipulations — H. Manipulatory Miseries — I. Retouching the Negative 
 — J. The Glass Studio — K. Accessories and Light — L. Managing the Model — M. Print- 
 ing on Albumen Paper— N. Printing on Plain Paper— O. General Remarks on Printing 
 —P. Printing on Various Surfaces— Q. Printing Perplexities— R. Art in Printing— S. 
 Mounting and Finishing — T. Photography Outside — U. Bromo-Gelatine Emulsion 
 Work — V. Vogel's Collodion EmuUion— W. Enlargements and Lantern Slides — X. 
 Phototypes, Platinotypes, and Collodion Transfer?— Y. Wastes and Their Worth— Z. 
 Metrical Measuring, etc. — Concluding Confab — Index (six pages ) 
 
 The index added is very full,*and will enable the reader to quickly find almost any sub- 
 ject needed on every practical department of the art. 
 
 It is believed that this is the most valuable work ever offered to the working photogra- 
 pher. It contains 352 pages. More than 100 illustrations. 
 
 Processes, Old and New, Public and Secret 
 
 Among the latter are the "Phototype," sometimes called the "Artotype" process, 
 with examples ; many of the "Lightning" processes ; the " Platinotype " process ; the 
 '* Collodion Transfer " or " Megatype" process, and many others. 
 
 $4 OO. POST-PAID. $4 OO. 
 
 For the beginner, for the amateur, for the photographic worker, it is believed to be 
 most complete. No live photographer should fail to get it soon, before his neighbor is 
 ahead. For other points see advertisements. An index of the work sent free. 
 
 Edward 1. Wilson, Autnor and Miisner, 912 & 914 Chestnut St, PMla., Pa. 
 
WOLF & CHEYNEY, 
 
 821 FILBERT ST., 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 Supply House for all 
 the requirements of 
 the Practical and Am- 
 ateur Photographer. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA, PA. 
 
 821 FILBERT STREET, 
 
 WOLF & CHEYNEY, 
 
DOUGLASS 
 
 Gayton A. Douglass. 
 
 Henby G. Thompson. 
 > H o 231 STATE Sr/? 
 
 CHICAGO fr 
 
 srchanfs in all KaquisiiES pErlaininn in iha 
 flri-SciaiiEE nf FhBinnraphu, 
 
 THOMPSON 
 
 CATALOG-TIES FREE, - 
 
 MMtoQvzpnevs' moumxu §mxau of %nioxmmtm. 
 
 FREE, 
 
 & GO. 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHERS' 
 
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 jMNE POLD ^OI\K A ^FECIAL 
 
 ROCHESTER, 
 
 N. Y. 
 
 T Y. 
 
o 
 
 Jt large and elegant line of 
 
 in &old, Imn^fi, $Ure Woods, etc, in 
 great uari^ttj of ornamentation, stales and 
 finish* 
 
 Ijauing competent designers, and fa- 
 cilities second to none in the country, 
 tue are enabled to constantly offer addi- 
 tional novelties for Artistic Framing, 
 
 $n &old, Bronze, Berlin &ilt and &old, 
 Ebony, ®ah and &old, Mahogany, etc, 
 
 Ornamented Hlottldings and Frames 
 in the white, 
 
 □ — ; — - — , 
 
 Rochester, N. Y. 
 
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The new and improved 
 
 Handy Camera Stand. 
 
 Made of black walnut, on the simplest common sense principles, and more per- 
 fectly polished than any other stand in the market. 
 
 The raising and lowering of the top is accomplished in one- fourth the time 
 required by most other stands, and with GREATER EASE. All 
 gratin g of iron cogs dispen sed with, I guarantee it 
 to give the most perfect satisfaction. 
 
 Try it for 4-4 or 8 x 10 Box, and if not pleased with it shij> it back at my expense. 
 
 PRICE, - - - - $15 00. 
 
 MANUFACTURED BY 
 
 JAMES H. SMITH, 
 
 Wholesale Photo, Goods, Frames, Albums, etc. 
 NO. 20 NORTH 4TH S QUINCY, ILL. 
 
J. A. Anderson, 
 
 MANUFACTURER OF 
 
 And Dealer in Supplies. 
 (>3 & 65 East Indiana St., 
 
 CHICAGO, ILL. 
 
 The only Manufacturer who furnishes the 
 Celebrated " Bonanza Plate Holders " with his 
 First Quality Camera Boxes without extra charge. 
 
 I have testimonials from the following leading 
 Artists, who recommend the " Bonanza" as being 
 Superior to all others : 
 
 SARONY, New York. 
 A. BOGARDUS, " 
 
 J. J. MONTGOMERY, Mora's Gallery, New York. 
 J. LANDY, Cincinnati, Ohio. 
 
 LEON VAN LOO, 
 
 F. WYBRANT, Louisville, Ky. 
 H. ROCHER, Chicago, 111. 
 
 W. H. RULOFSON, San Francisco, Cal. 
 
 G. D. MORSE, 
 D. B. TAYLOR, 
 SILAS SELLECK, 
 
PHOTOGRAPHIC WAREHOUSE. 
 
 /c/ Wet ** 
 
 Photographers 7 
 Supplies* 
 
 410 JS&JLI.1<T ST. 
 
 BUFFALO, N. Y. 
 
 DAVID TUCK S. B, BUTTS 
 
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DEALER IN % 
 
 Photographic Stock, 
 
 PICTURE FRAMES, 
 
 MO'ULDINGS, CHROMOS, 
 
 i AND j 
 
 ARTISTS' MATERIALS. 
 
 GEO. R. ANGELL, 
 
 1 58 Woodward Ave., 
 
 if DETROIT, MICH. ^ 
 
EASTMAN'S 
 
 e f a t i l to ~q)q)*vo' in ib& 
 
 Dry Plates. 
 
 RELIABLE, RAPID, 
 INSTANTANEOUS. 
 
 ALSO THE 
 
 Tropical Dry Plates, 
 
 Can be Used in any Climate and be Developed 
 and Washed with Hot Water! 
 
 Eastman's Gelatino-Bromide Pellicle, 
 
 For those who wish to prepare their own Plates, 
 
 EASTMAN DRY PLATE CO., Rochester, N. Y. 
 
 E. 1 H. T. Anthony & Co ., 591 Broaii ay, New York. 
 
 SEND FOR CIRCULAR, TRADE AGENTS, 
 
ANTHONY'S 
 
 DRY PLATE OUTFITS 
 
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 Ph 
 
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 A/osi Complete Assortment in Market 
 
 Instruction Book free with 
 each Out/it. 
 
 Outfits, $10 and upwards. 
 Send for Illustrated Price-list. 
 
 2 
 3 
 
 GO 
 
 to 
 
 GO 
 -3 
 
 > 1 
 
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 JVfo Lenses supplied with these are superior to those furnished by 
 Any other House. Send for Descriptive Circular. 
 
 Anthony's Patent Perfect Dry Plate-holder, 
 BEST IN THE WORLD! 
 
 E. & H, T. ANTHONY & CO. 591 B'way, NEW YORK. 
 
J. C. SOMERVILLE, 
 ST. LOUIS. 
 
 We give SPECIAL PRICES 
 
 ON 
 
 COMPLETE OUTFITS. 
 
 THE 
 
 Am. Opt. Co. Apparatus. Dry Plate Outfits 
 from $1000 to $41 50. 
 
 Sj^BEBE AND ^KAMEK || ^ORDEN 
 ||XATES. 
 
 5 per cent. Discount on orders of $10 00. 
 
 —Send for Bargain List and Circulars.— 
 
 1009 Olive Street. 
 
St. £ie6cr. ESTABLISHED 1854. £fia 5 . «Jioefiue 
 
 H. Lieber & Co's 
 
 %X Emporium. 
 
 HEADQUARTERS FOR 
 
 Leading Brands of Dry Plates 
 Kept in Stoeh. 
 
 AMATEUR DRY PLATE OUTFITS, 
 
 ALSO, 
 
 ARTISTS' AND WAX MATERIALS, 
 
 PICTURE FRAMES, MOULDINGS, 
 LOOKING GLASSES, ETC. 
 
 Send for Catalogues. 
 
 82 E. Washington St., 
 
 Indianapolis, Ind 
 
The BEST is the CHEAPEST. 
 
 Dallmeyer Lenses, 
 
 Success Cameras, 
 
 Climax Cameras, 
 E. A., 6r. C. and Platy scope Lenses, 
 Handy Head-Rests. 
 
 Genuine JV. (P. A. & S.& M. Albumen (Papers, 
 
 With The WATER-MARK. 
 
 (Brilliant Swiss Albumen (Papers, 
 
 A. (D. Swiss Albumen (Papers, 
 Hovey's, Morgan's, (Peerless, demons' & Hail 
 Columbia Albumen (Papers. 
 
 In future we shall be prepared to furnish the N. P. A, Extra BriL 
 Albumen Paper in White % Pink, Pearl and Pense Tints, 
 
 Chemicals of Guaranteed Purity and Strength. 
 
 Every Requisite for the Studio and Field. 
 
 SEND FOR ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE AND PRICE-LIST, 
 
 Tie most Extensive Line of Velvet, Plnsn and Ebony Frames, Easels, AlDums, stereo- 
 scopes, Grapioscopes, Portraits of Celebrities, Stereo. Views, etc, on this Continent. 
 
 E. & H. T. ANTHONY & CO., 
 591 BROADWAY, NEW YORK CITY. 591 
 
BASS' PATEJNT CLIMAX 
 
 Burnisher. 
 
 Every known improvement has been added to tbis ma- 
 chine. Photographers will find that it is the only 
 style of machine that will do the largest 
 work without the loss of 
 a single print. 
 
 Reciprocating roll, removable plate, removable roll, every piece made in exact dupli- 
 ;ate. The roll can be taken out for draw filing, or it can be by a simple device raised to 
 i perpendicular position. A new roll, plate or any part of the machine can be had at a 
 merely nominal cost, and no trouble as to fitting, as every piece is made the same. 
 
 Manufactured in the following sizes — 6 inch, 9 inch, 10 inch, 14 inch, 18 inch, 24 inch, 
 pinch. PRICES REDUCED. 
 
 For Sale Dy all of the leading Photo. Stock Dealers in this country and in Europe. 
 
 SOLE PA TEX TEE AND MANUFACTURER, 
 
 J. P. BASS. BANGOR. MAINE. 
 
Cq 
 
 ^ '6 
 
SataMiafteb, 1874. 
 
 Central Stock H oMe. 
 
 MORAN'S Specialties. 
 
 MORAN 'S Uollodions, Negative and Positive. 
 MORAN'S Celebrated Challenge Varnish. 
 MORAN'S Nitrate of Silver, C. P. 
 MORAN'S Chloride of Gold, C. P. 
 
 MORAN'S MONTHLY BARGAIN LIST. 
 
 « DRY PLATE Outfits a SPECIALTY. W' 
 
 Lenses, Camera Boxes, Accessories, etc., etc., 
 Bought or Exchanged. 
 
 SEND YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE 
 
 Illustrated Catalogue of Prices, Free to All. 
 
 A TRIAL, ORDER SOLICITED. 
 
 231 CENTER STREET, 
 
 N. W. Cor. Grand St., NEW YORK CITY. 
 
 PUBLISHER OF 
 
 H. MORAN, 
 
0 
 
% & S. T. Sutlioriy & Co., 
 
 591 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. 
 
 SOLE IMPORTERS OF THE 
 
 Premium Dallmeyer Lenses, and Cele- 
 brated '-N. P. A. Dresden 9 Albu- 
 men Paper. 
 
 MANUFACTURERS OF THE 
 
 Unrivalled Success Camera Boxes and 
 Apparatus, Albums, Velvet Frames, 
 Stereoscopes, Lanterns, 
 etc., etc., etc. 
 
 AND OF 
 
 Anthony 's Far-famed Photographic 
 Chemicals and other prep- 
 arations. 
 
 AGENTS FOR THE Tit A UK OF 
 
 The Adamantean Ferro. Plates and the 
 Entrehiu and, Weston Burnishers. 
 
 DEALERS IN 
 
 EVERYTHING- PERTAINING- TO PHOTOGRAPHY. 
 
American Albumen Paper Co. 
 
 MANUFACTURERS OF 
 
 BRANDS 
 
 A. PER 
 
 The BEST ALBUMEN PAPER of the Day. 
 
 IN DOUBLE AND SINGLE. 
 
 WHITE, BLUE, 
 PINK, or and 
 
 PEARL. DEEP PINK. 
 
 The above Brand* of Paper are SEPARATE and DISTINCT in their 
 Formulas, and will be Itept up to their FORMER STANDARD. 
 
 The Best in the Market! 
 
 ASK YOUR DEALER FOR IT. 
 
 A.' M. BROWN, Sec. & Manager. 
 
 ROCHESTER, N. F. 
 
GETTY RESEARCH INSTITUTE 
 
 3 3125 01063 6617