LIVERPOOL & MANCHESTER
PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNAL
n.s. Vol. II [or old series vol. V] 1858-1859
ver: Mar. 15, 2007
START:
NOTES:
--Italics have been retained from publications, which use them for both titles as well as emphasis. To more easily locate image titles, I have continued this italicization when titles have been rendered in all capitols or put in quotes, however italics have NOT been used when the general subject of an image is mentioned.
--Image numbers listed in articles can be either an entry number in an exhibition, or the photographer’s own image number as found on labels.
--All names have been bolded for easy location. Numbers frequently refer to the photographer’s image number, but can also refer to a number in a catalog for a show. Decide whether to bold or not if can tell.
--It is not always possible in lists of photographers to know when two separate photographers are partners or not, e.g., in a list, “Smith and Jones” sometimes alludes to two separate photographers and sometimes to one photographic company. Both names will be highlighted and indexed but a partnership may be wrongly assumed. Any information to the contrary would be appreciated.
-- Brackets [ ] are used to indicate supplied comments by the transcriber; parenthesis
( ) are used in the original sources. If the original source has used brackets, they have been transcribed as parenthesis to avoid confusion.
--“illus” means that I have the view mentioned and should be scanned and included.
--Articles by photographers about technical matters – only name and titles have been listed. If other names are associated with the paper they are listed as well.
--Meetings of Societies – Names of officers, members attending or referenced, dates and locations of meetings have been given. If the reports are very short or discuss photographs, then the articles have been copied; if administrative or technical in nature, they have not.
-- Some journals, e.g., The Art-Journal, cover both photographer and painting/drawing. As they frequently refer to the production of both the photographer and the painter as “pictures” it is not always possible to tell when photography is indicated. If there is doubt, it will be included but a note will be added stating that the names listed may in fact not be photographers.
--Mostly articles totally discussing technical aspects of photography, products, etc. are not transcribed unless they are part of a larger article covering photographs. When technical descriptions are too lengthy to transcribe that is noted.
1858: L&MPJ, Feb. 15, n.s. vol. II, #4, p. 49:
Photographic Portraits of the Princess Frederick William of Prussia.—On the 25th ult. Mr. Williams, photographer, of Regent Street, attended by command at Buckingham Palace, and took a full-length photographic portrait of the Princess Royal in her bridal dress before she started for the chapel. Mr. Williams also took, in one group, the likenesses of her Majesty, the Prince Consort, and the bride, on a large-sized plate, and also an exquisite stereoscopic likeness of the young bride. It was the time occupied by these proceedings which occasioned the Royal procession to be a few minutes behind time at the chapel—a rare event in any ceremonial in which her Majesty is concerned.
1858: L&MPJ, March 1, n.s. vol. II, #5, p. 61-63:
Exhibition of Photographs at the South Kensington Museum.
This is a supplementary exhibition, held by the London Photographic Society for the winter months, that body having determined to hold its regular annual exhibition in the months of May, June, and July, at their own rooms in New Coventry-street.
The locality selected, though perhaps the only one available under present circumstances, we cannot but regard as highly objectionable, on account of its distance from a central position, while we very much question the wisdom of holding a supplementary exhibition at all, as it appears to us calculated to annihilate anything like a concentration of interest in the annual collection.
The present exhibition was, on Friday, the 12th ult., honoured by the presence of her Majesty the Queen, H.R.H. the Prince Consort, H.R.H. the Princess Alice, and several members of the Court in attendance upon the illustrious visitors. The following day (Saturday) was devoted to the private view by the members and their friends, and on Monday it was opened to the public generally.
On inspecting the collection we could not help being struck by the conviction that it is rather one of professional than amateur photographers; for (though we do not mean to assert that there are not some amateur productions,) there is a marked absence of many of our familiar names, including some of the highest reputation. No doubt this is in consequence of their reserving themselves for the summer display, where their works can be seen without the compulsory pilgrimage to the far-west.
Another remark that forces itself upon our attention is the fact of a large portion of the pictures consisting simply of copies of drawings, paintings, &c., while a still larger portion consists of portraits—the majority of the latter being simply so described, without reference to the individuals delineated, which, in the cases in question, are correctly left anonymous, as they are likenesses of those unknown to the public.
The total number of frames exhibited is 705: of these no less than 74, or one in every ten, are copies; and where the originals are good, especially amongst the paintings, the photographs of them, with some few exceptions, will certainly not add to the reputation of the original artists. Amongst the exceptions we would especially notice No. 22, The Abandoned after Clarkson Stanfield, R.W., by Messrs. Caldesi and Montecchi, in which the effect of the painting is beautifully preserved; and No. 64, copy of an old engraving of Raphael’s Holy Family, by Roger Fenton, which would puzzle a novice to distinguish from one produced by the burin. Now, in objecting to mere copies, we would not be understood to include such subjects as the present, firstly, because the original is not only of high value in an artistic point of view, but one that cannot, from its nature, be multiplied in any other manner without an enormous expense, if at all, and certainly not with the fidelity and accuracy attained in the present instance; and secondly, because the care bestowed upon the manipulation is quite equal to the occasion. We mean these remarks to apply to both of the numbers quoted.
Portraits of eminent characters always command a considerable amount of interest, and in this collection there are many, including, at the head of the list, a good likeness of the Prince Consort. There are also artists, scientific men, and many of the notabilities of the church, the bar, the army, &c. But portraits, however excellent, of unknown individuals, are simply valuable to the public as evidences of the skill of the producers, and as such, surely two or three from each exhibitor would be sufficient to be admitted.
Now in addition to 75 portraits, of which there is either a name or some description given, we have here no less than 110, of which there is no description of any sort; being upwards of one in seven—or including those named, one in four of the whole exhibition—and this is exclusive of groups of figures, which are regarded rather in the light of composition. The effect of so large an admixture of this class of productions is, to our mind, to dilute the value of the whole without any equivalent good.
Having been compelled to give expression to so much that we consider condemnatory, in order to fulfil conscientiously a public duty, let us turn to the far more pleasing occupation of pointing out what we consider deserving of commendation.
To begin, then, the room appropriated to the pictures is one well adapted for the purpose, and the gentlemen who have undertaken the onerous and frequently odious task of arranging them, have accomplished it in a most judicious and what ought to be satisfactory manner to every exhibitor. This is not saying a little, as only those who have tried such a feat can be aware of the difficulties in the way of even an approximation to such a state of things.
The works are generally well classified, being massed as follows, viz:--copies of drawings &c., portraits of unnamed originals, coloured photographs, works of extensive contributors, such as Fenton, Lake Price, &c., but with a certain proportion of them mingled with one another, by which arrangement unity of design with well marked contrasts are both attained. On glancing round the walls we recognise many works with which we are already familiar, though they have not appeared in all probability in any London exhibition before. In the post of honour is an excellent likeness, by Lake Price, of H.R.H. the Prince Consort, No. 404:--we need scarcely add artistically posed, having already named the exhibitor, but as critics we feel bound to notice a fact that somewhat lowers the work in our estimation as a photograph, that is, a stopping out of the back ground by artificial means. We understand that the figure itself has not been tampered with. We do not condemn artists for resorting to any means by which they can add to the effect of their productions as likenesses, but we feel bound, when comparing the merits of various specimens of photography, to accord the palm to untouched specimens in preference to touched ones, however beautiful the latter may be made to look. In the present case the interference with the integrity is perhaps as little as can be done where any at all has been resorted to.
On the same screen, but to the extreme left, is a production which will, we venture to predict, command a very general interest with every visitor. The eight bridesmaids of the Princess Royal are there in one group, No. 373, by Messrs. Caldesi and Montecchi. They are perhaps scarcely as sharp as some of the pre-Raphælite photographers would prefer, but that very fact will add to the charms in some eyes.
Arranged on either side of it, and in the centre, are five frames, Nos. 400, 401, 405, 409, and 410, containing ten views, taken by command of Her Majesty, of Roseneau and Coburg. These, to an experienced eye, require nothing but simple inspection to proclaim them as the production of Francis Bedford. They are remarkable for the exquisite perfection of finish for which this gentleman is famous; in fact, Mr. Bedford’s works may be regarded as the cabinet pictures of photography.
Holding these pictures as well as others of the same artist in very high estimation, it may appear somewhat unreasonable to offer a suggestion, by the adoption of which we conceive that some few of them might have been improved, but we are convinced that had a smaller aperture to the lens employed been used for two or three amongst them, where there is a considerable amount of remote distance, the effect would have been better.
We are no advocates for using a very small aperture in all cases, in fact our bearing is towards the opposite direction, but optically there is a sound reason for adopting small apertures, where the distance between back and foreground is very great.
Nos. 413 and 414, by Mr. C. Thurston Thompson, are very beautiful productions, the former an Oak Tree, the latter (our own especial favourite) a Lane Scene in Surrey. No. 395, Shiere Heath, by the same artist, is also deserving of notice.
Nos. 396 and 415, the Memnonium at Thebes, by F. Frith, are two of an extensive series of Egyptian views of the highest interest, both as regards the subjects and the execution. The wonderful impress of truth, the brilliancy of the atmospheric effects, the transparency of the shadows, the perfect rendering of every point and scratch in the stone, all combine to excite an amount of pleasurable satisfaction in the spectator rarely to be surpassed.
Nos. 391, Retour de Chasse, and 420 Don Quixote [by Lake Price] are both of them familiar to most Londoners, having been conspicuous objects in the shop windows of Messrs. Negretti and Zambra, in Cornhill, for some considerable time.
Perhaps the most remarkable work in this exhibition is No. 476, Two Ways of Life, an allegorical representation of the roads to virtue and vice, by O.J. Rejlander, of Wolverhampton. This picture is produced by printing from a very large number of negatives (some 50 or 60), but in such a manner that they compose into one harmonious whole; portions from the different negatives being all printed upon a single sheet of paper, but without the limits of each being perceptible, the blending of one with another having been most perfectly accomplished. The method by which this has been attained has not been made public—a circumstance to be regretted, as we consider it as calculated to open up a new era in photographic manipulation. Report says that this picture was refused admission at one of the exhibitions in the north, on the alleged ground of indelicacy—a charge which we regard as quite unfounded, and which might, with equal propriety, be brought against any partially-draped figures. The primary idea of the subject, if not absolutely new, is certainly so as regards photography.
Nos. 507 to 538 inclusive are thirty-two of Roger Fenton’s gems, executed with his usual skill, consisting of statuary in the British Museum, architectural subjects, and views in Wales.
Mr. Lake Price was one of the first, if not the first, photographer who made an attempt to introduce the ideal into our art; and the present exhibition includes five more of his most happy efforts in this direction, viz., 610, The Mountain Daisy, being a bare-legged peasant girl at a small mountain stream, backed by picturesque rocks, with a goat and other accessories; and a series of four, Nos. 550, 554, 561, 564, designed to illustrate De Foe’s tale of Robinson Crusoe, so dear to our childish recollections. In one of them Crusoe appears alone, with his spoils from the wreck scattered in picturesque confusion; in the others he is accompanied by Friday, surrounded by his domesticated pets, goats, parrots, &c., while the various articles are now arranged in equally picturesque order.
No. 542, Studies of Fishermen, Hastings and 60-9, Dutch Fishermen, by W. M. Grundy, are worthy of attention. Dr. Mansell has lost none of his cunning in the production of St. Peter’s Port, Guernsey, No. 605, where the immense amount of detail in no way deteriorates from the effect of the picture as a whole. Mr. Llewelyn is a large contributor, and maintains his well-earned reputation; but of all his pictures we prefer a Woodland Scene at Penllergare, No. 531. We must not omit to notice a highly useful scientific application of photography in Mr. Crooke’s
Photometeorographs, No. 372.
The Leviathan figures rather largely—we mean no pun—in this exhibition, being presented in every possible position, except upside down,--Nos. 112 and 115, by Robert Howlett, being perhaps the best. No. 142 is a large picture, of considerable merit, by A. J. Melhuish, of Blackheath, and represents the Thames, Greenwich, and Blackheath. It is taken from one of the hills in Greenwich Park; and the sinuosities of the river, bearing on its bosom the numberless vessels, combined with the buildings on either bank, compose a most agreeable whole.
We are somewhat puzzled to understand how some few coloured pictures, including especially Nos. 452 and 461, have gained admission, seeing that one of the regulations requires an uncoloured copy of every coloured photograph to accompany it. It appears to us that this regulation should be adhered to strictly, or abrogated altogether.
Amongst the portraits we recognise many who bear names of note; with some of the forms we are already well acquainted, with regard to others, we are highly pleased to have an opportunity of familiarising our eyes with the lineaments. Most of them are pleasing representation of the originals. How unlike some we have constantly noticed of late in the shop windows in every direction, professing to be likenesses of some of our eminent statesmen, but which serve only to recall to our mind the idea conveyed in the transatlantic phrase—face-mapping.
Good as many of the portraits undoubtedly are, there are none, in our opinion, that equal in excellency of execution those of Mr. T. R. Williams generally; but we would single out particularly Nos. 271, 272, 273, 274, 278, and 279, which are no less elegant in design than perfect in manipulation; in short, they are our beau-ideal in photographic portraiture.
1858: L&MPJ, March 1, n.s. vol. II, #5, p. 64:
Correspondence. Eclipse of the Sun.
Owing to want of space in our last number, the following letter of Mr. Foster was necessarily somewhat curtailed; but as it relates to an important application of photography, and is still in good time, we now give it entire.
To the Editor of the Liverpool and Manchester Photographic Journal.
Sir,--Allow me to call the attention of photographers, through the medium of your widely circulated columns, to the annular eclipse of the sun, which will take place on the 15th of March next. The occurrence of an annular or total eclipse is always an occasion of deep interest to astronomers, on account of several remarkable phenomena which have been observed in connection with them. Perhaps the mosts [sic] ingular [sic] of of these is that known as “Baily’s beads,” from having been first minutely described by the astronomer of that name, and which may be briefly described as follows:--a few seconds before the annulus is formed, the approaching horns of the crescent are connected together by a row of “beads” of light, with intervening dark spaces, giving a serrated appearance to the edge of the moon’s disc. As the moon proceeds, the dark spaces become elongated and narrow, as it were stretched out into threads, which threads suddenly break and vanish, and the annulus is complete. As the moon approaches the opposite limb of the sun, the same appearances are repeated in an inverse order; a number of black threads dart out to meet it, which grow thicker and shorter, till the beads are reproduced as at first, and finally disappear as the annulus breaks up. This extraordinary phenomenon is supposed to be an optical illusion produced by the influence of irradiation; but it must be confessed that the explanation is not very satisfactory, and further observations are needed in order to come to a decisive conclusion. It is a remarkable fact that the appearance is not always observed, and even in the same eclipse some observers see the phenomenon while others do not; something appears to depend on the colour of the glasses used to protect the sight.
Now it is obvious that if a series of photographic representations of this phenomenon could be obtained, they would be of inestimable value in assisting to come to a satisfactory conclusion as to the real cause of the appearance in question; and I wish to induce photographers, especially those who have the good fortune to reside in places where the eclipse will be annular, or nearly so, to endeavour to obtain impressions on their collodionized plates of the various phases of the eclipse. There are no such difficulties in the way as beset lunar photography; the only apparatus required being a view lens (the longer focus the better) and camera, with some arrangement for opening and closing the lens instantaneously. I have obtained an instantaneous negative of the sun’s disc with a lens of fourteen inches focus, with a diaphragm one-twentieth of an inch aperture. The lens was opened and closed by a sliding shutter with an opening of half an inch in diameter in its centre, which was made to fall by its own gravity before the front of the lens. The aperture of the diaphragm must, of course, be adjusted so that the instantaneous exposure may produce an image of the proper intensity. The image will, of course, be small, (with the above named lens it is about one-eighth of an inch in diameter), but it may either be enlarged or examined by the microscope. The collodion employed must of course be perfectly structureless, in fact must what is necessary for taking microscopic photographs.
The eclipse will be central over a line extending across England, from near Bridport in Dorsetshire to about the centre of the Wash. To all places on this line, and a short distance on each side of it, the eclipse will be annular, though the annulus will be very narrow, and will continue only a few seconds (twelve or thirteen at the most). The principal towns near the line of the central eclipse are Sherborne, Devizes, Swindon, Oxford, Buckingham, and Peterborough. At London it will be partial only; but an extremely narrow crescent will remain visible, at ·276 of the sun’s disc will be obscured.
Hoping that many of your readers will be induced to experiment in solar photography, and that on the occasion of the eclipse their efforts will be productive of some interesting results,
I am, yours, &c.,
R. W. Forster.
Whitehaven, Feb. 10th, 1858.
1858: L&MPJ, April 1, n.s. vol. II, #7, p. 80-81:
[Editorial leader; not all copied]
The anxiously-looked for eclipse of the sun on the 15th ult., while presenting nothing but blank disappointment to a whole host of both astronomers and phototraphers [sic], hundreds of whom had traveled many miles and made elaborate preparations for recording the phenomena to be observed of the various phases, was to some favoured few an occasion of triumphant success. The brilliancy of the early morning, in the neighbourhood of London, set every one on the alert; but alas! we had an illustration of Moore’s lines,
“All that’s bright must fade,
The brightest still the fleetest;”
for by eleven o’clock heavy masses of dark clouds began to obscure the face of the heavens, and by twelve there was nothing visible but one uniform veil of dark grey. An astronomical friend had kindly placed his observatory, containing a good equatorial, at our service, but we had but a passing glimpse for a few seconds, on two separate occasions, not of sufficient duration to put the telescope upon the object, much less to focus. But although there were but few who had even a chance of success, out of that few there were one or two who have made such excellent use of their opportunities that very important results have been secured. Mr. Josiah Fedarb, of Dover, without entering into the details of manipulation, relates some curious particulars, in a letter published in the Journal of the London Photographic Society, which we have thought of sufficient interest to extract entire. We would particularly direct the attention of our readers to one statement made, viz., that the collodion employed by Mr. Fedarb is sufficiently sensitive to the rays from the moon’s surface to receive an impression by an instantaneous exposure; we trust that for the benefit of science generally he will communicate the composition of it to the public. In Paris a very signal success was attained by M. Quinet, who, by the courtesy of M. Porro, the Director of the “Institut Technomatique,” was allowed the use of one of the largest refracting telescopes in the world, having an objective of about twenty inches in diameter and of fifty feet focus. The plates employed were about nine inches square, and a stock had been ready prepared with dry collodion, upon which an instantaneous exposure was sufficient to produce the required impression. Sixteen perfect mages were obtained, the sun’s disc being of about six inches in diameter, without any enlargement by the aid of eye-pieces, the images being produced directly in the focus of the object-glass.
We have been favoured by a correspondent, Mr. Emsley, whose letter we publish, [p. 88] with an interesting series of proofs upon paper of the eclipse, taken with a landscape camera, and the size of the sun’s image, as compared with the focal length of the lens employed, agrees with remarkable accuracy with that of M. Quintet, in the one case being about one quarter of an inch for a focus of twenty-three inches, in the other of about six inches for a focus of something less than fifty feet.
Mr. John Spencer, of Glasgow, has also sent us a stereoscopic picture of the phenomenon as seen when there was a transient opening in the clouds, the sun’s disc being about the size of a pin’s head, but is distinctly seen to be about one-third part obscured, and is set in a picturesque framework of rolling masses of vapour. Of course this is intended as an interesting stereoscopic object without any attempt at astronomical excellence. It was produced b y Mr. G. W. Wilson, of Aberdeen.
In number five of our present volume are quoted some observations made by Mr. Grove, when lecturing at the Royal Institution, relative to the probable value of photography in detecting details inappreciable by the eye, and we are inclined to believe that his predictions are already in course of verification, a circumstance which we regard as highly encouraging as well to photographers as to astronomers. [Here follows copy of letter to the Editor, Journal of the Photographic Society, 1858, vol. IV, March 22, p. 187-188]
“To the Editor of the Photographic Journal. Dover, 113, Snargate Street,
March 15, 1858.
Sir,--In consequence of the letter addressed to photographers by Mr. Forster,
published last month, and assuming that gentleman to represent astronomy, I hasten to
inform you that I have a complete series of photographic delineations of the beginning,
middle and end of the lunar eclipse of last month, and also of the annular eclipse of today
up to greatest obscuration, the whole of the plates being perfect in definition and
intensity under deep magnifying power.
If that gentleman chooses to furnish his address, either direct or through your Journal, I shall be happy to present him a proof as soon as complete.
Before the publication of the Number for April, I shall endeavour to furnish a
detailed account, if of sufficient importance, of the result of my operations, and in the
meantime will simply state that I am making an atlas of the moon’s surface, which will
cover a very large area, the whole of which is perfect in definition and intensity. These
plates, as have all others I have made during the last four years and a half, prove the
greater truthfulness of photography over telescopy, except when the latter is unusually
and favourably circumstanced. It may also not be out of place to inform our microscopic
friends, that the collodion employed is instantaneous to the moon’s light, and
structureless under a high magnifying power.
There is one other fact of importance in the phenomenon of to-day, viz., that
during the first part of the sun’s eclipse the moon was edged by a delicate narrow band of
prismatic coloured light, commencing on the left (as seen from the earth) with blue, and
terminating on the right with the most perfect carmine tint. My plates exhibit this in great
perfection; the appearance upon the camera screen under the microscope, which I
always employ in focusing for astronomical operations, was truly magnificent. Upon a
plate made 45 minutes after the eclipse, the sun’s disc is represented as being encircled,
upon its surface, by a broad non-luminous band, not exactly in its centre, and imparting
to its circumference, at each extremity of the band, a concave outline, such as a soft
body would present having a leather strap drawn tightly round it.
During the taking of the first two plates, the sun emitted rays of a pale silvery
luster, very bright, and having definite dark terminations, which have also been
impressed with great fidelity; this is probably the ‘corona’ described by former
observers. Josiah Fedarb.”
1858: L&MPJ, April 1, n.s. vol. II, #7, p. 82:
Exhibition of Photographs at the South Kensington Museum. Second Notice.
On Saturday, the 13th ultimo, the Council of the Photographic Society of London gave a soirée at the South Kensington Museum, at which the members and their friends were present, together with many distinguished representatives of science and art from the various learned and other societies of the metropolis. The works exhibited and entertainment afforded contributed much gratification, and elicited a large amount of commendation. In addition to the hall in which the photographs were displayed, a very extensive suite of rooms, containing some of the most interesting objects of the collection at the museum, was also thrown open to the visitors, but the photographs were indisputably the centre of attraction.
A day or two before the soirée considerable addition was made to the works already there, by the advent of a large additional number, the production of our allies across the channel; and we could not help remarking that, whatever may be the case as regards politics, there was no lack of cordiality of feeling amongst the votaries of our art-science. We regret that, in consequence of the French pictures having been so recently added, they were not included in the catalogue, hence we are unable to notice them so fully as we should have done had this inconvenience been remediable. We consider that both nations may learn something from the comparison.
In portraiture the style prevalent with the French photographers differs very materially from that usually adopted in this country; and there is an effect produced by a happy mode of illumination amongst the former which our artists will do well to study. We allude particularly to an oblique light from somewhat behind and on one side of the sitter, which gives a breadth of effect and prominence to the figure that is extremely attractive.
There are some well executed microscopic subjects that are considerably above the average of those that have been hitherto generally exhibited; but we have seen some in the possession of those engaged in the pursuit of microscopic investigations in this country that are superior to any that have been publicly displayed. It is a class of subjects not appreciated by the general observer, hence the indisposition to contribute them to our periodical collections.
The landscape subjects of the French collection form a marked contrast to our own. In this branch of the art we consider the English decidedly superior; whilst, to balance this advantage, our neighbours beat us hollow with regard to architectural studies, which, in their hands, are all that can be desired; for, not only are the subjects themselves of a high class, but the selection of the point of view, no less than the manipulation, in most cases reflect the highest credit upon the respective operators. Artificial light is not perhaps favourable for comparing the merits of the different styles of printing, but, so far as we could judge by that light, we are of opinion that the results of our own countrymen in the present exhibition are more pleasing than are those of our foreign friends.
The French exhibitors shew a good number of psuedo-instantaneous [sic] pictures, which, however interesting—and interesting they are—at one glance display the inappropriate character of the designation; inasmuch as there is scarcely a single one that has not a mass of confused and indistinguishable figures. We shall conclude our present remarks upon the foreign works by noticing that Gustave le Gray has contributed another of his marvels of clouds and sea, in which there is so much of wild poetry perceptible. Last year this artist’s Brig upon the Water, and its sparkling gleam of sunshine, was all the rage, and the present production is one in the same style.
Amongst the novelties was as stereoscopic picture of the moon, the negative of which was taken by Mr. Crookes, the Secretary of the Society, also a not very noticeable picture, taken at midnight, in the arctic regions, by Lord Dufferin. In a separate compartment is a collection of pictures taken by some of the corps of Royal Engineers, principally by Sergeants Mack and Dukes, and Corporals Milliken and Church, which are no less creditable to the producers than to their instructor in the art, Mr. Thurston Thompson. A frame containing some positive portraits on glass (No. 196) of the Aborigines of South Australia is one that will claim the attention of the ethnologist. Two frames (No. 318) containing five subjects in Palestine, and No. 326, five subjects in Egypt, by Frank Frith, jun., are admirable specimens in this artist’s best manner, and are no less valuable as photographs than interesting on account of the subjects.
No. 324, a group of Old Chelsea China, from the Art Treasures’ Exhibition, by Francis Bedford, is a splendid specimen of a series by this careful manipulator.
No. 390, a Ravine in the Lledr Valley, North Wales, by Roger Fenton, is a fine example of this gentleman’s exquisite rendering of the remote distance, a point in which so many operators fail. Nos. 517, 522, 524, and 526, by the same artist, being also scenes in North Wales, are amongst his happiest productions.
Mr. O.G. Rejlander, whose large picture we noticed in our previous article, has several minor works, which are deserving of special attention; for instance, No. 482, Winter and Summer, expressed in figures, and the same idea in landscape, proves him to be a poet as well as an artist, in fact, all his contributions bear the impress of thought; there is evidently a purpose in all he does.
Mr. B. B. Turner exhibits several cottage scenes from Talbotype negatives, but we prefer him in his earlier manner, when he was more addicted to country lanes and subjects of a similar class.
Mr. C. Thurston Thompson and Mr. John H. Morgan have both done good service to art in their beautiful illustrations of forest trees, which are not only valuable,--we had almost said invaluable,--as studies, but are exquisite as photographs, and most attractive as pictures. Nos. 496 and 568 are examples of the former, and Nos. 620 and 621 of the latter named gentleman’s works.
In conclusion, we would draw attention to a small picture of the Princess Royal and Prince Frederick William of Prussia, which, though presenting nothing remarkable in an artistic point of view, is of great value on account of the striking likenesses of the illustrious originals. It is not included in the catalogue, but will be found on the edge of one of the transverse screens, towards the north end of the room.
1858: L&MPJ, April 1, n.s. vol. II, #7, p.88:
Photographs of the Eclipse.
To the Editor of the Liverpool and Manchester Photographic Journal.
Sir,--Enclosed I send you six photographs of the sun, five of them taken wile that body was eclipsed on Monday, the 15th, and one taken after the termination of the eclipse. They were taken by the collodio-albumen process instantaneously, or nearly so. The lens used was a meniscus, about 23 inches focus, with a stop one-sixteenth of an inch.
We had arranged beforehand so that we could put a prepared glass into the camera, and expose it at any time without looking into the camera; this was done by fixing sights upon the camera, so that when the sun was viewed through the sights its image fell nearly upon the centre of the prepared glass. By this arrangement we could expose it at any moment. It was fortunate as it happened that we had made this arrangement, as we could only catch a look at the sun at intervals through the clouds.
View Wortley, Leeds, Joseph Emsley
March 19th, 1858.
(The sun’s disc in the photographs forwarded by this correspondent is a quarter of an inch in diameter, and in that which was taken after the eclipse shews [sic] the spots distinctly. They are all beautifully sharp and well defined, and though small, extremely interesting. The hint as to the means of finding the position without loss of time or re-focusing, is worth attention.—Ed.)
1858: L&MPJ, June 15, n.s. vol. II, #12, p. 153-155:
The London Photographic Society’s Fifth Annual Exhibition.
When the Photographic Society opened their exhibition at the commencement of the present year, we expressed pretty plainly our conviction as to the impolicy of a locality of so unpromising a nature as the Museum at South Kensington having been selected, to say nothing of the objection of dividing the interest by holding two exhibitions with scarcely an interval of time between the close of the one and the opening of another. Had we entertained any doubts about the matter, they would certainly ere this have been dissipated, for we regret to find that the public appear to be under the impression that the exhibition now open in Coventry-street is “flat, stale, and unprofitable,” and this impression (though an erroneous one), we verily believe, arises in part from the somewhat astounding critique which the editor of the Journal of the Photographic Society has suffered to appear in the pages of that publication. From the sentiments expressed in the critique we have mentioned, we desire to record our most cordial dissent, considering it as we do unsound, unfair, and going out of the way to notice unfavourably works which are not in the present exhibition, and which, by the way, have been otherwise regarded by the majority of photographers. It professes to be the opinions of “one of the public,”: by which, we presume, is meant a non-photographer; and certainly, on reading it, we were impressed with a conviction that the writer could not be too well versed in our gentle art. Be this as it may,. We will endeavour to give our readers a notion of it from another point of view, by one who takes a deep interest in the progress of photography, and whose opinions can neither lose nor gain anything by being sheltered under an “incognito.”
The present collection consists, as we have before stated, of many new and interesting works, together with a selection from those formerly at the South Kensington exhibition, including, of course, the French collection.
We readily admit that the effect on first entering the room is disappointing, from the fact of the hanging having not been well performed, probably owing to the inexperience of those gentlemen who were charged with this invidious task, no systematic design being apparent, but a general jumble of subjects of every kind in which a frame of stereoscopic slides of a common place, not to say trivial, character holds a place in the line be cause it happens to “fit” well, while works of merit have met with a second or third rate place only. This has been from no kind of favouritism or selection by the hanging committee, but simply from a want of selection, or want of attention, and under such circumstances this coup d’œil is, as might be expected, unfavourable, and the general effect suffers; but when we come to examine the details we find much to repay our inspection.
There are several mongrel affairs, called photo-Flemish paintings, holding good places, which we should have rejected altogether, not deeming them fitted for photographic exhibition at all. We are, however, pleased to find that the productions of the mere copyists of paintings have received, as a rule, a very elevated position, not that we undervalue that application of the art, but regard it as more mechanical than in any other light; in fact we have but little doubt that the undue prominence given in former exhibitions to these mere reproductions has been one of the chief causes why (in a recent meeting of artists and others for devising means to obtain copyright protection for works of art) photographic works were included, as it were, on sufferance, being regarded solely as copies.
We notice, first, on account of the exhibitor, no less illustrious a one that Her majesty the Queen, No. 331; full lengths of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess Frederick William of Prussia, which, though of small size, are striking likenesses of the originals. The negative was taken by W. Bambridge.
There is also a large-sized group of the Royal Family at Osborne, by Caldesi and Montecchi. Well executed and highly interesting, as displaying most vividly the domestic character. Her Majesty forms the centre of the group, holding her last-born in her lap; the Prince Consort stands opposite, leaning against a balustrade; and the young Princes and Princesses are naturally disposed around’ there is, however, some appearance of “touching.” By the same artists, No. 93, portraits of Mr. Rarey and Cruiser will attract notice on account of the subject, though we cannot reckon this as one of their successful results.
Nos. 97, 108, and 122 are three frames containing twelve subjects, by Alfred Rosling, chiefly from collodio-albumen negatives, all good, some very good, especially “Bitchworth Park,” “The Spanish Chestnut,” “A Peep at the Mole,” and “A Lane near Reigate.” Besides being artistic in effect, these pictures will bear close inspection, and are altogether worthy of their skilful producer.
The operators in paper negatives shew well in the present collection, both as regards waxed paper and calotype. In the former we were particularly struck with Nos. 102 and 103, “Scenes in North Wales,” by J. and R. Mudd; and No. 131, “Gainsborough Lane, Ipswich,” by H. and F. Leveritt in which the ferns are particularly effective. Nos. 137, 146, and 147, by the same exhibitors, are also very meritorious productions.
Henry P. Robinson is a photographer of the school in which careful thought is of more importance than the mere production of “pretty” picture. His frame, No. 159, containing four studies of the passions, together with a portrait of the model (and what a jewel of a model she must be), displays a large amount of artistic feeling, and a pure love for art.
We are rejoiced to find that B. B. Turner has returned to his first affection for rural pieces. In the present instance he exhibits some exquisite groups of trees, from calotype negatives; amongst which we notice particularly Nos. 193, 211, and 213, not only as favourable examples of the process employed, but as agreeable and picturesque illustrations.
No. 130, “The Tot Bridge, South Devon,” by W. Sherlock, is highly pleasing; as is also No. 138, by W. J. Cox, though very different from the last, being in fact nothing but some ancient houses of rough stone on the Quay in Sutton Pool, Plymouth; but the play of light and shade is very fine, and as a brother operator, Mr. F. Bedford, remarked, on our drawing his attention to the beauty of the effect, “the sun seems to be kissing the edges of the stone.” No. 139, by the same artist, though well executed, is quite in a different style, and though containing far more “incident,” is not to be compared to the former.
Amongst the new works, Nos. 153 and 157, “The Linn of Quoich,” and “Mill in Castletown, Braemar,” are perhaps the gems as regards landscapes; they are as nearly faultless as possible; and whether we regard the selection of the subjects, the execution of the negatives, or the printing of the positives, they deserve to rank as models for imitation. They are by G. W. Wilson, of Aberdeen; as also three instantaneous pictures, Nos. 154, 155, 156, which are equally worthy of attention. We have recently had the pleasure of inspecting several other works by this gentleman, all equally fine.
The Rev. W. Ellis (there is an error in the name as printed in the catalogue,) has produced some very interesting results, both as regards ethnology and botany. No. 445, “Natives of Madagascar,” the one a princess, the other a woman of the common order, as also No. 232, a very intelligent looking male representative, may be cited as belonging to the first category; while Nos. 231 and 235 give an admirable idea of the peculiar aspect of the vegetation in the locality specified.
Hannah and Kent, of Brighton, exhibit two frames of their carefully, neat, and compact productions—No. 140, “Animals from the life;” and 175, “Officers of the 1st Dragoon Guards.” We rejoice to find that these gentlemen take a pride in abstaining from extraneous aid, a virtue extremely rare amongst professional photographers.
There are several proofs from albumen negatives, by the late H. Johnson, that will repay examination, particularly Nos. 417, 418, and 420.
As curiosities we would direct attention to Mr. Pouncey’s specimens of photographic printing in carbon—Nos. 384 5o 388, which are the same as were exhibited some short time ago at one of the ordinary meetings of the Society.
Truth compels us to add that which we are very unwilling to admit, viz., that we do not think this process promises well at all, as there is literally no half tone, except in the copies of engravings, and in them the half tones are produced solely by the increased tenuity of the lines composing it, consequently there is nothing of what photographers know as middle tints, that is, a lighter shade produced by a thinner film of the colorific deposit.
Many of the coloured portraits shew a considerable amount of “artistic” merit, but as we regard them as “illegitimate” in a photographic exhibition, we pass them by in silence.
Nos. 457, by Samuel A. Walker, is a good example of portraiture. We have omitted in the above all mention of Fenton’s, Bedford’s, and Lyndon Smith’s beautiful and numerous productions, as well as those of Cundall, Howlett, Dolamore, Bullock, and others, having already noticed them when at South Kensington, but they do not please any the less for their new quarters. The collection of the French Society contains nothing new, but is now separated from the English pictures, and occupies the two upper rooms.
We think we have shewn satisfactorily that the collection now at New Coventry Street will well repay a visit of inspection.
1858: L&MPJ, July 15, n.s. vol. II, #14, p. 179-180:
A Week With The Camera Among The Kentish Hills.
The following paper, by Mr. Travers B. Wire, is that mentioned in No. 12 if our Journal in the report of the Blackheath Photographic Society:--
Last May, Mr. Ledger and myself, having a day or two to spare, determined to visit Hever, in the hope of obtaining a few views of the old castle there, so rich alike in picturesque beauty and historical reminiscence. We fixed upon Monday, the first of June, as our opening day, and proposed going to Hever by rail from London, via Edenbridge. Our plan was to look about us on our arrival; and having determined the best points, to photograph them upon Tuesday and return on Wednesday to London.
But having mentioned out intended trip to Mr. Wood, he expressed a wish to accompany us, to which proposal we, of course, readily acceded.
By his suggestion we altered our original plan, thinking, upon reconsideration of the proposed route, that we might experience considerable difficulty in taking to Edenbridge by rail, and thence to Hever (possibly on our shoulders), our camera, bath, plate-boxes, camera stand, chemicals, and all the material photographica; the successful transmission of which practical operators know to be equivalent to the gaining of half the battle. Visions arising of ourselves toiling along dusty roads, under a June sun, and the weight of our impedimenta, soon made us fall in readily with our friend’s proposition; which was, that we should drive down instead, and thus obtain a chance of catching a stray view or two upon our road, and would certainly make us very independent.
A dog-cart was considered the most convenient conveyance for photographic purposes, and forthwith procured. We constructed a tent to fit on to the back of the vehicle, so that, were it impossible to obtain a room upon the spot (which, by the way, we always preferred to the confined space and heat of the tent), we should not be altogether non-plussed for want of a second string to our bow.
Monday, the first of June, at last arrived—as lovely a morning as any photographer could wish for. We left Lewisham about seven o’clock, with a full cargo of photographic apparatus, carpet bags, a large stone bottle of water, and some Macintoshes. We had taken the precaution of providing ourselves with the ordinance map of the N.W. corner of Kent, and a pocket compass; which articles we found of the utmost value. Without them, an intimate knowledge of the country and of the relative position of every village is indispensable: the information to be derived from the rustics being of little value, as their topographical knowledge rarely extends to more than a circuit of three or four miles from the places where they are bred.
After about five hours’ delightful and amusing “jog-trot” (for we had a remarkably sober old horse, who did not at all see the fun of proceeding faster than a walk), we reached Hever. In the gateway we found a small room, in which was a quantity of old broken furniture. This we speedily removed, and nailing a large yellow curtain, which we had brought with us, over the doorway, we went to work.
At Hever we succeeded in obtaining five 10 x 12, and two 10 x 8 negatives; we then explored the old place, which is interesting from its many historical associations of the time of bluff King Hal.
Here it was that he courted Anne Boleyn; here died Anne of Cleves. In the church is a fine old tomb to the memory of Sir Geoffrey Boleyn, grandfather of Anne.
We found with regret that we were unable to photograph this church, from its being situated on the top of a hill, a weakness prevalent amongst many of the Kentish churches. [cont. on Aug. 1]
1858: L&MPJ, July 15, n.s. vol. II, #14, p. 180:
Review.
The Stereoscopic Magazine, a Gallery of Landscape Scenery, Architecture, Antiquities, and Natural History, accompanied with descriptive articles by writers of eminence.
(Lovell Reeve, 5, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden.)
The first number of this periodical, which appears under the able superintendence of Mr. Glaisher, F.R.S., is before us, and consists of three subjects, viz., Falaise Castle, Normandy, the Hardinge Statue, as exhibited in the court yard of Burlington House, and the river front of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, each subject being accompanied by an interesting description, but we regret to find that these descriptions are all of them anonymous. The stereographs are well printed, and of an agreeable tone for book illustration, though for the stereoscope itself we find it rather too “cold.” The negative from which the Royal observatory has been printed, is too weak in the sky, which gives all the appearance of the advent of a thunderstorm: but as the subject itself is easily reached, this will probably be remedied in future by the production of another negative from which to take the impressions.
An idea of this kind well carried out, is sure to be one that will be profitable to the publisher, as every one that has a stereoscope (and who has not at the present day?) is always glad of an addition to his collection of slides; but irrespective of the mere gratification of increasing the number of one’s specimens, a publication like the present opens the way to the acquisition of a large amount of practical knowledge of subjects otherwise totally beyond the cognizance of many. The applications, both amusing and instructive to which it may be devoted are numerous: for instance, by its aid we might not only visit all the most celebrated monuments of antiquity accompanied by an able cicerone, but the interiors of our various manufactories, might be laid open to us; the interior arrangements of the Royal Observatory itself would form a pleasing addition. We might have a stereoscopically illustrated “Murray’s Hand-book,” and thus enjoy a continental trip at the same time that we are proceeding on our way to examine the no less striking beauties of our native land. Again, illustrations of places and subjects of momentary general interest might form an important feature in the plan, such as the scene of any striking event—in fact, the adaptations are so numerous that we should only weary our readers by endeavouring to indicate them.
A stereoscope called the “book” stereoscope is adapted especially for examining the illustrations, but those who possess any of the better form of instruments, such as Scott’s, Knight’s, Salmon’s, and many others, have no need to do more than to make use of that portion of the instrument which carries the lenses, to see them in perfection.
1858: L&MPJ JPS, Aug. 1, n.s. vol. II, #15, p. 191-192: [cont. from July 15]
A Week With The Camera Among The Kentish Hills. By Mr. T. B. Wire
The next morning, June 2, we wheeled out our dog-cart, and fixed up our tent for the first time to take a distant view of the old castle. The shafts of the dog-cart were strapped tightly to the church-yard fence, to keep our vehicle in a horizontal position, it being one of the two-wheeled kind.
A plate was prepared and exposed, but as I was developing it, I was impelled, by the appearance it presented, to sing out that the tent was a complete failure, and that the picture was spoiled, as I fancied that light must have been somehow admitted. This we could hardly understand, as the tent was composed of two thicknesses of yellow calico, with an external covering of black. However, upon dissolving our the iodide, to our astonishment this appearance vanished, and, instead of a spoiled plate, we had a very passable negative; and our tent, of course, rose wonderfully in our estimation. We have ascertained that about two miles off was a little village called Chiddingstone, which we found, as described, a most picturesque place, composed of houses in the half-timbered style. After some little search we found an obliging cobble, who readily gave us the use of his stall, and we proceeded to work.
Much to our chagrin, upon focusing for the first picture we found a rent in the India-rubber cloth body of the camera, probably made in getting over a hedge at Hever. This accident we thought would seriously impede our proceedings, but a pennyworth of sticking plaster from the grocer’s repaired the damage; and there the patch remains to this day, a triumph of “mind over matter.” Here we managed to obtain five 12 x 10 views.
In the evening we fraternized with our friends the cobbler and grocer, in order to get from them what information we could respecting the picturesque. They took us to see a fine old oak in the grounds of Captain Strathfield, and a curious old stone, called the Chiding Stone, whence the village has its name. The tradition is, that from this stone the priests or druids used to chide the people for their sins.
The grocer’s house, of which we have a view, is a glorious old placed. He kindly shewed us his parlour, which is wainscoted with oak, black with age. He was rather a superior man, with a taste for art, and a subscriber to the Art Union, from which he had been fortunate enough to obtain a prize. From him we got some information respecting Brambletyre House, which we determined to visit on the next day, especially as Mr. Ledger wished to return to town in the evening. Another inducement for us to visit Brambletye was its proximity to East Grinstead, from which station we availed ourselves of the telegraph to procure from Mr. Thomas more collodion.
Of the Chiding Stone we could not get a view without much difficulty. With the oak before referred to we were equally unfortunate, as the weather, when we reached it, was very unfavourable. But by the time we reached Brambletye House a fresh breeze had sprung up, the rain clouds had passed, and the sun was shining. After having stabled our steed in an empty stall near the ruins, and found him some fodder, we went on an exploring expedition, and soon found, as at Hever, a dark room ready to our hands—an old cellar under one of the towers, with a doorway to it leading into the fields. Over this our yellow curtain was soon nailed, and we possessed as good an operating room as any one can desire. Having accidentally left our stone water-bottle at Chiddingstone, we borrowed a pail from the farmer and set to work. Our task here was enlivened by the presence of a couple of ladies, who took great interest in our proceedings, and persisted in appearing in all the views, which, by the way, they did their utmost to spoil by constantly moving. Here we succeeded in getting four views; the grass at the time, as you will see, being unfavourably long for the practice of photography. We now returned to East Grinstead, and visited Sackville College, founded by the Earl of Dorset in 1616, of which we all heard so much a short time since. We went to the station, and found that our collodion had arrived, and bidding adieu to Mr. Ledger, who retired to London with a precious charge of twelve negatives, Mr. Wood and my self returned to the town, and borrowed from a chemist measures with which to iodize part of our collodion. The evening being fine we drove over to Edenbridge; for we intended to follow the valley of the Darenth up from Sevenoaks, and thought it advisable to lose no time.
On our road to Edenbridge we passed Gabriels, which we visited in the morning. Here we had again to use our tent, and this time no fault could be found with it.
Our road hence to Brasted, on the Thursday forenoon, was a terrible pull: the hills were such as we did not expect to find so near home; but the views which we had from time to time were truly magnificent. Often, whilst toiling up these steep sandy lanes, did we stop the horse and throw ourselves down on the grass which bordered them, and enjoy the prospect. Truly loath were we to rise again; however, by dint of much self-denial (for the weather was exceedingly hot, and the heather exceedingly soft), we reached Brasted, where we took two views—one of the church, another of the entrance to the tower, through a curious arched doorway formed in the buttresses. This, I am told, is, with one exception, the only specimen of the kind extant in this county. (cont. on Aug. 15)
1858: L&MPJ JPS, Aug. 15 n.s. vol. II, #16, p. 201:
Photographic Exhibitions.—The Crystal Palace Company have opened an Exhibition of Photographs, under the superintendence of Mr. Delamotte. The portion of the palace devoted to this exhibition is in the gallery close to the centre transept. It would appear from the advertisement in another column that the space for pictures is not quite filled up, and photographers are invited to make immediate application for the remaining space.—At the forth-coming Annual Exhibition (the third) of the Photographic Society of Scotland, to take place in December, the Council have announced that they will award two silver medals: one for the best photograph exhibited by any artist; the other for the best photograph exhibited by a member of the Society—the photographs in both cases to be the exhibitor’s own production.
1858: L&MPJ JPS, Aug. 15 n.s. vol. II, #16, p. 202-203: [cont. from Aug. 1]
A Week With The Camera Among The Kentish Hills. By Mr. T. B. Wire.
(Concluded from page 192.)
Sundridge Church was the next place we reached; but although we tried this from all points, not one was available to our purpose; it being, like most of the other churches, built on the highest ground. The approach to it was through a fine avenue of trees, with a lich gate at the end, and beyond was the church. The light, when we were there, was perfect, falling prettily upon the trees, shadows of which fell across the road with a glorious effect. With much regret we packed up again, and made our way to Otford, where the archbishops of Canterbury formerly had a palace, portions of which still remain. We tried one view; but the day was too far advanced, and although our plate was exposed four minutes, the result was anything but satisfactory.
At Sevenoaks we found the old mansion at Knowle closed, in consequence of the death of the Earl of Amherst; and s there is occupation there for a couple of days, we thought it advisable to leave it for a future visit. At the hotel (Sevenoaks) we met a gentleman, who, like ourselves, was amusing himself with photography; and from him we learnt of Ightham Moat House, which, on his recommendation, we visited. Permission to photograph it was soon obtained, and also a room in a small cottage hard by. I was busily engaged in focussing out first view, and Mr. Wood, with a plough-boy, was taking the horse out of the dog-cart, when the family turned out to take stock of us, and to watch our proceedings. To us they were particularly kind, doing all that lay in their power to assist us, taking us to different points whence views of their house were to be obtained.
It is a very old house, built partly in the reign of King John, with a court-yard in the centre; the whole surrounded by a moat. Of the chapel, the hall, and also of the entrance, Nash has given us views in his Old English Mansions. Hence we drove to Farmingham, and the next day (Saturday) we spent with some friends residing in the neighbourhood. Thus ended our week’s photographic tour among the hills of Kent.
Since our return, the dog-cart has been properly fitted up, and divided into two unequal portions, having entrances back and front. The back part, which is the largest, is devoted entirely to photography, and in this division are compartments for the different bottles; and a hole has been made through the bottom for the bath to be suspended in, thus rendering it much less liable to be upset. The front part contains a zinc tank, the water from which is conveyed to the photographical department by means of an India-rubber tube; and the space under the tank is intended for our carpet-bags, &c. The tent has also, undergone some modifications, which render it more easy of adjustment.
The ordnance maps of the whole of Kent, Surrey, and Sussex have been procured, and all the places of interest that can be found out by reading or otherwise, have been marked upon them with a red circle; and a book, with a small description of what we may expect to find at any one of these circles, ahs also been arranged with an index, so that, as we are traveling (say, for instance, from Seal towards Igtham), on the left side of the road we see one of our circles at a place marked on the map as Stonepitt. We refer to our book, and there find that Stonepitt is a very ancient mansion, in the Elizabethan style. This, as it lies about a mile from the road, we should undoubtedly pass, were it not for our maps.
We have all heard a great deal of the difficulties attendant on working wet collodion away from a regular operating room—and we had ourselves, on a former occasion, experienced many; so, of course, on this one we had prepared our minds to encounter innumerable obstacles. Some of these, I may say many, proved to be myths, and, for the remainder, a little ordinary forethought and ingenuity removed them. We have at present only been looking at what may be called the bright side of the subject. We have been describing the halcyon days of our photography. But there is another side to consider. Let us picture to ourselves a miserable pedestrian photographer. “He grunts and sweats under the weary load” of his apparatus, toiling along to the scene of action with a pack on his back. He arrives in a semi-animate condition, and has then to prepare and develop his plates in a shaky tent—highly recommended for steadiness and portability. The portability is obtained by the sacrifice of space, so down he squats upon his box of chemicals, and pours a film. The weather is warm; and ether volatile. His head approaches very neat the top—in some cases, is itself the apex of the structure. In a few minutes, therefore, with a pain in his neck and a cramp in his legs, he begins to experience the advantages of a portable tent. The chemical vapours rapidly accumulate round his doomed head, and long before he has fixed his first picture, the excess of exhalation, and the absence of ventiliation, have given him a headache for life. I have worked in a tent myself, and therefore speak feelingly.
The bath, after his plate is sensitized, is usually placed under the table, in the open air; for portable tents are only roomy as long as you have nothing in them. Manifold are the dangers to which this nitrate bath is exposed. The ground by road sides is not usually level as a billiard table. If it escapes this danger of being upset, it has to receive dust, leaves, and, inquiring coleoptera within its depths. Presently, within the tent a bottle of hypo is upset, and some of it, finding its way through the cracks in the table, quietly and unobtrusively drip, drip, drips into the bath below. On noticing this, our photographer wakes to a sense of his situation, drops the picture he is fixing, springs up to save his bath, and down goes the tent and the bottles and all. And so he comes to grief.
Sometimes, again, rude Boreas (or rude boys) upset his tabernacle, while he is exposing his plate. Picture to yourselves the expression on his travel-stained toil-worn face, when, returning, he sees the wreck of all his hopes. He loses heart, curses open-air photography (especially with collodion), and is reduced to the miserable expedient of providing himself with divers dry plates or sheets of sensitive paper, at—per doz.; exposes them, dispatches them by post for development, at –per doz.; and . . . [sic] fancies he is taking photographs.
Seriously—though views, and very good ones, have been got in spite of the portable tents—I believe misfortunes such as I have described to be of no uncommon occurrence; but we want some contrivance that we are sure will answer, under the most unfavourable circumstances. As far as we are concerned, we point to our dog-car, and maintain that there the secret is solved. Strong must be the hurricane that can blow that down. Ingenious the insect that can commit suicide in our bath. The hypo must perform and act contrary to the laws of gravitation to get into it. Therefore, I can confidently recommend any of our members who may venture upon a photographic tour this summer to follow our example.
I must trespass yet a few minutes longer on your patience, to point out, that with the wet collodion process we found much pleasure, and even advantage, in shewing the negative to the inhabitants. They could then plainly see that our object was what we represented it to be, and we found a great alteration in their manner. All reserve vanished, and assistance was eagerly proffered. This advantage the waxed paper cannot afford. With paper, too, one must leave the field with half a dozen pieces of blank paper, uncertain whether the negatives are good; and their development at night adds a hard evening’s to a hard day’s work. Whereas, the wet collodion operator spends his evening in searching for pictures for the morrow, and extracting from the aborigines the whereabouts of the picturesque.
Our improved arrangements we hope, next August, to put to the test of practical experience; and I confidently predict that the month which we then intend to devote to photography in a dog-cart, will not be the most miserable in our lives.
1858: L&MPJ JPS, Oct. 1, n.s. vol. II, #19, p.237:
[Editorial Leader – not all transcribed]
We learn from the Athenum the following bit of photographic gossip:--
“Among the tourists who have been exploring Brittany this summer, we hear of one party the members of which were lately doing so ‘with a purpose,’—namely, the production of a book illustrated by photographic drawings. The party in question consists of the Rev. J. M. Jepson, Mr. Lovell Reeve, and a photographic staff. This party, as we are informed, landed at St. Malo, and after encircling, as it were, the ancient province, began their way homeward through the centre of Brittany. They will bring home with them above a hundred first-class stereoscopic pictures, including cathedrals, calvaries, crosses, castles, antiquities, landscapes, fountains, old houses, streets, costumes, and some of the great Druidical monuments still to be seen along the coast of the Bay of Morbihan. Such a party must have encountered droll incidents by the way; and when they entered a town with tent and apparatus, were probably often mistaken for acrobats or Thespian strollers.” We should much like to have an opportunity of chronicling their adventures.
Who is there amongst us who would not be grieved to have any doubt thrown upon the veracious history of “Little Red Riding Hood?” Fortunately this is now never likely to occur; for has not Mr. H. P. Robinson, of Leamington, photographed some of the most interesting passages in the life of that distinguished young lady? and has it not been repeatedly asserted that photography can only represent bare facts, without the possibility of its imparting either sentiment or poetry? By the way, what a very Methuselah Mr. Robinson must be to be still alive, and yet have flourished in the remote but celebrated period of “once upon a time.”
However that may be, Mr. Robinson has produced four very pleasing illustrations of the familiar legend, as follows:
No. 1. Her mother having one day made some cakes, said to little Red Riding Hood, “I hear your poor old grandma has been ailing, so, prithee, go and see if she be any better, and take her these cakes and a little pot of butter.[”]
Here is the child, with hood ready donned, and basket in hand, receiving the cakes from her mother: scene, a homely cottage, with warming pan, bird cage, salt box, rope of onions, &c., in the background. The mother certainly looks rather too young for such a daughter, and the chairs, on the extreme edges of the picture, are a little “out of drawing,” as the phrase runs; but otherwise the arrangement is satisfactory.
No. 2 In about an hour Red Riding Hood came and tapped at the door. “Who is there?” said the Wolf. “It is me, your own little grandchild,” the artless little girl replied, “I have brought you some nice cakes and a little pot of butter.” The Wolf, softening his voice as much as he could, said, “Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up.”
This is, to our fancy, the “gem” of the series. Arrived at the cottage door, adorned by “the tendrils of a purple vine,” stands the little maid, with frock tucked up and hood a little thrown back, the socks slipping down, as the socks of little people will do, when they indulge in brisk movement; the hand raised to pull the bobbin, and face expressive of expectation and pleasure. Truly a delightful composition.
No. 3. Little Red Riding Hood then went and drew back the curtain, when she was much surprised to see how oddly her grandmother looked in her nightclothes!
The grouping of this picture, though well designed, would, in our opinion, have been more effective had the face of the supposed grandmother been concealed from the spectator. In the present day, in this country, at least, wolves are “illustrious strangers;” and even if it were not so, there are few living ones that would be sufficiently complaisant to allow themselves to be snugly tucked up in bed for the purpose of having their portraits taken. It is also very difficult for a sitter to preserve, for any length of time, the expression of astonishment when not at all astonished. If not as well carried out as the others, it is not the less well conceived.
No. 4. Little Red Riding Hood hastened home to tell her mother all that has befallen her; nor did she forget that night to thank heaven fervently for having delivered her from the jaws of the wolf.
We are again at the cottage of the mother, the little girl in her night dress at the mother’s knee returning thanks for her escape. The background is the same as that of No. 1, but with the remains of a frugal meal on a table in addition.
The expression on the child’s face is here in striking contrast to that of the previous picture; there is truth in it, the sentiment of devotion being one that can be realised by an innocent child at any time; but this very fact renders it more unlikely that the “sham” should have been successful.
We have rarely seen photographs that have given us more pleasure than the series before us.
We cannot forbear noticing a fact that we have become acquainted with in connection with one of this gentleman’s productions, noticed on a previous occasion, in these columns, called Fading Away, and now being exhibited at the Crystal Palace. It appeals so strongly to the feelings that the artist is constantly receiving letters upon the subject, some being of so painful a nature that he is tempted to regret ever having executed the idea—an indisputable proof of the merit of his production.
1858: L&MPJ JPS, Oct. 15, n.s. vol. II, #20, p.255:
Photographic Exhibition at Leeds.
By a Correspondent.
The Exhibition of the Leeds Photographic Society, in connection with the recent meeting of the British Association, presented many features deserving of special notice and distinguishing it from those of a more extensive and permanent character.
The scheme which was published in a recent number of the Liverpool and Manchester Photographic Journal was novel, and it appears desirable that the points, both of success and shortcomings, should be noticed for the benefit of those who may be engaged in promoting similar ones, and especially those which we are glad to find are almost constantly formed for the instruction and amusement of the members of the British Association at their annual gatherings.
The idea of making a separate division for the illustration of local scenery was a happy one, and moderately well carried out; but we are informed that its probably success was ascertained before it was determined upon, the pictures being moistly the production of the promoters, otherwise this part of the scheme would have failed, for we were surprised to see so large a collection of photographs, chiefly furnished by only four amateur contributors, viz., Messrs. Isaiah Dixon, Lyndon Smith, T. W. Stansfeld, and W. S. Ward; Mr. Ramsden also contributing some of his published views of Bolton Abbey. We do not recollect the names of any other parties as contributing more than single pictures to this department.
One of the smaller rooms of the Leeds Town Hall (the larger rooms being all occupied for the sectional meetings, &c., of the Association) was filled with these local views, most of which possessed considerable merit as representing the principal monastic remains of the county of York. The Abbeys of Kirkstall, Fountains, Rievaulx, Bolton, Whitby, and Mt. Mary (York), were each represented, some of them very completely, yet the too frequent occurrence of duplicate views was avoided: some there were, however; but these were interesting inasmuch as they were produced by various processes, and shewed much difference in the manner of treatment.
In this division of the exhibition the pictures by the albumenized collodion process, by Mr. Dixon and Mr. Ward, nearly equaled in number, and much exceeded in size, those by the wet collodion processes. Mr. Ward, who exhibited about twenty pictures of the average size of fifteen by twelve inches, appeared to have been desirous rather to shew the general capabilities of his process for work, than of selecting the best specimens of his productions. Some of his pictures were very inferior to others, and many seemed capable of being better printed. Mr. Dixon’s pictures, by the same process, shewed better selection of subjects and more careful printing, but were less ambitious in the size. The pictures by Mr. L. Smith, which had mostly been exhibited before, were admirable specimens both of artistic treatment and of careful printing; and as regards that peculiar delicacy of half-tone, which is so much affected by the exclusive admirers of wet collodion, were certainly superior to the productions by the dry processes; but when viewed from a distance adapted to produce the best effect upon oil-paintings, the dry process pictures looked bold and vigorous, whilst those by the wet process appeared flat and indistinct. Again, the productions of Mr. L. Smith and Mr. Stansfeld, though both from negatives on wet collodion, differed remarkably in style—those of the former being developed by pyrogallic acid, while those of the latter mostly with salts of iron. Mr. Stansfeld’s pictures appeared to represent the value of the process. Mr. L. Smith’s pictures were printed in a style peculiarly his own. We believe he considers that, as the object of the photographer is to produce as artistic and beautiful a print as possible, he may fairly avail himself of what he considers the best method of doing so. A careful examination of these pictures led us to the conclusion that in nearly every instance the exposure had been so prolonged as to solarize or produce a weakness in the sky, which had, therefore, been blocked out, and that, after the printing an artificial sky had been produced by a graduated method of shading, which was introduced so skilfully, as greatly to add to the artistic effect, finer gradation of the half-tone being also obtained than could be if the printing were required to be from an untouched sky. This was all fair in the exhibition in question; for the framers of the rules of the Leeds exhibition did not require that the negatives should be untouched, seeing that this rule is subject to much misunderstanding and evasion. It would be well if what constitutes a touching up of a negative or a print were more strictly defined: either may be altered by shading or painted by light in a manner as objectionable as by the pencil.
The second division of the exhibition was mostly in another room, and had the benefit of a more extended number of contributors, both local and residing at a distance. Amongst the former were Mr. Best, who exhibited several copies of engravings, some foreign and some his own productions. Both were equally good, and amongst the best we have seen in this class; indeed, in most the printing was so careful and the toning so appropriate that it was only on a close inspection that we were convinced that we were looking at a photograph, and not at the engraving itself.
Mr. George Buckton contributed some excellent photographs of machinery, shewing that in this department photography may be most successfully applied: we, however, doubt whether many manufacturers are prepared to take up photography as carefully, and with as much love of art, as Mr. G. Buckton has done, or whether they would afford sufficient remuneration and appliances to employ a professional photographer.
Mr. Samuel Smith, the President of the Leeds Photographic Society, contributed a large picture of a view in Rome, by a Roman artist, which formed a very striking feature in the exhibition. This picture was in three parts, each of very large size, most carefully printed, and the joinings being scarcely perceptible. The subject and the execution were both extremely fine. Mr. Smith also exhibited some smaller views from the same locality.
There was a variety of copies of works of art and of mediæval ornaments exhibited by Messrs. Huggon and Briggs in this section. A few specimens of portraits by the same, as also some by Navey and others, were included; but portraits were not allowed to form a prominent feature: for in a small exhibition it was considered desirable to prevent their becoming too predominant; therefore, the number which any one artist might exhibit was limited by the regulations. There were, however, some most interesting illustrations of some of the aborigines of Australia.
1858: L&MPJ JPS, Nov. 15, n.s. vol. II, #22, p.284-286:
Photographic Exhibition at Leeds. Second Notice. [(]From a Correspondent.)
Among the contribution from a distance we must not omit some by Mr. Robinson, of Leamington, which included his composition Fading Away, before noticed in this Journal.
Apropos of the composition groups and large panoramic views, which require so much care in the printing and fitting together of the subject, would it not be possible to produce a negative of the composition or panorama, and print the full size, so that the future copies could be printed in the ordinary method, and without additional trouble or expense* (*This has been done by Mr. Rejlander, but the brilliancy is thereby somewhat impaired.—Ed.) presuming that if there were any demand, paper could be procured of any size up to several yards in length.
Mr. Melhuish, of Blackheath, contributed several excellent pictures, of large size, both from collodion and waxed paper negatives, which were extremely valuable, as reminding the local photographers to what perfection the latter process, almost disussed in this neighbourhood, ahs been brought.
A considerable number of prints, which formed an interesting and valuable addition to the exhibition—especially likely to be visited by many who would take interest in it on account of the subjects depicted, rather than for the manner of their execution—were contributed by Mrs. Hill, who had received them by post from India. These were a series of about forty views of scenes at Lucknow and the seat of war in the neighbourhood, photographed, we believe by Mr. Robertson, formerly of Constantinople, and it is needless to give them higher praise than to say that they were fully equal in execution and in interest of subject to the well known views taken by this gentleman at Sebastopol shortly after the capture. We regret that the printing was not equal to the execution in other respects—there being an ugly brown in the body of the photographs, and a sickly yellow in the sky, indicating too strongly but little doubt as to the duration of the prints, even for a short period, and in some of them the plague spots from hyposulphite of soda, insufficiently washed away, had actually made their appearance. We are informed that this is too frequently the case with photographs printed in India and other hot climates. Whether it arises from the retention of an almost exploded method of printing and toning, or from a deficiency of good waster, we are doubtful. In one respect the impression was extremely unpleasant, and to the experienced photographer created a similar one, though in a different sense to that of Mr. Robinson’s picture, before noticed, Fading Away.
The third department of the exhibition was not so successful as had been desired. We had hoped to have seen many specimens of varieties in printing and toning—the uranium process—the carbon process—the Daguerreotype—and varieties of the positive processes—but many of these were wanting. Photographers, both local and at a distance, had not sufficiently appreciated the value of a comparison of notes on these subjects. Messrs. Huggon and Briggs exhibited a positive with very remarkable tones, bleached, we believe, by a salt of mercury; Mr. Fowler some prints from positives, which had been strengthened into excellent negatives. Mr. Stansfeld exhibited a most beautiful negative of the Scar near Bolton Abbey, developed by an iron salt in juxta-position with a print from it—this, perhaps, was one of the most exquisite specimens we had ever seen in which a picture combining rock, water, shadows upon the water, the pebbles forming the bed of the river and foliage were combined—each represented by its proper amount of tone, with boldness, and at the same time without any of that hardness or chalkiness so usually found in photographs of water. Mr. Stansfeld also exhibited some American photographs by the peculiar and little practiced modification of the albumen process known as Whipple’s. The negative of a log-hut by it was particularly fine, rivaling in every respect the best productions by wet collodion.
The deficiencies in this department were, in the eyes of those who look to the future of photography, much compensated by a series of prints in colours, which had been produced b y Mr. Mercer (who read a paper before the chemical section). One of them printed on calico shewed that the finest productions of the camera may be transferred to linen or cotton fabrics,
and we should not be surprised to find, that ladies who have their portraits photographed on their visiting cards will also have them printed on their cambric handkerchiefs in lieu of their being simply marked with their names.
Mr. Ward exhibited a large negative by the collodio-albumen process—a positive print—and also a negative by one of the experimental processes with meta-gelatine mentioned in his communication to the section.
Mr. Thompson, of Otley, exhibited a comparative series of stereoscopic proofs by the oxymel process, Mr. Llewellyn’s recent modification—and by Fothergill’s process—A contributor from Darlington, or the neighbourhood, whose name escapes us, also sent some prints by the latter process, and others by the ordinary collodio albumen one.
On a close and somewhat critical inspection of the productions by Fothergill’s process, we found traces of that inequality of the film which appears so liable to result from a partial washing of the plates, and which we fear will prevent this process, in the hands of careless manipulators, from being generally applicable for larger sizes than the stereoscopic plates to which it appears to have been mostly applied.
In conclusion, we think it desirable to say a word or two on the mechanical and other arrangements of this exhibition, which, though not a large one, had contributions slightly in excess of the space afforded by the rooms.
We are given to understand that a much larger number of photographs might have been obtained, but that the amount of the grant for the expenses of the exhibition precluded the promoters exercising their liberality in paying carriage, which they would otherwise have been desirous of doing. This fact may operate as a caution to the promoters of provincial exhibitions, that they must not expect a large number of contributions from a distance unless they are prepared either to pay for carriage or to offer facilities for commercial remuneration by the sale of photographs. The latter was, as regards the late Leeds Exhibition, quite out of the question. There was no person to whom this responsibility could have been committed, and there was no possibility of obtaining any adequate offset against the expenditure by a charge for admission to the public.
It was at first apprehended that the fittings of the rooms would have been extremely costly, as a condition was imposed that no nail whatever should be driven into the walls. The ingenuity of Mr. Dixon, the secretary of the Leeds Photographic Society, however, overcame this difficulty. Supports of about ten feet in height were screwed to the floors by brackets, so arranged that the upper end of the former, which were well padded, sprung against the wall. From these, horizontal rails of plain wood (we believe laths such as are used for slating) were extended, and to which the frames were conveniently hung.
The frames of the photographs by local contributors were, by agreement, made of corresponding sizes, and were simply of polished deal. These hung so uniformly and neatly, and so closely together, as to conceal the frame work on which they were placed, so that when the exhibition was cleared away there was not a single mark left on the walls.
There was another arrangement adopted which is well deserving the attention of those having the management of photographic exhibitions—the promoters had determined to receive unframed photographs if uniformly mounted, and Mrs. Hill’s contribution of forty-six views from India [Robertson’s? photos] was in this condition. In order to meet this requirement, instead of bars to the uprights before mentioned, were placed thin boards which were covered with plain white paper in the manner in which a room is papered. Over these were placed slips of wood having double grooves at proper intervals, so that the plates of glass could be lifted to the upper groove and slipped over the lower one, so as at once to cover and preserve the photographs placed behind them. The expense of this arrangement, which enabled the photographs to be received in portfolios instead of in frames, was much less than might have been anticipated.
As it may be interesting to have some idea of the total cost to the promoters of such an exhibition we made inquiry on the subject, and were informed that the grant was limited to £30, and that the expenditure will not exceed that amount.
1858: L&MPJ JPS, Dec. 1, n.s. vol. II, #23, p.292:
We beg to remind our readers, that the Exhibition of the London Photographic Society will be held in the Suffolk Street Gallery, and is to be opened early in January next. Pictures will be received up to the 20th instant.
1858: L&MPJ JPS, Dec. 1, n.s. vol. II, #23, p.292:
We are informed by the Secretary of the Nottingham Photographic Society, that their forthcoming exhibition is intended to include all the newest contrivances in lenses, cameras, and apparatus of every description used in our art; and that in consequence of a postponement of the intended day of opening, the various contributions will be received up to the 20th instant by Mr. Joseph Green, 14, Charles Street, Middlesex Hospital, London; or by Mr. F. R. Fussell, Nottingham.
We find that some of the hints thrown out in our late notice of the Leeds Exhibition have been adopted; and that it is intended, besides a day admission at ordinary charges, to reduce the amount levied for admission in the evening to one penny, in order to extend the benefits to members of the labouring classes. This is a step much to be commended: it not only displays a right spirit, but is good policy too; for the grater the number we can interest in photography, the more numerous are the advantages to be derived there from.
1858: L&MPJ JPS, Dec. 1, n.s. vol. II, #23, p.294:
Festivities in Connection with Photography at Liverpool.
On Thursday evening last (says the Liverpool Albion of the 22nd ult.) a number of the leading photographers of Liverpool and Birkenhead dined together at Anderson’s Merchants’ Dining-rooms, Castle Street, for the purpose of complimenting Mr. George Shadbolt, who was present at Liverpool, with the intention of reading a paper in the evening, before the scientific section of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, at its usual place of meeting in St. George’s Hall. The occasion was distinguished by grater local interest, from the circumstance that Mr. Shadbolt has, for some time, most satisfactorily discharged the duties of editor of the Liverpool and Manchester Photographic Journal, formerly the property of the Liverpool Photographic Society, by the leading spirits of which it was started, but which, some time ago, passed into the hands of the publisher, Mr. Greenwood. The chair was occupied by Mr. Corey, and the vice-chair by Mr. Bell. Among those present, we noticed the Rev. Mr. Banner, Dr. Thomson, Messrs. Chadburn, Frank Howard, Foard, Keith, Cook, Berry, Greenwood, &c.
Previous to the dinner, an interesting meeting of the photographers present was held in the ante-room, for the purpose of hearing papers read by Mr. Frank Howard, on “Photography in connection with Art;” by Mr. Berry, on “The results of the experiments for testing the effects of the Sun’s Rays on various coloured Glasses used in Operating Rooms;” and Mr. Foard, on “Artistic Posé in Photographic Portraiture.” Mr. Christopher Bell occupied the chair.
[Papers read not transcribed]
1858: L&MPJ JPS, Dec. 1, n.s. vol. II, #23, p.303:
The Queen and Photography.—“None or ten weeks ago,” says the Birmingham Journal, “we described a series of unusually beautiful photographs which had accidentally come under our notice, the production of a local amateur, Mr. Breese, of Icknield-street West. Somehow or other our descriptive paragraph was seen by the Queen. The probability is that as the article was copied by one or two of the periodicals specially devoted to photography, and as rumours are afloat about Windsor that Royalty itself has been caught with its head under a photographer’s ‘hood,’ one of these may have been the medium through which our opinion of Mr. Breese’s works became known to the Queen. Be this as it may a fortnight afterwards that gentleman received a letter from Prince Albert’s librarian to the following effect: ‘The Queen having heard that you took some photographs on the occasion of her Majesty’s visit to Birmingham, commands me to ask you whether those photographs are for sale, and if so, to request you to send me copies of them for her Majesty’s collection.’ Mr. Breese replied that he had never prepared any for sale, having studied photography solely as an interesting and valuable branch of science, and with a view to the perfection of the art; if, however, her Majesty would condescend to accept some specimens executed by his process, including those to which special reference was made, he should feel greatly honoured. The honour was at once accorded in the most gracious manner. The royal librarian, in acknowledging this note, said he had the Queen’s commands to thank Mr. Breese for his kind offer, and to tell him that considering the photographs were not to be had otherwise, she gratefully accepted that offer. As soon as circumstances admitted, eighteen or twenty exquisite little sun pictures on glass, nicely mounted for stereoscopic purposes, were forwarded to Windsor Castle. The collection contained four street views taken on the day the Queen visited Birmingham, and a variety of those rare transcripts of sea and cloudland, in the production of which Mr. Breese seems to excel all other photographers. During the present week he has received the following letter from Sir Chas. Phipps:
‘Windsor Castle, November 22, 1858.
Sir,--I have her Majesty’s commands to return you her thanks for the
very beautiful photographs which you have sent to her Majesty. The Queen
has admired them very much; indeed some of them appear to be master-pieces
of the wonderful art.—I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient humble servant,
C.B. Phipps
To Charles Breese, Esq.”
The practical knowledge her Majesty has of the art renders her personal opinion of these photographs doubly valuable and gratifying.
1858: L&MPJ JPS, Dec. 1, n.s. vol. II, #23, p.306:
Ads [selection]
NOTTINGHAM PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY.
President: His Grace the Duke of Newcastle.
Vice-Presidents: Colonel Wildmann, Newstead Abbey; Chas. Paget, Esq., M.P., Ruddington Grange; Lewis Heymann, Esq., Mayor of Nottingham; Samuel Newham, Esq., Nottingham Park.
It is intended to Open an Exhibition of Photographs about the 6th of January next. Residents in London and its vicinity, who desire to exhibit, are requested to send their work to Mr. J. Green, 14, Charles Street, Middlesex Hospital, not later than the 24th December. Person’s residing in the Provinces can address their pictures to the Secretary of the Society, Government School of Art, Nottingham, to whom all other communications can be addressed.
N.B.—It is requested that Pictures intended for Sale should have the prices affixed.
CRYSTAL PALAGE. PHOTOGRAPHY.
The Directors are prepared to receive Tenders for Renting the Photographic Department for one year, from and after the 1st January next. Tenders may be made either upon an exclusive privilege of taking Portraits only, or Portraits and Views within the Palace, or merely for the occupation of an appointed space without such exclusive right. Every information with regard to this important department may be obtained from the Secretary, at the Crystal Palace, to whom Tenders must be addressed on or before Friday, 3rd December. The Directors do not bind themselves to accept the highest or any tender.
By order, Geo. Grove, Secretary.
Crystal Palace, Sydenham, S.E.
November 18th, 1858.
STEREOSCOPIC VIEWS OF LIVERPOOL & NEIGHBOURHOOD.
Comprising Views of—St. George’s, Custom House, Sailor’s Home, Jews’ Synagogue, Philharmonic Hall, Churches, Cemetery and Park Views. Scenes on the Mersey, with Vessels afloat, and clouds. Views of New Brighton, Rock Ferry, and Southport. One dozen selected, sent on receipt of 10s.; single subjects, 1s. each.
Henry Sampson, 193, Lord Street, Southport.
STEREOSCOPIC NOVELTIES.
New Series of Views of the most interesting places in Italy, Rome, Venice, Pisa, Genoa, Milan, Florence; a numerous collection of the best groups, plain and coloured, Views of England, &c., statuary, flowers.
Alexis Gaudin & Brother, 26, Skinner Street, Snow Hill, London, E.C. Wholesale and for exportation. Wholesale Depôt for Photographic Apparatus and Materials.
1858: L&MPJ JPS, Dec. 1, n.s. vol. II, #24, p.307:
[Editorial Leader]
The present number completes the current volume of the Liverpool and Manchester Photographic Journal, and with it we have an announcement to make, that we trust will prove satisfactory to our readers. The constantly increasing popularity of our fascinating art, together with the continually extending range of our official representation, compels us to forego a designation that implies local restriction; but it would be a matter of extreme regret to us, to interrupt, even in appearance, the friendly relations that have always existed between us and the Photographic Societies of Liverpool and Manchester; we shall make the now necessary change of name as slight as possible, and appear on the 1st January, 1859, as “The Photographic Journal: the special organ of the Liverpool and Manchester Photographic Societies, and North London and Chorlton Photographic Associations;”--but in order to obviate any confusion by a
re-duplication of numbers, and bearing in mind that we shall be entering on the sixth year of our existence, we purpose continuing the numerical series from the original establishment of the Journal five years ago. [Rest not copied]
1858: L&MPJ JPS, Dec. 15, n.s. vol. II, #24, p.309:
The death of Mr. Robert Howlett inflicts a severe loss upon the photographic world. His works are better known than his person; but although a very skilful manipulator and ardent follower of his art, his naturally retiring disposition allowed of his forming the acquaintance only of the few.