The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-11 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—As the article "Photographic and Binocular
Portraits," in the Times of Friday last, is calcnlatod to
produce unfounded prejudice in the minds of many per-
sons and to injure photography in general, I hope you
will allow pie, as the oldest member of the profession,
to defend au art which I have practised for twelve years,
and which, during that period, I have studied in all its
theoretical and practical bearings. Sir David Brewster
may be mathematically correct in his views on the sub-
ject, but with reference to the actual state of photo-
graphy, when he speaks of it as yielding " a monstrous
representation of humanity," he stands convicted of as
great an error as those other scientific men who pre-
dicted that steam boats could never cross the Atlantic,
that steam engines could never run on railroads, or that
the Crystal Palace could never resist a gale of wind.
With an object glass of 31 inches aperture, portraits
have been taken, not distinguishable from those taken
by the same lens with an aperture of the size of the
pupil; nay, more—two pictures of a globe with the
same kind of lenses (3 aperture), one, through a slit
half an inch wide, placed before the lens in a vertical
line, the other through a similar slit, placed in a
horizontal direction, will disclose no difference pereep-
tiblo to the eye. and in tho sterescope their coalescence
is perfect. Yet by the calculations of Sir David
Brewster the vertical opening should have given an oval
iustead of a sphere, the larger axis iu the vertical line;
and the horizontal openibg should have given the oval,
with its larger axis in the horizontal line. What is
practically demonstrated of a sphere must hold equally
true of a statue or living model. Thus theories pushed
to an extreme are corrected by experiment in the prac-
tice of an art. Again, in placing under the stereoscope
two portraits of the same person, one taken with the
aperture of the siza of the pupil, and the other with the
whole aperture of 31, they coincide in the most precise
,Tahned
factone is, portrait
that i ins
pnloate
irg morethme
sitterstr
subtended by
more than
ointanhern.er.
fteheet
wfrhoemletehpeeeratemreeraef
tobscure,helen
lens
the anglenot
the angle subtended by the size of thewhen we
look at an object or at a person 2 or 3 pupilf
there is a difference no eye can detect it. feet off; and if
Men of science can render great aid
to the photo-
grapher, but it is not by disparaging
public, and by giving vent his art with the
in that way to the ill
humour
which may have arisen th • eir discussions on monocular
and binocular vision. have the honour to be,
Sir,
your obedient servant, A. CLLUDET.
107, Regentestreet, May 8.
ILlll3oauts Itoll
olarthl2e

ARTISTS' JUN
of this charitable bast
Eastlake,t he Freemparseosni
v's -------
FlTtir..—The Bnniverstiry
. ,
dinner EVOLENT
institution was held on Saturday at
Cruickshank, Tavern. The chair was filled by Sir C.
Nds'ent of the Royal Academy, who was sup-
ported by Sir
Mr, B. B. V. C. Ross, R.A., Mr. G. Dodd, MX.,
Cabbell,lir M.P.; Mr. Christy, M P., -Mr. G.
Cr • . R. H. Sully, F.R.S., Mr. Dicken-
son, Mr. Thackeray, -Mr: D. Roberts. R.A., and about
eighty other friends of the charity. In proposing "the
Health of the Queen," the chairman stated that her Ma-
jesty had been graciously pleased to send a 14th donation
of 11J51. - The chairman afterwards proposed "Prosperity to
the-Artists' Benevolent Fund, and the health of its aged
and revered President, Sir John Swinburne." He said,
that the first object of the institution was to induce artists
patrons of
to be provident.. It consisted of two separate and distinct
branches—the annuity fund and the' benevolent fund. The
former was raised and wholly supported by the contri-
butions of its members for their own relief in sickness or
superantmatiOn. 'The- benevolent fund was raised, and sup-
portedations and subscriptions of the
the fine arts, for the. relief of the widows and orphans of th
by the don
members of the 'annuity fund. Daring the ending . e
year in
March last 49 widows received dividends of 151. each, or
portions of that sum when the claim began with the year,
amounting in the whole to 7081. ; and 83 orphans di •
vidends
of 51. each. The allowances under the
annuity
result of the contributions of the
fund, the
amounted to I,COa/., consisting of payments of 401. each to 25
superannuated artists. The chairman
cause of the charity, and subscriptions warmly advocated the
jog to 450/. were announced. Th nds and donations amount-
a liberality and discrimination o e inner and wines evinced
pro-
prietors of the Freemasons' Tavern n the part of the new
in the fortunes of that establishment.'ern worthy of the new epoch
were under the di Tlie musical arrange-
ments
by Mr. Hobbs. lif" direction of Mr. Machin, who was
as-
sisted
was toastmaster. ..r. Hatton, and Mr.
.Young. Mr. Toole

EASTERN UNION ItAnwAT.—The preference share-
holders are about to meet to =alder their interests in reprd
to tha Bill of this compuy now before Var