The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-24 00:00:00

The Photographer among the Thieves.

(From the British Journal of ('holography.)
I began operations on a good-looking young pick-
pocket, familiarly known as "Perth Bess," whom I
was anxious to make No. 1 in our album. Now Bess,
when brought into the yard and seated on a chair
in front of the camera, had at once an idea of the
purpose for which she had bee❑ brought there ;
and, familiar as I am in "reading faces," I saw she
was determined on thwarting our pictorial inten-
tions, although she wisely kept her own counsel.
The plate being prepared, and everything
ready, I enjoined on her the necessity of
sitting quite still when I told her to do so.
She faithfully promised attendance. " Steady,
then," says I, pulling off the cap, and Bessie's
head simultaneously underwent a series of slow
steady oscillations from side to side which totally
destroyed plate No. 1. Oa developing it, I fuund
a sharp body with an intensely blurred head. I
made fifteen trials on Perth Bess that day, but they
were all total failures. When I pulled off the cap
from the lens she was so nervous, she said, that the
sight of the round glass looking at her that way
made her feel so queer that she shook and trembled
all over. Intimating my intention of giving up
operations for that day, Bessie's eye twinkled and
plainly told me that she thought herself the vic-
tor. So she was led back to her cell for a time.
In this experiment no head rest had been used, and
finding the necessity of such an adjunct, no time
was lost in procuring one with a heavy iron
foot. Next day Bess was marched out,
and again placed in the operating chair.
During the focussing she behaved well—not the
least motion was perceptible ; but when the ground
glass had been removed and the dark slide inserted
i❑ its place, Bess, who had acquired a knowledge of
the routine of the business, on observing the cap re-
moved from the lens, suddenly threw around her
head with an exclamation concerning " Thir flees
that wur kittlin' her nose." During Bor 9 trials
the same game was played. It was either " thir
flees" that tickled her at the critical moment, or it
was the head-rest that troubled her back neck, or
it was an observation by her that she thought a
side view of her face would look better (accom-
panying the observation with a corresponding
movement), or, when a side view was attempted, a
corresponding movement to the front, with a remark
that, after all, the front view would be the best. I
could stand it no longer ; so, after preparing
a plate, I called a couple of constables to come to
my assistance, in order that her head might
be kept steady by force. Having strapped her
arms firmly down by her sides, my assistants
stood behind and held her head and shoulders
as firmly as possible. The plate was exposed;
but, during these five seconds, her face had
undergone a series of contortions so hideous
that I retreated to my dark room considerably cres

fallen, and, when the result was developed, it
showed a picture so truly extraordinary that lan-
guage would utterly fail to describe it. Bess was
conqueror once more. It now became evident to
me that prisoners were not at all ambitious of
having their portraits taken, and that, seeing so far
as I had gone, both coaxing and force had been
resorted to without success, it now only remained
for me to try what cunning would effect;
for, not only was the governor extremely
anxious to have some prints of the girl
for distribution among some of the other
offices, but, " worse to feelings proud," my
failures i❑ pourtraying a black. eyed demure young
lassie, were the subject of very free comment by my
brother officers, and bets as to my ultimate success
were being extensively made. After some hours'
cogitation, followed by a day's work of a mechanic,
I was again in the field, with my black-eyed
enemy sitting before the camera as innocent-
looking as possible. The camera was un-

capped and standing in its place ; on the top
of it rested my hand carelessly, one finger,
unseen by her, being in contact with a little brass
knob, which very slightly projected from the
top. " Now Bess," says I, " I intend once more
to try and take your portrait ; but, before we begin,

I want to see if you can hold your head steadier
to-day than you did formerly:' Bess, little think-

ing that the focussing had been all adjusted before
she was brought out, and that at that moment

there was a sensitive plate in the camera waiting
only the touch of the finger on the brass knob
aforesaid—which, in ruality was a trigger throw-

ing open a secret shutter inside the ca-
mera not dreaming of this arrangement,
Bess sat as steady as a rock. The knob

was pressed, the secret shutter did its
duty; and when the picture was developed it dis-
played a magnificent negative, sharp and clear.
Various mechanical and even electrical contrivances
were subsequently brought to bear on the principle

of a secret exposure. Several of these contrivances
answered their purpose most admirably, especially
the electric one, which, by means of a wire passing

up the stand and in contact with an electric tnag.

net inside the camera, enabled me to expose the plate
from inside of my dark room. It is now six weeks

since I began operations as just detailed, and I have
modified my original opinion about prisoners object-
ing to the taking of their portraits. Although
there are one or two who—like Bess—strongly
object, I find the generality are rather proud of the
distinction. For instance, "Slushy Bob," a fellow
with a most uncompromising face, was particularly
desirous of being "taken off," and actually re-
quested that his own clothes might be removed
from the store-room in order that he might be taken
iii propria persona. This suggested
.to. me a preg-
nant hint, that for purposes of identification there
war little use of taking gaol birds in gaol costume ;
and acting on this, and by holding out as au in-
ducement for good behaviour, the taking their por-
traits in their own clothes, we have succeeded in
interesting the prisoners to such an extent that
at present there is actually a competition who
should be taken. One most troublesome desperado,
in for a burglary, has most humbly petitioned that
a copy of his portrait might be sent to his mother,
promising—in
the event of complying with his re-
quest—that for the future term of his stay with us
we will not be troubled with any acts of insubordi-
nation on his part.

Statues of Allan Ramsay and Professor
Wilson.

For several weeks past workmen have been n
gaged in excavating for the foundation of the statuee
of Allan Ramsay which is to be erected in the north-
east corner of West Princes'-street Gardens at Edin.
burgh-
As it is intended that the statue, together
with that of Professor 'Wilson, which is to occupy
the north-west corner of the East Gardens, should
form a group, with the Royal Institution 38 a centre,
the site has been fixed in a line with that building ;
but, in consequence of the line falling some distance
south of the upper terrace walk of the garden, the
statue will have its foundation in the centre of the
slope between the first and second walks—an ar-
rangement which necessitates excavation to a consi-
derable depth and masonry of the most substantial
kind. The foundation will be laid 44ft. under the
level of Princes-street, and from this depth four
walls of great strength will be carried up to the
.street level, where they will terminate in a platform
surrounded by a massive balustrade of a quaint
Scotch character, with corbelled turrets at the an-
gles. On the centre of this platform the pedestal
will be placed, leaving a space of about 3ft. wide all
round. On the north side the platform will be con-
nected with the garden walk by a light round arched
stone bridge. he pedestal will have light shafts at
the angles, and three of its sides will be occupied by
bas-relief portraits of General Ramsay, grandson of
the poet ; Mrs. Ramsay, wife of Allan Ramsay, the
painter ; Mrs. Malcolm, sister of General Ramsay,
and wife of Colonel Malcolm ; and Lady Campbell,
another sister of the General. The two latter will
occupy the same panel, and the front panel, in ac-
cordance with a wish expressed by Lady Murray
after her husband's death, Will he appropriated to a
medallion portrait of Lord Murray. By the jutro_
duction of these bits reliefs, the historical interc.„.
the statue will be much enhanced ; ept
e, fromdst their(l
the
subordinate position, they will not detract from th
individuality of the memorial. Th€
41 has
been designed by Air. David Bryce, R.S.A., and Mr.
John Steen, &5.A.., the sculptor of the statue, is
engaged upon the medalliuna.,—,Seottm,an.