The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-11-12 00:00:00

CHRISTVS DUX ERGO TRIVMPHVS

In this inscription it would be seen that some letters were
larger than others, and these if picked out, (though not in
the order in which they stand,) would form the date thus,
MDCXVVVII-1627. This was not like the ancient me-
dals, the inscriptions on which were always as short as pos-
sible, telling the event they commemorated in as few words
as it could be conveyed. The medals were then considered,
commencing with a very beautiful one of the Queen when
Princess Victoria, by Wyon ; the next, the city medal, by
the same artist, and which was the best medalic likeness of
her Majesty. The following medals were then shewn :—The
Coronation Medal, by Pistrucci, medals of the coronation by
different artists, none of which had any particular merit; the
medal struck at the London Polytechnic Society ; that of the
Numismatic Society, with the head of Dr. Lee, the president ;
Father Matthew's Temperance Medals, with a number of
great beauty, and of different degrees of merit in execution.
A complete set of the modern silver and copper coinage was
then shown, including the. Maundy Money, on several of
which interesting remarks were made.
Mr. H. HORNED. followed with an able essay on the
Linear Perspective of the Daguerreotype, as distinguished
from the aerial perspective. He explained in a perspicuous
manner the system usually adopted, and the most perfect—
that of Dr. Brooke Taylor—to arrive at truth in linear per-
spective, and contrasted it with that produced by the
daguerreotype plates, in which the perpendicular lines are
represented as converging as they ascend, and the horizontal
lines of buildings facing the spectator, appear to decline
right and left. Being obtained by the camera obscura—
which ,is in fact an artificial eye—and given on flat surfaces,
they appear to the eye to diminish in an unnaturally great
degree, when placed vertically and viewed from the point of
sight. This, and the reversing of all objects, seem the only
objection to these beautiful productions, and do not seem to
admit of an easy remedy, without a considerable loss of light,
which the nature of the process would not bear. These
efforts were illustrated by daguerreotype plates, compared
with engravings of the same objects. Two outlines of a
Gothic tower were also shown, one drawn according to the
usual rules, and the other as it would be represented by the
daguerreotype ; and by placing the latter in a frame curved
to the radius of the distance of the eye, it was reduced to the
appearance of the former, when viewed from the same point
of sight. The ability displayed by Mr. Homer was main-
tained by the clear answers and illustrations he gave to
several observations which were made on his paper.
Mr. RAWLINS exhibited an American lock, with 7 mo-
veable tumblers, capable of 5010 changes ; also some beautiful
specimens of lathe engraving, which attracted much atten-
tion.

Mr. JOSEPH JOHNSON presented the society with an ele-
gant engraving of our townsman, Mr. Fawcett.

The thanks of the meeting were given to the donor. The
members then retired to the refreshment room, and separated
at ten o'clock, much gratified by the proceedings of the
evening.