The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-10-01 00:00:00

IS NOW OPEN.

The Corporation of Liverpool having granted the site of
the late OBSERVATORY, ST. JAMES'S WALK, a neat and
elegant Building has been erected thereon, in which the
PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS, the discovery of which
is ranked among the greatest scientific achievements of the
present age, is now in DAILY OPERATION. •

THE PRICE FOR EACH PORTRAIT, INCLUDING
A FRAME, IS ONE GUINEA.
JOHN RELPH, Manager.

The Invention was recently introduced into England, at
the ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION, LONDON ; and
the following are a few extracts from the leading Journals
relating to its merits :

(From Me Times.)

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC-MiiiiASl—The principle has
been so far perfected as to be almost incapable of further
improvement. The novelty attendant upon the fact of
being furnished in the short space of five seconds with a
more correct miniature likeness than the most accom-
plished artist could paint on ivory, after days of laborious
study, coupled with the fineness of the weather, drew
together a host of curious fashionables, at the Poly.
technic Institution, so many, indeed, that notwithstanding
the short period of time occupied in the operation, the room
was crowded for hours together, by parties anxiously waiting
their turn. The apartment appropriated for the magical
process—for so it may be termed—is well calculated for the
object desired, being on the highest story of the institution.
From the roof, which is constructed of blue glass, of about
a quarter of an inch thick, a very powerful light is obtained,
and it is so ingeniously contrived as to revolve with the skin.
in a portion of the room, nearly in the centre, an elevated
seat is placed, on which the party whose likeness is to be
taken sits, with his ,head reclined backward*. In this posi-
tion the sitter is told to look into a glass box, in an opposite
direction, about five from him, in which is placed the plate
to be impressed with the portrait. Having done so for a few
seconds, he descends, and in a few minutes afterwards a
likeness is presented to him. The likenesses which we saw
were admirable, and closely true to nature, beauties and de-
formities being alike exhibited ; therefore those who are
ashamed of their personal appearance had better keep from
the influence of photography.
(From the Morning Chronicte.).

When we formerly described this process, the time requi-
site for taking a portrait was, generally speaking. about four
minutes ; but in consequence of the great improvements that
have been made, the time has been reduced to about five se-
conds on a clear day ; but during cloudy dull weather the
operation may require from a minute and a half to two mi-
nutes.

The portraits taken by this means are really extraordinary
as likenesses ; they are true to nature, for nature here is her
own delineator. The features are admirably marked out and
delineated, and the likenesses at first sight are so extraordi-
nary, that they are really startling.
(From the Morning Advertiser.)
PHOTOGRAPHIC LIKENESSES.—One of the most inter-
esting sights it is possible to conceive is now attracting
crowds daily to the Polytechnic Institution, Regent-street.
The patentee has christened it the " photographic mode of
taking likenesses." By this process, in the incredibly short
space of five seconds, the likeness of any individual is taken
down on a piece of metal, and the portrait is a perfect fac-
simile of the sitter. It. is nature herself that is called in to
be the artist, and her performance is truly astonishing,
leaving immeasurably behind it everything that human skill
could effect.

(From the 'Morning Herald.)
PHOTOGRAPHIC POKTRAITS.—We were present on Sa-
turday at the exhibition of the extraordinary process of
taking portraits by the reflecting apparatus, lately patented,
and now for the first time brought before the public. By the
photographic progress, perfect likenesses are taken. in the
short space of from ten to five and twenty seconds ! We
say perfect, because the prepared plate on which the objects
is reflected must of necessity produce a perfect transcript of
that object. The operation, therefore, being thus unerring,
the fault of even the slightest failure in likeness can only
be attributable to the person sitting, which, of course,
may result front an assumed or unnatural position.
Although the exhibition has been only of a private character,
and of some two or three days, we understand that it has
1-een visited by all the parties possessing the privilege.
Among other influential personages present on Saturday, we
noticed the Earl of Shaftesbury, who expressed his surprise
and gratification at the extraordinary invention.
(Prom the Court Journal.)
PHOTOGRAPHIC LIKENESSES.—We attended yesterday
at the private view given by the patentee of the reflecting ap-
paratus at the Polytechnic Institution, by which photographic
likenesses are taken, and with the greatest accuracy, in a
period varying from five to twenty seconds. We were de-
lighhted with the exhibition.
(From the Morning Post.)
The patentee of this invention has adopted the principle of
giving these " reflections" to the public at a very moderate
cost, compared to the ordinary price of miniatures, trusting
for his return to a general desire to possess them, which he
anticipates must be felt by all persons who would cherish the
best memento of a dear friend or relative.