The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-14 00:00:00

IS NOW OPEN

The Corporation of Liverpool htxvlng granted the site of
the late OBSERVATORY, ST. JAM 's WALK, a neat and
elegant Building has been erecter 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.
Specimens may be seen, and Orders reee;ved, at Mr. LA-
CEY'S REPOSITORY OF ARTS, 100, Bold-seteet.
The Invention was recently introduced into England, at
the ROYAL POLYTECIINIC INSTITUTION, LONDON ; and
the following are a few extracts from the leading Journals
relating to its merits :
(Prom the Morning Chronicle.)

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 ahalf to two minutes.
The portraits taken by this means are really extraordinary
as likenesses; they are true to nature, for nature hare 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 Times.)

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC MINIATURES.—The principle has
wen so far perfected as to be almost incapable of further
mprovement. The novelty attendant upon the fact of
3eing 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 l'oly-
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 sun.
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 backwards. In this posi-
tion the sitter is told to look into a glass box, in 1111 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
(F photo
rom the
p Mormnp Herald.)
hy.
PKOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS.—We were present on Sa-
turday at the exhibition of the extraordinary process of
taking portraits by the reflecting apparatus, lately patented,
, pert are taen. i
and now for the first time brfecoguhtlikenes before
et he
public. Bn
the
y the
ten to five and twenty seconds! We
prepared plate on which the objects
pshhoorttogarpaapcheic ofprfourgosrmeets h se
say perfect, because
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 from an assumed or unnatural position.
Although the exhibition has been only of a private character,
and of some two or three days,
been visited by all the parties w
possessing uossensdseinrsgtantidietlpiaritviitielgiaes.
Among other influential personages present on Saturday, we
noticed the Earl of Shaftesbury, who expressed his surprise
and gratification at the extraordinary invention.
(From the Morning Post.) . ,

The patentee of this invention haiadoptid the principle of
giving these "reflections" to the public at a very moderate

aost, 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.
(From the Courier.)
" Every line, every touch in the pictrue produced is from
the pencil of nature, without flattery or fallacy."
(From Bell's Weekly Messenger.)
EXTRAORDINARY FACT.—MINIATURE PICTURES."It
is
bodily and personally the individual who is the sitter. It is
as much so, as he sees himself in the most accurate looking
glass, but with this. difference, that the Photographic likeness
is the image as if it were removed from the surface of the
mirror, and rendered perpetual. it is an everlasting memo-
rial of the man at the moment it is taken—and therefore the
most precious gift that can be given to those who love him
while living, and will cherish his memory when dead. It. is
a discovery, which not only saves the sitter from the tedium
of being fixed in the same position for many an hour for his
likeness, (for this is accomplished in the sixth part of a rui.
nute)—but it affords to artists themselves the surest guide
for copying other likenesses, whether in miniature, or in oil
paintings as large as life.