, 1867-11-12
From he London Times, September 3o.J
THE GREAT FRENCH

RIS Sept. %.

@H+- - LIN -
there more activity of mind displayed
than in that which is allotted to photo
graphs. No recent discovery excites
more curiosity and interest, nor calls into
play more ingenuity and science and taste,
than this Of printing by the aid of light.
The art, in all its various processes, has
become of immense Importance, admits of
innumerable applications, and gives en-
ployment to a host Of people, many of
them highly endowed. Far more than
the discovery of the telescope, of the mi
croscope, or Of a perfect balance, it has
made a new era in science; and in the
fine arts, also, it has exercised a prodi-
gious influence. It is stated on authority
that Sir Henry James has already saved
the British Exchequer at least 100000 by
the use of photo-zincography in the pro-
duction of the maps of the Ordnance sur
vey; and the copies of Doomsday Book
now at Paris, printed by photo-zincogra-
ply, speak for the value and beauty of
the process. Photography is useful in SO
many ways-in astronomy, in ethnology,
in anatomy, in botany, in architecture, in
land surveying, in engraving on wood and
steel and copper, not to speak of ordina-
ny portraiture, that no modern art can
be said more truly to live than this; and
few of us who visit the French Exhibition
can form an adequate idea of the vast
amount of scientific research and mechan-
ical industry which are represented by
the hundreds of Photographic pictures
and apparatus that meet our view. An
index Of, patents relating to photography
alone tells us that down to the end of
the year 1859 upwards of 100 separate pa
tents had been granted in England; and
since that period the number has been
enormously increased. This, however,
gives a very insufficient idea of the ener-
gy with which the wonderful art is pur-
sued for, in point of fact, the most i'm
portant discoveries in photography have
not been protected by the patent laws.
Thus, the collodion process-ap process by
which nine-tenths of all the photographs
in. all countries are now produced-was
made known freely to the public by its
originator. So likewise the essential
principles of all the various carbon pro-
cesses of printing were announced by
their discoveries without any attempt TO
secure their rights by patent. So long
ago as December, 1927, M. Niepce, then
living at Kew, submitted to the Royal
Society some pictures taken on silvered
copper plates smeared with the bitumen
Of Judea, q substance which is soluble in
certain essential oils, but not so after ex-
posure to light. Specimens of his skill
are in existence as perfect in appearance
as on the day on which they were pro-
duced. There is the beginning Of the
oc~hor rroress On the Doth of Nav
1889, MI. Mungo Ponton made a commu-
n~ication to the Royal Scottish Society of
Arts to the effect that bicromate of pot
ash applied to paper in solution accepted
a Photographic image which could not
be removed by water, the portions pro-
tected from the light being readily wash
ed away. There is a step in advance. In
January of the aforementioned year M.
Daguerre in France, and Mr.. Fox Talbot
in England, had each made public their