Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-06-17

But upon a visit to this place, and sec
ing collected together all that appertains
to the art, the impression upon stranger
was somewhat that of anew thing. What
would be the Impressions of man of fif-
ty years ago, were he to return and visit
such place? One Is at loss to Judge
whether chemist cf fifty year ago, or a
land scape artist would be the most sur
prised at what he saw before him. The
one would have seen a great variety of
chemical compounds, liquid and chrystal-
lied, in many different colors and forms,
with new names, and of sparkling purity.
He would have been perplexed to know
for what purpose they were exhibited in
this hall, evidently of fine arts, and the
artist would have been unable to see any
connection bowen the objects OF art and
the coarser rubbish of stands, cameras,
stereoscores and artificial scenery, about
him. Bat if this chemist, and artist, were
left to themselves to freely examine all
things in the hall and seek an explana-
| ton from what each knew of his own de-
partment, with an interchange of
| thoughts and surmises, pretty intelligent
guess might have been made as to the
connection and meaning of all before
them.
When this art was discovered, which
depends upon the power of light to affect
substances chemically, it was little re-
allied how great is the power of light in
nature; but it has come to be knowned
that light is one of the most powerful
agents in nature. And it is a result
of the last few years of the study of the
chemist and photographer, that the plates
prepared surfaces of the art, may need
only an instant of exposure for tho de-
sired effect. So that when a photographer,
sitting upon one of the high cliffs of the
coast Of England, with his camera pointed
him, and takes into view the distant hori-
ION, and distant cape of land, it is also
possible to take the forms of the birds of
a flock of sea gulls, even the outlines of
their limbs, rings of their eyes, and every
minutia of them, while they are on the
wing, in mid-air, just over the edge of the
cliff a few yards from the instrument.
Such a picture was exhibited. Though
instantaneous photographs were not new,
yet the size of this one, the scene, the OBJ
jects, its distinctness and fneness was
wonder.
But few people can realize, adequate
ly, the vast amount of toll, and number of
observations, that has preceded the pre-
sent exacted state of the Photographic art
What numbers of new compounds, and
notifications of them, have been made on
the side of chemistry What improve
ments in the power and quality of the
lenses and cameras and how much prac-
teal skill is required in the use of these
things.
There is another view of this art that
is interesting, that is its aid in the forma--
ton of plates and blocks, or engravings
for printing purposes, and that if the
preparations of the drawings on stone,
known as photographic printing, whereby
any particular photograph can be rapidly
and in great numbers printed for books
and useful purposes, though always at the
expense of some of their fneness and
beauty. The beautiful vignettes and s.
torical scenes on our national paper mon
ey, which are so familiar to every one,
were designed and drawn upon quite
large sheets of paper, and then by the
Photographic process, reduced to the re-
quired size, and these prints, by many
and sllillful preparations are transferred
on to steel plates, and then engraved into
them.
1t is needless to speak of microscopical
sninncn. or th~s Of .et.o..o.-.,- any de-
partment of physics to which it is APP
piled, for thG extent is somewhat known
or can DO imagined. Many professional
or amateur men, who make any of these
the scene of their study or
of pleasure, understand the
art Of photography sufficiently to apply it
successfully in making their observa-
tions.
The process Of this art-that of the da-
guerreotype-was invented by Mr.. Da-
guerre, of Paris, in 1880, and is, therefore,
just thirty years old