Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-07-11
AN HOUR WITH THE ARTIST.
Armstrong; photographic Gailsrl

AN HOUR WITH THE ARTIST.
Armstrong; photographic Gallery
The pleasure Of Willing away most
pleasant hour was accorded us in the
Photographic parlors, No. I'll Main
street, OF this most excellent artist.
Without emphasizing the suave and per-
suasively polite manner invariably mark
ing his reception and entertainment OF
visitors, his gallery presents a variety oil
art pictures hardly to be found in any
other in the city. Among these are
few chefd' euvrcs in oil colors, not ofhi
own execution, but evidencing the cult
walton OF taste and educated Judgment
directing their selection, Here also
are quite a number Of finished pho
tographs descriptive Of frontier
life; its Indian character; emf
grant trains; its remote and feebly
garrisoned outposts, executed by the
artist several years since, when on
professional tour over the Plains. Out
of two hundred of these negatives he
has only preserved about forty. The
one, not the least interesting from its
fearful associations and tragic results,
represents Colonel Rankin, United
States officer, then in command of one
of the frontier posts, in the act of leav-
ing the fort for an evening ride, accom-
panied by his beautiful and accomplish.
ed wife, whom afterwards, when the tort
was surrounded and assaulted by the In
dams in overwhelming numbers, and all
hope of rescue gone, drew his pistol
and shot her through the heart to protect
her from the horrors of savage capture,
and then fell himself mortally wounded,
calamity defending his post, SIGNALLING
in his death the devotion of the Aus-
band, the honor of the soldier and the
chivalry of the hero. The Photographic
presentation of the most noted and
beautiful scenery in the Central Park of
New York will fully repay visit to
this gallery, and almost supercede the
expense attending a trip to this cele-
brated metropolitan garden spot. The
great variety of personal photographs
will long delay the visitor, and if it were
possible in serial portraitule where so
much excellence is presented to select
a masterpiece, the writer would point to
that of a beautiful being just vergiug in
her teens, in all the freshness of her
young life, in all the beauty of her
laughing, joyous, innocent girlheod.
As the writer stood entranced
in the presence Of this beautiful crea-
ton. how the hearts prayer went up to
the Great Father that no cloud might
ever darken that classic brow, but life
for her be one long sunshine dream as
calm as the lapse of stream or the
travel of a star" In those large, lus-
trous eyes shone the light of the soul;
the crimson life currents mantling the
cheek spoke the joys of the heart; the
matchless mouth, half sunshine, half
sorrowful, blending passion and repose,
with the slight curl of the lip, betrayed
the hauteur of the high-strung spirit,
while the raven sheen of luxuriant hair
glowed instinct with a soul-beauty stolen
from the treasures Of an Houri. In fine,
it was creation of marvellous excellence,
matchless art.
This art though not that Wanted as
preservative Of all arts. yetin excellence
challenges precedence, as in it nature
is so perfectly reflected, so cunningly
counterfeited, that the gazer stands be-
wildered contemplating the blended and
confused boundaries of the two, unable,
aye, unwilling, to speak the original
to point the reflection. ID.