Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-05-18
Ths Pno,orraDh nu.,pes,.


Our sensational reporter had occasion
to have his Intellectual looking "phiz''
sun-struck few days since and dropped
into Bingham's gallery for that purpose.
The operator was ready, and smiled as
our man appeared and mildly suggested
that he wanted q profile with hat on to
express a kind Of Js ne sails gpoi air,
vhatever' that may mean, The artist
expOstulated and intimated that hat on
head was rural, he not catching the idea
which had filed the brain-pan Of our
representative for ~ least a week. Our
man had his own idea Of art and taste,
he believing that a three-quarter scant
face, or else a profile, suited the ma
jOrity Of people, and especially suited
his own facial outline. But photo.
graphic artists stand upon their rights
and assume 10 know It all with reference
to the proper pose which each unfortu-
nate specimen Of humanity should take
in order to be duplicated on a card. The
profile was insisted upon, but the hat
had to come of out Of Difference to the
superior taste of the photographer. Our
man, after this compromise with taste,
stood before a glass and arranged his
hair in the style Ia brigand or
la neglige; then seating himself upon a
chair, told the artist to " go ahead
That worthy fixed the clamp to the back
part Of the head of the reporter, and
then retreating backwards squinted
through his telescope, moving the latter
to the right or left to suit his superior
Knowledge Of optics with reference TO
light and shade. This accomplished, be
placed the head Of the sitter in a mos
uncomfortable position and invited him
to look at the picture of a ballet dancer
dressed in scarlet tights which was
mounted upon the apex of a tripod.
Our man having often seen the original
in flesh and blood upon the stage, soor
grew weary Of this illusion and began Il
wink both eyes rapidly. The artist toel
a sight, hoped off a few feet, assumed 1
martyr and pensive like air, and ther
mechanically dropped o black hand
kerchief over the object glass Of his in
strument, saying, Keep still; / want t.
take another Negative" which reques
was afirmatively responded to by GU
already bored reporter. Again be hat
to look at the ballet dancer, and il
q few minutes the thing was over
With sigh Of relief our man arose, re
placed his hat and awaited the appear
ance Of the negative with the positiv
knowledge that the artist had failed il
~tentionally to take the profile pictur
demanded in the outset; and SO it turne
out. The profile picture represente
our man with a pug nose. while he has
Grecian nasal organ and the profit
resembled more by n~inety-fve per cent
the pictorial newspaper ~likenesses OF th
late Jim Fisk than it did our reporter
but the other negative, which was
three-fourths full outline, was quit
good, a fact which the artistic villai
well knew in advance would be tn
result. So our man was euehred out
his original idea, and instead of a ha
, has a three.quarter likeness; but as b
got one-fourth more likeness for b
money, he ought not to complain aud
bly,, whatever mental e~xecrations b
may have INDUCED in.
Moral-Do not visit a p~hotograp
gallery under the ha~llucina.ion tina
you know what kind of a picture 70
are going to have, whatever you ma
wsnt, as in such matters the artist rulel
either by moral suasion in the outset q
nv nhvsical forca in tho and