The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1876-08-17
OUR CENTENNIAL LETTER.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 7, 1876.

AT the eastern end of the Memo
rial Hall, stands modest unpretend
ing building dedicatedfor the time be
ing to Photographic Art. This is an
art that like telography has grown
from almost nothing, to it's present
colossal propositions in the memory
of living men. 1t seems only like
few years ago since looked on the
first daguereotype, and l reccollect
how / twisted and turned it, and held
1t in different lights to make out the
face that was not quite sure was
there or not. Then came attempts at
photography, the first l ever saw
being called Talbotypo. 1t WAS
supposed to be the picture of coun
try house, but it looked like mud
scow struck by tightening. Then
came the Ililotype, typo Of which,
If successfully carried out according
to the Original design Of tho invon-
tor, would have sent man without
benefit of the clergy to tho states
prison or lunatic asylum. Tho men
who have made the art hat it is to
day, are many of them, fortunately,
still alive; they arc our friends and
our neighbors, and willie ranking
very high in our estimation as ar
tists, and as men, they havo always
seemed much nearer to us than tho
knights of the chisel or the brush
Photography is essentially the poor
mans arm; by it, and lie becomes a
traveller and a cilic, it brings back
the association of childhood years at
ter they have vanished anu it sur
rounds you with the faces of loved
ones "When the silver cord is loused,
and the golden bowl is b. okun. -
Entering the eastern door, you find
in nich Oh the left an exhibit ot
Durenus, of Patterson, N. j. Tie
artist has evidently not contiued his
excursions to the limits ut the city oi
Patterson, for wo find ourselves our-
rounded by viows Of the Mississippi,
and scenes OF the far west. On the
opposite side ot the hall, Charles
Faxon gives us picture OF Joe Jet
tvrSun ne Rir Van Winklc; not n
little I'Ocke; edition OF "a great man,
but full lite sized portrait of the
worthless vagabon Dutchman just as
he appeared when he wandered abou
through the enchanted mountains oi
CatSklll. Schwind and Kruger o.
,,New York, have Il magnificent case
,oi pictureS, and IioIyIa. d OF Bal,i,
moro has some excellent artistic
groupings. A little beyond, Allen
and Rowel have splendid colloc-
sion of portraits: Loyde Garrison,
Wendell Phillips, aud Cha les Sum
ROr hang side by eide. NOar b, 10 a
picture called Dressed for the Bridal,
by Muser of Ch;cagc, a work Of &C.
pecial merit, and near it the colorod
portrait OF lady, which is picture
Of the highest order. S"rony, ot New
York, has not large exhibit, but
ono of his pictures, scene from the
play of Pique, lately performed at
the Fiftii Avenue Theatre, is a"snr-
passed BY any picture in the collcc-
tion.
A frame hangs against tho north
wall which inteheslcd me exceeding
ly, in it WAS a@hhmber of likenesses,
almost every face of which | know
in years long gone bye. Tho Da~
gnereotypos were taken by Fitzgibbon
OF ST. Lonis, over a quarter of a cen
tury ago, and thou, no doubt, they
were considered very lino specn ems
of the wonderful daguerrean art. The
ToriginaIs OF many OF those ikenesses
have passed over Jordun's stormy
banks and now stand on tle Other
side, and those who still survive, find
She almond tree begin to flourish and
that tho grasshopper is u burthen.-
The dramatic profession is largely
represented; lilllo STRIPPING OF a
girl is the porIraiture of Maggie
Mitchell, our Maggie, the little witch
ing, winning mortal, who, as Fan
<chon and Barefoot, has danced her
way into all our hoarts, aud year at
tor year as sho cano around, We
went to sec her do the same thing
over and over again, till it seemed We
had known her all our lives, and We
never realized That we ourselves were
growing old. Or that, the little girl
that charmed us in AuId Lung Syne,
Is now q stout matronly woman, q
Substantial bank account, and with
silver threads among tho gold, an tho
Orowsfcet are battling for lines upon