, 1884-02-05
HER OWN GALLERY.
A womAn's Success in Photography
..-Hsr Patrons Mostly womsn
and Children


INew York Sunl
The photographer, q tall, fair woman, with
q clear cut and handsome lace aud graceful
figure, moved about rapidly. attending to tho
details OF bar work as she chattsd with the
rsportar.
at required nine year, Of incessant labor
for = man on Sixth avenue to enable me to
run q gallery OF my own" she said. II am
the only lady photographer In New York. l
think took up photography from choice n
good many years ago, studying under the
man Of whom Ispoks. After I had worked
for him a eoupls of years he gradually placed
more and more responsibility upon me, until
I was practically the head Of tho business /
worked for him like a galley slave for nine
years, and then told him 1 was going to
start q gallery Of my own. He
looked shocked, but recovered him
SELF shortly. and made NE a proposal OF mar
Rage. Nins years Of him was quite enough.
I was idle for a yaar, and then bought this
place. A man can never realize how de-
lightful 1t Is for 4 woman to be absolute mis-
tress OF her own Affairs. I keep my own
books and attcnd personally to everything"
-You said that most OF your subjects are
women and childrenP-
~ forgot to mention" said the proprietor,
with a slightly culpablo smile, shat clergy
men should be included In the Category
They're fond Of coming here. are theyf'
-Oh, yea They like TO DO treated gently,
too. Ny greatest successes nave been with
nervous and srcitable subjects. Last week a
lady brought her son and daughter to me.
She had tried several Of the leading pho
togrsphers, and none OF them had succeeded
In making even a passabls picture. l APP
pointed o morning fer the sitting, and 1t took
just Ave hours to photograph thoss two
children The girl had a twitching eye, and
at first she could not cit still two consecutive
minutes TO ave her. / looked at that
twitching eye with 80 much professional
gentleness, and treated her with such a vast
amount Of patience, that In the end she gave
up completely, at still. and was pho
tographed with thorough success. had just
as much Of a struggle with the boy. After
they had gone l was tagged Today 1 re-
csivsd those flowers from tho children's
mothsr.
Next to dead subjects the unfortunate
deformed are the least desirable subjects we
have to handle. Nobody knows so well as q
photographer how sensitive cripplss arc re-
garding their indrmities. They are always
anxious that their particular defects should
not appear in their pictures, and yet they
preserve . stndious silence concerning the
very features about which they are the most
anxious.
4Some years ago / was struck with the re-
pubiNo iook Wnicu AL pnotoXrnphers gave
their pictures Of the dead. The majority of
these pictures Of dead people were simply
dreadful, and this was particularly the case
when the subjectA were children. l had often
seen little ones who had recently died, and |
was often struck with their natural and
hfeliks appearance. Children dead FIRE.
qusntly look Like children asleep. Iresolved,
as soon as 1 started In for myself,
thatI would make a success Of the first dead
subject which came under my notice. 1 had
only boon established a few days when q
swest-facsd woman in deep mourning came
in and told me her only child had died the
day before, after an illness OF only two days.
/ went that afternoon with my apparatus
and my assistants and took the photograph.
I have kept q copy Of 1T ever since. Here 1t
Ia"
Ths picture showed . child lying az
though asleep In his crib. One chubby little
hand was pressed against q rounded cheek,
while tbs other lay naturally by its side. TIE
position was grace itself. aid there was not a
suggestion Of death in the picture. 1t looked
like = child who had just fallen asleep.
This picture, /" said the proprietor, drought
me many other patrons. and / made quito q
reputation 1t Il not pleasant work, but It
always pays to be thorough and original. 1
love my work earnestly, and I am very
happy In IT,"