New-York tribune., 1885-08-16
AuATEURS WITH TIE CAMERL

THE AMUSEMENT AND BKNErIT WHICH THEY DE-
RIVE PROM PHOTOGRAPHY.
At no time since Thomas Wedgwood secured the
FIRST photograph on a plate under an Insects wing
as a camera has the art of picture taking been so
popular as at present. Convenient aud cheap
apparatus attracts thousands of professional aud
business to the study OF photography as
pastime 1t is estimated that no less than 5000
amateurs are enjoying the study in this country.
A number OF ladies interested, aud for their
fastdoas taste special chemicals. used in develop
ing plates. have been prepared. TO avoid staining
their hands
Daguerre and Miefece revolutionized photography
by the publication of their experiments in 1889.
In 1877 and 1873 the Rev. Dr. T. NJ. Maddox and
Mr. Bennett, q hat-maker, caused another revOlu-
tion by mixing bromide Of silver with gclatine,
boiling and spreading the mixture on glass plates
10 dry. These the instantaneous dry. plates
which take photographs in fraction Of fsecond
Their chaapnes they sold for cents each. their
accuracy aud convenience delight amateurs, who
can now carry experiments with an outfit
costing only $40. although $25 expended in an out
fit proves more satisfactory IN securing good work.
Few clubs existed among amateurs until about
the beginning Of 1884. la 1868, however. New.
York boas.ed of the Amateur Photographic Ex-
change Club. twentythree members. including four
professors and three doctors, with an official
journal, The Aaatear Photographic Print. f. r.
Thompson. ed tor. published at No. Wall-st
Among the regularly organized clubs in active
opel alton, with laboratories, reading and expert
mentlng rooms are the following
Members
Society of Amateur Photographers New-York..-... 80
Pacific Amateur PHOTOGRAPHERS Assn san Fran. 80
Camera Club, Cincinnati Onto. %
Amateur Photographers Club Philadelphia. Penn. 35
Assn of Amateur Photographers. Lowell Mass.- ~
afinn( (I.Nel laHI
Amateur Photographic ASSOCIATION. Columbus, OHIO 10
Camera CluD. Hartford, Conn 20
Harvard Club Cambridge, Mass ass.....-.....-.....- -
Amateur phoiographers' Cub, Haverhill. Mass.. 10
Amateur Photographic Society. Baltimore Md. 20
These areclubs of a h gh class. To enjoy the priv
ileges which they offer costs from So to $25 an-
nually. Their membership repre- 5ents small frac-
ton of the amateur Photographic community, for
scarcely one of the clubs named is two years old
and the organizations are not yet weli-known. A
club member hns advantages Olfered by intercourse
with minds bont In the direction OF his wn he
witnesses frequent valuable experiments and is
informed of all the front rank dongs in the world
of photography. In the season entertainments with
lanterns aud slides furnish photographers and
friends many an evenings amusement at the club
rooms Free use OF well lifted laboratories IL an
other niuceinent for Joining photographers club.
Like tine painter II lie has the time and money, in
the summer the photographer hies away 10 country
scenes. An outfit can bo packed in ordinary
cgar-box From c1r-winlow steamboat deck or
stage-coach, the little camera will record scenes
The professional photographer prints the pictures
In week's time album full of pictures of
journeys visit prepared TO the salts
faction of the operator.
Professional photographers say that amateurs are
injurng their business This is not The
amateur ia a help TO the professional The mind OF
the business artist is occupied almost constantly
with routine duties. An amateur is not hampered.
He pushes into new fields of experiment success
fully. To the amateur may be credited ths discov-
cry of tho instantaneous dry plato. retOucling
principles and methods for developing plates.
These discoveries of value to ali photographers.
times amusing. Hero Is Mr. Jones recently
exhibited new holder for the camera 1t contains
two spools on which Ia wound paper covered with
geatine sensitive film sufficient for taking forty
rewound automatically, the regulation 5xS portion
of tho paper being exposed. Jones saws to the
group OF eager amateurs: :" will demonstrate how
the paper film is developed and prepared for print
ing: In a trip down the St Lawrcnce Pve secured
| forty views on this strip of paper"
The red light is turned on
sThe common developing mixture Is used you
see" said Jones as he swathed the developer about
the paper, syou'n soon SEQ the picture appear
The amateurs peerel into the developing tray.
The papers surface unchanged Jones grew
| hot Something was wrong.
@Which Is the sensitive side OF this paperp ~
queried an inquisittve spectator
sAny fool ought TO know that by the glaze" re-
piled Jones.
aOnc fool didn't anyway" retorted the ques-
tioncr You've been photographing on the wrong
| Slre enough poor Jones had worked earnestly
for hundreds of miles with his drop-shutter camera
with visions OF valuable series Of photographs as
hs rsward But his careless exposure Of the wrong
mon white surface for tbe iens to make lts record
absshed - -