The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-08
ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPERS.
How the Photographs of Distinguished Peo
pie Are Obtained.

PIE Are Obtained.
Gertrude Garrison, in Pittsburg Dispatch.
How are the pictures of the prominent m en-
and women obtained9 This is question not
easily settled by the curious who know not the
mysterious ways of the newspaper world. In
the case OF the men, q resolute young man goes
boldly to the individual in demand and asks for
one OF his photographs. If he is politician, an
author, or actor, or before the public in any
professional capacity, he knows that the publ
cation OF his portrait will he to his advantage,
and he generally gives cordial assent, coupled
with his thanks, and takes some pains to secure
good photograph. Indeed, he sometimes quite
overdoes the matter by sending around photo
graph as big as q signboard, in the belief that
the more imposing it is the more splendid will
be the come-out in the contemplated cut.
1T he is a society man, he deems it wise to de-
muir at first. but never holds cut long. Doesn't
mean to when he begins. Sometimes he says he
hasn't decent photograph of himself, the only
one he knows of is in the possession of his
friend, Mr. Jenkins, and he supposes he
wouldn't give it up. The solicitor takes the
hint, and goes to Mr. Jenkins for the photo
graph, and gets it.
The methods of obtaining photographs of
women in society is more circuitous. Usually
the photographer is called upon. Very often he
refuses to surrender picture but he does not
remove it from the sight of the seeker of celeb
rifles who probably makes sketch of it while
rest on the showcase and talking to
of this city published page of prom
inent church women 1t obtained them
by sending artist to church, who sketched
them in their Sunday bonnets, taking them I'M
aware" as it were. The opinion prevails among
newspaper artists that ladies object more from
the fear of being mangled in the picture making
process than from other motives.
sometimes the artist draws little too freely
upon mis- imagination, as in the case of illustrat
ing the Astor wedding, which one of the dailies
did IN fine style. The artist visited the house
the day before and was shown the parors as
they were fixed for the occasion. He trans
ferred them to paper and filed them with
welEknown members of fashionable society,
each one recognizable. Unluckily, as he
made up the lot somewhat at random,
he got two or three bitter enemies of the
Astor family in the front ranks. In cases of
celebrated law suits the newspaper artist goes to
court and sketches the celebrities, and the judge
has no power to interfere.
The now defunct Truth was the begip,er of
the present fashion of newspaper art. In 1879
It's principle feature was a small outline portrait
OF some noticeable person daily. The other
newspapers regarded this as uniournalistic and
In bad taste, and refused to adopt the innovation
There had long been tradition that illustrations
IN any newspaper not wholly devoted to them
were incompatible with dignity. The Star dealt
in pictures even before Truth but the renais-
sance dates from Truth In the early part
OF 1884 the World began to illustrate eopiously,
and soon the fashion spread. until even the
sedatest newspapers caught the contagion.