Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-15
An Oft-repeated Scene I'm . PhofOgraph
Gallery.

Gallery.
THE DIFFICULTY OF GETTING THE "Rf0HT FIX.
PREssIoN"-rHE EQUIPMENT OF A GALLERY
NEGATIVES THAT ARE NEVER sHoWN-rHK
INSTANTANEOUS PROCESS.
The baby looked into the yawninp black fun.
mel and squalled dismally. The funnel was
aimed directly at the little thing, and he could
see little way into the square box beyond.
He had never seen anything like IL before
and knew not what danger might be hid
away beneath the black curtain that hung
behind. So he Squeeled louder the longer
he looked, and refused to be comforted.
The fond mama and group of admiring
friends stood by. Attached to the engine by a
long rubber tube was little bulb, which q man
held nervously in his hand while he watched
the small parcel OF nervous energy. Suddenly
the parcel caught its breath fo- AN instant and
Strengthened its face between two gasps. AS
quick as lightning the man pressed the bulb,
there was snap inside the dreadful machine,
there was .. ciapping Of hands and the whole
assemblagebore down upon the crying infant.
the popular photograph galleries. It was all
over: The babys negative, without cry on 1t,
complacently. A STAR reporter watched the
frightened baby and his attendants depart.
Taking babies pictures Is the most difficult
thing In the photographers art. If the fond
mothers saw half the negatives OF their little
darlings caught in the camera, they would sue
the photographers for libel and tear their hair
with anguish. Fortunately, they are spared
this. They See nothing but the result Of
SUCCESSFUL EFFORT.
They see nothing of the distorted reproduce
tons Of the infantile features that caught in
the camera in the efforts to capture the delu-
sive fright expression" When q mother is
going to have her baby picture taken she gen.
orally notifies all her female friends and rela-
tlves. The event is liable TO take place any
flor fnn f1.a Hx,s,x NI,n
mother, With the baby. IA nurse and ten or a
dozen female friends, goes to the gallery. The
victim OF the ceremony is placed on Il little SOFA
with u hole in the back, through which the
mothers hand holds it, Then the awful camera
is aimed at it, ii he is u very good baby he will
open his eyes very wide aud say uolning or
Will begin "a careful and detailed examination
OF his fingers and toes. He is then caught in
the act ind looks very cunning. But the
chances arc, by long odds, that he IS not Il good
baby, or ceases to be very soon after his arrival
at the gallery. When he is placed on the sofa
the mother chucks hlin under the chin and
tries to make him smile. Two or three OF the
lady friends arrange bis gown; one pulls his
foot out so as to show his sweet little tootsie-
wootsles;" another changes his position. Then
he begins to cry. The mother dances in front
OF him ciappiug her bands crying "Oo-OO- 90
sweet itty sing, ookey here; All goo! All goo!
themselves with ratties, tin horns and tam
bouflaes, which are kept on hand Tor this emer-
gency, and engage in an Indian dance around
the little tyranI io attract has attention, all the
time making noise worse than
CHINESE BATTLE.
During this hubbub the infant changes his
faca! expression many times, without ever
striking any that would satisfy the mother in a
picture other darling. Sometimes his features
will subside little and'click' will go the instan-
taneous camera, but he will open up as quickly
as the camera, and the shadow caught is of IA
toothess mouth wide open, a couple of eyes
shut tight and a .ot OF wrinkles. a gieat variety
OF these negatives will be taken curing TIE sit
TIM, If the tin horn. and the timUOUrine be-
come very interesting he may stop crying. He
is apt then either to Indicate desire
10 Join in the festivities and squirm
aud kick up his heels, or TO take a
Lotion ne wants the camera. In the latter case
he will plunge forward like a bucking pony ana
shout. Ii Tor one instant during this perform
ance he looks natural, the picture is safe, for
it is taken almost as quick Il flash OF light
ming. But if that natural expression comes and
is being caught within the camera, the chances
are in favor OF mis- making quick movement
OF his hand across mis- lace, wiping the pic
ture out, as if with sponge. sometimes he
Will get his foot between his lace anu the
camera just at the fatal moment. The photo
grapner showed THE STAR reporter the picture
OF a baby that was taken Just as he had stopped
crying for a moment
TO CATCH HIS BREATH.
It did not take more than second to do it.
There were two OF them-twins taken together,
and between them they kept up Il seesaw, never
both looking natural at the same time, except
when they were both crying. They were caught
JUST stS ont stopptu anu before tue OLQer u:iO
had time ~ begin.
h Il took group of six once,r said the pho
l'toSraphe "rney were not all babies, out were
as nearly so as was consistent with their being
brothers and sisters. The youngest WAS only q
few months old, but had energy enough to furn-
ISL power for a saw mill. Just when would
get the rest AL straight ana his face would Oe-
gin TO relax u little, and ! WIS OH the point OF
opening the cJfnera, he would give lunge
hair. Then there would be u scream and a
scramble, greatly to the delight of the infant
The hair, when relieved from the infantile
grasp would have ~ be cOnDed and the group
composed again, only TO he again broken up
just al the fatal moment. But we finally caught
him just as he was thinking OF q new mode OF
attack and before he could put it into execu-
tion No, we don't charge any more Tor taking a
baby than for any one else. Some times
mothers think we ought not to charge as much
because they are SO little
THE "PLANT."
1t Is obvious that the instantaneous process
must be used In taking these infantiIe pictures
but the other accessories to the undertaking
are numerous. Besides the high chairs and the
sofas, the tambourine, the rattles aud the tin
HORNS there axe rocking horses, jumping jacks,
pretty glass marbles OF size 10 insure their
not being swallowed, and II great variety OF
other Things calculated to catch the eye of a
The variety of baby faces is quite striking; SOME
are laughing, some serious, some inquisitive,
some surprised, some mad some frightened,
some indifferent and others intensely inter
eSted. The most expressive ana energetic
negatives, however, are those that are de-
stroyed.