The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-09
NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY.
Cheap and Simple Device for Picture
Making Without Daylight.

A Cheap and Simple Device for Picture
Making Without Daylight.
New York Evening Post.
Although the electric light has been used con-
stantly Tor the last ten years for Photographic
purposes in studios, and upon special occasions
for making pictures of notable scenes in thea
ters and public buildings. its expense has made
Impossible the common use of the light. The
cost of providing electric light sufficient for
making photograph in the evening at New
York house, even though the electric-light wires
may run along the street outside is not far from
$40 Years ago, before the introduction of the
instantaneous process, magnesium, in the shape
of long strip, was burned for the purpose of
taking photographs at night; but the light was
unsteady owing to incomplete combustion and
the time necessary for the exposure was
tediously long. Within the last few months
DR. H. G. Piffard leading member of the New
York Society of Amateur Photographers and
Mr.. q. lockwood have succeeded in making
night photographs superior to those obtained by
the electric light, and at expense for light
scarcely worth mentioning DR.. Piffard's idea
was that II the requisite quantity of magnesium
could be burned at once, giving an intense flash
of light it would be sufficient in connection
with the instantaneous plates, to take good
picture. The trouble met with in the compare
lively slow combustion of magnesium was over
come by mixing the magnesium with gun-cotton,
IN the proportion OF one part of powdered mag
nesium to two parts of gun-cotton the flash of
the gun-cotton causes the entire combustion of
the magnesium, and so little is needed for max
ing the photograph of person or a group that
the cost of each charge is but few cents. The
with that used with daylight, and the invention
may have a wide use in the photography of all
sorts of night interiors, which are
proverbially difficult to make, owing to the in
sufficient light which comes in by ordinary win
dows.
In order to focus properly an interior group.
lamp is placed at the point where the mag
nesium will be lighted; and the camera is ad-
justed to include the picture lighted up by
the lamp When the lamp is withdrawn the
magnesium is substituted and the picture is
taken so quickly that the persons in it do not
have time to vince under the sudden flash of
brilliant light. For making pictures of scenes
in the theater it offers a cheap and easy method
of doing what has been heretofore very expen-
sive work, and it is even possible that the new
light may be used in ordinary studios in the
day time when there is not light enough for
good work DR.. Piffard believes that when
every policeman is provided with a detectives
pocket camera, magnesium light will enable him
to take portraits of criminals before they know
it, and to make accurate pictures of interiors
which may be of extreme value evidence in
court At present, to make poor photograph
of an ordinary room is work of hours, even
with the instantaneous plate. Any chemist can
provide amateurs with the combination of gun
cotton and magnesium put up in quantities for
large small rooms. It will probably not be
long before the taking of groups in the evening
at private houses. family reunions. etc, will be
a. regular part of every professional photogra-
pher'S work