The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-03-04
COMPOSITE PHOTOGRAPHS.
Some Interest nR shown By Pref
Rowditch In H0ston.

Boston, March 3.-PrOf. Bowditch has
been delivering a lecture on composite photo
graphs. that has interested all who heard him.
He had a screen on which to illustrate his
points, and proceeded to elucidate the idea OF
the type about which mon and plants and ami.
mails vary. never attaining the perfect ideal.
but approaching 1t so nearly that. from a col.
location OF actual examples, the true ideal may
In Which were In innGmerahls bullet holes s" AZ.
the bulls-eye, the position of which was readi-
ly obtninable by finding, 30 to speak. the aver
BY diagrams Of the binomial curve and the
principle was further illustrated. and this
being made iptelligible. the lecturer went on
to display by diagram and model the several
photosraphs.' The best mode 81 adjnst@ent.
he said, was by focusing by a line between the
how two portraits might be so blended as to
retain the CHARACTERISTICS Of eaeh.to be. In fact
s e. on lset Rsi,h iSe ST share Ss' 81 e TX an eo aajsssmsn Ms q
at wiz Composites Of a greater variety Of eie-
number of bullet shots. said thu lecturer. so
much more certain was tho discovery OF the
the nearer ' would we approacR tho perfee. type TYPE.
A composite of twelve well.known Boston
doctors was shown. about which were grouped
the portraits OF the dozen. each very evidently
contributing to the central portrait certain
characteristics. yet not by their united efforts
creating an ideal II. D. There must DO .
much greater number Of cnmponents before tho
composite can DO so styled said the lecturer.
1t was a grent question. he continued. whether
or no tho order OF eNposure made a dine
in the composite obtained. 1t was difficult to
zee why there should be any difference OBJ
served. and q careful scrutiny Of instances OF a
reversed order OF exposure would elicit only
the slightest dissimiiarity.
His next Illustrations wero OF an exceedingly
interesting nature. From Il group Of hospital
patients was obtained u type OF disease and
inmates of the Bloomingdale Asylum had been
put to practical use in furnishing IL type of in
sanity. A composite OF victims 81 inelanchoiia
and another OF convicts were ediiyiuG 10 Il de-
gree. Eighteen chronological students. whose
one bright-faced. clever looking youth. A COM
posite of sixteen naturalisls so nearly rcsem-
bled ARassiz as to suggest that he wills an up-
proximntion Of the typical naturalist.
The Harvard Class OF ,,8i WAS shown as one
man. and the contrast between this typo and
that of the BowIoin student furnished II rare
study: the one sleek. diSniNed. and brilliant;
the other sturdy. rugged. ami sensible. A COM
nosite Of 449 faces from ltccr.t graduates of
Harvard. Cornell, Johns Hooltni, &c., WAS u
splendid type of tho educated youth
OF to-day. and u similar "~1-romnosita 81. The
college maiden was Il c.rrn;ag enSrab!e. Of
1t was remarked. when thr ineal youth and
maid were placed side ny siiir. ,iiut thair re-
semblance was strong enough 10 tArnD them
brother AMI sister. Com 2o.itcs Of horsa car
drivers and conductors. md ono oil George
Washington, deduced IRON - dozen or 50 Of his
portraits. and OF cutie remarkable beauty, were
among the many other interesting exhibits.