Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-04-04
A pAo7oeRApHEa,s TRIALS.
E1travagant Demands ON His Skill. Pa
thence and Good Nature.


A photographer meets with many
strange characters and is a witness of
many curious incidents. In recent in
formal talk before the Society Of Amateur
Photographers, Abraham Bogardus, the
veteran photographer, told number of
amusing stories of incidents that hap
pened to him in the course of his forty
one years experience in the studio and
dark room. He prefaced his talk with a
few sarcastic remarks regarding young
men who write long screeds in photo
graphic papers on how to take photo
graphs, whom the experiences of a single
day "under the skylight" would cause
them to wish they had never been born.
He then went on to speak of the un-
reasonable demands which many sitters
make.
"At one time" he said, "a lady
brought three children, two boys and a
girl, to me, to have their pictures taken.
They came all prepared, with doll for
the girl and gun and hobby horse for
the boys. Well, there was row at the
start. Both boys wanted to mount the
horse. We got that settled after time,
but only to strike a new trouble. Of
course you all know that the nearer to-
gether you group the objects to,be photo
graphed the better picture you will get.
Well, this woman was genius in her way;
she did not want her children grouped
close together as other peoples were, but
81, ,fn1 Io i,I toly in he
middle of the room and the boys off in
opposite corners. Of course told heI
it could not be done, whereupon she
said: We'll, Mr.. Bogardus, l have always
been told that you were very accommo'
dating. l have been to three or foul
photographers and they all told me the
same thing don't see as you are any
more accommodating than the rest Of
them At another time man, an Irish
man, of course, wanted carte-de-visite
and he wanted it life size Some peo
pie, by the way, never seem to under
stand the difference between full length
and life size told him that the plate
wouldn't hold it. Then take it with the
legs hanging down, were his instruc
tions. Gen. Logan, who used to sit fol
me, did not often joke, but he did occa
sionally. He came in one day and saw
hanging on the wall a picture of mar
whom he greatly disliked. He turned
to me and said 4 see you take pictures
of everybody Yes was my answer
that is what am here for 4 suppost
you would take picture Of the devil i
you could get him to sit for you o.
course. suppose could run off goot
many of them in Washington n Yes,
he replied; that's the best place in tn
world to sell them
''An old lady once came to me VIII,
wanted picture, full face, but q littl'
three cornered.' once asked DR.. Tynt
if he would not prefer side view, ant
he replied: No, sir. l am an uprigh
man. don't turn to the right or lef
for any man. But amid all the fun w
also see some very sad things. remem
Der once woman came in with bundl
!: in her arms which when unrolled prove,
to be the dead body of her little baby
which she wanted photographed. re
member once one of our venerabl
Judges came in with his wife. too
both their pictures. He was perfectl
satisfied with his, but she did not seer
exactly pleased with hers, said it was to
old. The judge turned to her and re
marked: We'll, mother, if you wante
handsome picture you should have be
gun thirty years ago. That settled il
she had nothing more to say. A lad
came to me once to make an appoint
ment for friend who, she said, wa
very difficult to suit. She had trie
dozens of photographers and had neve
been suited. Of course l promised t
do the best I could for her. At the ar
: pointed time the lady came. She wa
!, old, and weighed at least 200 pounds
Her skin looked like boiled lobster, an
she was clad in low neck and shol
, sleeves Idid not wonder she was neve
} suited. Well, l did my best, but whe
3 the picture was made she agreed wit
7 me perfectly that it did look horrid. St
did not order any of them. New Yor
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