New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-07

a new and useful development in the Photographic
art. Soon after young and active element APP
peared in Sarony. Kurtz, Mora myself and others,
who gave photography strong impetus In The
way both of novelty and artistic development AT
this time in $780, the carte de vsite' was intro
duced, and the craze fashion Of friendly ex-
changes and family albums established The
first carte de viste made in this country was ut
nv establishment, one of Baron Rothschild by my
self. The first lady to make an appointment Tor
such sitting was Mrs. August Belmont
In but few months the leading establish
ments were doing an excellent business, and APP
continents for sttings were made two and three
weeks in advance The new men who had come
into the art were men of culture. Some OF them
were artists of experience and Skill others had
been members of the press and stood high IN
business and social circles. The old convention
alities were cast aside. and photography received
a thoroughly artistic impulse. Each has worked,
in q degree in the line of a speciality. One aims
to secure the great dramatic representatives ana
treat them with strong individuality. Others not
only exercised fine artistic taste. but did much to
the development of novelties and new improve
ments in the art
Many of our illustrated papers are either exc
cuted in whole or in part by photography. The
exclusively, while almost all of our weekly and
monthly Journals use the art in q greater or less
degree ANY pictorial subject that has been en-
graved or any picture which is in lines. can be
reproduced in few hours in relief plate. and
printed from as easily as the original plate.
Whole books. letter press and illustrations have
been entirely reproduced by photography, and at
a price and rapidity truly astounding. A noted
English publisher. learning that one of his books
had been reIublshcd in America, announced with
great positiveness that the American edition was
full of errors believing very naturally that it
would be impossible to put into type large
volume without some typographical errors. lie
was much confused when informed that the entire
volume, page for page. had been photoengraved.
An edition of "The Encyclopedia Britannica
which has Just been published in this city. has
been reproduced so excelently by this art that,
were it not for the size of the reproductions 1t
could not be distinguished from the original.
| not long since reproduced the whole OF the
Oratorio Of Elijah" music and words-the size
of the original The merit is not only in the
cheapness of the reproduction. but in the freedom
from all anXieties as concerns accuracy. Or
course no proof-reading is needed.
The next step of Importance in this direction
is the translation of the Photographic image
position Of an artist or an engraver. That is,
the events of the day will be photographed. and
by mechanical and chemical means alone be trans
ferrcd in a few hours, possibly minutes to a
printing block and used with ordinary types on
printing press. 1t is in measure. accomplished,
but little more being required to perfect the
process. Meissenbach. of Germany has produced
some fine work. also Ives. of Philadelphia. kurtz
and others, of New-York. The two first require
a considerable time, extending to days, TO obtain
the results. Local eXperimentalists hope to ac-
complsh the same in one or two hours. These
things are possibilities of the art in a practical
way. and open up an immense field, both in art,
science and literature.
The art of photo-engraving has developed in
two different lines-one In the way of typo
graphic plates. which ere used or ordinary print
ing presses and in the production of intaglio
copper plates which have the effect of mezzo-
tint engravings. The latter style of plates
printed from. as is usual with steel and copper
plates. There has recently been introduced
new invention. which will. in certain lines. revo-
lutionize both the amateur and professional work,
and that is the substitution of paper and gelatine
for glass. Until recently glass plates were coated
with the sensitive compound and placed in wood
shields. or holders" which when counted by
dozens became great weight to the artist. Plates
of the ordinary view size. SKI 0 inches. can rarely
be carried in quantity, thus limiting the re-
sources and results Of the art Now bands of
paper, twenty, or even one hundred feet long.
are coated with the sensitive compound and wound
ON spools. A mechanical cOntrivance is fitted to
the camera which enables the operator To make
picture on one end of the sheet. then wind il
on another SPOOL and have a new portion of the
sheet ready for exposure This continues until the
entire band has been exposed. when new spools are
substituted. SO the operator can carry in his
pocket the means Of securing hundreds OF pictures
The advantages in brief, then, are lightneSs and
portability, greater sensitiveness and practical
removal Of restrictions as TO the size of pictures
the inventor being able to sensitze sheets of any
length and sixty inches in width
When these pictures or negatives are devel-
oped they are by more recent invention trans
ferred to thin gelatine films which are perfectly
transparent and which print in every way equal to
those made directly upon glass, with the advan-
t8ge of enabling one to print from either side
All negatives for photo-engraying purposes must
be reversed hence the advantage of possessing
film that can be printed from either side. To the
scientist, mechanic and artist this invention is
alike useful. Many of the specialists in surgery
i'll Newly ork employ this process to record the abb
ton, and then again afterward as an evidence or
the result of their skill. The artists, too, in
many instances, seek out picturesque subjects or
groups in the streets or by-ways, and with their
little cameras shoot them on the spot"
An interesting craze in photography is the effect
to produce what is called the composite" photo
graph. ms means succession OF pnOtOgfdpnlc
Impressions imposed one upon the 9th in the same
plate so as to produce in single picture the CON-
bined li<enesses of various persons.
The invention or discovery of Dr. ii. O.. Piffards
fash light by which instantaneous pictures can be
made at night, is one OF the most interesting de-
vices of latter-day photography. He prepares upon
any metal dish ncombustible surface a small
pad of gun-cotton Cpyroxyne), covering. say, four
square inches and weighing perhaps five or six
grains Upon it sprinkled from ten to fifteen
grains of ma gnesiun powder; this when ignited by
ofah Gr "A
strong enough to make good instantaneous pho
tograph within ten fifteen feet of the source of
light 1t is now being used both by professionals
and amateurs for photographs at home, OF dinner
parties. card parties, etc.
Until a very recent period photography has failed
almost entirely TO interpret colors or to give the
proper mono-chromatic value to them For in
stance, yellow and red and all their combinations
would nhntngranh dark. while blue. violet and