Los Angeles herald., 1890-09-23
HANDY WITH CAMERAS.
WOMEN WHO HAVE BECOME Ex-
PERTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY


Given by the New York Camera Club.
Ordinary folks who don't feel profound
concern in such matters, but know that
amateur photography has of late taken a
stronger hold than ever on the affections
of many, would be surprised to find that of
the large number of members belonging to
the camera clubs at least one-third are
women, and that in the good town of New
York alone there are score or more of
ladies of leisure who know vastly more
about lenses, plates, prints and processes
than old Father Daguerre himself ever did.
And they are by no means the unintelligent
wielders of the handy little Kodak, or do
they content their ambitious souls with
mere detective snap shooting, but they
study the scientific branches of their art
and develop tone and finish by many diff
ferent processes, prints of which a profes-
sional might be proud.
In 1888 the New York Camera club was
organized to satisfy the growing demands
of the amateurs for common home where
congenial souls might meet to enjoy the
pleasures of social intercourse and use the
well arranged Photographic conveniences,
and from the very day of its inception, on
the payment of proper fees and dues, all
the privileges of the club were extended to
ladies' applying for membership. They
were requested to read papers before the
club, submit lantern slides of their own
making with successful pictures for exhi-
billions, and now and then at the f1atter-
ingly urgent request of the male members
they have accepted offices of Importance.
A PHOTOGRAPHIC GENIUS.
Prominent among the clubs lady men,
bers is Mrs. Richard P Lounsberry, whose
IN ,<,,v %,~f
fection of finish, is second only to that of
the most skillful professionals. This little
dark eyed woman, who is busy over her
social duties, has yet found the time,
through her pure love of photography, to
study and practice the best methods. Por-
traiture is her speciality, and for posing
subjects she possesses a positive genius.
With men, women and children she is
equally successful, and scarcely ever does
she see lovely baby face framed in curls,
young friend whose features and color
ing especially seem adapted to reproduce
well on the plate, that the beloved camera
Is not produced and a most arbitrary
youngster or shy girl coaxed to sit second
before the lenses searching eye.
In her studio and laboratory photo
graphs are piled everywhere. Charming
old ladies in white caps, dignifed bishops
in their stately robes, famous literary,
artistic and theatrical folk who are Mrs
Lounsberry's friends look out from group
frames and open albums, and more fire.
quently than all does one find pictures
of the three small Lounsberrys, taken at
every age, in all manner of quaint cos
TUNES, and in every stage of the days
duties and pleasures, from peeping out of
the mornings bath till in little white
nightgowns, like three yellow headed cher
Ibis, they go the round of family kisses.
AT one period in the New York Camera
clubs history a discussion arose among the
members which was somewhat difficult to
solve satisfactorily for the entire club
Many resigned to organize the American
Society of Amateur Photographers, of
which Miss Catherine Weed Barnes is a
prominent member. Though this lady
lives in Albany, and her club is domiciled
in New York, her interest in it's advance
Iaent never lags, and in conjunction with
two clever men, she edits handsome
monthly devoted to the interests of anna
teurs.
SEVERAL CLEVER WOMEN.
Miss Barnes is gifted musician, and at
one time was an ardent student of art, but
some years ago a camera fell into her
hands and since then all the time and
study to be spared from her duties was Law
ished on photography. She is, without
doubt, the cleverest lady amateur in Amer
lea. In the grounds of her spacious home
in the capital city she has built laborato-
ry and studio perfectly equipped with all
the necessary apparatus. Fifty lenses,
ground by famous makers, are counted
among her most precious treasures, and
the studio boasts an array of painted seem
cry that would stock small theatre.
One clever little woman, Mrs. Laber, of
Paterson, whose husband was stock raiser
for the city markets, purchased small
camera, and all unaided, except for the
formulas given in paper pamphlet,
taught herself to take small but charming
photographs. Looking about to see to
what practical use the easily acquired but
valuable knowledge could be put, she de-
cided to take pictures of her husbands
blooded cattle. Eventually the same pho
tographs were passed between the dealer
and cattle men living at distance, and in
this manner many sales were negotiated
and satisfactorily closed.
Any woman of intelligence can master
the simple formulas of photography un-
aided by teacher, and after some expert
ment learn to do pretty work with a cam
era for which she need not pay over $50 or
S25. In and around Boston there are many
well known women who use a camera con-
stantly and well. Miss Alice Longfellow,
daughter of the poet; Miss Horsford Miss
Della Stickney, Miss Alice Stone Black
well and Mrs. Isabella Barrows are but a
few among them. Mrs. Andrew Carnegie,
who goes coaching, sailing and walking
with her husband over Colorado, Califor-
MIA, Norway, Scotland and the Mediter-
ranean, carries in very tiny leather COW
cred box slung over one shoulder Kodak
camera with which she catches delicious
bits of views here and there.
Chicago, city blessed with many of the
fair and comfortable things of this world,
also possesses handsome Camera club, of
which Mrs. A. G. McClurg is one of the
vice presidents, and Mrs n. Gray Bartlett
"a director, who is not only the best anna
feur photographer among &adies of that
city, but makes excellent lantern slides,
difficult and delicate branch of the art
New York Sun.
Mary Anderson's Farm.
The Mary Anderson farm on the Kiowa,
T11- "a WI