Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-20
TINTYPEs ON THE FLY.
Travelling Photographer Discourses Con.
corning His Curious Profession.

| corning His Curious Profession.
mine is summer business" said travel
ing photographer to STAR reporter. ''When
the robins are collecting material for their
| first nests get my car into shape for travel,
after alternating during the cold season in
| Washington or some other city. In winter
| establish myself on a vacant lot and open q sort
OF permanent studio, counting upon only a
| very moderate custom, because people, as a
rule, don't care to have their pictures taken
unless the weather is warm. 1t may be that the
sun encourages the growth of vanity. At all
events, as soon as spring is sufficiently advanced
take the road in my car. This wagon of mine
is called in the trade CAR being built for
the purpose 1t is very big and heavy
ahalr. you see, with its upper part in the
shape OF small house. Over smooth CITY
streets two strong horses can draw it, but on
country roads four are required. and six when
the region to be traversed is hilly. hire horses
wherever am for such transportation, doing
my travel so far as is possible by night in order
to save time. Forty miles in twelve hours l
| frequently make in transit from one SMALL town
to another. Al such stations halt for two or
| three weeks at time; but camp meetings are
| my best fields for work. For some reason
everybody at a camp meeting wants to have his
or her picture taken; 1t is sort of pious iollf-
| cation, and photographs are part of the fun.
Commonly pay 50 fee for setting ND shop
| at camp meeting. At fair SO or SIS is apt
to be the charge for the privilege; but fairs are
no longer So profitable as they used to be, be-
| cause other attractions have multiplied.
"Colored people my funniest customers
| They are very apt to want to be taken white,
| and that Is rather difficult. In the case of a
man or woman who is very black from the
camera point of view. there is apt to be a
shine In the skin that produces in the photo
graph a white perpendicular line down the
face and over the nose. To this effect there is
| usually strong objection. Il don't want nv
! picture tooken wild blaze on my face is an
ordinary form of protest. Tintypes in negro
| phraseology are 'dogtypes' How much You
charge to take my dogtype, misterY is a ques-
ton often asked me. Sometimes they speak Of
| them as 'hogtypes, and ordinary photographs
they call 'papertypes. l am speaking of the
| country people of course.
In contrast with the general complexion the
bright spot In the eye of black person is apt
to be reproduced in the likeness as a white
speck. 1 amt got no specks in my eyes. mis-
ter. the sitter usually complains One dav last
summer had carefully posed a rural darkey
whose eyes would roll most alarminply
Finally, said: Look right into the instru-
ment nowr and exposed the plate At the word
he jumped out Of his seat toward the camera
and put his nose almost in contact with the
lens In his anxiety to obey instructions. As
you may imagine had to do him over again =
The country lovers are ALWAYS funny They
must always be taken in af,ectionate attitudes.
but their favorite pose is with the girl standing
up and resting her hand Oh the shoulder of her
young man, who is seated. Sometimes she
insists upon having her arms around his neck,
while he looks submissive and resigned. Such
pictures make par. of the history of rural
families, affording to future generations a no.
tlon OF what the ok folks looked like when
they were young. The young people gaze upon
the portraits with affectionate interest though
instinctively refusing to realize that grandpa
para rpt1tb ft,1 Init
amusing as the lovers are the elderly couples
who invariably sit or stand side by side. ihev
are much more particula: than their juniors
about preliminary prinking, the old gentleman
and the old lady smoothing down their thinned
and whitened locks and otherwise titivating, as
If never to be satisfied that the camera will see
them at their very best
Babies are my mos troublesome custom
ers. Their parents very often urge that their
pictures should be made for less money be-
cause they are smaller. TO do infants well one
should have the most favorable possible pho
Geographic conditions - an eXtra-rapid lens
plenty of light and an instantaneous shutter
Such conditions are not at the command of n
travelling photographer and his distresses are
proportlonate. No matter how hideously ugly
the child is he is expected to make the portrait
beautiful.
"a complete equipment for my business can
be bought for about S4O0. The car costs $40
and furniture and professional apparatus come
accommodation
with my wife and two children. in the vehicle
which is divided into two sleeping rooms at
night by simple blanket partition. We have
folding bed that shuts up to the wall and the
kids have folding cot. On that stove fastened
to the wall. my wife does all her cooking. This
compartment, four feet by three. serves the
purpose of a developing room In the day
tlne half the wagon Is studio and the otEer
half a reception apartment, with steps at the
rear to enter by, as you see. MY equipment
for work. outside of chemicals and plates, con-
sists Oh camera. one canvas background, q
rustic stile with railing movable, clamp and
upright to hold the customers head
steady and a chair that serves like
wise for domestic accommodation ANY
bright young man can learn the business in six
months by hiring himself out to such a person
as myself as an assistant without pay. If he
has the necessary capital he can go in for him
self at the end of that time. He NAV find it
more .expedient to travel with only u tent.
which may be shipped, together with his ma
terials, from place to place by rail. good
tent for the purpose costs $50. with glass for
skylight, twenty-one feet by fourteen. and
capable of being divided into three practicable
rooms. There are Inconvenience about this
intimate combination of trade with domesticity,
but one does not undertake the occupation of
travelling photographer with the notion of be-
ing SWELL"
The b. and Q. Sued for 100000.