The herald., 1897-03-14
Miss JohnstOn's Remarkable and
Remunerative Art
THE STORY OF HER SUCCESS
Her Studio Is Sought by Washington s
Grand Danes
Olive Logan, Lolita, and Other Interesting Per.
sonalities at the Capitol From a Los
Angeles Girls Point Of visw

WASHINGTON, II. u, MdrcH o.
Photographer to the American court"
is the complimentary title bestowed on
Miss Frances Benjamin Johnston of
Washington, d. c., who, from devotee
to the kodak has risen to the foremost
rank among artistic portrait photogra-
pliers in the United States. Her work
has also received hattering recognition
abroad; of 10 American photographs
accepted in the London Photographic
salon, three of the number were Miss
Johnston's.
Not a photographer in the country
has had for subjects so many roted men
and women-from the president and his
cabinet down-as has this slight, quiet
hammered, but energetic, young woman.
Sitting the other evening in her quaint
little office, papered with fantastic book
and magazine posters she told me the
story of her success in an unassuming
manner that was altogether winning.
why, I began with a kodak" she
said laughingly, lone of the pioneers
chat took a circular picture about two
inches In diameter. You see, Mr.. East-
man is a personal friend Of our fani-
lily, and he sent me the httle instru-
ment with the prediction that would
become kodak fiend.' did. 1 shot al
everything in sight. Nothing daunted
me, from q snapshot at Boston harbor
to birUs-eye view of New York. l
simply pressed the button and Mr..
Eastman did the rest. Well, 1 became
deeply intefeeted, and was seized with
the idea of illustrating for magazines
and newspapers. After awhile, through
a friend, had an opportunity to supply
photographs to a news syndicate in
New York I wrote Mr.. Eastman what
considered a very busnesslike letter.
ordering camera that would take
newspaper pictures 1t came
Il scarcely knew lens from a plate,
and was absolutely ignorant of the pro-
cess of developing and printing. but
some way seemed to fall on my feet.
for friends showed me how to focus it.
1 fred 1t, and photographer did the
rest"
AN ELABORATE ESTABLISHMENT
From this beginning.i in spite of her en-
tire lack of Photographic knowledge,
Miss Johnston rapidly came to the front.
She gained the technical training she
so much needed by the unusual courtesy
of a course of instruction in the magnifi-
Gently e~lipped Photographic labora-
tory of the United States national mu-
scum, and now possesses a thorough
knowledge of practical photography
She has built and fitted up one of the
most complete. photographs establish
ments yet DEVISED picturesque brick
building at the end of the garden In the
rear of her home on V street. The office
and work rooms occupy the ground floor,
while the entire second story is given to
the studio with its great northern sky
light. The room is broken into alcoves
and hooks by the irregular shape of
the building, in accordance with the ar
tistic ideas of the fair designer. The
rough. wooden rafters of the pointed
roof are painted a dull old green, which
gives sense of age and loftiness while
the terra-cotta walls afford an excellent
background for choice pictures, and the
high shelf running round the entire room
holds an interesting collection of curios
picked up by Miss Johnston in her for
eign travels. A piano stands in an in
viting nook, with figures of musical
cherubs lowering over it. The floor is
covered with quaint rag carpet, such
as our grandmothers wove in their
girlhood, and there is an old ia shioned
replace with andirons, where on chilly
evenings a cheerful wood fire cracklSs
and blazes and throws fantastic shad-
ows over the circle of friends who drop
In each Wednesday night, which is Miss
Johnston's evening at home. Patsy"
her pet bull pup, lies on the rug in front,
for Patsy is part of the studio fur
nishingss. In this charmed circle have
gathered from time to time some choice
literary and artistic spirits. Here Bliss
Carmen has recited his verses and dia-
lect stories; Trentanore, the sculptor
and musician has sung delicious bits
from Tosti, to the delight of the kindred
souls gathered round the fireplace, and
here, in this quantity picturesque room,
beneath the great north light, daily pose
the queens of Washington society, from
the first lady In the land" down
through the line of cabinet, senate and
representative, wives and daughters of
the American court" the sitters COM
ing from the most distinguished, fash
ionable and wealthy circles at the capi-
tai. A few days before the close of the
Cleveland administration nine splendid
carriages in livery drew up before the
Johnstone family residence and nine
women In magnificent evening gowns
Mrs. Cleveland and the cabinet ladies
-alighted, passed down the garden
walk and up the winding stairs to the
pretty studio, where they were arranged
In a picturesque group by the young
artist and photographed. Mrs. Cleve-
land lingering little after the others
HdO gone 10 SIT LOT some INDIVIDUAL
pictures.
THE PHOTOGRAPH FAD
Just now the social leaders of Wash
ington have a fad of being photographed
In their own drawing rooms, and Miss
Johnston and her camera are in constant
demand for this purpose. Not historic
house at the national capital. not pri-
vate or public building of Importance.
but the eye of Miss Johnston's camera
has rested upon it. She has two or three
hundred negatives of the White House
alone, and hundreds of the capitol
When an order came from a leading
magazine during President Cleveland's
first administration for individual pho
tographs of members of the cabinet
seated at their respective desks, Miss
Johnstone undertook to fill the commits
sion and did so most successfully. In
response to another order she went
through the Pennsylvania coal mines
and photographed their black interiors
by means Of artificial lights, and after
ward ibid" the Mammoth Cave by fash
light.
There are few places Of Importance
from Chicago to Boston that Miss John
ston and her camera have not visited.