The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-16

FSfxteRn pictures for 25 cents is the
RIInring sign that greets passers-by in
6runt of nearly every photograph gal
IeTy IN town The fad for small photo
graphs Of ones self in 16 different po-
sitiOns has become a rage. 1t is sweep
ing over the city as did the grippe a few
years ago 1t does not leave as bad an
effect ON the nervous system as does
grippe, unless it is the nervous system
of the photographer, but it leaves faces
VytinkHed and furrOwed from distor-
tfuus.
The small picture epidemic reached
Topeka about two weeks ago and in As
hours from the time it started it had
spread over the entire town; it spreads
faster than the endless chain scheme
for raising money and it will hardly
stop until everybody has tried it and it
has run itself out
The photographers who have nicely
arranged studios do not like the new
rad 1t is not art" they say. 1.-The
pictures are too small to allow of the
pest results and then the distortions of
the face! Horrors! But what can we
do? People will have them"
saturday one photographer and his
three assistants were kept busy from
sunup until shutdown and they took
1856 different pictures. The rooms were
crowded. The cashier sat in the recep-
ton room and received the money and
gave the ones who wished sittingS a
receipt for the amount they had paid In
one corner of the receipt was a number
and when that number was called by
the man in the operating room the
bearer took his or her turn. 1t was like
a barber shop where numbers are called
or country dance where the floor is
crowded and the dancers dance by
numbers. The four worked steadily all
day Inc cashier did nothing but take
the money and write out receipts the
operator manipulated the camera.
the third developed the plates and the
fourth printed.
The rage is not confined to the old or
the young; they both indulge When a
man meets a friend on the street in
stead of asking him to come IN an5
have something he says, come in ana
have your picture taken" Among the
society buds it has become a rage to
have their pictures taken in their diff
ferent dresses They commence on their
best ball dress and have all sides, all
turns and all poses they can think of
taken. Then the different hats come in
for their share. All sides of the hat
and the bottom and top of the rim.
Saturdays the school girls devote to
having the pictures taken and all the
next week they are busy trading them
with their mates.
Nearly every one who takes his place
in front of the camera asks the time
worn question eff there is any danger
OF him breaking the camera?" and the
operator answers YEARLY, I guess not
Then the subject commences. He looks
natural for the first picture and looks
straight at the camera, the next pic
ture is the right side of the face and the
next will probably be the left side. and
then the back of the head is photo
graphed. Then with the hat on and
then OFF. Then comes the tug of war
The subject tries to think of some new
pose and generally finishes by winding
his face into a smile or a grin. He be-
comes frantic to think of a new pose.
but the machine moves faster than his
thought. He looks and acts like he
had the collie.
One young man goes through the mo-
GOns of a maniac. He tears his hair
and stares with horror at the camera
Then he laughs a wicked laugh, he
chuclles, he tries to laugh merriIy. If