The record-union., 1899-09-24

L L
in active progress for the first annual
exhibition of Photographic apparatus
and supplies, to be held in the Madison
Square Garden in October. "A league
of professional and amateur photo
graphers. with manufacturers of ap-
paratus. has been formed under the
name of the National Photographic Ex-
position Company which has been in
corporated under the laws of the State
of New York, and is expected to be
of much benefit to Photographic inter-
esfs through annual displays of the
kind noted.
An attractive feature of the coming
exhibition will be the historical col
lection. For the American part of this
valuable consignment Of material will
be lent by the Smithsonian Institution
Some of the English contributions to
this collection, lent by the Royal Pho
tographic Society and other workers IN
the same field in Great Britain, have
already arrived here, and a private
view of them was given the other aft
ernoon at the offices of the Exposition
Company, II Howard street They IN
clude some of the earliest works on
photography, with rare and valuable
specimens of early. Photographic
achievements The Oldest of the books
exhibited is a very curious one, pub
lished in London in 1161. being an
English translation of a French orlgl-
nal the author of which is unknown. 1t
is entitled "Giphantia," and in an ac-
count of a. strange country, which the
writer is supposed to have reached
through shipwreck. it gives a remark
able outline of the Photographic pro-
cess. although photography was not in
vented until 1889 Its reference to in
Simultaneous photography and the use
of the dark room is as follows:
The elementary spirits have studied
to fix these transient images; they have
composed a most subtle matter, very
svfseous,s and proper TO harden and dry
by the help of which a picture is made
in the twinkle of an eye. They do over
with this matter a piece of canvas and
hold it before the objects they have
mind to paint. The canvas, by means
of the viscous matter, retains the
images This impression Of the image
is made the first instant they are re-
ceived on the canvas, which is imme-
diately carried away into some dark
place, an hour after, the subtle matter
dries. and you have a picture so much
the more valuable as it cannot be imi-
tated by art or damaged by time.
Another exhibit, 'The Photographic
Album for the Year 1855" published in
London. is one of the most interesting
of early photographic works, being Law
ishly illustrated with actual photo
graphs, made by the leading workers
of the time, and showing the various
processes of that day. Bedford, Man
sell. Fenton and Rejlander were among
the makers of these photographs, which
number forty-four and are in an adj
mirable state of preservation. So ex-
cellent are these early productions that
it seems as if photography had ad-
vanced but little, except in the faclilty
and rapidity Of processes. The vast
change in the time required for the
execution of work is indicated in the
note in a beautiful photograph by
Francis Bedford, "A Study of Plants, "
to the effect that the exposure lasted
five minutes At present the exposure
required would be but a fraction Of
second.
Photographic Pleasures" by Cuth-
bert Bede. London, 1855, illustrated by
many comic sketches. shows how early
photography was made the subject Of
caricatllre. Accompanying 'Taylor's
Photographic Memoranda" a publica-
tion Illustrated by actual photographs
are the original calotype negatives from
which the prints were made. The cal
otype process is especially we'll repre-
sented. some very large calotypes by
Henry Taylor, made about 1850. being
known One calotype. entitled pol
lards at Compton" is in an envelope
made from the same paper as the sup
port of the photograph, this particu-
lar paper being the only kind which
would serve the photographers pur-
pose. because of it's absolute purity
There are a number Of interesting
prints of Stonehenge and other histor-
ieaI places in England. Three beauti-
fln nssterescopic-dag have been
received, which attracted great atten-
ton in the exhibition of photographs at
th9 Crystal Palace last year. A not
able book in the collection is Daguerre's
s.TIisforv and Process of Photogenic
Drawing" published in 1899, contain
ing the bill granting the author his
pension. Arago's address before the
French Academy announcing the dis
covery of photography. and the CORE
spondence between Daguerre ana
Niepce.
Yet to be received from England, as
a loan from the British Government,
are 80 very large and fine photographs
of historical places in Great Britain,
which are among the results of the his
torical Photographic survey of the
country, begun by private associations
and then passing under Government di.
rection. Interesting contributions are
also expected from France and Ger
many.
Several of the finest paintings from
the collection, now dispersed. OF Lord
Francis Clinto-Hope have been ac-
quired by the Berlin Gallery at cost
of something over 100000. The great
est addition to the gallery, which al
ready contains a fine specimen of this
master, is the Conversation Piece" by
Jan van der Nicer Of Delft. There are
also a Rembrandtesque, "Old Woman
Peeling Apples. by Nicholas Macs, and
a landscape, dated 1866. by Adrian van
der Velde, two landscapes by Rubens, a
Baptism" by Jan Steen, and WI
lage Scene" by Jan van der Heyden.
Giovanni Dupre, the sculptor, has
been publishing some interesting rem
iniscences of Verdi's earlier days. He