The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-05
BABY AND HIS PICTURE.
TAKING IT n PROCESS FULL OF
TROUBLE FoR ALL CONCERNED.

Difheulties the Photographer Has TO Con-
tend With-Pietures of Babies Not Artis-
tic, Anyhow, Says ono photographer.
Mothers, take warning, and likewise grand
parents. sisters. cousins and aunts: II there's
q baby In your family and you want TO have
its picture taken. as the Southern post says on
the subject, "Thar's trouble comm and lots
to stated" To have tie baby's picture taken
is no easy task. 1t Is a temper-losinR process
for the mother, terrifying for baby and mad
deninR for the photographer. But IL is a part
OF every well-reRulated infants life. and the
taking Of baoy's FIRST picture Is an event OF
such Importance that even tho most profound
followers OF child study have never dared
NEEDLE with II. Mothers congresses and
clubs have ~studlously avoided discussing and
theorizing about this phase OF babylon. Ac-
cording to the photographers it's a pity that
this snbject,doesnt come In for more general
discussion. for women. they say. are In sad
need Of education and enlightenment on it,
OF course. when the child Is born. the first
thing that the family does is to discuss a name.
to search for one god enough for that UNI
common child. As soon as one is hit upon and
properly bestowed. another prolonged discus
sion follows, and that is about getting the
baby's picture. The discussion goes on for
days and days. and sometimes for and
weeks. but II is one sided and always resolves
itself into. this question, viii any photogra-
pher ever be able IL catch his beautiful ex-
pression' To tell the plain truth. the pho
tographer much oftsner catches particular hts.
II baby's relatives would only consider how TO
dress him and how to treat him when they
take him to the photographer the results
would probably be moro satisfactory to all
concerned.
"If any photographer living tells you that ba-
bles are his pets. don't you believe him. They
are the pet abomination OF every man who OPP
crates q camera"
That is what was said by Mrs. Adelaide Van
Brunt. who has charge Of the New York stu
do OF a Washington photographer. when
asked about the photographers difficulties
with babies.
IF parents would only send their babies
TO the photographer as packages are sent out
from shops and let us do as we wish with
them we would return them in good order.
and nine times out Of ten get good pictures OF
them" she went on. "A baby has absolutely
| only two ideas. One is to eat. the other to
| sleep, and how can one expect an operator to
| get artistic. expressive photographs under
| such conditional Instead Of sending a baby
to a photographer In whatever 1t happens to
have on, Its mother scrubs IL and brushes the
place where it's hair ought to grow and rigs 1t
up in a fine dress trimmed with yards and
yards Of lace. with lace frills sticking out over
It's shoulders and around its neck until the
little thing positively looks deformed. That
isn't all. Not only the mother and nurse ao-
company it, but often the Grandpa1ent'' and and
| known as many as seven people to como here
with one baby.
III this retlnue OF relatives would only let
their precious charge alone after they get
here we might. say. once in our history. get a
picture Of a baby that would satisfy all who
are to be pleased. But they won't. One
chucks it under the chIn. another brushes its
hair again. another pokes it in the ribs to make
it smile the nurse sees If its feet are warm ?:
and I'm sure If the baby could think at all it
az many hands as n centipede has feet. What
is tha rasrlt3 A habv 10 q human Won know
n If sn q f ests a. cros SsO os two w . s t%iuaH' ''" AA'"'
"Wbe a younester comes in 1t ia usually
asleep o. crying. The first thing that the oper-
ator does is to try to get acquainted with the
bnby. Some are quite friendly. but others are
neas eS sc a glance eeu e Even TU So et II The HANG hangers ni% on ~
as l call them. would let ,bim take the child.
b ihf1 'hipf Is % InSarls 6 yG aiken But t. 9 sss d ySs: ms 3
women folks, busy themselves curling, haif
to enter, society. as II its NE depended on its
| lDOhb- hCtudlly. - Fo EoilCtihlC9 ~ tiu tiio
Socisty for the Prevention OF Cruelty to Chill
dren could. find a fine field OF labor In pho
tographers' studios. BY the time buby.gets to
the skylight. and 2 baby means q child under
ness orexcitement that it is naturally disagree
able or reluctant
How would photographers have babies
acti' asked the interviewer.
IF they'd. only be perfectly passive, we'd
be happy. II we could get complete control Of
their minds and bodies, mesmeriYe them IN
much better than they do. We sometimes
make a dozen plates OF a baby and out OF them
get only three proofs which we consider at to
submit. II, we should send them all to the
mother she'd be insulted and say that the pic
lures are horrible and that we are brutes. You
see. sometimes when a baby moves its head Y
had been 1iattsned out With a rolling pin;
ofF them only half finished. and often when q
child moves its hand or foot or eyes therell
and four eyes. Just Imagine what would hap
ren II the adoring relatives got hold of these
THE adult population OF this world needs
n lot OF instruction about the scientific art or
| tbo ortf,I uniapoa withdrawn uav Won uyiah IN