Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-17

teur photography in Washington
received greater emphasis than
II during the past week in the kodak
exhibition given at the National
Rifles Hall. The display consisted of a Sc
ries of engagements from small kodak neg
atives on royal bromides, both in silver and
sepia tones, and many OF the pictures were
regarded as highly artistic. The exhibition
embraced a wide variety of subjects. There
were scenes from historic old England.
scenes from the placid lakes of Erin. pic
lures of war in the far east and of the
peoples, mountains. valleys, seas and cities
all over the world. In short, the display
was a revelation of what may be wrought
with the simple little kodak.
In addition to the pictures. the lectures
given by DR.. ]. X. Dixon in connection with
the exhibition were considered by the large
audiences as most interesting features of
the exhibit. DR.. Dixon seems to have ac-
qulred the art of travelling for other people,
and his talks. 10 doubt, will be of great
benefit to the amateur photographers of
the capital city who attended them.
~
In an interview with Star man DR.. Dix
on made the interesting statement that
Washington is the largest center of anna
that Washington does twenty times more
photographs business than Baltimore, a
city twice the size of the capital. There
are thirty-five Photographic bureaus in the
various government departments, and some
OF these bureaus have as many as seven
divisions. Two bureaus in the Department
Of Agriculture keep trained photographers
constantly in the field and their territory
covers the globe. In addition to the pho
Geographic work done in the departments. it
Is estimated that there are at least several
thousand individuals in this city who devote
more or less attention to camera work. AS
an illustration of the extent to which pho
Biography is practiced in Washington DR..
Dixon states that there Is used In this ci
in one week sufficient print paper of a GER
tain kind. manufactured by the company
he represents. 70 cover space ten feet
wide and reaching from the Capitol TO the
treasury building One government depart
meut alone it is said uses twenty miles
of print paper each week.
The general public probably has little idea
of the enormous supply of kodak materials
manufactured each year in this country.
1t Is declared that one prominent COM
pany's output of films alone is great
that if the films We're cut to pocket width
one years output would be sufficient to CIR
die the globe and have a thousand miles
left over for good measure. Four years
W
photographs would reach the enormous
amount &c 240,gO miles, or a sufficient
amount to reach TO the neon.
Marvellous strides have been made in the
Kodak business in recent years. After
twenty years experience in the manufac-
ture of roll films knowledge was obtained
by the Manufacturers as to how to make
perfect raw material, absolutely essential
IN the manufacture Of films Raw cotton
is taken from the fields of Dixie. ceansed
and treated with acids in such a way as
to make it soluble, and the solution is
drained out into a thin transparent sheet.
which makes a beautiful base for the sensi-
tiled emulsion. Cotton pickers gathering
the feeecy staple. under southern skies. do
q bolt OF cloth from which to make a shirt
or a roll film upon which to take photo
graph.
The first person in America to be photo
graphed was Miss Anna Catherine Draper.
The feat was performed siXty-siX years
ago by her brother, Dr. John w. Draper of
the faculty of the University of New York
The picture was taken on the roof Of the
old university building, Theodore Win
throp's ChrySali5 College. and Miss Draper
was forced 10 sit absolutely still for six
minutes in the full glare of the sun. her
face covered with thick white coating of
metallic powder.
At the exhibition In the National Rifles
Hall a number of photographs We're shown
on which the exposure was from one-one