The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-08-06
BY ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.


In the magazine section of the Sun
day indianapolis Star" of week or
so since, appeared an article concern
ing the Photographic art OF Miss Bees
sic Meiser, of this city, who is be
coming one of the best known de
picters of childhood through this
medium in the country. by the writer,
Illustrated with a number of pic
lures.
On account of considerations OF
space the article did not appear in its
entirety and was somewhat messed
up geographically and on account OF
the interest taken in Miss Meiser's
work in Richmond the text is repro
duced herewith:
What is it that one loves in chill
dren?
We think it is their artlessness,
their naturalness. their lack of that
sophistication which, later, cloaks per
sonality and hides the soul.
But, now and then, you will meet
grOwnup who possesses this quality.
A sort of leftover from childhood, If
it might so be put. And while We are
charmed with its manifestation, we
still do not sustain that attitude to-
ward the individual that we do to-
ward child.
Is il not, therefore, their aesthetic
appeal that is so poignant?
Is not a child adorable because
every pose is aIluring, every attitude
picturesque, every movement effec-
tive?
They have escaped the shapeless-
ness of infancy and have not taken on
the angularties OF immaturity. In
that fascinating period between the
, ages of one and six, children are OF
angelic personality.
| And that is the period in which
they should be pictured.
Photography is the union of art
| and mechanics.
1t produces effects impossible OF
achievement in color. And in the re-
production of personality it can,
through the manipulation of skilled
medium, exceed anything done with
canvas, brush and oil save by the
greatest masters.
And often it translates curious sub
| tletes of temperament, unfamiliar as
poets of facial conformation. strange
out-croppingS of character, fleeting ex-
pressions of eye or mouth, inherited
| traits.
There is, indeed, something occult
and eyrie in photography.
Its mechanics are simple enough
and easily comprehended,
! But it's results not invariably accur-
ately to be predicted.
Life is not possessed-it passes
through US says a certain philoso,
pher. and herein may lie the psyche,
logical manifestations of photography
! Photography may be termed a sort
| of magnifying glass which turns its
powerful lenses on the shell of per
sonality and vizualizes the latter's EN-
bryonic possibilities or latent charac
teristics, it's lingering inheritances
from the thousand and one diverse
sourses out of which personalit!
| flows.
DO contradict myself? Very well
then, I contradict myself. l am large
contain multitudes."
Thus Walt Whitman.
And to this account may be credit
ed the idiosyncrasies of photography
it's surprises, its mystery and it
sometimes erratic and seemingly in
applicable tangents.
In Richmond, Indiana, lives yount
woman, Miss Bessie Meiser, of mod
est habit and catholic human sym
pathies, who has given much atten
ton to the art and science of photo
graphy, much time and patience t.
experimentation and who has evolv
ed some interesting theories as to it
practice.
Miss Meiser deprecated an effort Il
reproduce some examples of her worl
in print.
Primarily an artist she shrinks from
misconception through an inadequate
medium. And it was only after lonl
continued asking that her consen
was finally won to the showing of hel
delightful pictures of childhood.
This artist-for such she is-re
produces from the negative by plat
mum prints. In this manner is sus
gested the tender flesh tones, the elu
hsive contour, the fine fragrance o
childhood.