El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-25

some new discoveries in the pboto-
graphic art to their brothers of the
camera. A feature of the convention
is the best collection Of foreign DhOto-
graphs ever exhibited in this country
There also is a school of posing and
lighting as one feature, conducted
by masters in the art of portrait pho
! Biography who are demonstrating their
newest methods.
The photographers art in America
, reached its first practical stage chief
1 " through the efforts of two Phila-
delphians who improved upon the
methods of Louis Daguerre, the in
ventor of the process which resulted
finally in the production of the old
fashioned daguerreOtype. Daguerre
was a theatrical scene painter in Paris
and he made his famous diorama in
1922. An account Of this was publish
ed in 'POulsOn's Advertiser an old
Philadelphia publication which led
Joseph SaXtOn, an employee of the Unit
ed States mint in Philadelphia, to ex-
pertinent along the same lines. He
made a camera out of cigar box, US
ing an ordinary magnifying glass as
a lens With this crude apparatus
he made a photograph of the Phila-
delphia High school which is still pre-
served by the Pennsylvania Historical
society. In November, 1889, according
to the annals of the American PhilOs-
optical society in Philadelphia, Rob-
ert Cornelius obtained the first pho
a
known in the world. Encouraged by
his success Cornelius devoted himself
to perfecting his art He concentrated
the light upon his sitter by a series
of reflectors set up at different angles
and used blue glass to screen the
light falling directly upon the subject.
He opened a place for taking pictures
by the Daguerrean method, his eX-
posures averaging one minute n
length.
All Of his apparatus he manufactur-
ed himself and his lenses were OF
Philadelphia make. Daguerrean por-
traiture was thus established in Phil
adelphia and attracted wealthy and
artistic people from all parts of the
country. Sittings had to be engaged
by appointments a week in advance
and no pictures could be taken upon
rainy or cloudy day. Many Of the
Cornelius pictures are still in exist
ence and present some fine character
istics worthy Of the study OF the
modern photographer.
Early Photographs Expensive.
At the beginning, photographs were
only for the rich but now owing to the
development Of Photographic science
they are within reach Of all They
have become so cheap that they are
used extensively for advertising pur-
poses and with the simple methods for
their production have developed hun
dreds OF thousands of amateurs who
make their own photographs some
times with a skill almost equal to that
of the professional The fact that
Photographic supplies have become so
simple TO manipulate has made re-
suits possible now which even dec
ade ago would have been impossible.
The Photographic supply industry
now has become Of sufficient import
ance to merit consideration by the
governments of at least three nations
of the world. For Instance one com
pany making these articles is the
largest user of silver in the world
outside of a government mint. The
production OF Photographic paper is
counted in miles each day and the dali
~ output OF glass plates might easily
be measured in acres. The question OF
the supply Of raw materials is a seri-
Gus one For instance, one of the
great Photographic houses, after
months Of costly experiment, abandon
ed the use OF a new paper because
it was found that the known world
supply of one of the ingredients would
not have kept them running for three
months. There is one factory which
orders its supply Of potassium bro
mide in Bottom lots. England ana
America produce the greatest quantity
Of photographic supplies although
they are manufactured to some extern
in Germany and France, and in small
quantities in several other countries.
Climatic conditions so far nave
tended to restrict the manufacture OF
most of the chemical supplies used In
photography so that they must be
made in the temperate regions Be
cause these products are unstable dill
ferent attempts have been MADE 10
produce them in the localities IN
which they are to be used but so far
without success. Although films are
sold which are guaranteed for use In
the tropics there is as yet no means
known by which they might be manu-
Additional branches of the photo
graphic art are being developed eacn
year. One Of the latest is the repro
duction of the pictures by the OLD
masters, not by photographing the
painting themselves, but by posing sit
ters or models 10 represent the Ig-
ures in the paintings This IS one
form of high art photography. An
other includes the photographic OF
landscapes and other scenes with
view to producing pictures of high ar
tistic value. Then comes the photo
graphing Of interiors incIudlng stat
uary and other art objects with a
knowledge Of the different effects 10
be secured by various processes and
Great Advance Made.
Forfeiture is usually considered
the highest art in photography and
is perhaps the most in demand In
this respect great advances are being
made each year and the modern pho
tographer Of human faces must have
a
how merely to secure the reproduction
of forms upon his negative. He must
know enough of psychology to under
stand his sitter's temperament ana TO
bring out in the portrait the best eX-
pressions of it. While cheap photo
graphs such as may be secured on the
curb or street corner. while you wait,
for a cent apiece have had run OF
popularity their day is practically
over. The public gradually is recog-
nizing the difference between the
work of a cheap tradesman and that
of a fine artist and they are willing
to pay for it. The prices for good
portrait photographs were never high
er than they are now.
In this connection mention should
be made of the exhibition OF the works
of Baron Adolph de Meyer of London
which recently was held in New YORK
the finest selection of high art prints
by any one man ever exhibited here.
One of these. called THE Silver Skirt
presumably a portrait of Baroness de
Meyer. was purchased by a New YORK
collector for $3.50 and another ent1-
tied The Silver Cup was purchased
for the Albright Art gallery OF Bur
falo. The exhibition included por-
traits of the late king Edward, queen
Alexandra and other members of the
British royal family. In contrast 10
those were nOrfraitc of three old WO-