The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-26

rs photography a fine art or a me-
chlnical art? That Is the question
/ which A. G.. Anderson sets out to
answer in his book The \ Il c or
At.slr Photography published 10y
podl. Mead and Company. incidentally
be gives IL great deal If Information for
the benefit II amateurs
Aldr,s~.nG the art critics, he says:
"You Hatr set photosraphy among
the mechanical arts Truly, were pho
rsrlph.rs IT'S readily equipped as YOU
ar 10 plp.~. their own work in writing,
douhJ whether it would endure the
rrpoi,u of s., vile "A name
,.a.m mo- originality for this pro-
test ! have merely taken it from Leo
} uird, ai nets notebook, substituting
'rhn.-rUNs' for painting
1t ID \u.. smart,n- under the re
prl.h NJ h~ sixteenth century critics,
vr}sc.
"YoU have Sc' painting among the
mechanical arts Truly, wcr" painters
as readily equipped as you are To- praise
thor own work IN writing | doubt
whether r would endure the repruach
Of So v.l. % mau"," modern ph"t"grd-
piers cannot grImhle If modern critics
follow similar methods.
The ,t.lm of the joke lies in the fact
that Ia \.rr. tells US that tn" old critics
DH'd puouue mechanical" because
VAS done with the hand"
n After ALL Photography is an art"
' which At, mad, hut little progress since
%, days ut - -. HIl, and photogra-
larIN a'" 'l.y beginning to discover the
LIABILITY Of pure photography.
Possibly photosraphy has failed to
tam b., status rs fine art because
much # B, has been done with the
hand.
N tho present time there is a restless
'-e..n- aW'u- artistic photographers,
and ! Shank, a feeling of dlsappoint-
Aenl Iu'I year or two ago pictorial
"o'o- phF appeared to be making
Steady rru-rcss, then that progress
seemed Pho stop. and the more artistic
amoN- %" camera people had to ask
Mems, N.- why progress had stopped
'N'y wH" have explained to themselves
PUBIC. as they explained during the
"'Ad". photographic Salon Of 1908, that
f'... "y was only growing more
"'ha '.i sane, and that the day OF
S"' .'.'utricties was over, bu
"'l iu their hearts that the move
W'"' . stopped. Then, at the sailor
" ''"' '." committee hung "A collection
" h" I'. -. -. Hill's photographs oI
."' '. .." exhibition walls, and pic
"'.'. .'"-Faphers owned openly 4
that pictorial photograph.
"'' ih Fl" 100 material progress since tn
.'' 1913. ana that there were few o
.'' IT, 'u pictures which cquallcd tn
"oiA Mr. HI.
'"''r ot fact u. - Hill seem
'N"n mp photography chief,
t l' his painting, his worl
wis Nu or forgotten until rcCcn
''''' Hd consequently his influence
.'" unicl': the artistic reviVa
ana r.s- If pictorial photograph.
"'' revolt from the critical "dcti
""'. Z tn" optcian from the "ful
-IHUa,uuS' of the chemist, an,
'"' " conventional art of the mid
~" pcriud a revolt which led tn
"~lS into many cNcesscs am
''4.' l..fiuS
N"' after all the struggles, strfv
9N "' hcar,hurnlngs If the pas
ears, the more thorough pic
" """l"sraphcrs find thcmsclve
'rc Mr. I'm left off,
." tu say. | have just beer
"'" Dee reflector which ID. -. Hi
s''F' to east light into the fac
shadu.
N"N % INNS time photography wa
slow: exposures had to b
."'l" ia" brightest lighting, AN
zen lH'n tho shadows would com" nu
tsa'K 'd devoid Of detail; 50 Hlll 50
m'''S'i 20 devise some means Of re
"e"hg he shadows in a natural way.