Evening star., 1923-08-05
: N ONE of the little laboratories at

r N ONE or the little laboratories at
the national bureau OF standards,
our great testing factory where
4 the most complete facilities are
provided for trying out the EN-
cheney Of most anything-from an
ordinary pin to the most intricate of
automotive engines-there stands a
large box-like contrivance that looks
like a mammoth carpenter chest, and
really is the most extraordinary
camera in the United States.
This curious camera is the first Of
its kind that ever was used for photo
graphic work in the world. 1t is
equipped with a nine-inch lens-a
glass giant as compared with the lens
Of the ordinary camera-that Is
matchless for making life-size por-
traits.
A little white haired, white
whiskered man Of modest demeanor
and unassuming ways-one OF half
dozen OF the best astronomical lens
makers now living-is the inventor
Of the extraordinary camera. His
name is John Cacey. and before he
entered the service Of Uncle Sam. he
was a manufacturer OF astronomical
lenses. and made those used at the
Georgetown University observatory
and other collegiate institutions
throughout the country.
Greed and avarice. appa rentIy, are
almost unknown to this talented
maker Of many Of the best lenses in
existence, for he has never patented
his novel camera He has given his
discovery to the whole world. His
earnest hopes are that commercial
photographers will, in time appre-
ciate the efficiency OF large lenses for
portrait work and will utilize these
products Of the scientific art Of glass
manipulation.
a large lens have to be corrected by
physical manipulation OF the glass
Some commercial concerns, sensing
the great value Of larger lenses to
the Photographic industry. have, on
various occasions, attempted to cor
rect the errors OF the educated glass
by mechanical means In every in
stance their efforts failed. There is
one way and only one way in which
these shortcomings Of the extra large
glass lens can be remedied. The art
and artifce OF the best lens experts
in all creation are required to elm
mate the mistakes from these power
full glasses
THE Clacey camera, which is about
i six feet long. four feet wide and
two and one-half feet high, uses
plates that are eleven by fourteen
inches in size. The pictures are
snapped by means of a combination
sliding shutter and platehoIder which
is worked by hand. The ground glass
at the side OF the unusual camera is
the same size as the plates that ars
used. One outstanding feature is that
when the termination of the exposure
is reached the light is cut of directly
at the plate.
One of the greatest recommends
tions of the efficacy of the Clacey
camera is the fact that several pic
lures made by Mr.. Clacey with his
curious Photographic box are dis
played in the historical Photographic
exhibit OF the Smithsonian Institu-
tion as examples of one of the most
momentous achievements in modern
photography.
1t is extremely appropriate that the
Clacey camera should have had in
ception in the National Capital, the
city of cameras. The camera is the
most common article found in the
hand baggage of visitors to Washing
ton. The sights and scenes Of our
Capital city are photographed hun
dreds of times daily by the throngs
OF amateur photographers who visit
the District of Columbia during the
tourist season. The Washington
Monument. the White House, the Capt.
tol. the Congressional Library, the
Lincoln Memorial, Mount Vernon,
Arlington and the Rock Creek Park
Zoo" have been photographed by
millions of visitors.
The camera which John Clacey
prizes 50 highly, and now is en-
ployed daily in testing out compii-