Evening star., 1925-01-11


as chief photographer of the Military
Intelligence Division. Army War Col
lege, is now rounding out his 50th
year in this most interesting profess
sion.
During this long period, the latter
half of which has been spent in the
service of the Army, there has passed
before his camera a continuous and
eVer-changing procession, represent
ing every phase of life. from the
quiet street scenes of old Washing
ton TO the lofty sky-passage of the
stately Shenandoah, from the star
ing. grotesque family groups of the
early SOS to the easy dignity of a
President of the United States.
In 1875, when Mr.. Bishop entered
the field of photogra ply, this pro-
feSSion, though out of its infancy.
was still at a tender age, and the
crudities attaching TO it We're many.
He was first employed at Johnson's
National Photographic Gallery, which
stood at sos Market space, as few
Washingtonians may recall In 1888
he opened a studio of his own at 9O5
Pennsylvania avenue, which was
operated with success until 1898.
When the Spanish American war
broke out Mr.. Bishop gave up his
studio and endeavored to enlist, but
was rejected because of weakness
then took up the occupation of mill
tary photographer, going from camp
to camp, making countless pictures
of soldiers, groups and detachments.
AT the close of the war he entered
the adjutant generals office where he
remained until the projection of the
War College, when he was chosen as
chief Photographic, a position requir-
ing the highest technical skill.
In 1908 he was given charge of the
famous Brady collection of Civil War
pictures and remained in charge until
after the close of the World War
when the entire collection was trans
ferred to the Signal Corps. During
this time many reproductions of the
Brady collection appeared in maga-
zines, newspapers and books, but few
people were aware that every COPY
made from this valuable set of pic
lures was produced by Mr.. Bishop
who alone was permitted to photo
graph the originals.
During the Great War vast
amount of important work was ham
died by the Photographic section of
the war College, including conffden-
1ial pictures maps for the Coast De-
Tense Board and special details for
the Military Intelligence Division. In
one year during the war 5000 prints
We're turned out, Mr.. Bishop perform
ing the bulk of the work himself.
n addition to his comprehensive
knowledge of photography, Mr..
Blshop Is a connoisSeur of flowers
having won several ribbons for dis
mays In local exhibits. He is also an
authority on the subject of mush-
rooms, as a token of which the Bu-
reau or Plant Industry. Department of
Agriculture, is now negotiating for
the use of his pictures of these fungi.
Mr.. Bishop is II years of age but
In spite of this he is still on active
duty at the War College He is
member of the Association of Oldest
Inhabitants of Washington, to which
he has contributed number of old
pictures
During his long career as a pho
tographer he has neglected few op-
portunities to complete his collection
of interesting pictures. Until 1906 this
collection had few equals, but al that
time disastrous fire destroyed scores
OF old negatives which never can be
replaced. Several were rescued, how
ever, of which a few are shown on
this page, including one OF two of the
Brady collection. In addition to his
unusual pictures, Mr.. Bishop has a
fund of interesting and often anus
ing stories of incidents connected
I'm HIS y ears DeIlnQ the ca m6ra.
Several of these he related to the
writer, his eyes lighting remints-
Gently as some half-forgotten detail
came to his mind.
I'm 1915" he began, the methods
of the photographer were extremely
crude, measured by present-day stand
ards. This was SO not only in the
actual taking of pictures, but also
in the preparation of material The
h2h tttSt Il
photographer sensitized his own pa
per. Prepared plates, however, were
practically unknown. My first work
/ remember, was to learn the making
of plates, which was a complicated
and long drawn-out matter of using
egg alh0men to form an emulsion on
clear glass, after which the plates
We're stored away until they were
needed. Then there was the business
of sensitizing them, using silver salts
and collodion with large amount of
ether.
This ether was at the~fback of
many of the strange pictures you see
in old family albums. You remember
the staring pictures, with little re-
semblance to human expressions?
Well, in the first place, people were
still somewhat afraid of photography.
Many considered it some sort of
magic. Nearly every one would ap
proach the Photographic studio in
the same frame of mind that a man
now enters a dental office. Then he
would get a good sniff OF the ether,
never d very cheerful odor, and would
finally arrive before the camera in
very shaky condition.
When the operator turned the
camera eye upon him, his ruin would
be complete. This sounds ridiculous,
in the light of modern familiarity
with pictures, but it is no eXaggera-
ton. The moment the average per-
son got before the camera he be-
came as one hypnotized, and his eyes
became set in blank stare. Often
1 have had people ask me what l
did to them when l went under the
black cloth to obtain a focus.
x x ::
"OF course. I would try to get a
" natural look, ii it was at all
possible. Half the time, though, thy
couldn't be persuaded to relax at all,
but would sit like wooden Indians, and
with not as much expression. If l
moved or tried to move an arm or
head to get better pose, 1 would
find it like trying to bend an iron bar.
IF they ever did relax they would
go from one extreme to another and
would fidget about until I'd have to
tell them to hold still again, for in
those days an exposure often took
90 seconds and 80 seconds not
unheard of with our slow plates.
You can imagine how I felt when
some one came in with very restless
baby to be photographed. Two-thirds
of the time it ended in an under
timed picture, for as soon as the