Evening star., 1926-08-01
Puzzles Are Being Solved
By Cameramen in Government Service

r. xPERT photographers who work
L. for Uncle Sam are engaged
constantly in solving many OF
IL the technical and scientific
puzzles connected with picture
making for the United States Govern
ment. These specialists have TO face
Photographic problems such as never
develop In the average commercial
studio. They make pictures OF most
extraordinary things in most curious
ways. They have effectualized inter
esting means, measures and methods
of answering novel riddles.
For example, In Its. remarkable
ntap-making activities, which even
tually will reproduce every square
inch of land surface in this country
In carefully prepared map form, the
United States Geological Survey
needed a mammoth camera such as
the Photographic world had never
previously used. The designers, in.
ventors and machinists of that branch
OF the Government Service went to
work and produced such a camera.
1t is the modern Goliath of picture
enlarging activities. 1t weighs sew
eral tons and is larger than a small
automobile.
The U. s. Navy has tackled many
perplexities Of aerial and maritime
photography. Its experts have
made a success Of investigational
operations which the commercial
Photographic world called "impossi.
BILE. It's photographers were pioneers
in making pictures from above the
clouds. They aided markedly in the
perfection OF the aviation mapping
cameras now in use.
The Corps Of Engineers, the Signal
Corps, the Bureau of Standards, Bu-
reau of Mines, Coast and Geodetic
Survey, the Forest Service and many
other National departments and
bureaus have contributed TO the for
ward march of our research pho
tographic achievements. The De-
partment of Agriculture, on account
of the many educational exhibits and
demonstrational displays which it
makes in all sections of this country
as well as abroad. harnessed the all
seeing eye OF the modern camera for
most novel service. The agricultural
photographers do more large-scale
work and confront and conquer more
picture making difficulties than any
other National agency.
The photographers OF farming, for
example, make between 5000 and
5000 bromide enlargements of agrf-
cultural pictures annually, as we'll
as several thousand solar or map
line prints and 200 or more color
transparencies. For the first time in
the history Of American photography,
bromide engagements are being made
directly from dirninutive motion-pic.
ture Aim.
The Department Of Agriculture
maintains a complete n1otion.picture
Lab NrNSsx% n IA n 1aAx kaa
many million feet of educational
film to our leading farming districts.
For educational displays and In order
to. secure essential press publicity for
the Government movies" 1t is often
necessary to make ''still" pictures of
outstanding sights and scenes In the
various plays and displays. These
pictures can now be printed directly
from the movie" film. Enlargements
II by IA inches have been made from
the motion picture negatives. one inch
by three-fourths of an inch in size.
The distribution of the tubes in the
mercury vapor lamps used in this
process results in the even diffusion
| The uniform light diffusion breaks up
and eliminates the minute silver
grains so that they do not show in
| the enlargement. Heretofore, these
Objectionable silver grains have pre-
vented the production of bromide en-
| largements from motion picture film.
After the silver grains are eradicated,
| the negative image is projected the
same as in ordinary bromide enlarge.
ment work. More than 500 enlarge
ments from rnotion.picture film have
been made during the last year.
| The bromide pictures of farming
scenes, live, stock. road building and
| forest fires are made in sizes that
range from by inches up to large
| poster and exhibit pictures 3b feet
wide and 10 feet long. A special en-
| larging camera has been designed and
made for this work. The lamp house
of this large outfit Is by 2ia by 6
| feet in dimensions. The lamp house
Is equipped with four mercury-vapor
tubes which produce the diffused light
| effects necessary for such work. The
| lamp house, camera and protection
| easel are all portable.
In enlarging g. negative the princi-
ple OF protection is followed. There is
4 slide hole In the side Of the lamp
house so that the negative to be en-
| 1arged can be placed between the
source OF light and the lens. The pic.
ture is projected on the easel, and
when it is enlarged to the desired
J size the camera is locked into posi-