The Optical Lantern and Cinematograph Journal (Nov 1904-Oct 1905)

jo6 THE OPTICAL LANTERN AND CINEMATOGRAPH JOURNAL. 10 minutes and 120 minims of C would give a red tone. This refers to plates made to produce cold or warm tones at will. The method I generally adopt, at any rate for the first exposure, in a batch of slides, is to aim at a brown tone, and develop in a solution arranged to give this colour; but at the same time I have ready mixed an ounce of solution without any of solution C. If I find the image come up too slowly, I transfer the plate from the solution in which it was placed at first into that without any C, which almost always will bring out the image, though it gives it a blacker colour than that aimed at. If, however, the image comes up too quickly, a little more of solution C will retard it and give it a warmer colour. It must be noted that development proceeds more slowly when solution C is added. Thus to get a red toned slide the plate must remain in the developing solution possibly ten times as long as woull suffice to obtain a black tone. I have found that in frosty weather longer exposures must be given, the cold room, though the solutions be warmed, acting much in the same manner as the addition of C. A variety of colour in a set of slides, shown at the same time, is an advantage, but as a rule black and red, the extremes in the colour scale, should be avoided, various tones of brown are more pleasing. The colour may be modified to suit the subject. A rich warm red would admirably suit a view of a building of red sandstone or red brick, but would be quite out of place in a slide of hoar frost, for which a cold black would be infinitely preferable. By adopting the method of development described above, it is possible to save nearly every plate from the fate of being simply used as a cover glass. <#= <=*= -§ Temperance and the Lantern. — it is intereMing to notice how much more the lantern i.-> now used for promoting Temperance principles. This is doubtless largely due to the fact that the United Kingdom Band of Hope Union, during its fifty years of useful work amongst the young, has kept the lantern to the front, and provided the best Temperance slides, both for sale and hire. THE CARICATURIST AND THE CINEMATOGRAPH. PERHAPS the highest use to which the cinematograph could be put would be the reproduction of natural phenomena; unfortunately, however, for the advancement of Science, the majority of mankind prefers passing entertainment to the acquisition of abiding knowledge. Nevertheless, this fact need not hinder the scientist in using his knowledge when designing his apparatus, and by so doing he is able to mystify an audience with seemingly miraculous performances. Indeed it is just by the absolute adherence to the laws of natural philosophy that the most wonderful results have been achieved. Wonderful as is the ability of the eye to adapt itself to every condition of light, it is not so swift in its activity, as to defy deception, and there is perhaps no instrument that lends itself so well to a variety of optical illusions as does the cinematograph. The writer records in his note book, that he has seen this instrument used for the exhibition of the " Lightning Artist at Work;" but that the merit of the performance has been somewhat spoiled by the obvious introduction of trickery — such unnatural changes as the sudden vanishing of the drawing papers, and other unnecessary effects, giving the spectators the idea that the whole is a faked affair, rather than a combination containing some genuine work. Now in view of the little time allowable for a performance of character sketching before the cinematograph camera, the following aiis to success are suggested : — In the first instance we may take advantage of the fact that the lens employed in the camera is not of the achromatic type, and therefore will not photograph any light blue marks that may be made upon a white surface of equal reflecting power. We are led to observe that a set of preparatory outlines in blue crayon may be used by the artist as a guide, when executing the black charcoal sketches before the camera. To be more precise — having decided upon the number and the particular celebrities to be caricatured, these are carefully outlined in blue crayon upon white sheets of paper ; their names being written at the top in black. An easel should be used. On the board, the four, five, or six sheets are pinned, the top one having already a caricature drawn upon it in black. This is merely that as many characters as possible may be exhibited at one performance. Assuming that the easel has been set up before the camera, and all is ready for the taking of the negative, the artist steps forward, bows, and motions