The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (November 1889)

46 The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographio Enlazger. There are at least two of the first rank of artists now in London, Mr. Charles Ed. Johnson and Mr. Robert Macbeth, A.R.A. (son of Norman), who practised this method of etching at the time Mr. Norman Macbeth introduced it, to whom, if to any one, is due the credit of first using such films and methods for photographic and other purposes. BULL'S-EYE. + Advice to whom it Concerns, TIE summer is over, and now that the long evenings have come many find it hard to pass thetime. My advice to those who are troubled that way is to learn to make lantern slides, and to indulge in a lantern, and then, ifhe should happen to be a happy father, he will find he can give pleasure to himself and_ his children. There are various ways of making slides, either from negatives or from illustrations. Perhaps the best way to amuse children is for one to take a piece of glass 3} by 3} inches, and coat it with varnish, and then with a fine pen draw any funny picture he may fancy on it, and show it on the screen. Certainly every one should go in for lantern showing, and give pleasure to one’s friends. For those who are quite new at lantern work, I say, go in for the new paper ‘“‘ The Optical Magic Lantern,” and learn how to do it ; by so doing he will get any amount of “fs, and be able to see inthe advertisements where he can procure a lantern and slides, and, in fact, get all the information he requires. Anyway, such are my sentiments. A. R. DRESSER. ——+-e + Dark Rooms. I READ with pleasure the account by Mr. Palmer in last issue of this journal, how he constructed a dark room. I quite agree with his remarks, ‘‘Many amateurs regard a dark room as being as unattainable as a good studio, instead of which a ‘handy’ man will find it within the scope of a few hours’ work.” : As I consider myself a “handy” man, I will describe in as few words as possible how I made my dark room. The copper in our wash-house was not used for family purposes, so I erected a thin hoarding of matched boards in the corner occupied by it, and provided ventilation by an ordinary light-trapping arrangement. As the copper was provided with a tap at the bottom for emptying, I used it as a sink, taking care to wash it out after use ; the ledge around it served admirably as a bench, As there was no running water in my “corner,” I at first conveyed it by a rubber tube from the ordinary tap at the sink, but as this was rather inconvenient, I set about other means of obtaining it. Finding that the pipe leading to the kitchen boiler passed at the back of the copper I decided to tap it, but visions of a deluge made me at first dubious about trying it ; but I became imbued with a happy thought, and within five minutes I had running water (under control) at hand. I had a small straight tap with a thread cut on it, and reamed out the screw thread end by means of a countersink for screws, which left that end quite sharp, I then. secured the opposite end of the tap in the stock of a brace, and screwed it into the leaden water pipe, without spilling so much asa drop of water. I need scarcely remark that this is much handier than having to attach fourteen or fifteen feet of tubing each time I want to use my dark-room. D. L. YRIGOYTI. Editorial Table. A NEW catalogue has been issued by Mr. J. R. Gotz, Buckingham-street, W.C. It contains particulars of Suter’s aplanatic lenses and photographic specialities manufactured or imported by Mr. Gotz, amongst these being the Volufe and Wing shutters ; a patent portable camera susceptible of numerous swing movements ; a new tripod stand ; gelatine bromide plates, bromide paper, and a variety of other photographic requirements, together with several formule. From Mr. E. G. Wood, of Cheapside, E.C., we have received his twenty-third annual catalogue of lanterns, slides, and other apparatus. It containsa full account of the various forms of oil and limelight lanterns in which this firm deal. We have also received particulars of their most recent slide productions, viz., “Wanderings in South and East Africa,” “ The Rise of English Literature,” and ‘‘ The Norman Conquest.” The twenty-ninth edition of this firm’s catalogue of photographic sundries is also before the public. The first twenty-six pages of it contain instructions How to Take a Photograph. WE have received the first number of Photographic Answers. This new monthly magazine is edited by Mr. E. J. Wall, and is published by Hampton Judd and Co., 13, York-street, Covent Garden, London, W.C. The contents of this number are of a very interesting character. It contains as a frontispiece a fine picture of Miss Ellen Terry, from a negative by Mr. S. A. Walker, of Regent-street. It is the intention to issue each month a complete index to: all the English photographic journals for the four weeks preceding its publication. We extend theright hand of fellowship to this new venture, and hope that it may achieve the success which it deserves. The price is one penny.