The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (March 1890)

78 The Optical Magio Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. ‘Flashes on Lantern Topics. SINCE last issue a dark flash has passed across the firmament of photographic art. “Cuthbert Bede”: has died. He was author of “ Verdant Green,” which has passed through so many editions, and many other illustrated works, among which was one not very well known to the present generation, but which may be said to be the only humorous English work on our rather dry subject. It was entitled, ‘ Photographic Pleasures, popularly pourtrayed by Pen and Pencil.” Published by Maclean, Haymarket, 1855. Let all who care to see the clever sketching (for he illustrated all his own works) and pleasant harmless fun of the late Rev. Edward Bradley ‘for that was the real name of Cuthbert Bede) haste to get a look at this really enjoyable book, and do as Mr. Long, President of the Glasgow Photographic Association, has done—turn the humorous sketches into lantern slides, so that although he has passed away he may yet speak, and lead many others, as he led me, into ‘and along the pleasant paths of photography. Just one short quotation from the first of twelve chapters, which are all illustrated with full page sketches by himself, worthy of Leech or Cruikshank :— “Why should I not treat photography lightly? Why should I not have my jest upon it? Where we may have. our laugh, let us have it, and that right heartily. Photography is yet in his youth, and may have hot blood in his veins, but he will be generous and forgiving, and even if I should hurt his feelings, will believe me that I did so unintentionally.” As the book was published thirty-five years ago, I believe, but cannot assert, that the copyright will have expired by this time. BULL’S-FYE. 10% Making and Painting (Comic) Slides, SEVERAL pictures, such as appear in many of the comic journals, are susceptible of being made into humorous and interesting lantern slides, so there will not be found any difficulty in the way of subjects for those who wish to try their hands, nor is it necessary that the aid of photography should be called in. In the description, I intend to speak of #/ziz pictures, and. not those of a moving character, which require certain maskings, and are known as 5/74 slides. The subject of the picture having been selected, it is necessary that the lines be transferred to glass. Although many people employ a fine camel’s-hair brush and india ink, with a little gall added to the water, I prefer a pen for tracing the picture on the glass, which latter must be well cleaned before being placed on the picture, and. which must be licked with the tongue (as described in No. 1 of this journal) and allowed to dry. The outline is now traced upon the glass, care being taken to keep the lines as even and fine as possible. The most convenient rest for the picture during the time the colours are being applied is a desk of the form known as a retouching desk, by which the picture may be viewed by transmitted light. If it is intended to use oil colours it will be found that the best vehicle to use will be megilp (which is made by mixing equal parts of pale drying oil and mastic varnish). Gold size and turpentine must also be kept at hand. The addition of the former to the paint will make it dry quickly, and the latter is employed for removing any superfluous paint, cleaning brushes, &c. The sky is the first part of the picture to be attended to. With the aid of a hog’s-hair brush, used in the manner of a dabber, put on the blue paint, making the colour fainter as the horizon is reached. After this has been done the paint must be smoothed and blended. For this purpose the end of the finger, previously rubbed with a piece of pumicestone, will be found efficient, after which a few strokes of a flat camel’s-hair brush will give a soft blended effect. The distant portion of the scene is now to be put in, the most prominent parts of the foreground being last. Sable brushes will be found to be the most desirable. The following colours should be placed upon the palette :—Gamboge, madder lake, crimson lake, sienna, umber, black, and blue. The brightest greens may be obtained by mixing gamboge and blue, and scarlet by an admixture of gamboge and madder lake. After the first coating of paint is dry the clouds are put in, also the detail in the other portions of the picture. Taste and experience are the only guides in finishing a painting, and dust must never be permitted to come near a wet picture. It is a good plan to project the picture from time to time on a screen. by the aid of the lantern, as the various defects will be more apparent. ANDREW C. COLE. 10: Foote’s Polyopticon. IN the course of a letter recently received from Dr. Foote, he says :— I made up a Polyopticon on the double plan which you mention in the January issue, and it is all right except the heat. At the end of half an hour it becomes too hot to handle. “Perhaps you would say that the box ought to be made larger, roomier, but a good deal of the success of the Polyopticon is due to crowding the picture pretty close to the light and the reflector very close to the light on the other side. The adjustment of parts I find is rather a perplexing problem. I have never had the good fortune to see the ‘ Wonder Camera’ run by an oxy-hydrogen light. Of course they use a condensing lens, and that may in a way act as a barrier to heat, but I should think it would focus heat as well as light upon the burnable picture and destroy it. “A friend who tried an electric light in one of my Polyopticons (arc light) found that it destroyed a card picture almost immediately.” 20: THE annual lantern and musical entertainment of the Photographic Club was held on the 20th ult., at Anderton's Hotel, Fleet-street, E.C. The hall was well filled. Songs, ; recitations, and lantern exhibitions alternated during the evening. Mr. F. A. Bridge gave a humorous and graphic | description of the slides as they were projected upon the screen. The majority of these were the work of members.