The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (May 1891)

116 Tho Optical Magio Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. the slides were to be sent off the day before), with instructions to bring them as soon as possible after their arrival. Hour after hour passing by, and no sign of my messenger returning, I sent off a second messenger, who reported that his predecessor was diligently watching the arrival of each passenger train, but that there was no parcel or box. Quickly a telegram was despatched, with answer prepaid ; this elicited a tardy intimation that the slides had just been, or were about to be, sent off. This was late in the afternoon, and finally my first messenger brought the precious box to me in breathless haste in the evening, when my audience was already assembled, and the time had come for the commencement of the lecture. He had waited at the station the whole day, and I had to put up with the difficulty of lecturing upon slides which I had never seen, and the mortification of committing in consequence one or two ludicrous blunders, Next time I applied to another dealer, and asked whether I could have acertain set on a certain day. He replied that he was sorry that they were already engaged, but that I could have a set which I was not at all in wantof. In the case of a third dealer, who advertises largely, I received no reply whatever ; il was the busy season, and so | suppose jhe had no time to reply. In the case of a fourth, who has generally served me well. I engaged a new and special) set for a special occasion, and being informed that it should be punctually despatched, I prepared an extempore lecture with extra care, founding it upon a published reading and list of the slides sent to me beforehand. The slides duly arrived on the day appointed, but, alas! they greatly differed from the published list, the most interesting points of my lecture cou'd scarcely be touched upon, and a hoped for success was turned into a comparative failure. Writing afterward: for an explanation, I was informed that the person who had previously hired the slides had failed to return them at the proper time, and consequently a scratch set was made up for my benefit, or rather forthe benefit of —should I say ?—my disappointed audience. Is not this provoking to one who has lectured with the lantern for many years, and tried to popularise it and make it really useful’? Isuppose that I am in the same position as many others, viz., the owner of a fair number of superior slides arranged in lecture sets, who does not wish to sell them, or care to invest in others which would soon lie by in uselessness, but who would gludly exchange them temporarily or periodically for others. Could not a “Slide Circulating Club,” or something like it, be got up through the medium of your columns, including some guarantee that the slides circulated were really good and effective ones, not rubbish ?—I am, yours truly, St. Helen’s, Hastings. D. A. DOUDNEY. EXPERIENCES WITH THE ETHOXO LIGHT. ( To the Editar. | : Sr1r,—In reply to Mr. Pumphrey, the saturator I hav. used for the last two years is described in all London dealers’ catalogues as ‘‘The. Patent Safety Porous Ether Saturator." and consists of two tubes lying side by side, and joined at the end by a small U tube. The reverse ends are fitted with nozzles to take Sin. india-rubber tube, but no taps. Each tube is 12;in. long, and 2kin. in diameter. Both tubes are fitted with flannel wound round small spiral springs running their whole length, to secure passage for the oxygen. Mr. W. King accounts for the explosion, when no one was near, by saying the jet was out of order. I send it herewith exactly as the explosion left it, except that thecollar has been unscrewed. I shall reply to Messrs. Pumphrey, Baker, and Lawson in the next issue.— Yours, &c., C. G. Norton. 38, Marchmont-street, Russell-square, London, W.C. (We have examined this jet, and are of opinion that the oritice at nipple is too large.— Ep. | Notes and Queries. Gauge.—We cannot furnish any particulars about the explosion you speak. of, except that the wrong gauge was used on the bottle. Why not address your questions to the firm? S.J.—Q) The j-plate negative is under-exposed, but the }-plate one good. (2) Yes; a good lantern transparency can be made from the }-plate by contact. Wm. Cook writes : “I am about to take a trip and will expose some dozens of plates during the time, but I wish to mark each plate in some way so that I may know the subject, for I do not intend developing until i return.” ansver.—A number can be written upon the corner of the film with an ordinary lead pencil, and in a note book the desired particulars can be recorded against a similar number. The pencil marks will not wash off during development. it. M.—We do not give opinions respecting the standing of different firms. fT. A. W.~Forwarded as requested. J. Stewart.—Thanks for paper. We had no room in last issue fur the account, and it is rather too old for this. Shall be pleased to hear from you at any time J. it. Black writes: ‘I consider the series of articles which you are publishing on Hard Cameras for Obtaining Slides for the Lantern invaluable for the guidance of one wishing to invest in one. I lately spent some time in going over each article carefully, and the result was I fixed upon the camera ; this I sent for, and have had two or three outings. After comparing it with your article on page —I find it is very truthfully described, and as soon as I got the camera felt quite at home with it, and shall recommend it to my friends.” Radial says he was at an exhibition of slides when the operator coloured several of the slides—foreground dark and the sky blue,—after the pictures were on the screen, and asks how this can be done. Answer.—By what is known as a tinter, which is fastened on the end of the lens, and provided with coloured plates, which hinge at the top and bottom of l:1is tube. Effect writes: ‘Ihave just got a set of slides representing an explosion, but the effect is quite lost, as I cannot get the change made quick enough; the best I can get is a gradual dissolving, however quickly I turn the tap. Can you tell me how this can be done?” Reply— Such effects are best produced by the aid of a flasher, of which there are different kinds. Place both slidesin their respective lanterns, both lights must be turned on, but the lens of one lantern covered with a flasher, or even the hand. To effect the sudden change, quickly uncover the one lens and cover the other; after one or two trials you will be able to do this with nicety. R. Jamieson.—You will find the electric rap much better than a bell at your desk for communicating with the lantern operator. Iegister.—Shall be pleased to forward as requested. We will give a discription of regulator in an early issue. Millar Bros. (Chicago) write to say that they employ ether-oxygen light with their triple lantern, and find it better than oxy-hydrogen, and that to prevent the saturator from getting cold, they place upon it a hot brick wrapped in cloth. Jas, More.—A letter from Rev. R. A. Doudney appears in this issue upon the subject mentioned. Wm, Care writes:—"Can you give me any information how I can bring up i-plate dry plates two years old. They come up very foggy and very dense.”’ Reply.—Soak the plates for a little time in a solution of bichromate of potash, then wash well and dry; this will probably remove any fogging propensities, but they will be a little slower.