The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (February 1893)

38 The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. are catalogued by home manufacturers, but as you may see to-night, my only appliance is simplicity itself. A board 4 feet long by 12 inches wide; to this is screwed on perpendicularly another board 18 inches high, which has an aperture large enough to hold a negative. Opposite this I place the same camera I usually take my photographs with ; this is an ‘‘Optimus” full-plate, long focus instrument, to which I attach a Voigtlander rapid wide-angle euryscope, using a required size carrier in my dark slide. Having determined on the focusing screen the proper distance between the negative and the lens, I firmly screw the camera on the board, marking the place, and so am saved the trouble of re-adjusting the camera every time it is required. I prefer doing my slides in the evening when I am at leisure. _The plates I use are Ilford Special Lantern Plates. I find these and the same maufacturer’s white-labelled dry plates the best suited for our climate. Wet collodion lantern plates are preferred by some, and certainly they possess their charms; but dry plates have the advantage to be ready prepared, economising much time, and are so cheap—one shilling a box of a dozen plates—that I do not think 1t worth while messing about, as in old days, with collodion, silver baths, etc. The exposure varies, of course, according to the deusity of the negative, the light, etc., but the average exposure 1s about two minutes by lamp light. To develop, any of the recognised formula ean be used, my advice being to use the developer specially recommended on the box by the maker. After developing and washing, a few minutes in an alum solution hardens the film and clears somewhat the high lights. Do not make the hypo bath too strong, and wash finally for about half an hour. The slides can be finished by toning with either gold, platinum, or uranium nitrate, but this is not necessary if the exposure and development are correct. Clouds are printed in whilst exposure is carried on, but are very difficult to work. When the plate is dry it is mounted with a cover-glass, placing a lantern mask between the two glasses, and binding them togather with specially prepared lanternslide binding strips. The magic lantern, or as it is more pompously called “the optical lantern,’ can be lhghted either with kerosine oil, oxy-hydrogen limelight, or by the new Aero carbon incandescent lamp. The picture is better shown on a white wall, but fairly good results can be shown through a thin shirting screen. I will conclude by advising you to try photography and lantern slide-making, and you will, I have no doubt, experience the same enthusiasm as I have for this entertaining and useful occupation. ——0: — “ Practicar PuoroGRarHER.’’— We have received from Messrs. Percy Lund & Co., a handsomely bound copy of the ‘‘ Practical Photographer for 1892.” In perusing this volume one cannot help noticing what a vast amount of valuable information has been collated by its able editor, Mr. H. Snowdon Ward. Laxternisrs will be pleased to hear that a recent discovery mace by Mr. }. Iles, of Birmingham, bids fair to place in their hands a number of new colours and tones which are eminently suitable for lantern slides. Ata meeting of the Midland Camera Club, Birmingham, the president (Dr. Hall-Edwards) exhibited a number of prints and slides toned by the *‘ Photochrome” Process (Patent). The tones obtained were very numerous, varying from a grey-blue to a bright blue, and from blue-green to a bright emerald green. A large number of bromide prints toned in a great variety of colours were shown, some of them were exceedingly artistic. A very much larger range of tones was shown in the slides than in the prints, this, Dr. Hall-Edwards explained was due to the fact that the experiments upon papers had only just been commenced; whereas, nearly every make of lantern-plate had been dealt with. Messrs. fles and Edwards are still working and experimenting, and hope shortly to bring their results before the public. The colours are said to be permanent, or at any rate, as permanent as the image upon which they are produced. ——:0: —_ Correspondence. SLIDES TO LOAN BY THE BRECHIN PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSOCIATION. [To the Editor. Dear Srr,—Our slides illastrative of ‘* Linen and its production” with notes on slides, may be borrowed by those interested, on payment of a fee of 6d., to cover postages, &c. Borrower of course to py carriage both ways. ‘The slides are in charge of our curator Mr. J,C. Middleton, 12, Market Street, Brechin, N.B., to whom application ought to be made —I am, Yours very truly, JAMES D. ROSS, Hon. sec. SCREEN AT AN ANGLE TO LANTERN. (Yo the Editor.: Drax Sin.— Being a constant reader of your Journal, and having received many useful hints from notes and queries. I noticed the questions by G. Orpwood in your last issue, and as my experience with opaque screens mzy perhaps help many others, I venture to send it, About two years ago the Wesleyan Band of Hope committee decided to purchase a lantern outfit and a 12 foot screen. By somebody's error we received a 12 foot