PHOTO-ERA MAGAZINE

For the Photographer and Kinematographer Copyright, 1932, by Paoto-Era Pusiisnine Company, Inc.

Vol. LXVIII

MARCH, 1932

No. 3

Third Rochester International Salon of Photography

A. H. BEARDSLEY

combine a visit to Rochester, N.Y., with an opportunity to see = the Third Rochester Salon at the Menaited Art Gallery. Let me make it clear at the outset that my hosts filled virtu- ally every moment of my time with engage- ments, so that it was impossible to stay at the Salon long enough to study each picture and to prepare a critical review of the entire exhibition. And so I shall get away some- what from the conventional review and try to present the Salon from a slightly different viewpoint. Let me add that the omission of the name of an exhibitor should not be as- sumed to indicate that his picture lacked merit. It was simply impossible in the limited time at my disposal to impress nearly two hundred pictures on my mind sufficiently well to attempt to describe each one separately and in detail. Furthermore, such a review would require far more space than can be allotted to this subject. In short, I have stated frankly the handicaps under which this review—if such it may be called—has been prepared; but, nevertheless, I hope that the reader will find something of interest in the paragraphs which follow.

It is said that even the most radiant jewel requires an appropriate setting to make its full beauty apparent. This is equally true of photographic salons. No matter how wonder- ful the collection of pictures may be, if they are not displayed in an appropriate and dig- nified environment, the general public is not impressed with the important fact that pic- torial photography is entitled to the same re- spect and consideration that is accorded to painting or to sculpture. And so, as we ap- proached the beautiful Memorial Art Gallery

of Rochester, I was glad to see further evi- dence that pictorial photography was today being accepted as worthy to share with older forms of art the hospitality of art museums and galleries in the leading cities of the world. Indeed, the setting was ideal for the Third Rochester International Salon of Photography. The fine exterior of the Me- morial Art Gallery had its effect upon those who approached the inviting entrance. There was an atmosphere of dignity and respect as one entered the building. Its beauty, the feeling of serenity, and the absence of dis- turbing noise had their effect on young and old. Men instinctively removed their hats and conversation was carried on in subdued tones. What an object lesson to men, women, and children who may not have had the oppor- tunities of culture and refinement! Up the broad stairs we went to the rooms reserved for the Salon. How fitting everything seemed to be! Nothing jarred or crossed one’s de- sire to view the pictures so well arranged and hung under glass. With what delight I gianced around, and with what pleasure I saw many prints which seemed to greet me like old friends! It did not require the catalog to tell me who made them. Then, too, I was quickly impressed by the variety of subject material. Virtually every branch of pictorial photography was represented. There were pictures for the conservative and for the ultra-modernist—and all of them worthy of careful study. So much for my first impres- sion; but what of those who might be visit- ing a photographic salon for the first time? When these visitors entered the exhibition rooms, they were mentally prepared to re- ceive the full effect of pictorial photography. Even though they might not understand all that they saw, they could not help feeling

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peered was my good fortune during the = :

SERENITY

A. KONO

THIRD ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL SALON

that intangible something which we all ex- perience when we are in the presence of some- one or something inspiring. In my opinion, not a little of the success of this and previ- ous Rochester Salons is due to the magnificent impressiveness of the Memorial Art Gallery building, and to the Director, Miss Gertrude Herdle, and her staff, who have created the atmosphere of dignity and refinement which is so essential to the full appreciation of the best in pictorial photography.

The Jury of Selection of the Third Roches- ter International Salon of Photography consisted of Joseph M. Bing, New York City; William M. Rittase, Philadelphia, Pa. ; and Dr. E. P. Wightman, Rochester, N.Y. The prints selected by these gentlemen com- posed an exhibition of pictorial photography which merited the praise which it received from critics, amateur and professional photo- graphers, and the general public.

There were portraits, figure studies, land- scapes, marines, indoor and outdoor genres, patterns, architectural studies, and so-called ultra-modern still-life compositions. There

were few pictures hung that might cause the visitor to wonder how or why they were se- lected by the jury. In fact, as a whole one was impressed with the conservative yet up- to-the-minute subject material sent to this Salon by the exhibitors. Nearly all of the usual printing processes were in evidence, such as bromide, chloride, bromoil, chloro- bromide, bromoil-transfer, carbon, carbro, oil, fresson, and Kodura. However, bromide was far in the lead as the most popular printing medium. The use of soft-focus lenses was noticeable in that diffusion was controlled to a far greater extent than was the case a number of years ago. Today we have pleasing diffusion and not the grotesque, virtually out- of-focus, jazzy effects which seemed to be the vogue of those earlier pictorialists who wished to be different. Here and there we still find the tendency to strain mightily for an effect without much regard for the fitness of things, artistically or otherwise. It has always been my belief that the truly great things in art or photography are invariably simple, forceful, and clear in their concep-

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His

LINE OF SILVER SURF

ROBERT A. BARROWS

THIRD ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL SALON

tion and execution. Such a picture tells its story without a title—it possesses that in- tangible power which grips the beholder with its compelling beauty, appeal, or design. In every salon there are more of such pictures being shown, and upon them rests the future progress and success of pictorial photo- graphy. The true pictorial masterpieces set the standard and the pace for those who are to follow in the years to come.

As I stated earlier in this article, my time was too limited at the Third Rochester Salon to prepare a detailed review of all the pic- tures which were hung. Naturally, as I walked about the exhibition rooms, I noted many pictures which appealed to me. Some

were made by well-known pictorialists ; others by those whose names were not so well known. Some of the pictures made a more or less lasting impression; others also pleased me. I shall mention a few prints which still live vividly in my mind nearly a month after seeing the Salon. Through the co-operation of the Salon Committee, we are able to re- produce a number of prints which I shall consider at greater length, after I refer to those pictures which still linger forcibly in my memory.

Without a question in my mind, the out- standing picture of the Third Rochester Salon was the “Rain of Shadows”, by Giulio Cesare of Turin, Italy. No reproduction can

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PRAGUE—WINTER ON THE RIVER

DR. D. J. RUZICKA

THIRD ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL SALON

do justice to this marvelous print. The snow- covered hillside, with dark evergreens casting their shadows toward the observer, is one of the most beautiful against-the-light effects that I have ever seen. “Seduction”, a moun- tain peak showing above the clouds, and a mountain-climber sitting on a rock enjoying the magnificent sight, is another striking pic- ture by Cesare; but it does not compare with his “Rain of Shadows” in dramatic effect. As always, the work of Léonard Misonne stands out, due to his remarkable artistry and skill. Of the four prints which were hung, “La vie est dure”, a fine picture of windswept oaks, appealed to me as the best. Next I liked “Am- sterdam”, with its impressive church over- shadowing the activities of the river below. His “Accueil frais’, showing a man and a woman talking in an entryway, is now well known, as it has appeared in several salons and in a number of annuals. “L’orniére” is a typical Misonne interpretation of a muddy road and, as usual, is beautifully done.

Dr. Max Thorek, F.R.P.S., was repre- sented by two remarkably fine portrait studies, “Roosevelt’s Double” (Prof. Hirsch-

feld) and ‘“Napoleon’s Double” (Mr. H. Bernie). The resemblance in both cases was striking, and Dr. Thorek’s mastery of photo- graphic technique enabled him to make two outstanding portraits. Dr. E. P. Wightman, F.R.P.S., one of the jury of selection, was invited to exhibit four prints, and all testi- fied to his ability as a pictorial photographer. However, in my opinion, the best was “Crow’s Nest of Civilisation’, a striking study of the top of the Empire Building in New York City. His “Lesser Giants of Manhattan” is an excellent panoramic view of some of the lower skyscrapers in New York. “March Snow” and “Moonlit Waters” are two de- lightful outdoor studies, in marked contrast to the other prints made in the city. Another member of the jury was William M. Rittase, who likewise exhibited four prints. Among these, “Sentinels of the Skies” appealed to me the most. “The Traveler’, “In Dry Dock”, and “The Last Furlong’, an exciting horse race, were his other prints.

Dr. D. J. Ruzicka was among the first to attempt the pictorial interpretation of sky- scrapers in New York, and his “Modern

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THIRD ROCHESTER

FAY COMPTON DOROTHY WILDING INTERNATIONAL SALON

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CHANT DU MATIN THIRD ROCHESTER

Pyramids” is perhaps one of his best studies of unusual architectural angles. “Venice— The Nubian Warriors” and “A Fountain in Ulm” are done in Dr. Ruzicka’s well-known style. “Prague—Winter on the River”, re- produced with this article, will be mentioned later. Alexander Leventon, A.R.P.S., was represented by three splendid portrait stud- ies, among which “A Don Cossack” seemed to me to be the best. However, “Eugene Goossens, Esq.” was a very close second, and “Portrait of H. Bersenbrugge” was likewise excellent. Alex. Keighley, Hon. F.R.P.S., had three prints done in carbon in his character- istic style—‘‘A Derelict Moorland Farm’, “The Great Bridge Ronda’, and “Fountains Abbey”. The latter, a fine study of an old abbey in England, was my favorite.

Even with these very brief references to some of the exhibitors and their prints, my space is becoming limited, and I must leave room enough to make mention of the illustra- tions which accompany this article. In conse- quence, without further comment, let me list the name of the exhibitor and the print of his which I liked best: William A. Alcock,

MELVIN MARTINSON

INTERNATIONAL SALON

F.R.P.S., “The Dancer’; Edward Andres, “One Tug”; Charles K. Archer, “A Stern- Wheeler”; A. Aubrey Bodine, “Shadow Pat- tern”; Charles Clayton, Jr., “Temptress”; H. Evansmith, “Rhythm”; Johan Helders, F.R.P.S., “After the Storm’; Riso Intano, “Kamome”; C. M. Johnston, “Reflections” ; T. Kobayashi, “My Friends’; A. Kono, “Serenity”; Toraji Mayeda, “The Breaking Waves”; D. B. McRae, “The Top of the Ridge”; Walter S. Meyers, ““The Pantheon” ; William Mortensen, “Myrdith II”; Leopold Munk, “Arc”; T. Nohira, “Shadow Study” ; Robert A. Officer, ‘“Mischief”; A. T. Roberts, “Poplars, Evening’; H. J. Schmidt, “The Poetry of Poise”; C. B. Seifert, “In the Nets”; R. Owen Shrader, “Journey’s End”; Kenneth Dudley Smith, A.R.P.S., “Pilot Boat, Bermuda”; G. Morris Taylor, “Storm- Kissed”; William O. Yates, “Receding Waters”; Alois Zych, “Snowy Way”. There were many others worthy of mention, but we still have the accompanying illustrations to consider, and so shall hope that the exhibi- tors we have not listed will understand the omission.

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1

MONARCH OF THE TIMBERLANDS

H. F. HIECKE

THIRD ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL SALON

Through the co-operation of the Salon Committee we have been able to reproduce a number of the pictures which were hung at the Third Rochester International Salon of Photography. Although mention of the ex- hibitors and a brief description of their prints seems to be the accepted form of re- viewing a Salon, I believe, from the point of view of the average reader, that the repro- duction of a few pictures with running com- ment is of greater service. For me to state that a Mr. Smith had a wonderful portrait of an old man hung at the so-and-so salon is of little practical help. However, if I re- produce the portrait of the old man and call attention to its merits, the reader has some- thing tangible to look at and to study. With this thought in mind, I shall try to bring out some of the features of the pictures which the Salon Committee made it possible for me to use.

“Serenity”, by A. Kono, is an excellent example of triangular composition. Cover up any one of the sea gulls, and the picture loses its strength and unity. It is interesting to note that the eye finds it difficult to leave the picture-area so long as all three birds are in the composition. The eye keeps going on from one to the next. However, cover up one of the birds, and note the result! The soft, wavy effect in the sand relieves what might otherwise be a monotonous background. The shadow in the lower left corner is not heavy enough to throw the composition out of balance. And last, the picture illustrates the power of simple, direct composition.

“Above the Pacific Coast”, by K. Naka- mura, gives us a striking poster-like picture. The magnificent cloud effect is brought out by the contrasting dark figure and tree-trunk in the foregreund. Cover up the figure, and the tree seems to lose its support or founda-

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THE STAIRCASE HOWARD G. DINE THIRD ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL SALON

tion. The figure is vitally important. Near the top of the picture the tree cuts the pic- ture-area almost evenly in two, vertically. However, this halving of the composition is modified by the curving trunk, which at the bottom of the composition makes a graceful curve to the left. The gleaming whiteness of the cloud is balanced by the dark areas formed by the foliage at the extreme right. As one studies the picture, it seems as though the dark figure were in direct conflict with the white cloud. The eye leaves the figure, follows the tree-trunk to the cloud, and then drops down to the figure again. Certainly this composition shows the value of contrast cleverly used for a striking effect.

“Fay Compton”, by Dorothy Wilding, is a portrait done in the modern vein without being overdone. It is simple and direct in its appeal. ‘The dark dress and hair are thrown into relief by the light background, which

also catches the shadow. The position of the hands is graceful and a bit different from the conventional poses seen. Whether by in- tention or accident, the light spot made by the white stocking above the black shoe tends to relieve the intensity of the black dress and to balance, in a measure, the light area at the top of the figure made by the white arms and neck. On the original print, the sheen of the velvet dress is retained with such fidelity that the observer feels that he can actually stroke the velvet as though it were real. There is a directness and strength about this portrait which grows as one studies it.

“Pizzicato”, by Heinz Timm, is an un- usual genre of a violinist playing in the po- sition of pizzicato, which is the musical term for picking the strings with the forefinger. The lighting emphasises the hands and es- pecially the one with the bow. The position of the left hand and the face of the violinist

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SERBIAN CHURCH EDWARD C. KOPP THIRD ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL SALON

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THE IRON HORSE’S BATH E. L. BAFFORD THIRD ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL SALON

: both tend to direct the eye to the center of out of the picture. Although the weight of { interest, which is the right hand. Altogether, the picture seems to be at the bottom in the this genre is a splendid illustration of a heavy foreground of sand, the diagonal white knowledge of lighting and how to make it line of surf catches the eye and leads up and bring out the important part of a composition. out of the picture. Nevertheless, this compo-

“Line of Silver Surf”, by Robert A. Bar- sition is an excellent marine. rows, is an interesting study of the seacoast. “Prague—Winter on the River”, by Dr. The white line of the surf is met by the D. J. Ruzicka, is a remarkable study in con- darker line of the sand and, together, they di- trasts of light and shade as well as balance. vide the composition in two, diagonally, from The heavy, dark river bank, at the right, the upper left to the lower right corner. catches the eye, which follows up along the Place a pencil along the line of surf and Shore to where it joins the bridge, and then note how the picture-area is almost evenly the eye turns to the left and arrives at the divided. This is a case where the division of towers of the city hidden in a light fog or a picture into equal parts does not neces- haze. After resting on the buildings for a sarily mar its pictorial appeal. The piles time, the eye has a tendency to jump to the driven in the sand at first suggest bathers. dark rocks in the foreground at the right. The line that they form runs across the line From there the eye arrives back at the river of surf; and, for a moment, the eye hesitates bank and the journey is begun over again. In to go on up the beach. However, after it gets short, in this composition the eye does not by the piles, the eye travels on easily and then readily leave the picture-area. There is too

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Be

PIZZICATO

HEINZ TIMM

THIRD ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL SALON

strong a general center of interest which holds it. The delicate reflections of the city in the water are beautifully rendered and the suggestion of sunshine breaking through the mist or fog is carried out splendidly. It is in- teresting to note that the dark area at the bottom of the composition is balanced nicely by the lighter area at the top of the picture. I doubt that the picture would have the same appeal if it were all in the same dark tone as the shore line at the right.

“Serbian Church”, by Edward C. Kopp, is a rather modernistic treatment of an ar- chitectural subject, without being too extreme.

The arrangement of towers and angles of roofs is striking and interesting. The window at the extreme right has a bit of a modernistic position which does not fit in with the fairly straight lines at the right. However, we are principally held by the several towers and crosses which really should, and do, make the chief center of interest. This picture was reproduced in the January, 1932, issue of Puoro-Era.

“The Iron Horse’s Bath”, by Edward Baf- ford, is an excellent example of what is meant by an outdoor genre—a picture of a person engaged in his or her work and not aware of

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THE TOWER STEPS

WM. O. YATES

THIRD ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL SALON

the photographer’s presence. The curve of the hose and the position of the man’s body com- bine to direct the eye to the center of in- terest, which is the white stream of water, under pressure, being used to clean the loco- motive. No matter how the eye enters the picture-area, it finds its way quickly to the center of interest. This picture was repro- duced in the March, 1931, issue of PHoto- Era.

“Chant du Matin”, by Melvin Martinson, is a clever bit of table-top photography. A cloud-sunset picture was first made on thin paper, in which a hole had been cut for the sun. The geese were taken from a magazine illustration and were pasted on the print. The reeds were gathered in a swamp and had to be made up so that they would be in cor- rect proportion to the rest of the picture. They were placed in front of the picture at

the correct distance to give the effect of look- ing out across a marsh toward the rising sun. This information we obtained from Mr. Mar- tinson when the picture was reproduced in our March, 1931, issue. This picture shows what may be done by any person who is quali- fied artistically and technically. It will be noted that there is plenty of room to the right of the flying birds. Even in still photography a feeling of motion is obtained if a moving object is given space into which it can move.

“The Staircase”, by Howard G. Dine, is an architectural study which is different. When it was reproduced in our September, 1930, issue, Mr. Dine called it an “Architectural Question Mark”, and I rather like the title. The line formed by the stairs and the curv- ing ceiling certainly does suggest a question mark. There is a bit of a conflict between the stairs and the dark chest at the right. If one

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covers up the chest, it is easier for the eye to reach the stairs. The picture on the wall tempts the eye to wander a bit from the stairs, but not so powerfully as the chest below it. Even so, the composition is most pleasing and unusual. The lighting was just enough without making too heavy shadows on the opposite wall.

“Monarch of the Timberlands”, by H. F. Hiecke, is without a question a study in con- trasts. What a setting for a dark bear! If one wishes to find out where the center of inter- est lies, all that is necessary is to cover up the bear and note whether the picture has the same appeal or not. Here again let me call attention to the space left in front of the bear for him to move into, thus giving the sense of motion to the observer. Here again we may note how the comparatively small area of the dark bear is balanced by the lighter and larger area to the left. Although the halation around the feet of the bear gives the impression that parts of his feet have been amputated, the striking effect of the composition is by no means lessened. This was reproduced in the October, 1931, issue of Puoro-Era, under the title “Study”.

“The Tower Steps”, by William O. Yates, is a so-called pattern effect, now frequently seen in pictorial photography. Obivously, there is nothing very appealing about a small section of wooden stairs under ordinary

conditions. However, when shadows steal across the steps and along the railings, there is something for the wide-awake pictorialist to consider. Mr. Yates saw the possibilities and made the most of them. Without the play of light and shade, where would be the appeal of this picture? The lines of the com- position all tend to bring the eye to the rail- ing post in the foreground and to hold it there. There is a feeling of strength to the composition and something singularly attrac- tive in a subject which many would pass by without even a glance. This picture was re- produced in the October, 1931, issue of Puoro-Era.

In conclusion, let me say that I deeply ap- preciate the courtesies which were extended to me by members of the Salon Committee in making possible this article. Although I know that there is much that could be said that I have omitted, and that this is not a review in the generally accepted sense, yet I hope that my readers will find something of practical value and help in the form of treat- ment which I adopted with regard to a num- ber of prints. It was a privilege to have seen the Third Rochester International Salon under such decidedly pleasant conditions, and I feel confident that the splendid work begun by the group of pictorial photographers in Rochester will continue to grow in value and international importance.

“De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum ”’

ALEXANDER LEVENTON,

A.R.P.S.

A Talk delivered at the opening of the Sixth Kodak International Salon of Photography on November 6, 1931, at Rochester, N.Y.

ee 10 M EHOW or other, the salons of Ay | photography of the past few \) years have turned out to be a ues sort of * ‘cases of exhibitors ver- sus juries”. All sorts of accusa-

tions, ill feeling, jokes, and bad temper have been displayed; articles of defense and prose- cution have been written; and all this, to my mind, entirely without any reason or foundation—simply because of the wrong idea of what a jury is really supposed to do. Let us look for a moment at how salons are organised. A group of lovers of pictorial photography decide to have a salon in their town. After having settled the financial part of it—which is no small matter these days— the next most important step comes up—that

of selecting a jury. It is at this point that the shaping of the type of the future salon is formed. The organising group has a cer- tain idea of what their salon should look like, and it is with this idea in mind that they pick out their judges.

We speak of a type of salon—we speak of a salon as being predominantly conservative, or modern, or even freakish. Obviously, the type of salon is nothing but a reflection of the type of jury, and the latter is just a natural outcome of the desires of the organising committee.

What is a jury? Or rather, what is a jury’s duty? It is to accept pictures they like and to reject pictures they do not like. Now, mind you, I did not say, “to accept the good pic-

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tures and reject the bad ones’! If such a distinction could be made or measured, the juries would not be necessary, and every or- ganising committee could do the judging by itself. But the distinction between “good” and “bad” is to a very great extent a matter of taste, and that is why we invite juries. We hope—and sometimes our hopes are not ful- filled—that their taste will be better than our own, and that is why we entrust them with the selection.

The answer to the question why a particu- lar print was accepted at a salon or awarded a first prize in a competition then becomes very simple. It is because that particular jury liked it better than the other prints submitted. If you do not agree—well, do not blame the jury; blame the organising committee for se- lecting poor judges! The judges were asked to give their opinion, and you can be sure that they did it carefully and sincerely.

Now, what are the qualifications of a good judge; or, in other words, what must the organising committee look for and guard against when it selects the jury? As we have seen before, that subconscious feeling for ar- tistic right and wrong, or, in other words, good taste, is the first and most important quality. As a second qualification, I should say experience is of utmost importance. By experience I mean the thorough knowledge of the standards of present-day photography. A good judge must be up to date; he must see as many salons as possible; he must read as many photographic magazines as possible, and be thoroughly acquainted with what is going on in the photographic world so as to be able to recognise progress, originality, and technical achievement. Third, the man must love pictures, he must be receptive, he must be able to respond, to appreciate good things when he sees them. Pictures are made to ex- cite a certain emotion, and the judge must be able to respond to this emotion without even necessarily analysing the exact reason for it. And, of course, he must be able to cast aside all personal preferences as to subjects, treat- ments, and processes.

There is still the question of the number of judges on a jury to be considered. We have seen salons judged by one man, and then, again, by as many as nine. In my personal opinion, if one man can be found who com- bined in him all the qualifications of which I spoke, he should make an ideal jury. Dicta- torships are in vogue today! A three-man jury, most widely used, is the next best, al- though it is really a compromise; the idea is

to get an average of three good opinions in the absence of one perfect one. Our friends in England use one-man juries successfully.

A few personal experiences illustrating cer- tain points of which I spoke may be not out of place at this time. A few years ago I made a portrait of Mr. Ludwig Schenck. It was a fine character portrait, full of life and tech- nically perfect. Very enthusiastically I pro- duced some ten or twelve copies of it and started out “to conquer the world’. The prints came back one hundred per cent re- jected! After two years of failure, I decided to submit it to the Royal Photographic So- ciety for the final word, along with three other previously very successful prints. “Lud- wig Schenck” was the one and only print of mine hung at the Royal Photographic Society that year! Four or five years have passed since the print was accepted at many leading salons, rejected at just as many others; but neither fate surprises me any more.

There were prints, at every salon I visited, which invariably made me say: “How on earth did that thing get in this show? It’s so obviously bad! It’s a mystery to me. The judges must have been blind!’ Then came the Rochester Salon of 1930, of which I had the honor to be a member of the jury. “At last”, I said to myself, “there will be a salon at which, to me at least, there will be no slips. I am going to make it a point to watch for it!” Well—believe it or not—when I came to see the completed salon on exhibition, I found four prints which I could swear I never saw before in my life and which were fully “up to the standard” of the “mysterious” prints I saw at all other shows. We are only human!

A certain pictorialist was preparing to send his prints to a certain salon. The closing date was approaching, and he was in a hurry to send his package away. Having found at the last moment that he was out of corrugated paper, our friend took a heavy mounting board on which an old discarded bromoil of his was mounted and used it for packing. After a couple of weeks of anxious waiting came the catalog. The only print the jury accepted was the bromoil which he sent as a substitute for corrugated paper!

Many years ago, in the days of the Roman Empire, one clever man said in Latin, “De gustibus non est disputandum”. Translated into present-day English, it means the fol- lowing: “If some print has been rejected in Pittsburgh, send it to Chicago, and vice versa!”

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FIGURE 1

WILL AND CARINE CADBY

Eastman Super-Sensitive Panchromatic Films for Interiors WILL AND CARINE CADBY

=weiiit thought emphasised by our | Ie Editor in a recent number of Puoto-Era was that the winter months “are filled with photo-

== graphic opportunities which are not one bit less interesting than those that we have ail enjoyed during the summer months”.

With this encouraging and stimulating resolution, we agreed te try some interiors for a friend who wanted them, more or less at once, to send abroad. Now, with all due deference to the Editor’s heartening opti- mism, November in England is not the easiest month for photography of any sort, let alone interiors of old cottages; but his exhortation, reinforced by the acquisition of a packet of Eastman Supersensitive Panchromatic film, gave us courage. The weather—true to type for this month—maintained a steady gloom, and none of the “bright intervals” so often promised by our wireless materialised. Could not the photographs be postponed? we asked.

No, the photographs must be ready to catch a certain foreign mail.

The subject was certainly interesting—a row of three old cottages, where the rude forefathers of this hamlet at one time lived, converted into a comfortable and estheti- cally satisfying home for a fastidious town dweller. Low ceilings and small lattice-paned windows, and the consequently dark interiors, were not encouraging; but had not our Edi- tor cheered and stimulated us? And also there were these new, much-boomed films; so off we went one gloomy morning to try our luck.

We made several photographs of the same interior views with varying exposures. The light was constant—that is, there was no re- duction of the settled gloom in which we started. Technical exactness is not one of our strong points, and on capping the lens after our last and longest exposure, which we still thought must be inadequate, we hoped for the best, without undue enthusiasm. To our sur-

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FIGURE 2 WILL AND CARINE

prise the results suffered from overexposure, and our best negatives were those that with ordinary films would certainly have been grossly underexposed.

One of the conclusions we arrived at after this experiment was that the makers have not overstated the marvelous rapidity of this new film, and in the ordinary amateur’s hands it is just here that the chief danger of failure lies; for it is difficult to realise the remark- able sensitiveness of this panchromatic film to all tones and colors. But this danger is dissipated directly the worker has grasped this outstanding fact. And when one thinks that, coupled with this most useful quality, the film will give true renderings of every color, rapidity and quality combined, it is borne in on us that we have a new weapon in our photographic armory.

This film, being panchromatic, is hedged around with somewhat strict directions as to

CADBY

handling, and a chart is issued with each packet giving the correct time for develop- ment of that particular emulsion at varying temperatures—and the temperature has a very marked effect on the resultant negative. But it is not difficult to follow. The only bit of instruction wherein we strayed from the narrow path was in the matter of de- veloper, using the simple Kodak concen- trated variety, as it was to hand, instead of the formula given in the directions. We con- fess this backsliding to our readers so that they will not be discouraged from using the film by the thought of the complications of mixing up a special developer. The films, be- ing panchromatic, must, of course, be loaded and unloaded into plateholders in total dark- ness; but a Wratten safelight may be used after development has started, provided it is kept at a considerable distance from the film and a 10-watt bulb is used in the safelight.

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The Photographic Adventures of Bert and Ray

XXXIII—Darkroom Improvements NEIL WAYNE NORTHEY

ANY improvement in the weather?” Wi asked Ray, as Bert joined him @| in the workroom prepared to } spend the March “camera day”

: = with his chum. “None that I can see”, said Bert. “It’s still snowing, and— boy, what a wind!”

“I guess we'll have to work inside”, said Ray.

“Sure looks like it now. There’s a three- foot snowdrift across your driveway, and if we go any place today we'll have to walk. Wouldn’t it be nice to live in Florida or Cali- fornia where it’s picture-making weather al- most every day?”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I rather like a stormy day to keep me inside and make me work occasionally. And besides, it adds variety. Think of the beautiful snow scenes we can make when the wind goes down! I think it would grow mon>tonous taking pic- tures in a country where the scenery is al- ways the same.”

“T guess you're right”, agreed Bert. “If it didn’t storm once in a while, I would never get my inside work done. Right here is some- thing I have been planning to do a long time, but never get to it. I’d like to build a shelf for our chemicals in this space right here above the workroom table where they would be handy, and cut a hole in it large enough to set the funnel in while we are filtering solutions, with the shelf high enough to set a container under the funnel. Then it wouldn’t be tipping over like it does when it is set in a small bottle.”

“That’s a good idea’, said Ray. “And I’ve been wanting to make a slat covering for the sink, which we can use to set trays on when- ever we need more table room; and if we happen to slop over a tray in the dark, the solution will run through into the sink instead of all over the table and floor. Suppose we spend at least part of the day improving the darkroom a bit.”

“Pious idea!” said Bert. “While you are getting a few tools and some nails, I'll raid the kindling room and see what material I ean find.”

“There should be some old boxes in there which we can use”, said Ray as he disap- peared up the stairway.

A half-hour later the boys had finished their first jobs and were inspecting the re- sults with satisfaction.

“T’ve been thinking it would be handy if we had a couple of large trays in case we should want to make some extra large en- largements”’, said Ray.

“How can we make them?” asked Bert.

“T saw a description of how to make large trays, which I clipped and pasted in the darkroom notebook a while back. It seemed easy, and so I got the necessary materials, but never seemed to have time to make the trays.”

Ray searched the darkroom notebook until he found the clipping.

“Here is what it says”, he said. “ “To make large photographic trays: Cut the ends and sides out of an inch-and-an-eighth, well-sea- soned, white pine board. Plane the inside face so that the top edge is three-quarters of an inch thick, which will make the sides of the tray tapering to permit the emptying of solutions when the tray is tipped up with- out having to turn it half-way over. The sides should be put together by cutting the corners to a miter, coating them thoroughly with thick shellac varnish, and fastening them with screws placed diagonally. The bottom may be made of a three-quarter-inch board nailed on after planing it on both sides. Two cross cleats from side to side will help to hold it together. When the body of the tray is completed, line it with oilcloth or rubber sheeting by gluing it on with strong, boiled flour paste, which has been squeezed through cheesecloth after it is cool. The lining should be cut an inch and a quarter larger than the tray, so that it may be folded over the ends and sides and fastened with rust-proof nickel or tinned tacks. The lining should be folded neatly at the corners and tacked.’ ”

“Well, if you have the material, we may as well make use of it”, said Bert.

“T have everything but the flour paste, and I think I can talk Sis into making that for us while we build the frames”, said Ray.

Ere long there was the sound of saw and plane and the odor of shellac in the room ad- joining the darkroom, where the boys had gone so as not to litter the darkroom floor with shavings and sawdust, which might

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work into cameras and plateholders and cause trouble even though the darkroom were care- fully cleaned after their work was finished. By the time the trays were finished, the noon hour had struck, and the boys sus- pended their work when Mrs. Wentworth’s voice, calling down the stairway, summoned them to the dinner table.

“There are a few more things I should like to make”, said Ray, after they were seated. “For one thing, I should like an adjustable table for photographing flowers, small ob- jects, and such things.”

“What sort of design do you have in mind?” asked Bert.

“Well, it would be a kind of long bench- like affair, with a sliding arrangement for holding the camera at one end, and an upright frame for holding the backgrounds at the other end. For the backgrounds I should have a piece of black velvet, one of gray felt, and another of white flannel tacked along the top of the frame, which would be about 2 x 3 feet. In that way I could adjust the background tint instantly to the subject being photo- graphed by simply throwing the screens not in use back over the top and letting them hang down behind the screen in use. The sliding camera holder would be made by cutting an opening in the end frame of the table of a size to permit a board to slide in and out on the bottom side of the table-top. To the end of this sliding board, I would fasten an upright with a 6-inch square board on top of it, on which the camera could be held. Then it would be a simple matter to focus small objects any size desired by simply sliding the camera forth and back on the sliding holder instead of having to use a tripod.”

“If we made it large enough, it would be a handy arrangement for holding our en- larger’, said Bert. “We could use the back- ground frame for holding an easel on which to fasten the enlarging paper, and we could slide the enlarger back and forth and get just the size of enlargement we wanted instantly.”

“That's right”, said Ray. “I hadn’t thought of that. I wouldn’t be surprised if we find a number of uses for it, such as for copying pictures and making lantern-slides. And be- tween times we could use it for a work-table.”

“T’'ll tell you something else we need in the darkroom’’, said Bert.

“What’s that?”

“A couple of small, light-tight boxes for holding paper while we are printing—one

for unprinted paper where it can be got handily when filling the printing-frame, without the necessity of having to unwrap and rewrap the original package, or else pull sheets from an envelope and return them again after separating one from the stack. And with a hinged lid to drop back into place, there is no danger of forgetting to cover the paper supply before turning on the printing-light. The other box would be handy to drop the printed sheets into until we were ready to develop them when we were making a number of prints from the same negative. We could develop the first one to make sure the exposure time was right, and then wait and develop the others all at once and save time.

“Speaking of printing’, said Ray, “we ought to get at it and make ourselves a printer one of these times. Then we could build a couple of drawers in it for just the purpose you have mentioned. We could make it a sort of table affair, with drawers on each side for keeping our supply of printing paper, masks, and such things, and with the printer between.”

“T have been thinking it would sometimes help to obtain accurate focusing at close distances if I made a measuring line. I could use a piece of linen fishing-line 16 feet long, which does not stretch, and tie a knot in it at 3, 6, 10, and 15 feet to correspond to the focus-scale markings of my Kawee. I could then measure the exact distance to objects for sharp focus.”

“There are several good range-finders on the market”, laughed Ray. “Why not get one of them?”

“The string would take up no room in the bottom of the carrying case, and I couldn’t forget it”, replied Bert. “Of course, my 5- inch lens has enough depth of focus to allow for considerable leeway in judging distance, except that the larger the stop I use the less is the depth of focus and the more accu- rately I must estimate distance. Ordinarily it doesn’t show if a picture is a little off focus, but the more the negative is enlarged the more noticeable it is. And I never know how much I might want to enlarge from a nega- tive.”

“T noticed a handy stunt the other day that you could use with your Kawee filmpack so that you could make either two or four ex- posures on each film. I don’t need it with my 4x5 view camera, as it has a dividing back.”

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1 RAY’S SKETCH

“Let’s hear about it”, said Bert. “I might use it for photographing small objects some- times and not have to waste a whole film; or it would be handy for making trial expo- sures.”

“All you have to do is to get four pieces of metal the same thickness as the pack slide, or four extra metal slides. You cut them like this’—and Ray drew four sketches like those which appear here. “Now, if you want to make two exposures on one film, pull the regular slide when you are all ready to ex- pose, and insert No. 1, which covers the top half of the film. After the exposure, remove the half-slide and insert the regular slide until you are ready to make another expo- sure. For the next exposure you remove the regular slide and insert No. 2, which covers the bottom half that was previously exposed. If you want to make four exposures, use No. 3 first one way, then turn it around and

4 NEIL WAYNE NORTHEY

use it the other, which gives you two expo- sures on the top half; then use No. 4 first one way and then the other. Of course, you have to insert the regular slide and remove the filmpack holder, so you can get the pic- ture in the right place on the groundglass before each exposure. And you have to re- member which part of the film you have ex- posed. But you could get as many as forty- eight exposures on each pack, each one about 134 x2 inches in size on your 9x 12 centi- meter packs, from which you could make en- largements if you wished.”

“That certainly is a good suggestion’, said Bert. “I’m surely going to make use of it.”

“You boys had better eat before everything is cold”, said Mrs. Wentworth.

“And give some of the rest of us a chance to talk”, added Dorcas.

(To be continued)

Impressionism in Photography F. BIRBECK FARMER

SiN reading almost any book on art, Za one is confronted more and more with the word “impressionism.” Until within recent years, im- pressionism was associated with the brush and tubes of color of the painter; but it is being realised that the artist with the camera can render landscape, still life, and portraits impressionistically just as well as the painter.

There was an earnest group of painters, among them such names, famous in art- circles, as Manet, Claude Monet, Pissarro,

Renoir, and the American genius, Whistler, who banded together in Paris. Their aims were along the same line—that of breaking away from the old style of painting which called for detail, and giving to the world canvases in which there was a broader, more massed representation of nature which sub- dued detail. These artists felt that nature portrayed upon their canvases should be as the eye perceived it before it had time to take in all the small and petty details.

These men were largely influenced by that great artist in England—Turner. Those of us

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who have been fortunate enough to have seen some of Turner’s work, especially his water colors, have been held almost spellbound by his marvelous atmosphere and his melting dis- tances. We can see how much he leaves to the imagination—mere suggestions on paper; yet, when viewed from a distance, the whole pic- ture which, when seen at close range, appears almost a meaningless blur, takes shape and becomes a living, vital ‘thing, throbbing with life.

Coming down to later times, artists who used the camera began to feel the need of a more broad and impressionistic treatment in their pictures. They began to look about them for a means by which to soften the wiry definition that was then prevalent. This restlessness and longing for something that would give them the kind of pictures their artist souls longed for began in England and Europe. It reached America about thirty- five years ago.

F. BIRBECK FARMER

We must admit that there were some pic- torialists using the camera to portray their impressions who went rather too far in sub- duing detail. They made their pictures inco- herent masses, thinking, no doubt, that this was art, and they left too much to the imagi- nation.

True art in photography is the rendering of landscape, still life, or portraits as the eye sees them at first glance. One does not observe a landscape, for instance, as a shape- less, out-of-focus blur, nor does one see it with every detail insistent, as if a magnifier were used; but one’s first impression is of soft outlines, massed details, delicate merg- ings of light and shade; and, as the eye travels into the distance, one notices a grad- ual fading away, whereas the immediate fore- ground is more sharply defined.

In the finished picture, the aim must be to portray a mood, a feeling. We must not rep- resent objects exactly as they are, but as

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they make us feel at the time the exposure is made. We must produce the effect of at- mosphere.

There are several ways of doing this; but undoubtedly the best way is by the use of the soft-focus lens. With a lens of this kind, we can subdue detail and produce the effect of atmosphere and distance without making the picture incoherent, unless our technique has been very much neglected. A lens of this type will enable us to show a roundness and a suggestion of atmosphere which cannot be produced in any other way.

What is it that appeals to us in a soft- focus picture? It is a question which many of us may ask; but how difficult it is to put into so many words the feeling we experience! It is something almost undefinable. We simply know that, in the finished picture, if the se- lection of the scene- has been good, the lens properly used, and the correct exposure has been given, we have a picture we can live with. No matter how many times we gaze

F. BIRBECK FARMER

upon it, we can always find new beauties— we feel a sense of rest, of quietude, far dif- ferent from the feeling we have when look- ing upon a picture with every detail insis- tent.

One must remember that a soft outline, or massing together of light and shade, will not always make a picture beautiful to look upon. There are many who seem to think that to possess and use a soft-focus lens is all that is needed to make them artists. Far from it! Such a lens requires an artist, one who can think and feel with the soul of an artist— who is able to translate what he or she sees, or rather feels, when making the picture.

One must admit that this type of lens has been the means of causing so many mediocre pictures to be produced, under the name of “Art”, that it behooves one to take especial care when using a soft-focus lens. The lens itself will never make a picture, any more than the brush and colors of the painter will give to the world a great painting. It is the

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artist behind the lens who watches for those fleeting moods in nature, who has the true perception of the value of light and shade, and who allows himself to be carried away by the many voices in nature that are con- stantly around him. To such a one only is given the power to reveal to others, through his pictures, what he himself feels.

As Carlyle said, of the sister art Music: “It is an undefinable, inarticulate speech, which leads us to the edge of the Infinite, and lets us, for a moment, gaze into that.” This may well be applied to a truly great picture, be it a painting or photograph. There is an undefinable something which touches some unseen chord within us and causes a harmony we have rarely known before.

In passing through almost any salon, we cannot remain long in the presence of the beautiful around us before we are conscious of a great calm, a feeling of rest. Why is this? The reason is not difficult to find. We are surrounded on all sides by the beautiful —that which attracts beautiful thoughts, and we leave such an exhibition with a feeling that we have been in the very presence of masters of Impressionism.

Now a word as to the making of impres- sionistic pictures with the camera. It must not be inferred that the soft-focus lens is the only one to use in this work. How many ama- teurs possess a lens of this type? Compara- tively few, I think. The majority use a rapid rectilinear, or even an anastigmat, although I am of the opinion that the anastigmat is hardly the lens to use in this class of work; but I have seen many very fine impres- sionistic photographs made with one.

To those who have a rapid rectilinear, or an anastigmat lens, allow me to offer this advice. Procure a diffusion disk to fit your lens, and I can safely say that you will be able to produce pictures of the true impres- sionistic type; at least it will help in a great measure. I say that it will help; for, of course, the greater part depends upon the artist using the camera and lens.

If your camera is not fitted with a ground- glass focusing screen, but only a scale, put your diffusing disk on the lens and set the pointer over the scale at a point between 25 and 50 feet, and use the lens wide open. This will give you a firm foreground, with a grad- ual fading away of the middle distance and distance. This applies to landscape subjects. Use any soft-working developer, and develop until the highlights just begin to show through the back of the film; in fact, slightly underdevelop.

In enlarging, I use Portrait Bromide, Old Master. Give rather a generous exposure, also developing in a soft-working developer —Amidol, I think, is the best. Carry develop- ment much further than for ordinary enlarge- ments, and you will have a rich print, pos- sibly a salon picture. So do not despair, if you do not have the regular soft-focus lens; for if you will follow the advice given, I feel confident that you will experience new joys in picture-making.

The two illustrations accompanying this article are inserted to show the amount of dif- fusion which, to my mind, is most pleasing in a small print. Should more softness be de- sired, it is easy to control this in the finished enlargement.

Tried Any of These?

WAYNE G. WINCHESTER

RE you fond of photographic eA “stunts”? Some people are. If — PY you enjoy them, here are a few TaN to check over and try at your ) convenience. Aside from their educational value, they are really very eco- nomical. They prevent further waste.

Mr. A. purchased some bromide enlarging paper, size 16 x 20 inches. When he got it to the camera club, he discovered that the package was too large to go into the locker.

His extra-critical eye noted that if the paper were just half the length it would nicely fit. Stepping to the large trimming board, placed conveniently in front of a window where the greatest amount of light was to be had, he carefully centered the big envelope beneath the uplifted knife, and with one neat slice he eliminated the over-size difficulty. Hastily grabbing with each hand the open side of a half, he pressed the two halves together and held the open sides tightly with both hands

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to exclude the light. As he strode trium- phantly toward his locker, he remarked: “There, that didn’t fog it much, do you think?” Of course, someone heartily agreed, “No, that wouldn’t fog it too much!”

Mr. B. wasn’t quite certain whether his holder was loaded or not. To make sure, he pulled the dark slide out just a fraction of an inch so that he could see. It was loaded, so he speedily shoved in the slide.

Mr. C. took his films out of the fixing-bath and hung them up to dry, thus saving lots of time and water. He was more than thrilled half an hour or so later with their beautiful rainbow colors.

Mr. D. mixed a fresh fixing-bath. When he had finished, there was really quite a lot of hypo still on the shelf beside the scales. Oh, well, the bath was made, and that hypo could be used next time. Needless to say, fixing

proved to be a very interesting process . . . highly speculative.

Mr. E. developed his panchromatic films by white light. Someone had told him that they were sensitive to colors.

Mr. F. felt the plate drop from the holder into the camera when he pulled the dark slide. As he carefully removed the holder, the plate hopped down on the ground. F. hastily grabbed his hat and jammed it down over the plate—to avoid a bad case of over- exposure, we presume.

Mr. G. made quite a long trip—required half a day to reach his objective—and the picture-subjects were really wonderful. But when he arrived there his camera was lens- less, for he had left the lenses in their case at home. However, he saved beaucoup de plates.

Now, if you can do any of these things, successfully, you are good!

George Washington’s City

JOSEPH L. KOCHKA

O hundred years ago, on Feb- ruary 22, 1732, a boy was born on the marshy banks of what today is known as Pope’s Creek, 4a tributary of the Potomac River. He was born in an old colonial house on a farm, known as Wakefield. Tall, lumber- ing sailing vessels, hailing from England, came to the farm landings, delivered their cargoes, and loaded their holds with colonial tobacco. The Indian still was a menace; the great North American continent still untamed and a wilderness; and the State of Virginia a lonely, isolated, and struggling colony.

Only sixty-eight years later, the span of.

one man’s life, a city, ten miles square, destined to become an arbiter and a power in international affairs, was cut out of the wilderness on the banks of the Potomac and named after the boy who was born in 1732 at Wakefield, seventy miles down the river. In that time, George Washington had not only helped to conquer a wilderness, but he had made possible the separation of thirteen colonies from England and had welded them into a compact Union.

In 1732, a few scattered farms were stretched out over what are beautiful and tree-lined streets and avenues today. In 1800,

MOUNT VERNON—WASHINGTON’S HOME JOSEPH L. KOCHKA

the City of Washington had a population of 14,093 people. In 1932, when the whole na- tion pauses to celebrate the two-hundredth anniversary of the birth of George Washing- ton, the city has a population of over 500,000. It has within its boundaries a representa- tive from every civilised nation on the face of the earth; it controls the credit of the world, and on it the eyes of all nations are turned. In 1800 it was a struggling little

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village, the butt of many a jest and joke in the great cities of New York, London, and Philadelphia. Today it is the greatest capital in the world. Tomorrow it will be a city of incomparable beauty.

Few Americans realise that George Wash- ington played a vital part in the founding of this capital. From the early days of his residence at Mount Vernon he had known its farm lands. He had hunted and had rid- den often over this ground and had crossed it many times on his travels and adventurous wanderings. He was a frequent visitor to Georgetown, just west of the site of the future capital, and he knew the rolling acres that stretched along the Potomac shore down to the Eastern Branch. Once, while in Brad- dock’s service, he had camped for several

HOME OF ALICE ROOSEVELT LONGWORTH JOSEPH L. KOCHKA

days on the hill where stands today the Naval Observatory, at Massachusetts Avenue and Thirty-fourth Street, N.W. Looking south- ward, he was struck by the possibilities for city development of the small circular valley below him, where lay the farm lands on which powerful Indian tribes once roamed and along whose shores the loquacious John Smith boasted he had cruised, the first white man ever to see this country.

The “Residence Act” that created the Dis- trict also gave to the President certain defi- nite powers. Thus it was under Washington that the boundaries of the District were drawn; that L’Enfant came to the city with his plans, his dreams, his engineering gifts, and his inability to get on with people; that the owners of the farms which L’Enfant di- vided into great avenues and straight streets

LOOKING UP CONNECTICUT AVENUE JOSEPH L. KOCHKA

were induced to sell their land at about $125 an acre. He, too, was interested in the loca- tion and in the building of the Capitol, the corner stone of which was laid by him. Just before he died, he came up from Mount Ver- non to note the progress made in building the White House, then known as the Presi- dent’s Palace.

The Washington of today has many mem- ories of the man who helped to build it. But the City of Washington has a thousand other memories. Here, as in no other spot of America, are gathered the memories of that long galaxy of men out of whose activities have come the history and the making of this nation. Here on the streets of Washing- ton are the memories of the early builders of the empire—of the Adamses, of Jefferson, Monroe, Madison; of Webster, Calhoun,

MEMORIAL JOSEPH L. KOCHKA

LINCOLN STATUE—LINCOLN

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Clay; of Andrew Jackson and Peggy O’ Neill; of Stephen Decatur; of haughty foreign dip- lomats who politely scorned the Washington assignment; of the old British Embassy; of the stirring days of the Civil War; of Lin- coln—his assassination; of the building of the great memorial that stands in the Mall today; of Arlington, the home of General Robert E. Lee, and now the burying ground of a nation’s heroic dead; memories of the great parades that passed down Pennsyl- vania Avenue—parades of boastful armies, marching off to war; parades of victorious homeward marching armies, triumphant and humble; memories of a Nation’s grief as the Unknown Soldier was carried down its length.

This little article cannot tell the story of the City of Washington. Even if it could, it would be better for you to come and see it for yourself and picture it for yourself with your own camera. It is a city full of picture possibilities, teeming with historic and politi- cal lore. It, too, is a changing city, for the long rows of Civil War buildings are disappear- ing, and in their places is arising an archi- tectural beauty unsurpassed in any capital city.

Washington is your city, not only mine. It is the city of every American. Once hav- ing seen it, once having helped to take a part, like George Washington, in building it, you will return a better American.

Some Hints on Developing Panchromatic Films A. C. KEILY

eANCHROMATIC films bring

; with them new problems as well jas advantages. One problem which has frightened many away = and has caused unnecessary worry and trouble for many amateurs, as well as professionals, is that of development. These films, being more or less sensitive to all colors, are said to be developed best in absolute darkness. To those who develop by tray, as well as those who make pictures under various light-conditions, developing in total darkness does not seem to give the best results. It is to help these workers that this article is written.

I have developed all my panchromatic films by inspection for the past five years, and have found that when this is done in the right manner it is just as simple as when developing color-blind film by this method.

Where a good bit of fog is likely to occur is in loading these films. They must be loaded in absolute darkness if one does not want fog to occur. This can be done as efficiently and as rapidly as when it is done by a safe- light, if care is taken to form the habit of doing it the same way every time. This is illustrated by the driving of an automobile. We all know that, after the habit is formed, it is second nature to shift to the right gears and to apply the brakes when necessary. Why should not this fact apply to photography as

well? It does, and it has done so ever since the discovery of photography. All the manu- facturers have done their best to help us in this method. They cut notches in their films to let us know which side is to be placed up in the holder. These notches are found in the upper right-hand corner.

Now, to get the best results in developing, you must understand several things: first, that no light is absolutely safe as long as you can see by it; second, that you must not be in a hurry; and, last but not least, that the eye is so constructed that it adjusts itself to virtually any light.

I use a Wratten Series 3 Safelight in the regular box designed for it. Some workers, for different reasons, construct their own. This can be done; but before proceeding to do so, I should advise anyone to take a look at one of the factory-made safelights first. They are all—the best ones—so constructed that all the light you see is reflected light, thereby giving even illumination over the entire glass.

Now as to the actual operations. I arrange everything by the usual bright light before proceeding. I then cut off all lights except the safelight for about ten minutes. This is absolutely necessary if you are to be able to inspect the films. This gives the iris in the eye time to adjust itself to the light from the safelight. A good rule to follow is to be able to see the trays before proceeding. Right here

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let me say that, if you use pyro in any form, be sure not to pour in the carbonate solution before being ready to develop, as excess stain is likely to occur.

At first, when you turn off all lights, it will seem hopelessly dark, but before the films develop you will think that the light is unsafe. This is one of Mother Nature’s helps which proves to be of great help to the pan- chromatic worker.

After I am able to see the trays, I then pour in my carbonate and turn off the light. I develop for about three minutes in abso-

lute darkness. Then I turn on the light just long enough to see the film to inspect it. This done, I turn the light off again. I keep this up at intervals until all the films are de- veloped. You will find that by practice this will seem quite easy and films can be devel- oped very uniformly by this method. To my mind, this has time-and-temperature beaten for two reasons: first, no two films develop exactly the same when made under different light-conditions; and, second, when you de- velop by tray it is impossible to keep con- stant temperature.

Making Lantern-Slides

LEWIS H. SOUTHWICK

has never yet been told in

4) words which would enable an

.j} amateur to make his first plate

=n) a perfect one. If I shall succeed

z=! in doing so in this article, well

and good! Let’s go to it and see what hap- pens!

My experience in making slides has taken some time, together with many failures, which one would readily believe if one could see the stack of empty boxes I have saved just for curiosity. I look at them and say, “Well, it has not been in vain, for success has finally been my reward!” For I can now say that I can make almost as good slides as anyone could wish.

I shall try to tell as briefly as possible how I made my last and best slides. The camera with which I made most of my negatives is a vest-pocket 15g x 214, although 214 x 314 should make just as good negatives for direct contact.

Formerly I made the exposure with a 60- watt lamp about 18 inches above the nega- tive, placed in any ordinary plateholder used for contact printing, and exposed from 5 to 40 seconds, or as much as one minute for very dense negatives. It was surprising what good slides were made. I have made 800 or 900 in this way.

Now I have found an easier way and one which gives clearer and better slides. I made a box with which to take contact pictures; with this I had such wonderful results that I thought I would try the slides, and much to my surprise they came out better than any I had made. The box was made as follows:

FIGURE 1 LEWIS H. SOUTHWICK

It has two lamp-sockets, one on each side. It is better to use red and black push socket rather than turn key. The one on the left is a 60-watt lamp, that on the right a 10-watt red lamp. A curious thing is noticed—that, with the red light on all the time, when the white light is switched on the red disappears entirely. Instead of the square flat bottom of the box, a sweeping or slanting curve is made by inserting a piece of tin cut the

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FIGURE 2

LEWIS H. SOUTHWICK

right length so as to bend in a curve. Pre- venting the two lights from shining directly onto the plate is a small baffle, or drop plate, between the lights and the opening. One will be surprised at this clear, bright light unaf- fected by condensers, opaque opal glass, or groundglass. The dimensions are as follows: sides 1214 x 7 inches; top 1244 x 7; end 614 x 7; bottom 614 x 1134. Sheet copper or tin is used, for curve inside 63g wide, 1514 long. The inside is painted dead white, no gloss. I used Benjamin Moore’s pure white, sani-flat.

I made two boxes, as may be seen in illus- tration. In the one in which I made the slides, I used a 60-watt lamp; in the other, I tried a 100-watt for contact printing, with won- derful results.

For developer, D-11, D-72 is good; M. Q. No. 1, with plates, is very good. The plates I use are Barnet Gaslight Contact Lantern Plates, Elliott & Sons, Ltd., Barnet, Eng- land; U. S. A. Agents, Ralph Harris & Co., 30 Bromfield Street, Boston, Mass.

These plates must be watched carefully, for it is difficult to tell the right side. If in doubt, wet the finger and apply to plate; if found to be sticky, it is the right side. The maker of these plates should put a mark of some sort to make sure which is the right side—there is so little difference.

The slides can be easily colored with Velox colors. I dry the plates, dampen with soft brush, and proceed to color, getting amaz- ing results. I grade the negatives light, me- dium, dark, dense, or very dark, and one will be surprised to learn that good slides can be made from almost any good negative. I make exposure from 5 seconds—10, 15, 20, 40 for dark, 60 or more for dense negatives. The last negatives I used for slides were good average—or what one might call good— negatives. I decided on 10 seconds’ exposure, being sure to time the exposure by my watch as accurately as possible—no guesswork; and I found that exposures at 10, 15, 20 seconds require about 20 to 25 seconds in the de- veloper. Timing this also helps to stop the development at about the right time to give good clear slides. It also enables one to check up on exposure and developing, and, if everything is all right, one can go ahead and repeat. It also helps in changing from one set of negatives to another. The average time for developing is between 20 and 25 seconds.

In writing these instructions, I have checked and double-checked, so as to make them as fool-proof and accurate as possible. Although it would seem that motion-pictures had superseded the lantern-slide for instruc- tion and entertainment, there is still a strong demand for good lantern-slides.

A good, bright red light can be used, as one need not be afraid of fogging the plates, since they are very slow. I watch the develop- ment and find they will come very clear and, as in the case of any plate, the image will begin to disappear or grow dense—which I do not allow to take place, as it produces a dark and muddy slide; but if I stop at the right time by immediately plunging the plate into the hypo, in which it clears very quickly, I have a beautiful, clear, and perfect slide. If at any time the plate shows a little brown- ish tint, it may be cleaned by brushing it over lightly with sky blue or light blue Velox color.

The opening in the box is the same size as the lantern-slide plate, 4 x 314. It is best to select good clear glass.

Inspire children to practice economy. Turn home wastes into savings. Let the head of the family put a check on waste. Help curb industrial waste. Stop money waste. Do not waste capital by hoarding it. Conserve health.

Harvey A. Bropeert.

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In Your Vest Pocket

EDWARD L. C. MORSE

gy TROLLING along one day } through what might be euphe- mistically called the unprosper- 2] ous part of the town, I saw in

=) the show window of a pawnshop a photographic contrivance that excited my acquisitive susceptibilities. The obliging

gentleman behind the counter let me examine the article. It was a German so-called vest- pocket camera, though, if ever used for that purpose, German vest-pockets must be of ca- pacious dimensions. The bellows looked all right; the shutter gave different speeds—that is, the 1/5 and the 1/50-second were per- ceptibly different to the naked eye; the lens board moved when focusing; the film- pack adapter went in snugly; there were six tidy-looking plateholders, a groundglass screen, and a sighting frame of wire.

Not bad! But how much? Let us draw a curtain over the proceedings of the next ten minutes! I had not lived in Mexico and learned to haggle over prices for nothing. I think the gentleman and I both enjoyed the sport; but I forbear to give details. I knew the catalog price; so did he. He had advanced a trifling sum to some necessitous person who had never called for the camera again. We both knew that, too. To make a long story short, I finally walked out of the shop with the outfit in my pocket for a price that was about twenty per cent of the original cost.

Taking the thing home and putting it through a leisurely course of inspection, I found the camera was all that it pretended to be, though the enamel was worn bare in spots. Evidently it had seen better days, but was still going bravely on—heavy and solid as a rock and accurate as a clock. It pro- duced some excellent pictures, but they were too small for me.

What should a fellow do? Buy an en- larger? Not with my flat pocketbook and re- stricted quarters. For a while I entertained grandiose plans of building a daylight en- larger. I had tried in vain to get one from most of the big shops in the country. Then I took down my copy of the British Journal Photographic Almanac and found one adver- tised, and sent for it halfway around the world. It arrived, and proved to be a “cute” little affair; it enlarged from 134 x 214 to

postcard size, 314 x 514. Laid down in Los Angeles, it cost a little less than five dollars.

Now the great advantage of artificial light enlarging is that your light is reasonably con- stant all the time. Daylight enlarging labors under the disadvantage of a light that changes from hour to hour, day to day, month to month. That is to say, you “dunno where you are at!” An exposure that is all right for Monday may be a total failure on Tuesday; the actinic force of light varies in June from that of October. Up against it? Well, not exactly, provided you are awake to all the progress made in photographic science within recent years.

I am not discussing exposure tables that depend on your judgment of the light, whether bright, slightly obscured, dull, and so on, plus calculation for normal, light- foreground, near-dark objects, and all that sort of thing. Nor am I discussing the merits of the so-called extinction meters where your eye tells you the exposure if you can barely see a certain figure. I have used them both and they are good. But the kind of meter you need in this case is the one that darkens to a certain tint in so many seconds. I am touting no particular goods, but the type I have in mind is either the Watkins or the Wynne, for example—both of which are on the American market and are of British manufacture. You expose the meter and the enlarger in the same place at the same time, and thus get the scientific measure of the sun’s actinic power, there and then.

But how about test exposures? Shall we take the enlarger out into the light and give, say, one second; rush back into the darkroom, and develop, and see what we get? Then try again for one-half second, then one-quarter, then one-eighth of that? Or 2 seconds, 4 sec- onds, 6 seconds, 10, 20, 30, 40, and so on? What a nuisance!

By no means. There is a German contri- vance called the Dremmeter that does away with all that bother. It consists of a sheet of celluloid with small rectangles of varying thickness, marked 14, 14, 14, 1/16, and so on. In the darkroom—all enlargers must have a darkroom—place the paper in the bottom of the enlarger, emulsion side up. Over this lay the Dremmeter, and over that lay the negative, emulsion side down, using a piece of plain glass in the case of a film. Close, and

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take out into the light, exposing any length of time that seems reasonable—say, five minutes. Return to the darkroom and develop, say, for 45 seconds, and fix for, say, five minutes. Examine the results! The rectangle marked 14 makes the best showing, we shall assume. Therefore 14 of 300 seconds, or 75 seconds, is the proper exposure for that negative, there and then. In the meanwhile you have taken your meter reading, which, we shall say, takes 16 seconds to darken to tint.

You make a little envelope for your vest- pocket negative, with some such notations as these: “No. 17. Alice picking roses. Expo- sure, 75”; meter, 16”. Ventura Soft’’—the latter referring to that particular kind of paper. Some months later you want to make another daylight enlargement of that same negative on that same paper with that same enlarger. Testing the light with the meter, you find that it takes 32 seconds to darken to tint, or twice as long as on the first occasion. You give in that case not 75 seconds, but twice as long, or 150 seconds. Or, if the meter takes half as long to darken, you give half as long an exposure or, in this case, 37 seconds, and so on. Simply a question of what is called ‘vulgar or common fractions, which any sixth- grade child in school could reckon.

Of course, strictly speaking, you should get data for every negative; but if you have a good eye, you can hold up your standard, say, No. 17, to the light and compare it with any other negative. If they seem to be of about the same density, you can take a chance and use the same data. If you change your enlarging paper, however, it is best to take your Dremmeter test over again, calculating from the meter as before. You can do a cer- tain amount of shading while printing if you note carefully your negative. One side of your negative in a contact print is a little faint; in enlarging, expose that side a little longer, covering the strong side with a piece of cardboard which you keep moving slowly so as not to leave the dividing line visible. Or perhaps you want to bring out a face a little more clearly. You cut a hole in a card- board, and, after normal exposure, move the opening slowly for a short time—very short —over the part you wish to make stronger in the enlargement. But under no circum- stances allow the direct rays of the sun to fall on the negative during enlargement! Don’t choose a day when the sun is peeping in and out behind the clouds! Don’t joggle the machine during enlarging! Have the en-

larger upright, facing the sun, in the shade; fix it firmly on terra firma; don’t try to hold it in your hands! Or you may point it di- rectly at the sun in the open, if you interpose a sheet of groundglass at a proper distance from the negative; but your meter must be exposed under exactly the same conditions —and notation made accordingly in your en- larging data. Total expense for enlarger, meter, and Dremmeter wi!l be somewhere between six and seven dollars. The two latter are extremely convenient for any kind of photographic purpose, and save a lot of waste negatives and paper.

But it is the unpremeditated, extempore, unexpected snapshot that often scores heav- iest in photography, and, for convenience in snapshot work, I know nothing equal to the filmpack. Contrary to general belief, it is no trick at all to extract a film from the pack and develop it to see what you are getting, especially with the new frames recently introduced on the market. You don’t have to wait till the whole pack is exposed, as you do with a rollfilm. The chief drawback, how- ever, is that the ordinary corner drug-store boy who does the finishing doesn’t know how to handle filmpacks. He is often a mechanic, not an artist. That is probably why filmpacks are not more popular with the button- pressers, who are the chief customers of film manufacturers.

On the other hand, it is probable that the average camera-toter has no idea how easy and simple it is to do one’s own developing and printing in an extemporised bathroom darkroom. I have tried several developing machines for filmpacks, and, in my opinion, the Eastman is the best. (This is no dis- guised advertisement.) But, I believe, all the talk about not using the same container for fixing is wrong, provided you wash out the hypo at once with scalding-hot water, thor- oughly, when you are through with fixing.

At any rate, with a vest-pocket hand- camera using filmpacks, the expense is slight. You can take extempore shots whenever they offer; if you have a particularly good one, you can enlarge it to postcard size easily and cheaply with a daylight enlarger. Of course, the same is true of rollfilms.

Referring again to my pawnshop treasure trove, it will be noticed that the apparatus has plateholders. These I use for color plates, principally for portraits of friends. Bound with a cover glass—just as with lantern- slides—they are rather attractive. With any reasonable care they are not easily broken.

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VEST—POCKET CONTACT PRINT AND POSTCARD ENLARGEMENT

You get a letter inquiring how are Uncle Henry and Aunt Josephine these days. To save time and ink, you enclose, securely packed in an old plate box, a color positive of these two old dears, and send it to the doting family who live away off somewhere. Sister Mary writes a letter and boasts of her wonderful garden; you counter by send- ing a colored plate of your garden, with its oleanders, Cherokee roses, tamarack, and Spanish broom. After that Sister Mary changes the subject in subsequent letters. Little Johnnie has red hair, blue eyes, and freckles on his nose. The color plate does them justice. His fond mamma is delighted,

EDWARD L. C. MORSE

and does not display the homicidal tendencies that she once did, when you made a picture of that same lad showing him with black hair, white eyes, and what seemed to be en- larged fly-specks, on his nasal protuberance.

More particulars as to equipment, manipu- lation, and costs? I can speak only of the Agfa process, which I took up simply because it was available on the market where I live. I have no doubt that the Autochrome and the Finlay are also good. For the sake of simplic- ity I use Burroughs-Wellcome Tabloid de- velopers. I haven’t the slightest doubt that there are others equally good. I find that the Wratten & Wainright green light marketed

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by the Eastman people is quite safe for color plate work, provided you use caution not to let the green light shine on the plate too much. The directions for developing and re- versing are simple and easily followed. I recommend, however, using your own judg- ment as to time in redeveloping. On a bright day you can come pretty close to correct ex- posure by using a printed calculator or a meter of the extinction type, many of which are on the market. When the sun is not so strong, you can use the meter that darkens to tint and get the exact data whether to ex- pose—or not to expose. The latter alternative is quite important, unless you like to waste money. With the Agfa process you calculate your exposure as for monochrome, and multi- ply the result by 30. You need a filter and a holder, which for vest-pocket size costs $1.70. Plates cost 75 cents per box of four. Your finished color plates will thus stand you about twenty-five cents apiece for vest-pocket size.

Owing to long exposure, you have to be careful. Say that on a bright day in June, with an opening of F/5.6 for a near dark object, your exposure for monochrome on an ordinary fast plate is 1/30”. Your expo- sure for color plate is about one second. This requires a stationary subject and a tripod. Flowers, landscapes, and portraits are easily photographed, provided there is no move- ment. But dogs, cats, and wriggling children are precarious ventures for color photo- graphy.

I don’t imagine that color photography will appeal to the hoi polloi of button-pressers ; but for the fellow that has an eye for color, mass, and line it presents great possibilities. In these hard times, I recommend beginning humbly and on a small scale—use plates vest- pocket size, and develop in a tea saucer. If you make a success on a small scale, you may undertake a more ambitious size. You are then entering the portals of High Art.

An American Renaissance and the Camera GEORGE FRANCIS HOGAN

HE camera has reached for and found its niche in the affairs of modern America. Fifty years ago a toy and curiosity, it is today

= one of the things we should find it hard to do without. Its rise to importance was not so rapid as was that of the telephone, electric light, or radio; it conquered by slow degrees, one field after another, until today it would be difficult to name a trade, pro- fession, or industry that does not, in some way, make use of the photographic art. Sci- ence, art, business, law, recreation—in fact, almost every activity common to our present civilisation has used, or can make use of, the camera; and not a few depend entirely on it for their very existence.

But it is in the cultural development of the United States that the camera has played its most benevolent réle. From the time the early settlers first set foot upon these shores, they were so concerned with the important business of wrestling a livelihood from a strange and hostile land that they could give little or no time to the developing of the culture they had brought from the homeland. Their descendants for the next two hundred years “carried on” in much the same fashion.

It was to be expected, then, that in due time the Elizabethan and Jacobean, and a hun- dred years later the Georgian, culture which formed the basis of the glorious but brief American colonial period should gradually burn itself out.

The reasons for this were obvious. News and designs from home were long delayed, and, as cargo-space for the colonies was al- ways at a premium, every available inch was given over to the more productive com- modities. The information sources, while re- liable enough, could furnish only written de- scriptions and crude drawings, which were handicapped by the various interpretations they received at the hands of their recipients. Material at hand was plentiful, but new and different, and tools were rare and expensive. But the main reason was that we had very few designers and less than a dozen artists, none of whom were masters. We did have cabinetmakers, but not sufficient in number to satisfy the demand for their work. Was it any wonder, then, that the early nineteenth century should give birth to a horrible con- ception of beauty and design that lasted well into the twentieth century? Realising that the culture of a nation is reflected in its

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articles of commerce, look back to the house furnishings of 1830—1910—furniture with carved whirligigs, ponderous in size and var- nished to a glassy finish, the gingerbread architecture of nightmarish mixtures of period and design, and rugs and wall papers gaudy with huge dogs, cows, and garish roses.

Early in the nineteenth century the camera made its appearance. At first a novelty, it struggled for recognition, until the coming of the dry plate made its use practical. But even the early cameras had changed the illustrating of the day, and slowly but stead- ily the woodcut gave way to the half-tone. With the dry plate, newspapers began to il- lustrate, increasing the use of the photo- graph, until today we have entire dailies and Sunday supplements given over to pictures.

As the camera gained favor, photographic work from abroad told the bitter truth— our European cousins had been going ahead. Their arts and crafts had improved and ad- vanced, while ours had degenerated or had been entirely forgotten. For Europe there had been no “Mauve Decades”. They built no architectural monstrosities. And while our pitifully few designers and craftsmen were wallowing in a rut, the Napoleonic era in France had given to Europe another dis- tinctive period in the ‘“Empire’’ style.

America paused, in its feverish haste to become the economic center of the world, long enough to rub its eyes and take inven- tory of its stock in artistic trade. What it found it possessed was not very encouraging. It had museums, to be sure, but they were filled with foreign art, mostly paintings, sculpture, and very ancient lore. But if America was caught napping, she awoke in true American fashion. The same spirit that had, in four hundred years, accomplished what it had taken Europe eleven hundred to attain, could repeat the feat.

Schools of design were established, art centers formed, and America-set out to re- gain the culture that had been allowed to dwindle away. It ‘was quite natural, then, that the camera’s possibilities were about to be explored and experimented with. Here was an instrument that, with little previous train- ing, would produce a picture by mechanical means. It must be remembered that at this early date there were few persons with the training so necessary for work with the pen and brush, and for these the camera was a boon.

The painter resisted this form of expres- sion with every device at his command. He could see no art in a mechanical reproducing of line and form. But the school of pictorial photography flourished and grew; and, in its growth, it proved a valuable point that was to be the basis for future developments. America had the talent and a latent desire for the beautiful.

Then came the great cataclysm of 1914. Supplies from abroad were cut off, communi- cation curtailed, national resources massed, and the world of art was to feel the first serious consequences of the conflict. Pigments and colors rose in price until they became prohibitive. Zinc, copper, and other impor- tant metals used in the manufacture of artists’ materials, and plates for the reproduction of colored illustration, were in many cases un- obtainable.

And so the camera came into its own. Re- luctantly the painter and etcher turned to it for consolation, to find later that, after all, it was a very malleable instrument in capable hands. The quality of the pictorial camera work for the four years of the war showed a marked improvement over what had gone be- fore. Sympathy, pathos, refinement, drama, and even a type of humor became evident. Soon painters and camerists were working side by side.

At the front, too, the camera was proving its worth. Here aérial photography obtained its first real start, and the medical profes- sion found in it a valuable ally. Priceless records of the conflict, both in still and mo- tion photography, are preserved for future generations. The history of the World War will be a well-illustrated one.

By the time the war had ceased, and the armies returned home to take up peaceful work, America had established itself firmly in the art-world. Painting and _ pictorial photography had traveled along together and found such going good. Camera manufac- turers improved their product, catering at last to the advanced demands of the serious ama- teur and scientific worker.

Pictorial photography, for the next thir- teen years, moved forward with such strides that today it has reached the very highest form of expression among the graphic arts. Photographic salons and camera clubs, to- day, hold important positions in the art- centers of almost every community of over 500,000 population, and in many others with less. The exhibitions held at the Pittsburgh, Rochester, Buffalo, San Francisco, Los

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Angeles, Chicago, and other salons are vir- tually as important to the art-world as those of the National Academy.

So far, we have considered the camera only from an artistic point of view. In commerce it played quite as important a part. It made possible such new enterprises as mail-order retailing; it opened up a new and more con- vincing form of advertising; it saved textile printers hundreds of thousands of dollars yearly, and it completely revolutionised the publishing and printing industries. It brought the entire world before the eyes of the indi- vidual reader in the space of a few volumes.

The needle and garment trades, by its use, keep milady informed as to what fashions are in vogue and what is being worn in different climates by others. Because photographs are more accurate and more quickly produced than the older lithograph and woodcut, and because noted persons may be photographed in the very latest creations, styles change more rapidly, and consequently the garment trades flourish. They, in turn, use more tex- tiles, and the mills must increase their out- put to keep abreast of the demand. This means more mill and yarn workers, who, in turn become consumers, still further in- creasing the demand. This same principle applies to other trades in a somewhat smaller degree, continually adding to the growth and prosperity of the people, and raising the standard of living—which is only another way of saying the advancement of culture.

Coupled with its kindred science, the Roentgen ray, photography gave to the medi- cal forces of the world a new weapon with which to combat disease; and for the forces of law and order it furnished another step in the prevention and detection of crime. Geog- raphers found in it a valuable aid in accu- rate mapping and surveying.

Stroll on a sunny spring afternoon through any park in the country and count the number of cameras! The price range of photo- graphic equipment and the prosperous con- dition of the citizenry of this land of ours make it possible for almost every family to own a camera of some kind or other.

We have in this country, at the present time, four first-class journals serving the amateur photographer, and as many more catering to the professional and the photo- graphic industry. Contrast this with the fact that most of our European contemporaries have only one—and many, none at all! This will give a slight idea of the position photo- graphic art holds in America. I have inten-

tionally neglected to mention the huge mo- tion-picture industry; its history and devel- opment are too well known to everyone, and space does not permit.

A prominent New York dealer, when asked how the business slump of 1930-31 affected his sales, replied that, with the exception of a slight decrease in the sale of film, the ama- teur business for that period was normal. There had been a noticeable drop in the professional and portrait trade; but, all in all, he had no complaint to make. Here then, is something to think about. With other industries bewailing the loss of business, and unemployment increasing, we find that with the exception of a very specialised branch, the photographic trade is, generally speaking, in a healthy condition.

From the foregoing it must not be taken for granted that the camera alone was en- tirely responsible. There were other fortu- nate circumstances that contributed their share to the American Renaissance—the tele- phone, the telegraph, the cable, the radio all have their share in the glory; but as they were all means of rapid communication of the spoken word, they aided, rather than were aided by, the camera. Of any single one, the camera alone played the stellar role; and of any single one, the camera alone could have accomplished the same results, though it might have taken longer to do it.

[Special Note: Since this writing, there was opened to the public, in New York City, the Whitney Museum of American Art at 10 West 8th Street. This museum is given over to the folk art of America exclusively; and, while it has been open only since the middle of November, it already has a per- manent exhibition of over seven hundred items. There will be held here, at various times, regular exhibitions of painting, sculp- ture, and—I am informed—photography. The opening of this much-needed institution strangely bears out the statements in the first part of this article.

Mrs. Whitney has done a wonderful thing, and she is to be heartily congratulated for her faith in American art and artists; for the mu- seum is open to the untrained and trained alike, the work being judged on merit alone. It is, without a doubt, the greatest forward step in the advancement of American cul- ture since the gift of the Carnegie Libraries. America is assured of a place in modern civi- lisation as long as we have Whitneys, Carne- gies, Kahns, Lewishons, and Guggenheims. }

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Te ng in at ts. re 4, d, st ts “if J

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A Doctor Looks at Cameras Cc. D. ENFIELD, M.D.

seems customary, these w4| photographic memoirs, to go back to one’s photographic infancy— one’s first silver anniversary, as —=s=tees) it were. I shall be no exception. At the age of eleven, I had an Adlake maga- zine plate camera, and shortly thereafter a Pony Premo with tripod, flashlight stand, ac- cessory lenses, and, most delightful of all, a darkroom in the “vegetable cellar.” During this golden age, I managed to distinguish myself by making a very fair portrait of a visiting Bishop, an excellent outdoor snap- shot of my mother and a St. Bernard pup, and a very flattering study of my father’s carriage team. My reputation was made, and I was assured of a generous endowment. After crowning my youthful reputation by some good pictures of my father’s old house in Ireland, during a summer trip, I had only to mention the items of equipment I thought I needed to obtain a check.

Young ladies of tender years, but rather grown-up ideas—visitors at my home— seemed always fascinated by the idea of the darkroom, and I never failed to invite them to accompany me when I went to develop some plates. Nothing could testify more strongly to my intense early interest in photo- graphy than the fact that the young ladies never tried to obtain a second invitation. They could not see, nor indeed can I now, why I should be so greatly interested in a dim outline just beginning to show in the obscure light of my ruby candle lamp when their vital, intense little persons were so near.

Then came a reversal of all my habits and interests. I went away to school, left be- hind my cameras and darkroom, and took no further interest in the personal accomplish- ment of photography for twenty-five years.

Photography plays a rather important pai: in the routine of many medical specialties, and particularly in mine, radiology, which employs as its principal tools X-rays and radium. I had available, however, for many years the services of an extremely expert and experienced medical photographer, and was glad to entrust to him the making of lantern- slides, clinical photographs, prints, copies of X-ray films, and so on, as required either for record, teaching, or the illustration of papers and a textbook.

Two years ago, a period of ill health fol- lowing an operation necessitated my giving up my only outdoor amusements, riding and swimming; and in a search for something less strenuous, my thoughts returned to photo- graphy. It then occurred to me that I could combine to advantage pleasure and some pro- fessional work by doing my own clinical photography as well as some outdoor work, preferably with a single outfit, which I pro- ceeded to look for.

My photographic requirements were per- haps even somewhat more varied than those of the average physician. In the first place, I am apt to do no photographic work at all for a period of some weeks; and, then again, there will be months during which some photographic work is required almost any day. On account of the irregularity of the work and because of the high price of office building space in these days, it seemed unde- sirable to devote a small room or even a large corner of an existing room to a permanent set-up for photography such as would be required to use to advantage the excellent clinical photographic outfit made by the Eastman Kodak Company. Again, I had an idea that I should like to do a good deal of photographic work on patients at relatively high speeds—exposures, for instance, on the order of one twenty-fifth of a second—this to obviate the necessity of a heavy stand, head rests, and so on, all of which would be quite practical for an institution doing a large amount of medical photography, but rather inconvenient for a physician wishing to make a picture of an occasional patient. The work I required of a photographic outfit was rather diversified, and ranged from a full-size photo- graph of a skin lesion to the making of lantern-slides from X-ray films; reductions of large films to a size suitable to be in- cluded with a report to an out-of-town phy- sician; photographs of a chest or of a head, perhaps to be later incorporated in a single lantern-slide with an X-ray film of the same part.

I decided that for occasional clinical photo- graphy a Graflex would serve my purpose best, and I thought it could be adapted to the other photographic requirements. I therefore purchased a Model D Graflex, size 31/4 x 414, with an F/4.5 lens, and have found it, with a little adaptation, to meet all requirements.

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RAPID TRANSIT IN HAVANA ARTHUR M. TOMLINSON HONORABLE MENTION—OUR MONTHLY COMPETITION

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Were I, in the light of my two years’ experi- ence, to start over again, I should, I think, choose a Graflex, but probably the Auto Graflex model with the long bellows exten- sion, permitting the making of full-size photographs of small lesions without any special equipment. The only thing which pre- vents this in the Model D is the lack of bel- lows extension, which I was able to over- come by having a machinist make me a two- inch extra extension in the form of a brass tube, threaded on both ends, to take the lens mount on the outer end and to screw into the mounting on the lens-board on the other end. I also obtained a Kodak Auto Focus enlarger; and at various times I have experi- mented with different types of lights, re- garding which I shall not go into detail, as they have all been rejected in favor of the recently introduced 64-volt, 100-watt bulb to be operated for its brief lifetime on a regu- lar 110-volt alternating current.

With this equipment and with Supersensi- tive Panchromatic cut film, using two bulbs in ordinary floor-light stands of the operat- ing-room type, or desk-light fixtures with a round metal reflector, I find that I am able to photograph skin lesions and other rela- tively small areas in one twenty-fifth of a second with stop F/4.5 or F/5.6, an arrange- ment which saves a great deal of time and obviates the use of a stand. For larger areas and under conditions when one does not mind spending some additional time in setting up the stand, I find that I can get everything I want with the one-fifth of a second slow in- stantaneous exposure and with a smaller stop.

The copying of X-ray films is done very handily by the use of a wall-illuminating box—already a part of my X-ray equipment —the stand carrying the camera with lens well stopped down, and using Commercial or Ortho Commercial cut film. Where reduced duplicates of X-ray films are to be sent to other physicians with a report of the X-ray examination, I have, if the size of the part involved in the examination and the amount of detail required permitted it, simply made a 314 x 414 positive from the reduction. This gives the original values of the X-ray film, of course, much reduced. This procedure works out satisfactorily for most fractures of the extremeties. It does not work out well for X-ray films of the chest, head, pelvis, or spine, because the lesion shown on the film is so much reduced that the doctor, especially if he is not in the daily habit of examining

X-ray films, cannot get a satisfactory idea of it.

For the reproduction of such films, there- fore, the reduced positive or intermediate film, size 314, x 414, is placed in the enlarger and a 5x7 negative, the exact duplicate of the original X-ray film except in size, is made by projection on the 5x7 Diaphax X-ray film. I find that this film is somewhat faster to light than bromide paper, but not so fast as to be impractical, and excellent 5x7 re- productions of 14x 17 chest films, preserving all the detail of the original film, can readily be made by this method.

As a tank full of X-ray developer and fix- ing bath, both being the prepared formulas of the Eastman Kodak Company, stands al- ways ready in my darkroom, I began early to experiment with the use of these solutions for other purposes than those for which they were intended.

I find that the X-ray developer, diluted with an equal amount of water and used in a 5x7 cut-film tank, develops the Supersensi- tive Panchromatic film almost, if not quite, as well as the recommended formulas. I have found twelve minutes at 65 degrees to give complete and satisfactory development. The little hangers are then transferred to the X-ray fixing-bath tank, placing them across the tank where they can be fully immersed without the necessity of any special fittings, and washing them in the washing compart- ment of the X-ray tank by placing the small hangers crossways over the tops of two X-ray developing hangers. All of the other types of cut film which I am in the habit of using —namely, the Commercial, Ortho Commer- cial, and Process—can be developed very satisfactorily in the undiluted X-ray devel- oper, and the use of dental film hangers makes it unnecessary to purchase any special equipment for this purpose.

We learned long ago, in experimenting with X-ray exposures made direct on bromide paper, that X-ray developer works satis- factorily for this type of emulsion. The 8 x 10 and larger sizes of bromide paper can be processed in regular X-ray developing hangers, provided double-weight paper is used. It is possible that the extremely expert and critical worker might find objectionable features in this developer as applied to bro- mide paper; however, a number of prints, so handled, have been submitted to the manu- facturers of the paper for comment on the development and have been satisfactory from that standpoint.

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Altogether, my photographic program has worked out very well, with very little cum- bering of the office or darkroom with addi- tional space-consuming equipment.

Lantern-slide work I have found rather exacting and time-consuming, and I must say my results do not compare very favorably with those produced at an extremely modest cost by my professional friend. I like to feel, however, that I can, in an emergency, turn out a lantern-slide, or two or three, to take to a medical meeting if time presses and I cannot count on sufficiently prompt profes- sional service.

It is rather strongly my impression that I should like to add to my equipment at some future date a Leica camera and the extremely convenient little projector for Leica film. It is rather annoying to go to a medical meeting carrying a box of heavy and fragile lantern- slides which must be arranged in exact order for the individual who is going to do the pro- jecting, and who is probably unfamiliar with your lecture and with your slides, and to meet some colleague who has in his vest-pocket two or three rolls of Leica film showing more pictures than you have and all of which are sure to be in exact order.

A Quick Profit Computer

W. F. SCHAPHORST, M.E.

“|F I buy $5.00 worth of pictures 24) and sell them for $10.00, what ey) is my profit?

Many photographers would ==) figure it to be a profit of 100 per cent. But that answer is not correct. Profit should always be based on the “selling price’, and not on the cost.

This chart gives the correct profit without any figuring whatever. Simply run a straight line through the cost, Column A, and through the selling price, Column B. The intersection of that straight line with Column C gives the correct answer. Thus the dotted line drawn across this chart shows that the cor- rect answer to the question above is “50 per cent profit’’.

The rule on which this chart is based is this: “Subtract the cost from the selling price and divide the difference by the selling price. The answer is the true profit—com- monly called the “gross profit”.

+$1 +4 +0% + 10% +$2 = 3 od Stas st St ots + --F$5 T 3 res +60% + $20 4 4 +49 E +$10 +430 4 + 70% 6 A B c

COST CHART W. F. SCHAPHORST, M.E.

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STONE AND ICE

DR. B. J. OCHSNER

° a = ° al & a ° Z ° Lo = = < a =x

EDITORIAL

Buy, Sell or Exchange—Now!

OW is a splendid time to buy, sell, or exchange photographic equipment of all kinds. After the winter’s work, and before the camera activities of the spring and summer begin, there are a number of changes or additions in lenses, cameras, and accessories which can be made to advantage. It is obvious that any item of equipment which is not used, even rarely, should be turned into cash or exchanged for some item which will be used regularly. We may have a lens which is perfect in every way but which, in the course of several changes of cameras, no longer fits any camera we may have. Why keep it to suffer from neglect and possible damage, and thus be rendered val- ueless? Now it has a market value; in five or ten years it may be obsolete and valueless. There are probably hundreds, yes thousands, of good cameras whose owners have put them aside in favor of other equipment. And yet, these same models of cameras are liked and wanted by other amateur and professional photographers. In short, it is of mutual ad- vantage to put unused and unwanted photo- graphic equipment into circulation.

It is a trait of human nature to put aside, and probably out of sight, anything that has served its purpose or been superseded by a later and improved model or type. The ma- jority of attics, storerooms, and basements are filled with a strange variety of articles, some of which are often found to be of great value to others, if not to the owners. We once heard of a sweet little old lady who had lived alone for many years after her husband died. She preferred to stay in her own home, among the things she loved, rather than go among strangers. Hard times came, and the little old lady became penniless and had to depend upon charity. There was nothing but the old furniture, pictures, and curios left _ in the house; and these she believed were of no value, as they had outlived their useful- ness through years of service. The little old lady passed on. When the estate was settled, it was found that the house contained several thousand dollars’ worth of beautiful antiques ! The little old lady might have enjoyed her

last few years in comfort had she but known the real value of the things she considered worn out and old-fashioned.

Let us give another illustration of the point we wish to bring out. Many of our readers will remember an excellent reflecting camera which was made a number of years ago. It was highly valued by press-photographers and amateurs who liked to get action-pic- tures. However, in time, it was no longer manufactured. Thousands were in use then; and, even today, we know of a number of these cameras which are still giving good service. Obviously, filmpack adapters and plateholders will wear out eventually. One amateur we know was in the unfortunate po- sition of having a perfectly good camera of this make, but without an adapter or a plate- holder that was light-tight. Why should he buy a new camera when this one gave him perfect service? Yet, without an adapter or plateholder, it was valueless to him. Natu- rally he turned to his photographic dealer for help in his dilemma; but the dealer’s supply of accessories for this camera was long since exhausted. Then they both happened to think of advertising. They tried it, and from a man who had given up photography a number of years ago came the good news that he had a filmpack adapter and three plateholders that he had never even used.

Now is the time to clean house in the dark- room and in the closet where photographic equipment is kept. Let us take things out, look them over, and decide whether or not they are giving us full satisfaction. Is the pocket camera, which was bought before the reflex, used enough to warrant keeping it? Is the lens which was removed from the view camera worth keeping, now that it will not fit any camera we have? Why not sell it or exchange it for that developing tank or printer we have wanted? And we might con- tinue indefinitely with similar suggestions; but we believe that our readers will under- stand the purpose we have in mind. It is really superfluous for us to add that a gen- eral buying, selling, and exchanging of photo- graphic equipment at this time will have a marked effect in stimylating the entire photo- graphic industry.

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Address all an to PHO

OUR MONTHLY COMPETITION

Closing the 5th da TO-ERA Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, U.S.

every month

AGAZINE, Competition

Awards Certificate

Honorable Mention

(a) The person receiving the highest number of Certificates at the end of the year, December 15, 1932, will receive an engraved silver cup; the person receiving the highest number of Honorable Mention Certificates at the end of the year, De- cember 15, 1932, will receive a smaller engraved silver cup.

(b) All who win awards receive Certificates.

(c) Those who win an Honorable Mention Award and are not regular subscribers, or have not been regular subscribers, will receive PHorto- Era Magazine for six months, with the compli- ments of the publishers.

(d) No competition-pictures are sold, ex- changed, or the halftone-plates sold without per- mission, in writing, from the maker of the print. Proceeds of all sales, excepting halftones, go to the maker of the picture.

(e) All competition-pictures not returned are used to make up the Puoro-Era Picture Exuuisit which is sent to schools, libraries, museums, cam- era clubs, and to responsible organisations for exhibition-purposes, free of cost.

Rules

1. This competition is free and open to all.

2. Not more than one subject may be entered. Composition, exposure, and photo-finishing must be done by the competitor.

8. Mounts must not be larger than 16 x 20 inches. Prints may be mounted or unmounted.

4. Each print must bear on the back the maker’s name and address, and the title of the picture, and should be accompanied by a letter, giving full particulars of date, light, plate or film, make, type and focus of lens, stop used, exposure, devel- oper, and printing-process. Entries which do not comply with this rule will be omitted. Enclose return postage. Data blanks sent at request.

5. Prints receiving awards become the property of Puoro-Era Macazine, unless for special rea- sons. This does not prevent the photographer from disposing of other prints from such negatives after he shall have received official recognition.

Photo-Era Competition Cup

6. Unsuccessful prints will be returned only when return-postage at the rate of one cent for each two ounces is sent with data.

7. Overseas competitors may send prints for several competitions at the same time. This will facilitate packing and reduce _ transportation charges.

AWARDS—OUR MONTHLY COMPETITION

Subject—MISCELLANEOUS Closed January 5, 1932

First Place Second Place Third Place

Honorable Mention: Carmine Albanese; J. M. Banerjee; James A. Bell; Alexander Clair; Charles Clayton, Jr.: Gockeler; Claudio Grande; Samuel Grierson; Zoltan Frank A. Lee; L. A. Lisy; Melvin Martinson; William

Frederic W. Burcky; S. W. Friedman; Waldemar Glass; Edward L. Herczegh; Vincent H. Hunter; Dr. K. Koike;

Alexander Leventon, A.R.P.S.

U. Stephen Johnson M. K. Curtis

Edith H. Bethune; Dr. Leland H. Croscup; Norman Cummings;

J. McCune; H. D. Morris; John Muller; Dr. B. J. Ochsner; Burr K. Osborn; A. J. Pandian; Narciso

Reyes; G. Hilliard Ross;

H. L. Rudolph; John O. Scudder; Eustace C. Soares; J. M. Stofan; Harry

W. Story; Dr. Max Thorek; Arthur M. Tomlinson; R. Merrill Webster; Robert R. Young

148.

Ap? (OR SCs) \

MARCUS ADAMS, ESQ., F.R.P.S. ALEXANDER LEVENTON, A.R.P.S. FIRST PLACE—OUR MONTHLY COMPETITION

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CLOUDS OF AUTUMN SECOND PLACE—OUR MONTHLY

Our Monthly Competition

Ir is always interesting when one photographer makes a picture of another photographer. The subject is naturally watching the technique of the man behind the camera; and the “operator” is carefully noting the way his subject acts when the lens is focused on him. In short, there is a mutual interest in the way each reacts to the situa- tion. Our good friend Alexander Leventon was in London and he called to see Marcus Adams. Of course, he wanted a photograph of this famous English photographer, and Mr. Adams _ very kindly consented to have his picture made. Mr. Leventon succeeded in making a striking portrait, which possesses strength, character, and appeal. It was no small matter to have the courage to photograph a man who is a master craftsman himself. However, both the subject and the man behind the lens appear to have thoroughly en- joyed the experience. Mr. Leventon has retained a number of high lights in his composition; but they do not interfere with the direct appeal of the face. The high light of the collar seems to balance the high light on the hair. If the collar is covered up, we miss the high light. Although there may appear to be rather contrasting light and dark areas in the composition, yet there is a unity which holds the attention of the face. We believe that much good would come from a concerted effort to photograph our friends who are photographers. The exchange of ideas, as first one and then the other faces the camera, would prove to be very interesting and helpful. We admire Mr. Leventon’s

U. STEPHEN JOHNSON COMPETITION

splendid portrait and we thank him for setting an example which might well be followed by all pic- torialists who are especially interested in por- traiture.

Data: Made in Marcus Adams’ Studio, London, England; 34% x 4% Auto Graflex; Wollensak Verito lens, 11%-inch focus; artificial light, quartz and mercury vapor lamps; stop, F/6.3; exposure, 1/5-second; Agfa Portrait Film, matte back; enlargement on Wellington Mezzotint Rough. Exhibited at the following Salons: Rochester, 1930; Preston, 1931; Chicago, 1931; Toronto, 1931; Los Angeles, 1932; Antwerp, 1932.

“Clouds of Autumn” is a decorative study which is simple in composition, but filled with interest and beauty. Although the clouds are at- tractively rendered, there would not be much appeal to the picture if just the clouds and the tree tops were included. It is the overhanging branches which add the finishing touch to the composition. Being darker than other parts of the picture, they seem to emphasise the clouds and to produce an effect which is almost stereoscopic. We believe this to be one of the best studies of its kind that Mr. Johnson has submitted to our competitions.

Data: Made at Northampton, Mass.; November, 12.30 p.m., hazy; 34% x 4% Zeiss Ikon camcra; 51-inch Carl Zeiss Tessar F/4.5 lens; 2-time Agfa filter; stop, F/11l, exposure, 1/25-second; Plena- chrome filmpack; developer, Ortol (soft); en- larged on Veltura Q Rough White (diffused) ; silk bolting used over lens for diffusion.

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LOST SHEEP

M. K. CURTIS

THIRD PLACE—OUR MONTHLY COMPETITION

“Lost Sheep” is one of the most convincing pictures of its kind that we have seen for a long time. The moment we look at it we cannot help feeling a little lost ourselves as we look about for some sign of habitation, or even a tree. There is a cold, unfriendly desolateness which confronts the ewe and her two lambs. She stands there alone, apparently trying to decide which way to go. In the meantime the lambs seem to be wonder- ing what it is all about. There is no doubt about the center of interest in this picture. Furthermore, by placing the sheep on the road which leads on into the distance, the observer is made to join the ewe in her bewildered glance at the uninviting prospect ahead. It will be noticed that Mr. Curtis skillfully avoided placing the sheep in the center of the composition.

Data: Made in California, 2 p.m., on a bright February day, 1931; Rolleifiex camera, with Zeiss Tessar lens; Agfa roll film; one second exposure; developed with Rytol; printed on Defender Bro- mide paper.

The Tripod Helps—Not Hinders

In this modern age of speed and more speed, the amateur or professional photographer who takes his time about setting up a tripod and composing his picture carefully seems to be considered almost a joke, or a left-over from the Gay Nineties. To be sure there are exceptions; but comparatively few amateur photographers use tripods. It is claimed that even the light metal tripods are in the way and a bother to carry around. Furthermore, it is added that the modern fast lenses make snap-

shot photography possible where only time expo- sures could be made before. All of which is true; but we point to the experts at Hollywood who have the latest and best in fast lenses and yet they use large, heavy tripods for their still and motion cameras. They found by experience that even snapshots made with a camera firmly sup- ported on a tripod were clearer. It may seem to be carrying the point too far to suggest that ex- posures of 1/100 of a second would be better with the camera on a tripod; but we do believe that many will agree with us that exposures of 1/5-, 1/10- or 1/2-second are more likely to be successful when the camera is on a tripod rather than held in the hand.

Many amateur photographers object to the bother of carrying a tripod; yet they will think nothing of carrying golf clubs, tennis racquets, or a gun. When it comes down to the last analysis, we can all find a way to do a thing that we really wish to do. If we really get a thrill out of our photographic work, and a tripod helps us to get the pleasures which thrill us, then it is no bother to carry one or several tripods. Most of us ride in automobiles to the places where we plan to make pictures. It is not very often that we shall find it necessary to carry a tripod a very great distance. After all, we cannot get away from the fact that in this world we do not get something for nothing. At times it may appear that we do not pay the full price; but in the end we do. If we can make better pictures by carrying tripods, and we prove this to our satisfaction, then let us have the courage of our convictions and use tripods when they help us.

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OUR

ILLUSTRATIONS

A. H. BEARDSLEY

Turovcu the co-operation of the Salon Com- mittee of the Third Rochester International Salon of Photography we have been able to reproduce a number of the pictures which were hung at this Salon. It was our privilege to visit the Third Rochester Salon and we have presented our im- pressions in this issue. Furthermore, in the article we have reviewed each of the illustrations in de- tail and we shall, therefore, not repeat ourselves here. However, it may be well to point out that the pictures were selected in the attempt to pre- sent some examples of the type of prints which were hung at the Salon. Obviously, many more might have been added if our space had not been limited. Nevertheless, we hope that our readers will find the illustrations selected of interest and value. It was not possible to obtain data on all the prints; but we reprint data which accom- panied the pictures previously reproduced in Puoto-Era.

“Chant du Matin.” Data: November, 4 p.., poor light, 9 x 12 C. M. Ernemann Camera, 8%- inch Ernox F/3.5 lens, stop F/18, exposure 35 seconds, Agfa filmpack, Rodinal, enlarged on P. M. C. No. 2 Smooth. An additional five seconds’ exposure with a light back of the “sun” and clouds helped to produce the effect of dawn across the marsh.

“Monarch of the Timberlands.” Data: Made in Yellowstone National Park with a 3% x 4% Graflex camera; lens, F/3.5; focal length, 6% inches; stop, 5/8; June, 6 p.m.; good light; ex- posure, 1/40; Eastman Portrait panchromatic cut film; developer, A B C Pyro; Opal printing paper.

“The Staircase.” Data: Made in Hartford, Conn., with 8 x 10 Eastman View Camera and B. & L. wide-angle Protar, Series V, of 5 9/16-inch focus, at F/32. Exposure, two minutes on Eastman Por- trait Panchromatic, developed in A B C Pyro, and printed by contact, on Athena C. The lighting was natura] daylight, through the hallway.

“Serbian Church.” Data: Made in Libertyville, Ill.; August, 4 p.m.; 314 x 4% Zeiss camera; 5-inch Zeiss lens; stop, F/16; good light; 1%2-second; Eastman Portrait Panchromatic; Eastman A B C Pyro; Eastman Vitava Opal G.

“The Iron Horse’s Bath.” Data: Made in Erie, Pa., in June, with 3% x 4% Graflex fitted with a Steinheil Cassar lens of 8'%-inch focus. The ex- posure was 1/25-second at stop F/8, on Eastman super-sensitive panchromatic film. The print is aa enlargement on Gevaert Portrait Projection K-33.

The two interiors which accompany the article by our good friends the Cadbys are excellent ex- amples of what may be done with the new East- man super-sensitive panchromatic films. Surely, if such results may be obtained under the difficult weather conditions which prevailed in England when the pictures were made, there is little doubt

as to what may be done under more favorable conditions. We believe that the interesting little article by the Cadbys will encourage others to utilise the advantages of the new fast panchro- matic plates and films now being placed on the market.

We think that Mr. Farmer has presented a very conservative and helpful article on diffusion in photography. Those who use or are considering the use of soft-focus lenses will find that Mr. Farmer suggests a number of methods to obtain diffusion without going to extremes or producing so-called jazzy effects. The illustrations which ac- company Mr. Farmer’s article show clearly that diffusion can be made most pleasing and artistic without going to the out-of-focus effects which were the vogue among certain pictorialists a num- ber of years ago. “The Portal” is a very pleasing architectural study, with just enough diffusion to soften any harsh lines. Perhaps the high light at the far end of the arched entrance might be lowered a trifle in key; but that is a matter of opinion. “Sisters” is an attractive child study which has a pleasing softness about it. Some may feel that the little girls are a bit too near the edge of the picture to the right, and that the fountain or pool at the left does not maintain the balance.

However, there is no question as to the center.

of interest, and that is the most important con- sideration.

In his short article on Washington, D.C., Mr. Kochka does not attempt to go into detail nor to cover all the pictorial possibilities with his il- lustrations. His purpose is to remind our readers that this year special interest is being shown in the City of Washington because of the nation-wide celebration of George Washington’s bicentennial. He suggests that it is a good time to plan a visit to the United States capital and to see for our- selves its beauty and become more closely ac- quainted with the things and places with which the Father of Our Country had much to do over two hundred years ago. It goes without saying that Mr. Kochka urges every visitor to bring his or her camera.

“Rapid Transit in Havana” is an outdoor genre which, by its very contrast to transit conditions as we know them in the United States, makes an immediate appeal. The very position of the horse and driver indicates that even under the most favorable conditions there would be little danger of excessive speed. We feel that Mr. Tomlinson might have included all of the rear wheels to advantage, as we have the desire to push both cab and horse just a little bit further into the picture. True, this might force the horse’s nose close to the other margin of the print and crowd things even more than they are now. Sometimes the remedy is worse than the malady. In any event, Mr. Tomlinson has given us an interesting genre which is not without its humor as well.

152

ase

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COLLIE PUPS

ALEXANDER CLAIR

HONORABLE MENTION—OUR MONTHLY COMPETITION

Data: Made in Havana, Cuba; December, 11 aM., bright sun; 3% x 4% Ica Reflex camera; 62-inch Carl Zeiss F/2.7 lens; stop, F/8; 1/60- second; Eastman filmpack.

“Stone and Ice” is an excellent example of a kind of pictorial opportunity which may present itself and not come again for many years, if ever. Apparently, weather conditions were just right to cause the snow to melt sufficiently to drop down on the vines and then freeze in the form of icicles. Without a doubt the effect in the sunshine must have been very beautiful. The original print is a bit grayish, and so the glistening effect is not so convincing as it might be. Dr. Ochsner points the way to those who are ever alert to the unusual subject. No data received in time for publication.

“Collie Pups” is a splendid dog picture. The lighting, tonal values, and composition are un- unusually well done. It is evident that some work has been done around the first dog’s head in order to bring out his ears to advantage and to add a little life to a rather sombre background. It will be noted that a paper negative was employed in making this picture, and Mr. Clair made the most of this fact to work up his pleasing effect. He should feel well satisfied with this picture.

Data: Made in Canandaigua, N.Y.; July, 6 p.., hazy sun; 24% x 3%4 Graflex; 5%-inch F/4.5 lens;

stop, F/4.5; exposure, 1/110-second; Kodak film- pack; developer, pyro; contact print on Portrait Bromide E from paper negative.

The Chromes Are Going Strong

Not so very long ago the Kodak Verichrome and the Agfa Ansco Plenachrome rollfilms and filmpacks were placed on the market. Although every possible effort was made to show why the chrome films were superior to the older type, yet it required some time for the average amateur to get it all straightened out in his own mind. In these times he was not very eager to pay more for his films. However, one day he took a chance and bought the new film. Next, he was surprised at the results in comparison with the older type film. He tried making pictures at unusual] times of the day and in places where he had never even attempted to make an exposure before. Again he was surprised at the results. He was inclined to think that it was just luck that time. But he made some more pictures several days later and obtained good results again. After more or less of this experimenting, our amateur has apparently satisfied himself that chrome films get the kind of pictures he wants, and now he is satisfied with nothing less.

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THE EDITOR’S CORNER

THE PERPLEXITY OF IGNORANCE

Be Mistress of Your Camera

For many years we have urged our readers to learn how to use their cameras so that the maxi- mum of pleasure may be derived from photo- graphy. It is said that one photograph is equal to ten thousand words. Therefore, the two prints sent us by our friend Mr. Herbert B. Waters of Boston should equal twenty thousand words in support of our effort to get readers to use their cameras to advantage. The first picture shows in a very convincing manner just what a mess a per- son gets into who does not have the faintest idea of how to set a camera for a picture. The second picture shows with what pleasure and satisfaction pictures are made by those who do know just how to use their cameras. In short, if you are mistress of your camera, as evidently this little girl is of hers, then you, too, will laugh with delight every time you make a picture. We are indebted to Mr. Waters and his little friend for helping us tell in pictures that which we have often tried to say in print.

Similar But Different

In the advertising pages of our February, 1932, issue there was an advertisement of the Wollensak Optical Company which featured the ciné tele- photo lens made by that company. At the bottom of the advertisement the original copy called for a picture of the lens. A picture of a telephoto ciné lens was printed; but it was not the picture of a 6-inch lens as described in the advertise- ment. After due investigation, it was learned that

THE THRILL OF KNOWLEDGE

the correct electro had been returned by request, and the discovery was made too late to receive the right illustration. In consequence, to fill up the space, another picture of a Wollensak tele- photo lens was used. It was similar but different; and we believe that our readers should know how it all happened.

Can Miniature Cameras Look Professional P

Ir is apparently difficult for the older, as well as many of the younger, generation to conceive of a professional photographer as being equipped with anything else but a reflecting press camera or an 8x10 view camera on a tripod. These good people would stand aghast to see a professional photographer making serious and important pic- tures with a Leica camera. They might even go so far as to refuse to pay for such amateurish, snap- shot work. However, if the pictures were made with a big view camera, then they must be good, and worth paying for. Such seems to be the rea- soning in some cases. It is strange that the very persons who belittle the work of the miniature cameras for professional work seem to forget that the motion-pictures which they go to see with evident pleasure and satisfaction are all made by projecting a very small picture on a large screen. Why should not a Leica negative make a good 8 x 10-inch enlargement when even a smaller negative made with a motion-picture camera will make a 10 x 12-foot enlargement on a screen?

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LONDON

CARINE AND

LETTER

WILL CADBY

Iw a world of shifting values, uncertainty, and a lot of silly talk, it is a relief to turn to Art, which is neither grasping nor chauvinistic, and to spend a peaceful hour at the French Exhibition at Burlington House.

Before the pictures arrived, our people were well prepared to appreciate them, for a perfect spate of lectures, books, and articles in the press heralded their coming; so that, if we do not take an intelligent interest, it will not be the fault of the authorities.

We have had other big loan exhibitions, Dutch, Italian, Persian, etc., which were not so industri- ously shepherded, and we have wondered why this exhibition has been so particularly boomed. It may have been feared that, confronted as we are, with more serious problems, our interest in what might be called the decorations of life might flag, to the detriment of this exhibition compared with its forerunners. It seems, however, the solicitude over French amour propre was un- necessary; for the public is flocking to see the French pictures, glad no doubt of this distraction from the troubles and uncertainties of our times.

Two rooms have been given over to the primi- tives. These would probably be of more interest to the medizval historian, as would also the il- luminated manuscripts, metal work, and statuettes than to those, like ourselves, who are more con- cerned with the actual rendering of the subject. Even without the preparatory explanations that were literally broadcast, we should certainly have noticed the Flemish suggestion in the early French work and the influence of the Italian School tv beyond the sixteenth century, when French art seems to become more individually French; but without these explanations, we should always have thought of Watteau as one of the most French of French painters, whereas he was Flemish, and only adopted France as what would now be called his “spiritual home”.

Looking at the exhibition with the eyes of photographers, we were struck with the work of the Clouets. So many of their portraits seemed to embody the very best—more than the best so far —of the camera! When we stood before Jean Clouet’s portrait of “Jean d’Urfe”, admiring it, we said, “If photography could only do that!” and we felt grateful to the King of England for leuding it to the exhibition.

We have been fairly familiar over here with works by Poussin, Claude Lorrain, Bouchet, Fragonard, David, etc., but it was interesting seeing unknown examples of their work; and we were glad to hear that some of the best impres- sionist and post-impressionist works in the ex- hibition came from private collections in this

country. There is no doubt impressionism in its early days had a marked influence on many artists here.

The cover design of the January, 1932, PHoto- Era seems particularly in tune with the modern note in photography; and, what is more, it cer-

tainly succeeds where many have failed. The elaborate and subtle design and pattern obtained by using the shadow cast by the tennis racquet, besides the intriguing suggestion of the player, carry conviction and form a wonderful achieve- ment.

Just as in painting, music, and literature there are continual breaks away from the old and con- ventional, so in photography we have our essays and experiments. Various roads are explored by present-day workers, whose searchings are not only healthy but necessary for the advancement of our art; and even those that turn out blind alleys have their uses in developing the technique and enlarging the horizon of the advanced school of photographers. Judging from recent exhibi- tions, there seems a strong inclination to get an effect by what we might call “close-ups”. Any object apparently will serve for the central inter- est. Now this sort of work needs far more knowl- edge and skill than ordinary landscape, and a good many of the attempts appear hardly to succeed. The same movement is to be observed among Japanese photographers; but they, prob- ably because of their ingrained sense of the beauti- ful, do obtain decorative effects that are satisfying esthetically, however slight the motive may be.

Just at the moment, the ultra-modern in liter- ature and art is coming in for an immense amount of discussion and attention. A heated argument is going on with Mr. Harold Nicholson over his championship of the modern in writing; Epstein has published a book defending his advanced out- look which will not, we are afraid, go far to convince the man in the street. And now we have Mr. Wilenski’s courageous book, “The Modern Movement in Art”. The chapter headed “The Camera’s Influence” we found most interesting, though it gave us several shocks. The first was when we realised how seemingly little British pictorial work is considered, also by what curious standards photography is judged. These books on photography are pouring out from continental publishers, and we only wish there was a similar effort on this side of the Channel. It is refreshing, and no doubt salutary, to get other nations’ points of view, even if they hurt our feelings a little when we are told that Mr. Beaton is one of the very few in this country who can use a camera with intelligence!

Color photographs for poster advertisement! This sounds ambitious—we had almost written a forlorn hope; but, anyway, an exhibition is being held at Messrs. Crawford’s, High Holborn, aimed at illustrating their suitability for this purpose. We have always been drawn to photographic posters and have in the past supplied a goodly number of figure subjects for travel propaganda that have graced (?) the hoardings of the country. But this exhibition strikes a new note. There are a number of still-life subjects beautifully rendered in color. And it is in this direction probably that

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HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE

To ensure publication, announcements and reports should be sent in not later than the &th of the preceding month.

Petrocelli Memorial Exhibition

Durine the month of January, 1932, a Memo- rial Exhibition of Pictorial Photographs‘ by the late Joseph Petrocelli was held at the Arts and Industries Building, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. For many years Mr. Petrocelli was a member of the Institution’s Department of Photography. The exhibit contained fifty-five pictures made by the bromoil process, bromoil transfer, and resinotipia. During his many years of activity in pictorial photography, Mr. Petrocelli was greatly interested in the Department of Photography, Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, Brooklyn, N.Y. Few pictorialists have attained the world-wide reputation which Mr. Petrocelli enjoyed, and it was most fitting that a tribute to his work was held in the form of a Memorial Exhibition, which enabled thousands to enjoy his beautiful pictures.

Second International Salon of Uruguay

Tue Second International Salon of Photo- graphy of Uruguay will be held at Montevideo on August 25, 1932, under the auspices of the Foto Club de] Uruguay. The last day for receiv- ing prints will be July 25, 1932. Entry forms and further information may be obtained by address- ing Senor Rudolf Hoerler, Miguelete 1503, Monte- video, Republic of Uruguay.

London Letter (Continued from preceding page)

photography will find its appropriate place in advertising—it is so well adapted to the accurate rendering, to the exact reproduction, in fact, of any commodity. There are biscuit pictures at the show that almost induce the spectator to pick them up and begin munching, so realistic and tempting do they appear.

But when it comes to large work suitable for the hoardings, one can hardly believe photography could ever replace the draughtsman or the painter; for bold, broad, flat designs are neces- sary, and the camera’s strong point, fine grada- tion, is nothing but a handicap. But who can fathom the psychology of the man, or more par- ticularly the woman, in the street?—and so we had better not be too dogmatic!

These Data Overlooked

Mvcn to our regret we discovered, after the February, 1932, issue went to press, that we had overlooked some data which should have been given in connection with the two illustrations in the article, “Practical Photography for the Land- scape Architect”, by Francis W. Hussey pub- lished in that number. We express our regret to Mr. Hussey and give the data which he supplied with his article.

Data: “Residence and Grounds”; Avus camera; 9 x 12 centimeter; Skopar F/4.5 lens of 5%4-inch focus, used at smallest stop—probably F/45; 3 p.m. in May; bright sun; exposure, one second; Eastman Super Sensitive Panchromatic cut film; K-2 filter; developed in borax formula D-76; en- larged for general use on Vitava Projection O-3; enlarged for copy on P. M. C. No. 10 medium. Same general data for “Detail of Flagstone Path”, with these exceptions: time 10 a.m., June; dull light; exposure 2 seconds, enlarged for general use on Opal Q. Otherwise same data as for other illustration.

Filming Mahatma Gandhi

In January Filmo Topics magazine is an in- teresting article on “Filming Mahatma Gandhi”, written by James A. Mills, staff correspondent of the Associated Press, who accompanied Mr. Gandhi to London from India. Mr. Mills is said by his colleagues to be closer to the Mahatma than any other foreign correspondent.

“Of the thousands of public men I have filmed or interviewed, none has been more difficult to handle than Mahatma Gandhi, that curious com- bination of politician, mystic, philosopher, saint, and seer, who is fighting for the freedom of 360,- 000,000 Indians”, says Mr. Mills, by way of in- troduction.

He continues: “Although there is nothing in the Hindu religion (as there is in the Mohammedan creed) which forbids a person to have his image reproduced, Mr. Gandhi took a solemn vow, some thirty years ago, that he would never pose for a photograph, a painting, sculpture, or any other artificial reproduction of himself. This is part of the amazing doctrine of self-effacement, simplicity, and modesty, which he practices.

“He hates everything mechanical—cameras, phonographs, radios, typewriters, railroads, auto- mobiles—machinery of all kinds. His theory is that machinery is the curse of modern civilisation. He maintains that the mechanisation of life has brought India’s teeming millions of impoverished peasants to the brink of starvation and hopeless- ness. He believes the economic salvation of those multitudes rests in the revival of the ancient art of hand-spinning and hand-weaving. That is why he has adopted the spinning wheel as his own symbol of activity. . :

“It was no easy task for a photographer to break down this formidable barrier of prejudice on Mr. Gandhi’s part toward being filmed. But I accomplished it by simply ‘taking the bull (or shall I say lamb) by the horns’, and filming the Mahatma without his permission. When at first I leveled my turret-head Filmo and Eyemo at him, he seemed somewhat pained and displeased, but he soon became accustomed to my frequent visits. When I came within a few feet of him for a close-up, however, he would exclaim, ‘You are torturing me!’

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“On the way up from Bombay to Marseilles on the steamer, I pursued him relentlessly, because I was obliged not only to get thousands of feet of movies of him, but scores of ‘stills’ for repro- duction in newspapers and magazines in the United States and throughout the world. ‘Oh, for pity’s sake’, he would say plaintively, ‘give me some respite from those instruments of torment! You are the most ubiquitous and persistent man I have ever known.’ At no time, however, did the Mahatma become impatient or irritated. He has an amazingly even temperament, is exceptionally kind and tolerant, and rarely refuses anyone a request. Before the voyage was over, he was call- ing me by my first name.”

Also, according to Mr. Mills, Gandhi even ex- pressed a desire to see the movie cameras at close hand.

“Until he faced my battery of still and motion picture cameras”, says Mr. Mills, “I had never known Mr. Gandhi to ‘look at the lens’. To be sure, he had appeared in photographs before, but these pictures were taken ‘on the fly’, so to speak, and without Mr. Gandhi’s consent, and never once did he look at the lens. Invariably he kept his eyes looking down or to the side. On the steamer, be- tween Bombay and Marseilles, however, he ac- tually looked squarely into the Cooke lenses of my cameras. One of the most original shots I made of him showed him holding a laughing baby, while the Mahatma himself was wreathed in smiles. An- other showed him on the Captain’s bridge of the ‘Rajputana’, piloting the big liner through the Indian Ocean. A third fine shot showed the little 93-pound Hindu agitator grinning from ear to ear as I collared him at his spinning wheel.

“I must say, however, that throughout the years I have been filming him, the Mahatma has prac- ticed his own doctrine of ‘passive resistance’ on me. Never did he willingly lend himself to pic- tures. Yet never did he forbid me to photograph him. Always he maintained a curiously detached, impersonal, negative attitude toward my efforts to capture his features for the screen and for history. He regards posing for photographs as a form of vanity. Although an orthodox Hindu, he believes in the Koranic injunction of the Moham- medans never to allow reproduction of the hu- man features.”

New General Electric Flood Lamp

A wew photographic light-source, the Mazda Photoflood lamp, designed especially for ama- teur motion-picture photography and time expo- sures, has been announced by the Incandescent Lamp Department of General Electric Company at Nela Park, Cleveland, Ohio.

The new lamp, which burns on regular lighting circuits of 105 to 125 volts, resembles the standard 60-watt inside-frosted Mazda lamp in bulb size and appearance. Its extremely high operating effi- ciency causes its photographic effectiveness to be approximately that of a 750-watt general service lamp and results in comparatively short lamp life —120 minutes at 115 volts. Five lamps fully load one circuit.

The Photoflood lamp makes it possible for the amateur to obviate the costly failures which have attended some of his indoor motion-picture photo- graphy in the past and will enable him to obtain satisfactory results even with inexpensive cameras.

Both amateur and professional photographers will find the Photoflood lamp an ideal source of illumi- nation for time exposures.

For best results the Photoflood lamp should be operated in reflectors designed for photo- graphic service. In the absence of such reflecting equipment, lamps may be used in the regular ceiling fixtures and portable lamps.

With this lamp to complement the Photoflash lamp, which is more suitable for action snapshots, amateur and professional photographers now have at their command light-sources that meet the majority of photographic requirements.

The list price of the new Mazda Photoflood lamp is 35 cents.

San Diego Leicacraft

A most interesting meeting of the full member- ship, including our two honorary members, was held on the evening of February 3. Mr. C. W. Hall and Mr. J. Gatty were both elected to active membership. Mr. Norman Kennedy, well-known mural artist of La Jolla, Calif., who is judge and critic of the monthly competitions and an honorary member, judged the prints on “Boats”, awarding first place to a detail study of the bow anchor of a gunboat and second place to a sunrise picture of a battleship under full steam, submitted by Dr. A. E. Banks and Mr. Nelson Wells, respec- tively. Mr. Kennedy, commenting on the submitted prints, urged the careful selection of filters in an endeavor to produce better texture effects in the monochrome of straight prints.

The lecture of the evening was on “Portraiture”, by Richard Beghtol, professional portraitist of La Jolla, Calif. The lecture was replete with practical demonstrations, particular emphasis be- ing placed upon the academic essentials of por- traiture, which Mr. Beghtol stated could be re- duced primarily to the depiction of little besides the three absolute essentials—to wit: the two eyes and the mouth. He demonstrated that with either the Rembrandt or other lighting, if these three organs were given the proper care as to definite- ness, a pleasing representation of the subject could be obtained. Using a diffused 500-watt nitrogen bulb, every conceivable effect of lighting was actually put into use. Great care was exercised in differentiating the requisite pose and lighting for men, women over thirty, adolescents, and children. Emphasis was placed upon the advisability of re- taining, in pictures of men, the natural rugged- ness of lines associated with masculinity, and particularly in so arranging the pose as to make the neck muscles’ contours part of the composi- tion. By the same token the methods were ex- plained and demonstrated for the deletion of double chins, neck wrinkling, and other obstacles to success in the portraiture of the fairer sex. An interesting discussion followed the paper, and it was generally agreed that the 5-inch Leica tele- photo lens was ideal for portraiture, due to the absence of distortion, excellent drawing, and the fact that this lens works most effectively at an aperture of F/4.5.

Mr. Sauppe made a trip from Los Angeles for the purpose of addressing the Club on certain newly available Leica accessories, and presented for the Club’s inspection a large number of

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bromoils, bromoil transfers, and three-color trans- fers, many of them being the work of Mr. Mor- tensen, one of America’s greatest portrait tech- nicians. It was inconceivable that such beautiful and technically perfect 11x14 prints, could have been the product of a miniature camera. The subject for the March competition is “Industry”. A delayed annual election was held, and the following officers decided upon: Chairman, Dr. Francis Smith; Correspondence Secretary, Dr. A. F. Banks; Vice-Chairman, Dr. Samuel Durr; Secretary and Treasurer, Richard Beghtol.

Movies Record Earthquake Vibrations

How a Filmo movie camera was employed in the Philippines for making a motion-picture record of the needle movements of an instrument con- structed for measuring earthquake vibrations is interestingly told by I. A. Terry of the engineering department of the General Electric Company.

“We were faced with the problem of making a vibrograph for obtaining a graphical record of earth vibrations. This instrument had to be ob- tained as quickly as possible, and therefore with the materials available in the Philippine Islands”, says Mr. Terry.

“We made an instrument the vibration mecha- nism of which was a Starrett dial test indicator held rigidly to the frame. The dial was covered with a dull-finished black paper, and the needle was given a high polish on the tip. The glass was replaced by a deeply blackened metal sheet, with a small slit in it, covering an arc of about 20 scale divisions (mils). A beam of light was focused on the slit from a motion-picture pro- jector, with the light beam cut down by means of an aperture in a wooden block between the source of light and the dial test indicator. By this means the slit only of the indicator was illuminated.

“The Filmo motion-picture camera was used for recording the needle motion, the indicator being adjusted to such an angle that a perfect re- flection of light to the camera from the needle was obtained, with the needle in the center of the slit. The camera was modified to give a continu- ous, instead of an intermittent, film motion. The plane of the camera was set so that the plunges of the needle would traverse the width of film.”

The camera, states Mr. Terry, was timed during several test runs and found to measure up to the required standard of accuracy.

Fort Dearborn Camera Club

Tue Fort Dearborn Camera Club is now estab- lished in its new quarters in the Illinois Women’s Athletic Club Building, 111 East Pearson Street, Chicago. Its facilities include an attractive meet- ing room, ample space for exhibits, a delightful lounge furnished through the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Max Thorek, a workroom, and several darkrooms. In the equipment are a studio camera, vertical and horizontal enlargers, and other ne- cessities of a well-furnished camera club.

At the annual business meeting of the Club, held January 8, the following officers were elected for the year 1932: President, Dr. Max Thorek, F.R.P.S.; vice-president, M. L. Strawn; secretary, E. R. Ott; treasurer, Roy Franklin Dewey.

L. H. Longwell was again named print director and editor of “The Fixing Bath’, and H. K.

Shigeta will again be print critic. The following were appointed chairmen of the standing commit- tees for the year: House, Lionel Heymann; Pro- gram, William Clive Duncan; Membership, M. L. Strawn; Instruction, Leonard Purin; Print Selec- tion, M. Gurrie; Publicity, Roy Franklin Dewey; Entertainment, Mrs. M. L. Strawn.

About one hundred enthusiastic devotees of photography and well-wishers of the Club attended the annua] dinner on January 15. Members are looking forward to a year of further achievement and growth and are eager to co-operate with similar organisations. Roy Franxiin Dewey.

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BOOK-REVIEWS

Books reviewed in this magazine, or any others our readers may desire, will be furnished by us at the lowest market-prices. Send for our list of approved books.

Tue Year’s Puorocrapny, 1931-32. Published by Royal Photographic Society. 22 Pages of text and 75 illustrations. Price, paper, $1.25.

As usual “The Year’s Photography”, published by the Royal Photographic Society, is filled with interesting text and pictorial matter. There is an interesting variety of subject material which is well worth study. The work of many leading pic- torialists is reproduced, and the review by Bertram Cox, F.R.P.S., is most helpful. There are articles by J. Dudley Johnston, Hon. F.R.P.S., Oliver G. Pike, F.R.P.S., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., and Olaf Bloch, F.I.C., F.R.P.S. This annual should be part of the photographer’s library.

Penrose’s ANNuat—The Process Year Book and Review of the Graphic Arts, Volume XXXIV, 1932. Edited by William Gamble, F.R.P.S., F.O.S. 126 Pages; many illustrations in half- tone and in natural color. Cloth, $4.00. London: Percy Lind Humphries & Company, Ltd. United States Distributors: George Murphy, Inc., New York City.

Ever since the day when woodcuts were super- seded by the halftone process of reproduction in magazines and books, photography has become closely allied to the printing arts. Amateur and professional photographers may well profit by the study of modern printing processes. Of par- ticular interest is the remarkable advance in natural-color reproduction. “Penrose’s Annual” is a collection of illustrations of representative proc- ess work from all parts of the world. In addition, there are a number of very practical and interest- ing articles written by authorities in their respec- tive branches of process work. Even those readers who are not directly interested in graphic arts will find the annual well worth having because of the variety and beauty of the illustrations. The publishers are to be congratulated for giving lovers of the graphic arts such a complete and thoroughly enjoyable volume. The supply of copies is limited and we suggest ordering now.

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WHAT’S NEWP

A department reserved exclusively for the announcement and description of new photographic goods and services.

Visual Focusing Attachment for the Leica Camera

Tue Goerz reflex focuser principle of visual groundglass focusing, so well known to users of 16-millimeter ciné-cameras, is now made available to users of the Leica “still” camera for critica] focusing when using long-focus lenses or in the photographing of small objects only a few inches away from the lens. For the latter class of work, especially, when tiny objects must often be photo- graphed in natural size or even on an enlarged scale, visual focusing right at the plane of the image is of great assistance to obtain the best possible setting of the lens in relation to the shallow depth of field.

Figure 1 shows the device, permanently at-

FIGURE 1

Leica camera with Goerz Reflex Focuser in focusing position

tached to the top of the Leica camera. Figure 2 shows the lens removed in order to show the 90- degree prism which directs the image rays to a groundglass, located in precise adjustment in the vertical tube of the device. The image formed on this groundglass is viewed through an eight-times triple-aplanatic magnifier which slides adjustably above it and may be set for the user’s eyesight.

In order to keep the device as small as possible, in line with the general compactness of the Leica, only a small field of the camera lens can be viewed in the focuser, a circle of about 9/16 of an inch. This is, however, ample to place the ob- ject in the center of the plate, set the lens to the best possible definition, and diaphragm it so as to obtain the required depth of focus.

After the focusing has been done, the inner tube is drawn up as far as it will go. This clears the picture aperture of the camera, as shown in Figure 3. The device in either position is com- pletely light-tight and does not interfere with the

FIGURE 2

Leica camera with Goerz Reflex Focuser in focus- ing position with lens removed to show 90-degree reflecting prism

regular use of the outfit. It is designed for the focal-plane shutter model and may be used with all lenses down to 2-inch focal length. The 35- millimeter lens cannot be used with the focuser because there is not enough clearance. This lens can be used, of course, in the regular manner when the focusing tube is pulled up.

The camera must be sent to the makers of the Reflex Focuser, the C. P. Goerz American Optical Company, 319 East 34th Street, New York City, for the necessary fitting. Further information may be had from the manufacturers.

FIGURE 3

Leica Camera with Goerz Reflex Focuser in posi- tion to make photograph. Focusing tube pulled up

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The New Fairchild F-8 Aérial Camera

Ever since our introduction to aérial photo- graphy in 1925, during a tour of active military duty at Chanute Field, Rantoul, Ill., we have watched with interest the development in civilian aérial cameras. Our own experience in the air was entirely with Fairchild military aérial equipment, which was then, and is now, the last word in this special field. It was but natural that the valuable experience which Fairchild gained in military aérial photography should lay the foundation for

NEW FAIRCHILD F-8 AERIAL CAMERA

the manufacture of a civilian aérial camera which would serve the commercial photographer and be obtainable at a comparatively reasonable price. There are several excellent civilian aérial cameras now on the market, both in this country and over- seas; but we believe that the new Fairchild F-8 more nearly meets present requirements than any similar type of camera now obtainable at approxi- mately the same price. It makes pictures 5 x 7 inches on plates, cut film, or rollfilm. Its weight fully loaded is approximately 20 pounds, and, we believe, this makes it the lightest 5 x 7 aérial camera available. The construction is all-metal throughout; it is equipped with a focal-plane shutter with speeds of 1/50 to 1/200 of a second; the lens may be focused at various distances, from 8 to 100 feet, and infinity; the adjustment of focus may be made from the operating posi- tion; the lens-opening may be set from F/4.5 down to F/45 by means of an adjustable iris diaphragm; and a large direct-vision view-finder makes the subject easily located. Of special inter- est is the fact that the lens selected as regular equipment for this new camera is the 91-inch Schneider Xenar F/4.5 lens, which is handled in the United States by Burleigh Brooks, 127 West 42d Street, New York City. Mr. Brooks has re- peatedly pointed out that Schneider Xenar lenses were good—in fact, very good. It is evident that his faith in Schneider lenses is justified by their adoption as regular equipment for the new Fair-

child F-§ camera. Those who are interested in Schneider lenses for general photographic work should address Mr. Brooks. Full particulars with regard to the Fairchild F-8 Aériel Camera may be obtained by writing to the Fairchild Aérial Camera Corporation, 270 West 38th Street, New York City.

New Victor Hi-Power Optical System

Tue Victor Animatograph Corporation, Daven- port, Iowa, announces that, after several months of research and experimentation, it has developed a new optical system of exceptional efficiency which sets an entirely new standard for brilliancy in 16-millimeter projection. It is claimed that this new Hi-Power System gives twice the illumination of the regular Victor Optical System when the same projection lamps are used.

The constantly growing popularity of 16-milli- meter films and projectors among educational, re- ligious, and industrial users of motion-pictures has resulted in demands for more and more light to meet the need for large, brilliant images and for projection throws of one hundred feet or more.

Remarkable progress has been made by the lamp manufacturers in developing high-intensity lamps of unusual power. It is evident, however, that the size and heat limitations imposed on the lamp manufacturers by the size and design of 16-milli- meter projectors has so restricted them that there is no great possibility of their being able to add appreciably to present lamp efficiencies.

The new Victor Hi-Power Optical System is, therefore, an extremely important step forward, in that it literally doubles the power of all present 16-millimeter projection lamps. It ac- complishes this by gathering and transmitting to the screen twice as much of the light from the lamp as is transmitted by the regular Victor Op- tical System. It is said that the consequent in- crease in illumination will more than satisfy present and prospective users of 16-millimeter projectors who have been demanding greater illumination to meet daylight projection and audi- torium requirements.

The Victor Animatograph Corporation had al- ready been successful in mastering projection throws of more than one hundred feet with its regular Optical System when using 375-watt—75- volt or 165-watt-30-volt lamps. With the Hi-Power Optical System capable of doubling the amount of light utilised from these lamps, it is evident that the illumination it makes possible is sufficient to meet every reasonable demand of non-theatrical users.

The new Victor Hi-Power Optical System con- sists of a Super Reflector adjustably mounted in a special lamp house extension, a set of precision- ground Bull’s Eye Condensers, and a more power- ful projection lens. These parts may be easily in- stalled in a few moments by any Victor owner and are available at a very reasonable cost.

The Hi-Power Optical System will not replace the regular Victor Optical System in all models, due to the fact that it provides greater illumina- tion than is required for home use or where large pictures and long projection throws are not re- quired. Therefore, the Hi-Power System will be provided in New Victor equipments only on order and at a slight extra cost.

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MOTION-PICTURE SECTION

THE AMATEUR KINEMATOGRAPHER

HERBERT C. McKAY, F.R.P.S.

The Miniature Camera Vogue

Tuere is a distinct trend these days toward smaller and smaller cameras. In the still field, this results in extremely small negative sizes; but in the motion-picture field, the 16-millimeter film is retained, only the capacity and mechanism bulk being changed.

Some time ago—two or three years ago, in fact —in this department the advantages of the small capacity camera were cited. To summarise these advantages briefly, they are: resulting smaller size in the camera; the possibility of seeing the film without having to expose a comparatively long length of film; the avoidance of the tempta- tion to “burn up” the last thirty or forty feet upon some uninteresting subject, merely in order to see the first scenes shot.

SIMPLEX POCKETTE CAMERA

The 100-foot camera, naturally, will retain its place as the instrument of the serious worker, of the dramatic amateur, of the student and scien- tist; but the family camera will inevitably have a capacity of fifty feet or less.

Small cameras have been produced by some manufacturers; but they have not been properly introduced and have not been widely accepted. Very recently, however, one of the greatest com- panies in the motion-picture field, the Interna- tional Projector Corporation, has sponsored a camera which in many ways brings the realisation of a dream of hundreds of amateurs. This is the Simplex Pockette camera.

The Simplex Pockette camera measures 14% x 43/4, x 5% inches! It is difficult to realise that such a small space can carry 50 feet of 16-millimeter film and the mechanism necessary to expose one- half this length without rewinding! So distinctly new is this camera that a complete description will not be out of place here.

LOADING THE SIMPLEX POCKETTE

The loading is automatic. The film comes in a compact metal magazine, at one end of which a single frame of film is exposed. This magazine is pushed into the camera compartment from the rear, just like loading an automatic pistol. There is no threading to be done. Push in the magazine and close the door—the camera is loaded.

Two windings of the motor will expose the entire magazine. The speed may be varied be- tween 12 and 16 frames per second, or single frames may be exposed. That is a feature which will be welcomed, as animation is attracting more and more attention from amateurs.

SIMPLEX CASETTE PROJECTOR

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MOTION-PICTURE SECTION

The stop-scene device is also a welcome novelty. By pre-setting the camera, it will expose any pre- determined length of film and then stop. This prevents the user from unwittingly exposing two or three times as much film upon a given subject as he had intended. However, if anything occurs to make a prolongation of the scene desirable, the stop may be thrown out of engagement while the camera is running. It will then operate until the motor runs down or the release is pushed.

The film is supplied in metal magazines in which both ends of the film are attached to the spindles. Only one frame of film is exposed. Because of this arrangement, it is possible to use one mag- azine for any desired series of shots. If other shots are desired before one magazine is finished, the magazine is removed and a fresh one inserted. After the interposed shot is made, the magazines are again interchanged, as only one frame of film is lost by removal of the magazine.

Its many features will recommend this camera not only to those who want a very simple yet dependable camera, but a great many owners of larger cameras are using the Simplex Pockette as an auxiliary instrument.

Easy Interiors

Amatrors, as a rule, are still afraid of interior work. Naturally, the expense of the reflectors, stands, and high-intensity bulbs has contributed to this; but even this objection is now removed. The 64-volt bulb and supersensitive film have solved the problem.

The 64-volt bulb can now be obtained from most dealers. It is an inexpensive bulb of the mill type and may be used in any ordinary socket. This bulb is made for long-life service on low- power lines; but when 110-115 volts are applied, the bulb burns with the most intense brilliancy for a short time, averaging about one hour. The intensity is such that two or three in a chandelier in the ordinary living-room give ample light for making a shot with supersensitive film—even when the common F/3.5 lens is used.

A more elaborate equipment may be easily made. The requirements for each unit are a trouble lamp, a tin reflector, and a music stand. The total cost per unit should not exceed two dollars, and often it will be less than this. The trouble lamp is fastened to the music stand with cord or rubber bands, the cord plugged into any convenient receptacle, and you are ready to use the 64-volt bulb with the greatest efficiency.

There is no danger to the house wiring or any equipment in using these bulbs. Only the bulb is injured when it finally burns out.

For average shots the “plain” lighting is the most desirable. This may be obtained by support- ing one of the reflectors in such a position that it is between the subject and the camera, higher than the head of the subject and at one side of a line drawn from the lens to the subject.

This will 1aake a lighting in which the cast.

shadows are heavy and dead. To prevent this, a second reflector is placed about five times as far away from the subject, on the opposite side, and about a foot lower than the head of the sub- ject. It will usually be some distance behind the camera. This illuminates the shadows, but the in- tensity is not high enough entirely to eliminate the shadows. Light of equal intensity on each

side will produce a very flat lighting in which all appearance of rotundity and solidity are eliminated.

It is advisable, before starting to make the ex- posure, to plan the action very carefully. Thus you will be ready to go right ahead from scene to scene. This will enable you to obtain the utmost value from the high-power, short-lived bulbs.

Some Amateur Aspects of Sound

Puotocrapuy has been largely a development of research on the part of specialists and manu- facturers. Radio, on the contrary, owed its devel- opment principally to the activities of amateurs. It would appear that amateur motion-picture ad- vance is now to swing, partially at least, to the status of radio; for so backward have manu- facturers been in providing sound-equipment for amateurs that they have begun to develop their own equipment. Strangely enough, it is the ex- perienced radio experimenter who is leading the field. He works, however, under the disadvantage of lacking the deeper photographic knowledge which his brother of the camera possesses.

But before taking into consideration any of the details of the experimental work, there is one great outstanding question to be answered: shall the experimenter make use of film records or disk records? Of course, the film record has taken the first place in professional work, and some very promising results have been obtained in preparing amateur film records for reproduction; but in spite of these facts, the disk is the preferable form for the amateur. No doubt this statement requires some explanation.

In making a film record, there are certain technical problems which even the professional must face. If a mistake is made in professional production, a re-take is in order; but the amateur very often cannot re-take the film, and, even if he can, the expense is an item not to be over- looked. The first factor, then, is to devise some kind of sound-recording which may be eliminated and replaced if the first effort is not of the proper quality. This is feasible only when the sound is upon a separate disk or other separate medium.

It must be borne in mind that, in this dis- cussion, when the statement is made that certain things can or cannot be done, it is not to be understood that the things are possible or im- possible; but only that they are or are not prac- tical within the limitations of the average amateur experimenter.

The second point is that the actual sound which accompanies the action which makes up the subject of the usual amateur film is uninteresting and in- consequential. In this connection, just keep in mind the fact that newsreel companies have largely eliminated the actual sound, and have substituted sound which is added to the film after it is made. This is certainly the most favorable plan for the amateur to follow.

The objection comes up that film records are more easily edited than the separate disk record. This is true of real synchronous recording; but the average amateur shot is such that the inter- esting action is hardly ever in step with the speech. This means that, in editing, poor action must be continued to permit the speech to be

162

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MOTION-PICTURE SECTION

completed, or the sound ends and leaves an un- comfortable silence while the action jruns to an end.

Actual experimenting over a period of three years has shown that, under those conditions usually encountered by the amateur, the film should be made, carefully edited, and then the sound accompaniment made.

And now as to the actual method of making the record. Unfortunately, at this moment there is nothing to be offered which is not more or less a makeshift; but no doubt before the season is under full swing, equipment for this purpose will be offered.

The ingenious amateur need not wait for this, however, as he can obtain equipment at the present time which will enable him to start his experimental work. As a matter of fact, we have heard some accompaniment records made “free- hand” which have been quite good. The “free- hand” recording is made by controlling the turntable of the recorder and the speed of the projector at some definite speed. The record is then cut while projecting the film. After that, by operating the phonograph turntable at the speed at which the record was made and by keeping the projector at the speed used when recording, a fair accompaniment may be secured.

Frankly, “free-hand” work is satisfactory oniy as the preliminary step in experimental work, as it is difficult to keep the two instruments in even approximate synchronous operation. The obvious substitute, for those who possess disk-reproducing projectors, is to convert the reproducer to a recorder. This is, in itself, quite a task, and, un- fortunately, the physical connection between the projector and the turntable renders satisfactory recording quite impossible. As has been intimated, however, there is a good prospect that units suited for recording will be offered in the near future.

The film for synchronising should be carefully edited, keeping in mind that sound is to be added. Flashbacks should be avoided as far as possible. Short flashes should be lengthened to permit some adequate sound, and also, a very short flash usu- ally results in the sound starting late and con- tinuing into the next scene, giving the effect of non-synchronous matching. Naturally, titles are eliminated, with the exception of the main title.

Recording may be done upon either celluloid or aluminum. Aluminum is the superior medium, as the celluloid tends to flow back after pressing, thus destroying the higher frequencies. Aluminum will permit recording well above 5,000 cycles, which is adequate for all amateur experimenting. Actual tests in our own laboratory have shown that the aluminum record cuts off less than 1,000 cycles below the upper limit of reproduction of a loud speaker incorporated in one of the best radios upon the market.

Amateur recorders are supplied with steel- recording styli. These should not be used, but a diamond stylus should be obtained. These may be purchased for about five dollars and are perma- nent. The diamond gives a perfectly smooth groove. Remember, the groove is pressed into the surface of the metal and is not cut, as most people think. A cut gives a rough groove surface which, in turn, gives a very loud ground noise.

The first steps in experimental recording should . be done at 80 revolutions per minute. At this rate, a twelve-inch record will be ample for a 100-foot

film. Later thirty-three and one-third revolutions can be tried. This slow speed requires far more critical operation than the faster speed; but, by its use, a full four-hundred foot film may be syn- chronised upon a twelve-inch disk.

A good-quality radio will supply the necessary amplification for both recording and reproducing; but a special 250 push-pull amplifier is a highly desirable luxury. The cheap microphone should be avoided, as its distortion and low cut-off give results which are usually blamed upon the ampli- fier or the recording itself.

Good microphones are no longer expensive. Two years ago a good microphone cost from $150 up- ward; but today microphones, which for all prac- tical experimental purposes are as good, may be purchased for one-sixth that amount.

There are units on the market for recording upon any phonograph. These units make use of pre-grooved records. These are not recommended for experimental use, as the pre-grooved record gives results far beneath the blank record in the matter of quality. Good amateur recorders are available at reasonable prices. A complete re- corder, including amplifier, speaker, good micro- phone, and everything necessary for recording, is available at about three hundred dollars; while a recorder of similar type, but without the ampli- fier and speaker, sells for about two hundred. Cheaper recorders have been exploited, but their results have hardly been up to the mark required for synchronous recording.

Some of the best amateur results, however, have been obtained by simple equipment constructed by the user himself. As any good phonograph pick-up can be used as a recorder by merely feeding the output of the amplifier to it instead of to the speaker, the unit offe:s no problem. The only other problem is to feed this unit slowly and uniformly across the face of the record.

Later we shall take up the matter of the other — required to enter this fascinating, amateur

eld.

Barnum Was Right

A certain New York restaurant man may be given credit for a rather novel window display. This man didn’t have much money for advertising, so he bought the biggest fish bowl he could get hold of, filled it with water, and put it in the window, with this sign: “Filled with invisible gold fish from Argentine.” It took seventeen police- men to handle the crowd. Contact.

A Very Ugly Portrait

A NEAR-SIGHTED man and his wife were inspect- ing an art exhibit with critical care.

Man (vainly striving for a better view of the abomination): “That’s the ugliest portrait I’ve ever seen.”

Wife: “Come away, you fool! You’re looking at

yourself in a mirror.” Exchange. It Worked He was showing her proofs of his new photo-

graph. “Oh, Arthur”, she exclaimed, “you have only one button on your coat”. “Thank heaven you’ve noticed it at last!” re- plied hubby. “That’s why I had the picture taken.” Thru the Darkroom Door.

163

MOTION-PICTURE SECTION

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Any of the regular or high intensity lamps—all of which are accommodated by VICfOR Projectors —are the same as doubled in power by the VIC- TOR HI-POWER Optical System. Compared with regular VICTOR equipment, more than twice as much of the light from the lamp is utilized (re- gardless of lamp ratings in watts and volts) and the amount of illumination transmitted to the screen is thereby doubled.

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*The VICTOR HI-POWER Optical System is supplied in new VICTOR equipments only on order: at a slight extra charge.

Manufactured by

VICTOR ANIMATOGRAPH CORPORATION DAVENPORT, IOWA

Distributors for U. S. A.

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Puoro-Era Macazrne the Blue-Book of Photographic Advertising

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For Plates: A: 2% x 3%” (61% xg cm.) B: 3% x 434" (9 x 12 cm.) For Film Packs: A: 2% x 3%” B: 3% x 434" Picture Size: A: 2% x 3%" B: 34x 434" Lens Equipment:

A: Zeiss Tessar F/4.5 of 416” B: Zeiss Tessar F/4.5 of 514” Shutter: New Compur Speeds:

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B: 1 sec. to 1/200 T. & B. Bellows Extension:

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MAXIMAR A & B

Here is one of the outstanding cam- era values of Zeiss Ikon. Maximars use plates or film packs and have many of the features of advanced models, yet are moderately priced. They are fitted with the new Com- pur shutter with self-timing de- vice. Double extension bellows permit the use of Zeiss Distar and Proxar supplementary lenses. And ample vertical and horizontal movement enables you to take difficult shots. See the Maximars at your dealer’sor write for catalog.

CARL ZEISS LENSES

In every part of the world, and for every branch of photography, Carl Zeiss Tessar lenses are used. Because they have perfect definition, are uniform and reliable in quality and precision, you will find the Zeiss Tessar lens standard equipment in the majority of Zeiss Ikon cam- eras. Write for descriptive lens catalog Ph-267.

Puoro-Era Macazine the Blue-Book of Photographic Advertising

WIiihéA

IKONCAR 4 = | — bd “id 7

the Pictorialist

Insists on Plenachrome

Film

THE pictorialist knows that the ex- tra speed of Agfa Plenachrome film will permit correct exposure under practically all light conditions .. . that the latitude in both exposure and development is remarkable .. . that the color-sensitivity and balance are beautiful . . . that the fine grain

assures clearness and detail in en- largements . . . and that the results will be the best interpretation of the subject that photography and his experience can give him. And ev- ery roll of Agfa guarantees, “Pic- tures that satisfy or a new film free.”

A guarantee bond with every roll.

BINGHAMTON, N.

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When Dealing with Advertisers Please Mention PHotro-Era Macazine

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The most Remarkable Value in Miniature Rollfilm Cameras...

PICCOCHIC

An ever-ready, exact Camera for the Lady’s purse or the Man’s vest pocket

Takes SIXTEEN needle-sharp pictures, 1, x 1, inches, on REGULAR, 8- exposure, vest-pocket film.

Fully corrected VIDAR anastigmat lens, F: 4.5, focal length 2”, in reliable PRONTO shutter, with Time and Bulb exposure and 1/25, 1/50, 1/100 speeds, and built-in, delayed-action SELF TIMER.

Focusing for near distances by front-lens rotation.

Leather-covered, all-metal camera casing, with moulded, highly nickeled edges. Pressure on a little button brings the camera into correct posi- tion and focus, for instant use. The large, optical, double-unit Finder opens automatically with the camera. A spring-pressure-plate in back of camera holds the film securely in focal plane. ONLY

Dimensions over all 234” x 4144” x 1”. WJ 50

Price, INCLUDING a fine silk neck-cord and a soft

leather pouch for the camera as well as a cable release

AT YOUR DEALER’S

WILLOUGHBYS

110 West 32nd Street New York City

Puoro-Era Macazine the Blue-Book of Photographic Advertising

XUM

A/ | q ‘

Contents for March, 1932

ILLUSTRATIONS

Pa

Above the Pacific Coast .................... Above the Pacific Coast .................... Serenity Prague—Winter on River Fay Compton ....... Monarch of the ‘Timberlands Serbian Church The Iron Horse’s Bath Pizzicato Tower Steps The Portal Sisters Mount Vernon Home of Alice R. Longworth ............... Looking up Connecticut Avenue Lincoln Statue Rapid Transit in Avenue .................. First Place—Our Monthly Competition ...... Second Place—Our Monthly Competition ... Third Place—Our Monthly Competition

K. Nakamura ......Front Cover K. Nakamura ......Frontispiece Robert A. Barrows ...... lll Dr. D. J. Ruzicka ..... 112 Dorothy Wilding ..... 113 Melvin Martinson ..... 114 Howard G. Dine .......... Edward C. Kopp ........... 1% William O. Yates .......... 120 PERNT F. Birbeck Farmer ......... 128 F. Birbeck Farmer ........ 129 Joseph L. Kochka ......... 131 Joseph L. Kochka ......... 132 Joseph L. Kochka ..... 132 Joseph L. Kochka ......... 132 Arthur M. Tomlinson ....... 148 Dr. B. J. Oohenor ....... 146

U. Stephen Johnson

ARTICLES

Third Rochester International Salon ........ “De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum” ...... Eastman Panchromatic Films for Interiors .. Photographic Adventures of Bert and Ray, Impressionism in Photography ..............

George Washington’s City Some Hints on Panchromatic Films ........ Making Lantern-Slides In Your Vest Pocket An American Renaissance

A Doctor Looks at Cameras A Quick-Profit Counter Editorial

Alexander Clair ........... 158 Alexander Leventon, A.R.P.S. 121 PS Will and Carine Cadby .... 123 XXXIII.. Neil Wayne Northey ...... 125 F. Birbeck Farmer ....... 127

..... Wayne G. Winchester ..... 130 ge Joseph L. Kochka ........ 181 Lewis H. Southwick ....... 184 Edward L. C. Morse ....... 136 George Francis Hogan ...... 139 C. D. Enfield, M.D. ....... 142 W. Schaphorst, M.E. .... 145

Contents of previous issues of Photo-Era Magazine can be found by consulting the Readers’ Guide in your library

To Contributors: Contributions relating to pho- tography are solicited and will receive careful consideration. Preference is given to MS. that is typewritten, and to authors who are practical amateur or professional photographers.

To Subscribers: A reminder of expiration will be mailed with the last issue of every subscrip- tion at the time the copy is mailed. Prompt renewal will ensure the uninterrupted receipt of the magazine for the following year. Send both old and new addresses, when requesting a change.

To Advertisers: Advertising-rates on application. Forms close on the 5th of the preceding month.

Sample Copies: A sample copy will be mailed to any address for 25 cents in currency or stamps.

PHOTO-ERA

Published Monthly, on the Ist, at Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, U.S.A.

Entered as Second-Class Matter at the Post- Office, Wolfeboro, N.H., and Boston, Mass., under the act of March 8, 1879.

Copyright, 1932, by Photo-Era Publishing Com- pany, Inc. rights reserved.

Yearly Subscription-Rates: United States and Mexico, $2.50 postpaid: single copy, 25 cents. Canadian subscription, $3.09 postpaid; single copy, 80 cents. Foreign subscription, $3.25 postpaid.

Foreign Agents: England, Houghtons, Ltd., 88-89 High Holborn, London, W.C. Seotland. Robert Ballantine, 108%4 St. Vincent St., Glasgow. Japan, Maruzen Company, Ltd., 6 Nihonbashi, Tori-Nichome, Tokyo. Australia, Kodak, Austral- asia, Ltd., Sydney.

MAGAZINE

A. H. BEARDSLEY, Editor Published by PHOTO-ERA PUBLISHING COMPANY, Inc. Wolfeboro. New Hampshire, U.S.A. (Printed in U.S.A.)

| | 149 | | | } ! | | | |

Make

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PHOTOGRAPHY

OPPORTUNITIES

/ INTERESTING WORK Splendid demand every- where for men and women. No previous ex- perience needed. Expert instructors prepare you for the branch you like best—at home in spare time, or in our great New York studios.

SEND FOR FREE BOOK It tells all about the varied opportun- ities. Check which interests you most: [] Motion Picture Photography and Projection.

( Still Photography (Portrait, Com- mercial, News) and Photo-Finishing. WRITE TODAY. NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY Dept. 23 10 West 33rd Street New York, N.Y.

With genuine Anastigmat F:/4.5 lens.

Uses any standard in. roll-film.

$15.75

ASTONISHING VALUE! The Foth is equipped with precision shutter with built-in self-timer enabling you to make your own picture. A speedy f:4.5 lens provides a rapidity suf- ficient for even poor light-conditions. Provided with brilliant and wire iconometer finder and real leather bellows and coveri Produces sharp, brilliant pic- tures. Also (1A) Model with £:4.9 lens $18.00

Send for complete catalog. FREE TRIAL GLADLY GRANTED.

BURLEIGH BROOKS

Sole U. S. Agent

127 W. 42nd St. New York City.

OUR COMBINATION OFFERS ON PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINES

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PHOTO-ERA MAGAZINE Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, U.S.A.

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NUACE Mounting

Corners “The Best by Every Test”

The NuAce Corner is an artistic device for holding prints, snapshots or postals in albums or elsewhere.

Place one on each corner of print, moisten and press down. Print is easily removed, if desired. NuAce are very strong; glue is guaranteed.

NUACE are made in eight colors; BLACK, WHITE, GRAY, SEPIA, RED and GREEN—100 to package; GOLD or SILVER—60 to package. Also TITLE TABS 50 to package. Title your Snap- shots with “TITLE TABS”.

Price 10 Cents a Package MADE ONLY BY ACE ART COMPANY Reading, Mass.

PATENTED

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new Optical aevelopment coimpe of 6 elements, is highly effective even under the most adverse light-conditions. It affords remark- able definition, creating brilliant, sparkling nega- tives capable of being enlarged to a reasonable size. Moreover, the Dolly is compact, yet ac- curate; elegantly finished, economical to operate; simple, in spite of its many refinements. Dolly makes 16 pictures on standard vest-pocket size film. Camera size: 1 x 2% x 4% inches. Picture Size: 1-3/16 x 1-9/16 inches.

Price $50.00 Other Models

With Certar f:4.5 lens in Vario

De Luxe Models, with radial focusing scale, optical view finder and Compur

Shutter. With Schneider Xenar f:2.9...... $35.00 With Zeiss Tessar f£:3.5 .......... 40.00

Send for Booklet Illustrating and de- scribing these models and arrange for free trial.

Foth-Derby Enlarger

For enlargement of Foth-Derby nega- tives we suggest the Foth-Derby En- larger equipped with f:3.5 Anastigmat lens. Produces faultless up to 9 diameters ..................

BURLEIGH BROOKS

SOLE U.S. AGENT

127 W.42~° ST. NEW YORK CITY

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1--1- 254 ting any strain on the Anastigmat F.4.5 "$78.00 $32.00 bellows or the camera Carl Zeiss Tessar F.4.5. 37.00 40.00 mechanism. Soft Leather Case 1.50 Send for Ilustrated Circular

HERBERT & HUESGEN CO.

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Interested in Pictorial Composition?

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Photography~ or artistry

REAT art in black and white may very well be achieved G in photography. But most photographs are merely dia- grammatic representations of persons or scenes and we have come to accept this as adequate. But once they are tinted with Roehrig Transparent Oil Photo Colors, it becomes impos- sible again to accept grays and whites. There is an artistry in the simplest bit of tinting. The photograph suddenly lives!

Roehrig Transparent Oil Photo Colors are easily applied both by the amateur and the expert. They will not fade un- der the action of time and light, yet they are readily altered without harm to the print. They are fully guaranteed. Write for further information on the fascinating possibilities of this work if you have never tried it before. In the tube or the full set at all reliable dealers.

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y folding Reflex “ Camera in the world making two pictures§ on one vest pocket film frame Auto- matic film wind. Send for descript- ive Circular

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Puoto-Era Magazine the Blue-Book of Photographic Advertising

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wo you buy the new Filmo Model

MOTION-PICTURE SECTION

For Finest Results at Lowest Cost per Projection Year

The New Filmo JL Projector

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Years and years from to- day you'll still be using this finest personal movie projector. You'll still be delighting in the quality of its operation—marvel- ing at the precision and durability that keep your

Distinctly Improved Features

INCREASED PICTURE BRILLIANCE —A new 400-watt, 100-volt lamp with eight filaments set in two staggered rows floods the whole screen with direct light. Or this projector can be had with a powerful 37 5-volt, 75-watt lamp. 100% GEAR DRIVEN—There are no belts or chains. Feed and take-up reels are gear driven. AUTOMATIC REWIND—Just press a lever.

AERO-TYPE COOLING— A ero- type radiation fins around the lamp-house help to keep it cool. LAMP-HOUSE LIGHT TRAP—N o stray light escapes.

BUILT-IN PILOT LIGHT—IIlumi- nates threading mechanism. Draw it from projector base when needed.

LARGE FIRM BASE—Cabinet type base lends great stability. SPACED CONTROLS—Controls

Filmo Projector perform- Filmo Model JL Projector — $298 and switches marked and spaced

ing as dependably as though 1932 were only yesterday.

For this new-model Filmo JL Pro- jector has the time-proved Bell & Howell stamina which makes it pos- sible to say that no Filmo Projector has ever worn out, plus a long list of improvements that make it the com- plete answer to the demand for pro- fessional results with amateur ease in personal movie projection.

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Made by Bell & Howell, the world’s leading manufacturers of finest quality professional and personal motion picture equipment BELL & HOWELL COMPANY, 1847 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, Gentlemen: Please send me complete informa-