The Evolution of Photography: With a Chronological Record of Discoveries, Inventions, Etc., Contributions to Photographic Literature, and Personal Reminescences Extending over Forty YearsWerge, John, active 1854-1890
History
The Evolution of Photography: With a Chronological Record of Discoveries, Inventions, Etc., Contributions to Photographic Literature, and Personal Reminescences Extending over Forty Years
Werge, John, active 1854-1890
Photography -- History
In apparatus there is not much to talk about, the Pantascopic camera
being the chief novelty. There are several of the manufacturers
exhibiting in the photographic department, but we could not reconcile
ourselves to the circumstance of Mr. Dallmeyer not exhibiting in the
right place. His name is honoured by photographers, and he should have
honoured Photography by going in under her colours. If he must go to the
"scientific department," he ought to have gone there with his scientific
instruments alone, and shown his photographic apparatus in the place
assigned for that purpose. True, he makes a handsome show, but that does
not atone for his mistake. Photographers are queer animals--jealous of
their rights, and as sensitive to slight as their plates are to light;
and we fear we are ourselves not much better. A large majority of
photographers stand by Mr. Dallmeyer, and very justly believe in his
1 and 2 B's as shippers do in A 1's at Lloyd's; and _his_ stand should
have been in the photographic department.
In other parts of the Exhibition building there are various subjects
highly interesting to photographers.
The chemical department has its attractions in samples of
collodio-chloride of silver, prepared by Messrs. Mawson and Swan, for
the opal printing process and the Simpsontype. Specimens of each type
are also to be seen there; and there are other chemicals used in
photography, even to dextrine and starch: the purity of the latter is
known by the size and length of its crystals.
In metallurgy there is also something to interest photographers. Messrs.
Johnson and Sons exhibit some very fine samples of nitrate of silver,
double and treble crystallized, silver dippers, chloride of gold,
nitrate of uranium, and other scarce metals.
Messrs. Johnson, Matthey, and Co. also exhibit some fine samples of
nitrate of silver and chloride of gold; and some wonderful specimens of
magnesium, in various forms, in wire and ribbon. One coil of ribbon is
4,800 feet long, and weighs 40 ounces; and there is an obelisk of
magnesium about 20 inches high, and weighing 162 ounces.
There are many other things in this case of great value which have a
photographic bearing--amongst these a platinum boiler, valued at £1,500,
for the concentration and rectification of sulphuric acid; a platinum
alembic, value £350, for the separation and refining of gold and silver;
also an ingot of platinum, weighing 3,200 ounces, and valued at £3,840.
The exhibitors say that "such a mass of fused platinum is never likely
to be again produced." The whole of the contents of Messrs. Johnson,
Matthey, and Co.'s case of precious metals, most of which have a direct
or indirect application to photography, are estimated at the enormous
value of £16,000!
Mining, too, has its attractions for us; and as we near the Nova Scotia
division of the Exhibition building the needle of our observation dips
towards a bar of pure gold, weighing 48 pounds, and valued at £2,200
sterling.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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