"WE possess," said an art critic some years ago, in speaking of the material of American landscape, "all the natural conditions that are necessary to the full fruition of an artistic temperament concerning itself with landscape art. Our sun makes the same kind of shadows as that of Brittany; the same blue is in our skies and the same cloud-forms; the leafage of our trees is the same, and the water of our ponds and brooks differs in no way from that of France. What we should seek to learn in France is, not how to paint such and such landscapes there, but how to see those landscapes as they appear to and impress the men whose painting of them we admire, and ever after be able to see all other landscapes in the same spirit and fullness of apprehension. One need not go to Brittany to do this. It can be done at home, and there are men whose work is daily affording ample proof of the fact. But it does not follow therefrom that in the acquisition of the faculty of seeing and feeling the true spirit of paysage one is not greatly aided by attrition with the masters of the art and by the study that is had abroad of the precise material of their landscapes. A man who paints for four or five years in Brittany, however, and then in his New York studio can turn out nothing but Brittany landscapes from his sketch-books, has wasted his time and mistaken his vocation."

How many photographers are there who think that they must needs go to London, Paris, or Rome for a street scene or to Switzerland for landscape scenery when within a stone's throw of their own dwelling mayhap lies the material for a dozen pictures?

IN looking into a matter recently, involving a point of law, we came across the following Act of Congress, which, in view of present conditions in the photographic trade, is of sufficient interest to warrant its reproduction here:

CHAPTER 647, VOLUME 26, UNITED STATES STATUTES AT LARGE, 51st CONGRESS.

AN ACT TO PROTECT TRADE AND COMMERCE AGAINST UNLAWFUL RESTRAINTS AND MONOPOLIES.

SECTION 1. Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is hereby declared to be illegal. Every person who shall make any such contract or engage in any such combination or conspiracy, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the Court.

SEC. 2.

Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court.

SEC. 3. Every contract, combination in form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy in restraint of trade or commerce in any Territory of the United States, or of the District of Columbia, or in restraint of trade or commerce between any such Territory and another, or between any such Territory or Territories, and any State or States or the District of Columbia, or with foreign nations, or between the District of Columbia and any State or States, or foreign nations, is hereby declared illegal. Every person who shall make any such contract or engage in any such combination or conspiracy, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the Court.

SEC. 4. The several circuit courts of the United States are hereby invested with jurisdiction to prevent and restrain violations of this Act; and it shall be the duty of the several District Attorneys of the United States, in their respective districts, under the direction of the Attorney-General, to institute proceedings in equity to prevent and restrain such violations. Such proceedings may be by way of petition setting forth the case and praying that such violation shall be en joined or otherwise prohibited. When the parties complained of shall have been duly notified of such petition

the court shall proceed, as soon as may be, to the hearing and determination of the case; pending such petition and before final decree, the court may at any time make such temporary restraining order or prohibition as shall be deemed just in the premises.

SEC. 5. Whenever it shall appear to the court before which any proceedings under section four of this act may be pending, that the ends of justice require that other parties should be brought before the court, the court may cause them to be summoned, whether they reside in the district in which the court is held or not; and subpoenas to that end may be served in any district by the marshal thereof.

SEC. 6. Any property owned under any contract or by any combination, or pursuant to any conspiracy (and being the subject thereof) mentioned in section one of this act, and being in the course of transportation from one State to another, or to a foreign country, shall be forfeited to the United States, and may be seized and condemned by like proceedings as those provided by law for the forfeiture, seizure, and condemnation of property imported into the United States contrary to law.

SEC. 7. Any person who shall be injured in his business or property by any other person or corporation by reason of anything forbidden or declared to be unlawful by this act, may sue therefor in any Circuit Court of the United States in the district in which the defendant resides or is found, without respect to the amount in controversy, and shall recover three fold the damages by him sustained, and the costs of suit, including a reasonable attorney's fée.

SEC. 8. That the word 46 person," or "persons." wherever used in this act shall be deemed to include corporations and associations existing under or authorized by the laws of either the United States, the laws of any of the Territories, the laws of any State, or the laws of any foreign country.

THE subject of expression in portraiture and the best methods of securing it has recently been dealt with in our pages, and those of our professional readers to whom the subject is of paramount importance may be interested in some physiological aspects of the matter that we do not remember to have seen dealt with before, writes the editor of The British Journal of Photography. The ideas are those of Mr. Henry Jones, of the Sydney (N.S.W.) Phrenological Institute, who, in the Australasian Photographic Journal, discusses some peculiarities of sitters from the point of view of physique. Mr. Jones says that when the flesh predominates, and a subject is what people generally call "fat" or "stout," there is a desire to sit in the most comfortable chair and take life easy. Anything or anybody compelling them to "take a chair" with a straight back, such as is often used in the "studio 'for "bust" portraits, will not please them. You will ruffle their feelings,

make them feel uncomfortable and discontented. They are homely, jovial people, and their surroundings must be congenial if a reflex of the true feelings is to be seen in their features, and a true, natural pose obtained. People in whom the bone predominates are quite dissimilar to the fleshy people. These bony people are rough and ready, are fond of work, and they can put up with indifferent surroundings; but they prefer solid, firm, and straight furniture. The proverbial studio chair would be more appreciated by this person than the fleshy one, better still if they are allowed to stand. A prominent-browed person should be made to observe, because he is more natural-looking than if he was taken full-face with a vacant stare, as is the case in too many instances. Children with round-shaped ears should be attracted to look in the direction of where some musical sound comes from. Those with a fullness just behind the corners of the eyebrows wear a happier expression when any eatable is held up to them in a tempting manner. In the first case, the round ear shows love of music and sounds; in the second, appetite." Most of this studio philosophy falls within the category of the obvious, but the part of it relating to the treatment of children is based upon reasoning that might be less obscure. It imposes no strain upon the acumen of a photographer to differentiate between the accomodational needs of stout and thin people; but, if an attentive study of minute facial characteristics of small sitters is to be gone through each time one of them appears, studio work will become somewhat irksome. Mr. Jones probably knows more about the inexact "science" of phrenology than practical portrait photography.

SPEAKING at the New England Convention of Photographers recently, Mr. Darius Cobb, the well-known Boston artist, said "I would favor the abolishment of the Salon. The Salon of of Parisian Art has declined so in character and significance that when I see a picture with the word Salon on its frame I am reminded of the Grecian Orator, who, on being applauded, turned and said "What foolish thing have I said now?" No judge is infallible, and so many pictures selected for the Salon may be inferior to many that are rejected; yet its public, relying largely on the judges as experts, must view the Salon's pictures as superior to the others, and underestimate the general exhibition accordingly."

APPARENTLY photography has not been so well represented at the Paris Exposition Writing upon the subject the Practical Photographer says: Among professional exhibits things are much as they were at the exhibition of 1898. Public taste appears to have made little or no headway, and since the average professional has no ambition to do more than servilely reflect public taste, he is still wallowing in the mire of highly-glazed papers, excessive retouching, and theatrical poses. A few exceptions mark the rule: Instances of novel and effective vignetting, of beautiful printing in carbon or platinum, and the tasteful blending of print and mount, but look where one will it is scarcely possible to find a professional with any idea of good framing. One must turn to the sun-artists for refinement in frames, to the pictures of the Photo Club de Paris, or the British collection for which Mr. Craigie is responsible. The greater number of these have already been seen in England and to better advantage, for, as pictures by photography, they are unquestionably out of place in the trade and professional

section.

But when we come to photography as applied to sundry arts and crafts and in scientific research, it is very much more in evidence than ten years ago; that is to say, the best idea of progress in photography is to be gathered from the exhibition generally, and not from its own section, if we except the pictures just mentioned which illustrate its development as an art Wherever you go, into whatever obscure alcove you may penetrate, there is almost cer

tain to be a photograph or two, and sometimes many, illustrating perhaps a manufacturer's works, perhaps certain forms of machinery or apparatus, or buildings and scenery of special interest in different countries, portraits of inhabitants in national dress, and a thousand-andone other details. This is where photography has made the greatest headway-as a faithful recorder.

So much is said nowadays about long focus cameras and combination lenses which allow of telephoto work, that it may be interesting to those concerned in the matter to examine two photographs made by a Cycle Solograph camera, with the regular Solograph lens, and with the same lens when the back combination only is used for telephoto work. Both photographs are taken from the same point of view and from the same spot, so that they give a very good idea of the magnification that the Solograph lens allows. These two photographs are sent by Mr. G. A. Conradi, of Bethlehem, Pa., who, commenting upon the same, writes as follows:

"I am sending you under separate cover, two views of the Bethlehem Steel Co. works. These views are taken with a 4 x 5 Solograph, using the double combination for the smaller, and the back lens alone for the larger one. The Solograph is, without doubt, the best on the market, to say nothing of the price. Have made over six dozen exposures during the past three weeks and they are all like the ones sent you. I can truly say, no failures with the Solograph."

A Monster Plate.-The M. A. Seed Dry Plate Company recently made what is believed to be the largest dry plates ever produced. They were 5 x 8 feet, and weighed about 150 pounds each. They were made for Mr. Geo. R. Lawrence, of 2701 Indian Avenue, Chicago. The first two exposed made very fine negatives.

Photographing by Light from Venus.-Dr. William R. Brooks, director of the Smith Observatory at Geneva, N. Y., has succeeded in photographing objects solely by the light from the planet Venus. The experiments were conducted within the dome of the observatory, so that all outside light was excluded except that which came from Venus through the open shutter of the dome. The time was the darkest hour of the night, after the planet had risen, and before the approach of dawn. The actinic property of the light from Venus was much stronger than anticipated, the photographic plates being remarkably clear, intense, and fully timed. The experiments will be continued every clear night. Dr. Brooks was an early worker in photography, and has used it for many years in his astronomical researches.-Scientific American.

Broken Negatives.-Breakages are one of the drawbacks to glass plates. No matter how careful a worker is, he is sure to get breakages at some time or another, and it generally happens that it is a valuable negative that is broken. Care should be taken in picking up the negative that the film be not broken. Place the negative flat in a dish (film up), and pick off any little bits of glass that may be on it. Then cover it with pure hydrochloric acid 1 oz., water 9 oz. While the negative-a quarter plate, let us suppose -is soaking obtain a halfplate glass, and well clean it. When this is ready, take a fine camel-hair pencil and try if the film will come off. If not, leave it to soak a little longer. When it seems like coming off, take it carefully up and put it into a big bowl of clean water, and gently with the brush roll it off. Then move it about till it straightens out flat (taking care not to reverse it). This is rather a trying job, but if the brush is carefully used and aided by occasional whisks of the water, it is fairly easy. When it is flat take the half-plate glass (previously cleaned), and put it into the water. Gently bring it up underneath the film, and lift the whole carefully out of the water. Steadily drain off all superfluous water, but be careful the film does not slide off as well. (Bubbles may be pressed out by the brush well wetted.) When it seems as though it were going to stick, stand the glass up to dry out of the dust. When nearly dry, take the negative and place it in methylated spirit for ten minutes or so; take it out of this and lay flat to dry. Negatives carefully done by this method will appear as if never broken.-D. T. D., in Photography.

Figure Subjects.-I find it best to either select a few costumes, with due regard to their photographic qualities, or have them made up specially of varying shades

of gray.

It is, however, essential that they be well worn and characteristic; as to me, nothing is so bad as obviously dressed and posed models in a picture. Much pure white drapery should be avoided, a rinse in a weak yellow dye greatly improving such from a photographic point of view. Children should be dressed in plain simple things, clothes that can be romped in without fear of damage and of a dark cream for the lighter one. A special pinafore or two and a bonnet and hat are worth investing in, as sometimes a splendid model, unsuitably dressed, will be found, and if the right things are at hand, a minute or two works quite a transformation. On no account let the models look as if they had just stepped out of a bandbox. For older models, a blouse or two of unobtrusive patterned calico and a skirt or so, dyed at home to the shade required, and not too much starched and ironed, will be found useful, and if the pattern is not too pronounced will not be recognized as old friends in every picture, as they will look quite different in every change of lighting.-T. Lee Syms in the Photographic Record.

"The American Annual of Photography and Photographic Times Almanac," for 1901, is a Jim Dandy, but oh, what a lengthy title the publishers insist upon giving it! Why not have called it "The Photographic Annual," "The Times Annual," "Scovill's Annual," or some other title short and sensible? If we ever undertake to publish an annual, we will fill the cover full of good things and leave the Almanac section for patent medicine concerns to write up. But after all, maybe the almanac is a good feature; with its aid photographers can read up" days and dates" without worrying through a lot of liver complaint testimonials! Be this as it may, the 1901 edition is up-to-date in every respect, and is a worthy follower of the fourteen previous annuals that have been issued under the same lengthy title. The editor has taken more than usual care in the selection of both articles and illustrations, and we are inclined to believe that little fault can be found with either this time. As a record of what amateur photographers throughout the country are doing, and the wonderful progress in pictorial photography, this annual is complete. Many of the pictures are reproductions from various salons and exhibitions held during the past year.

The professional photographer is also well represented, especially with the newer work that is attracting so much attention at present.

This Annual is like a department store (except that it is thoroughly reliable; no hand-me-downs or take bargains), and is continually adding new features, one of the latest and best of which is the department entitled