But to return to our subject. As we have said, we felt from the first that photo-etching was the ultimate goal to be reached; that was the final end and method of expression in monochrome photography. We argued the matter out with many painters, and they agreed with us, as did they agree that the process of reproduction must be the result of chemical changes only—that no retouching was admissible, or a hybrid would be the result, and a hybrid is detestable to all artists, although we have recently seen writers untrained in art matters advocating a photo-etched plate as a basis for etching or mezzotinting. Having decided, then, on these points, we determined to try the photo-etching processes of the various firms. On inquiring from the best English and French firms, we found that but very few, in most cases no landscapes from nature had been reproduced in this way, although a few portraits had been done. We carefully examined the specimens (nearly all specimens of facsimile work) of thirteen different firms; in fact, all the firms practising photo-etching that we could hear of. From this examination it was evident that however good many of the processes were for facsimile work, but few were adaptable to our needs. Having at last settled on the four apparently most suitable processes, we began our studies. Negatives were sent to each of these firms, of whom only one had ever attempted reproducing a landscape direct from a negative from nature. The proofs came, and were in every case most unsatisfactory; they had all been barbarously retouched, all the tonality had been falsified, faces against the sky were made lighter than the sky, faces were roughly outlined with an etching-needle, high lights were scraped away needlessly, and shadows barbarously deepened with the roulette. Our battles then began, and we demanded plates free from retouching; the voluminous correspondence we had on the subject would afford amusement. Various firms protested—it couldn’t be done; it was absurd; was art the result of a chemical process? and Heaven knows what! However, we persisted with inflexibility, and though we had to accept in some cases the least visibly retouched plates, we finally gained the day all round, in so far that all the firms supplied us with plates with no visible retouching. Thus was instituted a new departure, negatives from nature were reproduced, through our battlings, with no visible retouching; and although a few diagrammatic negatives had been reproducedreproduced here and there before us, we were the first to start the serious reproduction of negatives from landscapes and figure subjects which could be regarded as pictures per se, and not merely as topographical views.
But now the coast is clear, and the student can get his negatives done without visible retouching by asking for it. From an examination of these results it was soon evident that one firm, the Typographic Etching Company, produced plates immeasurably superior to those of any other firm, and in addition, they would guarantee their production without retouching.
For reproducing negatives taken from nature, then, this process is perfect, and we cannot see how any photo-engraving process will ever surpass it. |Messrs. Dawson and Colls.| Mr. Dawson and Mr. Colls are trained artists, and perhaps therein lies the secret of their success. It is perhaps invidious to select one firm for special mention, but as the results of Mr. Colls and the Typographic Etching Company are in every way so superior when artistically considered, we feel it our duty to record the fact here for the benefit of the student. Quite recently there has been much discussion on the vital question of “Photogravures v. Engravings,” and some of the English firms have publicly announced that it is necessary to finish their work by hand, while others privately maintained the same fact. Mr. Colls, late of the Typographic Etching Company, on the other hand, maintains that a plate, perfect in quality, can be produced without the aid of a touch by hand. Further on will be found a communication on the process by the etcher, Mr. Colls, who therein states that he can and does produce his work without any retouching.
The Dawson process renders the light in the shadows better than any of the other processes, this being effected by the method of working, and, as a whole, the “quality” of the work is unapproachable, it beats mezzotint out of the field in its subtlety and delicacy.
And here we would caution the gentlemen of the press who have lately written so freely and so mistakenly on the subject of photogravure, that the best photogravures are not produced in France, but in England. Englishmen do not seem to know when they possess a “good thing.”
We venture to say, without any diffidence, that for the reproduction of negatives from nature, Dawson’s process is facile princeps, and to assert that for the reproduction of pictures, some of the English processes are equal to, if not superior to, the continental processes. This is also the opinion of several artists who have seen specimens of the work done in both countries. The process, as worked in America, does not give results equal to those obtained in England. For diagrammatic purposes, we consider nearly all of the English processes possess qualities of equal value.
Another new departure for which we had some battling was a minor point, but an important one. It was on the question of lettering. It had been the practice of many of the firms to engrave in plain lettering beneath the picture, the name of the firm, and the words “negative by ——,” and often in addition the word “copyright.” This engraving, as it was usually done, gave a “cheap” look to the picture. We felt that the picture was injured by this procedure, so we insisted that our name should be cut in the picture, in a quiet manner, as an etcher would sign his name, and that no ordinary engraving should appear on the plate. In case, then, our student should at any time have any of his works reproduced, we will give him a few hints, for though the publisher does the business part, the artist always has the passing of the plates.
When sending his plates, then, to be bitten, he should send a well-printed platinotype print with them, a print having just the effect he wishes for in the copper-plate. If clouds are to be introduced, the cloud negative should be sent as well. He will in due time receive a proof, which he must go carefully over, making any notes on the margin as to re-biting, &c. If it be retouched or utterly bad, it must be rejected. Of course, it is here evident that his art knowledge will come in, for if ignorant of art, how can he make remarks to the “biters” who are often artists? He must continue asking for proofs until he receives a satisfactory one, for no plate can be forced upon him if he can prove it to be wrong. If he have real grounds for objection, he will find the English firms most generous, for they take a pride in their work. They have, in some cases, made as many as three plates from a subject for us, with no extra charge, and this we could never get a French firm to do. When he approves of the plate, he signs the proof to that effect. Then comes the great question of “colour,” that is the coloured ink to be used; for one of the great advantages in photo-etching lies in the number of colours and shades of colours which can be used. Here, again, his artistic knowledge comes in, and he will find the effects produced by different colours are marvellous. Having, then, suggested his colour and tint, he will receive proofs printed in them, and he finally decides upon the tint suitable for each plate, and these are kept as standards on a file. The matter of printing papers, too, offers great variety and scope for artistic selection; but here the student will find he has not a free hand, the publisher often limiting his choice in that on financial grounds. The student must see, however, that if India paper be used, an unsuitable tint be not selected. For example, India paper may be yellow or white, obviously then, if the plate is to be printed in bartolozzi red, white India must be used, and not the ordinary yellow-tinted India. The student must be careful when sending his platinotype print, to cut it exactly to the limits he wants the picture on copper. Copper-plates can be produced in this way from prints in cases where the negative has been broken. If the sky is not an important part of the picture, it is better to have it a flat grey tint, or delicately gradated. The student, of course, remembering certain physical truths, as, for example, that still water is, as a rule, lower in tone than the sky which it reflects, &c. The best test of relative value of sky and water is to turn the picture upside down. All these subtleties must be carefully considered, for a sky lower in tone than the still water reflecting it, would, with rare exceptions, be a fatal artistic error, and enough to condemn the plate. The details which thus go to make or mar a picture are countless.
This, then, is our experience of the photo-mechanical processes, and, as we make it a rule never to write on anything we have not full practical knowledge of, we have asked our friend, Mr. Colls, to write us some particulars of these processes. We have done this because there are certain misleading books in the market on the subject, written by men without such special knowledge as can only be obtained by a man who has worked at the process for years and at nothing else, and who is, in addition, an artist. Mr. Colls is both a specialist and an artist in this work. In our opinion the future artists who practise photography will also photo-etch their own plates, which is greatly to be desired, but since these processes are at present kept very secret, this knowledge cannot now be acquired. Nevertheless, we feel that the day is not far distant when every artist who expresses himself by photography will also bite his own plates and make his own blocks, and the prints will be published by print-dealers as etchings are now. This, in our opinion, is the only method which can give full artistic satisfaction. A final important consideration is the number of good prints which can be pulled from each plate. Dawson’s plates, being bitten deeper, will obviously stand more wear and tear than the others, and will produce a greater number of good impressions. Mr. Colls thinks that at least 3000 good impressions can be pulled from each plate, if the steel-facing will last. We append Mr. Colls' remarks:—
“In giving a description of the various methods that are employed for reproducing photographs from nature for the copper-plate press, it is obvious that only those which are purely ‘automatic’ need be mentioned, as it is impossible to give a true rendering of those beautiful forms and delicate gradations of tone, which we see in nature, by any but automatic means. For so ever-varying and sudden are her changes, that it is by photography alone we are able to secure these effects, and having obtained them, we require a process which will give us our impressions, and one which will harmonize with printed matter when required for book illustration.
“This we have in the Intaglio plate, which gives the most perfect tonality, and possesses all the richness and quality of a mezzotint plate, with the same degree of permanency.
“For convenience of description the different methods of producing Intaglio plates may be classed under two heads—‘Grown’ and ‘Bitten.’ I will first mention the ‘grown,’ and will endeavour to point out the characteristics of the different processes, so that a comparison may be made between them, with the object of determining the one best suited for the purpose. In all the growing methods the basis of the process consists in obtaining a gelatinous mould of the subject; the most usual and simple way being to develop a carbon print from a reversed negative on a polished copper-plate which has been previously silvered, to prevent the copper which is afterwards deposited upon it adhering; and to produce the grain which is necessary to hold the printing ink. The mould when wet is dusted over with powdered glass, sand, or the like, previously treated with wax or stearine, to assist its removal.
“When the mould is quite dry the gritty particles are removed by gentle rubbing, leaving the gelatine in a grained state. Plumbago is then rubbed well over the picture to render the mould conductive, and it is placed in the electrotyping battery and a stout cast taken. There is some little uncertainty attending the entire removal of the gritty particles, and great danger that in making the mould sufficiently conductive in the heavy portions, the fine work is destroyed by getting blocked with the plumbago. The former objection has been overcome by substituting powdered resins, which can be readily dissolved away without injury to the mould, and the latter by the introduction of a tissue containing granular plumbago, which while producing the necessary grain for holding ink, is one of the best conductors of electricity, so that no after-treatment is required.
“Similar to this is a process by which the grain is obtained by the action of light on a chemical substance, which crystallizes under the action of light, the crystals becoming larger the longer they are acted on by it. A deposit of copper is then made on the crystalline surface and a plate obtained.
“By these methods very satisfactory results may be obtained for certain classes of work where the range of tone is not great, they are more particularly suited for reproducing the works of early engravers, old cuts, etchings, pencil and crayon drawings, and similar work upon rough or grained surfaces. In fact, when printed upon old paper, as is sometimes done in particular cases, so closely do they resemble the originals, that the most expert judge would have great difficulty in detecting the reproduction from the original; but for reproducing nature work, where the scale ranges from the highest lights to the deepest shadows, these methods are not suitable without much hand-work, which is ruinous to the faithful rendering of the subject, and the introduction of the roulette which is used to give the necessary depth does not improve the appearance, as the depth obtained by it is heavy, and lacking that transparency which is so desirable in all classes of work from nature. The great drawback to these methods is that the grain produced is upon the surface of the plate, standing up in innumerable little prickles, and the only way of working up a plate is with the roulette and scraper (the nature of the grain being unsuited for re-biting). These, added to the soft nature of grown copper, as compared to rolled or hammered copper, which is used in the biting methods, necessitates the greatest care in printing, and usually require very strong and sometimes forcing inks to give the necessary strength, and although a plate be steel-faced it will not hold out for a large number of impressions.
“There are other ways of producing a grain upon a gelatinous mould by re-sensitizing and, when dry, dusting over the picture brocade powder, either coarse or fine, as the subject may require; the mould being previously treated with vaseline, or a similar substance, to allow of the powder adhering, and exposing to daylight for a short time. The powder is then removed, and it is ready for the battery, after being blackleaded. As all the growing methods resemble each other so closely, I will not mention any others, but will proceed with a short description of the biting processes.
“A polished copper-plate, preferably a hammered one, is thoroughly cleaned, to remove all traces of grease, and is dusted over with powdered asphalt or resin, and the plate heated until the powder becomes partially melted. A carbon print from a reversed transparency is next developed upon the grained plate and allowed to dry. The unprotected margin is then painted round with asphalt, or other resist-varnish, and a wall of bordering wax placed round the work. It is then ready for biting, which is done with perchloride of iron, the bare portions being first attacked; water is then added, and the biting proceeds to the next tone, and so on, adding water when required, until the solution has penetrated the thickest portions of the film. The greatest care must be exercised during this operation, and a careful watch kept lest the action remain too long on any part. The biting should proceed in a gradual manner, so that the values are not exaggerated. The plate is then rinsed in water, the bordering wax removed, and the pigment cleaned off with a little potash ley.
“The biting of a plate resembles very closely the development of a dry-plate positive, as the action may be seen throughout the operation as each successive tone is reached. There are many variations to the above method, and each worker has his particular way of producing the grain, making the mould, biting, &c., but they are all based on the one just described. As the introduction of the biting methods as commercially worked is of more recent date than the grown, less is known of it, and those who work it most successfully keep it secret, and were it known there is little likelihood of its being satisfactorily worked by any but those experienced in copper-plate work, as long and careful study is necessary to master those minute details which are so important to ensure good results. For so delicate are the operations, that the changes of weather, temperature, &c., play an important part, and must be attended to.
“One of the great advantages a bitten plate has over a grown is that the scale is greater than by any other method, and the nature of the grain admirably lends itself to re-biting should any parts require deepening. That is, re-entering the original work by covering the grained surface with a protective coating, which resists the action of the acid etching-fluid, and deepening those parts that may require it, stopping out with resist-varnish any portion where deepening is not wanted. This at once does away with the roulette, and the plate still maintains its original character. Re-biting is seldom required on a plate from nature, for with care a plate can be made which needs no after-work whatever, and when bevelled and steel-faced is ready for the press, notwithstanding the assertion that has been made to the contrary, which recognizes the process only as a basis for skilled after-work. It is needless to say that in all mechanical processes the very best negative is required to work from, for although a great deal may be done in the biting to counteract any defects in the negative, yet, if the negative is wanting in any particular, the after-result is sure to suffer. And here I wish to say that by the ‘very best negative’ I do not mean the ordinary photographer’s beau-ideal, but a negative which gives a true impression of the object photographed, and is full of the ‘quality’ and subtlety of nature.
“The grain obtained on a plate which is bitten, differs materially from one that is grown, inasmuch as in the former it is below the surface, and in the latter upon it, as previously described; consequently its wearing capabilities are far greater.
“Another biting method which possesses the merit of ingenuity rather than utility, is of converting an ordinary bromide of silver positive into chloride of silver, by the action of perchloride of iron and chromic acid. The film when damp is brought into close contact with the face of a polished copper-plate. Chloride of silver now rests upon the copper-plate, more of it in the vigorous or dark portions, and less of it in the lighter, and by a galvano-chemical process the chloride of silver decomposes, forming metallic silver and soluble chloride of copper, and producing depths corresponding to the amount of chloride of silver present. The energy of the action may be increased by moistening the film with a weak solution of chloride of zinc, and a battery current seems necessary to produce good results. As can be seen, the process is a very delicate one, admitting of little if any latitude in working, and, unlike the first-mentioned biting process, will not permit of any work being put on the positive as is usually done in the first method for certain work where the darks are very hard and pronounced, and a great saving of after-labour avoided.
“It is advisable to say that the work done on the positive and plate to which I refer is done in connection with facsimile work, and not with ‘nature work,’ for in the reproduction of engravings the deep blacks of the engravings have to be reproduced, and since in nature there is no black of this kind we do not have to accentuate parts of the plates to produce it.”
Having our print, the next question is how shall it be mounted and framed. There can, of course, be no laws for this, but we feel justified in making a few remarks on this head.
The best mountant we know of is a weak solution of fine French glue. It acts better than any other mountant we have used, and we have tried several of the formulæ made with starch, arrowroot, and other compounds. Fine French glue holds firmly and there is no cockling after mounting. After mounting the prints are improved by being passed through a press, but this is by no means necessary. We shall now make a few remarks upon framing. |Framing.| In the first place it is our opinion that all cut mounts are inartistic. Mr. Whistler, not long since, made some remarks on this head, which are well worthy of attention. His objections to cut mounts were that the different tints of the picture, the gold border, and the cut mount, weakened the edges of the picture and detracted from its directness and strength, and this is no doubt true. For this reason we do not think platinotypes look well mounted on India paper, the edges are decidedly weakened, and as for mounting silver prints on India the result is most inharmonious. In our opinion then the print should be mounted upon white paper, preferably Whatman’s rough drawing-paper, and for all pictures less than whole plate size, we should recommend a margin from three to four inches. A suitable moulding for these would be a bevelled moulding enamelled white. |Moulding.| In all cases where the mount shows, it must be remembered that the colour should harmonize with the print. |Mounts.| We saw some prints of Whistler’s “Sarasate” mounted on plain black cabinet mounts, and they looked charming. As in that case, the picture came out nearly all black, the whole made a harmony in black. When the prints are mounted on cards as in the case of cartes and cabinets, there should be absolutely nothing on the face of the card. The hideousness of the photographer’s name in shining golden letters is far too common. Nothing could look better for these small pictures than plain black mounts, with no word or letter or coloured line or any other embellishment. If the photographer is such a tradesman at heart that he must air his medals, let him put all that part of him on the back of the card. The method of stamping each photograph with the photographer’s name is not less to be deprecated. For the industrial photographer some simple but artistic lettering should be chosen, and it should be printed small in one corner in Indian ink, which harmonizes with the grey of platinotypes. Any good die-cutter could supply an artistic stamp, and the charge, even if a little greater than usual, could not be very great. Or the photographer might cut out his name artistically in the gelatine film, but we recommend the former plan. The mounts for cartes and cabinets should have a margin of at least half an inch all round, as this adds considerably to the effect.
For platinotypes ranging from whole plate size up to 15 by 12, we prefer to frame them up closely, showing no mount. The frame we like best for large black and white work is a pattern we took from a painting by De Hooghe. These frames are made of mahogany, 2½ inches wide, and bevelled inwards, and have a rather broad slip of English gilt between the frame and the picture. |Frames.| The mahogany is stained black and polished. Pictures of 15 by 12 and upwards, should also be framed close up, and for the larger sizes we prefer gilt frames and simple mouldings with but little carving. Cambridge frames are simple, but do not look distinguished. Each picture should have a separate frame, and we trust that exhibition committees will one day see their way to enforcing this rule, which, besides ensuring a better effect, would prevent much bad work being hung. Sometimes six prints are hung for the sake of one or two, because they are all in one frame. We could scarcely believe, had we not seen it, the fact that some exhibitors have chronicled on a part of their frame the medals taken elsewhere by the picture. Such a proceeding, besides being vain and ill-bred, is apt to influence credulous judges. One would think it quite needless to say that this form of advertisement is not ornamental, nor does it enhance the virtue, qualities, or beauty of the picture. All artificial methods of mounting and framing are to be avoided. One of these is mounting on glass. |Albums.| All albums used for mounting prints should have plain pages, tinted in harmony with the charcoal grey of the platinotype. All the vulgar decorations of ships, flowers, &c., which disfigure the photographic albums of to-day should be rigidly excluded. The bad taste of the manufacturers of these things is only another proof of the bluntness of the æsthetic feelings of producers and buyers alike.
The hazy notions existing among many photographers as to how to secure the copyright of their photographs, and other details, has led us to make a few remarks on the subject. In the first place the student is cautioned to secure the copyright of every photograph worth keeping, for we presume he will only keep pictures. This should be done at once; it is our practice to send the first rough print at once to the copyright office.
The photographer must write to the Registrar, Stationers' Hall, Doctors' Commons, E.C., for forms for copyrighting photographs. These cost one penny each, and a money order must be enclosed for the amount, stamps not being accepted. He will then receive the form as given on the next page.
The student must carefully note the footnote on the schedule, and be most particular in all cases when he sells his copyright in any plates to have a written agreement drawn up and signed before he fills in the copyright schedules. After this proceeding he can fill up the schedule as directed, and it is, of course, only on these occasions that he will be required to fill in columns two and three of the schedule.
The student should carefully study the matter of copyrighting, for he will find both publishers and photographers are, as a rule, ill-informed on those parts of the copyright law to which we now refer.
TO THE REGISTERING OFFICER APPOINTED BY THE STATIONERS' COMPANY.
I, John Silver, of 0, Regent’s Street, London, do hereby certify, That I am entitled to the Copyright in the undermentioned Work; and I hereby require a Memorandum of such Copyright [or, the Assignment of such Copyright] to be entered in the Register of Proprietors of Copyright in Paintings, Drawings, and Photographs, kept at Stationers' Hall, according to the particulars underwritten.
| (Every particular given must be clearly written.) | ||||
| Description of Work. | Date of Agreement or Assignment. | Names of Parties to Agreement or Assignment. | Name and Place of Abode of Proprietor of Copyright. | Name and Place of Abode of Author of Work. |
| Photograph | John Silver, | John Silver, | ||
| entitled | 0, Regent | 0, Regent | ||
| “Spring.” | Street, | Street, | ||
| London. | London. | |||
| Dated this 28th day of June, 1888. | (Signed) John Silver. | |||
N.B.—Office Hours from Ten to Four; Saturdays, Ten to Two.
N.B.—In all cases where a Painting, Drawing, or Negative of a Photograph is transferred for the first time by the owner to any other person, the Copyright will cease to exist, unless at or before the time of such transfer an Agreement in writing be signed by the transferee reserving the Copyright to the owner, or by the owner transferring the Copyright to the transferee, as may be the intention of the parties; and the date of such Agreement and names of parties must be inserted above, or registration will be no protection.
He fills in then all but columns 2 and 3, as in the dummy, and returns the form with a shilling, a copy of the photograph to be registered, and one penny for postage, when he will receive a receipt. Each photograph must be separately copyrighted. This 1s. 1d. protects the photograph for 42 years, or for the author’s lifetime and seven years after death. The author (being a British subject, or resident within the dominions of the Crown) is entitled to the copyright of every photograph made in the British dominions or elsewhere. We shall extract a few pertinent remarks from an excellent article on copyright, which appeared in the “Year’s Art of 1887:”—
The “author” of a photograph seems to be the person who actually groups the sitters, and “is the effective cause of the picture.” An agreement is made with operators to obviate this reading of the law. “A photograph taken from an engraving is ‘an original photograph’ within the section.” Thus a photographer cannot copy the photograph of an engraving in which there exists copyright.
The copyright given by the act is “the sole and exclusive right of copying, engraving, reproducing, and multiplying the photograph and the negative thereof, by any means or of any size. The fact that there is copyright in a representation of a scene or object does not prevent other people making an independent representation of such scene or object, but a photograph of groups so arranged as to exactly resemble a picture would be an infringement of the copyright of the picture, for if in the result that which is copied be an imitation of the picture, then it is immaterial whether it be arrived at directly or by intermediate steps.” Photographers should pay great heed to this clause. For if a photograph or photogravure be so arranged or grouped as to resemble another already copyrighted, the law has been infringed. This is a most wholesome fact, for the veriest fool can go and arrange a picture after an artist has once shown him how to do it, for as in all art the originality is to select a beautiful scene in nature, there lies the difficulty.
The photograph is not protected until it has been registered, and if the picture is pirated before registration there is no remedy except in special cases.
Photographers should then register the first print they take from their negatives. Making lantern-slides from copyrighted photographs or photo-etchings is of course an infringement of the law, and should be severely dealt with.
“If a picture or photograph is painted or taken on commission as the copyright (unless reserved) is in the hands of the purchaser, the painter or photographer may not paint or produce a replica.”
Penalties. “For each offence the offender forfeits to the proprietor of the copyright, for the time being, a sum not exceeding 10l. When several copies are sold together, the sale of each copy constitutes a separate offence.” It will be seen that a photographer could be ruined if a sale of say 1000 copies could be proved, and serve him right too.
All pirated repetitions, copies and imitations, and all negatives of photographs made for the purpose of obtaining such copies, are to be forfeited to the proprietor of the copyright.
“The proprietor may also bring an action for damages against persons making or importing for sale unlawful copies, although the importation is without guilty knowledge.”
Issuing spurious pictures.—If a photograph be falsely signed, it is an infringement, as it is to make any alteration in the work and then publish it as original.
It is commonly believed that, unless the word copyright be on the photograph, it is not secured. This is an error—as long as the photograph is copyrighted that is all that is required.
“Pecuniary penalties can be recovered by bringing an action against the offending party, or by summary proceedings before any two justices having jurisdiction where the offender resides.”
In ending this subject, we would impress upon the photographer that it is his solemn duty to exact the utmost rigour of the law, should he ever have his work pirated.
Exhibiting a work of art is publishing it, and the student will, when he obtains suitable works, very naturally begin to think about exhibiting them. The subject of photographic exhibitions is one upon which we have written many times in the photographic press. Photographic exhibitions are in a most unsatisfactory condition all over the world.
At present, a society, or a corporation, or a private firm, for ends of their own, advertise an exhibition, often on purely financial grounds; they hope it will pay them, sometimes it does pay and sometimes it does not. The method of organizing these exhibitions is to get a list of patrons, generally a few of the “classes,” a few photographers who are known, but whose fame more often than not is based on nothing solid, and is ephemeral, and finally perhaps the names of a few artists may be used to conjure with. Numbers of medals are advertised and all works have to be sent carriage paid. The judges are then chosen, and in nearly all cases they are utterly incompetent. No one can judge a work of art unless he be an artist. The combined assurance and ignorance of those who accept what should be considered a serious office, is laughable and lamentable. Is our exhibiting student then going to submit his work to men untrained in art? If he does, he will find it either unhung, skied, or passed over in the awards, to make room for the pretty nothings and false renderings of the craftsmen’s ideal. The whole judging business is such a blatant farce that the method of awards at photographic exhibitions is a stock joke among artists. We have repeatedly been to exhibitions with artists, and on nearly every occasion their opinion was that many of the most worthy pictures were passed over. Such a state of things is appalling, and when with that is coupled the notorious unfairness with which certain exhibitions are directed, as recent disclosures have proved, it is indeed lamentable. The tendency of all exhibitions as at present conducted is to degrade photography as an art; that is our deliberate opinion, after having for several years watched the system of making awards and having served on several juries of awards. A fatal error very common among photographers is to suppose that, because a man is an eminent scientist or a great authority on lenses, he is therefore a fit and proper person to judge pictures. The truth is he is one of the most unfit, for he is prejudiced, and his scientific knowledge has a bad influence on his judgment.
In our opinion all medals should be done away with, all distinctions between “amateur” and “professional” removed; all pictures should be hung on the line, the hanging committee should be selected from those photographers who have proved themselves by their works to know most about art; and all pictures should be exhibited in separate frames. If medals must be awarded in order to attract exhibitors, let the awards be made by artists of recognized position only. You have only to look at the medals awarded, to know what to expect; there is, with one or two exceptions, not the feeblest suggestion of art in them, they belong to the class of medals awarded to patent ice-cream machines, best refined arrow-root and dog-biscuits. |Medals as works of art.| If medals are awarded, each one should be a work of art, the original having been modelled by a good sculptor. The student, as a rule then, should pay no regard whatever to the awards made at exhibitions by photographers, the only real test of value is when the awards are made by trained artists, but it is rarely that even one artist serves on a jury of awards.
If our student must exhibit, we advise him to mark his work “Not for Competition.” |Gambling for medals.| Gambling for medals has lately assumed alarming proportions, as the recent comments in the Photographic News prove. It is enough to disgust all artists, who will of course keep aloof from photographic circles, as they already do, as long as things continue as they are. |Queer judges.| Can the folly of human nature go further than when we hear of Mr. Guncotton, noted for his studies in collodion, or Mr. Chromatic, noted for his patent lens, or Mr. Gelatine noted for his emulsion process, assembling in solemn conclave to award medals for pictures, to judge which, needs years of careful and special study and wide artistic experience. The student, curious on these matters, has only to note how different are the awards when artists give the prizes. Many of our best workers, we know, will not exhibit, so long as the craftsman’s ideal is set up as the standard, and the judges are not artists. |Early days of the Photographic Society.| In the early days of photography, when Sir Charles Eastlake, formerly president of the Royal Academy, was also president of the Royal Photographic Society, and when Sir W. J. Newton, the eminent miniature painter was one of the vice-presidents, there seemed some chance for photography, and all might have gone well, had not these artists, as we are informed, been harried and worried by the ignorant wranglings of their brother “photographic artist” (?) judges. Those who were thus responsible for the resignation of those artists, deserve to be pilloried to the end of time in photographic literature, and such, we are sure, is the feeling of all who earnestly wish for the good and advancement of photography.
This is a painful subject, but we conceive it to be our solemn duty to warn the student who is anxious to follow photography as an art, against all these traps. Let him set out with the determination to work for the approval of artists, and let him despise the approval or disapproval of all ignorant of art. As John Constable said long ago, “the self-taught artist has a very ignorant master!”
We hope the reforms regarding exhibitions which we have for years advocated, and more fully set forth in a photographic journal, in an article entitled “An Ideal Exhibition,” may some day be adopted, but we cannot be very sanguine. However, until some such reforms are adopted, photography must struggle on in darkness, and the blind will continue to lead the blind; and all we can do is to caution others, and ourselves avoid the guidance of the blind, unless we too wish to be led into the ditch.
We have then finished Book II., and we presume that the student has now mastered his technique and practice, but the end is not yet. The student may thoroughly understand the scientific side of photography, he may have mastered completely the use of his tools and he may be able to produce impressions on his plates such as he desires, but the end is not yet, for now he has to learn the practice and principles of art, he has to prove whether he can be an artist, for such is only given to a few. All can learn to draw, to paint, to photograph, to etch, but they may remain draughtsmen, painters, photographers, etchers all their lives, and never become artists. The history of art shows indeed how few become artists at all, and as for those who become great artists, they are as scarce as great poets. The student then must study art in some form or other, as well as his own technique and practice, which he could learn alone if he followed our instructions. Art, however, cannot so be learned, and the student should, if possible, attend some art classes. There are numerous art schools throughout the kingdom, and our student cannot do better than enter one of them and go through a course of drawing. Though no very profound knowledge is to be obtained at such schools, what is taught is better than nothing at all, and after all the student cannot expect to get the best advice on the matter, that is given to but the very few and fortunate.
In the next book we shall give what advice we can, but at the same time our student must study practically some branch of art; unless, indeed, he wishes to become one of the mighty band of art-ignorant craftsmen, or unless he is so fortunate as to be cast amongst highly talented artists, to whom he can easily apply for advice. For having learned his technique and practice he has but learned how to speak, he can only show his calibre by what he has to say and how he says it, just as all the world can write yet only the highly trained can write artistically.
In a very few months the student will see, if he is fitted by nature to become an artist, and if he is not our advice is give it up, or take up one of the scientific special branches, and if he is incapable of doing good work there, he must content himself to play at photography, as too many photographers do now, but in our opinion the art is not worth playing at, there are so many more satisfying games when play is the end and aim.