WE now give some further particulars as to the Glasgow meeting.
The excursions on Wednesday, July 6th, were favoured with bright sunshine until the middle of the afternoon. One party, under the charge of J. Stuart, went by rail to Balloch, and thence by steamer up Loch Lomond to Tarbert. Walking across a neck of land, Arrochar was now reached ; and the return was made by steamer down Loch Long to Helensburgh, whence train was taken to Glasgow.
The second division (leader, Geo. Mason) went on a special steamer to the regatta at Largs, and it is said that 315 plates were exposed.
At the evening meeting Prof. A. S. Herschel (Newcastle-on-Tyne) took the chair, and W. Lang, junr., read a paper on Carey Lea's Researches on the Photo-Salts of Silver," and he exhibited specimens of those substances which he had himself prepared by following Lea's instructions. In the discussion which followed, J. T. Taylor said that he believed in the possibility of fixing the colours produced by light. Some time ago he had exposed to sunlight for a fortnight a naturally-coloured photograph of the spectrum upon a silver plate, and it was absolutely unchanged. Prof. Herschel said that a similar photograph, presented to his father (Sir John Hersehel) by Beequerel, was still his possession, and was unchanged. He only ventured, however, to examine it by gaslight.
T. N. Armstrong next read a paper on " Photography at Home." As to the necessity for retouching, Mr. Taylor reminded the audience that the Daguerreotypes and collodion positives of former days were untouched, yet they were very pleasing pictures. John Urie thought retouching, as now performed, was a pandering to a vulgar taste ; the smooth marble effect being wholly unlike human flesh. J. J. Briginshaw then gave a lecture on "Polarised Light," illustrated by a large number of beautiful designs in selenite, &c., thrown on the screen by the lime-light. Lantern slides by York, Murray, Armstrong, and Wellington were afterwards shown.
On Thursday a large party were conveyed by the splendid steamer Columba to Tarbert and back, a ride of 160 miles. Many groups were taken at Tarbert, including several by J. Stuart on 24 by 20 plates.
At the evening meeting, W. Lang, Junr., was in the chair, and papers were read by W. H. Harrison, A. Pringle, J. T. Taylor, T. Pratt, and A. L. Henderson. Jerome Harrison demonstrated the working of Pumphrey's films and film-holder; and Professor C. H. Bothamley (of Leeds) gave an able account of orthochromatic photography.
In the " business" which followed, the Council were re-elected, with the addition of Messrs. Falconer and Good-win. A hearty invitation to hold next year's meeting at Birmingham was brought from the local photographic society by Jerome Harrison, who enlarged on the central position of the town, and its close proximity to such interesting spots as Stratford-on-Avon, "Warwick, Guy's Cliff, Lichfield, Leamington, Kenilworth, Charmwood Forest, &c. The invitation was unanimously accepted; and it was further resolved that a set of rules for the guidance of the Convention be drawn up and submitted at the Birmingham meeting.
Friday saw the members of the Convention on their way by train to Edinburgh, and in this city they were well received by a deputation of the local photographic society, headed by the president, W. Forgan. Mounting several large brakes, the chief sights were rapidly visited, including the Observatory, the Castle, Holyrood, &c., and then the party drove out to Craigmillar Castle, where luncheon was provided, and where a group (on a 34 by 24 plate) was taken by W. Crooke, as to which plate a telegram " Large group right," was subsequently received at the evening meeting in Glasgow.
Hastening back to Glasgow, W. Lang, junr., presided over the evening meeting, when B. Wollaston read a paper on " Film Photography." The negatives exhibited at the Convention prove Mr. Wollaston to be a master of the art, and we strongly recommend the study of his paper to our readers. In the discussion, W. H. Walker recommended water as the best restrainer; by well soaking the film before development, the absorbed water would act as a restrainer during development. He had entirely given up the use of bromides as restrainers. A. Pringle still preferred ammonia as the alkali. S. McKellen said paper negatives were not exempt from halation, especially if under-exposed. In reply, Mr. Wollaston said he found that with stripping films, ammonia sometimes caused them to be more difficult to get off. He agreed entirely with Mr. Walker's remarks; yet, though water acted as a restrainer when paper was the support, it would not do so with the same emulsion on glass—why, he could not say. He did not believe that halation proper was obtained on paper negatives ; the effects seen were rather due to a reversal of the image.
Au adjourned discussion upon " Orthochromatic Photography" then followed, in which Prof. Herschel and Messrs. Wellington, Henderson, Parker, and Bothamley took part. Cordial votes of thanks to the local workers closed the business of the evening. The council met on Saturday morning at the ‘Waverley.' First the following gentlemen were added to the council: —Prof. Herschel, W. H. Walker, C. Tate, C. H. Bothamley, McDougal, T. N". Armstrong, Dr. Hill-Norris, Councillor Lancaster, J. Place, J. H. Packard, B. Karleese, Whitlock, John Cillier, and Harold Baker. A sub-committee of six was appointed to draw up a set of rules for the guidance of the Convention. Finally, numerous well-deserved votes of thanks were given.
Reviewing the entire meeting, it must be pronounced to have been, for those who attended, thoroughly enjoyable as an outing. The Convention is as yet the merest infant, without even a code of laws for its guidance. Of the great advantage which a representative annual meeting of photographers may ultimately prove we entertain no doubt; but a point will be, to find means of making the Convention truly representative of photographers in general, and not merely representative of those who can go holiday making for a week. To do this will probably be practicable if the present Council really wish it.
We hope next year to see a large and representative gathering of photographers and photographic experimentalists at Birmingham, and also to see the new institution placed on a proper footing.