338 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 179. 



In an old volume I found the following : 



" Hujus si quaeris dominum cognoscere libri, 

 Nomen subscriptum perlege quaeso meum." 



Philobiblion. 



PHOTOGRAPHIC NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Head-rests. — The difficulty I have experienced 

 in getting my children to sit for their portraits in 

 a steady position, with the ordinary head-rests, has 

 led me to design one which I think may serve 

 others as well as myself; and I therefore will de- 

 scribe it as well as I can without diagrams, for the 

 benefit of the readers of " N. & Q." It is fixed 

 to the ordinary shifting upright piece of wood 

 which in the ordinary rest carries the semicircular 

 brass against which the head rests. It is simply a 

 large oval ring of brass, about an inch and a half 

 broad, and sloping inwards, which of the following 

 size I find fits the back of the head of all persons 

 from young children upwards : — five inches in the 

 highest part in front, and about four inches at the 

 back. It must be lined with velvet, or thin vul- 

 canised India rubber, which is much better, re- 

 pelling grease, and fitting quite close to the ring. 

 This is carried forward by a piece of semicircular 

 brass, like the usual rest, and fixes with a screw as 

 usual. About half the height of the ring is a steel 

 clip at each side, like those on spectacles, but much 

 stronger, about half an inch broad, which moving 

 on a screw or rivet, after the sitter's head is placed 

 in the ring, are drawn down, so as to clip the head 

 just above the ears. A diagram would explain the 

 whole, which has, at any rate, simplicity in its 

 favour. I find it admirable. Ladies' hair passing 

 through the ring does not prevent steadiness, and 

 with children the steel clips are perfect. I shall 

 be happy to send a rough diagram to any one, 

 manufacturers or amateurs. J. L. Sisson. 



Edingthorpe Rectory. 



Sir W. Newtoris Explanations of his Process. — 

 In reply to Me. John Stewart's Queries, I beg 

 to state, 



First, That I have hitherto used a paper made 

 by Whatman in 1847, of which I have a large 

 quantity ; it is not, however, to be procured now, 

 so that I do not know what paper to recommend ; 

 but I get a very good paper at WooUey's, Holborn, 

 opposite to Southampton Street, for positives, at 

 two shillings a quire, and, indeed, it might do for 

 negatives. 



Secondly, I prefer making the iodide of silver 

 in the way which I have described. 



Thirdly, Soft water is better for washing the 

 iodized paper ; if, however, spring water be made 

 use of, warm water should be added, to raise it to 

 a temperature of sixty degrees. I think that 

 sulphate or bicarbonate of lime would be injurious, 



but I cannot speak with any certainty in this 

 respect, or to muriate of soda. 



Fourthly, The iodized paper should keep good 

 for a year, or longer ; but it is always safer not 

 to make more than is likely to be used during the 

 season. 



Fifthly, If I am going out for a day, I generally 

 excite the paper either the last thing the night 

 before, or early the following morning, and de- 

 velope them the same night ; but with care the 

 paper will keep for two or three days (if the 

 weather is not hot) before exposure, but of course 

 it is always better to use it during the same day. 



Wm. J. Newton. 



6. Argyle Street. 



Talc for Collodion Pictures. — Should any of 

 your photographic friends wish to transmit col- 

 lodion pictures through the post, I would suggest 

 that thin plates of talc be used instead of glass 

 for supporting the film ; I find this substance well 

 suited to the purpose. One of the many advan- 

 tages of its use (though I fear not to be appre- 

 ciated by your archaeological and antiquarian 

 section) is, that portraits, &c., taken upon talc can 

 be cut to any shape with the greatest ease, shall I 

 say suitable for a locket or brooch ? W. P. 



Headingley, Leeds. 



Portrait of the Duke of Gloucester (Vol. vii., 

 p. 258.). — I beg to inform Mr. Way that he will 

 find an engraving of " The most hopefuU and high- 

 born Prince, Henry Duke of Gloucester, who was 

 borne at Oatlandes the eight of July, anno 1640 : 

 sould by Thos. Jenner at the South entry of the 

 Exchange," in a very rare pamphlet, entitled : 



" The Trve Effigies of our most Illustrious Sove- 

 raigne Lord, King Charles, Queene Mary, with the 

 rest of the Royall Progenia : also a Compendium or 

 Abstract of their most famous Genealogies and Pede- 

 grees expressed in Prose and Verse : with the Times 

 and Places of their Births. Printed at London for 

 John Sweeting, at the Signe of the Angell, in Pope's 

 Head Alley, 1641, 4to." 



For Henry Duke of Gloucester, see p. 16. : 



" What doth Kingdomes happifie 

 But a blesst Posteritie ? 

 This, this Realme, Earth's Goshen faire, 

 Europe's Garden, makes most rare, 

 Whose most royall Princely stemme 

 (To adorne theire Diadem) 

 Two sweet May-flowers did produce, 

 Sprung from Rose and Flower-de-Luce." 



*. 

 Richmond, Surrey. 



Key to DibdirCs '■'■Bibliomania^'' (Vol. vii., p. 151.). 

 — There are some inaccuracies in the list of names 



