EECREATIVE SCIEIS'CE. 



2.S1 



THE ANECDOTE HISTORY OF PHOTOGEAPHY. 



. i COIiLECTION II. - ,.- , 



Heliogeapht. — To the discoypry made by 

 the persevering Niepce, he gave the name 

 of Heliography, or sun-painting. He died 

 soon after, in. 1833. 



Acknowledgment oe the Discoveey 

 BY THE Eeench Goveenment. — In conside- 

 ration of this interesting and remarkable dis- 

 covery, the French Chamber of Deputies 

 voted an annual pension of 6000 franca to 

 Daguerre, and of 4000 francs to Isidore 

 Niepce, son of the late photographer, as pur- 

 chase-money for the secret of the Daguerreo- 

 type ; and for " the honour of having pre- 

 sented the scientific and artistic -world with 

 one of the most surprising discoveries that 

 adorns their country." "France," said Arago, 

 on that occasion, "has adopted this dis- 

 covery, and is proud to present it as a gift 

 to the whole world." 



The Talbottpe. — In January, 1839, the 

 Honourable Fox Talbot discovered and de- 

 clared the method he had perfected for pre- 

 paring paper used in the photographic process. 

 One was to cover it with a thin layer of chlo- 

 ride of silver, made sensitive for placing in 

 the camera by repeated washings. To fix the 

 images, he placed the paper in a brine bath, 

 or common salt (chloride of sodium), but at 

 first it was found that the light parts turned 

 bluish on being exposed to daylight. This 

 difficulty was soon surmounted. Mr. Talbot 

 called his process the Calotype, and he brought 

 it to such perfection, that an image might be 

 taken in the camera in less than a minute. 

 Early in 1830, Mr. Talbot sent the result of 

 his experiments, in the shape of photographs 

 on paper, to the various scientific circles in 

 London and Paris ; and they were admitted 

 to be a vast advance upon all previous acconi- 

 plishments. As Mr. Talbot protected his 

 process by patent, very little was done in the 



way of its public dissemination for years, 

 until he generously gave it to the country as 

 a free gift. Among the specimens so sent 

 were copies of a Hebrew psalm, of a Persian 

 gazette, and of an old Latin chart of 1279, 

 all wonderfully true to the originals. There 

 were also white porcelam vases, shells and 

 tapers, and a stand with white hyacinths, to- 

 gether with a picture by Corregio, all in well- 

 disposed light and shade. 



PosTUEE FOE Taking Poetbaits. — Sonie 

 good rules for posture in taking portraits 

 have been laid down by M. Schubert, painter, 

 of Berlin. He suggests that the posture 

 should be easy and unconstrained, the feet 

 and hands neither projecting too much, nor 

 drawn too far back ; the eyes directed a 

 little sideways above the camera, and fixed 

 on some object there, but never (as is too 

 frequently the case) on the apparatus, since 

 this would tend to impart to the face a dolo- 

 rous and dissatisfied look. Long arms and 

 legs should be drawn back. 



Attitude foe Stout and Thin Pee- 

 SONS. — Stout persons, says M. Schubert, 

 should be placed at a certain distance from 

 the apparatus, turning towards it a little 

 sideways ; while people of slender proportions 

 should be made to sit full in front, and nearer 

 the apparatus. 



Position of the Hands. — The hands 

 should rest easily on the lap, neither too high 

 nor too low, or one hand should be placed on 

 the table, the other holding a book, or some 

 other object. A thick hand should show the 

 thumb in the foreground, with the fingers 

 bent a little inwards. A long hand had better 

 show the back. A hand of handsome shape, 

 neither too loiig, nor too short, should show 

 full two-thirds, with the fingers easily and 

 gracefully hanging down. 



