4Y0 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Charles B. Boyle exhibited photographs on wood, of human face, and of 

 still life, such as stoves, machinery, &c. They were admired, and are new. 

 He described his process rather reluctantly, (although his patent is secured) 

 in consequence of the great simplicity of one'part, which could be so easily 

 stolen. To prevent any penetration of the nitrate to dissolve the wood, he 

 forms over the surface of the piece of wood a film of albumen or gelatine. 

 The photograph can be regulated so as to impress mere outlines of objects, 

 so that, by hand, the artist can finish the drawing better than it is done by the 

 photograph, on account of shades, &c. This first drawing being exact, 

 renders the draughtsman almost unnecessary. There is a great saving of 

 time and money, and perfect accuracy. 



Mr. S'oeley was charmed with this discovery. It is entirely new. The 

 draughtsman is superseded. The thick coat heretofore on the wood, em- 

 barrassing the engraver, is done with. It is of very high importance to 

 the arts of design. 



Prof. Mason. — Edinburgh photographs failed of effect if taken from the 

 face with the eyes open ; they are never good. Some twenty years ago we 

 sent some of Morse's first, taken with eyes open, which were better than 

 those of Edinburgh. 



Mr. Tillman. — I regard Boyle's invention as important. By his method 

 the drawing is made on a white ground, which enables the engraver to work 

 more correctly and rapidly. Photography on wood dispenses with the 

 draughtsman, and, thei'efore, brings us nearer to nature. Could the light 

 engrave as well as paint, we could dispose of these middlemen altogether, 

 and receive our impressions direct from the object. Under the old method 

 we were obliged to trust to the painter's eye, and then to the engraver's 

 eye, before we could have the engraving. But no man can see for another, 

 because no two men can see alike, or receive precisely the same impres- 

 sions of external objects. No two astronomers observe a transit at the 

 same instant. This Prof. Mitchell has proved, and it has given rise to 

 what he calls " the personal equation," It is evident, then, that no artist 

 can paint nature with precision ; he only reports his own impressions. 

 The photograph does better, and yet it does not give us a precisely correct 

 perspective, because the camera can only truly put on a plain surface what 

 it receives from a plain surface ; what it reflects from objects not in the 

 same plane is slightly distorted. The artist can easily remedy the defect- 

 ive perspective. 



Mr. j^Ieigs exhibited the mechanical dots and lines from the Boston tele- 

 scope, given by Mr. Batchelder. These, of course, could not be as accu- 

 rately jotted down by any human hand. 



John Johnson. — It is believed that Boyle's method may bo extended to 

 etching plates. 



Mr. Stetson. — Art does correct nature in most of the daguerreotypes. 

 The angular spectrum shows hands or noses, &c , in advance of face, bad, 

 I agree that Mr. Boyle has made a very valuable improvement. 



Mr. Boyle. — We take from nature true outlines and proportions, which 



