1100 Transactions of the American Institute. 



The chairman exhibited a large album containing very fine photo- 

 graphs of the leading scientific men of Europe and America. 



Mr. Anthony exhibited stereoscopic prints which had been washed 

 in water acidified by the addition of thirty drops of acetic acid to the 

 quart. The prints were very fine in tone. 



Mr. Anthony described the peculiarities of the " rapid rectilinear 

 lens " recently produced by Mr. Dallrayer, of London, England. 



Upon inquiry from the chairman, several members took part in a 

 discussion upon the use of artificial light for photographic purposes ; 

 most of the members present believed that such light could not be 

 used to advantage in ordinary practice, unless some material change 

 was made in the mode of application. 



■ Mr. H. J, Newton exhibited a transferred negative film, produced 

 by Mr. Alfred Beach. The transfer was efiected by flowing the 

 image with a twenty grain solution of gum arable, and after thor- 

 oughly drying, the negative was flowed with a plain collodion, and 

 after again drying, the film was cut through around the edge of the 

 plate and floated ofi" in water. 



Mr. Anthony stated that prints upon carbon tissue, transferred to 

 a collodion film, were becoming quite popular as transparencies for 

 window decorations in Paris. 



Mr. A. J. Drummond, suggested coloring the print before the 

 transfer, by coating the positive with a remotive colored gelatinous 

 compound, then exposing to light, and washing the unaltered por- 

 tions jaway. Such prints have a fine eflect by both reflected and 

 transmitted light. 



Mr. O. G. Mason, the Secretary, read the following paper : 



Mason's Method of Copyeng. 



All photographers who have occasion to copy daguerreotypes, 

 ambrotypes, photographs, paintings, engravings, or other objects 

 occupying a flat field, are well aware that several conditions are 

 requisite for a first class reproduction by the camera, which do not 

 exist, or may with apparent impunity be disregarded in ordinary 

 portrait or landscape work. And yet we look through our best 

 photographic establishments, and wade through the voluminous pho- 

 tographic publications of our own and foreign countries, without 

 finding any systematic, simple, and eflicient method by wliich uni- 

 formly good results may be obtained through inexpensive means, 

 by those possessing but ordinary capacity. The wealthy amateur or 



