AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY. 



325 



several feet before it was picked up, handed 

 to me and replaced. Spoiled by over ex- 

 posure, I thought, so another exposure 

 was made, and to the dark room we went. 

 Thinking that first one was no good, I 

 decided to experiment with a weak pyro 

 developer. To my surprise a perfect nega- 

 tive came out. Why? I venture to say 

 that 75 per cent, of the exposures made to- 

 day are undertimed and developed with too 

 strong a developer. Try it, my amateur 

 friends. Water is the secret. Don't be 

 afraid of water. Use plenty of it and get 

 better results. No charcoal and chalk, but 

 detail, and lots of it where you never had 

 it before. Don't use a lazy man's devel- 

 oper, one solution. Mix your alkali and 

 deoxidizing agents separately and mix a 

 little brains with each. Start development 

 with a solution weak in alkali. If it does 

 not come, add more, slowly. Don't turn 

 in a plug stream to hurry development. 

 Take your time. Get an 8x10 tray and 

 develop 4 4x5's at a time if you think my 

 method too slow. There is no developer 

 like pyro; at least, none I can recom- 

 mend. Have tried each new one as it 

 was put on the market during the last 10 

 years. Use pyro according to formula and 

 you will have better results than by using 

 any old thing on all brands of plates. 



A novel transparency, differing from the 

 usual black and white, may be made as 

 follows: Take any brand of plate, exposed 

 or not, but not developed; fix it and wash 

 thoroughly; then soak it in a blue print 

 solution, as follows: 



I. Citrate of iron and ammonium, 420 

 grains; water, 6 ounces. 



II. Potassium ferricyanide, 360 grains; 

 water, 6 ounces. 



Dissolve each separately and keep in 

 dark colored bottles, well corked, and 

 covered with black paper. Soak the plate 

 5 minutes in equal parts of each, while still 

 wet, and allow it to dry in the dark. Print 

 under a negative, using a mask of black 

 paper to leave a margin or not, as desired. 

 Print deep, as it washes out considerably. 

 The result will be a beautiful transparency. 

 The process cannot be examined, but must 

 be judged according to the density of the 

 negative used. 



Don't rush into print with your pet theo- 

 ries and experiments until you have fully 

 mastered them and know what you are 

 talking about. I have read several articles 

 giving methods for producing certain re- 

 sults, and my sympathy goes out to those 

 who attempt to attain the results described. 

 The amateur has troubles of his own, so 

 don't give him anything more to think 

 about unless you are positive of results and 

 give formulae correctly, 



AGAINST THE CAMERA TRUST. 



The Independent Photographic Manu- 

 facturers' Association, No. 30 Broad 

 street, New York, sends this message to 

 dealers: 



We, the undersigned manufacturers of 

 cameras and photographic supplies, being 

 independent of any trust or combination, 

 wish to assure the photographic dealers 

 throughout the country that we are fully 

 prepared by mutual co-operation to pro- 

 tect the real interests of the deajers, and 

 to support them in the maintenance of 

 their independence. 



We are prepared also to effectively op- 

 pose a coalition having for its ultimate 

 object the concentration into one source 

 of the supply of photographic goods which 

 are necessary to enable the dealer to suc- 

 cessfully carry on his business. In the 

 possible formation of such a monopoly lies 

 a danger to the dealer which threatens his 

 most vital interests, and the gravity of 

 which he cannot overestimate. 



We believe every dealer is entitled to 

 maintain his independence, and to feel as- 

 sured that the stability of his business is 

 not a question of the observance of irk- 

 some and obnoxious restrictions, and we 

 herewith, collectively and individually, 

 pledge our aid to all dealers who may hold 

 these views in common with us. 



We severally manufacture an extensive 

 and thoroughly representative assortment 

 of plate and film cameras, and a complete 

 line of all other photographic apparatus 

 and materials which are in demand by the 

 photographic public. The dealer is, there- 

 fore, perfectly safe in asserting his right 

 to buy such articles as he may choose, 

 from any source whatever, and to sell at 

 his discretion, and in the reservation of 

 this right for himself he has our hearty 

 support. 



In order to ascertain the extent to which 

 our aid is desired by the trade, we would 

 ask you to sign and return the enclosed 

 form. In the event of our not receiving 

 your signatures, we shall take this^o indi- 

 cate that you do not desire our co-opera- 

 tion. 



Should the photographic dealers for any 

 reason be deterred from co-operating with 

 us on these extremely liberal terms, we 

 shall, in justice to ourselves and to those 

 who may be with us, be unwillingly com- 

 pelled to sell our goods through other 

 agencies. 

 Aiken & Gleason, La Crosse, Wis. 



John Carbutt, Wayne Junction, Philadel- 

 phia, Pa. 



Charles Cooper & Co., 194 Worth St., 

 New York City. 



Defender Photo Supply Co., Commercial 

 St., Rochester, N. Y, 



