Questions and Answers.
H. G. Benton, Akron, O. The justices of the United States Supreme Court are nominated by the President of the United States, and must be confirmed by the Senate. The Chief Justice is named for that place, and does not, as in Pennsylvania and some other States, reach that place by seniority. "A Writer" is assured that it is not influence or a hearing that sells manuscripts to periodicals. The conditions of such sale are merit, adaptability, and demand. John M. Wadsworth asks us to print pictures of rare American coins and stamps. He should know that such an act is against the law.
"S. B." asks: "How can I obtain a position out-of-doors, and go from place to place, seeing something of the world? I wish to combine business with pleasure, and I think out-of-door life would do me good. A position in an engineer's surveying-party is just the thing, but how can I obtain this?" Young men ought not to expect to combine pleasure with their business. Thousands of old men, who have served years in harness and earned a partial rest, if there be such reward, do not aim so high. If you seek employment with an engineer party, apply directly to an engineer. There is no employment bureau or agency through which you can deal, or, if there be, it is better to attend to the matter yourself. You will find addresses in the railway journals and in colleges where surveying and engineering are taught. When you get the place, banish at once any thought of pleasure as one of the objects of your occupation. Not to do so is wrong to your employer, and ten times more wrong to yourself and your future.
Henry P. Budisch, who hoped to go to West Point, but changed his mind under necessity and went to Cornell instead, asks how many men actually went into the civil war from Northern States. The total was 2,772,408. This included drafted men as well as volunteers, and all arms of service. The highest number of men in arms at one time was 1,000,516, on May 1, 1865—just at the war's close. These were practically all volunteers, because the regular army during the war never exceeded 25,463, which number it reached in January, 1863.
Fred Breittner asks what is the Ancient and Honourable Artillery Company of Boston which recently received such marked attention in England? It is the oldest military organization in the United States, dating from 1638. The term "ancient" was first used in 1700, and the "honourable" was borrowed from a similar company in London. It is not now a part of the militia of Massachusetts, and is, in truth, more of a social than a military company. It has its headquarters in Faneuil Hall. Its rare uniforms are an heirloom from British Colonial times.
Any question in regard to photograph matters will be willingly answered by the Editor of this column, and we should be glad to hear from any of our club who can make helpful suggestions.
DIRECTIONS FOR TONING BROMIDE PRINTS IN DIFFERENT COLORS.
Bromide-paper coated with silver bromide and gelatine in emulsion may be used for contact printing as well as for enlargements. By treating the developed print with a lead intensifier different tones may be obtained, some of which are quite pleasing. Print according to directions, and develop with any developing solution, but eikonogen gives the best results. Do not develop the picture fully; development should be stopped as soon as detail begins to appear in the shadows. Fix the picture and wash it well. While it is still wet immerse it in an intensifier made as follows:
| Nitrate of lead | 1 part. |
| Ferrocyanide of potassium | 1½ parts. |
| Distilled water | 25 parts. |
This bath must be filtered before using. Leave the print in this bath till the image turns yellow, then wash in running water. Washing will turn the image white, when it may be immersed in any of the following baths, according to the tones desired:
REDDISH-BROWN.
| Nitrate of uranium | 1 part. |
| Ammonium chloride | 1 part. |
| Water | 10 parts. |
After washing and before drying place the print in this bath, and tone till the desired shade. Wash in two or three changes of water, and dry between clean blotters.
Several prints of a beautiful green tone were sent in during the last photographic contest. One of our members sends the following formula for making the green tones on bromide-paper: Make up a solution of cobalt subchloride 1 part, and distilled water 10 parts. Let it stand for an hour, then filter. Print and develop according to the method given above, and after immersing in the lead bath, wash thoroughly, and place face up in the solution of cobalt. Keep the prints moving gently till the picture gradually assumes a fine green tone. Wash and dry with blotter. The same corespondent also sends the following formula for a reddish-brown or chestnut-color (in the prints sent in there were no clear whites, the high lights having a reddish tint, the paper seeming to have absorbed the solution): Cupric chloride, 1 part; distilled water, 10 parts. Immerse in the lead bath, and place the print, without washing, in the cupric-chloride bath.
The formula given for reddish-brown with uranium is one recommended by Dr. Vogel. It is more reliable than the cupric chloride.
Sepia-brown tones may be obtained on enamelled bromide-paper by using the following toning solution:
| Hypo | 2½ oz. |
| Ground alum | ½ oz. |
| Granulated sugar | ½ oz. |
| Boiling water | 17½ oz. |
Dissolve the hypo first, then add the alum and sugar. This bath keeps well, and can be made up in larger quantity if desired. To use, take two toning-trays, in one of which have a cold bath, and in the other a hot bath. Immerse the prints in the cold bath for a minute or two, and then, without rinsing, transfer them to the hot bath. After toning rinse in an alum bath made in the proportion of one ounce of alum to thirty-five of water. Wash thoroughly, and dry on a ferrotype plate.
Sir Knight J. K. Hunter asks if the "C" Daylight Kodak, with glass plate attachment, is a good camera for beginners, and what outfit is needed for developing and printing. The Daylight camera is a very good camera, and easily managed. The outfit needed for developing and printing consists of a dark-room lantern, a 4 by 5 celluloid or rubber developing-tray, an amber-colored glass tray for the hypo or fixing bath, a 4 by 5 printing-frame, and a toning-tray. Directions for making a dark-room lantern were given in No. 781. You can refer to this if you wish to make your lantern instead of buying it.
Lady Charlotte B. Taylor, 1727 Q Street, Washington, D.C., has a pocket Kodak which she wishes to sell. Any Knight or Lady wishing to purchase is requested to write to Lady Charlotte.
Samuel H. Gottschalk, 1810 Columbus Avenue, Philadelphia, Charles H. Woods, Carlinville, Ill., Ralph H. Weand, 718 DeKalb Street, Norristown, Pa., and James D. Waite, 101 West Eighty-fifth Street, New York city, wish to be enrolled as members of the Camera Club. We are receiving many new members for the club, and hope that we shall see some very fine work in the coming contest, rules for which will appear later.
Sir Knight P. Conn wishes to know the best tray for the dark-room, the best for a toning-tray, and the best kind of plates to use. A celluloid or gutta-percha tray is a good one for developing solution, and an amber-glass tray for the hypo. If one uses a glass tray for hypo he never mistakes the hypo for the developing-tray. A white porcelain tray is a good one for a toning-tray. There are so many kinds of plates, or rather brands of plates, made that there is little choice between those made by reliable manufacturers. No one plate can be used for all kinds of work. Some subjects require a slow plate, some a very quick plate. A medium rapid plate is the better plate for general use in all-round work. A very rapid plate is needed for instantaneous. If our correspondent has trouble with his plates, please write to the editor.
G. I. J. asks how the tint first obtained on the paper in printing can be preserved, if the toning-bath that tones the florograph-paper can be used for other papers, and if a picture can be easily over-developed. The reddish tone of the picture may be preserved by simply fixing the print in a solution of hypo without previous toning, or it may be slightly toned and then fixed. The toning-bath mentioned can be used for other papers. If the developer is very strong and works quickly, it is very easy to over-develop a plate. To find out when the development has been carried far enough, take the plate out of the solution and look through it toward the red light. If the picture is clearly defined, and detail well out in the shadows, the plate is developed enough.
Sir Knight Ralph Weand encloses two prints and asks what is the matter with them. The reason why the pictures are so indistinct is that the plate was not exposed long enough, causing the shadows to appear as black patches instead of showing detail. A little longer exposure would correct this defect. A formula for plain paper is desired. This formula will be found in Nos. 706 and 803. It was also reprinted in the circular issued last fall.
Sir Knight Fred Taylor asks the reason of the spots on the finished prints. Spots are caused by black spots in the negative, from imperfections in the paper, and from imperfect toning-bath. Stains on the print are caused from careless handling in the toning-bath. The face of the print should never be touched, but the prints lifted by the edges. Hypo will cause spots, if any comes in contact with the face of the print. Care should be taken that the hands are perfectly clean when toning and fixing pictures. Sir Knight Fred sends the following directions for making a vignetting mask, which he hopes will be of benefit to the members of the club. Take a box cover that fits the printing-frame and cut a hole in it as large as the plate. Over it paste a piece of opaque paper, and make an opening any shape desired for the vignette—either pear-shaped, oval, round, etc. Cut little slits all round the edge of this, and over it paste a sheet of tissue-paper. Place the cover over the printing-frame and print. If the cover is attached to the frame the progress of the print can be examined without changing the shape of the vignette. Sir Fred asks for some hints on retouching. Directions for retouching will be printed in an early number of the Round Table.