Sir Knight Luther Pflueger sends a description of a way in which one of his friends made lantern-slides. He bought some glass strips of a size to fit his lantern [Lantern-slide covers could be used.—Ed.] and some transfer-pictures which are used by school-boys to embellish their books. He gave the strips of glass a thin coat of mucilage, and allowed it to dry. He then applied the paper, which had been wet in such a way that the paper was thoroughly soaked, but the face of the picture was dry. (The pictures could be wet by thoroughly saturating a piece of blotting-paper with water, and laying the pictures on it, face up.) He then pressed the pictures on to the glass, took hold of one corner of the paper, and pulled it off, leaving, if successful, the thin film of the picture on the glass. This part of the operation requires carefulness. This method enabled him to make cheap and pleasing slides. Thanks for the description; some of our amateurs will be glad to try it.
Sir Knight Charles M. Todd says he is thinking of buying a small camera, and wishes to know what apparatus he would need for developing, etc.; which are the best, films or dry-plates, and if they are manipulated in the same way; if blue prints are permanent; what prints can be made the cheapest; and the name of some good work on photography. Sir Charles adds that the first thing he looks for in the Round Table is the Camera Club Department. The outfit required for developing and finishing pictures is: one red light; one developing-tray, 4 by 5; one fixing-tray, 4 by 5; one toning-tray, 5 by 8; one printing-frame; one ferrotype-plate for drying prints; one 4 oz. glass graduate. See No. 781 for directions how to make a lantern, and also hints on reducing expenses. Dry-plates are easier for the beginner to manage than the films, but fine negatives are made with either. The same treatment is given both, with the exception of drying. The films, after washing, are soaked for five minutes in a solution made of ½ oz. of glycerine and 16 oz. of water. This prevents the film from curling. Blue prints are permanent; they are also the cheapest. Wilson's Photographics is a good work on photography.
Sir Knight B. P. Atkinson asks how photographs should be prepared for prize contests; if pictures can be copied with an 8 by 10 camera and a single lens; when an article on posing will be published; if exposure meters are reliable; what is the cause of negatives having a spotted appearance when ice is used; how pin-holes in negatives can be remedied; what kinds of lenses are best for landscapes. Platinotype prints make the most artistic photographs, and should be mounted on plate-sunk cards. These cards are made specially for platinotypes; full directions for use come with the platinotype-paper. Pictures may be copied with an 8 by 10 camera, but the single lens would be hardly suitable for fine copying. A rectilinear wide-angle lens is a good lens for copying. Suggestions for posing will be given in the early number of the Round Table. Exposure meters are not always reliable. The spotted appearance of the negative is probably caused by using the water at too low a temperature. The temperature should never be below 50° to insure good work. Pin-holes may be covered by painting them over with retouching fluid, and, when dry, taking a fine camel's-hair brush dipped in lampblack (moist water-color), and touching the spot very lightly with the lip of the brush, taking care that it does not lap over on to the film. A little practice will enable one to fill up pin-holes or light spots so that they will not be noticed in the print. For landscape-work a single achromatic lens will give sharp definition and good contrasts. For general landscape-work a medium-angle, rectilinear lens will be found satisfactory. The angle of view of the lens should be from 45° to 60°.
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