arrangement, the object of the advertisers modern political economy, the above quotawould be comparatively unaccomplished. tion would form a good groundwork for But under the system of classification urging upon the attention of the Legiswhich prevails, the public can at once fix its lature the immediate repeal of at least that eye upon the particulars of anything which | part of the Newspaper Stamp Duties Act its real or imaginary wants may suggest which confines the size of newspapers the possession of the whereabouts of arti- within certain limits. The supplements cles of luxury as well as of necessity can issued with The Times are a mass of be discovered without any difficulty; or the taxation; the advertisements are taxed collector of such mysterious announce- thirty-six cents each; every sheet is ments as Pray, return to your disconso- taxed one cent; and the excise duty on late and broken-hearted wife," and "Door- the paper amounts to something considermat and beans to-night," as instinctively able. When the circulation reaches a glances at the top of the second or third given point, the value of the advertisecolumn as the politician turns to the fourthments in the supplement, and the value of page. 66 When it is mentioned, that about $100,000 is paid as duty on the advertisements inserted every year in The Times, the public will form some conception of the vast extent of business transacted with the advertising world; but, great as that sum is, the amount would have been much larger were it not for the strict surveillance exercised to detect and exclude everything which is in any degree doubtful in character. The disgusting quack notices, which disfigure so many of the provincial, and not a few of the metropolitan papers, have no admittance in The Times; nor will the most extravagant sum procure the insertion of a line which is susceptible of the slightest immoral tendency. We were given to understand that even advertisements with the words "apply, inclosing a postage stamp," are excluded. But, the more this department is pruned, the more it grows. The advertisement current, it appears, flows on so increasingly, that the publication of a supplement is rendered necessary almost every day, even during The expense thus involved, as the supplement is given gratis, is enormous; and there is no doubt the circulation of the paper is hampered thereby. We believe this to be the "consideration" alluded to in the following sentence, from the evidence given by the manager of The Times, when examined last year before the Parliamentary Committee on Newspaper Stamp Duties:-" He had no doubt in the world, that if there were no consideration beyond a mere desire to circulate the paper, it could be made to double itself in a couple of years." Were we inclined to encroach on the province of Adam Smith, or to read a lecture on the recess. the stamps and paper balance each other; and, it is obvious, every copy of The Times sold beyond that point, is disposed of at a positive loss. Hence the necessity of limiting the circulation. During what is known as the “busy season," frequent recourse is had to double supplements-or the issue of The Times twice the size of itself to clear off the advertisements. We were informed that, a few weeks ago, as many as between eighty and ninety columns of advertisements were ready for insertion in one day; and, in the middle of last March, the influx was so great that it became necessary to publish three double supplements in the course of one week. On such occasions, although nothing additional is charged to the public, the Stamp-office exacts four cents for every impression. Following up the curious calculations made by a writer in "Notes and Queries," regarding the publication of The Times on the 10th of February, 1840, containing an account of the royal nuptials, we find that, were the whole of the issue of the three supplements just alluded to, cut into single columns and tacked together, it would extend a distance of nearly two thousand miles. By another calculation, were all the supplements of the three publications opened out and joined together, they would stretch out a length of upward of ninety miles; or, beginning at Euston-square, would cover the rails of the London and North-Western line to within twenty miles of Birmingham! The day of our visit happening to be a "Mail day," we witnessed the process, which takes place three times a-week, of issuing The Times without the advertisements, under the title of the Evening Mail. The Mail circulates principally in the country, where it is better known than in search and extensive acquaintance with London. men and manners, and not unfrequently symptoms of the fire, force, and sarcasm of a "Junius." Preparations were making for getting the supplement ready; and, as a heavy debate was expected in both Houses of Parliament, the most urgent advertisements were selected for insertion, as only the first page of The Times could be calculated upon for the use of advertisers. At six o'clock the "forms" were "imposed" and sent to press. The supplement is printed on the old, or horizontal machines-each of which is, to use the words of Mr. Savage, in his " Dictionary," "the mechanism of four single machines combined in one frame, all being worked simultaneously; thus, there are four places at which to feed it with paper, four printing cylinders, and four places at which the sheets are delivered when printed." This skillful combination of machinery, which is the production of Mr. Applegath, the patentee of the vertical machine, produces about five thousand copies an hour. It may be worthy of remark (and we give this statement, as well as all that relates to the circulation of the paper, and the sums paid to Government, from the evidence of the manager of The Times already alluded to) that at this season of the year as many as from twenty to thirty columns of advertisements are daily kept out for want of room. There is a scramble at the publishing office of The Times between seven and eight o'clock in the morning, after the large dealers have been supplied. When the paper is late, or when any news of importance is expected, the scene is a truly exciting one; and it frequently happens that, even with the vertical machine throwing off ten thousand copies every hour, the demand cannot be supplied. Mr. W. H. Smith, the well-known news-agent, in his evidence before the Committee on Newspaper Stamps, stated that it was often the case that he could not get as many copies of The Times as the public would buy ; and added (which we quote to illustrate the manner in which the publishing business is conducted)—" The Times will always supply the ordinary number as soon as they possibly can, for the subscribers; but any extra demand is placed behind other orders, and will, probably, only be supplied in the order in which the demand is created. Consequently, if the paper itself is late in going to press, the extra demand would not be supplied in time to render it of any service to you." Having thus endeavored to give an idea of the intellectual and mechanical expedition attendant on the publication of this influential paper, we will briefly glance at the "social condition"-so to speak-of the workmen, in the hope that any em The news compositors, numbering upward of sixty, "take copy"-one class at six, another at seven, and the third at eight o'clock and go on, without interrup-ployer who may find a leisure hour to petion, until the parliamentary and other intelligence is composed. By the systematic division of labor, both in the literary and mechanical arrangements of this establishment, a parliamentary report, in the very perfection of typography, and extending to twenty-three or twenty-four columns, is ready for publication within a few minutes after the last reporter leaves the gallery of the House. In the writer's estimation—and in this we believe all shades of politicians are agreed-one of the most interesting features connected with the literary department of The Times is the genius displayed in the leading articles commenting upon, and which appear simultaneously with, the debate. These articles, although necessarily written in a very short space of time, invariably show marks of great re ruse these pages, may be induced to imitate conduct which is as creditable to the proprietor of The Times as it is productive of happiness and substantial blessings to those in his service. Some years ago a Sick Fund was instituted, which has been the means of effecting much good. A quotation from the introduction to the rules, with a copy of which we were favored, will show the benevolent objects it has in view and the safe foundation upon which it rests:-"The administration of a provision for the future as well as for the present-for seasons of sickness and infirmity as well as of health-shall be considered henceforward a part of the business of the printing department of The Times." The institution provides, on the equitable principles of mutual insurance, a regular weekly allowance in sickness, and a sum at death; and it is, we believe, ultimately intended, by the encouragement of a modified system of insurance, to provide small annuities for widows and fatherless children. Although it is self-supporting, the fund receives donations from the principal managers; and the proprietor, in addition to being an annual subscriber of a considerable sum, has, on more than one occasion, contributed as much as £100 at once. The regulations for deposits in the Savings Bank also display wisdom, and an interest in the real welfare of the employed. Every compositor whose earnings exceed 40s., 50s., and 60s. a week, pays 2s. 6d., 3s. 6d., and | 5s., respectively, to the Savings Bank account; and, when the savings amount to £100, or before, at the option of the con tributors, it is expected that subscribers will effect an insurance on their lives for a sum of at least £200. It ought also to be stated that the proprietor pays out of his own pocket a handsome sum yearly to a gentleman for attending to the Sick Fund and Savings Bank accounts. When to this is added the fact that there is allowed, every year, to all persons in the operative department, a holiday of two weeks, with pay, it may justly be conceived that, whatever may be thought of the political opinions of this eminent journal-a subject on which the writer desires to observe the strictest neutrality-this country can scarcely boast of a more intelligent, contented, and happy body of workpeople than that which it was our privilege to observe during our visit to The Times office. PHOTOGRAPHY-ITS ORIGIN, PROG RESS, AND PRESENT STATE. [Concluded from the November Number.] ПНЕ THE production of positive pictures by the first operation in the camera, was the next subject which claimed attention. A darkened photographic paper was washed with a hydriodic salt, and placed in the camera; here it was bleached by the solar radiations, and the image produced had the lights and shadows correct as in nature. Dr. Fyfe and Mr. Robert Hunt were the most successful operators. The latter gentleman published some papers in the "Philosophical Magazine," in September and October, 1840, on "the use of the Hydriodic salts as photographic agents." This variety of picture, and papers prepared for obtaining them, were sold by Messrs. Ackermann and Co.; and Sir John Herschel says, in the memoir already quoted, “a positive paper of this nature is actually prepared for sale by Mr. Robert Hunt, of Devonport." Such is the evidence which our researches enable us to give relative to the use of iodized paper, before the date of the Calotype patent under which the extensive privilege of employing "iodized paper" paper was claimed. This Calotype patent is dated 1841, and involves the use of iodized paper, of gallic acid, acetic acid, and particularly the development of a dormant image. That we are indebted to Mr. Fox Talbot for the Calotype no one will deny; and that gentleman has now given his process to his countrymen as a free gift, which will be received with all due honor. The discovery appears to have been one of those which the world are fond of classing, much too commonly, under the term of accidental discoveries. We are not ourselves believers in accidents in science, since the mind of the observer must be previously prepared to receive and improve the fact observed, and this necessarily removes it from the condition of accident. Mr. Talbot was engaged in a series of experiments with various chemical compounds, his object being to increase the sensibility of his preparations, and among others gallic acid was employed. Some papers upon which no impression was visible were thrown aside, and on these there were afterward discovered well-defined images which had developed spontaneously in the dark. Investigation now established the important use of the gallic acid, and the manipulatory details of the Calotype process undoubtedly were the invention of Mr. Talbot. When the early ex amples of these pictures were circulated among the scientific men of this country and of the continent, they created no small sensation, although the pictures then produced were exceedingly inferior to those now obtained. Mr. Fox Talbot had an undoubted right to patent his invention, and appropriate to himself all the profits which might arise from any commercial transactions, either by himself or his licenses. The questionable character of this patent, as of the Daguerréotype patent, consisted, as it appears to us, mainly in its imperfect nature. Mr. Fox Talbot esses. PHOTOGRAPHY-ITS ORIGIN, PROGRESS, AND PRESENT STATE. 511 1848. The most successful operators with this material in this country are Messrs. Ross and Thompson, of Edin 66 city we see realized the production of fine middle distances and those half-tones which it is so unusual to meet with in ordinary Photographs. An attempt was made to patent the use of glass in this country, but that was defeated by a well-devised application for a counter patent. Glass plates were first employed by Sir John Herschel, in 1840. He precipitated chlorid, iodid, and bromid of silver on the glass, and obtained very well-defined images, and he then described the conversion of negative into positive pictures, which has not long since become the subject of a patent. Sir John Herschel's words are: Exposed in this state to the focus of a camera, with the glass toward the incident light, it became impressed with a remarkably well-defined negative picture, which was direct or reversed, according as looked at from the front or back. pouring over this cautiously, by means of a pipette, a solution of hypo-sulphite of soda, the picture disappeared, but this was only while wet; for, on washing in pure water, and drying, it was restored, and assumed much the air of a Daguerréotype when laid on a black ground, and still more so when smoked at the back, the silvered portions reflecting most light, so that its character had, in fact, changed from negative to positive.” On still reserves his right, as far as taking portraits for sale is concerned; but this can affect the public little, as the Daguerréotype and Collodion portraits are far supe-burgh, in whose views of that picturesque rior to those produced by the patent procAs specified, it is not easy to use the Calotype for portraiture, or, indeed, for any purpose requiring much rapidity of action; and it was not until the process was fully developed by Mr. Cundell, in a paper published in the " Philosophical Magazine" for May, 1844, that much progress | was made in this direction. In the same way, when Daguerre gave up his process to the French Government, it required a period of twenty minutes to produce a picture. In 1839, Mr. Towson published his views, and suggested the use of large lenses, and the adjustment required to bring the sensitive surface into the chemical, as distinguished from the luminous focus; and Dr. Draper, of New-York, in 1840, by adopting these suggestions, obtained the first Daguerréotype portrait. In this year a vastly increased sensitiveness was obtained on the Daguerréotype plate by the discovery of Mr. Goddard, and of M. Claudet, that the iodine vapor, combined with bromine or chlorine, offered a chemical surface of the most unstable character, which was consequently disturbed by the slightest influence of the sunbeam. Thus, in both instances, the processes remained unprofitable as they came from the inventors. Eventually, by the scientific investigation of others, they are improved. The utmost obstruction was given to the progress of the art by the patents, since few parties were disposed to waste time in investigations from which they could reap no advantages themselves, and from which the public would derive no benefit. In 1844, at the York meeting of the British Association, Mr. R. Hunt published the use of sulphate of iron as a developing agent—now so commonly employed-and Dr. Woods, of Parsonstown, communicated his process called the "Catalysotype," in which the iodid of iron is an active ingredient. At that meeting the merits of these processes were fully discussed, Mr. Talbot being present, and acknowledging their importance. The next step in the way of improvement was the use of albumen upon glass plates. M. Niepce de Saint Victor published his mode of applying this organic body to glass, in the "Technologist," in Technologist," in We need not detail the peculiarities of the more recent patents of Mr. Fox Talbot: porcelain plates form the subject of one of them, but these we believe have never been employed; and the difficulties of their manufacture are so great that there is little probability of their ever being useful to the photographer. In the last patent we have a combination of the sulphate of iron and iodid of iron, producing a very decidedly instantaneous action. In a letter from Mr. Fox Talbot, published in the Athenæum of December 6th, 1851, we read :—" In the process which I have now described, I trust that I have effected a harmonious combination of several previously ascertained and valuable facts, especially of the photographic property of iodid of iron, which was discovered by Dr. Woods, of Parsonstown, in Ireland, and that of sulphate of iron, for which science is indebted to the researches of Mr. Rob labors. We believe no modification which has been devised by the photographers of the Continent is mentioned without the name of the inventor or improver. Now M. Le Gray never mentions an English name in his books, and M. Blanquart Everard coolly appropriates Mr. Talbot's processes, and accepts the honors of the Academy as the reward for his audacity. We have no desire to return evil; we therefore acknowledge that, after Daguerre, Fizeau, Becquerel, Niepce de St. Victor, Le Gray, and Everard have been most successful investigators of Photographic phenomena. On the Continent, every improvement has its full value, is very readily appreciated, and it is soon in the hands of the most skillful manipulators. The consequence is that Photography puts on an entirely different feature in Paris from what it does in London. In London, the trade being centered, up to this time, in the hands of three licensees, who are under obligations of the most stringent kind, we are required to pay as many pounds for a picture as it costs shillings on the Continent. Wedgwood was the undoubted originator of Photography; and in this country, next in time, and the first in merit, as the originator of a most highly beautiful process, is Mr. Henry Fox Talbot. ert Hunt. In the true adjustment of the proportions, and in the mode of operation, lies the difficulty of the investigations." Mr. Talbot concludes his communication: "I venture to recommend it (this proccss) to the notice of your scientific readers." Here we have Mr. Fox Talbot's own acknowledgment that he is indebted to two experimentalists for his process; he admits that the only thing he has done | is to adjust the proportions. In this way a most serious check has been given to investigations of the greatest value. Sir John Herschel stopped in the midst of a series of the most valuable researches on the chemistry of the sunbeam; and Dr. Woods abandoned his promising inquiry, after some angry letters between him and Mr. Talbot in one of the Irish scientific journals. We have now disposed of the processes which are in any way connected with the English patents, of which we hope to hear no more. Mr. Talbot has resigned the rights which the patent laws of this country allowed him to assume. Several of these patents would never have been granted had there been a scientific board to examine the merits of them, and test their originality. For a long time several gentlemen have been endeavoring to make terms with Mr. Talbot, and it is through their exertion that the patentee has been at length induced to make a reluctant surrender of his patents. They failed as a commercial speculation, as might have been expected they would do. Mr. Talbot made a great mistake; but now he has done his utmost to redeem that error by handing over to the public all his patents as a free gift. We hope the portraits will soon follow, and that the Talbotype, as the Calotype process should now be called, will, in its freedom, advance to its highest pitch of excellence in this country. The use of waxed paper by M. Le Gray, involved no new process, although we believe waxed paper may be used for several processes beside the Calotype. M. Le Gray has published a work on his modes of manipulation. M. Blanquart Everard has published several papers in which we have that perpetration of injustice which no feeling of national-ures-instructing and refining our tastes, ity can justify. If the Frenchmen refer to the works of Mr. Robert Hunt or any of the smaller manuals which have been published in this country, they will find the utmost credit given to them for their The art of Photography has not, however, yet attained that point of excellence to which it must soon arrive. With the advantages of the stereoscope, what may we not expect to see realized? Every scene hallowed to our memories by its associations with human progress, in all its varied phases, may be revived before our eyes in all the truthfulness of nature. From the East we may copy the temples and the tombs which tell the story of a strange but poetic creed. Assyria and Egypt may disclose their treasures to those who cannot travel to survey them, in such a form that all doubt of authenticity must vanish. The harmonious elegance of the remains of Greece, and examples of Roman art, may thus be easily collected and preserved; and every timehonored fane of Europe may be brought home and made to minister to our pleas and teaching all the mysteries of the beautiful, behind which, as under the shelter of a zephyr-woven vail, we may survey all that is good, and gaze upon the outshadowing of the Divine. |