photo kaboom .com Lady Elizabeth Eastlake papers and patterns of the millowner and Lady Elizabeth Eastlake manufacturer, and on the cold brave breast on the From the London Quarterly Review , April 1857, pp. 442-68 battle-field. The annals of photography, as gathered from the London Directory, though so recent, are curious. As early as 1842 one individual, of the name of Beard, assumed the calling of a daguerreotype artist. In 1843 he set up establishments in four different quarters of London, reaching even to Wharf Road, City Road, and thus alone supplied the metropolis until 1847. In 1848 Claudet and a few more appear on the scene, but, owing to then existing impediments, their numbers even in 1852 did not amount to more than seven. In 1855 the expiration of the patent and the influence of the Photographic Society swelled them to sixty- six--in 1857 photographers have a heading to themselves and stand at 147. Lady Elizabeth Eastlake These are the higher representatives of art. But By Hill & Adamson who can number the legion of petty dabblers, Getty Museum who display their trays of specimens along every great thoroughfare in London, executing for our lowest servants, for one shilling, that which no Photography money could have commanded for the Rothschild bride of twenty years ago? Not that It is now more than fifteen years ago that photographers flock especially to the metropolis; specimens of a new and mysterious art were first they are wanted everywhere and found exhibited to our wondering gaze. They consisted everywhere. The large provincial cities abound of a few heads of elderly gentlemen executed in with the sun's votaries, the smallest town is not a bistre-like colour upon paper. The heads were without them; and if there be a village so poor not above an inch long, they were little more and remote as not to maintain a regular than patches of broad light and shade, they establishment, a visit from a photographic showed no attempt to idealise or soften the travelling van gives it the advantages which the harshnesses and accidents of a rather rugged rest of the world are enjoying. Thus, where not style of physiognomy--on the contrary, the eyes half a generation ago the existence of such a were decidedly contracted, the mouths expanded, vocation was not dreamt of, tens of thousands and the lines and wrinkles intensified. (especially if we reckon the purveyors of Nevertheless we examined them with the keenest photographic materials) are now following a new admiration, and felt that the spirit of Rembrandt business, practising a new pleasure, speaking a had revived. Before that time little was the new language, and bound together by a new existence of a power, availing itself of the eye of sympathy. the sun both to discern and to execute, suspected by the world--still less that it had long lain the For it is one of the pleasant characteristics of this unclaimed and unnamed legacy of our own Sir pursuit that it unites men of the most diverse Humphry Davy. Since then photography has lives, habits, and stations, so that whoever enters become a household word and a household want; its ranks finds himself in a kind of republic, is used alike by art and science, by love, where it needs apparently but to be a business, and justice; is found in the most photographer to be a brother. The world was sumptuous saloon, and in the dingiest attic--in believed to have grown sober and matter-of-fact, the solitude of the Highland cottage, and in the but the light of photography has revealed an glare of the London gin-palace in the pocket of unsuspected source of enthusiasm. An instinct of the detective, in the cell of the convict, in the our nature, scarcely so worthily employed folio of the painter and architect, among the before, seems to have been kindled, which finds 2 something of the gambler's excitement in the Institute, London sympathises with each, and all frequent disappointments and possible prizes of are looking with impatience to Manchester. Each the photographer's luck. When before did any of these societies elect their officers, open their motive short of the stimulus of chance or the exhibitions, and display the same encouraging greed of gain unite in one uncertain and medley of followers. The necessity too for laborious quest the nobleman, the tradesman, the regular instruction in the art is being extensively prince of blood royal, the innkeeper, the artist, recognised. The Council of King's College have the manservant, the general officer, the private instituted a lectureship of photography. soldier, the hard-worked member of every Photographic establishments are attached to the learned profession, the gentleman of leisure, the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich; a photographic Cambridge wrangler, the man who bears some of class is opened for the officers of the Royal the weightiest responsibilities of this country on Artillery and Engineers; lectures are given at the his shoulder, and, though last, not least, the fair Royal Institution, and popular discourses at woman whom nothing but her own choice Mechanics' Institutes. Meanwhile British India obliges to be more than the fine lady? The has kept pace with the mother country. The records of the Photographic Society, established Photographic Society at Bombay is only second in 1853, are curiously illustrative of these in period of formation to that of London. incongruities. Its first chairman, in order to give Calcutta, Madras, Bengal, and minor places all the newly instituted body the support and correspond by means of societies. The recognition which art was supposed to owe it, Elphinstone Institution has opened a class for was chosen expressly from the realms of art. Sir instruction. Nor is the feeling of fellowship Charles Eastlake therefore occupied the chair for confined to our own race. The photographic and two years; at the end of which the society political alliance with France and this country selected a successor quite as interested and was concluded at about the same period, and we efficient from a sphere of life only so far can wish nothing more than that they may be connected with art and science as being their maintained with equal cordiality. The Duke de very antipodes, namely, Sir Frederick Pollock Luynes, a French nobleman of high scientific the Chief Baron of England. The next chairman repute, has placed the sum of 10,000 francs at the may be a General fresh from the happy land disposal of the Paris Photographic Society, to be where they photograph the year round; the divided into two prizes for objects connected fourth, for aught that can be urged to the with the advance of the art,--the prizes open to contrary, the Archbishop of Canterbury. A the whole world. The best landscape clergyman of the Established Church has already photographs at the Exposition des Beaux Art been the editor to the journal of the society. The were English, the best architectural specimens in very talk of these photographic members is the London Exhibition are French. The unlike that of any other men, either of business Exhibition at Brussels last October was more or pleasure. Their style is made of the driest cosmopolitan than Belgian. The Emperors of facts, the longest words, and the most high-flown Russia and Austria, adopting the old way for rhapsodies. Slight improvements in processes, paying new debts, are bestowing snuff-boxes on and slight varieties in conclusions, are discussed photographic merit. These are but a few of the as if they involved the welfare of mankind. They proofs that could be brought forward of the wide seek each other's sympathy, and they resent each dissemination of the new agent, and of the other's interference, with an ardour of expression various modes of its reception, concluding with a at variance with all the sobrieties of business, juxtaposition of facts which almost ludicrously and the habits of reserve; and old-fashioned recall paragraphs from the last speech from the English mauvaise honte is extinguished in the throne; for while our Queen has sent out a excitement, not so much of a new occupation as complete photographic apparatus for the use of of a new state. In one respect, however, we can the King of Siam, the King of Naples alone, of hardly accuse them of the language of the whole civilised world, has forbidden the exaggeration. The photographic body can no practice of the works of light in his dominions! longer be considered only a society, it is becoming 'one of the institutions of the country.' Our chief object at present is to investigate the Branches from the parent tree are flourishing all connexion of photography with art--to decide over the United Kingdom. Liverpool assists how far the sun may be considered an artist, and Norwich, Norwich congratulates Dublin, Dublin to what branch of imitation his powers are best fraternises with the Birmingham and Midland adapted. But we must first give a brief history of 2 3 those discoveries which have led to the present their forms. But having thus conjured up the efficiency of the solar pencil. It appears that the etherial spirit of photography, they failed in all three leading nations the French, the English, attempts to retain it in their keeping. The charm and the Germans--all share in the merit of having once set agoing refused to stop-- the slightest first suggested, then applied, and finally exposure to light, even for the necessary developed the existence of the photographic purposes of inspection, continued the action, and element.