Exhibition - 1879 Sydney

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5672, 24 April 1880, Page 1
The Sydney International Exhibition

The following recommendations hive been made by the judges :

Class 415.

740. B H Bartlett, Auckland — Photographs shows a collection of photos, portraits, and views; the poses very good, wanting in softness, but as a whole deserving encouragement. Third degree of merit.

753. Hemus and Hanna, Auckland — Photographs; show several portraits carefully printed, good poses and shades, creditable in finish. Second degree of merit.

759. Wrigglesworth and Binns, Wellington - Photographs; the reflective lights and shades have been studied with effect, and show great skill. Second degree of merit.

746. Clifford and Morris, Dunedin — Photographs; a collection of photos of excellent taste and finish. Third degree of merit.

759a. Theodore Black, Nelson — A. good collection of photographs, of very fair (execution and finish; fourth degree of merit.

753. Campbell, Hart, and, Co., Wakatipu - A collection of photographic views of good taste and careful finish; third degree of merit.

Class 416.

780. Burton Brothers, Dunedin — A collection of photographic views through the carbon and silver process, very skilfully rendered, and deserving great credit; second degree of merit.

742. J Bragge, Wellington — A collection of photographic views of New Zealand, very well taken, with a creditable regard to tints and effects; second degree of merit.

759b. Perkins — Photographs. A collection of photographic views of New Zealand scenery of very fair execution; fourth degree of merit.

744. N K Chevill (Cherrill), Christchurch — Photographs in ceramic art. This is as an art evidently in its infancy in New Zealand, and deserving credit; third degree of merit.

Class 415.

741. A. T. Bothamley, Wellington — Photographs. Shows a collection of photographic views, skilfully taken for an amateur; fourth degree of merit.

747. W. Colloe, Napier — Photographs. Shows a collection of photographic views through the wet collodion process, very skilfully taken and carefully printed; very creditable; third degree of merit.

758. W.T.L.Travers, F.L.S., Wellington - Photographs. Shows a collection of photographic views of New Zealand taken by an amateur, worthy of encouragement; third degree of merit.

786. H. Deverill, Wellington — Photolithography; very fair specimen of work; fourth degree of merit.

The Star, Issue 3508, 9 July 1879, Page 3

MR CHERRILL'S EXHIBITS FOR SYDNEY.

(By the Special Reporter of the Lyttelton Times.)

Mr Nelson K. Cherrill, photographer, Cashel street, has completed a number, of specimens for the Sydney Exhibition, and the collection is one which forms an important contribution in two essential particulars.

There are many grades of photography, and Mr Cherrill's specimens will effectually demonstrate that the highest ranges of the art have been attained in this Colony, since they include ordinary carte-de-visites, autotypy, and ceramics. Further, one series of photographs consists of examples of Canterbury progress and of natural scenery, thus constituting one of the best possible means of adequately representing this Colony at the International gathering. Of the carte-de-visite pictures there are two show frames. The first includes 18 portraits of children, and even photographers will admit that no more searching test of skill could have been suggested than a number of child-pictures. The general characteristic of these specimens is that they are charmingly natural. These children have been absolutely unconscious of the fact that they were being photographed, and the operator, by the aid of a special lens and of special automatic apparatus, has been enabled within a single second of time to indelibly fix some happy expression. The development of the pictures has been well managed. They are soft, clear, and nicely balanced as to light and shade; while in those cases where a scenic background has been employed the accessories have the merit of consistency, a quality which it by no means universal in portrait photography. In a companion frame there are 18 portraits of ladies. In these the "Rembrandt" background has been chiefly used, although the styles are very varied. The treatment of the flesh is particularly good, the "grain" having been obtained by working with lead pencil upon the negative. A varnish is used, which gives a slight "matt" surface, upon which the pencil can be used as a stippling tool with the utmost delicacy, and with a far greater certainty as to result than can possibly be obtained with the use of water colour.

In a third frame, there are eight other portraits of ladies, and it may be remarked that Mr Cherrill seems to have somewhat rigidly excluded the sterner sex from his specimen portraits. What his reason for this course may be, I do not pretend to define. These eight pictures are Cabinet size, with "Rembrandt background," and with far more decided effects than in the smaller photographs. One is particularly good, an intensely bright light on the profile being in contrast with a very dark background.

All these pictures, however, are completely thrown in the shade by the six specimens of photographs on porcelain, in which some really exquisite effects are to be seen. The porcelain possesses a peculiar influence in the lights of the picture, affording a clear and delicate whiteness, and retaining all the halfshades which in ordinary photographs would be looked for in vain. I do not say that this is to be attributed to Mr Cherrill's skill. It is simply the result of the different process. In the card pictures, the half-shades are frequently lost in the course of the required developing, fixing, and washing process, while under the modified treatment to which the porcelain pictures are subjected, these risks are avoided. It is much to be regretted that with these framed porcelain pictures one of the best effects cannot be shown — namely, that obtained by transmitted light, as by holding the porcelain plate between the observer and a window or lamp. I should imagine that with a series of these pictures a unique lamp shade might be constructed for drawing-room use.

Of ceramic enamel photographs, there are 16 specimens, such as would be suitable for use in brooches, lockets, &c. They represent one of the most interesting processes possible. The sitter is photographed in the ordinary way, but instead of printing on to sensitised paper, the picture is prepared as a film of collodion on glass. This film is then carefully floated off in water, and as carefully floated on to a tablet of white porcelain. These tablets are constructed in a manner similar to the dial plate of a watch, a porcelain surface being deposited on a plate of copper, moulded to the desired degree of convexity. The tablet, with the collodion film floated on to it, is placed for a few moments in a muffle furnace at a high temperature, and in this rapid process the collodion is consumed, and the carbon base of the picture is firmly deposited on the porcelain. When the tablet has cooled a milky looking wash of enamelling is passed over its surface, and it is returned to the furnace, this time to be subjected to a heat sufficiently intense to melt the enamelling, and produce a permanent glaze over the already permanent carbon picture. The process is a very tedious and troublesome one, the slightest inattention resulting in discoloration of the photograph. The great advantage of the ceramic picture is that both the photograph and the substances on which it is printed are absolutely imperishable.

Mr Cherrill is also sending two autotype pictures, produced by him, as one of the representatives of the London Autotype Company. In this process also there is an immense amount of interesting detail. Briefly it may be explained that, a negative having been taken the picture is printed on to a tissue of carbonised gelatine, rendered sensitive to the action of light. The gelatine picture is placed in a water bath and floated on to a second tissue, face downwards, just a repetition, in fact, of the process of transferring decalcomanie pictures. The union between the receiving tissue and the carbonised gelatine picture being complete; a hot water bath is resorted to. In this the paper back of the gelatine picture is peeled off, and the film is permanently incorporated with the surface of the stout receiving paper. By chemical action the gelatine has been converted into leather, and the carbon tints of the picture cannot be faded, so far as is known, by any exposure whatever. The completed autotype picture is exceedingly clear, and possesses the great advantage of being on unglazed paper. It can thus be worked upon by the artist to any extent that may be desired, and in any case the natural grain of the paper imparts the effect of depth, the value of which water-colour artists can so well appreciate.

In addition to the foregoing examples, which may be comprehensively described as thoroughly good of their respective kinds, Mr Cherrill is sending 24 separately framed views. Three of these, typical of scenery on the Avon, show the bridges at Cashel and Armagh streets, and the footbridge in the gardens. It need scarcely be said that they are fine examples of graceful foliage. Four pictures are museum interiors, showing the moa and other skeletons, some of the more notable natural history specimens, and the contents of the sculpture gallery. Eight pictures are views on the West Coast road, including the Waimakariri gorge, Starvation point, the Otira river bed, a morain, the right branch of the Otira river, one of the new bridges, a stretch of the road, and a mountain torrent. The last-mentioned is a specially good picture, and has been most artistically selected. There are two views of Lyttelton harbour, one of the Gladstone wharf, and the other a more general scene, showing the much talked of Stad Haarlem lying alongside the Screw-pile jetty. The remaining subjects include two views of Governor's Bay, the Sumner road, St Michael's church, and Church lane, Akaroa.

(do any of these photographs survive?)

also Star , Issue 3824, 19 July 1880, Page 3