Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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McCORMICK MESSENGER, McCORMICK, S. C, THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1940 Dress Up Room With Crocheted Chair Set • Pattern 2506 /^JET started on crochet that you’ll love—repeat this easy flower medallion and fill the quick ly crocheted basket. You’ll have a chair set or scarf ends that will dress up your room! Pattern 2506 contains directions for making set; illustration of it and stitches; materials required. Send order to: Sewing Circle Needlecraft Dept. 82 Eighth Ave. New York Enclose 15 cents in coins for Pat tern No Name Address * CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT PHOTOFINISHING DOUBLE-SIZE PRINTS! 8 exp. roll developed, printed. Me; 16 exp., 40c; reprints. 8c each.One- day service. Send negative for free sample. Mall way Pbotefln- ■ahars. Box 11S-B, Evansville, lad. Long Footpath The Appalachian trail, the long est marked footpath in the world, begins on Mount Katahdin in cen tral Maine and ends on Mount Oglethorpe in northern Georgia, a distance of 2,050 miles. It passes through 14 states, two national parks, six national forests and ap proximately 20 state parks and forests.—Collier’s. K Vegetable Laxative For Headache, Biliousness, and Dizziness when caused by Constipation. 15 doses for only 10 cents. Dr. Hitchcock's LAXATIVE POWDER Contented Spirit To secure a contented spirit, measure your desire by your for tune and not your fortune by your desires.—Jeremy Taylor. WU1Y BESraNDEHT mill A a Crying spells. Irritable nlKlA nerves due to functional ndlllfcw* “monthly" pain should find •real “woman’s friend" in Lydia E. Pink- ham’s Vegetable Compound. Try M Lydia L Pinkham’s compound Rather Why Not I had rather it should be asked why I had not a statue, than why I had one.—Cato. fiojT CHOICE OF MILLIONS^ ^ THEIR FIRST THOUGHT ^ FOR SIMPLE HEADACHE. JOSEPH ASPIRIN WNU—7 24—40 Worthy Word Never was a sincere word ut terly lost.—Emerson. Miserable with backache? W HEN kidneys function badly and 1 you suffer a nagging backache/ with dizziness, burning, scanty or too frequent urination and getting up at nignt; when you feel tired, nervous, all upset... use Doan’s rills. \ Doan’s are especially for poorly working kidneys. Millions of boxes are used every year. They are recom mended the country over. Ask your neighbor! DOANS PILLS - 1 ■" .Wf. — ■■ . . —■■■■ ■ — , ■ Again Is Raised the Question of Who Made the First Camera in the U. S. and Took the First Photographic Portrait DR. JOHN W. DRAPER (From an ambrotype made by Mathew W. Brady about 1857.) By ELMO SCOTT WATSON (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) W HO made the first camera in America? What pioneer pho tographer first used a “fast action” picture - taking ma chine to get a successful por trait of a human being? According to a recent Asso ciated Press dispatch from Hampden Sydney, Va., hon ors belong to Dr. John Wil liam Draper, an Englishman who was educated at the Uni versity of Pennsylvania, be came a professor of chemis try at Hampden Sydney col lege more than a century ago and achieved a wide reputa tion not only in chemistry but in physiology, history and philosophy as well. This dis patch said: An old box-shaped camera left at Hampden Sydney college in 1839 by Dr. John William Draper is going to be taken from its cen tury-old resting place to a niche in the Smithsonian Institution, officials of which have accepted it as the first camera in America and the first “fast action” camera in the world. The presentation probably will take place at the June commencement. To prove that it was the first camera of modern type, eight years of research was conducted by the Rev. Howard C. Cobbs, who was a professional photog rapher at Charleston, W. Va., be fore he began his studies for the ministry. The college asked Mr. Cobbs to make a picture of the camera in 1932 for George W. Eastman, president of the Eastman Kodak company. The young student learned its history from Dr. J. H. C. Bagby, professor of chemistry. He tried it with modern film and it worked. He learned that Dr. Draper made his famous “first portrait” o* a living person at New York university in 1839 or 1840, soon after leaving Hampden Sydney. Mr. Cobbs became convinced that the camera here was older than the one used at N. Y. U. and was the first modern-type camera. Everything he un earthed indicated that he was right in hi* belief, but he could get no “iron-clad” proof. Mr. Cobb£ took his data to the Smithsonian. Officials congratu lated him on his work, then sug gested that he study records there. He found just what he needed, and it was in Dr. Draper’s own words in a letter to the Photographic and Fine Art Journal, published in 1858, in an swer to an inquiry “who made the first photographic portrait?” Dr. Draper explained that he had worked with sensitive plates before anything was published in Europe by Daguerre or Talbot; that he had tried a lens of large aperture and short focus to speed up action enough to permit por traits of living persons; that he succeeded notably later with in formation about Daguerre’s more sensitive plates. It was while at Hampden Syd ney that he carried on his ex periments, he said, even trying mirrors from a telescope before obtaining a lens. The telescope is here and will be presented with the camera. His connection with portraiture, he said, dated to the summer before publication of Daguerre’s process. Daguerre.’s process was published in August, 1839. Dr. Draper went to New York univer sity in September, 1839, and with Daguerre’s more sensitive plates and his methods succeeded. Had he discovered the more sensitive plate, Virginia might have claimed the honor of the first portrait as well as the first camera. Despite the assertions in that news story, however, it is possible that some one may soon rise to challenge Dr. Draper’s right to the honor of having made the first camera in America and being the first to get a successful por trait. Here’s why: Last year was celebrated the “Centennial of Photography” dur ing which honors were paid to Louis Jacques Mande Dageuerre, the Frenchman, who is univer sally acclaimed as “The Father of Photography.” On the eve of that celebration the MacMillan company of New York published “Photography and the American Scene—A Social History, 1839- 1889,” the result of more than six years of research by Dr. Robert Taft, professor of chemistry at the University of Kansas. In the first two chapters of his book, Dr. Taft gives a well-doc umented account of the work of the pioneer “daguerreotypists” in this country who became interest ed in the new art very soon after articles about Daguerre’s proc ess had been reprinted from French and English journals in American newspapers as early as March, 1839. One of these was D. W. Seager, an Englishman, who was living in New York in 1839. As a result of Dr. Taft’s investigations, he makes the statement that Seager “was the first person to make a successful daguerreotype in the United States; which he did on Septem ber 27, 1839.” As for the claim that Draper made the first successful porttait of a human being, Dr. Taft’s con clusions also give that honor to another man. Alexander S. Wol cott of New York. Wolcott, who was an instrument maker and manufacturer of dental supplies, took a daguerreotype of his part ner, John Johnson, on October 7, 1839, according to Taft, and this was the “first photographic por trait.” Draper’s Contributions. Although denying to Draper the honor of being the first to make a successful photographic por trait, Dr. Taft sums up his impor tant contributions to photography thus: “He was among the earliest to attempt photographic portraiture. The earliest photographic por trait which has survived. It is a daguerreotype of Miss Dorothy Catherine Draper, made by her brother, Dr. John W. Draper, probably in the summer of 1840. These* attempts were based on such scientific principles as were then known; he sent abroad an early daguerreotype portrait, ap parently the earliest which has survived; he published an exten sive account of these experiments, thereby enabling and encourag ing others to benefit from his ex perience ; and he became as sociated with Morse in the open ing of an establishment for the purpose of taking portraits, thus becoming one of the founders of a new profession.” Dr. Taft’s mention of “the earli est daguerreotype portrait which has survived” is a reference to Draper’s famous portrait of his sister, Miss Dorothy Catherine Draper, which is still in existence and which is owned by the Rev. Sir John C. W. Herschel of Eng land, grandson of Sir John F. W. Herschel, the distinguished Eng lish scientist to whom Draper sent it in the summer of 1840. It was accompanied by a letter, the full text of which is printed for the first time in Taft’s book. In this letter Draper stated that “I believe I was the first person here who succeeded in obtaining portraits from life.” “It will be noted that the letter is dated July 28, 1840, and that no reference is made to the date on which the portrait was made,” comments Dr. Taft. “It will also be noted that the exposure of this early daguerreotype portrait was only 65 seconds. Previously pub lished accounts concerning this daguerreotype have given expo sures ranging from 10 to 20 min utes, which have evidently been based upon such general informa tion as was available in Seager’s exposure table (printed in the American Repertory of Arts, Sciences and Manufacturers for March, 1840, the first ever printed in this country). “Judging from these facts, the date of the letter, the relatively short exposure required and an examination of the portrait itself which shows rather great con trasts, I am of the opinion that it was taken outdoors during the summer of 1840.” In September, 1840, Draper published an article in the Lon don, Edinburgh and Dublin Philo sophical Magazine in which he described in detail his method of making photographic portraits, such as the one of his sister. He stated that in his earlier attempts he dusted the face of the person sitting for the portrait with white powder (probably flour) to secure greater contrast but that a few trials showed him that there was no advantage in this. To get greater illumination on the sub ject he used mirrors to reflect the sun directly upon the sitter “but in the reflected sunshine, the eye can not support the effulgence of the rays.” In order to support the head and keep it still during the long exposures required for these early pictures, a staff ter minating in an iron ring was at tached to the sitter’s chair and so “arranged as to have motion in all directions to suit any stature and any altitude.” Instrument of Torture. > “The modern patron of the pho tographer’s art may not recog- ( nize the instrument of torture de- . scribed above,” writes Dr. Taft, / “but to those who had photo- ! graphic portraits made ‘in the long I ago’ it will be remembered as the f. familiar head rest which was part , of every photographer’s equip- . ment, a device which was used, ^ as can be seen, from the early in- ;(] ception of the art up to fairly modern times.” ) ( It must have been a very try- I ing experience for Miss Dorothy j Catherine Draper and it is doubt- ful if many of the belles of 1840 j would have been willing to endan- 1 • ger their complexions by having flour smeared over it or sitting • exposed to strong sunlight for long minutes while trial pictures were being taken, not to men tion enduring the discomfort of that “instrument of torture,” the iron head rest. So she deserves great credit for her contribution to the development of the art of photography and even though it is debatable if her brother can just ly claim the honor of being the first to make a photographic por trait, there is little doubt that one distinction does rest with the Draper family. Dorothy Catherine Draper was the first photographic “model”— the ancestor of the “glamour gals” who smile so bewitching- ly at us from the pages of thou sands of magazines and newspa pers today. OP?. SEW 4- Ruth Wyeth Spears USE 4 BOARDS EACH I'xs'xr SCREW HINGES TO COVERED BOARDS SUP BOARD INSIDE OF cover;then SEW END CUT COVERS TO FIT BOARDS •STITCH INSIDE OUT LEAVING ONE END OPEN:THEN TURN 1 P\0 YOU need a screen to keep drafts from a child’s bed? Or perhaps you would like to have a good-looking one to cut off the view from the dining room into the kitchen or from a bedroom into a bathroom? Well, here is an idea for that screen. Buy four well- seasoned boards each 1 foot wide; 1 inch thick and as long as the height you wish the screen to be; also 9 hinges of the 1-inch butt type used for cupboard doors. Next, select a smart chintz to cov er your boards. To estimate the amount of chintz, multiply the height of the screen by three and then add %-yard. Now, just fol low the directions in the sketch and you will have your screen in no time. And, by the way, if you are in terested in making a collection of B L around Rs THE HOUSE Standing on a heavy rug or rub ber mat will go a long way toward preventing fatigue during long pe riods of ironing. * * • Take advantage of the next windy day to clean your chintz cov erings and curtains. Hang them on a clothes line and brush them quickly with a clean whisk broom dipped frequently in warm water. • • • Ice cubes or desserts are frozen faster in a mechanical refrigera tor if a quarter-cup of water is poured on the freezing surface be fore the trays are put in place. * • « If you rinse a plate with cold water before breaking eggs on it, add to them a pinch of salt and then stand where there is a cur rent of air, you will have no dif ficulty in beating them to a froth. fabric toys, complete directions for the Rag Baby on the floor are in Sewing Book No. 2. The Sleepy^ Time doll on the bed and the Ban danna doll on the shelf are in Book 4; the Stocking Cat is in Book 3. You will also find full directions for the crocheted rug in Book No. 3. Directions for the lamp shades are in Book No. 1. Send 10 cents in coin for each book desired. If you order four books I will include patterns and direc tions for three of my Favorite Early American quilts, FREE.- The Kaleidoscope; the Whirl Wind and the Ann Rutledge. Send or der to: MRS. RUTH WYETH SPEARS Drawer 10 Bedford Hills New York Enclose 10 cents for one book, or 40 cents for books 1. 2, 3 and 4 and set of quilt block patterns. Name Address Bringing On Mischief To mourn a mischief that is past and gone is the next way to draw, new mischief on.—Shakespeare. | USE FINE SWEDISH CHROME STEEL BLADES KENT IS FULLY GUARANTEED 7 Single Edge Blade* or lO Double Edge Blade* Golden Age The age of gold was the age when gold did not rule.—Lezay de Marnezia. 1 * r ‘> 1 -—..'VV* f '. 'if. g-A 5 For that marvelous can’t-be-copied FLAVOR SAY BEFORE YOU SAY CORN FLAKESI w,ul ttllL •****®*® Switch to something you'll like! Copr. 1040 by Kellogg Compgnj^ MADE BY KELLOGG S IN BATTLE CREEK The Housewife • • • “Research Professor of Economy”—. SHE'S not a Ph.D. or an LL.D. She hasn't a diploma or a cap and gown. I Her research is not done in the laboratory or the library. As a matter I of fact, her findings are made, usually, in the street car, in the subway, f in the suburban commuter's train. She reads the advertisements in this paper with care and considera tion. They form her research data. By means of them she makes her purchases so that she well deserves the title of “Research Professor of Economy.'' She discovers item after item, as the years roll on, combin ing high quality with low. It is clear to you at once that you . . . and all who make and keep a home . . . have the same opportunity. With the help ot newspaper advertising you, too, can graduate from the school of indiscriminate buying into the faculty of fastidious purchases!