Even in the months of winter portraiture in the house is possible, except perhaps in the very heart of London, where the yellow fogs are prevalent ; hut there are other means of using the art if the light become too poor for portrait work. Pictures may be copied — paintings either in oil or water-colour, engravings, etchings, and so forth, are all equally well reproduced by the aid of the dry plate.
When flowers are in season, beautiful pictures may be made by those who have skill and taste in arranging them. Special sets of apparatus are now prepared for boys and girls at school.
So far for amusement; but there is no reason why the photographer, although he be an amateur—that is to say, although his profession is something different from the photographic — should make nothing more than a plaything of his hobby. There is scarcely a profession in which photography is not at times useful.
How useful photography may be to the soldier and naval man is proved by the fact that the art is taught in naval and military colleges.
To the artist photography may often be useful, and in fact it is greatly used by many painters, although, we are sorry to say, a few of those who do make use of it are not very willing to let the fact be known. Artists too often look on photography with a mingled feeling of contempt and jealousy.
To the architect the art is possibly more useful than to almost any other professional man. Photographic reproductions of buildings must always be infinitely more faithful and useful for his purpose than the most elaborate and laboriously prepared sketches or drawings. The same applies of course to the builder.
To the engineer, possibly as much as to the architect, photography is useful, and with him it is indeed con tinually in force. We know of civil engineers in charge
of contracts far from home whose weekly report of pro gress is accompanied by a photograph, which, we need scarcely say, will tell more than volumes of description would. To the mechanical engineer a special benefit is to be found in the use of photographs when work is being tendered for or offers are being made for erecting machinery. A photograph of a machine will in cases give a much better idea of the general construction and arrangement of parts than will the most elaborate drawing ; whilst, on the other hand, there is less of dimensional design revealed, because on account of per spective, foreshortening, etc., there is difficulty in taking measurements from a photograph, except in certain special cases where it is taken with a view to measure ment. The engineer thus gives to his customer a better general idea of his machine by the use of a photograph than by that of a drawing, whilst he is less likely to have his designs stolen.
To the medical profession photography is invaluable. Typical cases of all kinds are recorded, and the pro gress of disease or cure may he shown. To the Alienist, or as he is generally jocularly called the "mad doctor," does this perhaps apply more than to any other specialist.
In fact there is scarcely a case of any set of profes sional men to whom photography may not be useful as something more than a mere plaything, and we might multiply cases without end.
In pure science photography is used in every direction. There is scarcely branch of science in which it is not used, either as a means of keeping records or in some other capacity, whilst for some scientific pursuits a know ledge of it is absolutely necessary.