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PSS - 10th Exhibition

March 1866

 

The Final PSS Exhibition

The 10th PSS Exhibition was the final exhibition to be staged by the Photographic Society of Scotland.  It was opened at 7 St Andrew Square with a Conversazione to which a number of gentlemen interested in Photography and Art were invited by the President and Committee

It was specified that all pictures were to be untouched and from a single negative, except in the case of views which could have sky printed from another negative.  Toning or shading before fixing was permitted.

The Committee gave a less enthusiastic report than they had given in previous years:

"There was a good attendance and the Exhibition was considered a satisfactory one.  It was left open free of charge till the end of April.
[Committee Report to PSS  -  13/3/1866]

Medals

The Medals awarded, and the award committee's comments were:

Best View by a Dry Process 

"The Committee had no great choice to select from, but of those exhibited in competition by far the best of those exhibited in competition by far the best were by George Hardy of Manchester taken by the Collodio-Albumen process.  From the large collection forwarded by this gentleman, the Committee selected View in Patterdale as in the whole the best."

Best view taken by an Amateur by any process

"The Committee have again the pleasure to award the Medal to Mr John Smith, Darnoch Tower, Melrose for his picture On the Liddle, Liddiesdale.  This view and the others there exhibited by Mr Smith were all taken by the wet collodion process.  They were of a larger size and finer quality than those exhibited last year, for one of which he carried off the Medal."

Best Portrait

"The competition lay between Mr Dallas’ Portrait of Revd G..ullen and Mr William Neilson’s portrait of Mr Nicol.  The committee, whilst admiring the great size and clean manipulation of Mr Neilson’s picture, thought that Mr Dallas’ was on the whole preferable of the two, and to him they have accordingly awarded the Medal."

Best Enlargements

Silver Medals were offered but were not awarded.  The classes were:

 - Best Enlargement of a  View of Architectural Subject

 - Best Enlargement of a Portrait.  

It was specified that enlargements must be superficially at least four times the size of the original picture.  However, the Committee regretted that they could not recommend that any medal be awarded for these classes.   They reported:

"The pictures sent in competition are few in number and not of a sufficiently good quality; whilst several of the best show indications of hand colour, which entirely excludes them from competition.  With the recollection fresh in their memory of the noble enlargements exhibited to this Society last year by Dr. Van Monkhaven, they cannot but regret that so little worthy of commendation should be exhibited in this very important department of photography."

Best Carbon Print

"As his Society has ever been anxious to encourage and reward all efforts to perfect the important process of Carbon Printing, they would recommend that an extra Medal be awarded to Mr Swan of Newcastle for the very beautiful specimens exhibited by him, both views and portraits, and more especially for his picture of  the Horse fair from a negative by Messrs Holroyd of Harrogate, which has all the delicacy and brightness of a high class mezzotint enlargement, whilst it is a more perfect copy of the painting from which it is taken than can be produced by the Graver."

Series of Portraits, Groups and Studies

"The Committee will also commend that an extra Medal be awarded by Mr AG Rejlander for the very beautiful and artistic series of portraits, groups and studies Exhibited by him which form so important and pleasing a part of this year’s exhibition."

Views in Scotland and Edinburgh

"In concluding this Report by to call the attention of the Society to the very perfect and artistically selected views in Scotland and Edinburgh by the Honorary Secretary Mr Clark.  These views are of the highest excellence, and had they been competing would justly have been entitled to the Medal, but Mr Clark did not consider that the Secretary should compete and willingly resigned all chance of gaining a Medal.  

The Committee, whilst doing all justice to Mr Clark’s honourable feelings, cannot consider it fair to him that, because he has taken upon himself the labour of acting as Secretary to the Society he should be deprived of the only honour the Society has in its power to bestow.  They would therefore recommend that an extra Medal be given to Mr Clark for his series of views of Scotland, and they are the more inclined to recommend this step as it has the approval of the President of the Society, Sir David Brewster."

 

 

Other Photographs in Exhibitions

 

PSS Exhibitions:    Medals    Dates   1st    2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th   9th  10th 

 

 

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