THE NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPANY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2366, 8 September 1887, Page 2

THE NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPANY.

We have so often to chronicle; travelling shows where it takes the resources of the English language to reconcile truth with charity that it was with-lhy no means tminixed pleasure we accepted an invitation : to visit the studio of the above; company. We are bound however, to say, that we wore agreeably surprised—by l both the portraits and the landscapes shown to us, from a stock necessary limited by the expense and risk of travelling. Wd were particularly struck by the children’s likenesses, one little girl in a Mother Hunbal'd cap showing a complete mastery over light and shade. The large heads too wore excellent; and we had the advantage of comparing a copy as printed from the negative, the same touched up and. the .original, The completed photo was an excellent likeness without flattering the subject in the!-least,; while the original print shmyed,. every blemish ih the face, as if .through! a magnifying glass, Mr Ryan, the manager, justly claims credit for _ specially good finish .in portraits of this kind as most, largo' ‘photos are gross caricatures on the originals. In landscapes we were shown a number of pretty views of Whangaroa, Tauranga, Opotiki, etc.; a moonlight scene at Whangaroa attracted our attention by its truth to nature, . As showing an examplelof fidelity and clearness in detail wo may inentioiv a photograph of a wharc rnnanga created fat Gisborne, to receive Mr vljryco some four, years .ago.; the carvings reveal clearly to tlioi naked eye many an old Maori, legend. In watercolours the only . example wo; saw was a pretty child's head framed in very natural chrysanthemums. Wo may mention that the artist, Mr Rert-T?hompson ( holds the medals of the .Dundee' an.d Lon'.dop I'hgtographip Societies tor both portraiture and landscape as well' as the diploma of the ffrgspeU InternationalExhibition. Their stay in ffainjltpu will be about a mouth.