Arts: Photography

The Seventh International Salon of Photography, at the Los Angeles Museum, had prints by 88 exhibitors representing eleven countries. Bromide prints, “transfers,” lithographs, “palladium” prints and many other types of media showed the variety and aesthetic quality which camera art has attained. A feature was the group of “gum prints” of N. P. Moerdyke, director of the Camera Pictorialists of Los Angeles. Gum prints are made from a negative called a pattern, from which a retouched negative is transferred to paper in front of a light, eliminating or making prominent portions as desired. Tour printings are made on special watercolor paper, the negative being painted each time with gray or black pigments, bringing out the high lights, velvety shadows and soft lines reminiscent of Corot. One gum print requires six hours of manual labor.

A gum print exhibit was also held at the Camera Club, Manhattan, by Dr. Theron W. Kilmer, a physician who specializes in portrait studies of uncommon types in this difficult medium. This exhibition will later tour the U. S.