No 10 Con. Camp
France
4/12/17
Dear May,
I have posted to you the p.c.’s referred to in a previous letter. They are mostly Boulonge views but there are also a few others that I had with me. With the exception of one or two of the sea front views I have seen all these places. The two cottages at Ecault are quite close to this camp, we are just up the hill on the right. I can recognise most of the people, also the goat. The fancy Dunkirk p.c. I have enclosed just to let you see the style. I have never been there. I also enclosed a book of war views around Ypres way but I have only seen the Ypres places & can recognise very few of them. These views were taken in the early days of the war & although they are called after-the-bombardment views they are much more like the original than the present day scenes. If I can get into Boulonge I will send some others later.
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Some time ago, after I retd from leave, I sent a bundle of p.c.’s to you & hope you got them alright. As far as I remember I had seen all the places except Rouen (I sent a book of views of one of the big towns I think it was Rouen). The Church at Doulieu is of interest because the Huns shot 11 civilians in it & then set it on fire. The bell is hung out at the door & is now used for a gas alarm. We spent a week in billets near there. Have been several times in Bailleul & know Neuve Eylise & Nippe well. I am also posting in a separate envelope a few views I have cut from the London daily papers. The one of the tank is about the most typical I’ve seen. It gives a slight glimpse of the churned up state of the ground. You’d think it was just going to topple over, & so it is, only it does it so gently you feel almost
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disappointed. They crawl over the very roughest country in such an unconcerned way that there is very little excitement watching them. The views of the road to Italy might be of interest. I don’t think we are likely to go but one never knows, does one? 5th Have just received a bundle of 7 letters including 35, 36 & 37 from home. Am very sorry to hear that mother has been bad again. I am waiting anxiously for later news & hope it will be much better. The photos you enclosed were tres bon especially the one of Ruth. The one of you on the horse is good too – far better of you I think the other one with the bike. Eric seems to be a hard little doer & terribly big for his age. I am glad you are keeping the old camera busy, & meeting with such good results.
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No 10 CON. CAMP About those fancy photos of Ben’s it is difficult to say just what the processes are without seeing the prints. Those green ones are probably gaslight toned to that colour, or it might be a special developer. You can also tone them blue, suitable for imitation moonlight etc. I used to have some blue & green toning powders for this work but as I did little with the gaslight I didn’t use them so they are packed away with my other photog. gear. If you can get hold of the box & dig them out you should give it a trial. You may find other stuff there that is of use to you. I think you will find it all in the same box & there should be a few books on photogy there too. Take anything you want as long as the other things don’t get scattered. I got the toners from Suckling. You’ll see plenty of novelties in their catalogue but you will find that it runs away with a lot of money to go to experimenting with everything. It is quite as interesting & much cheaper to
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study the arrangement, or composition, of your photos & the exposure required, & then you photo will look well on any paper. If you come across the Barnett book among my things you will find a chapter there on composition etc. This is where most ametures fail, they overlook the pictorial side of it & then wonder why their photos are not as pleasing to the eye as other people’s. Of course a lot of subjects that you want to take offer little scope for artistic handling but in most cases you can get a decent picture with a little care. Sorry I can’t give you much guidance along this line but I can tell you it is the right line to follow if you want pictures worth keeping. As for enlarging it is just as well left alone for a while, you require a special apparatus for it & it runs away with a lot of stuff especially during the experimental stages.
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I don’t know if you are doing any devg on your own but if you have any trouble about judging the length of time to develop you might get better results by working on what is called the factorial method described in “Photogy in a Nutshell” – paragraph 112 I fancy. Another thing don’t forget to put your foot down on air bubbles before they do any harm, don’t wait till they show up on the black. I think this enough about photog. this week. But just a word on glazing prints. The only thing is to leave them on till they are perfectly dry, & the way to get them to dry quickly is to dry them as usual first, then soak them just for a few minutes until they are limp & then glaze – you’ll be surprised how much quicker they come off. Just one more
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tip. If you have any dark smudges, spots or stains on your gaslight paper a piece of wadding dipped in Meth. Spirits will remove them & clean up the photo without harming it in any way. This should be done after they are dry & preferably before glazing. You’ll find a roller squeegee for glazing among my gear. It was slight relief to hear that that waterbottle had got through. I was just thinking about getting another lot together. The cartridges are harmless as I have taken out the explosive & only the little cap remains. I think I explained what everything was when I wrote before. I can’t understand the photo of our Coy. not arriving, but p’raps it will be there by now. It is the same as the one that was in the Witness.
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About those little photos that Mother mentioned for Rev. P. you can please yourselves. He would probably be glad to get them. I think he has a few of the earlier ones. I must write to him one of these days when I have a bit more news. Mother said she was sending another scarf & it will come in handy when I go up the line again. I kept the last one until the Ypres stunt but lost it there. I have still got the balaclava. This is about all this week. I told you before that the two pcls had arrived – the cake & the sox & honey. Am still hanging about doing very little. There is nothing much wrong but my sprained toe is improving very slowly, & I can’t put much weight on it. The Dr. says it wants rest, & I’m doing my best to oblige.
Love to All
Len
P.S. Did I tell you another batch has left the Coy with trench feet, & Mark is among them. There can’t be many left.
