No it wouldn't be naff for list members to meet. Give me a call if you
happen to venture into my neck of the woods ( Lancashire)
I was interested to read your description of your examples of Permanent
Photography in 'Masterpieces of Antique Art'. They are very similar in
description to an item that I have, 'The Seven Cartoons of Raphael'
published as a portfolio by the Science and Art Department of the Committee
of Council on Education in 1870. (It was a used as a Third Grade Prize in
Art) The originals were photographed by C Thurston Thompson and the
reproductions measure 7.5 x 5 inches.
For a long time I thought these were Woodburtypes but after comparing them
with other known Woodburtypes from the same period I now believe that they
may be carbon prints. Generally colour is not a guide to a Woodburytype but
a relief on the surface of the print is a better guide. Contemporary carbon
prints can exhibit the same relief but generally the transfer stages seem to
flatten the image. (Just to confuse things, I have used a transfer process
in Woodburtype which resulted in a flattened relief but this was seldom, if
ever used in early examples. Sometimes, however, Woodburytypes were rolled
under pressure to reduce the relief) It was unusual to call Woodburytypes
'Permanent Photography'. 'Woodbury's Permanent Process' or 'Woodburytype
process' was more common. Griffith and Farran are not known to me as
publishers who used Woodburytypes.
Unless there is other evidence in the text, it is quite possible that your
Permanent Photographs are carbons.
Any comment Phillip?