A NATIONAL GALLERY OF PHOTOGRAPHS. [To. the Editor of the
SPECTATOR.]
gather from a recent visit to the National Portrait Gallery that at present no recourse is had to photography for preserving the features, &c., of contemporary eminent persons for the benefit of future generations. This seems a pity in view of the fact that photography is often a more faithful reproducer of appearances than painting. In the latter the personality of the artist is almost bound to count, and this may interfere with the production of what the average person would consider to be a satisfactory likeness.
Could not a committee be appointed whose business it would be to obtain photographs of appropriate persons ? It would be necessary, of course, to exercise a rigid censor- ship over the selections, as otherwise the accumulation of portraits might be appallingly large.—I am, Sir, &c.,
Previous page
