Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 29.djvu/353

 KoticfS of .Hvrljncologtral iJullirations. A CATALOGUE OK A SKI! IKS OK PlfOTOGKArHS FRuM THE COLLEC- TION OF THE BRITISH ML'SEIM, taken by S. Thompson. First Seik-s. Catalogues u£ the seventh part by A. AV. Franks, M.A., S. Birch, LL.D., G.Smith, anil W. Do G. Birch. Introduction by C. Hanison. 8vo. London : W. A. Mansell & Co. The value of photograpliy to the stiuly of arclucology has long been kmnvn, but it.s applicatiuu on an cxteiidctl scale to the publication of the cuntents of public inuscuuKS, is the most receut feature of the art. Ill the autuum of this year, Mr. ('. liarrisou published a series of photographs of the most remarkable objects of the archteological collectious of the British Museum, with a catalogue of the whole, prefaced by au introduction from his own pen, giving a summary and general view of the entire subject of the study of antiquity. Tlic catalogues of the various sections were prepared In' officers of the difterent deijartmcnts. Mr. A. W. l-'ranks drew u]) that of the Pra-historic, l^thnographical, British and Mediaeval ; Dr. Birch, the Egj'ptian, CJreek, Etruscan, lloman, and the Assyrian with the collaboration of Mr. G. Smith. The mediioval seals were catalogued by Mr. W. Dc Gray Birch. These catalogues, in seven divisions, comprise 1041 photographs, and since their publication othex-s have been added, as the marble from the Temple of Diana at Ephesus, while others are about to appear of the collection of Cyprian antiquities, collected by General di Cesnola, and the celebrated Assyrian tablet recounting the Ghaldican account of the deluge. Next to seeing a monu- ment itself the inspection of its impressions, cast, drawing, or photograph, is the most important to kuowing its character. For smaller objects, im- pressions are alone i)ortable, and for the purpose of publication or diffusion, drawings on cngi-aved plates were required, but in the present day, photography eclipses the efforts of the best and most careful artist, and as absolute truth and accuracy is required by the student, whenever it can be obtained, the jdiotograph is unrivalled ; it neither distorts nor fails to give the details of objects of ancient art. The cases in which it is baffled are few. It cannot indeed reproduce colour, but its treatment is inexorable in giving form and outline. The price of each lihotogi-aph of the series now imder consideration is 'la. unmounted, when mounted, from 2s. Gd. to os. Ski., and the whole series costs .£128 to X'140. Sets of the different sections can be procured from £G 10s. to i;;37 7s. Gd., according to their size and mounting. It is impos- sible in a short criticism to enter into details of so vast a subject, l)ut in following the order of the catalogues, the importance of some of those of the principal divisions can be pointed out. In the fu-st stone period, or the paheolithic, there are the most important of the numerous remains found at Bruniqeul, when France is supposed