Almost 100 years before broadcast television, there was the invention of the photographic camera. The ultra-con religious folks reacted almost identically as they do today concerning the evils of TV.
Writing from the Old Vicarage, Shinfield, a Reverend gentleman
complained to a newspaper in 1851:
Sir, - I beg to bring to your notice the serious harm likely to come from the increasing popularity of photography. Since Mr. Talbot and M. Daguerre perfected their processes for fixing a living image on paper a few years ago, there has been an alarming increase in the popularity of this unnatural pastime. The stage has now been reached when permanent damage is likely to be inflicted not only on painting, engraving, and the arts in general, but upon industry, manners, and the home itself.
Already, I am informed, the fascinations of the photograph album have had their effect on the thousands of children who would be better employed in pit or mill; already the reputations of Landseer, Turner, and even Martin and Westall are believed to be suffering; and I can myself vouch unhappily from my own family circle that idleness and vanity are encouraged by the constant posing for portraits, and the subsequent poring over them in unhealthy crouching attitudes. This day, alas, I have been obliged to call five of my daughters before me for reproof... (3)
Of course, over a period of time the resistance to this new technology by religious people faded. By 1945, it was a non-issue at the UPC merger.
I believe TV will also be a non-issue by 2045!
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The wish to capture evanescent reflections is not only impossible, as has been shown by thorough German investigation, but the mere desire alone, the will to do so, is blasphemy. God created man in His own image, and no man-made machine may fix the image of God. Is it possible that God should have abandoned His eternal principles, and allowed a Frenchman in Paris to give to the world an invention of the Devil?
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__________________ For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God. (Romans 14:11- NASB)
and the subsequent poring over them in unhealthy crouching attitudes. This day, alas, I have been obliged to call five of my daughters before me for reproof...
That's funny! You can just picture everyone crouched around like tigers!
Automobiles were also considered evil (since I have a teen driver in the house, I agree), as were telephones (once again I agree - I detest telephones).
Actually, the revernd did have a point. The camera did in fact end the livelyhood of hundreds of illustrators and engravers. Some of whom were savvy enough to see the writing on the wall and buy a camera...
It did pring about a new art form though. You guys know that many of the post gettysburg battle photos were "staged"? Bodies moved about for artistic composition. New meaning to the genre "still life'
Th photo below is one such
He was laid there with a rifle propped against the rocks to tell the story of a valiant last stand.
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Last edited by John Atkinson; 10-12-2009 at 09:21 AM.
It did pring about a new art form though. You guys know that many of the post gettysburg battle photos were "staged"? Bodies moved about for artistic composition. New meaning to the genre "still life'
Th photo below is one such
He was laid there with a rifle propped against the rocks to tell the story of a valiant last stand.
Yep, a real dead end! LOL
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"Those who go after the "Sauls" among us often slay the Davids among us." Gene Edwards
I have been trying to find a picture my daughter took when she did the school trip to gettysburg, she took a picture of those rocks from that same angle, it makes a neat side by side.
"Well, either your facing a situation you do not wish to acknowledge, or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster as indicated by the presence of a camera in your community!"
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