Selwyn House School - Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 1964-1965 21 piece of art out of an everyday scene, it does not matter whether the picture is black and white or colour. But now almost every camera will take pictures not only in black and white and colour prints but also colour slides. Each time you take a picture you are increasing your skill at being able to realize what makes an excellent picture before you shoot. Photography does not consist only of looking through the view finder or lens ata scene and then clicking the shutter, but it is getting your subject, whether it is a bowl of fruit or a landscape, into the position in which you want to remember it forthe rest of your lite. There isn't much fun to photography it after you finish a roll you take it to the drug store for developing and printing. A great deal of fun can be obtained from doing your own processing in your own darkroom. A darkroom can be anything from a light sealed room with the most delicate equipment to a temporary set up in the kitchen. I have my own darkroom and have got endless hours of enjoyment from watching a blank piece of paper become a beautiful picture which I know I not only took but also was responsible for its processing. Not only does your own developing cut more than five hours off the time you wait for them at the drug store, but it cuts the cost in halt. I enjoy the hobby of photography very much and hope that you will too in the future. T. Stewart, Form VI. Collecting Coins People sometimes ask why others take so great an interest in collecting coins. Perhaps the pricipal reasons are that a great number of coins are delight- ful works of art, expertly engraved and produced, and that to many collectors, JUNIOR CHOIR

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20 SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE Hobbies Selwyn House was well represented among the many entries at the West- mount Hobby show this year. Awards were won by the following boys: Coristine ii a first, a second and a third. Weil i Miller i a first and a second. Boyd, J. Winfield. a first and a third. Atack Kirkgaard. one first place each. Ronalds Capping Rosenthal a second each Bala Roden i i a third. Our congratulations to all the above. Tropical Fish One of the most popular hobbies in North America is raising tropical fish. I have a ten gallon aquarium squirming with multi-coloured fish such as platies, black mollies, fancy guppies, swordtails, neon tetras and a few angel fish. When I first bought my aquarium I washed the gravel to get rid of the dust and filled the tank with water. I then put the gravel, plants, thermometer, and filter into the aquarium and put the reflector on top. Having done this the aquarium was ready for the introduction of fish. I put them in after purchasing them, and now after three years of enjoyment I have tripled my former number of fish. Of all the different kinds of tropical fish there are three main species. The most easy to breed are the livebearers, including guppies, platies, swordtails and mollies, The second type are the egg layers to which zebras. angels, neons and many other kinds belong. The third and final variety are the bubblenest- blowers. An example of this is the Siamese fighting fish or betta, which blows its eggs into a nest of air bubbles which it has created on the surface ofthe water. I consider after three years of raising and breeding tropical fish that it is truly one of the most enjoyable and satisfying hobbies I have ever known. David Ludgate - Va. Photography Photography is the most fascinating hobby I know. There is always some- thing to photograph, because of the endless array of suitable photographic sub- jects, even in your own house. To take excellent pictures you don't need expensive cameras and complicated equipment, although they may be needed to obtain a wider range of photographs. Part of the fun of taking pictures is to make a

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22 SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE holding an ancient Roman coin in their hand, their mind can be carried back to the times when it was struck. Not the least point of interest is that many coins show actual and direct references to contemporary events or past history either factual or legendary, they tell of the every-day life of the ancient or modern peoples, their political associations, their religions, their customs and their means of living and of work. ln the historical field coins also tell of kings and cities otherwise unknown, of usurpings, rebellions, sieges and of victories and famines. What to collect is the first problem to be dealt with. Those who are familiar with stamp catalogues will know that stamps cover a period of a little over one hundred years, coins, however, date back over two thousand five hundred years. The question of which coins to collect is decided to a certain extent by one's interest and by the money one wishes to spend. A collection of gold coins for instance, is out of the question for those wishing to spend a couple of dollars a month on their hobby. Eventually, the person will therefore want to specialize so that he does not end up by having a group of unrelated coins. Therefore, he is then able to buy a specialized catalogue to see which coins are available to him. He will have to obtain these from either iewellers, antique and iunk shops, or coin dealers, the latter source giving the best value and service, of course. The beginner all too frequently, asks how to clean his coins. The best answer is don't ! More coins are spoilt by iniudicious cleaning than by anything else. Gold and silver coins do not corrode easily, but if they are really dirty, the dirt and grease may be removed by washing in soapy water, drying them later without rubbing them too much. A dark or coloured tarnish is thought to improve the appearance of a silver coin and should not be removed, it is, after all, acquired with age. An unpleasant or uneven tarnish on modern coins can, how- ever, be removed with a weak solution of ammonia, provided the pieces are well rinsed in water afterwards. Copper coins should be brushed only, the best brush being not harsh, not soft. A tiny drop of lifnseed oil on it will give the copper a protective coating against damp. Another thing in connection with copper is that it is corroded easily and most be kept dry at all times. One should not smoke above a copper coin, for the ash from the tobacco corrodes the metal. One final point to remember is that metal coins must not be cleaned with metal polish. Having obtained a suitable set of containers such as low rectangular boxes with some sort of dividing devices for each coin, the collector must label them with the name of his particular series. The date of each coin and the reign must be labelled under each specimen. Finally, one should consider wisely how he will buy these coins. The price of one is determined by the rarity and its condition. The age is no factor on this value. The rarity factor is obvious, the price regulated by supply and demand for it. If a beginner wishes to buy a specimen, he is well advised to buy the best he can afford, since a small collection of fine coins is more satisfying than a large one with a large quantity of rubbish. However, there is little dif- ference in the matter if the pieces are obtained for historical interest than their actual value. Forgery may not be an old profession, but it is practised all over the world. The way to spot a forgery is to notice either the blurring of the design, pittings in the surface caused by air bubbles while casting, and lightness of weight. Therefore, to collect coins is a far more interesting and stimulating hobby than one would suspect. To those who indulge in it, I wish luck, and perhaps in fifty years or so, their collections will be sold for a considerable profit. Keith May.