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-----------------+----------------+------------------------------- Date of Meeting. |Name of Society.| Place of Meeting. -----------------+----------------+------------------------------- Feb. 7th | Edinburgh | Hall, 5, St. Andrew-square. Feb 8th | South London | Arundel Hall, Arundel-street. Feb 8th | Manchester | Memorial Hall, Albert-square. -----------------+----------------+-------------------------------
The second popular meeting of the season was held in Queen-street Hall on the evening of Wednesday, the 24th ult. Every available place in the hall was filled.
The exhibition consisted of a very fine series of views in Ireland, kindly lent by Messrs. Pumphrey Brothers, of Birmingham, and of a number of copies of Erskine Nicol’s pictures of Irish character, prepared from negatives kindly lent for the purpose by Mr. Tunny. The pictures were arranged in the form of a tour, beginning in the north at the Giant’s Causeway, working south to Dublin, and including the Lakes of Killarney and some of the finest scenery in the country.
The descriptive lecture was undertaken by Mr. J. Richard Marquis, R.H.A.; but being evidently new to the business, and unaccustomed to speak in the dark, the lecturer failed to come up to the expectations of the audience. We hope, however, to hear Mr. Marquis again, as he has in him the elements from which good lecturers are formed; and from his ability as an artist, and his thorough acquaintance with what constitutes a good picture, we are certain that with a little practice he will make a capital guide in such exhibitions.
The exhibition was thoroughly successful, and at its close hearty votes of thanks were awarded to Messrs. Pumphrey Brothers, Mr. Tunny, and the lecturer.
We may mention in connection with this that last evening (Thursday) the same pictures were exhibited as one of the series of popular lectures given under the auspices of the Northern District Lecture Association. On this occasion the lecture was delivered by Dr. John Nicol, who stated at the beginning that he was in a position to do what rarely could practically be done by a lecturer—that is, praise his own lecture. He (Dr. Nicol), however, went on to say:—“The lecture is not mine, but has been kindly sent along with the pictures by Messrs. Pumphrey; and it is so much better than anything that I could produce, I shall give it just as it is, except, perhaps, the introduction here and there of a story or anecdote, by way of a ‘mouth-opener,’ as our transatlantic friends would say.” Both lecture and exhibition were very successful, and elicited almost continuous applause.