The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-21 00:00:00

-----,s. ~..u.OTOGVagSr
ill a
For some months past photogphers have hee/o. tbo
ra
discovery, 35(° °°a d
state of excitement about the alleged re
papers of the late Matthew Boulton, of a se
ries of col
o
prottleeteo
prints supposed to have been produced by some
on
silvered
unknown, and about two early speeiruehs ° Pic Isi'
plates in a drawer in the library at Soho.
.4
Smith, of the Museum of Patents, Who met with tl2, i
sinpecimens, related their history to the PhotograPhie s,eglisi-
der November last, and read documents Which big
edtended to prove the hypothesis that the picture9ll/ Ilia
possession were produced by chemical or Phlg„r:tPii of
agency at a date prior to 1791. A writer in the A3°`"":00,
Arts Journal, evidently acquainted with these pictto,
considerstio the evidence produced does not justify the 33°,4,
and
that the daguerreotype art was known at Soho inli_,
the he endeavours to point out the fallacy of
agentattribetll,
i‘production of the paper prints to photographic a biles
Ir. Smith states that the prints were Pr°thie- 790 r
mtheatthod invented by Mr. F. Egington about the year 1,09,
he was taken by the hand by Mr, Boulton, Who
so
peared to have undertaken the production of cople3 fr°,°:ols.
prahmeting, on paper, copper, -canvas, and other 100,5e9
copies were made in dead colours, and in 003: _ere
more en one were employed. Thus produced, lil Y. 74,
frequently finished as oil-paintings, or water-colour Tor,
iTnigaos, being passed into the hands of Mr. Darnel t!,°ll° the
sepia tone of some of the prints correspond 3 l''''' „ de'
of the photographs now produced, while the eltre.°3ttikes
chaacsy of the surface from which the irapressisn Was,
..oult
oof
inehlieeorod
it.oaal
abgeelnietfstaheattesduucphoann
be
yffeelitgchotul. d
Tolley
bbaestiro'i 000
surface
prfaene is that the impressions were taken on PaPerd'ort
of which had been specially prepared,,,sll bee'
moved
elapse of nearly a century the prepared surface "—ted, tb6
by friction, and the entire impression obliters ito
imagepa not having been absorbed into the substance 0'
per.
Thatper 't
hwehyic were oriel
fntelligble, and the prints themselves ill'e- Ply
their mode of production. That they are not photograll'ir)
fraeghuaenrdtlyandfininsohtesa
assopftartiniatirtsgo,PBcirpriliet
thethe
writer referred to believes, because the 'APO °,ii:metst
impression is taken bears evidence of the Use °1.,,%,..: iti
plate, a well-defined marginal line impressed itt't-o"ito
pmaestshaogdo through the press. And with refereace ,olr
by which the minutely granulated surface ir°-cotij,i
tpari:dente he believes any skilful aquatint eogracer•also
by a similar surface by laying the ground of hispia6
means of a delicate solution of any of the gur6°: $(104
used in that process, the gradations from light t, ill P°s
being dependent upon the action of acid in btir-6 -:,Ild be
the surface of the plate. That the effect Wag 0 obt6'e Fir'
regardstn as evident from the flatness of the parts of t'''oppii,
re which have been stopped out, and are esPeciallYa 03
rent in the foliage. With regard to the coleratioe
oto
tprints, it was a common practice during the htst covell
o print from mezzotiato, aquatint,d chalk-en° fall
plates in several colours, and anyone alloic, will Weida
examine the Soho impressions mayyo,nhee says, de'3ctlosllr4
with colted Di
evidenceT of a compound process of printing
inks method of applying such inks was descriof iai
Mr. Soc ;ell; yo boehfret Arts Laurie
Transactions.
This process of compnolu7pn7l6da,cienotfhethsee. olndd vat:vela
ta
otivisi;
ioliaedde r printing is still
con- oa,
taheluobdr fosrumrf,aosemisnill rubbers being 5t pres Eat IP cilfr
For finishing as a water-colour dreawoingt it:Ces.llsllr4
necessaryfaoeb to use a hard paper, or to preP3r° thenoe"-
ly coating it with gum, alburaen, or 'itooea
ore wele l-known mediums. If as a water-eolourl 5 0100
a oteorytilea
beingelatine would probably be the material,
combine,
gused in printing from the plate ; the tWo 0, 0 tIO
but the colour would not be absorbed 1/I,d ie 'I
papc.:—if the coating of gelatine were thick, it vr°l/,,;0111
incentury be likely to perish, and there would beno u'it,iel''
two awsouldolndotco
ingrubbingan off the impression from the paper. if far gnatill°
picture,mbin eg.elaltfineeanwvaosulwdenreoterohepo,,edha toy
,',:eattor
upon,water no doubt oil-colours would be used. 11l 7,ce of ''.!
-colours it was necessary to harden the sor.sol'"
hand
paper, in order to prevent the colours applied by I/
running or spreading.
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