The Portland daily press., 1876-11-24

Another great stride in the science of photo-
graphy has been made practically within a few
months in this country, by which an entirely
new departure in the method of producing
Photographic pictures and branching out at
right angles from the old and we'll known
methods of chemically printing such pictures
by the agency of sun light upon the salts of
silver, and which, as Is only too we'll known,
has always been open to the very serious objec-
ton of certain fading in the course of a very
few years, at most. Now it seems a fact, as
was practically demonstrated in our presence,
in the well known gallery of Lamson, the
photographer, that the most beautiful photo
graphic portraits can readily and apparently
easily be obtained in that most durable of
known substances carbon in the form of India
ink, lamp black, or other enduring pigment in
any color desired. So that now all photograph
ic pictures can be made as enduring as the
finest steel engrayings, thus at one step reev-
ing the photo-art of what has been hitherto its
greatest stumbling bock-wanto of permanency
Now, happily it seems, all is changed and the
ordinary chemically produced photographs will
very soon be thing Of the past, and the abso-
lutely permanent carbon photograph will take
its place. So the world moves on; the enduring
and permanent taking the place of the
transtory and fading. A true and artistic
Photographic picture now will not only give
present happiness, but become literally thing
Of beauty and joy forever
1t seems that the honor of this great stride
in the photo-art, as has been usually the case,
belongs to Frenchman, one NJ. Lambert, at
loo Of IN him bo1op ba CT,
ton of the new art to commercial use Lam.
bert has patented his most valuable proce IS,
both in Europe and America, hence thu name
Lambertype, or Lambert's patent carbon photo
grabs, and he seems likely enough to reap 8
harvest OF dollars as we'll as fame, as the lead
ing Photographic artists are eagerly aock ing to
the larger cities to witness M. I4ambert's de-
monstrations of his new process, and from the
many testimonials seem as eagerly to secure
them for their own benefit and use.
Like all really valuable inventions, it seems
almost incredible that so beautiful and simple
thing should bave waited till this late date to
be brought forth. The following is brief
synopsis of the carbon process as worked by
M. Lambert: India ink, lampback or any
other permanent pigment is dissolved in So
luton of gelatine, which solution is then spread
upon paper and dried; this pigmented paper
thus obtained is then dipped into bath com
posed of a weak solution of bi-chromate of pot
ash, which renders the gelatine insouble after
exposure to sunlight. Upon this property of
insolubility after exposure to sunlight, depends
the whole art Of photo-carbon printing A
piece of this augmented paper is now exposed
under photo-negative to the action through
such negative to the suns rays. The exposed
paper or carbon tissue, as it is technically
termed, is now dipped into warm water, which
soon dissolves all that portion of gelatinzed
surface not acted upon by the light and just in
due proportion as the light has or has not acted
upon it according to the different graGat:ons OF
the lights and shades forming the negative,
thus simply and mechanically lproducing a most
perfect and beautiful India ink or carbon por-
trait, with all the fue and delicate gradations
of light and shade of the most perfect photo
graph.
Now it seems oaly to remain for our photo
| graphic artists to give our pictures in all the
| natural colors when their art might truly be
| called perfect. This is but the next step high
| er, and many of US will live to see it taken
Mr.. hanson has purchased the right to use
| this patent in this city.