The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1884-01-29
Shs 5ailg 8alIttia.
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, l8el.
pRn1nclYp1Ic.

We published some weeks ago u
description of the process of typo
graphic etching rs practiced at the
establishment of Messrs. Dawson at
at Chiswick. A correspondent sends
us the following notice of a kindred
art for the reproduction of photogra-
phs which he has written after visit
to the atelier of Messrs. Goupil, at
the village of Asnieres, near Paris.
Any one who has seen the marvellous
reproduction of Curtois' oil painting
of a young lady with flowing hair and
a cause scarf leaning against
Moorish lattice, which is now for
sale in Bond street will be Interested
I to learn how so wonderful result is
produced.
"Messrs. Coupil's establishment
at Asnieres is close to the station,
and consists Of two villas thrown
together, shut off from the street by
high white wall and with gardens,
formerly no doubt tidy and pro-
ductive, but now given over to
chemistry, which intervene between
the houses and the river Seine.
Many processes are here carried on,
some of them in the profoundest
secrecy. OF what 1 saw, as very
unsl1illed observer that which most
appealed to my imagination was the
process of 'photoclyptic,' the object
of which is to multiply photographs
with cheapness and rapidity, and to
render the impressions not only true
and delicate, but also permanent.
The subject that was being treated
at the time of my visit was one of
those substantial ladies whose smil-
ing faces and decollete costumes
adorn the windows of the Rue de
RivoG, probably. singer or an
actress. Her portrait, which was
of the usual cabinet size, had been
previously treated by some photo
graphic method, which had resulted
in the formation of a thin 'pellicle, ,
as it is technically called, of pure
and transparent gelatin, not much
thicker than piece of note-paper,
and of the exact size of the original
photograph. Figured upon this deli
cate transparency (when held to the
light it reminded me of the picture
which is sometimes seen in glass
lamp shades) was the exact image of
the original picture. This 'pellicle'
was next laid upon slab of lead
about half an inch thick, and sub
jected to heavy pressure in a n.y.
draulic press. When one looked at
the leaden slab and considered the
enormous pressure, amounting to one
thousand pounds to quarter of an
inch, to which it was subjected,
it might have been reasonably
imagined that the frail 'pellicle' of
transparent gelatinc would have been
crushed out of existence. But no
it is, on the contrary, the lead which
gives way, and the result is that on
the pressure being removed it is
found that the plate of lead has
received Oh its compressed and
hardened surface an image of the
decollete lady precisely similar to
that which had been originally trans
ferred from the photograph to the
pellicle. The rest of the process
is in appearance simple enough. The
leaden plates tit is possible to obtain
several from one 'pellicle') are
smeared with a thick ink, and copies
are printed off half a dozen at time,
which are subsequently mounted,
and sold at prices far more moderate
than could be allowed by any process
of ordinary photography. -Londoaa
P091e9.