Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-06
PHOTOGRAPHING IN COLORs.
Some Details of the Process Discovered by
NJ. Lippmann of Paris.


NJ. Lippmann of Paris.
A Paris dispatch to the London Ddily N,,-s
says the scientific world has been startled by
the announcement made by NJ. Lippman
professor of physics at the Sorbonne) at the
last sitting of the Academy of Sciences. of a
new process of photography discovered By
him, by which colors throughout the whole
range of the spectrum can be reproduced on
sensitive plate, just as accurately (since
colors but numbers of light wavesl as
outline or shadow fixed by the present
Photographic negatives and prints. NJ Lipp-
mann s first attempts to take colored photo
graphs have not gone beyond the expert
mental stage and long time must elapse
before this branch of photography is brought
! to the perfection which its sister branch has
attained. After a few weeks attempts NJ
Lippmann has succeeded in photographing
stained window in colors brilliant as the
original.
NJ. Lippmann whom met Yesterday at his
laboratory at the Sorbonne. very obligingly
| showed me his colored plates and gave me an
account of his discovery, drawing a sheet of
paper as he proceeded a number of interesting
diagrams, which. unfortunately, cannot be sent
by telegraph. The plates were all photographs
| of the solar spectrum. All the colors of the
rainbow were there, including the infra-red
and the ultraviolet. invisible TO our ewes The
plates, however, had registered them and kept
an impression of them showing themselves in
this respect superior to the human eve. These
two mysterious coors were represented in their
proper places by two distinct stripes appar-
| emily of jet-black color. l say apparently. be-
cause it was only our imperfect vision which
made them seem so to us, their real colors of
course, being infra-red and ultraviolet The
other colors between these two-red orange
green, blue-were as vivid as any objects in
nature.
As was examining these plates ar assistant
came to saw that a colored photograph. the
first Of a stained window, had lust been taken
out OF the developing bath and was in
splendid condition. The stained window. as
saw in proceeding to the da1 K room was A most
primitive affair." four pieces of colored glass
green, yellow red and blue-solderea together
This is all We could put together" ex5lained
NJ. Lippmann but ii is quite sufficient for INV
purpose" The plate. which was not VET fxei
The colors were there and rendered with Tho
tographic faithfulness. A second plate was
undergoing exposure, the image of the stained
glass design being thrown upon it by means of
a sort of magic lantern lighted by electricity.
The plate was pressed against the opening of a
trough filled with mercury, which formed a
mirror an contact with the plate. The ravs of
old process, but on reaching the other side of
the plate instead of being absorbed by a DARK
background. they are sent back by the even
surface of the mercury. In this mirror d.
whole secret lies. for apart from IL the entire
process is the same as In ordinary nbotooranhy
Light. like sound. is hut a form 81 5,ai;n;,
Both appear to propagate tbemseIves NV
wave-like motion simiiar 10 the r;nnias -.
nond- a curions nronertv Of sonapS =, IN I'm.
waves is that when tbay meet .no,ha, y. nsn.
coral lengtb COMING in ON onnns;,a a;'.: va
the cona,ct;no waYes oxarlop oaah -. ION