The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-24
There Lies Most Securely Hid the
Great Secret Of Color Pho
Biography.
Attempts to Solve It Have Been
Made With Only Partial
Success.
The Results Which Are Most Desired Have
Mover Been Attained-Wil They
Ever he

the ultimate accomplishment OF that result
which has been ~assidulously striven for over
since the discovery of photography. These
nguln individuals endsavor to justify
their confidence by pointing to the erea,
progress that has been made in photograph.
10 matters during the Last half century, and
particularly to more or less successful OK
periments in the direction of reproducing
the colors of the spectrum through the
camera. BY the majority of the guild, how
ever. says the New York Times, these hopes
and expectations are regarded as idle and
unsubstantial.
Up to the present time the doubters seem
to have the best of the argument, for even
those experiments that seem to have been
emphasize by their failure to fully achieve
the desired result the well-niGh insurmount-
able difficulties that stand in the way of it's
complete accomplishment. The latest an
nouncement pertaining to this matter. that
of Prof. Gabriel Lippmann of the Paris
Academy of Sciences, who affirms that he
has at last solved the mystery that has 80
long evaded investigators, contains much
that is considered reassuring by those who
believe in the possibility of this accomp-
ment, but does not hold out sufficient proof
to convince those who are still specifically
inclined.
Photographing in colors in its sim plest
sense is not a new thing. The principles of
the process wee practically understood
even before photography itself was really
discovered. 1t was in 1910 that Prof. See
beck, of Jena, following Ritter, who had
ovra1.iro o1fa1 Sapr1y tom q 6of0vo III,
covered that a plate sensitized with chloride
of silver md exposed to the colored spec
trum took the primitive colOrs, especially
red and blue. The plate, however, at once
faded when exposed to light.
A quarter of a century after, Sir John
Herschel, Daguerre and others, observing
the same phenomena that had interested
Prof. Seebeck. made various experiments
with results that il not particularly definite
Or practical at least indicated certain posi-
bllities for the future on this line of scien-
tifc investigation, Sir John Herschel
subchloride Of silver and Obtained nled
oolored spectral photographs. Iodized
paper brushed over with solutions
of potassium, ferrocyanide. and nitrate
of silver also were used. But these ~investi-
gators found the same insurmountable OBJ
stacle in the way that had confronted Prof.
Seebeck and others. They could capture
the colors of nature, but could not 61 their
plates or paper so that the colored impress
sion could be retained. Following these
experimenters came Robert Hunt, who ex-
posed sensitive paper to the prismatic
color and secured a negative in which he
was able by very great care to retain the
colors in good condition for a few weeks.
More than this, however, lie failed to &C
oomplish.
A little more than forty years aeo a
French scientist, Edmond Becquerel, made
r. II rrt Il 49, ~s- - Ait 1s--
mentation. His discoveries were OF q re-
markable character and constituted the
only distinct advance that up to that time
had been made over the work of Prof.
Seebeck. He used pure silver plates
which had been chlorinated. Next, by cleo
trlc process ne produced a layer of silver
subchloride on the silver plate, the surface
OF which became in succession gray, yellow,
violet and green. The plate wae then dried
and polished, and when exposed to the SOL
ar spectrum took the colors, brilliant and
faithful to the original. The plate was not
required. Becquerel found that heating
increased the sensitiveness of the plate, but
hurt the quality of the colors. Exposure
under ruby and cobalt glasses also accom-
plished results similar to those secured by
the heating process. But, after all, Bee
qnerel finally failed at the very point where
his predecessors had been baff1ed. He was
unable to fix the colors that he obtained,
and the Impressions on his plates faded on
exposure to the light.
More recently experiments have been
made to secure a plate that shall be equally
sensitive to all the colots of the spectrum.
Plates that are claimed to possess that
quality are quite generally sold in photo
graphic establishments. They ara pre-
pared by introducing some dyeing matter
into the film, with which the surface of the
plate is coated. This was first lone by Lea
IN tho country in 1866. 1t is found that the
dye Increases the sensitlveness of the plate,
but that it is apt to hurt some of the col )rs.
Plates thus prepared are used in the ortho-
process, which is really the
nearest approach to photographing in nat
ural colors, although it is in fact far awav
from that result. The most that is secured
by this process is an indication of the color
value. Instead of being simply a picture
IN black and white, the orthochromatic
photograph preserves the relations OF the
co!ors one to another and indicates some
thing OF their values without fully express
their exact hur.
Great expectations were aroused by the
Mayaii invention four or five years ago.
made negatives on orthchromntic
that were not r%etouched. Then a
solar camera print was made, toned, and
liked in the usual manner. The print. after
leaving the hypo bath, WAS subjected to the
action of a solution which tranformed the
WV Icy ihboh oAluG,
and at the same time eliminated the hypo
by action. The colors thus pro-
cured were brilliant and when applied to
me surface of a print united with the image,
forming a colored silver compound. probably
A silicon powder was thrown
the picture, coating it with s~alicylic
acld, the whole forming a sort of flexible
glass. The objection to this process If
hat, like all others, it depends upon the
mechanical methods rather than exclusive
y upon chemical action.
Last Y car it was announced from Transyl
vania that n photographer thore, Franz Yer
of klausenberg, had Mt last succeeded,
out investigation showed that he had not
made any advance in his work His plates
'hree hour for glass and three days for
In the camera they would REQUIRE
IN exposure of several weeks. He only
,hese were not reproduced with absolute
'althfulness to the original. His pictures
we're more permanent than any that had
'een made before. but still they were not
bile to endure tho bright light for an in
lefihite length of time.
Tit discovery Of Prof. Lippmann, which
vas announced a few weeks ago, is the
to demand tho attention OF the
Photographic profession and of scientists
Prof, Iippmann's% explanations
his process give the ~cleareat idea of what
70 has attempted and what he claims to
ave accomplished. Hesays: ~ proposed ,
o myself to obtain colors in %pliotoC-
aphy completely fixed capable of being in {
efinite!y exposed to the light. l attained
1 n AID Arv n .A~. G