Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-09-02
The Processes Recently Developed by
Several Inventors

a Few weeks ago we commented
upon the remarkable results recently
achieved in the reproduction of OBJ
iects in their natural colors by means
of photography through what is called
the ''three-plate process" This pro
cess, as developed by Ives, of Phila-
delphia, Yogel, OF Berlin, and applied
practically, with great success, by
Kurtz, of New York, consists in the
photographing Of the object upon three
plates, each sensitive to only one of
the three primary cofors. and then
making plates from these negatives
and printing therefrom in pigments.
This process, which is Of great com
mercial Importance, and bids fair to
ing reproduces the natural colors with
remarkable fidelity, although not with
absolute accuracy, owing to Imperfect
tons in pigments and the changes of
color values effected in the course Of
developing negative. Strictly speak
ing, this method is not one of actual
color photography, for it does not
photograph the colors themselves, but
enables their reproduction by mechan-
zeal means
1t is remarkable that, almost stimuli
taneously with the perfection of this
method for commercial utilization
true colored photography should have
been realized. That Is, a process Of
photography has nov been discovered
that retains the image upon the plate
in I'LL its natural colors in a way that
is equivalent to fixing upon a mirror
the image reflected there. Ever since
the day Of Daguerre the search for
this result has for Photographic sci
ence beer what the quest for the
philosophers stone was for the az
chemists, and by most men has been
regarded as equally hopeless! But
here it is realized, as everything soon
or or later must be which the scien-
,ific imagination of man may aspire
to grasp.
This invention, which by chemical
means fixes the image upon the plate
in its natural colors, is based upon the
discovery recently made by Prof. Lipp-
man, OF Paris. concerning which there
has been considerable talk in the past
few months The process has been
perfected by the brothers Lumiere, Of
Lyons, and as their formula has been
made public, anyone is free to expert
ment in this field
AS described by Prof Lppman, the
underlying principle is that of the in
reference Of light produced upon a
thin film that has been chemically
treated SO rs to be bitten ont to very
slightly varying depths, according to
the power of the various colored rays
that fan upon it. The light IS reflected
from the film thus acted upon in the
same degree that it was received, and
in this way the long-cherishcd dream
Of fixing the picture upon the mirror
is actually realized.
The basic principle Of this discovery
Is, therefore, the same as that Of the
production Of beautiful iridescent eff
fects by the projection Of white light
through thin films Of almost infinite
slmally varying thickness as so beauti-
fully shown by Tyndall in his lectures
on light. And it Is a remarkable in
stance of scientific prophecy that
several years ago a Boston gentleman
interested in photography should have
said that it would probably be along
this line that color photography would
be reached. He suggested to a scientific
friend the desirability of experiment
ing in this direction by chemically
treating a thin film 80 that it would be
eaten out to different depths by the
varying intensity Of oDlored rays and
thus probably reproduce the same eff
fects of color.
The process yet requires cOnsidera-
bic time for exposure. varying accord
ing to the intensity of light. But it is
probable that in time instantaneous
results win be practicable. AS the
picture thus obtained is negative,
like the OldfaShioned daguerreOtype,
or ambrotype, only one example can
be obtained from an exposure, instead
of an indefinite number of positives
Alht llFNC liAuGFh lIOi4t llt OIulutIN
Photographic negative. This fact will
naturally add very materially to the
cost Of the process, but possibly it may
be overcome in some way, perhaps by
rephotOgraphing For, If the object
itself can be reproduced IN its natural
coioTs, there appears to be no reas0s
why the IMAGE itself should not be.
The prospect offered by this discov-
cry is an enchanting one, The photo
graph in mere light and shade lacks
vitality, and even the reproduction OF
natural colors in pigments is dull be,
side the reality But the image in the
mirror is practically the thing itself
so far as the vision is concerned.
So with the perfection Of color pho.
Biography 'stay-athome travel" will be
brought very near the real thing in
value when distant scenes luxuri
ant landscapes Of the tropics, the
granduer OF the Andes and Himalayas
the maryels of the Arctic world may
be placed before one with the effect OF
looking from an open window upon the
scene itself In all its sparkle of sun
shine ifs Oualitv Of 8rmOSphprp. IFS