Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-04-30
Photography and Color.

The Sun recently described method
OF tricolOr photography, Invented by an
American optician, Mr.. Gray, of New
York, by means OF which the colOrs OF
nature may DO produced in pictures
thrown upon q screen. BY using three
colored positives and three lenses
images are superimDosed, one upon an
other, with admirable result 1t is not
exactly Photographic in cOlors, but the
desired effect is secured.
Mr.. Arthur Burchett, of England, has
invented an analogous process OF great
commercial Importance for "translat-
ing" the colOrs OF nuture into correct
monochrome values. An ordinary pho
tograph does not render colOrs in due
proportion. Certain colors have
greater effect upon the sensitive plate
than others. The actinism of blue rays
and of the sky, for instance, is so great
that it is extremely difficult to pre-
vent their action from being buried
during development, before the effect
OF less actinic rays can
be brought out On this account
the prevalent usage is TO employ two
negatives IN order 10 produce a combi-
nation print Of sky and landscape. OBJ
iectS OF a yellow color, it is we'll known,
appear in photograph in a tone much
lower than is proper TO them, II regard
be had TO their relative value In the
natural scale. The imDerfection of the
whole system OF tOne-rendering in pho
togaaphs has long been considered by
painters as a reproach to photography.
1t has been impracticab!e, in fact, TO
photograph landscapes, or paintings OF
any kind, correctly. Certain colors
could not be given their proper value,
some taking too dark, others too light.
Commercially this was a serious mat
ter, as the illustration OF books Is
effected at present chiefly through pho
Biography. The reproductions OF the
works Of great painters would be vastly
more useful and acceptable II originals
could be translated correctly from color
to monochrome The industry OF max
ing illustrations is large one, and the
demand for a better method is very
great.
Mr.. Burchett's invention consists sim
ply OF interpoSing screens Of green and
yellow glass between the combinations
OF the lens OF the camera. A special
kind OF green glass is necessary aud the
yellow glass must be placed behind the
green. The exposure has 10 be in
creased slightly, but no special plate or
treatment in development is re-
Quired. An unexpected result is a de-
cided increase Of the quality Of the def
milton. A lens with an aperture Of
''f9s,n for example, will, with the help
of the screens of colored glass, give the
effect OF using an aperture OF "i40. ="
The practical results are most happy.
The landscapes produced by Mr.. Bnrch-
EFT reproduce the blue and the various
tin:s of the clouds in their true relation
of tone. The full disc Of the sun APP
pears as in nature, not, as by ordinary
methods, black body. Snow land
scapeS and miSts and the green's and
yellows OF the ferns, etc, are properly
given. The effect of atmosphere" is
we'll secured. AS respects painting, it
is enough TO say that the painters
themselves are satisfied. The public
must, il appears. thank the inventor for
a valuable step OF progress in a most in
teresting art.-BGittmOre sun.