The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-30
TINTS TRUE TO LIFE.
Color Photography at Last an Ac-
c0mplished Feat.
After Thirty Years James w. MeDon-
ough Hits on the Secret.

been laboring In Chicago 10 reproduce
photographs in colors. Thousands Of cx-
periments were performed, till one day l5
years ago he got upon the right track.
Capital then came to his aid, but the sue
cessful end was not yet.
Over In Dublin Professor Jolly, the SCI
enlist was working along the same line.
Success crowned his efforts few months
ago He sought letters patent In London
and In Washington. To his utter astonish-
ment, he found McDonough ahead of him
in an application for an American patent.
Both men, thousands OF miles apart and
working Independently, had hit upon the
secret
Soon the patent Office at Washington
was overwhelmed with rival claims OF in
ventors. The men who had been backing
McDonough came TO the rescue They were
willing that the one whose claim was al
lowed should get share In the profits OF
the company to be formed. Tie other, even
If defeated, should get a satisfaction fee.
So, as they arranged it, no matter which
won, capital would come out on top too.
McDonough got the patent after contest.
Jolly got the fee.
Ten days ago lawyer appeared in Rich
mond, and as q result the Natural Color
Photographing and Printing company was
Incorporated under the laws of Virginia.
So we'll was his work done that none Of the
names of the men interested appeared.
The corporation got charter, and $780,
600 capital was provided for, with pcrmis-
sion to increase to $5,000,000. The other
day the secret became public. Spencer ID.
Schuyler, head of the New York Office Of
the Maxim Powder and Torpedo company,
and T. NJ Dickerson, wealthy lawyer
and amateur photographer, are the back
ers of the company that expects to revolu-
tionize the art of portrait and commercial
photography.
What TO call the new art was a hard
question. The inventor wanted it named
the McDonotype. The capitalists would
not hear TO it. AS yet il Is simply the Nc
Donough process.
BY IL either instantaneous or timed ex-
posures, absolutely perfect in detail and
tint can be taken. The finished photo
graph looks like an ordinary piece of work
marvclously colorcd by hand, but so sim
pie is the process and yet so accurate that
III becomes merely IueCnuIlCdi.
Furthermore, the inventor does not pro-
pose TO end with the taking of photographs.
Experiments are being made which, IL is
expected, will result in transferring the
art to printing. 1t will be only question
of time when a photograph can be taken
and then printed from half tone plate on
the specially prepared paper, so that all the
original colors show up true to life. :.
Mr.. Schuyler, when seen at the st. Mich
olas club, was utterly astonished that news
of the invention had become public. At
first he declined TO discuss the corporations
plans. He had hoped, he said, to give
public exhibition in two months.
Had not Tho World already descrip-
ton of the process, said he, 81 should re-
fuse to discuss it. Things are still in
crude shape Our company has no officers
and we arc not yet ready To do business 1t
is very unfortunate indeed that anything
should be said now, but it is useless to
deny 1t.
The process requires a specially ruled
screen and specially ruled paper. A multi
coloreC screen, ruled by very fine lines,
formed of dots or small particles, is en-
ployed Fundamental colors of the spec
trum are preferably used for these lines
say orange red, yellowish green and "a
violet blue
The screen Is ruled with lines in these
colors, about 800 TO the inch. This screen
is placed In front Of and in close contact
with an orthochromatic plate, which is
then exposed in tho camera to the object
to be photographed. The ordinary black
and white negative Is thus obtained in
lines corresponding to the screen in regis
ter.
From this negative positive is made in
tho ordinary way on glass or paper. If
now the screen or similarly ruled one be
laid on the positive and moved until the
positive and screen are in register, the pic
ture comes up in original colors.
Nothing could be simpler. 1t is only
natures method of shading the rose its
delicate pink and the sky its transparent
blue. None Of the complicated apparatus
of cruder methods that have failed is
needcd--no adjusting Of lights, no manip-
ulation of colors.
1T is wonderful, wonderful, said Mr..
Schuyler. Half century of patient ex-
pertinent has Mt last come to something.
Photographs absolutely true to nature can
be made without expensive treatment and
in any quantity. 1t will reyolutionize the
art Of photography and allow its use In
hundreds OF ways now impracticablc
1.-The paper screens are for positives. the
glass ones for transparencies. So fine are
the color lines on them and so perfectly
proportioncd in shade that they show
white when printed, just as the combined
oolors of the spectrum arc white when
properly mixed
"Of course color photography is just in
its beginning. Much is yet TO be done
But our results are proof of what can be
attained. Even now we have taken 500
color photographs perfect in every detail
Df tint as we'll as outline Anything can
be photographed in all its natural colors,
with all the delicate tints OF life. "
The crowning achievement thus far is n
photograph of a japanese panel. 1t con
tanned IL distinct shades, but the colorcd
photograph brought out every one. Mr.
Schuyler also has two photographs of the
inventor, Mr.. McDonough. They show