The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-07
oo1onED PHOTOGRAPHY.
po.e nsu.arkasie Results OF the Chassasue
Method.

To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-Sir: Photogra.
piers all over the country have boon deeply In.
terestod in the reports made Of somo very sue.
cessful color photography by NJ. Chassagne. NJ.
Chassagne claimed that he had discovered II
method OF photoRraphing natural colors, and
SOLO exhibitions OF work actually done by him
bcfore a number of scientists in London seemed
to bear out all ho claimed. Certainly no sue
decided in organizing q syndicate which has I'M
dertakcn to put his discovery on the market.
Tho State Department received not long ago a
specimen of NJ. Chassagnc's work. 1t is a pic
ture Of a lady standing at n table. Thotable has
brass legs and on 1t is a large bouquet Of
flowers. The picture includes u large variety Of
colors. 1t WINS sent 10 the department by United
States Consul Mason, who was the first oflcialto
make known to Americans NJ. Chassagne's re-
markable discovery and claims. The size OF the
picture is about IL by 10 inches.
Tho Chassagne process, which has been de-
scribed in detail in THE Sun, consists in tho fact
that an ordinary photograph taken on n plate
treated with n preparation which Is NJ. Cas-
sagne's secret, after being bathed successfully
in acknowledgement, blue and rod solutions. auto
mntically selects the colors of the objects which
arc photographed. A blue sky ~sclects the blue
and no other color, an apple selects tho green
the print Of tho proper colors 10 renarkab BILE. ap,,
pearing as 1t does almost that the molecules Of
bne print are ennOWe1 Win TeASOn tD kulub
them in attracting one color and rejecting all
others not possessed by the original, in nature;
co TaaGIFMtn n.on y tho hSy sisse 6 5es sPssimena ssnf n sy
Chassasno's oytravagnnt claims had raised. The
Kurtz Of New York. Kurtz utilized tho idea Of
which photographed only the yellow, or tho
e ofbsr S ppins jheFsd tas o e59me iRs S 81 yeil Snd t an,
third contained Only the reds. Nv this method
sb P1i RsiIo miE and t1 niI np aSeRm 5o Isaa . oan rsS; slHs;
was contained in the composite tint. Then a
was made and each cfthe three colors was printed
from its respective half-tone engraving. By
fi nFs Fyssui Tape wa4d oSiain nss 'h which 'nT wsro
an excellent reproduction of the original picture.
t K@r1I perhaps harsn not nn aniee , SO ,s strong n;ssn.eshhss
showed nothing but q lot Of yellow, blue and red
dots interminKled with tho paper showing
notably copies, OF water colore. were excellent,
and nd While perhaps not entirely satisfactory 70
order. For the printing OF color patterns Of
carpets and dress goods Of all kinds. the Kurtz
sa TawSacEP against wfns t ]sPpiyin aS P% .hs kSrt1 uI %et hes
to living objects lay In the long exposure neces-
duced considerably Of late. nN' has
As compared with the results obtained by
kurtz. the effects produced by NJ: Chassagne
by Mr.. Mason. which was probably selected
by him for transmission because IL was one of
the most satisfactory. looks for all the world
IKE a very poorly tinted photograph. The red
transparent red has been painted over a pre-
viously made black-and-white print. Very few
semi;tones appear. and it is certain that only de;
tints give TO the photograph the faculty Of alb
sorbing these tints in sufficient quantity. while
the finer elements of color graduation cannot
do go in proportion. The lady's face has a
tinRe of very pale red, with a slight trace
Of yellow. The flowers show patch effects,
and the background, as well as largo
portions Of the dress and other sections
OF the picture. is devoid OF any tint Whatever
and make an extremely dull effect. While the
kurtz tints are particularly noteworthy be-
cause OF their very correct rendering OF monde
script tints. like some drabs, Rrays, and bronzes.
the. Chassagnc photograph lack these entirely.
1t is only where a distinct metal color, like the
polished brass legs OF the table. Is taken that the
effect produced is satisfactory. Hence, while
the Ghassagnc photographs indicate the posi-
bilities of great range, his actual effects, as
shown by the sample sent to the State Depart
ment. must be called disappointing. and require
no little improvement before they can be com
pared. as far as actual final results are con-
cerned. with the three-color. half-tone pictures
OF hurtz. PHoTo.