Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-22
New Photography

Two weeks ago the New York Times pub
lished a cable from Berlin announcing the
discovery OF a new Photographic printing
process, the distinguishing feature OF which
was that II dispensed with the use Of light
Not, OF course, that the light is no longer
necessary for taking the picture, but that,
after the picture is taken with the camera
upon the plate and the negative is fixed
in the usual way, the photographer is inde-
pendent OF the sun and the weather. So
much OF the first report told, but this first
report was brief and gave the ordinary
reader no very clear conception of the pro-
posed substitute for the ordinary method
of printing by light rays intercepted by the
image on the transparent plate or film of
the negative. Two things. however, seemed
to be clear-that a transparent plate might
be dispensed with and that the printing
was by actual contact.
More exact information is now at hand
which makes It possible for the lay mind to
get an idea of what the press is-although
Il is still hazardous to make any prediction
as to the practical value OF the method. At
all events, professional photographers in
this country-the few who have heard Of 1t
--Reem to be interested and the new photo
graphic printing process which the in
Ventors have named Katatypy is the sub
ject Of several articles in recent scientific
journals in Germany
So far no experiments have been made in
this country, but the process has been sub.
mitted to public demonstration in Berlin
and Lepsic, and these demonstrations seen
to show that by simple chemical means any
number of prints from negatives can lie
produced in a short time, and without the
aid OF light The printing Is done directly
upon the paper by the chemical action Of
the developed plates, and what seems
especially remarkable is that, according to
the reports received, the plate suffers no
deterioration.
Prof. Wilhelm Oswald of Lelpsic and DR..
Gross Of the same place appear as the dis
coverers OF the process. They found that
when paper prepared with bichromate Of
potassium and pyrogallic. acid was placed in
contact with an ordinary platinum print the
platinum, for some reason unexplained,
hastened reaction between the bichromate
and the acid which otherwise act very
slowly upon each other. The result was
an exact print OF the platinum picture upon
the prepared paper the color OF the re-
production being a red brown. Descrip-
tions OF the experiment received during
the past week by New Yorker say that
this action Of the platinum plate upon the
prepared paper left the original platinum
picture unchanged II that is the case,
obviously the process can be repeated with
the same plate, and other paper prepared
with bichromate OF potassium and so on.
Another process was with hydrosuperox-
ide, as was described in the Berlin cables
on the subject published in the Times two
weeks ago. A negative print upon platinum
paper or a bromide OF silver negative Is
treated with an aqueous solution of hydro
superoxide, and then the negative so treated
is placed in contact with gelatinized paper
The hydrosuperoxide picture passes to the
Eelantine. 1t is at first invisible. but a
treatment with sulphate of iron makes the
picture black and other chemicals give
pictures OF various colors, some of which
are remarkably durable.--New York Times