Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-07-21
PHOTOGRAPHS ON APPLES
Surprisinq Richness of Color and
Wealth of Detail.


Wealth of Detail.
1t Is a simple matter to print pho
tographs upon the ordinary red ap-
pie, the tomato and smooth-skinned
pumpkin, if one goes about it In the
right way, says a writer in st Nichol-
as, In addition to the process being
most simple, there is no expense in
Cured, not even for so cheap a chem
ical as hypo, as no chemical or water
Is REQUIRED, while the resultant prints
can only be said to be as permanent
as the support on which the image Is
formed. The skin of an apple, toma-
to or pumpkin. particularly at GER
tain stage Of its ripening, bears a
strong resemblance to our photo
graphic plates and printing paper,
for the reason that it is sensitive to
light. 1t is this sensitiveness to
light that causes the side exposed to
the sun to burn red or yellow, and,
as one can often notice, where a leaf
intervenes so as to cut off the light
close to the pumpkin, apple or toma-
to. 1t will print an outline of itself, a
silhouette as it were, in green upon
the red or yellow ground. 1t was
through noticing this that l conceiV-
ed the idea of printing from mega
tive upon the same surface. My first
attempt was with apples. 1 first hum
ted out an apple having a leaf close
to it's surface, placed a piece of glass
beneath the leaf and on it cut my ini-
tials with a sharp knife. l then re-
moved the glass and pasted the leaf
firmly to the apple so it would not be
blown away by the wind. and left it
for a week.
At the end Of that time, 1 took the
apple, soaked off the leaf and
found my initials in bright red on a
light green ground having the outline
of the leaf My success prompted me
to try an actual photograph, or one
printed from a photograph negative.
To this end, selected some apples Of
the red variety that were yet green
and encased them in bags made of
the black paper in which plates and
paper are usually packed. These bags
were left on for ten days to exclude
the light and add to the sensitiveness
Of the surface. At the end of this
time the bags were removed and film
negatives were pasted in position by
using the white Of an egg. This white
of an egg 1 found later to be the only
adhesive that would not show in the
print. In order that all except the
image when printed might be green,
the apples were again inclosed in the
protecting bags. this time an opening
little larger than the portrait being
cut opposite the film. This acted
much as would vignetring device
over a printing frame, and greatly en-
hanced the results Other apples
were given negatives made by
scratching monograms, initials and
and sketches in spoiled films with an
etching knife and attached in the
same manner and provided with the
same protection Tor the remainder Oh
the surface. The richness Of color
and wealth of detail that can be Sc
cured in this way is really astonish-
ing. l am tempted to say that the re-
suits are superior to any that could
be obtained on Photographic papers.
week was allowed for printing. The
fine, deep red of the picture upon the
delicate green Of the ground must be
seen to be fully appreciated. Only ma
ture could give just the exact tones Of
the two colors that would harmonize
so perfectly. The method for printing
on tomatoes or pumpkins Is the
same as for apples. hope that others
will try the experiment, and l can as
sure them that they will be amply re-
paid for their trouble.