An Improvement in the Exhibition of Photographs.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 1st Jan., 1891-Accepted, 7th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in the Exhibition of Photographs.
I, JOHN DEWÉ now residing at the Hotel Métropole Northumberland Avenue
London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention is for an improved apparatus for the exhibition of photographs or
other pictures by exposing them to a strong light & throwing on the back certain
shades & colors so as to enhance the perspective & scenic effects as viewed from
the front.
It consists
1. Of a frame adjustable (by hinges or other devices) to any required angle firmly
fixed on a substantial stand in the lower portion of which may be placed a drawer.
2. Of a removeable shade which can be attached to the top of the frame so as to
exclude the light & to give effect to the picture placed in the frame as viewed from
the front.
3. Of sliding panels on each side of the frame & at the top of the frame, so that
the opening can be adjusted to the size of the picture a photograph to be
exhibited.
4. Of arms attached to each side of the frame projecting backwards from the
front & furnished with notches holes or rings for the purpose of holding wires on
which can be suspended colored media or shades. The arms being capable of
elevation & depression & adjustable to any angle that may be required.
5. Of a metal reflector or frame on which reflecting surfaces can be placed
hinged on to the lower part of the back of the frame & adjustable to any angle
that may be required by means of a cord or other mechanical device worked easily
from the front of the frame.
6. Of a second metal reflector or frame on which reflecting surfaces can be
placed hinged on to the end of the reflector above described furthest from the
frame, adjustable to any angle that may be required, by means of a cord or
other mechanical device worked easily from the front of the frame.
7. The pictures or photographs to be exhibited should as a general rule be
made transparent although this is not in all cases required. They may also
receive in certain cases a slight coloring at the back either by paint or by the
attachment thereto of transparent paper on which the colors could be painted or
chromographed.
Dated this Tenth day of April 1890.
Fredk. Walker & Hyde,
JOHN DEWE.
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in the Exhibition of Photographs.
I, JOHN DEWÉ of the Hotel Metropole, Northumberland Avenue, London, W.,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved apparatus for the exhibition of photographs
and other pictures by exposing them to a strong light and throwing on the back
certain shades, and colors, so as to enhance the perspective and scenic effects when

page_text: In order that my invention and the manner of operating the same may be
clearly understood I have appended the accompanying sheet of drawings in
which
Fig. 1 is a front view of the apparatus forming the subject of my invention set
up ready for use.
Fig. 2 is an end view of same viewed from right to left.
Fig. 3 is a back view of Fig. 1 and
Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 1 viewed from left to right.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the double rack and pinion for operating the slide
shutters shewn in Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is a front view of one of the supplementary pieces used for reducing the
sight of the apparatus.
Fig. 7 is a piece of sheet glass marked off into equal divisions.
Fig. 8 is an end view of Fig. 1 as it would appear when folded so as to be easily
carried from place to place.
Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the lid, or cover for the entire apparatus.
Similar letters of reference are used to indicate corresponding parts throughout
the drawings.
My invention consists of a base board or stand A. having four vertical
sides a a¹ a a One of these, a, is rigidly fixed to A. and forms the front piece,
whilst a¹ and a are hinged to A and form the two ends, all being also hinged
to 2 forms the back piece. To the front a hinge a frame B in which I fix a
plate of sheet glass C, glazed or otherwise as may be desired. To the upper edge
of B is hinged a strip D of the same length as B and of sufficient width to serve
the purpose for which it is intended, to be hereinafter fully explained, and to D is
hinged a shade E. Upon the upper and lower extremities of the front of BI
provide a longitudinal slot, or groove in which I cause to slide two shutters F
and G operated by a double rack,, and a pinion c within guide e¹ and ell shewn
enlarged by Fig. 5. The upper rack is attached to F, the lower one ' to G and
by this means I am enabled by the turning of e to the right or left to lessen or enlarge
the width of the sight of C. Upon the upper front surface of B1 fix a longi-
tudinal rod H between which and B I provide a vertically sliding shutter I
operated by the handle d, and by means of Í I am enabled to reduce or extend the
sight of C in a vertical direction. The shutter I is shewn in Fig. 1 in its lowest
position but it can be raised to the extent shewn by the dotted lines Fig. 1, or as far
as the stop e will permit. Or to further enlarge or reduce the sight of C vertically
I may lower the stop e upon I, or extend the depth of 1. Or I may use supple-
mentary pieces J Fig. 6 of varying depths as may be desired, placed in front of C
so that the photograph or other picture may rest upon the ledge formed thereon.
At the back of B and hinged to a I provide a reflector to which is hinged at g, a
similar reflector, said reflectors may be of metal, glass, wood or any suitable
substance upon which can be wrought or attached a polished or reflecting surface.
Upon one end of the upper extremities of the front of B above and clear of the
shutter G I fix a metallic plate carrying two grooved pullies, over one of which
passes a cord i, one end of said cord is connected to the rod of g and the other end
to a milled headed reel j revolving in or upon a plate k fixed upon the lower front
surface of B at the same end as h. A second cord l, one end of which is
connected to an extension formed upon passes over the other pulley on hand
connected to a second reel m upon k similar to j. By the manipulation of m and j
fand may be adjusted to any angle required. Upon the back of B I provide a
hinged leg or stay K, and by means of a ratchet formed upon the upper surface
of A into which the free end of K is received I am enabled to support B at any
degree of angularity from the vertical as may be needed to obtain the best results.
Upon each end of the back of B are hinged four or more racks u u¹ u" which

page_text: may be fitted with adjustable screws or other device so that either may when in use
be fixed at any desired angle, said racks when not in use shut in close to the back
of B so as to economise space when the apparatus is folded up, the position of
these racks when so folded is shewn by Fig. 3. The manner of operating my said
invention is as follows.
26
The photograph or other transparent or semi-transparent picture is laid flat upon
the front of C and F, G and I adjusted, and if necessary one of the sight reducing
pieces J may be used, until the sight is sufficiently reduced, to permit the picture
only, or as much thereof as may be desired, to be seen from the front. The stand
or base A is then placed in such a position that a strong light may fall, free from
shadow upon and fand these by means of m and jare adjusted so as to reflect
the light upon the back of C and so throw extra light upon the back of the picture.
It will be understood that if colored, or tinted, transparent or semi-transparent
screens be interposed between the light and for for between the light and fand f
or between and fand C, that said tints or colors would be transmitted to or
upon the back of the picture, or upon part of the back of the picture, according to
the effect desired to be produced. To attain this I provide metallic or other rods
carrying curtains of colored or tinted silk, cotton, thin paper or any suitable semi-
transparent material, cach rod carrying a curtain of a different tint or color. Said
rods I hang upon any or all of the racks or any part of the racks uu uu and
these said racks may then be raised or depressed to any angle so as to give the best
effect or to transmit the desired tint or color upon the back, or any part of the
back of the picture, and by the selection of curtains of suitable tints, and the
proper adjustment of the rack or racks upon which they are suspended, and by
manipulating and to the proper angle, night or day, sunrise or sunset may be
alternately produced upon the same picture without in the slightest degree injuring
or altering the texture thereof, the effect thus produced being highly entertaining
and instructive. I may in certain cases lay the rods and curtains upon the
reflectors for or f and f1 for the purpose of inducing effects not attainable by
using the racks before mentioned, and for this purpose I provide, pins notches or
projections upon f and fl to prevent said curtains from slipping from the position
desired. By this means I am enabled to shew a perspective sky effect where the
sky of the photograph or other picture has been previously removed, or throw a
tint upon a sky painted curtain hanging upon the rack u, and many other effects
which add to the beauty of the perspective and the picture generally giving natural
and effective tints thereto, and for internal and external views of buildings the
effect may be rendered very impressive. When photographs or other pictures of
statuary are being exhibited I render opaque the whole of said picture except the
statue absolutely by painting upon the back of the picture with some dark color,
so that the reflected light falls upon the statue only, which has the effect of bringing
the figure or figures out in bold relief.
In order that my invention may be rendered more useful such for instance as
when pictures have to be reproduced to a larger or smaller scale upon canvas, paper
or the like, I provide a sheet of glass Fig. 7 divided by thin lines into a given
number of squares, and by placing this in front of the picture the same becomes
immediately divided into equal spaces, and by dividing the canvas or the like into
the same number of spaces the picture can be more easily and correctly reproduced
thus saving time and labour in the process. The object of shade E is that the light
employed may be shaded as much as possible from the observer to further enhance
the effect produced.
1
When the apparatus is not in use it may be folded up as shewn in Fig. 8. To
attain this I is lowered to its full extent and F and G closed, the shade E is then
folded over the width of D being sufficient to permit this, the cords i and are
loosened sufficiently to permit to be folded within f, the racks u ul ul u¹ are
then folded back to B and the leg K turned up against B and held there by a
button or the like, the sides a' aa are then raised and the pieces J placed
upon A, and, B may then be turned down upon A covering J, and the whole

page_text: covered by L Fig. 9 and held together by the hooks on L engaging with the pins on
a¹ and a¹¹i.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
First For improvements in the exhibition of photographs and other pictures,
the construction use and application of the entire apparatus as herein described and
shewn by the drawings hereunto appended.
Second-In an improved apparatus for the exhibition of photographs and other
pictures the construction and use of a frame B mounted upon a base board A
having hinged sides a² a" a¹ and a fixed side a in combination with the shutters F
and G. the method of operating same by the double rack and pinion b, and c,
within guides cc, the vertical shutter I, with shade E, the reflectors and fl operated
by cords and the racks uuu" and ", the method of folding the entire
apparatus to render the same portable within the cover L substantially as and for
the purposes herein described and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Dilaw of Denombor 1800.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.