IMPROVE- MENTS IN COLORING PHOTOGRAPHIC PICTURES
Year: 1853

page_text: -LETTERS PATENT to Bryan Edward Duppa, of Malmaynes Hall,
in the County of Kent, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COLORING PHOTOGRAPHIC PICTURES."
Sealed the 28th December 1853, and dated the 3rd November 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bryan Edward
Duppa at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 3rd November 1853.
I, BRYAN EDWARD DUPPA, of Malmaynes Hall, in the County of
Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COLORING PHOTOGRAPHIC PICTURES" to be as fol-
lows:-
Heretofore photographic pictures have been colored by an artist by
placing colors on the front surfaces in varying tints, and according to
the effect desired to be obtained, requiring great skill to produce good
colored pictures: Now my improvements consist of rendering the front
surfaces transparent with suitable varnish, and applying colors to the
back surfaces, by which means the laying on of the colors will not
require that artistic skill heretofore necessary, and results are obtained
which cannot be obtained by the coloring on the front surface.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Bryan Edward Duppa in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
BRYAN EDWARD DUPTA, of Malmaynes Hall, in the County of Kent,
Gentleman, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent, Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three; in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Bryan Edward Duppa, Her special
licence that I, the said Bryan Edward, Duppa, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others, as I;-the, said Bryan Edward
Duppa, my executors, administrators, and--assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within-the-United-Kingdom of Great Britain
,and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN COLORING. PHOTOGRAPHIC PICTURES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Bryan Edward Duppa, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain. the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
-in. the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said. Bryan Edward Duppa, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
Heretofore photographic pictures have been colored by an artist by
placing colors on the front surfaces in varying tints, and according to
the effect desired to be obtained, requiring great skill to produce good
colored pictures. Now my-improvements consist of rendering the front
surfaces transparent with suitable varnish, and applying colors to the

page_text: back surfaces, by which means the laying on of the colors will not
require that artistic skill heretofore-necessary, "and-results are obtained
which cannot be obtained by the coloring on the front-surface.
Having thus stated the nature of 'my said Invention I will proceed
to describe the manner in which the same, is performed.
A photographic picture having been obtained on suitable material
in the usual manner, and as is well understood, in place of applying
the color to the front surface (the surface presented to the eye of an
observer) as heretofore, by which much of the beauty and exactness of
a picture is colored over and hid, by my Invention the color is applied
to the back (that is the opposite surface to that which is presented to
the eye of the observer) of the photographic picture, so that the colors
are behind the picture, and are seen through the material on which
the photographic picture is taken, the material itself for that purpose
being transparent, so as to show the color through the material and
through the photographic picture, by which means of applying colors
the photographic pictures, in place of being more or less covered and hid
by the colors as heretofore, are presented complete to the eye, and
the observer sees the color through and not on the front surface; and
I would state that although I believe that paper is the best material for
photographic pictures when, colored according to my Invention, I do
not confine myself thereto. An image having been obtained on paper
in the usual manner, and as is well understood, a coating of wax
varnish or material is applied to the front surface thereof to render
the same transparent; for this purpose I prefer melted wax or mastic
varnish, though other transparent varnish may be used, the paper
being rendered transparent by the wax or varnish applied to the face or
front surface of the picture.. I next apply the colors to the back of the
picture, and for this purpose I prefer to employ oil colors, though
others may be used, and I apply the local colors by means of a brush
which simply requires care to keep them to the proper localities; thus,
supposing the picture to be that of à person, the face and hands would
'have a uniform tint of flesh colour applied to the back of such parts of
the picture as those portions of the person occupy; for, excepting in
some cases of very florid.complexions, and where the red and white are

page_text: very distinctly marked, two or more tints of a color will not be necessary.
In like manner so much of a dress as consists of one colour would have
that color applied thereto at the back of the picture, and the same
color is to cover the locality of the picture actually occupied by the
dress, and so on in regard to other parts of the picture, the lights and
shadows of the photographic picture producing the necessary lights and
shadows of the colors so laid on uniformly at the back. The colours
having been applied as above explained, I cement the back of the
picture to a surface of card board or other material, and for this purpose
I prefer to use white lead spread over the card board or other surface;
and, finally, I again varnish the. front of the picture, if required, to
bring all parts well out. If it be desired that the colored picture
should represent a reversed image in regard to that shewn by the
photographic picture, then the local colors are to be placed on what
may be termed the face of the photograph image, the paper being
rendered transparent as before explained; the photograph image will
then be seen through the paper, and the colours through both. The
front of the coloured picture thus produced will have all the character
of those previously described, but the image will be reversed.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I would
have it understood that I do not confine myself to the details herein
described; but what I claim is, the coloring photographic pictures by
applying colors to the surfaces which constitute the backs of the
finished pictures.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bryan Edward Duppa, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four
Witness, JNo. Cook,
12, Cursitor Street,
Chancery Lane.
BRYAN ED. DUPPA. (L.S.)