AN IMPROVED ALBUM FOR EXHIBITING PHOTOGRAPHS AND OTHER PICTURES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Corey McFarland, of the "Small-arms Factory,"
Small Heath, Birmingham, and No. 101, Gower Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED ALBUM FOR
EXHIBITING PHOTOGRAPHS AND OTHER PICTURES."-A communication from
abroad by John Spooner, of Springfield, Massachusetts, United States of
America.
Sealed the 20th November 1866, and dated the 26th May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Corey McFarland at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
May 1866.
I, COREY MCFARLAND, of the "Small-arms Factory," Small Heath, Bir-
mingham, and No. 101, Gower Street, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED ALBUM
FOR EXHIBITING PHOTOGRAPHS AND OTHER PICTURES," a communication, to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists chiefly in a peculiar mode of constructing albums
or cases for containing photographs and other pictures, whereby any one of
the said pictures can be concealed or exhibited at pleasure, and also in the
devices for effecting the required adjustment of the pictures to exhibit them
or withdraw them from view.
The album is constructed in the form of a flat case or box, one portion of
which holds the pictures concealed from view, the sides of the other portion
being provided with glass covered openings. The pictures are supported in

page_text: such a manner that each one can be adjusted independently of the other. The
lower edges of the said pictures rest in slides, which are fitted to move freely
endwise in grooves or channels formed in the bottom of the case. Grooves
are also formed in the top of the case to guide the upper edges of the pictures.
The slides are provided with projections, which extend through the grooves in
the bottom of the case. By means of these projections any one of the pictures
in the case can be brought opposite the glass covered openings, or withdrawn
into the closed part of the case, as desired. One end of the case is made to
open upon a hinge or pivot to allow the slides in which the pictures are carried
to be drawn out therefrom. When they are so drawn out the pictures are
inserted into the said slides, which are then pushed back inside the case.
My Invention is more especially designed for exhibiting those photographic
pictures taken on porcelain or other transparent material which requires light
at the back thereof, but may also be advantageously used for ordinary card
photographs or other similar pictures. Two of these latter may be placed
back to back in each slide, and when brought opposite the glass either of the
two can be seen by simply turning either side of the album upwards.
The case may be made of wood, paper, cardboard, or other suitable material,
and bound in book covers or otherwise ornamented. Thus constructed
the said case will afford a neat and compact means of holding and exhibiting
photographs and other pictures, and of preserving them from dirt and
injury.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Corey McFarland in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, COREY
MCFARLAND, of the "Small-arms Factory," Small Heath, Birmingham, and
No. 101, Gower Street, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Corey McFarland, Her special licence that I, the said Corey
McFarland, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Corey McFarland, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at

page_text: 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 "AN
IMPROVED ALBUM FOR EXHIBITING PHOTOGRAPHS AND OTHER PICTURES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Corey M°Farland, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 Oflice within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Corey McFarland, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
forming part of this Specification.
The said Invention consists chiefly in a peculiar mode of constructing
albums or cases for containing and exhibiting photographic and other pictures,
whereby any one of a number of such pictures can be concealed or exhibited
at pleasure. The said Invention also consists partly in the devices for
effecting the required adjustment of the pictures to exhibit them or withdraw

page_text: also formed in the top of the said case to guide the pictures at their upper
edges. The slides or shoes B are formed with the lugs f to clip the edges of
the pictures, and are provided with the projections g, which extend through
the grooves d in the bottom of the box or case A. By means of these pro-
jections each one of the pictures contained in the box or case A can be
brought between the glass covered opening c, and exhibited or withdrawn into
the closed portion a of the said box at pleasure. One end C of the box or
case A is made to open upon a hinge or pivot h; this allows the slides B in
which the pictures are carried to be drawn partly out of the said case, when
the latter is to be filled, or when the pictures a therein are to be removed or
changed. The desired pictures are inserted into the slides B, which are then
pushed back into their proper positions inside the case A, the end C being
closed and secured by a spring catch or other convenient and simple means.
This Invention is more especially designed for exhibiting photographic
pictures taken on porcelain or other transparent material which requires a
light at the back to show the picture, but may also be advantageously used
with ordinary card photographs, or other pictures taken on opaque substances;
two of which pictures may be placed back to back in each of the slides B;
when they are brought opposite the glass covered openings c, either of the
said two pictures can be seen by simply reversing the box or case A. The
said case A may be made of wood, paper, cardboard, or other suitable
material. It may be bound in any description of book covers, and may be
either plain or ornamented, as desired.
The album may be constructed in either of the two forms represented in
the Drawings at a very slight cost, and will afford a neat and compact means
of holding and exhibiting photographic and other pictures, and at the same
time will preserve them from dirt and other injuries. The box or case A may
be made to contain a greater number of pictures by making it of such a
length as to hold a set of the said pictures at each end, the glass covered
openings c being placed in the centre of the said box or case. The box or
case A may be also mounted upon a stand or pedestal.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me
from my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be conveniently
and advantageously carried into practise, I claim,―
First, the box or case A constructed with one or more closed portions a
and the apertures c (covered with glass or other equally transparent material)
for the purpose and substantially in the manner set forth.
Second, the slides B for holding the pictures a', constructed and operating
substantially in the manner set forth.

page_text: Third, constructing the case A with one of its ends C to open and close for
the purpose and substantially in the manner set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Corey McFarland, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
COREY MCFARLAND. (L.S.)