An Improved Method of Producing Photographic Vignettes, and an Appliance to be used therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 26th May, 1891-Accepted, 27th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Producing Photographic Vignettes, and an
Appliance to be used therefor.
I, ARTHUR GEORGE PALMER, of Orchard House, Grange Road, Smallheath,
Warwickshire, Photographer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention consists firstly in an improved method of producing photographic
vignettes and secondly in an appliance to be used therefor.
The ordinary well-known method of printing a vignette from a photographic
negative is to employ a cardboard or other mask above the negative in the printing
frame which prevents the light acting upon the margin of the positive underneath,
this mask having an oval or other shaped aperture of about the size of the photo-
graph required. During the printing process the position of the mask has to be
varied several times so as to soften off the photograph and to produce a graduated
shadow.
By my invention I am enabled to produce a negative vignette directly on to the
sensitive film whilst the same is being exposed in the camera so that a mask for
obscuring the margin of the negative whilst printing therefrom and for softening off
the positive underneath is not required thus enabling vignette photographs to be
produced with much less skill and labour than heretofore.
I obtain the said negative vignette as follows:-I employ a vignette mask of
wood, thick cardboard, glass or other suitable substance of about the size of the
sensitized plate or film having an oval or other shaped aperture corresponding with
the photograph required. The said oval or other shaped aperture is by preference
rounded or bevelled off on one side of the mask. This side of the mask is covered
with phosphorescent or luminous paint or powder or other substance which will
absorb light and be luminous in the dark. This luminous mask is placed in the
dark slide with the sensitized plate or film so that the light emitted from the mask
will obscure the margin of the negative around the photograph and by the edges of
the aperture being bevelled or rounded off as above described a softly graduated
negative vignette is produced.
The said mask should be covered with a piece of brown paper or other opaque
material until it has been placed on the sensitized plate or film in the dark slide to
prevent the central part of the plate or film being clouded by the light from the
mask. This opaque material can then be removed and the plate or film is ready
for exposure in the camera.
Dated this 26th day of August 1890.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Producing Photographic Vignettes, and an
Appliance to be used therefor.
I, ARTHUR GEORGE PALMER, of Orchard House, Grange Road, Smallheath,
Warwickshire, Photographer, 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 :-
This invention consists firstly in an improved method of producing photographic
vignettes and secondly in an appliance to be used therefor.

page_text: The ordinary well-known method of printing a vignette from a photographic
negative is to employ a cardboard or other mask above the negative in the printing
frame which prevents the light acting upon the margin of the positive underneath,
this mask having an oval or other shaped aperture of about the size of the photo-
graph required. During the printing process the position of the mask has to be
varied several times so as to soften off the photograph and to produce a graduated
shadow.
By my invention I am enabled to produce a negative vignette directly on to the
sensitive film whilst the same is being exposed in the camera so that a mask for
obscuring the margin of the negative whilst printing therefrom and for softening off
the positive underneath is not required thus enabling vignette photographs to be
produced with much less skill and labour than heretofore.
I will describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawing on which
Fig. 1 is a back view, Fig. 2 is a front view, Fig. 3 is a plan, and Fig. 4-is a
sectional elevation of an appliance constructed according to this invention for use in
producing photographic vignettes, and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 shew parts of the said
appliance separately.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In carrying out my invention I employ a vignette mask A preferably made of
metal (or it may be made of wood, thick cardboard, glass or other suitable
substance) of about the size of the sensitized plate or film with which it is to be
used. This mask A (shewn separately by Fig. 5) has an oval or other shaped
aperture a corresponding with the photograph required, and this aperture is (for
the purpose hereinafter described) by preference rounded or bevelled off on one
side of the mask as shewn in the cross section Fig. 4. This side of the mask
(marked X Figs. 2 and 5) is covered with phosphorescent or luminous paint or
powder or other substance which will absorb light and be luminous in the dark.
B is a moveable blind of linen, paper, or other suitable substance of a ruby, deep
orange, or other non-actinic colour by which the luminous face X of the mask Á
can be either covered or exposed as required. This blind may be arranged to slide
in side grooves a¹ a² in the mask A and be furnished with side cords c¹ c2 which
respectively pass round the two small spring drums d' d² so that if the blind is
drawn to expose the mask A and then released these spring drums will draw the
blind back across the mask again and hold it there.
In addition to being covered by this removable blind B, the central opening a of
the mask is permanently covered with some opaque substance such as the celluloid
film E which extends over the mask A and is transparent except the central part e
corresponding with the opening a, this part e being coloured ruby or deep orange,
or otherwise rendered opaque. This film E is shewn separately by Fig. 7.
In using the appliance above described the luminous mask A (covered by the
blind B) is placed in the carrier of the dark slide over the sensitized plate or film
on to which the photograph is to be taken. The blind B prevents any rays of
light from the luminous mask coming in contact with the sensitized plate or film
while the mask is being placed in position. The blind B is now drawn so as to
expose the luminous mask to the sensitized plate or film and the dark slide is
closed and placed in the camera so that as the photograph is being taken the vignette
will be formed by the light emitted from the mask obscuring the margin of the
negative round the photograph, and by the edges of the aperture a being bevelled
or rounded off as above described a softly graduated negative vignette is
produced. Before the negative is removed from the dark slide in the dark
room the blind B must be allowed to run back and cover the luminous face of
the mask. The plate is developed in the usual way.
The object of the opaque part of the film E covering the opening a is to
prevent the central part of the sensitized plate or film (on which the photograph
is to be taken) being clouded by the light from the luminous mask. When the
blind B is withdrawn it can be turned back and secured by being hooked on to the
peg F through the hole g in the blind.

page_text: Another way of using the luminous mask above described is to take the photo-
graph in the usual way and then, in the dark room, remove the plate from the dark
slide and place the plate on some dark substance and lay the luminous mask
upon the plate so as to obscure the margin round the photograph as above
described.
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 :-
1. In producing photographic vignettes the use of a luminous mask for obscuring
the margin of the sensitized plate or film around the photograph substantially as
hereinbefore set forth.
2. The herein described improved vignetting mask provided with a luminous
surface in which is an opening covered by a non-actinic substance, for the purposes
and substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
3. The improved appliance for forming vignette surfaces upon photographic
plates or films arranged and adapted for use in the manner substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.