IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Browne at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
March 1873.-A communication from abroad by Pierre Auguste
Despaquis, of Paris, in the French Republic.
I, ALEXANDER BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company,
Patent Agents, of 85, Gracechurch Street, in the City of London, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PHOTOGRAPHY," a communication from abroad by Pierre Auguste Despaquis,
of Paris, in the French Republic, to be as follows:-
The process hitherto employed for touching up photographs has been
to operate either direct on the printed proof or on the plate itself. This
process gives very good results when performed by a skilful operator,
but is not practicable or too expensive when applied to enlarged photo-
graphs. If it is the plate that is to be touched up it nearly always
looks bad when magnified by the apparatus however skilfully the artist
may have retouched it. If on the other hand it is the proof which is
retouched it requires a clever and expensive artist to do this, and when
the photograph looses its freshness and becomes paler, which generally
takes place after a lapse of time, those parts which have been retouched

page_text: keeping their color stand out in ugly spots all over the picture. The
improved process obviates these objections, permits at the same time of
modifications or alterations being made to the plate or the proof, and
also the back ground and other parts.
As by this Invention it is not the plate itself which is retouched the
alterations cannot be magnified by the lenses of the camera, but being
made on the proof by means of the light itself, if the proof alters it will
be in a uniform manner and will not present the spotted appearance
which usually takes place after a time on many of the finest photo-
graphs.
The following is a description of the improved process above
mentioned:-The image produced by the enlarging apparatus is received
on a very finely ground glass plate, or having a coating which will
give it an opaque appearance, so that it may be quite visible with its
good qualities and its defects. Then with a brush stamp or other means
which may be found preferable by the artist he proceeds to touch up
or make the necessary alterations to the picture reflected by the light
on the ground glass plate in the camera; this will be found easy to
perform as the work is seen either on or through the glass. Certain
parts can be made to stand out, and wrinkles in portraits softened and
brought into relief by means of strong lights, in fact all the results of
the ordinary way of operating may be obtained. This operation being
made neither on the plate nor on the proof but on the ground glass is
infinitely more easy and rapid than by the old method. The operator
can rub out or begin over again without fear of altering the plate or the
proof, and consequently can obtain more easily a perfect result.
When the operation of touching up is finished, and when seen through
the glass, the picture stands out well, I proceed as follows:-Against
a sheet of paper
the ground glass I apply either a glass plate, or
prepared in the usual way, and that will print through it; and I would
here remark that as printing through an unpolished glass or an opaque
coating however transparent it may be is always a slower operation than
through a perfectly transparent glass, I propose to employ a trans-
parent glass covered either with a sheet of paper or a coating of semi-
transparent gelutine, or any other substance which will answer the same
purpose which should be taken off when the desired effect has been
obtained, it would then be against the transparent touched-up glass that
the sensitive surface should be applied.

page_text: I have only mentioned ground glass because I wish it to be
understood that it is the fugitive image which is shown on the ground
glass in the usual photographic process which serves for the touching
up, but as long as the surface is transparent and the image reflected
thereon is sufficiently visible, and also the color pencil or brush used
for the retouching can be applied, this is all that is required. The
effect produced by the touching up appears on the proof, but it is the
light which acts, and the image being homogenous, no fear is to be
apprehended that spots will be seen should the photograph alter or
fade with time. The action of passage of the light through the glass,
and if necessary a little distance being kept between the unpolished
surface and the sensitive coating, will make all traces of the brush
or stamp disappear, and render the retouching invisible. Enlarged
plates or direct positive proofs can thus be obtained with the greatest
3 facility again, as by means of a conveniently disposed frame even
wet collodion can be used. It is not necessary to have an expensive
mechanical mirror affixed to the enlarging apparatus which requires
much skill to manipulate properly.
Another great advantage obtained by this Invention is that direct
O sunlight is not positively necessary, it being as easy to operate by my
improved method in winter as in summer.
This improved method is also adapted for reproducing pictures with
the camera.