Means for Producing Photographs Resembling Engravings.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Means for Producing Photographs Resembling Engravings.
I, HERMAN ELIASCHOV MENDELSSOHN, of No. 545 5th Avenue, New York
City, New York, United States of America, Artist, 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 relates to an improvement in photography and more particularly
to means for producing photographs and photo-engravings possessing a novel and
striking effect.
By my invention I am enabled to produce photographs and photo-engravings
possessing the appearance of high class engravings. That is to say the prints will
contain the lines, dots or stipples usually found in engravings and will moreover
retain all the half tones of the original negative. This result is accomplished by
forming a compound negative which consists of an original negative and of a
printed gelatinous coating intimately secured thereto, and by printing from such
compound negative.
In the accompanying drawing:
Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a compound negative formed according
to my invention, and
Fig. 2 represents a transverse section thereof.
In carrying my invention into effect, I proceed as follows:
1. I produce a copy or print on paper from an engraved or etched plate,
lithograph, ziucograph or electrotype, containing in negative, lines, dots, stipples
or other pattern that usually appears on an engraving. From the copy or print
thus obtained a negative is taken in the usual manner.
2. I also form a mixture composed of about 30 ounces of soft gelatin, 12 ounces
of sugar, 90 ounces of water, to which is added after the gelatin is dissolved,
about 1-6 drams of India ink. This mixture is spread upon a sheet of photo-
graphic or any other paper, and after it has thoroughly set, it is sensitized by
immersion in a bath composed of about 3 ounces of potassium bichromate, 70 grains
of ammonium carbonate, and 100 ounces of water. The backed and sensitized
gelatinous film is thoroughly dried and cut up into proper sizes.
3. The films formed in the above manner are exposed to light under the negative
containing the lines, dots or stipples, the exposure being timed preferably by an
actinometer. After proper exposure, the print is immersed in cold water to
become soft.
4. I take an ordinary negative produced in the usual manner, and from which a
print containing my novel effect is to be obtained. This negative is coated with a
solution composed of about 95 parts of turpentine, and 5 parts of rosin and is
allowed to dry.
5. The negative is immersed in cold water and its face is brought into optical
contact with the printed gelatinous film. All the water is expelled between the
two surfaces by the pressure of a squeegee, and after a few minutes the film will
have set and united with the negative. The negative is in this condition placed
After a short
in a tray containing water which is heated to about 85-140° F.
time the paper backing will become loosened and may be drawn off. The negative
is now washed until all the gelatin which has not been affected by the light, and
has consequently remained soluble, is washed away. Those particles of gelatin
however which have been affected by light, and have thereby been rendered

page_text: insoluble will not be affected by the washing and will remain inseparably united
with the negative. The result will therefore be a compound negative A,
composed of a reticulated, translucent, gelatinous coating a, containing lines, dots
and stipples, and of an original negative b, to which such coating is intimately
secured.
6. From this compound negative the pictures are now printed in the ordinary
photographic manner on photographic paper or other substance, and will have the
appearance of finely executed engravings. Owing to the exceeding thinness of
the film, its reticulated condition and the fact that it is inseparably uuited to the
negative, none of the details or half tones of the negative are lost by the trans-
mission of light through the film while printing, and therefore the product will
possess a high artistic value.
The process above described is to be practised when the gelatinous film is to be
used shortly after the lines, dots and stipples have been printed upon it. Such a
film when stored would after a time become insoluble in all its parts and thus
could not be used in the manner described. In order to produce a permanent
printed film which forms a new article of merchandise and which may be used at
any convenient time, I proceed as follows:
A backed film containing printed lines, dots and stipples is formed in the
manner already described, but in lieu of being attached to a negative it is attached
to a sheet of transfer paper made as follows:
A sheet of smooth white paper of sufficient strength is immersed in a saturated
solution composed of about 4 parts of unbleached shellac, 4 parts powdered borax and
35 parts hot water. After being removed and dried the paper is rubbed over
with a composition consisting of about 1 part of wax, 1 part of rosin and 50 parts
of turpentine or benzoline.
The gelatinous film is brought into contact with the transfer paper in a cold
water bath and a squeegee is applied to expel the water and intimately connect the
film to the paper.
The product is then placed in a hot bath, the backing removed and the coated
paper is washed until the soluble gelatin is washed away, while the insoluble gelatin
will remain attached to the transfer paper. This paper provided with the
reticulated insoluble gelatinous coating having the lines, dots or stipples, is now
complete and forms a practically imperishable article of merchandise, that may be
used at any subsequent convenient time.
To use this paper, I take an ordinary negative whether produced by the wet or
dry process, and coat its film side with a saturated solution of gutta percha.
The negative thus treated and the film on the transfer paper are both immersed
in cold water, and are brought face to face and squeezed into optical contact with
each other. When the compound plate thus produced has set and become
thoroughly dry, the transfer paper may be drawn off. The transfer paper comes
off with the slightest pull. This is due to the fact that on drying, the waxed paper
will contract and pucker up, so that it becomes practically detached. Thus a
compound negative is formed which consists of the original negative and of the
inseparable reticulated gelatinous coating containing the lines, dots or stipples.
This compound negative is therefore a substantial equivalent of the negative
produced by my first described process, and when printed from, will produce a
picture resembling a high-class engraving.
By my invention I may also produce prints containing a variegated pattern.
Here part of the print, such as the face contains the dots, another part such as the
back-ground contains the lines and another part such as the figure or drapery
contains the stipples.
To produce this print, I must of course first obtain a compound negative, which
I make in the following manner :
Sheets of transfer paper are first made in the manner described, some containing
a gelatinous coating with dots only, others a gelatinous coating with lines only and
others a gelatinous coating with stipples only.

page_text: The negative is then prepared with the gutta percha solution as described, but in
place of coating the entire surface I brush such solution only over a certain part of
the negative, say the background. I also moisten the film containing the lines only
and bring it into contact with the negative in the manner already previously
described. When the negative is dry, the transfer paper is removed and the film
containing the lines will thus be attached to that part of the negative only which
had been brushed over with the gutta percha solution.
In a similar manner a film containing the dots only is attached to the face of the
negative, and finally a film containing the stipples only is attached to the figure or
drapery of the negative. Thus a compound negative is formed having different
patterns on different parts and producing a correspondingly marked print of fine
effect.
Another way to obtain a variegated negative or positive, is to cut out masks
corresponding to the head, drapery, background &c., of the picture. These masks
are placed on the negative or positive containing lines, dots or stipples, and printed.
The result will be a print containing only that part of the picture corresponding to
the mask. This is brought into contact with the negative in the manner above
described.
By my invention I am thus enabled to form photographic prints resembling finely
executed engravings. The reticulated gelatinous coating adhering intimately to
the negative, offers practically no resistance to the light, and thus the prints will
show the pattern of the superposed film and also the full beauty of the negative, as
none of its half-tones will have been obscured or impaired.
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. A reticulated gelatin film composed of lines, dots or stipples of insoluble
gelatin and secured to a negative, substantially as described.
2. A compound negative comprising an original negative and secured thereon a
plurality of opaque gelatinous films having different patterns printed upon them
and located adjacent to each other, substantially as described.
3. As a novel article of manufacture, a sheet of transfer paper having secured
thereon a discontinuously opaque gelatinous film the interstices or translucent
portions forming the positive of the lines, dots or stipples, which produce the effect
of an engraving, substantially as described.
4. A compound negative consisting of an original negative and intimately
connected therewith, a gelatinous coating marked with lines, dots or stipples for
producing the effect of an engraving, substantially as described.
Dated this 19th day of November 1895.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.