A NEW MODE OR PROCESS OF PRODUCING PHOTO-RELIEF ENGRAVINGS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Charles Bell, of Brooklyn, New York, United
States of America, for an Invention of " A NEW MODE OR PROCESS OF
PRODUCING PHOTO-RELIEF ENGRAVINGS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Charles Bell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th January 1880.
GEORGE CHARLES BELL, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America.
"A NEW MODE OR PROCESS OF PRODUCING PHOTO-RELIEF ENGRAVINGS."
The negatives heretofore employed in the production of photo-relief engravings
have been photographed from drawings or other lined illustrations of the objects.
In representing by the photo-relief process of engraving objects of nature drawings
in lines or crayon have been necessary from which drawings negatives have been
produced.
The necessity for these drawings or sketches has arisen from the fact that
negatives made direct from the objects themselves contain no lines, and therefore
no relief could be obtained in the engravings made therefrom, which would appear
without any half tints in solid black and white masses.
The principal item of expense in the production of these engravings has been
the cost of hand drawings, and much time is necessarily consumed in preparing
these drawings, which loss of time is in many cases a matter of the greatest
importance.
The chief object of my said Invention is to obviate the necessity of any drawings
or sketches. The engravings produced however are of superior and uniforin
excellence.
The said Invention consists essentially in the use of surfaces provided with
raised points, dots, or projections coated with a sensitizing substance, upon which
surfaces facsimiles of the objects are formed by first obtaining photographic
negatives of said objects, from which negatives positive prints are made upon
these prepared surfaces in the usual manner, and from these positives second
negatives are photographed ready for use in the ordinary process of photo-relief
engraving. The positive prints resemble in appearance fine mezzotint engravings.
The said raised points or projections are stamped on the print surfaces by the
use of engraved plates, or by other suitable means; these points, which are

page_text: preferably very numerous, may be formed in straight lines or in designs and
figures of any desired description. These surfaces may be hard paper or other
suitable material, and may be coated with any suitable wash or pigment, such
as Chinese or flako white mixed with a solution of albumen, but such coating is
not a feature of my Invention.
The sensitizing of said points or projections may be effected by any suitable
method, care being taken always that the sensitizing substance does not reach the
intaglio or depressed portions of the surfaces. Said points may be advantageously
sensitized by rubbing over the print surfaces crystals of nitrate of silver until
a sufficient quantity of the substance is transferred to the cameo or relief portions
of said surfaces.
The ordinary mode of making photographic negatives and positives, and the
ordinary process of photo-relief engraving from negatives are employed, and
therefore they require no description. The providing of said surfaces with raised
dots, points, or projections is not a feature of my Invention when the same are
not sensitized, as paper with such uneven surface and coated with a wash or
pigment is an article of commerce.
The said Invention it is obvious is especially adapted for illustration from
nature, or of objects of which there are no drawings adapted to the known transfer
processes; but it may be employed with advantage in making copies of sketches,
drawings, engravings, and other illustrations of natural objects.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Charles Bell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th July
1880.
GEORGE CHARLES BELL, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America.
"A NEW MODE OR PROCESS OF PRODUCING PHOTO-RELIEF ENGRAVINGS."
The negatives heretofore employed in the production of photo-relief engravings
have been made from drawings or lined representations of the objects to be
engraved. In representing by the photo-relief process of engraving objects from
nature drawings in lines or in crayon by hand have been necessary, from which
drawings negatives have been produced.
The necessity for these drawings or sketches has arisen from the fact that
negatives made direct from the objects themselves contain no lines, and therefore
no relief suitable for printing purposes in the type press could be obtained, because
engravings made therefrom would have no half tints but would appear in solid
black and white masses or blots.
The principal item of expense in the production of these engravings from nature
has been the cost of hand drawings, and much time is necessarily consumed in
preparing these drawings, and loss of time is in many cases a matter of the
greatest importance.
The chief object of my said Invention is to obviate the necessity of any drawing
or sketches in the production of engravings from nature by the aid of photography,
while the produced engravings are of superior and uniform excellence.
The said Invention consists essentially in the employment of surfaces provided
with raised points, dots, or projections coated with a sensitizing substance, upon
which facsimiles of the objects by photography are formed. I thereby obtain
photographic negatives of said objects, from which negatives photographic positives
are made in the usual manner, and from these positives or prints these second
negatives are obtained ready for use in the ordinary process of photo-relief
engraving.
The positive prints resemble in appearance fine mezzo-tint engraving, which
effect is secured by the sensitized points or projections. These second negatives
are also adapted for the production of engravings for the photo lithographic or other
processes in which the ordinary photographic negatives or positives may be
employed.
The said points or projections are formed on the surface by the use of engraved
plates or other suitable means. The points, which are preferably numerous, are
formed in straight lines, or in designs and figures of any desired description.
This surface may be hard paper or other suitable material, and may be coated with
any suitable wash before the application of sensitizing substance, such as Chinese or
flake white mixed with a solution of albumen, but said coating is not an essential
feature of my Invention; nor is the formation of said points or projections when the
same are not sensitized, as paper with such uneven surface and coated with a wash
or pigment is an article of commerce. The sensitizing of said points or projections
may be done in any convenient and suitable manner, care being taken always that
the sensitizing substance does not reach the intaglio or depressed portion of the
surface. The said points may be sensitized with advantage by rubbing over the
surface crystals of nitrate of silver, until a sufficient quantity of the substance is
transferred to the cameo or relief portion of said surface.
The ordinary methods of making photographs and of producing engravings
from negatives are employed; a description of these methods is unnecessary.
The said Invention, it is obvious, is especially adapted to the production of

page_text: illustrations from nature or of objects of which there are no drawings adapted to
the various known processes now in use, and it may be employed with advantage
in making copies of sketches, drawings, engravings, and other illustrations of natural
objects.
Having thus fully described my Invention and the most advantageous manner
known to me of carrying the same into effect, I claim the said Invention substantially
as herein before set forth.
July 2nd, 1880.