Improved Means for Obtaining Photographic Portraits.
Year: 1891

page_text: Dite of Application, 20th Oct. 1891
Complete Specification Left, 9th July, 1892-Accepted. 13th Aug. 1992
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Obtaining Photographic Portraits.
I GEORGE BAGNALL BRADSHAW Artist and Photographer of Beech House
Altrincham Cheshire do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
-
The object of my invention is to produce photographs of statuary having the
head and face taken from a living sitter, and so impart to the whole the effect of
its having been taken direct from life.
In carrying out my invention I place a piece of statuary on a black pedestal and
before a black background, preferably of black velvet, and take a negative of the
piece vignetting the head by the use of an ordinary black vignetting screen before
the lens, but leaving as much of the neck as possible.
I place my sitter before a black velvet background as before, and photograph
the head vignetting the head from the body so that it registers on the neck of the
statuary negative which can be done by placing the statuary negative on the
focussing glass of the camera. Having got both negatives of sitter and
statuary, retouch and join them together, and then proceed to print in the
-usual way.
I may also produce the same results by enveloping such portions of the sitter
and statuary that I desire omitted from the negatives with dead black paper, and
then proceeding as before.
Dated this 19th day of October 1891.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Obtaining Photographio Portraits.
GEORGE BAGNALL BRADSHAW, Beech House, 45 Oxford Road Altrincham,
Cheshire Artist and 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:-
I take an ordinary piece of statuary and place it on any convenient stand before
a black or coloured background and vignette the head from the body leaving as
much neck as possible. I vignette off the head from the body in the following
manner by using an ordinary vignetting screen before the lense or in the
camera, by preference in the camera if the background is a black one, and
between the lense and the object to be vignetted if the background is white or
coloured.
;
Any photographic process can be used for procuring a negative of the image, by
preference I use ordinary photographic dry plates, and take the impression in the
usual manner. I make a series of negatives from statuary, both busts, three
quarter, and full length, in any position I may think advisable. Should my sitter
wish a photograph of their head placed on either bust, three quarter, or full length
statuary, I place my sitter before a black, or same tinted background as the statuary
was photographed against, and take a photographic impression of the head,
vignetting away the bodies by using an ordinary vignetting screen, either in the
camera or between the lense and sitter as before stated. I take the impression on
any sensitive photographic film. I use celluloid films and vignette the head from
the body just a little below the chin so that it will register on the neck of the
CD 021

page_text: statuary negative, which can be done by placing the negative of statuary selected
on the focussing screen of camera and so adjusting the camera that the neck of
sitter and that of the statuary negative shall be exactly the same size, or sketches
can be made from the statuary negatives on any convenient transparent substance
and used instead of the negatives for the purpose of getting the neck of sitter in
register. When I have obtained my photographic impression of the head I wish
to place on statuary, I take the transparent film and after adjusting it on the
statuary negative, and retouching out all imperfections, proceed to print, through
both negatives, by any of the ordinary photographic printing processes. I also
mask or cover the face of any image or life subject or painting or drawing so as
this part will appear almost bare glass on the negative, which I make in the usual
manner, I then photograph the face I wish to place on the aforesaid negative by
placing my sitter behind an opaque background, by preference black velvet, in
which there is cut an opening just sufficiently large to show as much of the face as
I require, I take the impression on any transparent film registering the head in the
manner previously stated, I place this film on the negative adjusting the face over
the part that is almost bare glass, and after retouching out all imperfections,
proceed to print, through both negatives, in the usual manner.
I also make negatives of ladies, gentlemen and children in any position I may
think advisable, and place other heads on their bodies by aforesaid process.
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) That this is the only true method of placing the head of one subject upon
the body of another, and printing from same without showing any join.
(2) And of placing any face on any photograph of picture, statuary or life subject,
and of making same, when printed, appear as if the photograph was a direct picture
and not a combination.
(3) And that by this process ladies and gentlemen can be saved the trouble of
dressing for their pictures, as all we will require will be a photograph of their heads
and necks, and sitters can select the position or dress they would like to appear in,
on the finished picture, from our stock of negatives or prints.
Dated this Eighth day of July Eighteen hundred and ninety-two years.
GEORGE BAGNALL BRADSHAW.