MENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ernest Edwards, of 20, Baker Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Photographer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY."
Sealed the 8th January 1869, and dated the 13th July 1868.

page_text: light under a photographic negative or other transparent or partially
transparent object or screen in the well known manner;
I then apply
to the surface which has been thus exposed to light a paper or other
suitable substance prepared with gelatine, gum arabic, albumen, fibrine,
or similar organic substance, which in order to produce permanen
adhesion is rendered insoluble either during its preparation or sub-
sequently. This prepared paper or other suitable substance is applied
to the gelatinous surface of the image obtained as above described, and
the parts of the sensitised gelatine and pigment not acted on by light
remaining soluble are washed away with warm water together with the
paper, glass, slate, metal, or other suitable surface as above described.
The picture is in this case reversed; when it is desired that this should
not be the case I first transfer the photographic negative or screen
from the glass plate on which it has been formed in the usual way;
and I do this by producing on its surface alternate films of india-rubber
and collodian or other film-producing substance till a sufficient strength
has been obtained, and remove these films together with the photo-
graphic negative adhering from the glass plate, and print upon the
prepared gelatine from their reversed side; or I place the sensitised
gelatine at the back of the negative glass, and allow the solar rays
reflected from a mirror to fall on it thro' the negative; or I cause the
solar rays to fall on it by means of lenses; or I print by means of
lenses; or I place the sensitised gelatine in contact with the glass, and
after exposure produce on its surface alternate layers of india-rubber and
collodion or other film-producing substances till a sufficient strength has
been obtained, and after developement I mount the print ou the
insoluble prepared paper or other substance, and, if necessary, remove
the films previously used as a support. And in the process known as
Swan's carbon process I use the insoluble adhesive paper, as above
described, in order to avoid the treatment of the print on india-rubber
with gelatine, and also its subsequent fixation, and in this way I effect
very great saving of time, trouble, and expense.
And in enlarging photographic or other pictures from negatives in the
usual way I reverse the ordinary position of the negative and expose the
sensitised gelatine to the image obtained by the passage of rays of light
thro' the negative and as before apply to its surface the insoluble
adhesive paper, and develope by means of warm water as described.

page_text: And sometimes in enlarging photographic or other pictures I coat a
glass plate with a film of india-rubber or other suitable film-producing
substance, and I apply to this a layer of sensitised gelatine and print
thro' the glass and after developement mount on the insoluble adhesive
paper, and then remove from the glass; and I sometimes use this
method of printing thro' the glass with solar rays arranged as above
described.
Another part of my Invention is, that I prepare collodio-chloride
paper for photographic pictures by first pouring on to a glass plate the
sensitive collodio-chloride, and then applying to it the insoluble adhesive
material and removing them together from the glass. And I use the
insoluble adhesive material in all operations where adhesion or
uniformity of surface is required.
Another part of this Invention relates to the production of metal
plates for printing in oil pigments, where my mode of proceeding is
to obtain from a picture in relief, obtained in gelatine by means of light,
a porous mould; and when in a suitable state of moisture I fill this
mould with a medium containing coloring matter in suitable quantity,
and I transfer the picture thus produced to paper or other material.
And in preparation of the insoluble adhesive material I sometimes
add chlorides or iodides to the gelatine employed, and then use the
paper in place of and in all respects as albumenized paper as ordinarily
used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ernest Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. ERNEST
EDWARDS, of No. 20, Baker Street, London, in the County of Middlesex,
Photographer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give

page_text: and grant unto me, the said Ernest Edwards, Her special licence
that I, the said Ernest Edwards, executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Ernest Edwards, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PHOTOGRAPHY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Ernest Edwards, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ernest Edwards, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to improved means of producing photographic
pictures, and consists,―
Firstly. In rendering gelatine, gum, albumen, fibrine, and such like
organic substances insoluble for the purpose of receiving for the process
of washing and permanently retaining gelatine photographs; and for the
same purpose or other purpose of photography in preparing paper and
other materials by treating it or them with a preparation of the said
organic substances (one or more of them) so rendered or to be rendered
insoluble.
Secondly. In the use and application of powdered glass as a pigment
in the preparation of pigmented papers and surfaces intended to receive
photographic pictures.
Thirdly. In the production of tints or colors in (and as a part of
the process of treating) paper and other materials for photographic

page_text: In performing my Invention I apply to a surface of paper, glass,
slate, metal, or other suitable substance a coating consisting of gelatine,
coloring matter, and a bichromate, upon which I obtain an image by
means of light in any of the well known manners; to the surface thus
exposed to light I apply what I term a transfer paper; this transfer
paper may be made of paper of any thickness, surface, or color, or of
linen, canvas, glass, porcelain, wood, metal, leather, or of any substance
which does not injuriously affect the materials employed. This transfer
paper is prepared with gelatine, gum, albumen, or fibrine to which has
been added sufficient of one of those substances or of a combination of
those substances which have the property of tending to produce insolu-
bility of gelatine, gum, albumen, or fibrine; for instance, the
preparations known as ammonia alum, iron alum, and other varieties of
alum, acetate of alumina, the chromates or bichromates, bichloride of
mercury, and tannin. The preparing of the transfer paper is effected
by floating it on, coating it with, or immersing it in the preparation of
gelatine or organic substance above described. The transfer paper thus
prepared is then allowed to dry, after which it is ready for use; or a
suitable quantity of the preparation can be mixed with the pulp of the
paper or material in the course of its manufacture. The following is a
good formula for the preparation :-ammonia alum one part, gelatine
four parts, water one hundred parts, but this may be varied. I always
use insoluble gelatine or organic substance, as above described, as the
support or cement for the picture during development. The surfaces of
the transfer paper and of the gelatinous image obtained by light having
been moistened with water are placed together in such a manner as to
exclude air, the two surfaces adhere, and are in this state allowed to
dry; the resulting mass is then placed in water of a sufficiently high
temperature to wash away the parts of sensitised gelatine and pigment
not acted on by light together with the paper or other substance which
originally supported them, and the picture is found to be very firmly
attached to the transfer paper, its adhesion to which is not effected by
the use of the warm water employed in washing away the unaltered
portions of gelatine and pigment. To produce enamels I proceed in a
precisely similar way, substituting vitreous for the ordinary colors, and
placing the print on the surface on to which it is to be burnt.
produce pictures in relief from which to make electrotype or other
moulds for printing or other purposes I proceed in a precisely similar
To

page_text: way, omitting where necessary all coloring matter. And sometimes
I produce on the paper or material which is to be used for transferring
one or more tints or colors by means of lithography or other means.
Pictures produced by these methods from ordinary negatives are
reversed;
"when it is desired that this should not be the case I first
remove the negative or screen from its support; I do this by producing
on its surface alternate films of india-rubber and collodion till a
sufficient strength has been obtained; or in place of india-rubber and
collodion I sometimes use gelatine or other organic substance ren-
dered insoluble, as above described, either alone or alternately with
collodion, and I then remove these films together with the photographic
negative adhering thereto from its glass plate or support, and print from
its reversed side; or I originally take the negative through instead of on
the glass plate; or I use any of the other means by which it is usual to
print from the reversed side of the negative, such as camera printing,
printing by lenses, and other means.
And in the preparation of the pigmented paper or substance for
printing on I use as the coloring matter carbon, earths, and other colors,
aniline, and other dyes, and sometimes glass of various colors in a fine
state of division. And, further, I prepare collodio-chloride of silver
paper by first pouring ou to a glass plate or other suitable surface the
collodio-chloride of silver, and having applied to it the transfer paper
remove them together from their support; or I coat the transfer paper
with collodio-chloride of silver. I also prepare in a similar way to the
transfer paper the surface of paper or other material on which it is
desired to attach collodion or other films or substances, so that their
adhesion may be unaffected by the action of hot or cold water.
And in the preparation of the transfer paper I sometimes add iodides
or chlorides, and use it in place of and in all respects as albumenized or
other chlorised or iodised paper is ordinarily used.
By means of this my Invention the following advantages are
obtained:-
(1). Greater simplicity in and a great reduction in the number of the
operations usually gone through in the production of photographic
pictures in pigments, whereby the cost of their production is very much
reduced.

page_text: (2). The production of the proof on any material or surface that may
be desired.
(3). Greater indestructibility of the finished proof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ernest Edwards, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
ERNEST EDWARDS. (L.s.)