IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND TREATING PICTURES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bishop Hall, of the City of New York, in the
United States of North America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PREPARING AND TREATING PICTURES."
Sealed the 15th August 1856, and dated the 19th March 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Bishop Hall at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th March 1856.
I, JOHN BISHOP HALL, of the City of New York, in the United States of
of North America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND TREATING PICTURES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is the production of a high degree of artistic
effect in pictorial representations of objects, and it is applicable to all kinds of
representations, such as engravings, lithographs, photographs, and similar
productions.
The principle consists in uniting two or more of the engravings, photo-
graphs, &c., as the case may be, to form one picture, and which are to be
fac-similes or duplicate impressions, previously prepared so as to be rendered
more or less transparent, according to the effect to be produced; each
picture being cemented or secured to a plate of glass, they are to be so placed
above each other that the lines will coincide. Various back grounds may
thus be formed either by coloring, tinting, and shading, by cutting out parts
of the back ground, or by all together in different combinations, the effects
being capable of being heightened in various ways. In addition to this,
pictures of all kinds, and especially photographs, are perfectly preserved
against decay or deterioration from the action of the elements, and particularly
from that of dampness. The operation is thus performed:-The picture to

page_text: paper
be treated should be printed upon a somewhat thin paper, or a paper which
may be subsequently rendered more or less transparent by the application of
oils or varnishes, or other material producing like effects. Two copies are to
be taken, and the transparency produced by the application of the oil and
varnish in any suitable manner, the object of the oil being to penetrate the
paper so as to secure the requisite degree of transparency and increase the
artistic effect. Each picture is now to be laid upon a separate piece of glass,
which should also have received a coat of varnish at a sufficient time in
advance of the application of the oil to the picture to allow the varnish on the
glass to become partially dry, or in that state technically known as "tacky,"
care being taken that air bubbles be all worked out in order that the
may be in close contact with the glass. The picture is then allowed to
become dry or nearly so, when it will be well to scrape carefully the back to
remove any lumps or particles, and thus insure a smooth surface, which is
then to receive one or more coats of varnish, as may be deemed proper;
when this is dry, the two glasses are to be placed together, the one upon the
other, care being taken that the lines of the two pictures shall exactly
coincide, when the two plates are to be cemented around the edges with some
suitable cement; the combined picture is then ready for framing or casing
like a miniature or landscape, and which may be done either in a frame
having a closed back or in one having an open back. In this latter the
picture may be viewed by transmitted light. Instead of varnishing the plates
of glass, oil itself will in some cases be preferable, and will secure the picture
fully as well.
The above is a description of the Invention in its simplest form; different
effects may be produced by treating the picture forming the back ground in
colors while the front one is allowed to remain as it was when varnished.
Colors may also be applied to the front one only or to both, but in different
places, or so that one color in the front picture may have a ground of another
color in the back picture. Very fine effects are produced by cutting out
certain parts of the back picture, thus allowing more light to pass to the front
one. Additional back grounds of colors may also be employed, all which can
be determined by the taste and skill of the operator. Photographs treated in
this way are rendered highly satisfactory and artistical. It will be seen that
the picture is fully preserved from atmospheric effects, the first one being
sealed between the glasses, while the back one is protected by the varnish, or
that may also be sealed by cementing an additional plate of glass or other
proper material over it. In the above, paper is specified as the material upon
which the imprint should be taken, but there are many other substances which

page_text: may be employed for that purpose, particularly in the case of photographic
pictures. The process may be varied by producing the picture directly upon
the glass, either by some system of transfer or printing, or by the photographic
art, and like effects will be obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Bishop Hall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BISHOP HALL, of the City of New York, in the United States of North
America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Bishop Hall, Her special licence that I, the said John Bishop
Hall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Bishop Hall, 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 Íslands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PREPARING AND TREATING PICTURES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Bishop Hall, 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
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Bishop Hall, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention is certain improvements in the production of a high degree
of artistic effect in pictorial representations of objects, and is applicable to all
kinds of prints, such as photographs, engravings, lithographs, and similar
productions.

page_text: The principle consists in combining two or more of the photographs,
engravings, &c., as the case may be, to form one picture, and which are to
be fac-similes or duplicate impressions upon a material semi-transparent or
capable of being rendered more or less transparent, according to the effect to
be produced. Each picture being cemented or secured to a plate of glass,
those plates are to be so placed above each other that the general lines will
coincide. A variety of back grounds may thus be formed, either by coloring,
tinting, and shading, by cutting out parts of the back ground, or by all
together in differing combinations, the effects being capable of being
heightened in many ways. In addition to this, pictures of all kinds, and
especially photographs, are perfectly preserved against decay or deterioration
from the action of the elements, and particularly from that of dampness.
I will first illustrate my Invention by a description of its employment in the
treatment of photographs, to which it is especially applicable. If the picture
is a portrait, two or more copies are to be taken in the usual way upon
photographic paper, and I will describe it as applied to two. These pictures
are rendered more or less transparent by the application of oil, and cach is to
be cemented to a separate plate of glass by means of copal or other suitable
transparent varnish, which has been previously applied at a time sufficiently in
advance for it to become partially dry, or as is technically termed "tacky."
In applying the picture to the plate of glass, care must be taken to work out
all the air bubbles from beneath, in order that it may lie in close contact with
the glass. Each picture is then to be allowed to become dry, or nearly so,
when it will be well to scrape the back carefully to remove any excess or
lumps, and to leave a smooth surface, then one or more coats of copal or other
suitable varnish is to be given, and when this is dry, the two plates of glass
are to be joined together so that the lines of the two pictures will coincide, in
which position they must be cemented or framed together. The pictures
prepared for the combination may be cemented upon opposite sides of the
same plate of glass, instead of upon separate ones, as above set forth, or
the imprint or photograph may be taken in duplicate upon opposite sides of
the same paper or other substance proper for the purpose. These variations,
although embracing the same principle, do not for all purposes produce equally
good effects with the first described plan. For photographs, especially, the
first is to be preferred, but for prints, lithographs, and engravings I have
found the effects produced to be fully as good, if not better, by cementing the
one picture upon the front side of the glass, and the duplicate on the reverse
side. The combination will form but one picture, the second or duplicate
being a back ground to the first, whereby in consequence of the partial trans-

page_text: parency of the first, its lights and shadows are peculiarly heightened as well
as softened. The picture may be viewed either by transmitted or by direct
light.
The above is a description of the improvement in its simplest form.
Different effects may be produced by treating that picture forming the back
ground in colors, while the front one is allowed to remain as it was when
varnished. Colors may also be applied to the front one only or to both, but
in different places, or so that one color in the front picture may have a ground
of another color in the back picture. Very fine effects are produced by
cutting out certain parts of the back picture, thus allowing more light to pass
to the front one. Additional back grounds of colors may likewise be em-
ployed, all which can be determined by the taste and skill of the operator.
It will also be seen that the picture is fully preserved from atmospheric
effects, the first one being sealed between the glasses while the back one is
protected by the varnish, or that may also be sealed by cementing an addi-
tional plate of glass or other proper material over it.
In the above, paper is specified as the material upon which the imprint
should be taken, but there are many other substances which may be employed
for that purpose, particularly in the case of photographic pictures. The
process may be varied by producing the picture directly upon the glass, either
by some system of transfer or printing, or by the photographic art, and like
effects still be obtained.
I claim combining two or more pictures of the same subject in such manner
that the duplicate or additional picture or pictures shall form back grounds to
the first, whereby a higher degree of artistic effect is produced, substantially
as described.
In testimony whereof, I, the said John Bishop Hall, have hereunto set
my hand and affixed my seal, at the City of New York, this
Eighteenth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
JOHN BISHOP HALL. (L.S.)
Taken and declared at Her Britannic Majesty's
Consulate, at New York, this Eighteenth day
of July, A.D. 1856, before me,
JOSEPH FOWLER,
Her Majesty's Acts Consul.