Improvements in Lithographic, Printed, Photographic, Hand- painted, and other Pictures, Cards, and similar Articles.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1887
Complete Left, 15th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th Apr., 1888
Improvements in Lithographic, Printed, Photographic, Hand-
painted, and other Pictures, Cards, and similar Articles.
I WILLIAM CUNLIFFE, of 33, Harcourt Road, Brockley, in the County of Kent,
Draughtsman, Designer, and Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
:-
The invention consists of a new and improved method of producing pictures upon
cards and other articles; whereby various results of an attractive character are
obtained; with either lustrous, pearlescent, or, otherwise, translucent appearances;
or, with the soft delicacy of, either, ivory miniature paintings; or encaustic paintings,
or, of porcelain; or enamelled pictures, or with cameo-like, and other effects; of a
beautiful and artistic nature, and, in a simple & economical manner.
These results are produced, firstly, By the use of a novel background, underneath
the picture, prepared of either tin-foil,-or, of metalliferous, or plain, or colored,
tissues, or other, suitable medium;-Secondly, By placing the picture, which may
be prepared by any suitable, and convenient method, such as lithography, or by hand-
painting either, over, or upon, such background; the picture being produced upon,
either, a transparent, or semi-transparent paper, or, other, tissue, or body, through
which the background may be either distinctly, or partially, reflected and discerned;
and, with parts of the picture produced in transparent colors, and other parts semi-
transparent, or opaque, or the whole-or any part, thereof, in any of them ;-and,
whereby, the whole or parts of the picture is shewn, with either translucent, or
partially translucent,— or other similar results, through the thin film, or tissue, upon
which the picture is imposed; and an increased brilliancy, with, also, a novel, and
superior, effect, imparted to it ;-Thirdly, By imposing, or applying, either, over, or
upon the picture, either in a liquid or other form, a transparent enamelled, or other
similar surface, or tissue, by preference composed of a mixture of gelatine and a
suitable varnish, and a chromate, or of gelatine and a chromate, or of gelatine, or

page_text: any suitable gum; and with or without the addition of turpentine, or a spirit, of
any suitable kind, or other convenient medium; and by varying the proportions, and
so forth, of the components, giving to the picture, in addition to the above named
effects, any tone or depth of brilliancy, from the softness of an ivory miniature, or
waxy finish of an encaustic painting, to that of a most brilliant and glass-like
enamel, and, with a similarity of surface and appearance; which may be varied to
resemble either porcelain, or Limoges or other enamels, or stained glass, or ivory-or
other painting, or given translucent, or lustrous, or cameo-like effects, as may be
desired.
It will be seen that this invention is entirely distinct from any of the old methods
of obtaining pictures with gold or other backgrounds, or in bronze, or gold, or with
any of the, heretofore, practised methods of obtaining either translucent, or lustrous,
or other effects; and, that, I claim none of these; but the hereintofore, described,
simple, economical, & artistic process.
Dated this 13th day of June 1887-

page_text: Improvements in Lithographic, Printed, Photographic, Hand
Painted, and other Pictures, Cards, and similar Articles.
I WILLIAM CUNLIFFE of 33 Harcourt Road, Brockley Kent, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement.
The Invention relates to decorative, pictorial, artistic, and ornamental purposes, and
is designed for giving to such articles a novel and attractive appearance by a new and
simple method, whereby bronzed and colored backgrounds, and pictures and subjects
in a soft porcelain-like and waxy tone of a brilliant delicacy and finish can be produced
and presented by either printing, lithographing, or photography, or hand painting or
transferring, or any of them, or by any other suitable means to pictorial and deco-
rative art of every line and kind and whereby the said bronzy appearance is
produced in any color or tone by the simple method of printing or painting, or
otherwise imposing ordinary unbronzed colors upon the sheet or surface of the
prepared paper, or other material, and, also the aforementioned soft and delicate
wax-like and porcelain like tone and appearance produced in like manner; and further
for giving permanency to such effects, and rendering them durable and not liable to
either tarnish, fade, or discolor, as in the case of ordinary bronzes.
In all methods hitherto used for giving bronzed and lustrous effects in decorative
and pictorial art, considerable difficulty has, always been presented in their uso,
from the nature of the materials used and the means available for their use and
their intractable and unsuitable nature for producing high qualities of art, or any
refined and delicate delineations. The use of bronze powder pigments in printing
and painting as in the so-called "lustre painting," permitted of only a very limited
and narrow range to the artist, and from the nature of the process and materials the
work produced was coarse, heavy & crude-the materials used and their vehicles,
were difficult to manipulate, clogging the type, stone, or brush, and rendering it
impossible to get any delicate graduations of color, shadow or tone in the work.
Nor did the methods available and customarily in use permit of the imposition upon
such bronzed grounds of any fine and good lithographic or other printing, or painting,
either in polychrome or monochrome art.
The bronzes and lustres used, also, rapidly discolored and tarnished, by oxidization,
and these difficulties made the use of bronze effects very objectionable and undesirable
and greatly retarded their use.
This Invention, however, is for obviating these defects, and also for, by an entirely
new method, enabling, any picture, whether produced by hand-painting, imprinting,
or transferring, or imposed by any other known method, to be produced in like
manner, upon a prepared paper, cardboard, or other suitable medium, and thereafter,
rendering the whole or any part, or parts thereof either of a bronzy, or lustrous, or

page_text: metalliferous appearance, or with a part or parts, thereof, of the soft, porcelain-like
or waxy appearance in fair contrast or relief.
For this purpose, I prepare and use, either sheets, or webs, or other forms of paper,
or card-board, or other suitable material, with the surface-or top-sheet, or layer of
paper, which I prefer to be of a thin or lightly glazed, or unglazed kind, and beneath
this I place and use a thin layer of tinfoil, or any other metalliferous tissue or layer.
Or instead, of the top layer of paper, a thin layer of silk, cotton, or other suitable
medium may be added such as a thin film of collodion or any thin tissue. These
layers may be used separately, or they may be superimposed upon others, and formed
either into webs, or sheets of paper, or cardboard, or otherwise as may be desired,
after the usual manner and the sheets, webs or cardboard, so formed may be pressed,
surfaced, smoothed or otherwise prepared in the usual manner, or in any convenient
or suitable way.
Upon the top or surface layer, the picture or design is produced in the usual
manner, by either lithography, or other printing, or by hand-painting when so desired,
or by photography, or transfer, either in the whole or in a part or parts thereof, or
by, or in any other convenient and suitable manner for the purpose.
These designs or pictures may be, also executed, in any suitable medium or vehicle
for color and either in printers or lithographic colors, or in distemper, or in oil, or
in water color, and so forth, in any suitable way. In printing the design or picture,
due reference is made to the effect that it is desirable to have, and to the arrangement
of the colors and bronzy portions relatively in such manner, with the other portions
in porcelain-like or waxy-like relief for producing the best artistic results.
For this purpose the colors selected for the bronzy parts are by preference those of
a purely transparent character; such as Gamboge, Indian-yellow, Italian-pink,
Aurelin, Raw Sienna, Burnt-Sienna, Prussian-blue, Antwerp-blue, Indigo, Verdigris,
Emerald-green, Carmine, Madder-red, Purple-lake and such like. But sometimes
other colors of a semi-transparent, and even of an opaque nature may be used
effectively to give toned and graduated effects in the usual way. In the other-and
those parts of the picture, or design, where the soft porcelain-like or wax-like tone is
required to contrast and relieve the other, the bronzy, and other parts; opaque, and
semi-opaque colors are preferred, or those colors with good body :-And by preference
the colors in these parts are toned, mixed, and blended with Chinese white, or the
white oxide of zinc to give the requisite depth of body. But instead of this other
suitable mediums may be used to give the required tone and body, and for this
purpose the Inventor has used cold starch, kaolin, chalk, and also dextrine and like-
wise other gums and substances of a like suitability, any of which may be substituted
when suitable. But the best and simplest medium is afforded by the use of the above
named white pigment, Chinese white, to give the due body and combine with the
after named solution to produce the due effects. After the picture or design is
prepared in the above named way as heretofore described, or in any modification
thereof, essentially the same, and the colors dry, the picture, either in the whole or in
part or parts thereof is treated, by preference, with the solution or varnish below
named Composed of 8 parts of pure white varnish such as mastic-crystal, copal, or
other suitable varnish, and diluted with 3 to 4 parts of spirits of turpentine-1 part
of methylated spirits, and to this is added a few drops of a saturated solution of
bichromate of potash, and one part of dissolved gelatine, also, a small portion of sugar
of lead to clear and quicken the drying qualities-but these proportions may be
varied and modified to suit the various requirements and produce modified effects,
such as can only be ascertained by actual experience and practice. Instead of this
solution, any suitable solution for rendering paperous materials transparent, such as
solutions of Canada balsam, or other gums may be used in some cases. But the best
effects are produced by the solution first named or a modification thereof. By the use
of this solution which may be either brushed on, or imposed in any other suitable
way, the painted or imprinted top or surface layer of paper or other material is
rendered transparent, or semi-transparent in those parts desired to be of bronzed
appearance and the lustre of the tin-foil or other metalliferous and translucent medium

page_text: beneath is thereby made visible in the part or parts required; the color of the said
bronzed portions being determined by the color of the imprinted and transparent
surface or tissue above. And the above described solution or solutions, as preferred,
permeate and render transparent the colors and surface tissue, also, the opaque and
semi-opaque colours and pigments combining, especially, with the Chinese white and
opaque colors on their surface in a lesser degree to produce the soft delicate porcelain-
like and waxy tone and effects, and giving to the whole a rich and delicate trans-
parency, and, also rendering them highly permanent and durable. The effect of this
process is such that the most delicate water colors can be so treated, and rendered
thoroughly permanent, and their brilliancy and beauty also greatly increased.
The superimposed layer above the tinfoil or other metalliferous medium, when
permeated with the solution forms a perfect protection to the underlayer from all
discolorative tarnishment or oxidization and secures by a simple and uncostly method,
new, beautiful and permanent effects. And the process enables pictures and designs
of the highest or any artistic value and effect to be printed in the ordinary way with
the richest and most varied colored bronze effects, and forms a most easy and agreeable
method of artistic decoration, applicable to painting, printing, and also every branch
of decorative art and manufacture.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare, that what I
claim is
1st. The use of an under or secondary layer of tin foil or other suitable metalli-
ferous or lustrous medium together with a super-imposed surface or top layer over
the same, of paper or other suitable medium, or material, for receiving the design and
picture in colors or form.
2nd. The rendering of the upper layer, either in whole, or in part, or parts thereof,
transparent or translucent in a greater or a lesser degree, and so thereby making
apparent a lustrous, and bronzy effect from the tin foil or other layer beneath.
3rd. The use, in the manner described of superimposed colors upon the upper or
surface layer, for producing different colors and tones of the bronzes, together with
the combination of such solutions hereintofore named for effecting the appearance of
the same.
4th. The combinations heretofore set forth, and use thereof, for permeating the
colors, Chinese white, or other materials to combine with and produce the soft
brilliancy and permanency of colors described and preserving the whole from
oxidization and decay.
5th. Any modification thereof-substantially the same.
DL: n
1
C
1 1000