CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING ENGLISH PASSE- PARTOUTS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PICTURES, ALSO THE GLASSES USED WITH THE SAME, AND WHICH SAID MODES OF ORNAMENTING ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO ORNAMENTING PHOTOGRAPHIC FRAMES GENERALLY
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Sanders, Photographic Mat Manufacturer,
of Harford Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, for the
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING ENGLISH PASSE-
PARTOUTS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PICTURES, ALSO THE GLASSES USED WITH THE
SAME, AND WHICH SAID MODES OF ORNAMENTING ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
ORNAMENTING PHOTOGRAPHIC FRAMES GENERALLY."
Sealed the 12th August 1859, and dated the 14th February 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Sanders at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
.February 1859.
I, CHARLES SANDERS, Photographic Mat Manufacturer, of Harford Street,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of
my said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING ENGLISH PASSE-
PARTOUTS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PICTURES, ALSO THE GLASSES USED WITH THE SAME, AND
WHICH SAID MODES OF ORNAMENTING ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO ORNAMENTING PHO-
TOGRAPHIC FRAMES GENERALLY," to be as follows (that is to say) :-
The mounting of photographic portraits and pictures has from their peculiar
nature rendered it essential that they should be treated in a different way
from ordinary pictures, and the ordinary mode has been of preparing a kind
of panel of paper or other suitable material, which panels are sometimes
raised or pressed in moulds with gilded mouldings, etc., a kind of production.
known as French or German passe-partouts, and others of a plain even surface:

page_text: are known and designated as English passe-partouts. These passe-partouts
have a square, oval, or other shaped panel cut from them, into which the
photographic portrait or picture is placed, surrounded by a brass or other
bright metallic moulding, which formis a rabbet for receiving the picture;
over the picture, moulding, and passe-partout a piece of glass is placed and
retained by an outer gilt metallic moulding, which not only clips the glass in
front but bends over on the passe-partout behind, holding all the parts
together, producing an economic and pretty mode of mounting such kinds of
pictures, which may be further extended by a frame of gold, composition,
wood, or other suitable material or materials as desired. And having stated
the general way in which such kinds of pictures are now usually treated, I
shall with less difficulty be better understood as to the nature of my improve-
ments on such descriptions of photographic frames or mounts, which consists
in applying exclusively, to the before-mentioned descriptions of frames, namely,
'for photographic pictures, an increased amount of ornamentation by the appli-
cation of the well-known processes of gilding, painting, staining, etching, or
printing the back side of the front glass around the margin or that portion
that does not intercept the picture or the moulding that surrounds it, by
which means a brilliant rich effect is obtained, which may be greatly diver-
sified as good taste may direct, and, from being done on the inside of the
glass, it is evident that it is equally protected with the picture itself from
dirt or dust. I do not purpose confining myself to the increase of orna-
mentation afforded by ornamenting the glass only, as I may in some instances
ornament the front part of the passe-partout in any of the usual in
which ornanient may be applied to such surfaces, either by printing, painting,
transferring, or embossing, confining myself to the description of passe-partouts
known as English passe-partouts; and sometimes I make the colour which I
impart to the front or face of the passe-partout conduce to the brilliancy of
the effect in combination with. the. gilded or other ornament placed on the
inside of the glass over it.
ways
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Sanders in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
SANDERS, Photographic Mat Manufacturer, of Harford Street, Birmingham, s
in the County of Warwick, send greeting..

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters:
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of February, in the year of our!
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year:
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto:
me, the said Charles Sanders, Her special license that I, the said Charles
Sanders, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as. I, the
said Charles Sanders, my executors, administrators, or 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 "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING ENGLISH PASSE-PARTOUTS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PIC-
TURES, ALSO THE GLASSES USED WITH THE SAME, AND WHICH SAID MODE OF ORNA-
MENTING ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO ORNAMENTING PHOTOGRAPHIC FRAMES GENERALLY,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Sanders, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
⚫ NOW KNOW YE, that J, the said Charles Sanders, 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 fol-..
lowing statement (that is to say):-—
The mounting of photographic or sun portraits and pictures renders it:
(from their peculiar tone and character) essential that they should be treated
different from the ordinary pictures produced from engraved plates and
printing. The mode that has hitherto been commonly adopted has been to
prepare a kind of panel, formed of paper pulp or other suitable material,
which panels are sometimes pressed into metallic moulds for the purpose of
forming a moulding to surround the portrait or picture, with which it may be
afterwards used; the parts so pressed or formed into a moulding are some-
times finished by being gilded. This description of production are known.
(among photographists and those who deal in the apparatus and mounting
connected with this new branch of industrial art,) as German or French
passe-partouts; the other sort commonly in use are formed without moulds,.
the front surface being entirely plain, and are designated as English passo-
partouts. They are usually made from thick paper boards or papier machê,.
with an oval, square, or other shaped centre panel cut from them for.receiving.

page_text: the photographic picture, the picture being surrounded by a bright metallic
moulding, raised or formed by the process of stamping. This moulding has
two objects, first to form a finish around the opening formed in the passe-
partout for receiving the picture, as also the rabbet for the glass on which the
picture has been transmitted to rest in. The picture, passe-partont, and gilt
metal, moulding are further protected on the front by a plate of glass, united
to the other parts by an outer gilt metallic rim or moulding, formed as before
described; which not only clips the front glass, but also the passe-partout,
holding all the parts compactly together. These photographic mounts form
an extensive and important article of trade from the great extent of their
demand, and the uses to which they are applied, independent of any other
frame that may be used with them. And I wish it understood that my
improvements do not comprehend any new construction of the various parts
and details making up such photographic mounts, which have only been
described in order that a practical description of my Invention, and in what
it consists (as applied for the mounting of photographic pictures) shall be
better, understood, and which consists in applying to photographic mounts the
well-known process or processes of gilding, painting, staining, etching, or
printing, singly or combined, the inner side of the front glass around that
portion that does not intercept the picture or the moulding that surrounds it;
or to ornament in like manner by any suitable means, such as by gilding,
painting, staining, printing, or embossing, or either one or more of these
processes combined, that portion of the front of the passe-partout that sur-
rounds the picture before referred to. And in some instances I purpose
employing this mode of ornamenting photographic mounts, by improving the
brilliancy and general effect, which may in some instances be desirable, by
producing the design in burnish gold, or otherwise, on the inside of the front
glass, as before referred to, and applying a colour or colours on certain
registered parts of the passe-partout, by which means I am enabled to produce
a very rich and apparently elaborate result from very simple means and cost,
presenting a new, attractive, and novel appearance, such, for instance, as an
heraldic shield, the general form and device of which may be in burnish gold,
on the inside of the front glass, while the quartering of the shield with the
desired colours may be on that portion of the passe-partout immediately below
it. And again, for photographic portraits of eminent divines, a chaste gothic
pattern may be designed on the inside of the front glass surrounding the
portrait, and which design would be greatly improved in its general effect by
the addition of bright colours at certain parts, which colours may be applied
also on the inside of the glass, or on the desired part of. the front of the passe-

page_text: partout beneath it. I do not think it necessary to describe by what means
such gilded designs are produced on or applied to glass so as to have the
appearance of what is technically called burnish gilding, as they are well
known and are generally practised, as also the painting on glass, as well as
the producing of designs on the same material by stopping out certain por-
tions, and eating away the unprotected parts by suitable acids, which is an
art also extensively used for producing designs on glass, nor do I think it
necessary to describe the means by which the passe-partout may be ornamented,
as the process or processes are so commonly used and applied to a great
variety of articles that renders description unnecessary.
Having thus described the nature and object of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same may be carried into effect, I wish it understood
that I claim no novelty in the construction or manner of making passe-
partouts or the general mountings for photographic pictures, or the manner
in which the same may be ornamented in realising my improvements, but
what I claim, and wish to be protected by these my in part recited Letters
Patent are, the application to the passe-partouts and front glasses of photo-
graphic portraits or pictures (either singly or combined) of ornamental designs,
without any regard to the extent, mode, or character of producing the said
ornament or ornaments, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Sanders, have hercunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
EDMUND IIOTCHKISS,
Clerk to J. S. Cockings,
Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
CHARLES SANDERS. (L.S.)