IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Oliver Sarony, of Scarborough, in the County of
York, Photographic Artist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRODUCING PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS."
Sealed the 27th July 1858, and dated the 5th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Oliver Sarony at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th April 1858.
I, OLIVER SARONY, of Scarborough, in the County of York, Photographic
Artist, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRODUCING PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS," to be as follows:-
Heretofore in producing a photographic portrait the ordinary practice has
been to take a negative portrait of the whole figure, and from this negative
portrait to print a positive portrait, but portraits so obtained are liable to
certain imperfections. First, as it is impossible that every portion of the
figure should be accurately in focus at the same time, the sharpness of some
parts of the portrait must be partially sacrificed for the sake of other parts;
second, the portions of the figure which are nearest to the instrument when
the negative is taken will appear in the finished portrait exaggerated in size,
this defect is usually apparent in the representation of the hands; third, the
height of the figure as represented in the portrait is less than it should be, by
which a stunted appearance is produced. Now, according to my Invention

page_text: I obviate these objections by employing two or more negative portraits to
produce a positive portrait. I usually proceed by taking a negative portrait
in which every other portion of the figure is sacrificed in order to obtain an
accurate representation of the head and neck; and afterwards I take another
negative portrait in which the., head and neck are sacrified in order that a
correct representation may be obtained of the hands and arms, together with
the lower parts of the figure; and in taking this second portrait, in order that
the hands may appear of the natural size, I remove the camera further back
until it is about the same distance from the hands as it previously was from
the head. From the two negatives thus obtained I print the positive picture,
printing from the first the head and neck, stopping out the other parts by
masks, as is well understood, and from the second the hands, arms, and lower
parts of the figure, taking care to print the two portions of the portrait in
their correct relative positions, but placing the head somewhat further from
the waist than it appears in either of the negatives, in order to correct the
stunting effect before mentioned; the waist or body of the figure may also be
lengthened from one negative only by the use of masks, as above stated.
Sometimes also, in arranging the parts of the portrait, I am able to produce an
improved effect by placing the head at a slightly different inclination to the
other parts of the figure to that at which it was actually taken. The whole
of my improvements may also be effected by taking up the different portions
of the collodion film from the glass of one or more negatives and laying them
down on a glass or in the printing frame in the positions above described, and
then printing from them without masks. When the two portions of the
portrait have been thus printed in, the portion of the figure between them is
drawn in by an artist.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Oliver Sarony in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, OLIVER
SARONY, of Scarborough, in the County of York, Photographic Artist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said Oliver Sarony, Her special licence that I, the said Oliver Sarony,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Oliver Sarony, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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
PRODUCING PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Oliver Sarony, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should parti-
cularly 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 I, the said Oliver Sarony, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
Heretofore in producing a photographic portrait the ordinary practice has
been to take a negative portrait of the whole figure, and from this negative
portrait to print a positive portrait, but portraits so obtained are liable to
certain imperfections. First, as it is impossible that every portion of the
figure should be accurately in focus at the same time, the sharpness of some
parts of the portrait must be partially sacrificed for the sake of other parts;
second, the portions of the figure which are nearest to the instrument when the
negative is taken will appear in the finished portrait exaggerated in size, this
defect is usually apparent in the representation of the bands; third, the height
of the figure, as represented in the portrait, is less than it should be, by which
a stunted appearance is produced. Now, according to my Invention I obviate
these objections by employing two or more negative portraits to produce a
positive portrait. I usually proceed by taking a negative portrait in which every
portion of the figure, excepting one, is sacrificed in order to obtain an accurate
representation of that one portion, say, for example, the head and neck; and
afterwards I take another negative portrait in which the head and neck are
sacrificed in order that a correct representation may be obtained of the person
below the neck, including the hands and arms, or of those parts together with
the lower parts of the figure; and in taking this second portrait, in order
that the hands may appear of the natural size, I remove the camera further
back, that is, if the hands be in advance of the other parts of the person,

page_text: until it is about the same distance from the hands as it previously was from
the head. From the two negatives thus obtained I print the positive picture,
printing from the first-named negative picture the head and neck, stopping
out the hands and other parts of the person by masks, as is well understood;
and from the second negative picture I print the hands, arms, and (if a third
negative has not been taken) the lower parts of the figure also; taking care to
print the two portions of the portrait in their correct relative positions, but
placing the head somewhat further from the waist than it appears in either of
the negatives, in order to correct the stunting effect before mentioned; the
waist or body of the figure may also be lengthened from one negative only by
the use of masks, as above stated. Sometimes also, in arranging the parts
of the portrait, I am able to produce an improved effect by placing the head
at a slightly different inclination to the other parts of the figure to that at
which it was actually taken. More negatives may be taken and similarly
used in producing one positive picture. The whole of my improvements may
also be effected by taking up the different portions of the collodion film from
the glass of one or more negatives and laying them down on a glass or in the
printing frame in the positions above described, and then printing from them
without masks. When the two portions of the portrait have been thus
printed in, the portion of the figure between them is drawn in by an artist.
In witness whereof, I, the said Oliver Sarony, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
JOHN PETCH,
of Scarborough, Architect.
OLIVER SARONY.
L.S.)