Improvements in and connected with Photographic Studios and Appliances for Lighting in connection therewith.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 28th Feb.,
1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Photographic Studios and
Appliances for Lighting in connection therewith.
I, RICHARD WILLIAMS THOMAS, of 121, Cheapside, in the City of London,
Artist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improved portable artificial light studio is composed of adjustable rods
carrying white canvas or other sides or walls and when erected such sides or walls
are fixed at desired angles whereby the artificial flash or other light is thrown ou
to the wall or side immediately facing the lamp and thence reflected on to the other
walls or sides of the studio whereby the sitter is reproduced in the photograph
without shadows or similar defects usual in taking artificial light photographs.
I employ a number of metal upright rods (usually 5) fitted with necessary feet
or stands and capable of extension to desired height. The top of each upright rod
is formed to receive the ends of other rods of similar thickness and of the desired
length which extend from one upright rod to another so that when fixed they form
the framework of the studio- the lengths of these rods are so arranged that the
front or entrance of the studio is narrower than the sides and back, the back and
sides being arranged at suitable angles.
Suspended from the top rods to the whole of one side and part of the other side
are stretched sheets of canvas or other white material-a suitable background
being provided for the back.
The entrance to the studio is supplied with looped curtains or other suitable
arrangement. At the back of the said stretched sheets I suspend from the said
upper rods curtains of any dark material for the purpose of resisting the penetration
of light.
•
At one side of the studio near the entrance I erect a lamp for burning methylated
spirit or similar liquid this lamp being erected upon an adjustable stand for the
purpose of regulating the height desired.
This lamp is placed at that portion of the side of the studio which is not supplied
with the stretched sheeting and it is surrounded at the back by a similar curtain or
material with which enclose the sheeting round the studio- the space being
provided for the lamp by means of another upright rod with necessary top
adjustments.
Suspended from the upper rod in front of the lamp I place muslin or similar
material as a continuation of the sheeting at that point. The lamp itself is
supplied with a cavity for holding the magnesium powder or other substance used
for producing the flash or other light similar to lamps now in use for that purpose.
Connected with this cavity is a tube extending to any desired place and the end
of this tube is attached to an air-pump or bellows or similar contrivance for the
storage of air, so arranged that the operator can by hand or otherwise regulate
the pressure of the air through the tube and by this means slowly force the
magnesium powder into the flame of the lamp, securing a longer duration of light
than obtained by the ordinary artificial flash process-or he can by quicker pressure
by the same means obtain an instantaneous flash.
By means of the arrangement of angles I employ for the erection of my said
studio the light strikes the sheeting immediately facing the lamp and thence to
the background and across to the opposite side of the studio, the sitter being
surrounded by light without seeing the lamp or having the inconvenience of the
flash direct upon him. The ca ing of the lamp is so arranged as to carry off in
any desired direction the smoke and heat necessarily arising from the use of the
magnesium powder or similar material.

page_text: The use of the said stretched sheeting at the proper angles and the position
in which I place the lamp for artificial light photography enables photographs
to be taken by electric or other artificial light with much shorter exposure
than by the ordinary artificial means in consequence of the intensification of
the light by the reflections produced from one side of my improved studio to 5
the other.
-
Dated this och d
1 1000
R. W. THOMAS,
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Photographic Studios and
Appliances for Lighting in connection therewith.
I, RICHARD WILLIAMS THOMAS, of 121, Cheapside, in the City of London,
Artist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in .and
by the following statement :-
My improved artificial light studio is constructed of sides, or walls, of canvas, or
other suitable material, which are capable of being fixed at such angles with respect
to one another, that the artificial light used is thrown immediately away from the
sitter on to the wall or side immediately facing the lamp, and is thence reflected on.
to the other walls or sides of the studio whereby the sitter is reproduced in the
photograph without shadows or similar defects usual in taking photographs by
artificial light.
My improved-studio may either-be-made-as-a-permanent-structure, or as a portable
one, and as the latter covers the former I will for the-purpose of this Specification
describe a portable studio.
I take six metal standards fitted with necessary feet or stands, and. capable of
extension to any desired height. These standards are connected together by bars
or rods forming the framework of the studio, and adapted to carry or support the
sides or walls thereof and they are so attached to the standards that the sides or
walls can be set at any desired angles the one with the other.
On reference to the accompanying drawing which gives a plan view of my
improved studio, it will be seen that there are four sides or walls to it, marked A. B: C.
and D. respectively. The side or wall B forms the background and may be fitted
with any number of scenes mounted on rollers in the usual manner.
The sides or
walls A. C. and D are white and may be of canvas or other suitable material. If
the walls A. C. and D take the form of curtains I suspend on the outside thereof
curtains, or their equivalents, of a dark material to resist the penetration of the
light.
At the junction of the walls C and D. I place in any suitable position any suitable.
form of flash lamp F-but preferably one which forms the subject matter of a
subsequent application for Letters Patent. This lamp faces the side or wall D and
is provided with a suitable screen or dark curtain so that none of its light is
thrown towards the background. From the free end of the side or wall Da
transparent or semi-transparent curtain, of muslin or other material, is stretched
across to the side or wall C as shown to enclose the lamp F. In any convenient
position within the studio I place one or more oil lamps G. to provide light for
focussing. The approximate positions of the camera and sitter are marked X and Y
respectively in the plan view of the accompanying drawing.
By arranging the angles of the sides or walls of my improved studio I make the
artificial light strike the side or wall D immediately opposite the lamp, from whence
it is deflected through the muslin side or wall E on to the background B and thence
to the sides or walls A and C, thus surrounding the sitter without him or her seeing
the lamp, or experiencing any inconvenience from the flash thereof. The casing of

page_text: the lamp is so arranged as to carry off in any desired direction the smoke and heat
arising from the use of the magnesium powder or similar material.
With my improved studio, photographs can be taken by electric or other
artificial light with a much shorter exposure than by the ordinary artificial means,
in consequence of the intensification of the light obtained by reflecting it around
the studio, and not concentrating it on one spot and in one direction.
I wish it to be particularly understood that I do not limit myself to the precise
details of construction hereinbefore set forth and illustrated by the accompanying
drawing, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly
fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The immuaramanta in startamuanhin studine suhotantially os and for the purpose
Iorth.
Dated this 8th day of January 1891.
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
Royal Courts Chambers, 70-72, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.