AN IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC AND STEREOSCOPIC PORTRAITS AND PICTURES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC AND
STEREOSCOPIC PORTRAITS AND PICTURES."-A communication from abroad
by Leon Farrenc, of Rue St. Quentiu, Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 14th May 1862.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent,do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC
AND STEREOSCOPIC PORTRAITS AND PICTURES," (communicated to me from abroad
by Leon Farrenc, of Rue St. Quentin, Paris, France,; to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, first, in the construction and employment of
instruments containing lenses, capable of producing portraits or pictures, dis-
torted in length, breadth, and obliquity, whether from the person or object, or
from engravings, prints, or other representations, as hereinafter described;
second, in the production of a new style of photographic portrait, distorted in
length, breadth, and obliquity, possessing all the clearness of an ordinary
Price d

page_text: portrait, as herein-after described; third, in the application of these portraits
to the stereoscope, as herein-after described; fourth, in uniting and combining
a pair of distorted portraits, according to the plan adopted for stereoscopic
pictures, reciprocally taken at the desired angles.
The instrument is chiefly composed of two cylindrical lenses, of different
focus, both convergent, the generating lines of one being perpendicular to the
generating lines of the other, and combined in such manner that the images
they produce are superposed on the same plane. To take a portrait directly,
a real objective head is constructed with the two lenses, one or two ordinary
lenses may be added, where a greater or less concentration of the rays is
desired; in either case the attitude is taken,and the portrait is obtained in the
ordinary manner. To reproduce a distorted portrait from a print or picture,
place the print in a slide formed at the end of the objective head, which being
composed of two cylindrical perpendicular lenses, is itself placed in front of the
ordinary objective head, which latter may be reduced to a single head, or it
may be dispensed with, its function being to concentrate the rays of the image
already produced. In the latter case, the rays which traverse the print, only
pass through the two prismatic lenses, which is sufficient to give an image.
The arrangement and number of the different lenses are as follows:-The
cylindrical lense, with the longest focus being placed at the head of the
instrument,receives the rays coming from the person placed, or from the print,
and it concentrates them on a line parallel with its generating lines, and
passing through the optical axis of the instrument. The rays thus deviated
meet the second lens, which is perpendicular to the first, and has a shorter
focus; this in its turn concentrates them on a line parallel with its generating
lines, and also passing through the optical axis of the instrument, there are
thus for the same rays two concentrations perpendicular to one another. If
these two concentrations occupy the same plane, they will give an elliptical
image, and the ellipse will be more or less lengthened, according to the differ-
ence in the focal distance, or in other words, the curvature of the lenses will
themselves be more or less great. If the object is set on the small axis of the
ellipse, the portrait will be diminished in height, and at the same time increased
in width; it will be flat. If it is set on the chief axis, it will be lengthened,
enlarged, and thin. If the two cylindrical lenses are not quite perpendicular,
an irregular ellipse will be produced, and the figure will be distorted throughout.
An analogous effect is obtained, if the two lenses, being perpendicular, the
person is not set on either of the two axes of the ellipse; it is the same for the
reproduction of prints. The elliptical image being once produced, may be
increased or diminished by ordinary lenses without losing its elliptical form;

page_text: it is for this reason that the cylindrical lenses are used according to this
Invention, in combination with ordinary lenses. The relative curvatures of
the cylindrical lenses depend on the length desired to be given to the ellipse.
If two stereoscopic prints are distorted, they will remain stereoscopic after the
distortion. The instrument before described, is made telescopic, and is
provided with rocks and screws common to such instruments.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman, in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Hèr heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence, that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "AN IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC
AND STEREOSCOPIC PORTRAITS AND PICTURES," (a communication to me from
abroad by Leon Farrenc, of Rue St. Quentin, Paris, France,) upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman,
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 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the

page_text: following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
This Invention consists, first, in the construction and employment of
instruments containing lenses capable of producing portraits or pictures,
distorted in length, breadth, and obliquity, whether from the person or object,
or from engravings, prints, or other representations, as herein described;
second, in the production of a new style of photographic portrait, distorted in
length, breadth, and obliquity, possessing all the clearness of an ordinary
portrait, as herein-after described; third, in the application of these portraits
to the stereoscope, as herein-after described; fourth, in uniting and com-
bining a pair of distorted portraits, according to the plan adopted for stereo-
scopic pictures reciprocally taken at the desired angles.
The instrument is chiefly composed of two cylindrical lenses, of different
focus, both convergent, the generating lines of one being perpendicular to the
generating lines of the other, and combined in such manner that the images
they produce are superposed on the same plane. To take a portrait directly,
a real objective head is constructed with the two lenses, one or two ordinary
lenses may be added, where a great or less concentration of the rays is
desired; in either case the attitude is taken, and the portrait is obtained in
the ordinary manner. To reproduce a distorted portrait from a print or
picture, place the print in a slide formed at the end of the objective head,
which being composed of two cylindrical perpendicular lenses, is itself placed
in front of the ordinary objective head, which latter may be reduced to a single
head, or it may be dispensed with, its function being to concentrate the rays
of the image already produced. In the latter case the rays which traverse the
print only pass through the two prismatic lenses, which is sufficient to give an
image. The arrangement and number of the different lenses are as follows:-
The cylindrical lens with the longest focus being placed at the head of the
instrument,receives the rays coming from the person placed or from the print,
and it concentrates them on a line parallel with its generating lines, and
passing through the optical axis of the instrument. The rays thus deviated
meet the second lens, which is perpendicular to the first, and has a shorter
focus; this in its turn concentrates them on a line parallel with its generating
lines, and also passing through the optical axis of the instrument, there are
thus for the same rays two concentrations perpendicular to one another. If
these two concentrations, occupy the same plane, they will give an elliptical
image, and the ellipse will be more or less lengthened according to the
difference in the focal distance, or in other words, the curvature of the lenses
will themselves be more or less great. If the object is set on the small axis

page_text: of the ellipse, the portrait will be diminished in height, and at the same time
increased in width; it will be flat. If it is set on the chief axis, it will be
lengthened, enlarged, and thin. If the two cylindrical lenses are not quite
perpendicular, au irregular ellipse will be produced, and the figure will be
distorted throughout. An analogous effect is obtained, if the two lenses,
being perpendicular, the person is not set on either of the two axes of the
ellipse. It is the same for the reproduction of prints. The elliptical image
being once produced, may be increased or diminished by ordinary lenses
without losing its elliptical form; it is for this reason that the cylindrical lenses
are used, according to this Invention, in combination with ordinary lenses.
The relative curvatures of the cylindrical lenses depend on the length desired
to be given to the ellipse. If two stereoscopic prints are distorted, they will
remain stereoscopic after the distortion. The instrument before described is
made telescopic, and is provided with racks and screws common to such
instruments.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings are views in section of an
apparatus constructed according to this Invention, in which the lenses are
shown in two different positions. The optical axis merges into the axis of the
apparatus. A, B, is the lens having the longer focus, and C,D, thelens with
the shorter focus. Both lenses are cylindrical, and set perpendicularly to, and
separated from one another; E, F, is the slide at the head of the apparatus
for receiving the plate (cliché) to be distorted.
The Drawings only shew those parts to which the Invention particularly
refers, hence the auxiliary lenses and other glasses are not seen.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the improved
method and apparatus for the production of photographic and stereoscopic
portraits and pictures, herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of November Onethou-
sand eight hundred and sixty-two.
R. A. BROOMAN. (L..s.)