IMPROVED ARRANGE- MENTS FOR OBTAINING PICTORIAL BACKGROUNDS, FOREGROUNDS, AND PERSPEC- n
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bennett, of Worcester, in the County of
Worcester, Photographic Artist, for the Invention of "IMPROVED ARRANGE-
MENTS FOR OBTAINING PICTORIAL BACKGROUNDS, FOREGROUNDS, AND PERSPEC-
n
"
Sealed the 28th July 1863, and dated the 31st January 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bennett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st January 1863.
I, THOMAS BENNETT, of Worcester, in the County of Worcester, Photo-
graphic Artist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Ix-
PROVED ÅRRANGEMENTS FOR OBTAINING PICTORIAL BACKGROUNDS, FOREGROUNDS, AND
PERSPECTIVES WHEN TAKING PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS OR SUN PICTURES," to be as
follows:-
In taking photographic portraits, or pictures in which it is desired to adopt
suitable backgrounds, foregrounds, or perspectives, it has been hitherto the
practice to use a painted canvas descending to and terminating at the floor of
the apartment or place. Now, according to my Invention I use a canvas (or
equivalent substance) suspended or secured upon a roller or rollers with pulleys
and cords, by which the canvas (or its equivalent) can be raised or lowered,

page_text: this said canvas or equivalent being always of sufficient length to allow it
to be brought down to the floor, and then stretched along the same, and kept
in position by catches or grippers if desired, so that the person or persons, or
principal object or objects to be pourtrayed may stand upon a part of the
canvas or equivalent. The background, foreground, or perspective which is
to remain perpendicular, or nearly so, to be painted or depicted in the ordi-
nary manner, and that part of the canvas (or equivalent) which is to lay
upon the floor is to be painted so as to have the same concurrent perspective
effect as the upright part, and so as imperceptibly to run into the same, for
which purpose I have hitherto adopted the plan of first painting the upright
part, and fitting the same to a corresponding position to that in which the
same is intended to be used, and then stretching the horizontal part upon
the floor, and drawing the lines or objects by the aid of the camera.
pieces of canvas (or equivalent) were painted in the above manner nicely
fitting to each other, and one used on the floor, and the other against the wall,
the same object might to some extent be attained, though. not. so.perfectly.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Bennett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st July 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, THOMAS
BENNETT, of Worcester, in the County of Worcester, Photographic Artist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the 31st day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of. Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Bennett, Her special licence, that I; the said Thomas Bennett, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such-others as I, the said Thomas.
Bennett, 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 "IMPROVED. ARRANGE-
MENTS FOR OBTAINING PICTORIAL BACKGROUNDS, FOREGROUNDS; AND PERSPECTIVES
WHEN TAKING PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS OR SUN PICTURES," upon the condition

page_text: (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Bennett, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 Thomas Bennett, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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:-
In taking photographic portraits or pictures in which it is desired to adopt
suitable backgrounds, foregrounds, or perspectives, it has been hitherto the
practice to use a painted canvas descending to, and terminating at the floor or
standing place of the apartment or place. Now, according to my Invention,
I use a canvas (or equivalent substance) suspended or secured upon a roller
or rollers with pulleys and cords, by which the canvas (or its equivalent) can
be raised or lowered, the said canvas (or equivalent) being always of sufficient
length to allow it to be brought down to the floor, then stretched along the
same, and kept in position (if desired) by catches or grippers, so that the
person or persons, or principal object or objects to be pourtrayed may stand
upon a part of the canvas (or equivalent). The background, foreground, or
perspective which is to remain perpendicular, or nearly so, is to be painted or
depicted in the ordinary or perspective manner, and that part of the canvas or
equivalent which is to lay upon the floor is to be painted so as to have the
same concurrent effect as the upright part, and so as imperceptibly to "run
into the same, for which purpose I have bitherto adopted the plan of first
painting the upright part, and fitting the same to a corresponding position to
that in which the same is intended to be used, and then stretching the hori-
zontal part upon the floor, drawing lines or objects by the aid of camera.
Having thus particularly described the nature of the said Invention, I now
proceed to particularly describe and ascertain in what manner the same is to
be performed, which I shall do by reference to the accompanying Drawings or
Diagrams as follows:-
Fig. 1 is a view of a floor and the perspective of a floor of an "interior," the
part from A to B being depicted according to the ordinary applications of
perspective, and the part from B to C being a deleniation of full size, but drawn
in manner hereafter described, so that the lines of the part B to C, which

page_text: is intended to be laid upon the floor shall meet the lines of the part from A to
B which is to be hung against a wall or placed in perpendicular position, so
that when the whole is viewed at a suitable distance the same shall appear as
being a scene or view in one and the same perspective. Fig. 2 shews the
same picture as regards the flooring as in Fig. 1, but as it will appear when
viewed at the suitable distance as aforesaid. At the said Figures E denotes
the ends of an iron bar or rod of iron, or wood, or other suitabl material which
is passed through a passage provided for the same between the main canvas
(or equivalent material) of the picture or scene, and a piece of canvas (or
equivalent) sewn or secured to one surface of the canvas (or equivalent) in
order to form the passage aforesaid, F, buttons placed on the floor of the apart-
ment for fastening the ends of the said rod E.
(Note). The arrangements shewn by the Drawings have to be varied for
landscapes or pictures where flowing lines predominate, as in such cases the
parts E and F will be dispensed with altogether, since the perpendicular part
of the picture will be continued in the horizontal part with a curve thus
and not with an angle L as herein-before described with regard to views of
" interiors."
Having fixed upon a suitable design or picture for the background and
foreground, I hang the canvas against the wall allowing a part of the same as
far as desired to be flat upon the floor, and I paint the perpendicular portion
in the ordinary perspective, after which for a landscape, I paint the floor
portion with a full sized view of whatever is desired to be represented, slanting
the "work" in order that it may run into the upright portion, so that any
person or object placed upon the floor portion shall form a part of the picture
when taken by photographic process. For "interiors," such as those shewn
by the Drawings, in painting the horizontal portion, I make use of the camera
thus I view the upright picture in the camera, and thereby ascertain the
angles of its perspective lines, when I depict the lines of the horizontal portion
so as to meet the same, the angles of the horizontal portion depending on the
distance from the picture at which the photographio apparatus is to be used.
When the picture is thus prepared it may be taken by the ordinary photo-
graphic apparatus, together with any person or object placed on the floor part
and forming one entire picture.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare
that I claim the herein described improved arrangements for obtaining pictorial

page_text: backgrounds, forgrounds, and perspectives when taking photographic portraits
and sun pictures. It being understood that I do not claim the details of con-
stituent parts thereof except as used in manner and for the purposes set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Bennett, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 27 day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand and eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
GEORGE MARSHALL,
71, Fleet Street, E.C.
THOMAS BENNETT. (L.s.)