IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUNTING PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OTHER PICTURES
Year: 1864

page_text: the County of Lancaster, Photographic Artists, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUNTING PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OTHER PICTURES". Partly
a communication from abroad by Malcolm Mouat, of Niagara Falls,
in the State of New York, one of the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Lee and James
Thomson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th February 1864.
We, JOSEPH LEE and JAMES THOMSON. of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster. Photographic Artists, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUNTING PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OTHER PICTURES."
(partly communicated to us from abroad by Malcolm Mouat, of Niagara
Falls, in the State of New York, one of the United States of America, and
partly our own Invention) to be as follows:
The object of this Invention is so to mount or combine pictures that softness
of ione and agreeable depth so much desired, especially in portraits, shall be
produced.
The essential feature of the Invention consists in employing or using two
pictures of the same subject to produce or make one picture. We mount or
place one immediately over or in front of the other so that the characteristics of
[Price Sd.]

page_text: both pictures are blended together, the front picture being in all cases of a
"semi-transparent" character. It is not necessary that both of the pictures
so mounted or placed should be finished exactly alike as regards light, shade,
and colouring, indeed the contrary might produce desirable effects, nor that
both of the pictures should be of the one class for engravings and photographs,
and other combinations or mountings can be advantageously made.
Our improvements can conveniently be carried into effect in photographs or
sun pictures, and for that reason we here purpose setting forth the means we
at present employ in that art to produce pictures according to our Invention.
We take or obtain a photographic picture on any suitable translucent or other
substance for the back picture, and colour it or leave it with the ordinary
lights and shades as may be desirable; we then take a second picture on
paper or other thin material, by surface contact or other means, for the front
picture. This latter, when of paper, we treat or rub over with any "trans-
parent" resinous varnish, or other transparent substance, and then place it over
or in front of the back picture, either in immediate contact therewith, or, which
we prefer, a short distance therefrom. When the front picture is to be kept
a short distance from the back one we have found it convenient to attach the
front picture to the back of a sheet of glass by a transparent varnish, and to
place a separating piece between the front and the back pictures round the
edges thereof; or we may place a thin sheet of glass between the pictures; but
in every case where rigid materials like glass are employed the edges should
be well secured, preferably in such manner that air will be excluded.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Lee and James Thomson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
LEE and JAMES THOMSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Photo-
graphic Artists, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Joseph Lee and James Thomson, Her special licence that we,
the said Joseph Lee and James Thomson, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Joseph Lee and James

page_text: Thomson, our 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MOUNTING PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OTHER PICTURES," a communication to him
from abroad by Malcolm Mouat, of Niagara Falls, in the State of New York,
one of the United States of America, and partly their own Invention, upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Joseph Lee and James Thomson,
our executors, or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Joseph Lee and James Thomson, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is so to mount or combine pictures that that
softness of tone and agreeable depth so much desired, especially in portraits,
shall be produced.
The essential feature of the Invention consists in employing or using two
pictures of the same subject to produce or make one picture. We mount or
place one immediately over or in front of the other so that the characteristics
of both pictures are blended together, the front picture being in all cases of
a semi-transparent character. It is not necessary that both of the pictures so
mounted or placed should be finished exactly alike as regards light, shade, and
colouring, indeed the contrary might produce desirable effects, nor that both of
the pictures should be of the one class for engravings and photographs, and
other combinations or mountings can be advantageously made. The back
picture may in some instances have only some of the outlines of the front
picture, and such back picture to produce artistic effect might be variously
shaded, coloured, or tinted.
Our improvements can conveniently be carried into effect in photographs or
sun pictures, and for that reason we here purpose setting forth the means we
at present employ in that art to produce pictures according to our Invention.
We take or obtain a photographic picture on any suitable translucent or other
substance for the back picture, and colour it with the ordinary lights and

page_text: shades as may be desirable. We then take a second picture on paper or
other thin material, by surface contact or other means, for the front picture.
This latter when of paper we treat, rub over, saturate, or prepare with any
transparent resinous varnish" or other transparent substance, and then
place it over or in front of the back picture either in immediate contact there-
with, or, which we prefer, a short distance therefrom. When the front picture
is to be kept a short distance from the back one we have found it convenient to
attach the front picture to the back of a sheet of glass by a transparent varnish
and to place a separating piece between the front and back pictures round
the edges thereof, or we may place a thin sheet of glass between the pictures,
but in any case where rigid materials like glass are employed the edges should
be well secured, preferably in such manner that air would be excluded. As the
outlines of the upper or outer picture must exactly overlie or coincide with the
under or inner picture the distance between such pictures or the materials on
which they are taken or impressed need not be great. We have found a
distance of from one-twentieth to one-cighth of an inch to produce the best
effect.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention and particularized
the same so that photographic and other artists may be enabled to carry it
into effect, we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the
use, employment, or combination of any particular class or description of
pictures, nor to the material or materials on which such pictures may be
taken or impressed. What we claim as our Invention is mounting or com-
bining two pictures or representations of the same subject to form one picture
substantially in the manner herein described and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Lee and James Thomson, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this First day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
In the presence of
JOHN THOMSON KING,
Patent Agent,
4, Clayton Square,
Liverpool.
JAMES THOMSON. (..s.)