CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE USE OF COLLODION IN A DRY CONDITION, AND FOR A MEANS OF TRANSFERING PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Hill Norris, M.D., of 46, Stafford Street,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE USE OF COLLODION IN A DRY CONDITION,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Hill Norris at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st September 1856.
I, RICHARD HILL NORRIS, M.D., of 46, Stafford Street, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE USE OF COLLODION IN A DRY
CONDITION, AND FOR A MEANS OF TRANSFERING PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS."
Heretofore it has been necessary to use collodion films immediately after
preparation, while still wet, or by the use of hygrometric substances to preserve
them in a moist pappy condition.
My improvements consist in the production of photographic pictures on
perfectly dry collodion films. If an ordinary collodion film be washed and
permitted to dry it is impossible to obtain upon it a successful picture, as it
has become impervious or non-porous, and will not permit the penatration of
the developing and fixing fluids. The method I pursue (after well wasbing)

page_text: consits in saturating the collodion films while still wet with a solution of any
substance or substances, such as gelatine or albumen, having the property of
filling the pores or capilliaries, and preserving the collodion films after they
have become dry in such a condition as to allow the penatration of the de-
veloping and fixing fluids, so that the latent image produced by light may
be brought out.
The same may also be accomplished by introducing suitable chemical sub-
stances into the collodion or nitrate of silver solution, the action of such
substances being to preserve intact the capilliary structure of the film after
dessication.
The second part of my Invention consist in transfering the collodion films
from the glass plates to elastic plates of gelatine rendered impervious to damp
by a coating of plain collodion on the opposite side to the picture. The
following is the mode I pursue:-I pour over the collodion film a strong
solution of gelatine, and when dry coat this with plain collodion; the film may
then be removed from the glass, and possesses the advantages of elasticity,
lightness, and transparency.
This mode of transfer is applicable to photographic films in general.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Hill Norris in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th February 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
HILL NORRIS, M.D., of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Hill Norris, Her special license that I, the said Richard Hill
Norris, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Richard Hill Norris, my executors, administrators, or 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 Chanuel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN

page_text: IMPROVELIENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE USE OF COLLODION IN A DRY CONDITION, AND
FOR A MEANS OF TRANSFERRING PHOTOGRAPHIC FILLS," n the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Richard Hill Norris, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Hill Norris, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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):-
My Invention consists, firstly, in rendering collodion films capable of being
used in a dry condition by by preserving their sensitiveness and porosity, which
under ordinary conditions are destroyed on desiccation, and this part of my
Invention I purpose to accomplish in the following way:-I introduce into
the pores of the collodion film, while still wet from the nitrate of silver solution
(or after washing), certain substances soluble in or penetrable by watery solu-
tions, which substances, occupying the pores of the collodion film, prevent its
condensation on drying, and retain it in a sensitive and pervious state; and by
this means I am enabled to produce beautiful pictures, either negative or
positive, on perfectly dry and hard collodion films, which films are capable of
retaining their sensitiveness for an unlimited period.
Heretofore it has been necessary, in order to preserve collodion films for
even a short period, to maintain them in a moist condition by the use of
hygrometric substances, as honey, &c., or by deliquescent salts, as nitrate of
zinc, magnesia, &c. The substances I employ to saturate the collodion filins
are very numerous, but the process may be described as follows:-Having
produced in the film the sensitive iodide of silver by any of the ordinary
known means, I immerse the film for varying periods in a solution of gum
arabic, or of dextrine, starch, gelatine, albumen, gum tragacanth, vegetable
mucilages, caseine, gluten, or other such like substances capable of fulfilling
the above-named conditions; the films are then dried and are ready for
exposure to light, or may be kept for any convenient length of time and used
as desired.
The second part of my Invention consists in a method of transferring photo-
graphic films from glass plates to elastic plates of gelatine; the mode in which
I effect this is as follows:-A strong solution of gelatine is poured over the
film and permitted to dry; when dry it is coated with plain collodion, and

page_text: may he readily stripped from the glass, and then possesses the advantages of
elasticity, compactness, lightness, and freedom from breakage. This mode of
transfer is applicable to photographic films in general.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that I
do no limit myself to the precise methods, as the same may be varied without
departing from the general nature and character of my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Hill Norris, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
G. A. HARRIS,
RICHARD HILL NORRIS. (L.S.)
Clerk to J. S. Cockings, Agent,
26, Ann Street, Birmingham.