An Improved Method of Producing Photographs and other Pictures in Relief.
Year: 1898

page_text: An Improved Method of Producing Photographs and other Pictures
in Relief.
I, EVEN NEUHAUS, of 19, Amagertow, Copenhagen, Denmark, Photographer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This process is for the production of relief photographs without using a mould
or block.
The photograph which is to be rendered in relief is by preference transferred
to Eastmans matt bromide paper, but other photographic paper may be used. If
bromide paper is used the picture is not fixed but rinsed and washed well for a
couple of minutes in a bath of 2% nitric acid.
The picture is then washed in sublimate solution (1 of sublimate to 16 of
water) until it has half disappeared; it is then rinsed again in a 2% nitric acid
bath and is laid in a basin into which is poured a gold bath consisting of 1 part
rhodanammonium solution in water in the proportion of 2 to 100 and I part pure
chloride of gold also dissolved in water in the proportion of 1 to 750.
In this bath the picture reappears, and then the bath is poured off, and the
picture is then fixed under sulphate of soda and well washed again.
The finished photograph is next mounted on Dutch sized paper by means of
strong gelatine. When the gelatine is dry the contours of the picture are drawn
upon its back by the aid of the mirror of a retouching desk, and the picture is
slightly moistened on the front side within the contour by wiping it with damp
cotton wool. The picture is then with the front side downward laid upon a plastic
material as for instance pastalin (a kind of clay used by sculptors for modelling),
the pastalin having first been formed with a plane surface of the needed size.
In order to protect the picture from direct contact with the generally some-
what sticky material the latter is covered with a piece of paraffin paper.
Now the forms are deepened by depressing the picture by the aid of a
modelling tool, down into the plastic, mass in those places which are to appear
raised on the front side.
The forms once deepened remain so because of the layer of gelatine between
the photograph and the Dutch paper.
The picture may during the work be taken up and turned over in order to
ascertain the effect but if further depression is to be made it must be kept
constantly moist as it would otherwise crack.
When the picture has been made to stand out in the desired manner it is
dried and the hollows on the back are filled with a little cotton wool whereupon
the contours are gone over on the front side, the picture being laid with the
front side up upon a plane surface of pastalin covered with paraffin paper and
the back ground being pressed down along the contours on the front side of the
picture by means of a modelling tool.

page_text: In order to protect the photograph from direct contact with the generally
somewhat sticky material upon which it is placed, the latter is covered with a
piece of strong soft paper, for instance paper treated with paraffin.
Those parts of the photograph which it is desired should be put in relief are
now, from the back, with a suitable tool pressed or moulded downwards into the
pastaline to such an extent as the face figure and costume to be put in relief may
require and in accordance with the artistic taste of the manipulator.
The parts of the photograph once put in relief remain so by reason of the
presence of the glue in the sized drawing paper and between the print and the
Dutch paper.
The picture may during the time it is worked be taken up and turned over in
order to allow the manipulator to ascertain the effect. But if further pressing
or moulding has to be made it must be kept constantly moist as it would other-
wise crack.
When the image has been made to stand out in the desired manner, it is dried
and, the recesses at the back of it are filled with a little cotton wool whereupon
it is placed, face upwards, upon a piece of the above mentioned pastaline, which
has been furnished with a smooth surface.
The photograph is then covered with a piece of strong, soft transparent paper
as for instance paper treated with paraffin.
The outline is now pressed or moulded with a suitable tool downwards upon the
pastaline in places where parts of the figure to be placed in relief are desired to
be brought sharply out, the paraffined paper preventing any damage to the
print.
Finally the photograph is taken into the hand and the finishing moulding of
the image is made with a suitable tool direct on the print without use of any
paper between the tool and the print, the finger being used for backing support.
The photograph worked out in relief is now mounted on the same sort of sized
paper as used for mounting the print.
A piece of said paper of same size as the photograph is covered with a coat of
glue and the photograph in dry condition is then placed upon it without filling
in of anything between the paper and the recess in the photograph. The photo-
graph is then pressed by the aid of the hand downwards against the paper but
only at those parts of the photograph that have not been brought to stand out
in relief.
The object of placing the dry photograph on the paper, that has been made wet
by the glue, is to allow the paper to help to keep the relief-photograph in the
form it has received by the aid of shrinking as it gets dry.
The mounted photograph is now ready for framing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The method of producing photographs and other pictures in relief which
consists in mounting a plain photograph on sized paper by the aid of some
strong glue, tracing the outline of the image or part of the image to be put in
relief on the back of the mounted photograph, placing it on a plastic material,
damping the mounted photograph on its face and pressing it with an embossing
tool downwards into the plastic material substantially as herein described and
set forth.
2. The method of treating or finishing photographs and other pictures made
in relief as firstly claimed which consists in placing a photograph, of above
mentioned description, with its face uppermost covered with strong, soft, trans-
parent paper upon a plastic material and pressing it downwards upon the plastic
material along the outline or portions thereof that require to be brought sharply
out and placing it in the hand and pressing it with an embossing tool substantially
as herein described and set forth.