A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRINTING PHOTOCHROMATIC IMAGES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRINTING PHOTOCHROMATIC
IMAGES." A communication from abroad by La Société Anonyme
do Publications Periodiques of Paris in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 4th May 1875.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRINTING PHOTOCHROMATIC
IMAGES," a communication to me from abroad by La Société Anonyme
de Publications Periodiques, of Paris, in the Republic of France, to be
as follows: -
This Invention relates to a process for the production of poly-
chromatic or multicolored photographic images in any required number,

page_text: may be.
The developing of these images is effected in a manner similar to
that employed in the carbon process, but as a temporary support
stearine paper or a polished metal plate covered with a fatty substance
should be employed.
After the developing the mounting of the polychromatic image may
be proceeded with by juxtaposition, marks previously made on the
initial negative being caused to coincide.
This mounting is effected by immersion in water, first, of the sheet of
paper or the ultimate support, then of the monochrome which it is
desired to apply first; the final support is covered with a thin sheet or
layer of gelatine. The water softens this sheet and that which forms
the monochrome, and when they are brought together by the aid of
suitable pressure and left to spontaneous dessication, the adhesion of the
two layers becomes complete, while the temporary support is detached,
leaving the image which it bore upon its final support, after which all
the other monochromes are proceeded with in the same way.
When the whole of the monochromes have been put together the
image that they form is plunged into an alum bath, then washed
with water and disposed of according to the use that is to be made
of it.
Between each juxtaposition of the monochrome the surface of the
image may be immersed in a bath of ether, benzine, or any other
suitable solvent of fatty bodies.
In lieu of employing the action of light to obtain each monochrome
mechanical methods of taking impressions may be substituted therefor,
as before mentioned.
The photo-polychromatic image may also be obtained by the suc-
cessive impressions of several monochromes in fatty ink superposed
without the light having to act otherwise than for the formation of the
printing plates.
The process generally may be greatly varied, as before mentioned, the
Invention consisting essentially in obtaining polychromatic photographic
images, formed in such a manner that the negative plate serves as a

page_text: basis, and that by the aid of this plate there is obtained with the
assistance of the luminous rays not only the design or picture and the
effects of light and shade but also the various colors, each modulated
to its proper tone by reason of the more or less opaque parts of the
plate.
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS, Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I,
the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thercafter 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 A NEW OR
IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRINTING PHOTOCHROMATIC IMAGES," a communi-
cation to me from abroad by La Société Anonyme de Publication
Periodiques, of Paris, in the Republic of France, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors
or administrators, 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 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,

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, 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 following statement, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to a process for the production of poly-
chromatic or multicolored photographic images in any required number,
and from plates obtained either by the camera obscura or by contact in
such a manner that these polychromatic images are the result of the
agency of light acting through plates prepared for the purpose and
without their various colours being arranged by the aid of the pencil or
brush.
By means of this improved process there are obtained with two,
three, four, five, or a greater number of colours combining with one
another by superposition, polychromatic images, visible either by
reflection, by applying them to an opaque body, or in transparence by
supporting or applying them on or to a translucent or transparent
body.
Between these images and those obtained by means of chromo-
lithography there exists great analogy, as regards the method of
production, but whilst in chromo-lithography it is necessary to have
recourse to manual drawing and composition in the case of this
improved process it is simply required to employ plates obtained in the
camera obscura or by contact, and to pull off from these plates positive
proofs, either by the action of light producing each monochrome by the
carbon printing process or by the mechanical means of printing applied
for obtaining photographic plates without further exposure to the light
after the production of the negatives.
According to one mode of carrying out this Invention the
process is
conducted in the following manner:-From a given négative plate there
are obtained as many similar negatives as are required either upon glass
or upon paper by iodide of silver, carbon, or by any other suitable
process, the number of these negatives being determined by the number
of colours which it is desired to combine together. These negatives are
arranged in such a manner that by applying or tracing with the pencil a
sufficiently opaque color, various parts of the plate are covered; for
example, on the plate which should give the monochrome yellow all the

page_text: parts are covered which are not to contain yellow in the condition of a
simple or composite colour; upon the plate which is required to furnish
blue only, the whole of those portions of the surface are covered which
are not to be bluc or combined with blue, and similarly with each of the
other negatives intended to furnish respectively the monochromes red,
brown, or other colour, as required. These reserved portions are arranged
at the taste of the artist, according to the result which it is desired to
obtain. The negatives thus prepared are printed from separately;
with the yellow negative a monochrome of that color is printed upon a
yellow carbou mixture, and similarly with the other plates, using
mixtures of bluc, red, or other color, as the case may be.
The developing of the images is effected in a manner similar to that
in which it is performed in the carbon process, but as a temporary
support stearine paper or a polished metal plate covered with a fatty
substance should be employed.
After the operation of developing is completed the mounting of the
polychromatic image may be proceeded with by the juxtaposition of
the proofs, as herein-after described, the position of the proofs being
caused to coincide with datum marks previously made on the initial
negative.
The operation of mounting is performed by immersion in water, first
of the sheet of paper or the permanent support, then of the monochrome
which it is desired to apply first. The permanent support is covered
with a thin sheet or layer of gelatine, which is softened by the water, as
is also the layer which forms the monochrome; and when they are
brought together by the aid of suitable pressure and left to spontaneous
desiccation, the adhesion of the two layers becomes complete, whilst the
temporary support is detached, leaving the image which it bore upon its
permanent support, after which all the other monochromes are applied
in a similar manner.
When the whole of the monochromes have been thus brought
together the picture which they form is immersed in an alum bath, after
which it is washed with water, and finally arranged according to the
purpose to which it is to be applied.
It should be observed that before the application of each succeeding
monochrome, the surface of the picture is washed in order to free it

page_text: from any fatty or resinous substances which may adhere to it on its
being separated from its temporary support; this operation may be per-
formed by immersing the picture in a bath of ether, benzole, or any
other suitable solvent of fatty bodies.
In lieu of employing the action of light to obtain each monochrome,
typographic or lithographic processes may be substituted therefor, in
order to obtain a series of superposed tints of various colours, including
metals, such, for example, as silver, gold, and the like, combined in such
a manner that their united effect, added to a final shade supplied by
photography with the carbon process, produces the desired result.
The mechanical means for printing in colours may be employed either
previously to any carbon impression by photography or subsequently to
the same, in such a manner as to superpose tints of various colours
upon the photographically printed image. Or these two modes of pro-
ducing the impression may be employed with a view to the final result
in such a manner as to obtain, first, the photographic impression, then
the lithographic or typographic impression, for example (or vice versa),
then another photographic impression, and again a lithographic or typo-
graphic impression, and so on in succession. These various processes
employed alternately in this or any other suitable manner contribute by
their action to form one and the same picture.
With regard to the impression of various colours it is important to
observe that heretofore only the mechanical means herein-before referred
to, and which consist of lithography, typography, and engraving, have
been employed for the purpose; but according to this Invention the
before-mentioned processes are applied in combination with photography
in order to obtain by. the juxtaposition of photographic proofs upon
lithographed or engraved colours or tints pictures or images repre-
senting not only the exact form of the objects, but also their
colours.
In lieu also of employing a single photographic monochrome two or
more monochromes may be used, which by juxtaposition unite to form
the picture or image by combining with tints or colours printed
mechanically.
The process may be commenced by printing mechanically the various
tints or colours in order to superpose the photographic proof thereon, or

page_text: -by printing mechanically upon the photographic proof the various tints
or colours which are requisite for its completion, or a similar result may
be obtained by alternating the two systems, as herein-before stated, the
order being varied in any suitable manner.
Ľ
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the pro-
duction of polychromatic pictures or images either by the superposition
of a series of photographic impressions obtained in the manner herein.
set forth, or by the employment of photographic impressions in .com-
bination with lithographic or other impressions, substantially as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
Specification hereunto set my hand and scal, this Fourth day
of November, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.