IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANS- PARENT PHOTOGRAPHIC PICTURES, AND THEIR APPLICATION TO STEREOSCOPES
Year: 1857

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Jacques Alexandre Ferrier, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
September 1857.
I, JACQUES ALEXANDER FERRIER, of Paris, in the Empire of France, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANS-
PARENT PHOTOGRAPHIC PICTURES, AND THEIR APPLICATION TO STEREOSCOPES," to be
as follows:-
My Invention relates first, to a new means of reproducing transparent
photographic representations or pictures on other substances than glass;
secondly, to the application of such pictures or representations to stereoscopes.
These substances are gelatine, gutta percha dissolved in chloroform, in benzine
or its solvents, pharmaceutical collodion and india-rubber dissolved, siccative
oils, mucilagenous substances, starch or other amylaceous substances, such as
arrowroot, tapioca, &c., soluble or fusible resins, galipot, pounce, white or
yellow wax, either in solution or in fusion. Photographic stereoscope pictures
prepared on these substances have the same fineness, the same transparency
as those done on glass, without being either heavy or fragile. In order to
obtain the representation or picture, the well-known process of photography
is employed. After having obtained the negative of the photograph on glass
the positive proof is made by the means described herein-after. On a smooth
and transparent surface, such as porcelain, alabaster, white marble, glass, &c.,

page_text: previously cleaned, a light coating of neuter collodion is spread, which is
allowed to dry for at least one hour, the surface is then coated with albumen
by pouring on it a superabundant quantity; the excess of albumen is allowed
to flow off at one of the angles, and the preparation is allowed to dry. The
surface having undergone these two preparations is rendered sensible to the
light by plunging it into a solution of aceto-nitrate of silver, and washed in
plenty of water; when this preparation is perfectly dry, the side rendered
sensible is applied on the negative above mentioned. It is exposed to the
light and the object is made to appear by means of gallic acid and the nitrate
of silver; it is fixed with hyposulphite of soda; the picture is colored by the
known means. In order to detach this picture from the surface on which it
has been executed, it is covered over by preference with a coat of gelatine
dissolved in water. The proof is then placed in a perfectly horizontal
position, so that the coated side may be covered equally all over. It is left in
this position until after its complete desiccation or perfect cooling, according
to the nature of the products employed. After this the surface is cut at a
little distance from the edges on the four sides, so that the proof may be
lifted without difficulty from the surface on which it has been placed. This
last operation completes the manufacture of the picture or representation
which is completely protected on the one side of the surface on which it has been
deposited by the coat of collodion, and on the opposite side by the coat, of
gelatine, to which I can give different colours at will; it is also easy to render.
it semi-transparent. Instead of the gelatine I employ any of the other
materials mentioned either singly or in combination. I also produce a
stereoscopic picture on gelatine, by making a positive representation on glass
by the aid of photographic collodion, and then detaching it by the aid of
gelatine or gutta percha. By this means I obtain a result analogous to that
already described. I apply these photographic pictures to stereoscopic purposes.