IMPROVED MEANS OF EXHIBITING IN THE OPEN AIR ADVERTISEMENTS, PHOTOGRAPHIC VIEWS, PORTRAITS, OR PICTURES, AND ALSO FOR DECORATING THE FRONTS OF THEATRES AND OTHER BUILDINGS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Marie. Auguste Lacomme, Doctor of
Medicine, of Euston Street, Euston Square, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OF EXHIBITING IN
THE OPEN AIR ADVERTISEMENTS, PHOTOGRAPHIC VIEWS, PORTRAITS, OR
PICTURES, AND ALSO FOR DECORATING THE FRONTS OF THEATRES AND OTHER
BUILDINGS,"
Sealed the 28th October 1870, and dated the 8th August 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Marie Auguste
Lacomme at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 8th August 1870.
I, JEAN MARIE AUGUSTE LACOMME, Doctor of Medicine, of Euston.
› Street, Euston Square, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the.
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OF EXHIBITING IN THE.
OPEN AIR ADVERTISEMENTS, PHOTOGRAPHIC VIEWS, PORTRAITS, OR PICTURES, AND.
ALSO FOR DECORAting the Fronts OF THEATRES, AND OTHER BUILDINGS,” to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object new and improved means of:
exhibiting advertisements or photographic views, portraits and pictures,

page_text: to represent and illustrate various subjects in public places or thorough-
fares, and for decorating the fronts of theatres and other buildings at
night.
For this purpose in carrying out my improvements I employ apparatus
arranged with a combination of achromatic and condensing lenses so as
to reflect on a magnified scale upon a canvas or ground glass screen the
advertisements, views, or subjects represented on transparent slides or
photographs on glass. In place of the screen upon which the pictures
or subjects are reflected being placed in a dark room, or in the interior of
a building, to which only a limited number of persons can be admitted,
according to my improvements I arrange the screen, upon which the
luminous disc is directed, on the exterior or front of a building before a
window or other suitable opening entirely exposed to public view. The
combined lenses and illuminated apparatus is arranged and operated
within a room behind the screen, so that the advertisement or other
subject reflected upon the screen in front of the building is prominently
exhibited to the view of the public passing through the thoroughfare
in which the luminous screen is situated. It is obvious that this method
of exhibiting advertisements, photographic views, or other representations
upon an illuminated screen or disc as above described is only available
at night.
The combined lens apparatus is internally illuminated either by means
of the electric light, the oxy-calcium light, the oxy-hydrogen light,
oxygen gas, or by other ordinary artificial light according to the intensity
of the light required to be reflected upon the screen. Each advertisement,
photographic view, or other subject to be exhibited, may be introduced
into the reflecting lens apparatus by an attendant, and exhibited for a
time to public view before it is exchanged for another, but I prefer to
mount a series of such advertisements, photographic views, or other subjects
for exhibition upon a revolving circular support which is caused to revolve
by means of clockwork or other self-acting mechanism, so as to bring the
advertisements, views, or other subjects in succession into position with
the reflecting lens apparatus, in order to be exhibited for a time upon.
the illuminated screen, an intermittent movement being imparted to the
revolving apparatus by which each advertisement or photograph is-
exhibited for a given time before another takes its place. By this means
a great variety of advertisements, photographic views, portraits, or
pictures representing and illustrating various subjects may be brought

page_text: prominently before the public at night, amongst others, successive or
permanent tableaux may be exhibited for decorating the fronts of theatres
or other buildings, and such tableaux may represent the scenes from the
pieces being performed together with portraits of the actors or other
persons. Great publicity may also be given by this means to the
portraits of persons or children who are lost or being sought for.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jean Marie Auguste Lacomme in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 2nd November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN
MARIE AUGUSTE LACOMME, Doctor of Medicine, of Euston Street, Euston
Square, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Jean Marie Auguste Lacomme, Her special
licence that I, the said Jean Marie Auguste Lacomme, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jean Marie
Auguste Lacomme, my 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 law-
fully 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 "IMPROVED MEANS OF EXHIBITING IN THE OPEN AIR
ADVERTISEMENTS, PHOTOGRAPHIC VIEWS, PORTRAITS, OR PICTURES, AND ALSO FOR
DECORATING THE FRONTS OF THEATRES AND OTHER BUILDINGS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jean Marie Auguste'
Lacomme, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jean Marie Auguste Lacomme, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
:―
This Invention has for its object a new and improved means of
exhibiting advertisements or photographic views, portraits, and pictures to
represent and illustrate various subjects in public places, or thoroughfares,
and for decorating the fronts of theatres or other buildings at night.
For this purpose in carrying out my improvements I employ apparatus
arranged with a combination of achromatic and condensing lenses, so as
to reflect on a magnified scale upon a canvas or ground glass screen
the advertisements, views, or subjects represented on transparent slides,
or photographs on glass. In place of the screen upon which the pictures
or subjects are reflected being placed in a large room, or in the interior
of a building to which only a limited number of persons can be admitted,
according to my improvements I arrange the screen upon which the
luminous disc is directed on the exterior or front of a building or
structure before a window or other suitable opening entirely exposed to
public view. The combined lenses and illuminated apparatus are
arranged and operate within a room behind the screen, or opposite thereto,
so that the advertisement or other subject reflected upon the screen in
front of the building or structure is prominently exhibited to the view
of the public passing through the thoroughfare in which the luminous
screen is situated. It is obvious that this method of exhibiting ad-
vertisements, photographic views, or other representations upon an
illuminated screen or disc as above described is only available at night.
The combined lens apparatus is internally illuminated either by means
of the electric light, the oxy-calcium light, the oxy-hydrogen limo
light, oxygen gas, carburetted hydrogen gas, camphorated sperm oil,
casseline oil, paraffin oil, or by any other ordinary artificial light,
according to the intensity of the light required to be reflected upon
the screen.
Each advertisement, photographic view, or other subject to be exhibited
in public in accordance with my Invention may be introduced into the
reflecting lens apparatus by an attendant, and exhibited for a time to
public view before it is exchanged for another, but I prefer to mount a
series of such advertisements, photographic views, or other subjects for
exhibition upon a revolving circular support which is caused to revolve

page_text: by means of clockwork, or other self-acting mechanism, so as to bring
the advertisements, views, or other subjects in succession into position
with the reflecting lens apparatus, in order to be exhibited publicly in
accordance with my Invention for a time upon the illuminated screen,
an intermittent movement being imparted to the revolving apparatus by
which each advertisement or photograph is exhibited for a given time
before another takes its place. By this means a great variety of
advertisements, photographic views, portraits, or pictures representing
and illustrating various subjects may be brought prominently before
the public at night, amongst others, successive or permanent tableaux
may be exhibited for decorating the fronts of theatres or other buildings
according to my improvements, and such tableaux may represent the
scenes from the pieces being performed together with portraits of the
actors or other persons. Great publicity may also be given by this
means to the portraits of persons or children who are lost or being.
sought for.
Figure 1 represents a box or chamber arranged with apparatus for
exhibiting advertisements, photographs, or pictures in the open air in
accordance with my Invention. B are doors, and C is an opening at
the top to carry off the smoke, heat, and gases. The aperture C is fitted.
with an internal ventilator D (as shown at Figure 2), the axis E of
which is supported on a pivot at G, the ventilator D and axis E being
caused to rotate by the escape of the heat and gases from the chamber A
through the aperture C. The axis E gives motion by means of the
pinion to the wheel 9 on the axis of the rotating holder F, upon the
upper end of which a small cylinder or ball of lime H is mounted, on
to which the flame from the gas burner i is directed, j, j, are pipes for
conducting the gases employed to the burner i; K is a reflector to increase
the brilliancy of or concentrate the light upon the-subject exhibited,
L is a tube or cylinder mounted on the front of the box or chamber A,
within the tube L lenses are arranged consisting of a double convex
plate glass lens, and a plano-convex flint glass condenser lens mounted,
in metallic cells and known as achromatic lenses, as shown in section at

page_text: Figures 3 and 4, of the Drawing. The arrangement of the lenses may
if desired consist of two plano-convex condensing lenses arranged in
such manner that the rays of light pass through two plano-convex
lenses arranged in front of the apparatus. Arranged within the tube or
cylinder L there is a smaller tube containing two convex or meniscus
magnifying lenses, the inner tube and lenses being moved to and fro
by a rack and pinion, by which the correct focus of the picture is obtained.
The end of the tube L is mounted in the square or rectangular frame M,
a space being left between the top and sides of the frame M and the
box or chamber A for the admission of the slides or pictures N to be
exhibited, such slides being mounted upon a wheel O as shewn at
Figure 5, actuated by clockwork or other suitable self-acting mechanism
arranged so as to impart an intermittent movement to the axis of the
wheel O, in order that each slide or picture may remain stationary for
a given time, whilst being reflected upon the luminous screen exposed
to public view.
.
The apparatus for casting and exhibiting the image upon the luminous
screen or surface may be illuminated by means of various kinds of
artificial light as previously stated, according to the intensity of the
light required. When the box or chamber A is to be illuminated with
the electric light the apparatus R shewn at Figure 6 is introduced in
place of the lime and gas apparatus shewn at Figure 2, the connection of
the wires with the battery being all that is required for producing the
light. When the oxy-hydrogen light is employed, as shewn at Figures 1
and 2, the burner of the gas jet i is so arranged as to prevent the
admixture of the two gases until they reach the point of ignition,
the oxygen gas being supplied through the pipe and stop-cocks and
the hydrogen by the pipe and stop-cock s¹. The gas flame is directed
upon the rotating cylinder of lime as before described so as to produce an
intense degree of light. Figure 7 shews the arrangement of apparatus
which is introduced into the chamber A when it is required to produce
the oxy-calcium light. This apparatus consists of a lamp T containing
pyroligneous ether or methylated spirit or spirits of wine. The wick
holder U is supplied with lamp cotton, and the lamp is connected with
the oxygen gas burner V. The connection between the lamp and the
gas burner is made by means of an india-rubber or flexible tube which
allows the bag containing the oxygen gas to be placed in any convenient
situation. The apparatus being arranged as previously described the

page_text: series of glass slides, photographs, or prints mounted around the circum-
ference of the wheel O are caused to rotate by means of clockwork or
other self-acting mechanism, as is well understood, so as to bring each
slide in succession within the recess opposite to the lenses, where each
slide or subject is caused by the mechanism which actuates the rotating
wheel O to remain stationary for a time in order that the image may
be cast upon the luminous screen, the subject being more or less
magnified according to the distance of the apparatus from the screen.
The screen upon which the magnified advertisement, picture, or image
is reflected may either be made of white canvas free from gloss, or of
muslin of close texture, or of varnished muslin previously steeped in
water and stretched whilst wet on a frame of wood or metal, formed
with sockets and joints so as to be easily fitted up or removed. Or the
reflected image may be thrown upon the surface of a wall covered with
plaster, white paper, or other suitable material. The luminous screen for
receiving the reflected image may be arranged or placed in various
positions in accordance with my Invention in order that it may be
advantageously exposed to public observation; when the openings con-
structed in front of buildings for carrying my Invention into practice
are sufficiently large the luminous screen is placed in front or at a
short distance outside from the window or opening. The illuminating
and lens apparatus in this case is placed in the interior of the building
behind the screen in a direct line therewith, as represented by the
diagram Figure 8 of the Drawing.
In order to adapt the apparatus to buildings where the front windows
or openings are small, two screens Z, Z, are arranged in a polygonal
or triangular position, being placed midway between two windows or
openings, as represented by the diagram Figure 9. The luminous rays.
of the reflecting lens apparatus A, projected from each window or
opening are respectively directed on to the surface of each screen Z, by
which arrangement the reflection or image thrown thereon is exposed
to public view from all parts of the street. Or the luminous screens Z, Z,
may be placed opposite to each other at right angles to the building,
with duplicate reflecting apparatus A, situated centrally between the
two screens, so as to reflect an image in opposite directions, as shewn by
the diagram Figure 10. The screens Z, Z, and duplicate reflecting
apparatus A, may also if desired be suspended upon wire ropes or be
otherwise supported in a street or other open space affording great

page_text: publicity to the advertisements or other subjects thus exhibited according
to my Invention. Apparatus for exhibiting advertisements, pictures,
photographs, or other subjects reflected upon luminous screens exposed
to public view according to my Invention may be mounted upon a
carriage and wheels, so that the reflected image may be cast upon
luminous screens forming the ends or sides of the body of the travelling
carriage, the reflecting lens apparatus being operated within the interior
of the carriage or wagon. By this means the apparatus for exhibiting
advertisements or other subjects according to my Invention is rendered
portable, so as to be readily moved from one situation to another as
may be desired.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Marie Auguste Lacomme,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy.