Improvements in Methods of Producing Photographs and other Pictures in Relief.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1897--Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
the Village of Sandy Hook, Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States of
America, Photographer.]
Improvements in Methods of Producing Photographs and other
Pictures in Relief.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to a method whereby photographic images are produced,in
relief, so as to have a life-like and natural appearance.
The objects of my invention are (1) to produce photographs in relief without the
use of metal or wood dies or moulds; (2) to produce photographs in relief cheaply
and speedily.
I attain these objects by the method substantially as herein set forth, reference also
being had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters are used to designate
similar parts throughout.
Figure 1, is a front view of an ordinary photograph mounted.
Figure 2, is a rear view of the same photograph mounted showing a furrowed
outline of the image or portrait portion thereof to be put in relief and also a furrow in
the interior of said image or portrait portion desired to be put in relief.
Figure 3, is a front view of a duplicate mounted photograph showing the same
image or portrait portion thereof cut out, leaving what is herein termed for purposes
of description, an open mask, the edges of this open mask being bevelled where the
outline of the figure to be put in relief is not desired sharply brought in relief, and
clean or sharply cut out where the outline of the figure is desired to be sharply
brought out.
Figure 4, is a perspective view of the frame for holding both the furrowed
photograph and the duplicate photograph having the open mask, said frame being
open.
Figure 5, is a longitudinal sectional view of the frame having said furrowed
photograph and said open mask enclosed.
Figure 6, is a longitudinal sectional view of the frame having said furrowed
photograph and said open mask enclosed, the portrait or image portion thereof being
put in relief by an embossing tool.
Figure 7, is an enlarged view of a portion of the furrowed photograph showing the
manner of cutting the furrow.
Figure 8, is a longitudinal sectional view of the furrowed photograph showing the
portion in relief, the filling to retain the same in relief and the final backing of
the photograph.
In operation my method is as follows:-The image of a mounted photograph A, is
desired to be put in relief. The photographic print should be mounted upon card-board
or any suitable metal or material which will allow of the cutting of the furrow
hereinafter described, the print being attached to the mount by some strong
adhesive.
A furrowed outline, C, of the portion of the photograph to be put in relief is
cut with a suitable sharp instrument upon the back of the photograph, A. The

page_text: furrow, a a, extends substantially, but not entirely, through the material upon
which the photograph is mounted to the photographic print, Figure 7, the operator
being enabled to watch from the front side of the photograph the course of the
furrow as it is cut by the bulging h, Figure 7, of the material upon which the
photograph is mounted. An interior furrow or furrows, a', may be similarly and
are preferably cut within the figure or portrait portion to be put in relief, the
object being to allow interior portions of the image to be placed more prominently
in relief than some other portions of the image. Thus Figure 2, the interior
furrow, a¹, is cut to allow the hair of the figure to be raised more prominently, than
other portions of the face.
A duplicate mounted photograph, B, is then used, the image or portrait portion
thereof, bb, being cut out with a sharp instrument making what has been herein
termed an open mask, this open mask, bb, corresponding to the furrowed outline
portion, C, of the photograph to be put in relief. In cutting the open mask the
edges of the open mask should be bevelled somewhat where it is not desired that
the outline of the figure to be put in relief should be sharply brought out as B,
Figure 3. the back and upper portion of the head. But the edges of the open
mask should be cut clean or sharp where a portion of the figure to be placed in
relief is desired to be sharply brought out, as B, Figure 3, the face. Instead of
using a duplicate photograph to make the open mask, a duplicate image of the
portrait to be placed in relief may be obtained by tracing, drawing or otherwise
and by means of it an open mask cut from any suitable material..
The furrowed portion, C of the photograph A, to be put in relief is then dampened,
preferably with water, on its rear side within and along the lines of the exterior
furrow, a a, and also along the lines of the interior furrow or furrows, a¹. A paste may
then be applied to the dampened portion, which paste while it is wet acts as a lubricant
for the embossing tool hereinafter mentioned and when dry stiffens and thereby
further retains the portion to be put in relief, preferably a paste containing a proportion
of glue.
The furrowed photograph, A, is then placed face upwards in a suitable
frame, D D'.
The duplicate photograph B, with open mask, b, is placed over it in the
frame, D D¹, so that the open mask, bb, shall register with the furrowed outline
portion ua, of the photograph, A, Figures 4 and 5.
The frame D D', is an ordinary open work frame arranged to hold the
photographis A and B securely in a position registering with each other.
The dampened furrowed portion, C, of the photograph A, is then pressed or
moulded upwards through the open mask, bb, with a suitable tool, a" forming a
portion in relief, a¹¹¹a, to such an extent as the face, figure and costume to be
placed in relief may require, and in accordance with the artistic taste of the
manipulator, this operation being facilitated by the dampened condition of the
furrowed portion C, of the photograph, A, rendering the material upon which
the photograph is mounted more flexible. The function of the furrow is to relieve
the embossed or raised portion of the picture encompassed within it from the strain or
tension of the mount; or in other words, overcomes the tendency of the mount to draw
the raised portion of the photograph out of place or flatten it, and allows the raised or
embossed portion to retain its form. Or the frame, D D', may be inverted and the
dampened furrowed portion C, of the photograph A, may be kept downwards and
pressed or moulded downwards at the option of the operator.
The photograph A, with the portion, C, then in relief is removed from the
frame, Ď D'.
A suitable plastic filling f, Figure 7, preferably of melted paraffin, may be spread
over the back of the relief or embossed portion of the photograph to retain it
permanently in position, and this is of advantage where the photograph is large
in size.
The photograph A, with the desired figure or portrait portion thereof thus in relief
may then have a suitable backing, 99, affixed to it for purposes of finish.

page_text: Although my invention is primarily applicable to photographs it may also be used
upon crayons, lithographs and, in fact, upon any image displayed upon and mounted
upon a material which will allow of the cutting of the furrowed outline on the back
thereof hereinbefore. described and which will be sufficiently flexible to allow of the
moulding or embossing through the open mask.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The method of producing embossed photographs and other pictures which
consists in cutting into the rear face of a plain photograph a furrow in the outline of
the picture on the print, and then pressing the portions of the mount enclosed by
said furrow outward with the print to form the embossing, substantially as herein
described and set forth.
2. The method of producing photographs and other pictures in relief which consists
in cutting in the mounted photograph from the rear side thereof a furrowed outline
of the portion to be put in relief, providing a separate open mask of said furrowed
outline portion, dampening the furrowed outline portion of the photograph to be put
in relief, enclosing in a frame the last mentioned photograph and the open mask, the
open mask being placed on top so that the open mask and the furrowed outline
portion of the photograph shall register with each other, and moulding into relief
the furrowed portion through the open mask, substantially as herein described and
set forth.
3. The method of producing photographs and other pictures in relief which consists
in cutting in the mounted photograph from the rear side thereof a furrowed outline
of the portion to be put in relief and furrows interior to said outline, providing an
open mask of said outline portion, dampening the furrowed outline portion and the
furrows interior thereto of the photograph to be put in relief, enclosing in a frame
the last mentioned photograph face uppermost and the open mask, the open mask
being placed on top so that the open mask and the furrowed outline portion of the
photograph shall register with each other, and moulding into relief the furrowed
portion through the open mask, substantially as herein described and set forth.
4. The method of producing photographs and other pictures in relief which consists
in cutting in the mounted photograph from the rear side thereof a furrowed outline of
the portion to be put in relief, providing an open mask of said furrowed outline
portion in a duplicate mounted photograph, dampening the furrowed outline portion
of the photograph to be put in relief, enclosing the first mentioned photograph face
uppermost and the duplicate photograph having the open mask in a frame, the
duplicate photograph being placed on top so that the open mask thereof and the
furrowed portion of the other photographi shall register with each other moulding
into relief with an embossing tool the furrowed portion through the open mask,
filling the portion so moulded into relief with a plastic material to retain it in position
and backing the photograph, substantially as herein described and set forth.
5. As a new article of manufacture an embossed photograph comprising the print
and mount, the latter in its rear face having a furrow cut into it along the outlines
of the picture on the print and the portions of said mount encompassed by said
furrow being pressed outward with the print, substantially as herein described and
set forth.
Dated this 28th day of January 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.