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THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. Vol. XIII. No. 538.—July 23, 1839. CONTENTS. PAGR Fettered Processes 349 The First Carbon Prints 350 American National Photographic Association 350 Masks and Faces. By Protagoras 351 Photographic Printing in Silver. By W. T. Bovey 352 Sketches of Travel, from a Sun-Painter’s Portfolio. By S. Thompson 353 Manipulations in Photo-Chemistry. By James Martin 354 Remarks upon Dry-Plate Processes. By A. de Constant 355 PAGE On Pyro-Photography in its Relation to Glass Staining. By Dr. P. Liesegang 356 Correspondence.-On Shellac as a Varnish —" Photographic News ” Blotting Pad—A Trustworthy Negative Varnish—A Good Negative Varnish—Rapid Dry Process—Carbon Pro- cesses—Unfettered Carbon Processes—Artistic Masking- Fettered Processes 357 Talk in the Studio " 380 To Correspondents 360 FETTERED PROCESSES. There is a singular misapprehension at times manifested in the minds of many photographers in relation to patent processes. They seem to regard the introduction of a novelty protected hy a patent as a direct injury, an infringement of existing liberty and privileges ; and they object on principle to any process “ fettered by the trammels of the patent law.” Now, as no process can become the subject of a patent which is not new, and as nothing which is already known and practised can be safely patented, it certainly does seem a little unreasonable to object to the new thing, which is generally an entirely new and increased source of pleasure and profit, simply because the person by whom it is introduced requires some slight share of the profit. The new thing would be a gain if the inventor required an equal share of the profits, whilst, in truth, he rarely asks or receives as much as five per cent, of the income to the photographer produced by the invention* In any case, the use of the novelty is always optional, and the photographer who does not adopt it is in no worse condition than ho was before the invention was made and patented. Nevertheless, a large number feel themselves aggrieved whenever a patent is taken, and straightway they protest against fettered processes. It would be just as reasonable to protest against the railway system, because the privilege of quick travel is fettered by the preliminary of paying for tickets. A correspondent on another page harps persistently on this idea of “fettering" as an evil peculiarly irksome in relation to carbon processes, and is especially anxious to know the working details of such carbon processes as are “unfettered.” We wish topointout to him and those of his way of thinking that their notions of fetters arc much too narrow ; that fetters are much more prevalent than they imagine or fully realize; and that, in many instances, patents constitute the least troublesome fetters of any in general existence. There are three definite forms of fetters which have rela tion to photographic processes. They consist of patents, secrets, and ignorance ; and the last is by far the greatest. Let us define what we mean by it. In speaking of igno rance as a fetter in relation to a photographic process, wo presume the process to have an existence, either embryotic or more or less matured, but its possibilities are not worked out. ho one knows exactly of what it is capable. It pro bably lies in a groove out of the common track; and to make it valuable some one must specifically devote time, skill, and money to developing and perfecting the initial * Take an example. The majority of the Barony photo-crayons sold are from negatives in existence, and form a distinct source of profit, which would not have been obtained if Mr. Sarony had not introduced the novelty inquestion. The nett profit to the photographer, as a rule, will be about forty shillings on each portrait, whilst the nett profit of the patentee will be less than a shilling, or two-and-a-halr per cent, on the transaction. idea. It may be very valuable when all its details are mastered and understood, or it may, perchance, prove worth less. But no one is likely to work it out without some chance of reward for his labour. Such a temporary monopoly as the patent law gives him is the legitimate temptation to cultivate the field, and give a valuable form to that which was before useless because unknown, or worthless because not understood. Our correspondent who asks tor information in relation to unfettered carbon processes admirably illus trates this position. He asks for information which, in the fullness and completeness which he desires, does not exist, simply because it has not been the business or interest of any one to bring it into existence. Information on the de tailed operations by which successful results may be secured can only’ be obtained by absolute work of apractical charac ter, and men do not undertake such work without some hope of profit in their labour. If the experience had been gained, the fetters of ignorance which surround the processes would probably have been exchanged for those of secresy or those of patent protection. It may be that in some of the methods to which our correspondent refers a valuable and practical process may exist; but this can only be ascertained by per severing experiment on a practical scale. In the meantime, whatever possibilities they may possess are fettered by ignorance and undevelopment. Photographers have received much, it is true, of their knowledge, much of the information upon which their means of securing an income is based, for nothing. The art has been largely indebted to amateurs, to whose experi mental labours, undertaken for love, many discoveries have been due. In carbon printing, where the steps of progress are well marked, the gratuitous and the commercial efforts in removing the fetters of ignorance have been almost equal. The initial step in relation to almost all existing carbo processes was a gratuitous one. Mungo Ponton publishel the fact that bichromate of potash was a sensitive agent : he lives, and is scarcely acknowledged with a passing word of gratitude. M. Poitcvin, who utilized the agent, and devised a carbon process, patented it; but has, we fear, not possessed the commercial faculty of reaping where he has sown. Mr. Pouncy—who, in his early labours, did good ser vice in showing wbat could not be done, thus clearing the way, and making apparent what was necessary—was paid by subscription. Mr. Blair, a most important and active adjutor in removing the fetters of ignorance, both by suggestion and practice, has worked altogether gratuitously, for it is questionable whether the subscription list of his pamphlet paid material expenses. Fargier, who devised a means of putting into operation the idea which Laborde, Barnett, and Blair had published, of securing half tone, patented his process, and, had it been commercially practical, would doubtless have maintained his patent. Swan devised a practical method of putting into execution the ideas of those
