The photographic news

• Bandzählung: 11.1867
• Erscheinungsdatum: 1867
• Sprache: Englisch
• Signatur: F 135
• Vorlage: Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Digitalisat: Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Digitalisat: SLUB Dresden
• Rechtehinweis: Public Domain Mark 1.0
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• PURL: http://digital.slub-dresden.de/id1780948042-18670000
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• Sammlungen: LDP: Historische Bestände der Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Sammlungen: Fotografie
• Strukturtyp: Band

• Digitalisat: SLUB Dresden
• Strukturtyp: Ausgabe

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. Vol. XL No. 462.—July 12, 1867. i t i CONT PAGE Swan’s Carbon Process 325 Mr. Maxwell Lyte's Modified Collodio-Albumen Process 327 Jumelle 328 On the Expenditure and Cost of Materials employed in the production of Silver Prints. By M. Garreaud 32? Report of the Commission Appointed to Award the Prize of 8,000 Francs Presented by the Duc de Luynes for the Best Photo- Mechanical Printing Process 330 ENTS. PAGE On the Recovery of Silver and Gold from Photographic Resi- dues. By Alois Nigg 329 Developers. By Prof. Towler • 331 Prooceedings of Societies—French Photographic Society 333 Correspondence—“ You cannot Patent an Idea:” The Patent Laws—Origin of Photo-Lithography, etc.—Origin of Photo Lithography—Copying Portraits—The Cause of Flare 333 Talk in the Studio 335 To Correspondents 336 e e 0 0 3 0 d 0 u 0 0 9 d 3 d 11 10 ,f II ;0 0 e 6 $ 0 0 d d 0 0 d 0 y 0 C f f I 0 I SWAN’S CARBON PROCESS. As our readers know, we have always taken a deep interest in Mr. Swan’s carbon process. We were the first to herald its discovery, and we have chronicled its steady progress: from the first we had faith in its future, and we have un diminished confidence in it now. We have always felt it a duty, therefore, to defend the process itself, and the rights which pertain to it, from misapprehensions or misjudgments towhich, in common with all inventions and innovations, the process has been subject. It appears that, at the present, a few words of explanation or correction are necessary to remove certain misconceptions which, in conversations, in letters, and in public discussions on the subject, have recently come under our notice. Doubts and dissatisfaction are expressed in various quarters on several points in connection with it: it is doubted whether, after all, the process is commercially practical; it is doubted whether the process is an essential improvement on other carbon processes, and whether the latent is really valid ; it is wondered why the process is so ong in coming into general use ; why the tissue and facilities for using it have been so tardily offered to the public ; and, finally, the terms upon which professional photographers are permitted the use of the process are regarded by some as heavy and unequal in their operations. On some of these points we are in nowise called upon to speak, as they belong to the commercial phase of the question, which will generally rectify itself, and with which we rarely meddle. As, how ever, the prevalence of misunderstandings of the kinds we have mentioned often seriously mar the progress of the art, and in this case especially retard the advancement of per manent printing, we think a few words on each of the grounds of doubt or complaint may not be without value. The question of commercial practicability can only be certainly answered after more extended commercial trial; hut we may remark that, so far as experience exists, it is perfectly satisfactory. Mr. Swan has already turned out of his establishment some thousands of exquisite prints on terms which are, wo presume, commercially remunerative to all parties to the bargain. M. Braun, of Dornach, who, about twelve months ago, purchased Mr. Swan’s French patent, is now working the process on a very large scale with considerable success, his charge for published carbon prints being twenty-five percent, higher than that for silver prints. As a large additional expenditure of capital was involved in the purchase of the patent, and the cost of plant for working it on a large scale, the additional charge for prints is not heavy; and we argue, thence, that the cost of working the process is probably not greater than that of silver printing. That the process itself is not difficult we have already proved by our own practice ; and we find our experience confirmed by all who have given a little atten tion to the subject. The question, an answer to which really requires working out commercially, is, how far the pro cess can be practised in an ordinary portrait establishment, where a certain amount of silver printing must still be done, and be made to dovetail into the ordinary operations with out involving much extra trouble and cost. This yet re mains to be tried; but as we have reason to believe that several first-class photographers are making arrangements for introducing the process into their establishments, we hope shortly to be able to give some definite information, based upon actual experience, in the matter. The next point is an important one: Whether is Mr. Swan’s process an essential improvement on previous carbon processes, and, therefore, whether is the patent really valid ? We find, at a recent meeting of the Edinburgh Society, on the discussion of Mr. Davis’s interesting paper on the History of Carbon Printing, that the conclusion of many members was that the process was no essential improvement on previous processes, on Fargier's especially; that the patent could not be maintained ; that Mr. Swan embodied in his complete specification the ideas of others, gleaned after entering his provisional specification; and that Mr. Swan’s claims are ungenerous, and his terms exorbitant. Of course nobody can complain of the gentlemen who come to these conclusions. Their conclusions were doubtless based on the evidence as it presented itself to their minds. We admit that the history of carbon printing presents a series of such gradual steps or perfectly connected links that it is difficult to accord to each inventor or improver his legitimate share of credit, and avoid injustice to all others. Distinct steps may perhaps be traced to Ponton, Becquerel, Talbot, Poitevin, Burnett, Fargier, Swan ; each having made some new discovery, or introduced some distinctly new application, or given to the world some new facility in work ing out the general idea of carbon printing. Others have, probably, by suggestion or practice, also contributed some thing. The real question for immediate consideration is, we think, however, who made carbon printing practicable ? We have no intention at present of discussing all the points of progress in extenso, as the subject would require more time and space than wj can devote to it; but, as we believe the conclusions in reference to Mr. Swan’s claims, to which we have referred, are errors, injurious to the progress of the art, and injurious to those who entertain them, we have one or two brief practical considerations to suggest on the subject. Before doing so, we would hint to Mr. Clarke that his definition of what is patentable is at least somewhat inexact and misleading. He says that a patent cannot be sustained unless the subject of it adds something to human knowledge. The truth is, a patent has always reference to doing rather than knowing. A patent is gene rally either for a mode of doing a new thing, or for a new and improved mode of doing an old thing. It is true that ineither case some degree of new knowledge is involved ;