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two fillets of your tvkainches fro tap, turn onthe Nil passut t] THE PHOTOGRAPHIC HEWS. FEBRUARY 20, 1880.] Uhe Pbotographic Elews, Jfebruury 20, 1880* j facturer of chemicals at St. Helen’s, who died a few weeks I 0n Phic neton+ xqc ~yan+A in 1077 rha coponN wec ting it with the emulsion oy means ot a gentle heat, and to ago. This patent was granted in 1877. The second was pour on glass plates in the usual way. 1 Ins,is Mr. Ritchie's obtained early last year by M. Pfeiffer, Col. W. F. McCarty, nronnan yAcklir ctatoe ane wA arenot oroitvo f nenn ; + cnn i , i m • J .. . . . .. • process roughly stated, and we are not goizrg to say it can- .ici 1. .Ii. • k14 wvkAt AnA wnn1e lil'+n 1env ic Ik,+ and the Prince de Sagan. Mr. Balmain’s patent is now A O ° ■ 1 1 ... / ’ °. | -- AA*-- •V ~OgoM• •Ll• MdIdII • poUvMV 19 IIV VV not be patented ; but what one would likelto know is, what | possessed by Messrs. Ihlee and Horne, of London, who ie 11. autiala. naztiax nulactad 7 Ia if +1e ngod uetian ! ina " c _ . . 3 -- .. /ou uth- .etts; tut." chance of success in the terribly smoky and foggy atmos phere of London and of most manufacturing towns. The French patent probably is designed to meet this difficulty, as the use of phosphorus is recommended when addi tional intensity is desired. The phosphorescent powder prepared by the French process is stated to be a mixture of chemically pure lime and crushed sea-shells and cuttle fish bone, which consist of carbonate and phosphate of lime. To these are added calcined sea-salt, sulphur, and sulphides of calcium, barium, strontium, uranium, mag nesium, or aluminium, and phosphorus obtained from cal cined sea-weed. The composition is now made into a paste by the addition of a varnish sucli as copal, and ready for use. One of the most useful suggestions by which luminous paint could render valuable service is that of applying it to street names and to the numberin of houses. Names which could be easily read at night would . be an immense boon in the metropolis. it in the larger tub, one or two inches clear large holes in outer place this apparatus in your prints, and bottom of the inner tub, outer one. Thus water, and I think automatic washing patent. There is no lack of customers for good gelatine plates. Photographs in Natural Colours.—For at least five hundred and fifty times some one has claimed to have produced photographs in natural colours. Again the problem has been solved, but with that modesty which all the discoverers of the secret show, the mysterious individual is in no hurry to divulge his name and address, possibly for fear of being inundated with the shoals of photographers who would politely wait upon him and worry his life out for in formation as to “how it’s done.” Some one in Paris is said this time to be the genius, and the Theatre for this month has been so carried away by the rumour that it has given forth the following astounding intelligence:— " Photographs can at last be taken in colour. Nature has at last undertaken to do that in which art has failed; for there is a vast difference between a photograph in colour and a coloured photograph. Every tint of the complexion and tone of the dress, every detail of fringe, scarf, and ribbon, every flower in the hair and jewel in the hand are reproduced in colour with faultless accuracy. As soon as the business arrangements are complete, the Theatre will have the earliest benefit of the new invention that is likely to create a revolution in photography.” Wonder ful! We can only hope that the Theatre will hasten its “ business arrangements ” as much as possible, and that when they are quite “ complete,” no time will be lost in creating the “revolution.” Every photographer will echo • our wish that when this happy period arrives we “may be there to see.” Luminous Paint.—There are, it seems, two patents for the production of luminous paint—an English and a French one. The first was owned by Mr. W. H. Balmain, a manu- is the particular portion protected? Is it the production of pure gum-arabic, the method of adding alternately the nitrate and bromide, or the simple fact of using gum with r-v*-* •J -•‘ND LuIU• dlu LIU1H0, UI HvlHU1, V LIU are trying to form a company to work the process. While effectual when there is ready access to pure daylight, it would seem as if the luminous paint would not have much gelatine? The use of gum-arabic in photography is no novelty, as it forms one of the earliest of the dry-plate processes, and such a careful manipulator as Mr. Russell Manners Gordon, who worked the method extensively, is not likely to have employed the gum otherwise than in a pure state. Of course Mr. Ritchie has a perfect right to protect his “ Arabin ” process by a patent if he chooses, and we have not one word to say against him for so doing; but it really does seem as if the expense had been needlessly incurred, aud that so far as any benefit he is likely to receive from the protection is concerned, ho might as well have thrown open his invention to the photographic world free from restriction. The shrewdness of Sir Henry Bessemer in connection with his invention of the well- known bronze powder, which laid the foundation of his colossal fortune, should always be borne in mind by in ventors who wish to make money out of their “ processes.” Sir Henry—then “ Mr." Bessemer, spent two years in per fecting his invention, by which he was able to produce at a cost of six shillings the pound a material which for merly could not be purchased at less than five guineas per pound. But he aid not patent his process, because he knew well enough it could not bo protected. To preserve the secret, he designed self-acting machines by which manual labour was entirely dispensed with, and after working the process himself for some time, he took two friends in whom he had perfect confidence into partner- ship, and for forty years the manufacture has been quietly carried on without a rival in the field. If Mr. Ritchie’s process bo a reliable one—he claims for it the advantage that the photographer can vary the proportion of bromide and gelatine, as occasion may require, with ease and cer tainty—it would be better for him to manufacture the plates a nd sell them, rather than trouble himself about a soluble salts be passed through the diaphragm. Nothing remains but to add softened gelatine, thoroughly incorpora ting it with the emulsion by means of a gentle heat, and to so that it stands three or four top; water, put through the the side of tho float in fresh effectual PHOTOGRAPHY IN AND OUT OF THE STUDIO Ma. Ritchie’s “ Arabis ” Emulsion Process—Pnoro- graphs in Natural Colours—Luminous Paint. Mr. llilchie’s “ Arabin ” E-mdsion Process.—The protec tion of an invention by means of a patent is doubtless very often necessary and beneficial to the inventor ; but there arc cases when it would seem the patent does the very thing it is intended to prevent. Of course, where some particular rlesign is patented the protection is effectual; but when the patent consists simply in the use or combi nation of certain substances, each of which is an ordinary commercial product, the publication is likely to do the inventor more harm than good. Here is a case in point: Mr. Ritchie, of Fenchurch Street, has patented a new method of preparing gelatine emulsion, the novelty in which seems to be the employment of gum-arabic in a peculiar way. Mr. Ritchie takes a certain quantity of gum, and dissolves it in distilled water; alcohol is added, which has the effect of precipitating the gum to the bottom of the vessel, and allows the liquid with the soluble impuri ties of the gum to bo poured off. When thoroughly washed by repeated applications of alcohol, it is dried, and can be kept ready for use. To this purified gum the inventor has given the name of “ Arabin.” When required for use, Mr. Ritchie dissolves a certain portion of the arabin in distilled water, and, after adding alternately certain por-, tious of nitrate of silver and bromide of potassium solu tions, places the emulsion thus prepared in a dialyser, and allows it to remain there in contact with water until the PRINT-WASHING APPARATUS FOR AMATEURS BY Q. C. CUTCIIEY. Get the halves of two butter tubs from your butt, an , one larger than the other ; carefully clean them te a number of holes in the bottom of the smaller one nce