Untitled record

Application filed October 21,1889, Serial No, 327,650, (No model,)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, William G. Entrekin, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented 5 certain Improvements in Photographic Backgrounds, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a photographic background by the use of which io a lithographic background effect maybe produced in the finished picture and the figure brought out with any desired degree of prominence. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to 15 the accompanying drawings, in which—

Figure 1 is a view illustrating the character of my improved photographic background and the manner in which it is used, and Fig. 2 is a view of a picture produced by 20 the use of my improved background.

In making many photographs, especially in what is known as “ celebrity work,” the use of ordinary photographic backgrounds is objectionable, as they lessen the importance of 25 the figure, which in many cases is considered a great defect, as in this class of work what maybe termed a “lithographic background effect” is a desideratum—that is to say, a background in monotone, or having 30 only such shading as will not detract from the prominence of the figure, but will tend rather to bring the figure out into stronger relief. My improved background provides for the attainment of such an effect in the 35 finished picture, and said background consists, simply, of a sheet A, of any desired material—for instance, textile fabric coated with colored sizing, such as is ordinarily employed for window-shades and like purposes.

This sheet A is preferably mounted at the upper end upon a bar a, supported in any suitable manner at the proper height above the floor, the lower portion of the sheet being preferably wound upon a roller ύ, so that 45 the latter may be rolled out upon the floor of the studio to any required distance in front of the upper supporting-bar a, thus providing a base of any desired dimensions, which will be in one continuous piece with 50 the background, and will curve upward to meet the same, so that there will be no line where the background meets the floor, as in ordinary practice. Hence in the finished picture the figure will be brought out upon a background which may be of uniform tone 55 throughout, or may simply have such shading as is desired to give the required lithographic effect in the picture.

Another advantage of my improved background is that even lighting of the same is 60 rendered possible by the facility which is afforded for changing the angle at which it hangs from the upper supporting-bar, and any design which may be formed upon the background for the sake of producing the 65 desired lithographic effect will be clearly and sharply reproduced in the finished picture, owing to the fact that the angle or curve of the background may be so arranged as to bring it wholly within the effective radius of 70 the lens.