ancient color photographs process

[adonis_abril]

I thought some might find this http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/empire/making.html interesting. He took 3 consecutive photographs one with the Red filter, another with Blue and the other with Green to create color photographs. Also interesting is that these are the some of the rarest photos of the Russian empire...

[Joanna Carter]

I thought some might find this http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/empire/making.html interesting. He took 3 consecutive photographs one with the Red filter, another with Blue and the other with Green to create color photographs. Also interesting is that these are the some of the rarest photos of the Russian empire...
This is a process known as Trichromie (tricolour); you can see a couple of examples that I did recently here (http://grandes-images.com/fr/Articles_Techniques/Articles_Techniques.html) and there is a French blog by Henri Gaud dedicated to the practice here (http://trichromie.free.fr/trichromie/)

[Mike1234]

This process can result in the ultimate color "resolution" if done properly. Perhaps not the most "accurate" color though due to the limited (spikey) bandwidths recorded. Long ago I often considered trying it but always gave in to laziness.

[nolindan]

3 consecutive photographs one with the Red filter, another with Blue and the other with Green to create color photographs.

It is the technique used to make Technicolor movies. Also used on the Hubble telescope, though with a whole lot more filters - NASA mixes a 20-color image down to 3-colors for our poor eyes as we can't see at most of the wavelengths used.

The first color pictures were made this way in 1860 http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_p/1_photographers_maxwell.htm

One-shot 3-plate color cameras were used until the early 50's, see manual for the Devin camera (http://www.cameramanuals.org/booklets/devin_tricolor.pdf), PhotoNet article, scroll 4/5 way down for the Lerochrome (http://photo.net/alternative-cameras-forum/00U38z), the Curtiss was probably the most popular (http://www.vintagephoto.tv/research_help.shtml). Wood versions of these cameras aren't uncommon at photo-swap-meets. 1930's photo magazines had running gags about photographers trying to figure which way was up on the camera. Just the thing for the 3-color Carbo tyro.

National Photocolor (http://www.nationalphotocolor.com/), the maker of the Lerochrome, is still in business making color seperating pellicle mirrors.

[Drew Wiley]

There are people currently refurbishing and using Curtis and Devin tricolor cameras,
including Sandy King on this forum. And for immobile still life subjects, three sequential
photographs can be taken, provided everything remains perfectly aligned. The tricky
part occurs when you have to register and print the actual image. Traditionally these
kinds of tricolor images have been printed on either dye transfer, Carbro, or color carbon, though they could also be printed on more conventional media too, or scanned for digital printing.

[BetterSense]

My kodak darkroom dataguide advises that for archival storage of image shot on color negative film, color separation negatives should be made onto black and white film.

[Toyon]

I have never understood that term "rare photograph". Does that mean that not many prints were made of the negatives? that they have been kept hidden away from sight? That the subjects are rarely photographed?

[nolindan]

"rare photograph"

Demand exceeds supply. Price asked exceeds common sense.

[Robert Hughes]

BTW, alternative print photogs using the Gum Bichromate multicolor techniques use color separation negatives; nowadays, with Photoshop and inkjet printers, they can even adjust the digital negative size to compensate for paper shrinkage and get perfect registration! It looks pretty cool.

And of course every 3-chip video camera works the same way - they even align the red, green and blue sensors independently to compensate for lens chromatic aberration.