132 AUTOGRAPHIC PRINTING. 



AUTOGEAPHIC FEINTING. 



A method whereby drawings of objects under the microscope, of rare 



specimens of plants, insects, and other things, may be acciu-ately, easily, 



and inexpensively multiplied has long been desired. Numerous attempts 



have been made to meet these requirements, but none with which 



I am acquainted seems to yield such satisfactory results as that 



lately perfected by Mr. A. Pumphrej', of Birmingham, which he calls 



the Autographic Printing process. This is a method, invented and 



patentedby him, by which anything written or drawn with ink on paper can 



be multiphed to any extent, in absolute facsimile, and in any one colour. 



It differs from the Papyrograph and other de\'ices of that kind in the 



fact that fine lines can be reproduced in all their perfection ; another 



and very gi'eat advantage is that the original is in no way injured, as is 



the case in most other methods. A desire having been expressed by 



members of the Birmingham Natui'al History and Microscopical Society 



to see the process in actual work, the inventor attended at the Society's 



meeting, held on Tuesday, April 2nd, and gave an account of the 



process, and then proceeded to employ it in reproducing a number of 



various kinds of drawings. These sketches, prepared beforehand by 



members, having been given to Mr. Pumphrey, a prepared slab of slate, 



coated with a special preparation of gelatine, (wMch can be kept ready 



for use for an indefinite length of time,) was moistened with a solution 



of bichromate of potash, the drawing to be copied was placed in contact 



with the surface for a few seconds, and the ink on the paper, where it 



touched the gelatine, afi'ected it and made it horny. Without any further 



opex'ation, an ordinary inking roller was passed over the gelatine, the ink 



adhering to the slab only where the writing had touched. Clean paper 



was then laid upon it, and a httle pressure produced a perfect copy. After 



one print was taken, the slab was moistened with clean water, and the 



operation repeated. With this number of the Magazine will be found a 



number of plates thus obtained, which reproduce the original drawings 



with excellent effect.* 



It was at first supposed that any ink and paper would suffice, but 



the materials of wliich these are made are so various that it is advisable 



to use only those kinds which have been found to be most satisfactory. 



The chief requisite of the ink is that it should contain an excess of iron. 



Ink and paper of the best kind can be obtained from the patentee, Emily 



Street, Birmingham, and from Mr. T. Bolton, at his Microscopist's and 



Naturahsts' Studio, 17, Ann Street, Birmingham, both of whom supply, 



at a small charge, a book gi^^ng fuU details how to obtain the best 



results, and a compact and handy apparatus, by means of which the 



printing can be done, as has been practically proved, by anyone. The 



price of this, with every requisite for producing prints similar to those 



♦ We give with thia number eight plates, produced by Mr. Puuaphrcy's Auto- 

 graphic process. Plato A illustrates Mr. Grove's communication, at page 52 

 (February) of the "Midland Naturalist," on " A Hybrid Fcru." Plates B, C, D, E, 

 and F are reproductions of some of the drawings above referred to by members of 

 the Birminylaun Natural Histiprvaud Micr scopical Society ; Plates G and H are 

 printed from drawings reproduced by Mr. Pumphrey at the Soirie of the Stroud 

 Natural History and Philosophical Society, on the 9th of April. The process can be 

 Been in operation at Mr. Bolton's Studio, 17, Ann Street, Birmingham.— Ed3. M. N. 



