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Nineteenth century history Twentieth century history Twenty-first century history


Photolathe

This engraving machine scanned original photographs held on a rotating cylinder and simultaneously cut the scanned image, in vertical patterns of varying depth, into a metal plate attached to a second cylinder.

The photolathe carried two drums on a single shaft; one for the photograph(s) and one for a thin soft metal plate (zinc, brass, aluminium, magnesium?). As the eye read the photograph, a thin, sharp, triangular shaped scribe gouged a line in the plate, deeper or shallower according to the light and dark of the photograph.

The etched plate was mounted on a wooden block and then placed in a form with type for printing.

Nineteenth century history Twentieth century history Twenty-first century history

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Text copyright © 2003 onwards Judith Carlton, W.G.Monnery & Co Limited. Images similarly copyright except where otherwise indicated. All rights reserved. Information in this document is subject to change without notice.