Six examples (each 3/4" x 3 1/4") of Joly's colour process of photography
- maker:
- John Joly
Six examples (each 3/4" x 3 1/4") of Joly's colour process of photography. Mounted on viewing stand, with light tight curtain.
The Joly process was the first photographic process to use a single exposure through one filter which combined all three primary colours. It was devised by Dr John Joly of Dublin in 1894. Joly covered a glass plate with very fine red, green and blue lines (less than 0.1mm wide) in order to create a three-coloured filter screen.
When taking a photograph, this screen was placed in the camera in front of the plate. After exposure and reversal processing, the black-and-white positive image was carefully placed in register with another filter screen. The result was a colour transparency which could be viewed by transmitted light (light that passes through an object).
The Joly process was introduced commercially in 1895 and remained on the market for a few years. However, the limited colour sensitivity of the plates meant the results were not very successful.
