A dye transfer print photograph of a still life scene, taken by an unknown photographer, c. 1950. The still life includes fruit, a milk jug, a cut lemon, a cigarette in an ashtray and a box of Benson and Hedges cigarettes.

A dye transfer print photograph of a still life scene, taken by an unknown photographer, c. 1950.

The still life includes fruit, a milk jug, a cut lemon, a cigarette in an ashtray and a box of Benson and Hedges cigarettes.

The dye transfer process was introduced in the 1930s. Black and white colour separation negatives are used to expose matrix films which are dyed cyan, magenta and yellow. The final print is made by superimposing these dyed images in perfect registration.