a means to assist the press if the paper and card separate – use a bit of cotton!
Toronto. A few days ago I did a post on a small press for photographs (issue 23-1). It was accompanied by the following from Robert Wilson, “During the long period that cartes de visite and cabinet prints were in vogue many variations of the cameo portrait were offered as an elegant form of photographic art.
“The simplest technique required only a printed mat surrounding the central vignetted image in an oval shape or in a rectangle with rounded corners. The effect achieved its true cameo style when the surface of the print was made slightly convex by means of a die and press, causing the central area to bulge forth in low profile.
“With most prints the surface remained firmly attached to its supporting card stock, but others may be found soft and pliable. A recent find has revealed the secret as the print began to peel away from its support. There in the inner pocket was a thin swatch of fibrous cotton, 2 1/2 inches in length, with roughly torn edges and even included the odd cotton seed.”
