Karel Šmirous, a pioneer of color photography in the Czech lands, gained a title of doctor of technical sciences at the Prague ČVUT, a became an assistant of professor Emil Votočka (1872-1950) at the inorganic and organic chemistry faculty for five years. Šmirous continued with color photography, at that time especially the possibilities of color printing from autochrome slides to materials with chrome-plated gelatine. The Karel Šmirous autochrome set is the largest known in Bohemia.