Abstract: An electronic engraving system is provided wherein an object, e.g., a person, for a picture to be engraved on a card is picked up by a television camera and converted into corresponding electric signals; the electric signals are stored first and then read out at a lower scanning speed that suits a mechanical scanning system through scanning conversion means, and the picture of the object is engraved on the material in accordance with the read out signals, whereby the picture corresponding to the object can be easily engraved on the material, e.g., a plastic card without using any photographic original picture of the object.

Abstract: An electro-optical cell comprises, on an optical path: front and back electrode base plates each comprising a transparent base plate having an inner surface, an electrode film provided on said inner surface, and an optically active poly-.alpha.-amino acid film provided on said inner surface over the electrode film and orientated in one direction intersecting the orientated direction of the poly-.alpha.-amino acid film of the other electrode base plate, the electrode base plates being disposed with the inner surfaces of their base plates in mutually facing state; and a nematic liquid crystal substance having a positive dielectric anisotropy and interposed between the front and back electrode base plates. Electro-optical devices can be fabricated by combining this electro-optical cell with front and back polarizers with polarization directions at specific angles relative to the orientation processed directions of the electrode base plates and by further adding a reflecting plate.