Daily national Democrat., 1860-12-28
Frank Leslie's illustrated Periodicals.

Speaking Of the remarkable rapidity with
which Leslie transfers 20 his pictorial pages,
scenes which have happened only twenty
four or forty-eight hours before, he says
The affair took place only twcnty-four or
forty eight hours ago, and here is an exact
copy of the scene, printed from an engraving
Oh wood-a job OF ITSELF that used to take
month to execute. Think Of all the other
hindrances which there used to be-the te-
diousness of getting the artist to the spot, of
his taking the view, and of long waiting for
its return from the engrayer-and, now, how
is this miracle achieved? .?
1t is by q skilful combination Of the new
facilities Of the day, aided by ingenious con
trivances and bold enterprise In every part
of the country there are now photographers
and artists, with nearly all of whom Leslie is
in correspondence, On the occurrence of
any noteworthy event, some one of these Is
immediately on the spot, as Is also one of his
equally numerous literary agents-the view
and the written description being thus done
at the moment, and transmitted by special
messenger on an express train. The tele-
graph has meantime informcd the office at
New Y ork, and the engrayers are ready for
the arrival of the drawings. 4 picture is
made by skilful artists on block of wood,
which Ca new inveution) consists of many
pieces held together 10y bolts and nuts, so
that the whole can be put into the hands of
twenty engravers instead OF one. BY skill
ful arrangements Of light and other conven-
ienees, these can work all night on a subject
of urgent interest; and, in twelve or eigh-
teen hours from the time of the sketchs ar
rival, it is admirably engraved and ready
for the press The description has been,
meantime, rewritten or adapted 10y the res
ident editors and put in type. Thus far,
there has been the employment of photo
graphy, the electric telegraph, the railway
express, division Of labor among artists, me-
chanic invention as to blocks and combined
literary talent-reducing a months work to
day?
Then comes the printing press. And here
Mr.. Lesle's own specific invention has done
wonders lie found out a way so to overlay
the cylinders by which certain effects of
light and shade could be produced better
and in one-:enth part Of the tiue formerly
consumed to produce the same results The
desired Art of printing large and rapid edi
tions Of pictorial newspapers was thus res
cued from final abandonment. There were
also several minor difficulties which he has
had to contend with, such as the warping of
the blocks by change of temperature and the
alteration in the character Of the ink And
this latter article he is obliged with the i'll
ferority Of the article in this country to i'm
port from England and Germany"
Well this praise is very well deserved, but
we have often wondered how Leslie could
have "artists on the spot" when such things
occur as the collision of the Arctic with the
screw steamer, the burning of sundry ships
at sea, the loss Of the lady Elgin on Lake
Erie, the attack of John Brown at ITarper's
Ferry, the administering of poison by the
Rev'd. Mr.. 1--WE forget his name) to his first
and second wife, and then to a third unmar-
ried victim, DC. de-, &C. All such occur
rences as these have appeared duly illustra-
ted in Leslie, and it may be that his artists
were "upon the spot" If they were, they
are little more than human.
The fact is, there is good deal Of humbug
in these representations. Things are pictur-
ed which may or may not be correct. The
imagination has good deal to do with get
ting up the illustrations, and when you think
that you are. looking at the actual scene, you
are only viewing what some clever artist
thought might have been the scene. No
doubt, some scenes are correctly depictured,
ruins of blown-up powder mill, fallen
pile of bricks, or something of that sort the
likenesses Of distinguished men are doubtless
often correct, although Leslie once gave the
head of an old fruit pedlar for that of j. W. !
Of the Bulletin, whom he was de-
lighting to honor Simonton's head got tie |
benefit Of the fruii-pedlar's biography, and !
he fruit-pedlar's head got the benefit of Sin.
'ntons. The people here, in the habit of
eading Leslie, were much surprised when
hey saw SimoLton at the District Fair. He
lidnt look at all like his "picter" in Leslie.)
The receptions to the Prince of Wales were
probably pretty accurately portrayed, be-
ause artists could be on the spot and no
loubt were
However, notwithstanding all this carping
II ours, we subscribe heartily to the follow
ng additional observations of Willis:
We really think such an establishment is a
wonderland, not so much from any one fea-
ure, as from the mingled genius for combi-
nation and effectiveness which is at the bot
ON of it all First, however, came the sa-
yacity TO detect public want; and on the
ingle certainty of a popularity for such
as could 60 into the eve at a
reading-it is securely es-
ablshed and sustained And what locust
warm of pleasurable and instructive impress
ions issues perpetually from that one build
ng, for the children of the country, the hur-
led and the uneducated, as well as for the
Intelligent and art-loving
Now, go and get Leslie's last at Randall d
Cos news establishment on D street, nearly
1Dnositn the Thnatar