Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1868-07-03
From the Boston Daily Advertiser.
now CH1sOMOS ARE MADE.

ShhOMo~ASi - thS o. - l'tHs-
ing pictures from stone, in colors. The
most difficult, branch Of (which is now
generally implied when chromos are spoken
offs the art of reproducing oil paintings.
When chrome is made by competent
hand it presents an exact counterpart OF the
original painting, with the delicate grada
tons of tints and shades, and with much Of
the spirit and tone Of production Of the
brush and pallet.
To understand how chromos are made,
the art OF TYPOGRAPHY must first be briefly
explained. The stone used in lithos raphiug
is species of limestone found in Bavaria
and is wrought into thick slabs with finely
polished surface. The drawing is made np-
on the slab with a sort Of colored soap,
which adheres to the stone, and enters into
chemical combination with i, alterthe anpli-
cation Of certain acids and gums. When
the drawing is complete, the slab is put on
the press, and carefully dampened with q
sponge. The oil color Cor ink) is then ap-
piled with common printers roller. OF
course, the parts Of slab which contain no
drawing, being wet. resist the ink while
the drawing iselfbeing oily. repels the water.
but retains the color applied 1t is thus
that, without a raised surface or incisiun 49,
as in common printing. wood>cuts, and steel
| ngravings-lithography produces printed
drawing from perfectly smooth stone.
In a chrome, the first proof is light
ground tint, covering nearly all the surface.
It has only faint, shadowy resemblance to
the completed picture. 1t is in fact rather a
shadow than an outline. The next proof
| from the second stone, contains all the shade,
l e L. rrl,s Z,
again and again and again; occasionally
~ often as thirty times. We saw one proof
in visit to Mr.. Prang's es.abishment,-a
group Of cattle,-that had passed through
the press twelve times; and it still bore a
greater resemblance to a spoiled colored
photograph than to the charming picture
which it subsequently became. The mum.
Der of impressions, however. does not neces-
sarily indicate the number of colors is q
painting, because the colors and tints are
greatly multiplied by combinations created
in the process Of printing over another. In
twenty-five impressions, it is sometimes me-
cessary and possible to produce hundred
| distince shades.
The last impression is made by an engras-
ed stone, which produces that resemblance
to canvas noticeable in all Of Mr.. Prang'
finer specimens. English and German
chromos, as rule, do not attempt to give
this delicate final touch. although it would
seem to be essential in order to make per>
feet imitation Of . painting.
The paper used is white, heavy "plate
paper of the best qnality; which has to
| pass through a heavy press. sheet sheet,
before its surface is Fl, to receive an impress
sion.
| The process thus briefly explained, we
need hardly add, requires equally great skill
add, judegmentat every stage. Asingle error
is instantly detected by the practiced eye in
the finished specimen. The production of
chrome, if it is at all complicated, requires
several months- somtimes several years
Of careful preparation. The nero drawing
the different aud entirely>detached parts
| on SO many different stones is of itself a
work that requires an amount Of labor and
degree Of skill, which to person unfamiliar
with the process. would appear incredible.
Still more difficult and needing still greater
skill, is the process Of coloring. This DEM
ands Knowledge which artists have h,her>
to almost exclusively monopolzet. and in
addition to it. the practical familiarity of a
| printer with mechanical details. Drying
and registering as important bran, hes
| Of the art Of making chromos rs drawing
and coloring. On proper registering, for
example, the en ire possibility Of producing
picture at every stage of its progress de-
ponds. Registering is that part Of a press :
mans work which consists in SO arranging
the paper in the press, that it shall receive
the impression on exactly the same spot OF
every sheet. Ia book work, each page must
be exactly opposite the page printed on the
other side Of the sheet, in order that the i'm
preston, IL on thin paper, may not "show
through" Ia newspaper work this is OF
less importance, and often is not attended to
with any special care. But in chromo~li>
biography the difference Of . hairs breadth
would spoi! picture for It would hopeless,
" mix up the colors.
Alter the chrome has passed through the
press, il is embossed aud vanished, and
put up for the market. These final pros
cesses are fer the purpose Of breaking the
glossy light, aud Of softening the hard out.
lines which the picture receives from the
stone, which imparts to it the resemblance Of
u painting on canvas.
Mr. Prang began his business in the hum,
blest way, but has rapidly increased his es
tablishment, until he now employs Fifty
workmen, nearly all Of them artists and
artisans Of the most skillful class. and is
preparing TO move into larger building at
Roxbury. He uses eighteen presses his
sales are enormous. His catalogue now
embraces large nu 4 Der Of Alum Cards,
about seventy sets OF twelve in each set;
beautiful sci les of Illuminated :. Beatitudes,"
and Scrptural Notices = an endless list
Of our great men, and Of men not so great
after all, Of Juveniles, notably, prosusey
illustrated edition Of "Old Mother Hubbard.
and Of half chrvmos and chromos proper
Taits Chickens" "Ducklings, and
EQUALS" were the first chromos that met
instant and wide recognition. Nineteen
thousand copies Of the 'sChickensu alole
were sold. Bricher's " Early Autumn on
Esopas Creek" is enc Of the best chromos
ever made on small scale. The Bull
finch" and the Linnet' latter Cruikshank)
arc admirable. There are other chromos
which are less successful, and one or two
which are not successful at ali bu. they
are nearly allcxcellent copies Of the originals,
with which the defects must be charged.
The chromos Of Bricher's paintings are
really wonderfully accurate.