Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-06-25
PERSONAL SKETCH.
LOUIS FRANC, THE onRoMo MAN.

LOUIS FRANC, THE CIIRoMo MAN.
Berwick " furnishes to an exchange n
sketch of Mr.. Louis Prang, whose chrome
pictures are now to be seen everywhere. |
We reproduce it 4:
He is German to begin with; born at
Brcslau, in Prussian Silesia, in 1924 his ia
ther of Norman-French descent, his mother
q native of the country in which he himself
first drew breath. His father was an inge-
nious person, constantly contriying new
devices for perfecting his trade, which was
that of a calico printer, or superintendent OF
printing and dying establishment. He
understood every department of the busi-
ness, including engraving on copper and
steel, and was regarded as quite genius in
his way.
Louis Praug, his son, now the well known
chromo-lithOgrapher was educated at Bres-
lau, as far as school learning can be said to
constitute education; although his real
.'course of studies was found in his carly
and extensive travels on the Continent and
in Great Britain. AT the age of thirteen he
left school and entered his fathers establish
ment, in which, during five years, he be-
came thoroughly instructed in every part OF
the business. He learned to engrave the
color blocks on wood; he studied practical
chemistry as far as it was then applied to
his trade; and mastered everything that it
is necessary for the superintendent OF cali
co printing house to know or do.
After spending five years under his fathers
care, he went to Hagen, in Westphalia, into
the counting room of a calico printing es-
tablshmcnt there, in order to become ia
miiar with the commercial department of
the business. At this time wealthy COM
pany was informally organized to open with
in n few years an extensive establishment in
this line. They employed young Prang to
travel as workman, to discover the best
processes and the latest improvements in
their business. On this crrand he visited
| Vienna, Paris. Rouen, different places in
Switzerland, London, Manchester, and
Glasgow.
When Mr.. Prang was in England, the re-
volution of lS4S broke out on the Continent.
He Immediately left his work and went back
to Germany in order to do his part to insure
the success of the Republican party. He
threw himself into the struggle with earnest
ness, and became President of the Demo-
cratic Club at Hirschberg. The people had
| power for about six months, and then came
the reaction. The old government again got
the control, and prescribed the leader of
the revolution by name, and among them
the future American photographer.
Mr.. Prang escaped to Bohemia, where he
was hid by his former allies, but after a
time, he was found out bv the Austrian
spies, and forced to take refuge in Switzer-
land. Disguised at the result of the revolu-
tion, and tired of his wandering life, he de-
termincd to emigrate to the United States.
In 1850 he sailed from Havre for New York
city, in which, after landing, he stayed only
few days, and then came to Boston, where
he has lived ever since.
AS he had little money, and could find no
work in his speciality, his first object was to
get some other employment. AS he was a
good draughtsman he formed a partnership
with an architect, and so occupied himself
in publishing architectural books, printed in
lithography. After trying this for a year,
he found that it would not succeed, and
formed q new partnership with manufac-
turer of portmonnaies, wallets and jewelry
boxes. The demand for these articles was
! was not large enough to support firm
and at the end of another year Mr.. Prane
determined to seek employment as a wooc
engraver. The coarse methods which wert
suitable for calico color-blocks, were useless
for newspaper cuts, and Mr.. Prang had Il
set to work and learn the business from tn,
beginning AT this time he was extremely
poor, and worked on an average eighteei
hours each and every day. He was en-
gagged by Frank Leslie, then the superinten
| NCHb I'll WI. otCuSol CotNDlioliiiCuts fou
years work in that line broke down hi
health under his incessant toll, and he wal
forced to seek for some other employment
allowing more bodily exercise.
He found German photographic printer il
want of u partner; he took share in th'
concern, and, at the end of three or fOu
years, bought him out. Shortly after settin!
up in business for himself the war brok
out, and he found himself without customer
and with heavy obligations to meet. II
lack of orders he was forced to publish
war map, which, to his delight and astonish
ment, was sold as fast as he could print
and brought him in ample funds Other wa
maps were equally successful; his scar
portraits" of Union generals were sold b.
the million his ''autumn leaves, ''mosses,
! .'ferns, ''ilowers" and 'butterilies" for til
album went off with amazing rapidity-th
tide in his affairs had come, and he took
I at its flood. (See last income list and Shakes
peare for the result.)
From the beginning of his career as
photographer, he aimed at becoming put
Usher of chromos, and now that his receipt
5 warranted the experiments he published a
! "Album of Cuba" after Granville Perkins
u and then two landscapes by A. Il. Brchel
both of which, at the time, were unsuccess
u full in the market. He next attempted Iait
u ''Chickens," which sold everywhere and {
once, and really inaugurated the new il
G dustry of chromo- publishing in America. {
u TaiI's three groups chickens, quails, an
e tlucklings-about fifty thousand copies hay
}; been sold IN the UniIed States alone and {
q they cost five dollars each, a quarter of
y million of dollars has changed hands In u
sale of these pictures. Since then, M
IS Prang has constantly improved his issue
y until now his Poultry Yard, kids Pla.
| ~ rI.In Font Rf,tr
!, and fruit pieces are quite equal to the fine
IL specimens of European chromos in OIL
He owes his success apart from the exis
IT ence of cultivated public which Graves fiji
N work Of arDto his skill in selecting the rigl
Q, men for the right places-to his thoroul
knowledge CT lithography and business life
to his great personal ambition to reach Il
a, head of his protcssion-to the fact that
~ I cxacts the best not the most from his wor
~ men, and finally to strong faith in printer
:. ink For example, when in Europe on +
;r cent visit, he secured the service OF one
"a the ablest chrom0-li photographers OF Englan
~ ~ Mr.. Harring, himself an artist, to who
- skill we owe the beautiful chrome of ct
~ Reading Magdalena" and other recent pu
II locations; and for the mechanical execute
- of the work he selected one of the best lit
a ographic pressmen in American, Mr. ]
"a "a brecht. 81 never blamed man for not d
~ ing enough if he did his best" This decli
ot n alton is the secret of the increasing beauty
az %' his publications. There is no shoddy
them; they spring from an artistic spiri
m. and hence their rapidly increasing populari'
rnr Mr. Prang employees seven chromo-litl
No praphic artists, who are constantly employ
he in reproducing pictures by American and fl
is eign painters. The chief Of this departing
20 is Mr.. Harring, German by birth who "
N regarded as the most skiful artist in
ua, great London establishment of Brooks, a
on was engaged at high salary by Mr.. Pra
W for term of years. He has no superior
nj chromo-lithographer in oil colors as far
-, we have seen. His assistants are all expe
,iii in their several specialties.
in Mr.. Prang keeps 33 presses at work, a
employs about seventy hands. He is n
Nd engaged in building large factory at r.,
,on bury. If his success in the future is equal
mn his success in the past, or to his ambition
,nr will yet stand at the head of a publish
M house as extensive as that of the Messrs II
i II pers of New York.