The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-03
MIR. JAS. USHER'S BUSINESS.
VOLUMEs EXPANDED ny INSERTIN0
UNIQUE ENGRA VINGS.

UNIQUE ENGRA VINGb.
Rare Books Given n Priceless valae-Henrv
Wnrd Beechsr's seven Hsndred Pictures
OF Christ-A Perpetual Tour Of Europe.
Right under tue roof at Murray street,
not "A stones throw from Broadway. but az en-
trely shut out from tho rattle aud roar OF that
magnificent thoroughfare "a though Vt were
hut In the Adiroudscks, is a quaint little room.
nlled from floor To ceiling with old books, cases
OF engravings, bertldic devices, hits OF old
armor, queer weapons, and rsro Illuminated
coats Of arms. Presiding over this unique col
lection "a a tall, tnin gentleman, with the sd-
dress OF a student, and such he 10. Heraldtc
Painter" lie what Mr.. James Usher styles hun
self ON the little slgu on his door.
"rhere are 100000 ensraUngs In tbose cases"
Mr.. Usher said, pointing to LARGE pastebo, ard
cases Oh the shelves OF the room, labelled, Fine
Art y Historical, French - Historical. Eng
lish;" Napoleon" "washloston, "DlDle,"
and the like. And these 10000 eusravings, ar
ranged and classified as you zee, are the result
of twenty years OF labor Here" he continued,
opening n case, are engravines by Francis
Bartolozzi. very rare; here are some by Raphael
Morghon, also raro; those are by Robert
Strange; these by Sharpe; here are some OF tho
works OF Edelnick; ami these are by Drevent.
have others as rare, but these names will give
you an illustration Of some OF the scarce enprav-
incs have secured during these twenty years Of
COLLECTING"
-, -" bu. have YOU made this collection simply
Not atone, by any means" was the
answer Though there IL plenty Of pleas.
Srs IN tue occupation Ssa i s,,s par. Of
are collected for the purpose OF iiustratins
those that are illustrated by the publishers, ouI
suoh as are Illustrated oy the purchasers"
=" Dy the purchasers 2"
"Yes. Ii " getting TO be an art, and is tho ia
| vofite pnrruit II many gentlemen OF means.
In sheets, nr numoers not bound, and printed
on as iaiso sheets as can be found. They then
take ali INDEX u not perfectly familiar with the
contents Of tue book. Nv the index or from
memory they choose subjects for Illustration.
| and then search Tor enViavings TO illu.trate.
Take this Chaucer % an example. Mr.. usher
| said, opening al elegantly bound volume. TINS
was originally Ia one voiume, without illustra-
tons. lhe'iilus ratur, NOu see. has rSeiled the
book to three volumes 10y means OF the engrav-
! log that he nis introduced This line, you see
rpoaks Of Ganyneue, aud here IL AL engraving
| oi q invnede borne to Olympus by the eagle Of
JoNe. In another place reference Ia made TO
| Queen, win tho fatal asp at ner bosom. mus
you see by going nrougn these volumes you nnd
| many rare and appropriate eusravinss. luis
| Cuauccr has about one hundred introduced
| illustrations. When tue Inst OF .nsrayingr Is
competed. and the book Handsomely bound,
the collector n"s unique Edition, unlike any
! other IN existence, and consequently II great
vdlde To MN and lovers Of boDAs generally.
same SIZE as The book" Mr.. Usher continued.
" So far 90 good when they ere iarger tbey can
| often To ,ut down 30 tue plOper sizei auu AMEN
they re smaller tnev are liid ON paper of tue
| right sze. lhis mas given rise To tue new pro-
lesion ~ 'niaying. There are several artists in
| tnis line. VIVA nave acquired sucn lrOnoiencv
that, - tue quickness aud neatness OF their
| art. they Tar exec the inl ,yors ~ Bog
| laud ana France, rs Is seen by tue work That
| comes from those countries. lniayers are also
generally proficient Ia tue art oi c'eanlng. split
ting, mounting, and rep .irilg dan AGED and I'M
perfect pictures. Bat tniuk that one-balf OF
the illustrations do ntir own mayins, "A. =
How is II done7 l will tell you briefly. Draw
| Ing payer IN cut Into soeets the sze OF ne BOOK
to Oe Illustrated; tue engraving Is trimmed
down To tue edge u the engraved part, placed
| upon the paper and marked Al each lower COT
ber with pencil dot An opening 10 ben made
about q quarter ~ IN Inca smaller than the eIi-
craving, the edges OF the opening ana the edges
oi The print re pred vita a~narp knife aud
the two are neatly y. steJ together. Iney are
tben ~ essed-aD ordinary coD,ing press vii DO
| until ur,, aud when taken out the print has
tue appca rance OF psing rinted ON tue D@per.
| complete "a the op"ratioD."
| Inns illustrating That you speak OF Ia some
thing cOmpai a.iveiy new, Is IL uot,' asked the
TO ,orteT.
| orieinaied with the hev. James Granger, AN
! hngnsh clerHSmsu, VINO wrote uivgr phlcd
| hls.ory OF En-i4nd bout one hundred wears $50.
hr. Joan Alien, an old antiquaran. wh" lived
| for many Se.rs IA Nandervater street ana VINO
| oleu IN 1854 VAS the nTst whp ~ AIDE any sbste-
! maize nort ~ TINS line IL Anencs. lie bad the
| sovantals oi bs,ng nrst ~ tue ned. md pr,nts
wsrs tien ABUNDANT nj eatly procured. His
| library was soid IN 1884 tor nearly ttO.U1U, aud
! one half OF this bmOunt was probably due "
the extra Illustrations that lie nsd placed IN the
| volumes
| "tow do you get theso printsr"
AT auctions Of olh Dnohs and at old book
stands, ana many ere bruu- nt To me-"
| ~ a cl.ss OF BOOKS are mostiy illustrated :
The Biuie; histories OF Bhgiish and American
liter, ture; the uraun, 40 'lrelands history of
the American Stagej poets biographical works
hi-tOrios ~ HE United Sia.es, Is, gland, aud
France; local hi,torle--Dr. Francs's 'Old
New York Is a general favoitte with New York
Illustrators and Renoaloyies OF families, aud
even 4 zetteers, 10 VAIN large numbers OF
views can De placed Sometimes he uictures
are duptc ted. "a IN the case OF the BlDie, In
which VIII nc given twenty or thirty different
pictuTes of the Crucinkion, II the huly
Fanny, showing the style ana enorts and
ideaiity OF different painters aud ensIAvefs.
Henry Wlrd Is erner mas such lhOie OF hls
own IN king up, n which ae 7OJ pictures OF
Ch4.st aud 81 different pictures 81 ths Holy
Family. Mr. I. IA. Baxter, OF BROOKLYN He,snts,
has enlarged % copy II tue BiUlo to tsh Noiumes
by The al di ron OF 6,vU illustrations. Dr. Ein-
me- OF this citv, descendant OF the great
Thomas Adds Enmet, has copy ~ trancis'-
'Old New YORK wnch was originally one
| volume Emo. book. me doctor has enlarged
each page, ~ lnlaving, Ia - small fono SIZE, IN
crea'i Ing IL In nfteen volumes. A coy OF tiaren
duns history VI the Rebellion OF IRE liues of
Carries l. was Illustrated by London gentle
men al expense vi S55u.O
" hat can tell YOU Of novel feature of this
science" M. ush'r continued. gentleman
with his family, maze a tour OF surope. and
they ke Ia journal 4 their urney ca tneii
ret IN they spent many dappy hours IN Illus
trating tue journal with Vows Of the place. and
portr.its Of the prominent men that th-y had
seen. or whose shI Ines they mad inspected, and
otneT illustrations Of me customs ana pecuiia l.
ties OF the countries they had visited. nnI thu:
they were enabled, Y thered rouud the ne on .
winters evening, 10 do their Journey over Ano
| al