New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-26
MAKING PICTURE FRAMES.
FoRE1GN WORK NO LONGER PREFERRED
ARTISTS now SATISFIED WITH AMERICAN FRAMES
TIE VARIOUS PROCESSES IN UsE-PECULIAR

| "Wbere do all the picture frames come
| FRONT" asked person who had gone the
rounds of the winter and spring exhibitions
| and the query must have occurred TO
many who have noticed the thousands in the various
galleries The making Of picture frames has developed
within n short time in o an important and rapidly grow
ing business. Only short time ago 1t was considered
necessary go abroad in order to artistic frames
for fine paintings Now the leading art firms Of the city
purchase American frames in preference to I'M
porting them from France. New-York Is
naturally the centre of trade in frames. This the
| Paris OF America" said dealer Art centres here
people here to buy their pictures, and therefore 1t
ia here that they get the frames. or the extent Of the
business IL is impossible to get exact estimate The
profits # one firm frames for year reckoned
at $4,000. The amount paid for frames alone III this
city, exclusive of ornamental mouldlngs, must
be very large Many cheap frames OF an inferior quality
made in Philadelphia and the business is becoming
one OF some importance in Chicago, st. Louis and Gin
cnnat but NewYork easily retains here prominence
FramcInaking is by no a simple process From
the time that pine tree Is feued In the forests
of the North and Northwest to the time that
a section It surrounds oil painting underneath a
load OF ornamental gliding, is usually an interval of
years The pine log ia cut into boards, shipped to the
great manufactures OF moudings and there seasoned
for period months years. In the largest
manu- factory of mouldings in the country, which
is situated Ncw-York 10000 feet Of tim
Der are used daily This, 1t should be under
stood, Is by means all for frames. MOudings are
for conIccs for windows for pictures
the other purposes for which bcveed ana
decorated strips Of wood can be used Pine IL consumed
in much larger proportions than any other wood It's
Ishtness being n great advantage. Cherry, oak and
black walnut lumber il procured from the West and
from Tennessee and Kentucky, but OF late |
il has been growing scarcer and more expensive and
mahogany often takes It's place Ash is also occasion
ally worked mp into frames. The use Of ingenious ma
chi
moudiugs A pine plank Of the requisite width ana
thickness Tor the size OF the moulding desired is run
through machines These, roughly speaking consist
of boxes lifted with knives and bevols' which divide
and chsel out the board INTO double nouunss' l.tcn
strip 81 wood on leaving the machine consists OF TWO
moudings Joined together TINS double work X done |
for convenience and lmckmers me next thlhs u 10
apply cost oi whiting This Is a PREPARATION com |
and some other ingredients. snowy Wilderness covers
the walls aud Gopr Of the rooms where this - handled
By Que method the double strip 81 moulding Is placed tn
frame aud secured with clamps Then PccnlaTy |
mats followed out "A to ht closely on the moulding
d5S box ,he DHG Wood T''f fhrongh small hole
ms the box is moved backward and for |
ward along the moulding BY another method !
stream Of whiting poured The wood just before It
passes through some rapidly rtloNlng Whrtis Inns |
Is ncccsrar, thick and durable coating which
shall admit ~ nuhqcIueut gliding and ofnninenatl0n
Much moulding after the double strips arc divided
il sold in this state 70 elders ana dealers VINO colllte
the themselves The price ranges from TWO cehtsa
Thc nyt step in mouldngs designed for frames Is TO
mt ON leaves ho7sc and various ornaments IN relief
size
These Iilsru oIhhn'hlH arc 'li' " ~ ~
which plaster of Paris predomatcs aud are simply cast
cut INTO piecca Of different lengths aud the raised
ornaments pressed upon them and Fastened by |
namcuts chiefly from Paris, and are constanty |
changing Thrrr Of course an almost endless variety
Of ,zcs aud designs for frames. Each MANUFACTURED
Iccps scores ~ filed with samples Of moulding Of
dIrregt silus and with different ornaments These are
d-tiugu4hcd by numbers aud letters. His customers
among gildrrs ana dealers ~ frames Keep Sml! saih
pies with corresponding destinations. An artist VINO |
enters an art store lu search OF frame Tor his |
picture Is shown collection OF thc-e ranli..s, ana
makes hs selection "I N"-E',t, q hc OF II, &c
algn The number OF the moulding and style oil orna |
mcut with % section Of drawing nlli size with the dinen
sions are then sent 10 Wy I1rg.,. Wv ~
NAV ur may not he made up into frames at tht |
.Iidins I'm n halfcrcle on u pivot, cuts the |
moudiugs into lengths ~ such an angle tnt me chds
AZ" cnhh%mS i ,r an sill" The duraoiity of Veil
made frame il remarkable. French frames warp and
crack m this climate. They are made 81 wood re-
.cmlIng pine but very heavy often thin sheet Of
Wool the whole Of the of the picture In
painting recently shown In this ely this mat OF WOOD
yas four feet by Ave- al of piece. In the American
frames the back c the Is left open In the larger
pTh feature Of picture frames which attracts the most
attention and upon which their eject chiefly depends
tho gliding, ma not yet htsn touched upon dH' Is
ing ia do n the frames arr made up IN me factory tey
con r ~ The Master of Paris preparation used
FOR the ornaments. The glider rsts rbs the frame over
bl'ckead ana ,'s,i , @ t. iiin ~ p' done on
IA, nppyiu. sheets OF gold leaf In one uptown csa6-
binrri when business is good, twenty or thirty pack
s c,ch containing tscnt, i've sheets OF gold leaf
used weekly The gold leaf u lai on with delicate
brush and pressed down into the crcVce- OF the 0i
mrni- with line instrumcnts PROJECTING parts oi the
ornaments burnshc with hal erinStrlncntS untli
they are bright ana -hinig. Vh 3'h,t Pat' tn' Eoi"
r, /, lcfi look more dul and dead ON the Nat pnr
ious of the tne gold leaf is laid on evenly and
often left without much bhrnlsh!hS' Inc process |
of gliding expensive frames 10 ueIl,atc ana
, ic as inco.c the "bnckcyes" and pot boil
cr ~ the class auction rooms and country sales
i1Var Ia "a
paint with really valuable frames not Only care
ul Workmanship bat conSiasra9e lapse OF 'iino Is re-
, ,h i,Wg thn intricacy aud novelty ~ the oruamen
tot"n aud the size o the moulnng CIT frames can be
nugDt for - TO 5000 One OF the largest AMI most
ppsnsiyc frames probably nade in this country j.
nnty under way ~ the factory spOken of above. II |
IL o designcd for a largo historical painting in the
sixteen feet by ten. The more common forms
large quantities nj factories ana irah's can DO sup
plIrd from them at comparatively low rates. |
" ltoi SroUzed eboniicd" plainly or with gilt, " s
vcrcd" or simply painted. As has been stated the
are almost innumerabe and aro constantly changing
Gders here frequently get up new styles ana arIst5
reproductions OF paintings by French artists
which have been so popniar OF mg, hat lres , % Tb
., AIhambra" Ia comparatively new STYLE unlikely 70
obain much favor, which slOwsa combination OF ram
H hines the idea which Ia supposed to be from the
Aihambra Palace. The "Forentne style Is charac-
frriIed by broad border OF bold open work, tue
usual shape OF the mouldngs Several noticeable novel
ties have been recently seen here WhisterS white
GiTl +" M the Metropolitan Museum il not alone III
tts ehostly white Frame for an idea2ed por-
tTait of a young lady by W. NJ. Chase. lately
Zen nj Ayerys Art Rooms, possesses the same
necularity W. II. Lows skipper Ireson," az the
tast exhibition OF the Society OF American Artists,
was incloscd in very pretty frame nearly nat, with
signify ornamented border, the Hat surface showing
~ of rope aud a shells. Somewhat similar the
Soames I'm which W. Gcdney Bunce displays his large
Venetian lie prefers rongh pine painted over
nth what may be formed gilt paint, but
shaving clearly the grain and slivers Of the
wood slightly raised ornamental border
Lii seaIlop she'll at each and knot of rope
underneath complete the decorations The frame OF j.
AIdcn Wers " Muse OF Music WAS remarkable for its
eItre,ne width which apparently foot. The
frnn AcndnmY exhibition. /