The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1884-07-18

AN ANCIENT ART REJUvENATED.
Bronze Beating s Practiced by ADJ
Sanced Brooklyn Womeu-Tools,
Material and Results-A
Noisy Pastime.
IN. Y. World. I

n. \ . W ORD.
Brooklyn young ladies have new craze.
1t is a mania for beating bronze As far
as the art of bronze beating itself is con.
cerned, there is nothing particularly new
in it since Homer sang the glories of Nul.
cans work ON Achilles shield. The novel.
tv of the ma ter lies in the fact that each
Brooklyn young lady of fashion thinks it
necessary to make an amateur Vulcan of
herself and whack sheet brass substitutes
for the shield of Achilles all day long in
her paternal mansion. The fashion came
TO Brooklyn from Europe secondhand
through Philadelphia about two years
ago, but WAS confined until recently to
small and select cult, of which Mrs Mary
+. llavens, of No. lO1 Greene avenue,
Brooklyn, professional artist, Of many
and various requirements, was the leader
Now it enjoys the high tide of popularity
and the fashion is spreading. Before its
progress the old favorte arts in which
would-be accomplished fair ones dabbled
are all flying. 1t has routed mineral paint
ing, plaque and panel desccration porce'
lain daubing, fire-screen work, and is even
threatening embroidery, fancy needle
work and the piano-lorte distraction. In
ih'ut u 10 tilC thihS ~ 'N'''
nine circles, just as mineral painting was
seven years ago.
Its materials are simpe-sheets of brass
or copper bronze---and its tools are few,
inexpensive and ever-durable. A pupil can
either catch the primary ideas FROM books
or may derive the necessary information
by looking for half All hour at IA friends
work.
1t is a very noisy art. A conscientious
( bronze-be attending strictly to bust
/ ness will cause as much tumult as we'll
/ developed blacksmith, and from the fine
| house of Columbia Heights there issues on
fine afternoons sounds which persuade the
untutored paSser-by into the belief that he
has CHANGED on region of aristocratic
boiler factories. The tools consist ordiuari-
| " of two broad headed steel hammers, one
weighing three ounces and the other half u
pound, and eight steel shafts with broad,
Hat heads and points of varying styles.
The Sheet copper, bronze and brass can
he bought in any artists supply store. 1t
is sold by the pound, in any width from
six to sixteen inches, any width over that
size being made only to order. The brass
is thirty cents pound and the bronze II
trihe more expensive. 1t is cut to any siz,
before being taken from the shop.
Soliciting the one she desires from
among these sized sheets the young lady
screws it all around the edge to a smooth
planned piece of board. Say, for instance
it is to be a medallion bearing Minerva,
head As it lies hattened to the board
piece of impression paper is spread over
it. Over this again is spread
print or drawing of the head, TAX
ing stylus the artist follows all the need
ed lines carefully and then removes the
papers. The design remains clear, and
strong on the metal sheet. This easy pro-
cess is indispensable even to those who
sketch thu best, for pencil will slip on the
brass or bronze. The drawing done the
tracing begins with one or other of the tools
mentioned above. The worker, constant.
ly beating with the lighter hammer, runs
the tool more or less rapidly along the ont
lines, and the sheet which lately was ha
springs upward in graceful features and
rounded cheeks and flowing hair and mar
tial helmet and dignied eye. When the
face, helmet and hair are all complete the
background is beaten carefully down, anC
then, after being cOlored artiiicialy, t.
give it the flavor of antiquity, the medal
lion is framed in velvet plush and stand
complete.
The articles usually made by the bronze
be ating bellies are medatlons, figure,
plaques and panels, salvers, ash trays
mirror and picture frames, panels for UNI
brella stands, goblets, vases and pitchers
The gobets, vases or pitchers are spun
into shape on chuck at some establish
ment where brass and bronze spinning are
carried or.
The craze for demonstrating on thi,
part of the Atlantic seaboard has reached
Brooklyn alone. New York has no cult
and very few individual laborers. The
Brooklyn ladies affected by it are almost
altogether influenced by the desire for ac
compliShment, but "A small minority fash
/ ion bronzes for sale. Only one here anC
there succeeds.