Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-04-16

Annie Kelly's Talent.
How SHE SUPPORTS HER MOTHER AND
Observation-Disclosures HER WORK.

Annie Kelly is only Is years old. but
she has decided talent in coloring photo
graphs, and her work is as creditable as
if she we're twice as old. She and her
mother live IN a neat little apartment,
hardly larger than a dolls house, at No.
III West Forty-fr street. Mrs. Kelly
is nurse, but times have been hard for
her lately and engagements have been
scarce. 1t is therefore upon Annie that
the task of providing for the support OF
the little home has fallen, and to accom-
plish this she works early and late. She
is ambitious too, and the hope that some
dav her talent may come to be recognized
gives her an additional stimulus. From
one of her mothers patients, a lady who
took an interest in the intelligent little girl,
Annie learnedth the art Of transferring photo
graphs to glass and coloring them-in such
a way that only practiced eye can distin-
guish them from paintings on porcelain.
The process is simple, but by no means
easy. Annie explained it the other day
to Tribune Reporter, and showed him
some charming specimens of her work.
The ordinary photograph which is to be
colored is detached from the card by soak
ing it in warm water Then piece OF glass,
free from all imperfections. is procured
ard covered with a thin coating of
starch. A similar coating is placed upon
the face Of the photograph. which is then
carefully laid upon the starched surface
of the glass. Then begins a tedious and diff
cult operation. The paper of the photograph
must be ground away with emery cloth
until no. hing remains but an almost i'm
perceptible and transparent film. If the
greatest care is not used hole will be
made in the photograph, or the paper
film will not be Of uniform thick
ness. Many are the pictures that Annie
spoiled in this way before she became
skillful. When the paper on which the
photograph was taken has been as far as
p >sible removed, the glass is heated
gently, and a preparation of paratiine is
used to render transparent whatever re-
mains The picture is then ready for
colo ing. The pant is applied on the
back, and the greatest delicacy of touch
is required to give the picture that smooth
ness and finish which are so much adj
mired in paintings on porcelain. Then,
since Annie works from behind the scenes
so as 10 speak, she must be continually
watchful that the effect of her work rs
seen from the front is good, tor the picture
does not always produce the same effect
when seen from the two sides. The col
oring OF photograph by this process is a
matter OF three days work. and for it
Annie receives about two dollars.
Il think it's worth more" said she,
"but I'd rather do them as cheaply as
can until people know me. A great many
people come here and look at my work
and say that they'll bring me photographs
TO do. but not many of them come back. "
One of the most difficult parts of the
whole process is to put the layers of starch
on the glass and on the face of the photo
graph and to apply the photograph to the
glass. The smallest air-bubble or in.
equality in the layers of the starch spoils
the effect of the picture. But Annie has
become so proficient now that her pictures
seldom show imperiecions. She also
does ordinary timing OF photographs in
water colors. and she says that most Of
her orders are for the less elaborate work
because it is less Xpensve.-Nem YORK
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