Wichita eagle., 1886-09-26
DEAD-WALL ART WORK.
METHODS BY WHICH ARTISTIC THE
ATER PICTURES ARE MADE.
Amount of "Paper' Required by q First
Glass Company-Drawing ON the Blocks
and Cutting Out the Designs-Litho-
graph Department.

Glass COmpany.OT8W1nS On tno IAocAS
and Cutting Ont the Designs-Litho-
graph Department.
The average theater man growls at the
show printing charges and swears at it, but
be cannot help himself The printing for
show on the road costs so much. No respect
able company, or pretentious outfit, can ap-
proach theatrical show printing place for
less than from $500 to $500 down. That
money must be put up. That covers the
blocks alone and the artists services. The
blocks for big forty sheet poster cost not
less than 5000. There are forty pine blocks;
if they are all in one color it is not so much
trouble. but if there are four colors, as there
often are on big show stand, it means 16O
blocks. each cut with mathematical nicely
and each to be put away on the printers
standing galley" and kept. The printer
tries to get his money in advance for the
making of these blocks. They are of no use
to him after the original party has them
Therefore he figures to get the first cost OF
blocks, engraving and storage down, and he
i, then ready to treat for time on the balance
that is, paper, press work and profit.
A first-ciass theatrical company starting
on the road takes from 81 900 to So, 600 worth
of spaper." These are inside figures, so far
as local figures 60. Great combinations from
New York often bring a great deal moro
than that. but within the year we have seen
very poor New York attractions fairly
scattering their paper between New York
and Chicago, at a cost of not less than 5000
for the engagement. 1t IS dreaful waste OF
money, for it does no good. The show PRINT
ing of the country has had its greatest I'M
petus from Barnum and the rest of the circus
men. One thing must be said OF Barnum, he
believes always in printers ink. be believes
in it so much that he buys his own presses
and his own ink for ordinary work because
he wants so much of it. For tho great en-
cravings he, of course, employs proper talent
There is one artist now in his employ who
can cut three sheet poster In two coors In
one hour. 1t will not be Raphael or
Corr,ggN, but it will look like something
when he has finished it.
DRAWING AND DESIGNING.
Wooden blocks for theatrical printing are
first drawn on the wood and then "cut
around" The blocks are soft pine, perfectly
dry. and are held like wise when the man
and his graver are digging out the picture.
IT. REQUIRES not so much art to cut on pine rs
it does to design. The man competent to
take q scene plot of play and fix up dead
wall matter can in any frst-clasS printing es
tablishment command $50 a week. His chlei
skill comes in the drawing and designing OF
blocks. so that after he has dozen or more
| made they shall result in a striking picture
| His assistants receive from $50 to So week
They are the "board cutters" as they ar
! called
! The first block holds the drawing ano
| makes the picture Tho other blocks simply
| fill in tho coloring Thus a block or com
| bination of blocks when made will print ,
complete picture, but it will all bo in black
The coloring-red, blue yellow, green, ETC.
| is done by another series Of blocks. Most o
theatrical fancI printing is in four colors O
combinations Of colors. Tho first, or "ke,
| block as it is called, costs s1.35 for th
| board. s5 for the designing or drawing tn
| picture or part of a picture, and S4.6o 10
| engraving These blocks, therefore, cos
about s11 each before tho ink roller goes OF
them. Most of the "big stand work, as 1T l
called, comprises from twelve to fifty-fou
sheets, the general size for large picture worl
being forty sheets. At S11 each for the block
it will be seen, therefore, that forty shee
| engraving on dead wall representing tw
| fighting rhinoceroses, or herd of leopards
or Mylesna-C Coppaleen jumping of tho rocks
or a procession Of elephants, means the ez
penditure of about $3.50 before single shee
is run through the press.
But it is in the lthographing department
Of big show printing house that the none
is made. and wherein artists earn their fame
The best sho-v work is now all done on stone
The first stone, like the key block, is the e1
pensivc one The stone costs according t
the time it is required to hold one picture
The designing and engraving are htt
moro expensive, but the printing, on the othe
hand, is a trifle cheaper. As rule the deat
wall autographs are not SO largo as the WOO
cuts. still they often run as large as thirty-tw
sheets in size. Several Of tho circus poster
now visible on the fences will run to that siz;
They cost about eight cents sheet. The COS
of a thirty-two sheet picture, aside from III
cost of express charges, posting, etc, Is abor
$3.50
| THE NEEDS OF A SEASON.
a first-class attraction other than circus
which of course uses much moro paper, wi
consume in a season about 500 thirty-tw'
sheet. 800 eighteen-sheet and 500 twelve-shet
pictures. These they divide up and ofte
make smaller stands, but that Is about til
quantity of lithograph paper they Will U.s.
OF wood engravings they run from l,00o
5000 sheets, and in ordinary letter printin
they run about the same. A recognized a
traction that employs that style of adverti
ing will not expect to 60 on tho road an
finish the season without supplying the goa
and the town scavenger with about S6,U
worth OF paste and paper.
Very many Of the show pictures Of the be
ter class are the work Of excellent artist
The smaller Autographs, especially, are ofte
meritorious and worthy of better place
art than the bill posters cart. There was OF
nut ont some time ago of Kate Castleson,
the little Ouakeress, who used to sing "F'
Goodness Sake Don't Say Told You
was full figure cut, with the daintiest TO
and ankle, and the whole was surrounded [
q litographed frame representing pink plu:
and hard wood That picture Is now on mo
private walls than it is on dead walls, al
the reason is that the picture was tast
modest and artistic Barnum has some sing
sheet Autographs which illustrate the "kt
block system There are variety OF sing
sheets. but all have tho venerable Snowman
picture ON the key block. Sometimes tht
put in flying trapeze with woman
tights: sometimes horrible skeleton, aga
q chariot, again clown, again hlppopot
mus. and again q lot of wild Arabian charger
These are all cuts made from ono thirty-tv
sheet poster stand and segregated for salot
windows. They are mostly done In fo'
colors. but there again the printer 'mgs, I
he does four colors in three. Black Is on
tie foundation-the key block. Yellow
; another, blue another, and rcd. With I
combinations Of blue, yellow and red, an
pert printer can make half score OF eitec;