The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-12-11
ART In THE SALOONS.
KNIGHTS OF THE SOAP DISH WHO
PAINT ON MIRRORS AND WINDOWS.
Tho Promise of Drinks and Bod VIII
Produce Rivals of Munkacsy-Some
Effects That arc Decidedly Novel-or-
biography Not in Favor Among These
wieIdors of the Brush.

OF all Glasses Of art and artists, says
the Chicago Mail, from the highest to
the lowest, from Michael Angelo down
to the brush-wielder who whitewashes
the back fence, there is probably no class
with which the public is more unfamil-
lar than that known in everyday phrase
ology as mirror decorating" Yet
almost everybody has seen decorated mir
rors. They abound in saloons and places
of public resort, and, though so common,
it is a rare thing to catch the artist at his
work Elaborate scenes, graceful llowers,
ferns and figures, or an advance notice"
Of some coming theatrical attraction
stand out on the polished glass, but how
they came there or by whom they were
done is mystery to the passer-by and
the man who tarries before the bar.
"Who does III" repeated cocktail
dispenser on Madison street to MdEI
representative looking up at huge mir.
ror which exhibited u foreground of reeds
half concealing a meditative stork, al
lowing the spectator to gaze over u lake
upon which boat was sailing and bring
ing his eye against q range of mountains
in the distance. "Well, lots of fellows
around town do the work as n steady
job, and any number of seeds tramp the
country picking up drinks, grub, and
occasionally quarter because they
know how to handle a pencil-or rather,
the soap-in this kind of work.
cts done with soap,you know--pure,
white soap. The man who did this
piece of work was traveller, and from
the way he looked when he came in the
other morning and struck for the job
should judge he entered the city in one
of the side-door palace cars. He had a
pocketful of soap and / told him if he
would apply q little of it to his face and
hands in conjunction with some water
he could use the rest on the mirror.
That's the result of his work. Looks
like quite job, doesn't it? The fellow
did II in about an hour and thought him.
self amply paid with three or four drinks
and twenty-five cents"
The art of mirror decorating, like every
other specially of the kind, appears to re-
quire peculiar knack for just that kind
of business. The drawing is done with
soap, and while the lines must be boldly
marked, there are opportunities for deli.
cate shading and requirements of correct
perspective which can not be neglected
If the sketch is to be success. And
while the decorating of a mirror in bar
room with piece of white soap cannot
be called very high art, it is still an art
in the sense that many poor tramp, who
is working only for drink, can turn out
better piece of work in quicker time
than way-up artist who has had his
picture displayed in the academy.
The mirror decorations commonly seen
are in only one color-the white-al-
though many of the "soap artists" at.
tain to higher flights and indulge in col
ors. What the mixtures they use are
composed of they consider trade secret
| but not few of them can, with their
white soap and their little pots of tinted
paste, produce really artistic results, i'm.
| itating flowers in their natural colors
and obtaining perspective, with the aid
of the mirror itself, that Is well-nigh per
feet. The work is done very quickly by
most of those who do it at very low
price. The materials used are ineXpen
sive and the artist Is generally satisfied to
make fifty cents or dollar an hour fol
work which comes so easy for him.
There are two or three of these mirror
decorators in the city who make it a
point to spread the merits of theatrical
companies through the medium of their
soap. The manager pays them for their
work and the owners of the mirrors re-
ceive complimentary tickets in consider.
alton of allowing a neatly-lettered an
nouncement to appear for few days
upon the glass. And IN this connection
q pertinent story has been heard. 1t is
well-known fact that the men to handle
the paint brushs, and especially the sign
writers, are decidedly reckless in the
matter of photography.
Once, when Hearts of Oak" was tc
be given at the Academy, Colonel Oar
Shelby, then in charge, concluded tC
work the mirror racket" and hired {
man to do the job. When the Colone
went after his matutinal cocktail the
next morning he gazed at the BARRON
mirror and saw "Hartz of Okc" inscribed
thereon in large letters. 1t was that way
all over the West Side, too. The bar
tender said he should have corrected thu
soap artist on any reasonable error, bu
he SO effectually disguised his words tina
he supposed the play was new one
something about "Mr. Hartz, of Oke.