Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-07-02
How Impressions arc talgon From
Old Tomba in Egypt

How Impressions arc tukCn From
old Tombs in Egypt
Armed, therefore, with stock of
Photographic plates, and with tbe
far more essential stock Of paper fuf
making moulds on "aquoezoa' from
the stone, / began work ON Che tome
pies Of Thebes. Ia most cascs tlo
sculptured surface has lost all trace
of its coloring, and 60 may then bc
washed and soaked without auy
harm. First drenching IL with water,
a sheet Of soaked paper is then laid
on it, and worked into tho holI0wa
by the fingers next this is beaten
with a brush until 10 "a thoroughly
pulped into an the carvings, and
even into the very grain OF thc stono
itself. Every line aud chip aud naw
must receive the paper as closely aa
a coat Of paint then, after any bros.
en- parts Of the sheet have had oNH1
pieces beaten until the two seem
like one layer OF pulp. In couple
Of hours or 80 this will be- dry and
the sheets light and uuchaugoabIo.
except by wet or heavy pressure,
may be packed DIP and carried n
parcels without any damage. lu
many cases The great battle scenes
OF rows OF cnptiyea cover whole uBIla
up 10 twenty 10 thirty feet from tho
ground. Here % was nccdfuI t1
hang rope-ladder over tbo wall
from the top, and cnjoiung my Arab
above 10 stand steady on thc end 0f
IL, and not let 80 ou amy account
whatever, then scaled zap, gripping
the long brush, with The paper wound
round Il, between nay teeth. Hitch.
ing an elbow IN over r. step to kpcp
myself zap, / unrolled tho paper aud
brushing over the stone with the
wet brush, spread the sheet out, aud
beat IL ON. In other oases high
stack Of boxes served FOR stops, and
contained my collections oftorward.
On reaching England, Che paper im.
prcssions were soaked with wnN upon
a stove plate, and were thus brought
into a state for making amy number
Of plaster casts. From q SET of caste
the photographs were at last tabcu,
far better and more easily thau if
taken direct from the stouci tho
lighting can be precisely arranged,
so as 10 give the right eXtont aud
direction OF shadow, and the acola
can be made uniform. This drat
set Of casts, after exhibition
at the South Keusington Museum
will be preserved in the British Mu-
scum.
Besides the sculptures, there are
many painted tombs, which 8re
equally important, lu one tomb.
that Of Governor of the Sudan.
are portrayed all the southern races
over which he ruled the several
chiefs with their followers bearing
bags Of gold dust and precious onor
ngs as tribute boats with negroes
seated on them herds of cattle dec.
grated with hands-probobly of mct-
ll-on che ends of their horns and
, great Queen in chariot drawn by
.wo piebald bulls dixie Che modern
Abyssinian breed) with Che state um.
1rella over her head.
These tomb-painUngs, when near
he entrance, can be- sufficiently light
"a by successive renector of tu
plate FOR good photographs to ba
aiken but for those decp DOB roca
iewn chambers, hundreds of focI
rom the outer light, magnesium la
leeded. The powdered metal U
mixed with an equal amount of chic.
ate Of potash Che camera is adjust.
a the plate is put in aud left cN.
posed and then, lighting the paper
IN which the powder Hes, single
lash, bright ms "a sunny day and
lull heavy thud that mmblea through
he long passages, tell chat tho work
= done, and looking round Boz One
,lackness, "A faint patch of yellow
shows where the candle name rs.
some OF these mngncsium-lgbt pho.
ographs are among the most sucoeaa.
ul.-Harper's Mdgasiue.