Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-29
Tho Decorative Use of Pictures.

Cheap looking oontrivances for decoration
are always q mistake, generally a failure;
but there Is a wide distinction to be made be-
tween such, and those effects produced with
out much expense A poor chrome or coarse
engraving is always in bad taste, while good
picture cut from fine illustrated paper and
suitably framed is artistic and satisfactory.
The art Of reproducing and engraving has
now reached such a point that almost
every good weekly and magazine offers the
means OF admirable wall decoration, or the
making of screens or stocking a portfolio.
For the first mentioned an original and ar
tistic method is the following:
Select interesting and well engraved illus
trations, If possible a series-for instance,
Abbey's ''She Stops to Conquer" Buy and
have cut at a wholesale house cardboards Of
a uniform size, and on the center of each Of
these paste carefully three or five Of the
pictures closely cut to the margin), and
frame them with very narrow band of oak
or cherry. Now arrange these along one or
tive sides Of room devoted to reading or
''lounging" purposes. II there are low book
shelves, let them run along the top, or they
may be placed with picturesque irregularity
above the chimney piece, a narrow high
frame enclosing three or four such cuts at
the side, and long narrow frame across the
center. Text applying to such a series might
be prestily bound in soft covers and hung by
a ribbon on the wall, SO that the pictures
have an additional interest when studied as
illustrations Care must be taken, how
ever, not 10 n1ingle inharmonious decorations
OF other kinds with such fixtures. Few but
the simplest water colors look well with
them, but peacock feathers, dried grasses,
great sprays Of bitter sweet and clematis,
are effective against or back Of the dainty
works OF art and self toned framework
Another novel way Of preserving first
class illustrations from weekly papers is to
cut them out close to the edge and then paste
them smoothly on an artists stretcher, such
as can be purchased for from forty cents to
81. the cheaper paper looking the best,
while the engraving or cut soon takes on
mellow tone very artistic in its effects The
wooden framework Of the stretcher serves as
D catch, SO that these wall decorations can
be easily hung on nail without any hook
charming portfolio can be made up by
having number Of pieces OF heavy but
cheap card board cut in various sizes Two
dollars viii purchase enough TO keep you
busy long time Select from magazines or
illustrated papers the best work of the best
artists in black and white Cut the pictures
close to the margin, and paste them in the
center Of a suitable sized piece Of card board,
while. when it seems On Improvement, BIT
OF explanatory text with the name Of the
artist can SO on the reverse side. Portfolios to
hold these interesting pictures should be
made as follows, the method being devised
by lady who had collected number Of
charming black and white illustrations in
this fashion: Cover a large piece Of card
board with silk or plush-royal purple, olive
green or old gold is q suitable color, certain
shades of browns also looking well Next
cover two pieces Of card board pointed at
one end, widening to t inches at the other,
and on either side sew pieces OF silk four
laches vida These, with the pointed card
board, should be gathered into piece Of silk
elastic at tie pointed end. and have O fold
Ior running string sc the other. Jorl one
side Of the silk TO the large covered card
board, and the other TO full piece of silk
which can be gathered in at the top with O
silk running string. forming capacious bag
portfolio, il we may call il so, which by
means of ribbons or cord and tasssl can be
hung against the wall very effectively
Hsrper's Bazar