Wichita eagle., 1888-09-14

HOW RICH MEN SOMETIMES MAKE
COSTLY PICTURE BOOKS.

Extending a Book by Adding to 1t Plate,
Which Did Not Originally Belong to It.
Biographies Most SuitabIe-Where the
Ensravings Come from.
Extra illustrating is SO commonly al
luded to by its votaries as q mania. that
| other people may accept the term. The
word seems not misapplied when one sees
the astounding things which the extra
illustrators are led to do. But it is q
mania that gives SO much delight in its
manifestations, and is so agreeable In its
results that those who are whole may
well envy the afflicted Extra illustrating
or extending books. as it is called, consists
in adding plates to book to which they
do not belong, but which refer in some
way to the contents
The book best adapted for extra Illus
trating," said Mr.. William E. Benjamin,
a gentleman familiar with tho habit of
extra illustrating, lis one that refers to
persons and places, If not on every page,
at brief intervals A book that contains
forty pages of philosophical reflections
and then mentions Shakespeare. Byron
and whole galaxy of noted names. would
not suit tho illustrators design. he
would, if he could, insert plate between
every leaf of his book, but the plate must
illustrate something in the text ON the
opposite page.
For this reason books of biography arc
the most suitable. 1t doesn't matter who
the man is if he only has large acquaint-
ance among notable people. AS it hap
pens, some of the best biographies are the
best adapted for the purpose. Among
these are Boswell's Life of Johnson,
Mrs. Bray's Life Of StotLard, Life OF
Bacon Cunningham's Story of Nell
Gwynne.' No book compares with this.
The story is Economically Interesting, the
period, if dissolute, is brilliant, and the
persons mentioned make a gallery into
which enters every person worth knowing
of at that time"
SECURING THE ENGRAvINGs.
'How does the extra illustrator pro-
ceedf"
HE chooses his book, and then begins
the search for his plates. The distin-
guished personages mentioned he can
readily find portraits of. and as many as
he wants. Sometimes be wants one Of
each kind; then he can produce the man
at every period of his life. These plates
cost him probably from twenty-five cents
to ST. For example, if It is Bacon he is
illustrating he finds him easy and cheap.
But suppose he wants portrait Of Van
brugh2 He may then have to pay several
dollars, and if it is Oliver Cromwell $
porter-and believe, although his nare
is unknown. there is a portrait of the
porter-he may have to pay S. or more.
It is the obscure men that arc high and
difficult to get, and 1t is those that allure
the extra illustrator. His book has al
the distinguished men in all their pre-
sentiments, but here is an obscure name.
This is the man he wants, SO he waits
and hunts, sends here and there his Or
ders and If he has the money viii pay any
price to secure the face of this humble
individual utterly unknown to fame. It
is for this reason privately illustrated
books are so seldom finished. There is
always one illustration for which the
earth must be searched, and before 1t IL
found tho extra illustrator dies"
But isn't il difficult to find plates Of
uniform size adapted TO The book7''
1T is the book that must adapt itself
TO the most valuable Of the plates. For
example, a gentleman not long ago
wanted to illustrate Curningham's Nell
Gwynne. which is an uupretcnding Ittla
octave volume. At great expense he Sc
cured large rare engraving Of Nell
Grynne lying on a lounge attended by
loves. The engraving couldn't Be pared
down, accordingly every leaf Of the book
was built up. There Is practice known
as inlaying, which consists IN giving a
picture or q page of text 9 margin of any
size desired. This Is done 80 perfectly
that it can scarcely Be detected In this
case the result was that Nell Gwyuae,
originally an humble octave. became q
magnificent folio This Ia q common
practice among extra illustrators. Of
course, the work is done BY experts
WHERE THEY COME FROM
Where do the eagravings come FROM
Everywhere Ia the earlier days the
extra illustrator haunted tie second hand
dealers ware. tore II, plates OFT fro7
magazines. books, found them n the
Host unexpected places. OF co1rse, thc
delight tia: accompanied such fad is
among the things CT which words fail.
etc Nowadays The matter Is sinpiised-
A MAJ chooses the hoax 10 wants to Hes
trate, and makes il known Immediately
we viii say 80 plates Are selected fer
hin There rssy be a number. we wiz
say. Of Tslieyrsna These are seat him
AID hs makes bis cheice- BE rssy prefer
8 nunbex Of portraits Of TAilsyr2-.d- pro- !
vided they ara taken q: diEervr. periods
or By diEs-en. Eea- Now. CT. os that
80 selected there may Be- perhaps thirty
.hs. can't Be duplicated In yes-s- TIE I
nexs rz1 vii have 10 tyy fer ten cone
s.he- WY.
Then mems tastes change They b. i
eozse educated and dtEsenlt 70 sa;!sfy;
they throw out. IL tine, their cor-oa
Plates snd get bc.ts-. aid these. again, /
fer artist proofs es ca EdlA paper Il ,ais !
way erSra-tagy keep up . cs-r1l...oa,
Eo3ng AID returning. OF cur, - ls-xs