Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-15
The Decorative Use eff Pictures.


Cheap looking contrivances for decoration
are always L mistake. generally failure;
but there is a wide distinction to be made be-
tween such, and those effects produced with
out much expense. A poor clrorlo or coarse
engraving Is always in bad taste, while good
picture cut from fine Illustrated PAPER and
suitably framed is artistic and sat 'actory
The art of reproducing and eng. wing 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 4 portfolio,
For the first mentioned an original and ar
tistic method is the following;
Select interesting and well engraved illus
tratlons, II possible a series-for instance,
Abbey's "Sne 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 4 very narrow band Of oak
or cherry. Now arrange these along one or
two sides al Il 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, narrow high
frame enclosing three or four such cuts at
the side, ana long narrow frame across the
center. Text applying to such series might
be prettlly bound in soft covers and hung by
ribbon on the wall, so that the pictures
have an additional interest when studied as
illustrations Care must be taken, how
ever, not to milgle inharmonious decorations
OF otler kinds with such fixtures Few but
the simplest water c1lors 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 10 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 Il
mellow tone very artistic in its effects. The
wooden framework Of the stretcher serves as
catch, so that these wall decorations can
be easily hung on a nail without any hook.
charming portfolio can be made up by
having a number Of pieces Of heavy but
cheap card board cut in various sizes Two
dollars will 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 an improvement, bit
of explanatory text with the name of the
artist can go on the reverse side. Portfolios to
hold these interesting pictures should be
made rs follows, the method being devised
by lady who had collected a number Of
charming black and white illustrations In
this fashion: Cover a large piece Of card
board with silk or plush-ruyal 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 al
one end, widening to two inches at the other
and on either side sew pieces of silk fouI
inches wide. These, with the pointed card
board should be gathered into piece Of silE
elastic at the pointed end, and have a fold
for running string at the other Join on.
eide of the silk to the large covered care
board, and the other to full piece of sill
which can be gathered in at the top with {
elk running string, forming a capacious bag
portfolio if we may call It SO, which by
means of ribbons or cord and tassel can b,
hung against the wall very Effectively
Harper's Bazaar.