Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-31
HOW A CHRONIC IS MADE.
Az Interesting Process with which 20
PeauIs Are FaRiliAf.

Az Interesting Process With which Few
People Are Familiar.
". s.. tens Of thousands OF chromos, which
are given away by every enterprising ouss-
ne-~ man. yet venture the assertion Chat
very few know how they are produced. To
properly produce q chrome the photographer
must t-e gu rapport With the artist He must
.nalyze the picture, fully realize the combi-
nations Of coiors and the spirit Of tho work
Having determined jus. how may basic
oiors enter into the picture, the artist com
nsnoss his work by preparing q photographic
aons for each separate color. The artist
COMMENCES his work by making delicate and
elaborate ink tracing Of the picture; not only
It's general outlines, but the minute and in
x,cAte touches and shades Of color Of which
it is composed The tracing paper is chem
lcally prepared so that the lines upon it can
he readily Transferred to stone A press is
employs! 20 trAnsfer the impressions on the
paper to the stone, considerable pressure
bring us.G Thousands Of impressions can
than IL taken from the stone by simply run
uing an INK roller over it
The tracing thus transferred forms what il
known a. the key stone Suppose there are
twenty colors in the chrome. This number
Of impressions is taken from the key stone and
each carefully busted with rod chalk, A dim
Offset Of the entire tracing is then pressed on
each one Of these stones.
The drawing then begins, and often occu-
pies many months Each stone is TO be
printed in q separate color, and therefore
must contain not only all that is necessary Of
that color Of the picture, to the minatest dc
tail but all Of the compound colors, made by
printing one more over others. variety
VI graiations OF color from its full strength
to the saintest tnting can be produced on
each stoue, just - IN using an ordinary pencil
or crayon on drawing paper. These various
colors are, Of course. worked up IN black by
the artist, and it is the printer who applies
the colors The lines each separate stone
| are etched with the wash OF nitric acid and
gun arabic, and are ready for the presses.
The printer must he skillfui as the artist
| IN applying his colors, and must fully realize
the blending and effect Of each color. As
fast as each color is printed it is submitted tc
the artist who has thus n progressive proof
| Of the work
| 1t has been probably noticed that lines
cross each other on the margin Of = chrome.
| The>.. are the registering marks; and enable
| the printer To place the sheet in the same
| relative position every time a new stone Ii
| used and a new color applied. These lines
| are drawn in the original tracing and appear
| on each Stone When the first color Is print
| ell very small holes are puuctured in each
| sheet at tho intersection OF these lines, yer y
| fine holes are also drilled in corresponding
| positions on each Of the subsequent stones,
and tine holes in the paper are To correspond
| precisely with the holes in the stone, and
| thus rs each additional color is put on per
| feet register is secured and each color falls
| Just where 1t belongs.
The next process is To MAKE the chrome
have rough surface like an oil painting. A
| stone is now prepared which has rough sur
| iare simiar 10 canvas. The chrome is then
| laid upon 1t and passed through press with
heavy pressure When it comes forth it is
an exact imitation Of the painting 1t is
then vanished. and thus you have the chro
| no ready for the market
| The world is YET practically dependent on
| one quarry III Bavaria for its photographic
stone. Stones have been found in France
| England Cauala and the United States, but
| none possess the qualities of the best German
stones, A bed Of photographic stone has beeu
found in Seguatche valley, not far from
| Chattanooga, and the Investigations 81 far
Indicate that it will yield stone of a very fins
| quality II it should prove So, it will be lit
orally a gold mine. The finer quality Of
| stone is today worth thirteen cents per pound
and is very scarce-Sashv lille Tenn Times