Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-10-08
In WOMAN'S BEHALF.
A NEAT AvooATloN.
1t Pays Well, Is Easily Learned and 10
Esne0ipIlY Adnnted To Women.


Especially Adapted to Women.
A woman's natural delicacy of touch
is scarcely anywhere more valuable
than in the re-touching of Photographic
negatives, an occupation which women
find pleasant and profitable. A mega
tive, in all the finer kinds of photog-
raphy, is a glass plate, specially pre-
pared, on which the image of the one
photographed appears inversely; all the
light portions-face, hands, etc-ap-
pearing dark or black, while what is to
be dark in the finished picture appears
light or white. Wrinkles and facial
blemishes are often greatly exagger-
ated, and appear in the negative per-
fectly white
1t is to improve the picture by remov-
ing or softening these blemishes, that
the plate is sent TO the ''retoucher"
The process consists in filing in, with
skillful touches of fine-pointed pen
ell, all the inequalities and irregulari-
ties of the Surface, moldng. and smooth
ing the face as much as desirable,
while preserving the likeness The
retouched, plates are sent back to the
photographer, who makes the prints
from them.
The work is not difficult to learn One
girl of my acquaintance took less than
dozen lessons, and in six weeks from
the time she received her first instruc-
ton was able to obtain negatives from
gallery at very fair pay, and in the
busy seasons was offered more work
than she could do. Her case may have
been exceptional, but think that any
bright woman, with good eyesight, can
become fair retoucher in three months
practice.
Residents of New York city can take
advantage of the free course of instruc'
ton offered by the Cooper institute,
Tut for those who must pay, the terms
of instruction vary. The friend previ
ously mentioned met with one photog
rapher who asked seventy-five dollars
to allow his retoucher to instruct her
In another place twenty-five dollars
was the price demanded. She finally
found lxind-hearted woman retouchel
who gave her the lessons she needed al
the reasonable rate of one dollar apiece
and afterwards assisted her by friendly
criticisms.
An outfit for doing 'piece-work" al
the work taken away from the photo
graph gallery is called, may be provided
at small expense, A retouchers desl
costs from five dollars up; but one may
be made by anyone handy with tools
for much less than this. A small bot
tie of ''retouching fluid" few Siber
ian graphite pencils, piece of emery
paper on which to sharpen these, and I
magnifying glass for fine work, are al
the tools necessary for the beginner.
The pay for negatives taken ava.
from the gallery is from twenty t.
thirty cents piece for cabinets" ant
more or less for other plates, according
to size. Eight to ten negatives is fai
day work, though retoucher in gal
lery will sometimes do half dozen o
more negatives in the evening, beside
the regular days work. But this is, o
course, exceptional, and involves, more
over, a dangerous strain on the eyes
A first-class retoucher, regularly EN-
ployed, commands salary of from 81
to SIS week; beginner could scarcel
expect as much as the lower sum; but
woman with any aptitude for the wor
should become a first-class retoucher i
year.
If a woman be so situated that sh
can not leave home, she may earn man
a dollar at 'piece-work, specially dun
ing the Christmas holidays when Their
is always a demand for extra help a
retouching.
While | think am safe in stating IN
opinion that really first-class retoucl
err can always find work at reason
able remuneration, it is naturally ne
to be expected that every woman VIII
desires employment cen become a r.
TOUGHER But the work is of Sol
specially adapted to women.-Ladie
Home Journal.