The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-03-31
ABOUT FIRE ETCHING
BEAUTIFUL BITS OF ART THAT ARE
BURNED INTO WOOD.

of Primitive Decorative Idea - Its
Adaptability to Modern Homes and
Churches-How 1t Is Done.
Seventy years ago an English boy and
his sweetheart were making q tour of a
country fair. While viewing the sights
they encountered a mountebank burning
pictures on wood with hot iron. Many
years later the boy, whose name was Ball
Hughes, crossed the Atlantic and achieved
great distinction in Boston as sculptor
and fire etcher, the remembrance of the
mountebank's work having lived long in
his memory.
1t was reserved, however, for young
American named Fosdick, of Charlestown,
Mass, to disclose the greatest possibilities
of fire etching and to give it a permanent
place in the beautiful works of it's day.
When Edward ID. Adams began to deco
rate his house in the Willard block, in
Madison avenue, he conceived the idea of
having Renaissance border burned at the
top of the Mexican mahogany panels I'M
der the leather frieze of his dining room.
He found Mr.. Fosdick in Normandy paint
ing French PEASANTS and laid before him
the plans.
In the summer of 1884 Mr.. Fosdick re-
turned to the United States to do Mr..
Adams work. He fitted up a studio in an
old school house on farm in Westbor-
ough, Mass. The panels were sent to him
from New York. The fine tools that the
beauty and popularity of fire etching have
since called into existence were then UNI
known. Mr. Fosdick was obliged to roast
himself over a charcoal furnace His irons
were of the most primitive kind. They
were pieces of metal fastened into copper
tubes, with plaster of paris as a noncon-
ductor of the heat.
THE OLD METHOD.
AS long as fire etching had to be done
under the disadvantages that Mr.. Fosdick
encountered, there was little danger that
the art would fall into the trihing hands
of amateurs. The heat of furnace had
no attractions for them; to them the burn
ing of fingers was not u source of comfort;
they would not find joy in the clouds of
smoke that imperfect tools made newt
able. But since the invention of better
appliances, since fire etching has been
raised to the charm and dignity of an &C
complishment, they have rushed into this
field of art in great numbers and with rare
impetuosity.
1t is n curious thing that the instrument
that called into existence the enthusiasm
of these self denying devotees of varying
fashion was not invented for their COM
fort; it was not invented either to render
more agreeable and attractive the work
of the professional fire etcher. This instru-
ment was first made by French surgeon,
who used it to cauterize wounds.
The cautery, as it is called consists of a
nickel or glass receptacle for sponge sat
urated with alcohol or naphtha or some
other volatile and inflammable fluid At
tached to it are two long rubber tubes, one
connecting with a small hand bellows and
the other with the instrument proper. The
latter consists of Il handle of nonconGucting
material six inches long. Connected with
one end is the rubber tube, and inserted
in the other is platinum point two or
three inches long and somewhat flattened
at the extremity. Inside of this point is
platinum coil fed with the gas from the
rubber tube. When the point is held in
the spirit lamp that is comrfonly used it
becomes hot, the gas driven intoit by the
hand bellows taking fire. The tempera
ture of the point can be regulated to any
degree by the bellows; it Can be made red
hot so that it will burn wood like blazing
piece of iron from furnace, or can be al
lowed to cool SO that it will barely scorch |
the surface of the wood
MIR. FosDICK's SUCCESS.
Mr.. Fosdick's completion of the panels |
justified Mr.. Adams faith in the fro
etcher's art. When set in place they be-
came objects Of general admiration.
To the eye of the prophet it was clear
that an old art was about to assume new
beauty. 1t was clear, too, that in the
hands of the young American it had at
tanned character and was capable of a |
scope that Ball Hughes had never mag
ined. The English sculptor had raised it |
to a dignity infinitely above the clever
trick OF the mountebank.
Although Mr.. Fosdick was convinced |
after he had finished Mr.. Adams work |
that fire etching was entitled to the high |
est rank us an art, he could not bring him
self to believe that it was his duty to de-
vote his time and strength to it exclusively. |
In 1888 he gave his first exhibition of fire
ntchings in Paris. Among those present |
were his teachers, BOulanger and Moillon,
who were delighted with the work. They |
luOuSHt tnut IL was SOlnebnll, enUlTely |
new Successful as Mr.. Fosdick was as a |
painter, they advised him to drop the brush
and give himself up to this art of etching
with fire.
Somewhat reluctantly, but with no fall
tering after the step was taken, he acted
upon their advice.
The admiration bestowed upon his work
1T exhibitions in this city and elsewhere,
and the presence of that work in many of |
5he first houses in the country, are pleas
ing justification of his faith and devotion.
HOW THE WORK is DONE.
AS the finest brush and canvas cannot |
make Diaz or a Rousseau, so the most |
improved cautery or the most desirable |
wood will not insure beautiful product
If the fire etcher's art. Nevertheless, there
S choice of medium, soft and dry woods
being preferable to hard and sappy Well
seasoned poplar is the best. Then comes
molly and bass. The surface is made per
'ectly smooth to receive the drawing. Then
,he etcher takes his cautery or branding
rons and burns the design into the wood
After Mr.. Fosdick has been over panel
or the first time, say the panel of his
Fury" it looks like the charred surface of
, half burned board. No picture is visible.
Then with an emery cloth he goes over it
again, smoothing the surface and removing
5he unsightly crudities of line that have