The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-23
ARTS OF ILLUSTRATION.
Professor Morse's Lecture in Sayles'
Hall Last Evening.

| lecture In aid Of the establishment OF a
| table la the Woods Holl Laboratory. The
managers feel very well satisfied with the
reception this movement has received ana
declare IL a decided success.
the subject for last evening was "Arts
| OF Illustration"
ave must 90 back," said Professor
Morse, go the Chinese 10 find the be-
ginnings OF nearly oil our arts, or rather
10 find the crude forms in which they
originally started SO IL is with the art
OF Illustration. The simplest method Is
the old form by means Of wood cuts.
! There are three styles OF engraving by
means of wood cuts, and the old
est aud apparently the simplest,
Is 20 take block OF wood
and chip away from the surface ali but
the part which is intended TO give the
impression. Then when the ink-roller IS
passed over the snrtgce, only the raised
portions, the cameo, SO TO speak, VIII
catch tho ink, and these will leave
the impression when the paper
is pressed FIRMLY over It. lt is
wonderful TO what a degree OF perfection
this form OF Illustration was carried by
means or actually cutting away the wood,
using as pattern the artists design on
the surface OF the block. The wood en-
graver's tools are Of numerous
are very delicate. Up TO within
avery few years oil the Illustrations in the
magazines, such az Harper's and the Cen
tury, were made In this manner. Imagine
the skill OF the engraver who could pro-
duce, by means OF carving, the fine shad.
ings OF clouds, the delicate texture OF
cloth, and so on indefinitely!
"kofore the art of transferring photo
graph directly to the wood was discov-
cred, the artist was Obliged TO make his
sketch, witt great care, the exact size of
the cut TO be produced. Now he makes a
| hold
pleases, and a photograph OF the
required dimensions Is taken. The great
perfection in the art OF wool engraving was
induced BY the liberal patronage which
the American people have always gwen
magazines. This has enabled the pub
fishers TO command good work
manship and To offer Inducements
for the best. OF course ~ is
easily seen that TO obtain good blocks OF
wood large enough for the immense TWO
page-cuts used by Frank Leslie's or
Harper's Weekly, would be difncuit
matter. Accordingly these are made on
different blocks OF wood, closely fitted
and screwed tightly together. Rapidity OF
execution Is obtained by unscrew-
ing the blocks after the design has been
laid on and giving one block TO each men
10 finish up. Thus an illustration OF
large size which would take one man
twenty or twenty-five days to finish up,
say OF a railroad accident. or wrecked
vessel, can DO produced in two or three
days and be published, drawn by our
special artist on the spot in compara-
lively short time after the event.
"Another interesting feature of this
branch oil illustTation is the method OF
changing a wood cut, o rectify mistake
or to ritter ItJ cf1ururtcr 10 suft unutrcr
occasion. This Is neat piece OF Work
manship, and is effected by removing
piece OF The wood and inserting another
pleco 10 fit the space exactly.
"But IL Is clear that Ii the wood cut
alone were used in making the impression
ii could not stand the wear and would
soon become unfit for use. A wood cut
design may bo transferred to a metal sur
face by making an impression of the cut
in wax covered with plumbago and dip
ping this wax mould IN solution OF cop
per tilla thin surface OF the metal has
been deposited on the wax.
"In steel engravlngs, unlike wood en-
cravings, the depressed portion takes tho
ink and makes the figure. Tie whole
surface is smeared with ink, and when
this ink is wiped off, the creyices which
have been followed ont still retain enough
TO leave an impression. The shading is
adjusted by the depth OF she hollow
groove in the steel"
The difference between etching and en-
craving was then described by the speaker.
Etching is the eating away OF the metal
by means OF acin instead OF growing IL by
means of tools. The portions to be left
raised are protected from the action OF
the acid by a coat OF varnish.
"It often becomes necessary to duplicate
steel engravings. This ~ done in the fol-
lowing manner: The engraving is first
made on steel surface, which IL then
subjected to hardening process. The
design is then imprinted on
roller OF soft steel, which Is
hardened in it's turn. Then the roller
makes any number OF impressions de-
sired by being revolved over another sur
face OF soft steel. In this fashion all the
plates for the manufacture OF postage
stamps are made from the same original
design.
ave now have left the subject of lith-
ography to treat. AS its name tells US,
lithography is the art of stone engraving.
IL is done by the means OF a particular
kind ofstone which absorbs water on the
surface. The drawing IL made on the
smooth surface OF the stone with
a wax-tipped pencil, covered on the
end with plumbago, in other words with
greasy pencil. When the design
is wet with sponge, the greasy part is
not affected by the wgter but the remain
der, which has been untouched by the
pencil, is wet. Then when the surface is
linked, the greasy parts retain the ink
while the wet parts ropel 1t. For coarse
effect the surface ia left coarse, for smooth
eject the surface IL carefully eNeneu OH.
"The process OF chrome lithography
produces cuts in color. Different stones
are prepared each 10 print just the parts
which are of the same color, and the inn
pressions OF the different stones are re-
ceived on the same paper, one at time,
the whole forming pleasing oombina-
tion hen well done. In cheap chromo-
Autographs the areas covered by the diff
ferent colors are often not exactly defined
and the result becomes ludicrous. The
difficult part is in adjusting the areas COW
cred by these different colors so that they
Will exactly tit one another"
The recent inventions for the manufac-
ture of plates by the process OF photogra-
ply occupied the remainder of the lec-
ture.
THEY FORGOT The WHITE POSTS.
The men who ring in fares and manage
the motors on tho CranstOn street car line
enjoyed themselves last evening in ArlinC-
ton District Hall, where Baker Brot hers
Orchestra furnished the music for dance.
The COMMITTEES. W. I'll. Doodle, q. B.