The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-13
sOCIETY,s FAD FOR CREsTs.
Young Women Collect Them AS Boys
Do Stamps.
AIU
New York Commercial Advert ser.

New York Commercial Advert ser.
The collection of engraved monograms,
1t is fashions latest foible. Years ago
little English girls were similar collectors.
The daughters of noble houses exchanged
their crested noteheads and bartered the
family eScutchoons. AT present that form
of collecting has many followers in New
York. 1t is the rival of that long-estab-
liShed institution, stamp collecting.
New York has set the fashion, and all
over the country young women are engaged
with the brightly colored emblems. Note
heads, society stationery, menu cards and
engraved invitations are sought for eagerly.
Some collectors accumulate their treasures
in scrapbooks: others display them in
frames. They are also used in many deco
ratiVe ways.
The young women who for a long time
have been engaged in soiling their fingers
in an effort to produce hand-painted china
are now turning their attention to the lit
tie emblems. Pretty effects are produced on
white china by a Skillful Arrangement of
engraved college flags or society dies. The
college flag is also used to decorate picture
frames.
Souvenirs of the last boat race, the foot
ball favorite or the golf champion are pro-
duced readily by this means. Another pur-
pose to which the dies are put is in the
decoration of fans. In some cases they
are very elaborate. A plain white silk or
satin fan is used, and the skilful arrange
ment of the vari-colored crests produces d
decided novelty. The number of crests used
varies. One Fifth-avenue girl points with
pride to a fan which contains nearly
a thousand different emblems. When she
began to decorate the fan life lost all joy
for her friends. Her young admirers We're
all pressed into service She begged crests,
she bought crests She must needs have
crests from all over the world. The fan is
a potpourri in many colors. 1t contains
emblemS from England AIreland, Scotland
Austria, Belgium, Holland, France, and, in
fact, all countries are represented.
In the center of the fan the American flag
floats triumphant. Around this are grouped
the engraved monographs of the President
81 nd a
circled the coats of arms of the royal family
of England. Another part of the fan is ue-
to popular actors. The engraved mono
grams of New York's -Four Hundred and of
the social favorites of nearly all the larger
cities are embraced in the collection. The
young woman has devoted the greater part
of two years to her work of art.
In consequence of the demand several sta
TONERS in Fifth avenue and Broadway and
the best known jewelry establishments in
the city have undertaken to supply crests.
One of the largest manufacturing en-
gravers and steel die stampers of the city
has given up all other departments of his
business and now devotes his time exclu-
sively to producing monograms, coats of
arms and flag sheets for collectors. Twenty
five men are employed in the engraving
alone These men working full time cannot
produce enough to satisfy the trade. Every
die goes through the press six times, and
at most one thousand sheets a week can
be made. The work is produced from hand
stamped steel sectional dies and REQUIRES
considerable and skill. Flags are the
most popular with buyers. In addition to
the college pennants, those reproduced in
clude the pennants of the various nations,
military and naval flags and signal flags.
OF the signal flags one of the most popular
is the Presidents flag. The flag which is
given to the breeze when the chief execu-
tive of the Nation is on board a vessel is
printed in dark blue; in the center is the
eagle. surmounted by the words "E Pluri-
bus Unum.'' and the thirteen stars. The
secretary of the navy's flag bears four white
stars and an anchor on dark blue ground.
Others that are popular are the revenue
ensign. the United States pennant and en-
sign. the naval dispatch and the admiraIs
flag
Grover Cleveland's crest, printed in gold
Is favorite 1t bears the inscription, PRO