The San Francisco call., 1897-02-14
QUEER THINGS IN
LEATHER CARVING
Work Formerly Done by
Indians Now Made an
Art Here.
Strange Pictures on Skins and
Wood in Miss Binckley's
Studio.
Chicago the Only Other Place in the
United States Where tho Art
Is Practiced.

Miss Nellie Bincklev, the artist, of this
City, has for some time past been giving
her attention to etching with fire and to
leather carving. especially the former.
Leather carving is done very little in this
country. A Chicago paper short time
ago had long article setting forth that
leather-carver had lately arrived in CHI
cago from Spain. but that outside of that
there were no carvers in leather in the
United States, except two ladies in Cali
fornia.
Miss Binckley's studio on Sutter street
shows large amount of etchings by fire.
The etchings are chiefly on wood and
leather. She says that really the original
etchings here were done by the Indians,
as may be seen by an examination of the
inner sides of the bearshins, elkskins
and hides OF other animals on which they
have drawn curious Indian figures with
fire. The burning lines are traced by the
pointed piece of steel known as a cautery,
which is kept red hot by the generation of
hydrocarbon vapor in small bottle.
'Cal iforna furnishes a most attractive
field for tine etcher or professional, for
there is such a fascinating variety of beau
tifnI woods to choose from. Those most
used are poplar, sycamore, white holly,
redwood and madrone. The latter has q
tone admira bic as a suggestion OF flesh
tint and is excellent for heads" said the
lady yesterday.
Leather is as much adapted for this
decoration as wood and is almost as dur
able. A new leather has been prepared
by special process for fire etching. II IS
called velvet calf and has an exquisite
veivety surface, something like suede or
undressed kid, and is soft and plia bic. 1t
Is dyed in variety OF colors, usually
gray, terra Gotta and green. Sheepskin is
tanned with the same velvety finish now
and is much less expensive than the calf.
Then there Is leather carving. This
has been done a great deal in Germany,
but it is considered more distinctiveIy
Mexican. 1t is entirely different from the
CID Spanish and German stamped leather
and is literally carved with sharp tools.
A Mexican has recently begun doing this
work n Chicago and o. Hara & Livermore
intend to introduce 1t here.
''In the older Mexican towns dark eyed
artisans WORK still at the leather, won
drously cut and carved, and known to
all the world as remnant of the days
when every man was cavalier, and his
saddle the proudest of his possessions.
Now comes the etching of the leather,
technically called pirogravure, growing
| under the hands that is dominant to-
day-the race OF new women. As to my
own work in fine etching, my specially is
heads and figures. 1t bores me to extinc-
| tion TO do conventional designs. l hate
TO do anything which has to be exactly
| the same on each side. 1t is purely me-
chanical. Any one can do it. 1t only re-
quires care. 1t is TO particular credit 10
get it perfect and it is disgracefuI to get il
wrong.
But to do figure design we'll is some
thing that in nterests one more, and is to q
great or less extent an achievement. One
must feel it enter into the spirit of the
design or it will be stiff and wooden. 1t
takes a sure eye and steady hand. and a
sufficient knowledge of anatomy lin figure
work. to give the worker the power of
assimilating the designs. and putting it
forth again from his own brain without
the necessity for constant reference to the
design.
when one makes a long, flowing line,
it is disastrous to glance aside at tbs
copy. An instant's pause n the progress
of your red hot point and hole, or at
least period, appears, and the line is
spoiled"
Among the etchings which Miss Binck-
ley has is one of Cypress Point, near Mon
terey, with view of the sea; figures of
Indians and Chinese and of bears ana
other wild animals