The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-08-11
Some VtequS " ~
~ ~ and ReUie9uS.

AfNf1u httH ktNtU 10 inc OtNtiVlncnl OF
photography professional aud amateur
With the natural result Of marked and
rapid Improvement The periodicals Of to-
day are filled with Photographic illustra-
lions which for clcarness and correctness
Of perspective. beauty Of expression and
effective regard for detail would be a
revelation TO the old engravcrs, who spent
years In labor which did NOT begin to sug-
gcst qualities now to be obtained in FEW
moments time, by the aid Of the camera
u is one Of the peculiar features Of tho
development Of the art OF printing. that
the more mechanical the processes OF re-
production are becoming, the more artistic
they seem, a circumstance which naturally
suggests comparison. A case IN point was
century Of work OF great variety and
enormously costly manufacture James
Auduhon's monumental Birds Of America.
Audubon himself gave up his life to the
collection OF the necessary data for this
work. The plates engraved on steel were
years In making The best English en-.
eravers were employed, and the resulting
prints. made IN colors from drawings BY
Audubon. represented the highest pcrfcc-
lion Of the art OF printing The original
few who could afrord Go possess SO costly
a luxury as these volumes, large as an
atlas, and thick as a Century dictionary,
for the birds were all life size and en-
hraccd every variety throughout our con
tinent These Audubon plates representing
the highest achievements OF hand work.
are today Tar surpassed by the new me
chauical processes Of photo.etchng There
~ ia fnx seq
since n periodical called Birds. which was
an admirable example Of what may now
be accomplished by this method The n
Illustrations were animated and lfclite
while tho coloring was quite equal to the
hest work In the Audubon edition. Tho
price OF this magazine was dollar
year!
Though but doubtful success In other
directions. this new process has been
especially satisfactory In the reproduction
Of still life subjects, which may he left
long before the camera without change
Of position Ana SO the life work of the
great naturalist maintains IN artistic pre-
emlnence only from the faci that the
plates were made from his own drawings,
hut the camera outstrips him in accuracy,
and absolute fidelity of color aud form.
The personality OF this famous American
ofrcrs noble example Of courage aud high
purpose. which. combined with his marked
intellectual qualities, won for him y place
III tho front rank Of the worlds students
Of nature and crowned with success a lie
Of unremltting labor, albeit labor Of love.
No volumes were ever more surprising
aud delightful than the Journals Of this
great ornitnologlst, who "lovcd all things
from God to foam bells dancing down
stream" We must so abroad to ind
rivals Of them There was one In the
journal of Scott and perhaps another IN
the autobiography aud letters OF Gibbons
with Audubon, as with these others. some
part OF the material had been printed
before, hut the later work is go extended
that II takes on new and permanent In
terest
Strange, indeed, has neeu the history OF
these journals since the January day forty
seven years ago wnen In that part OF
Manhattan island, since called after An
dubon. the fires Of life went out In this
man or nature, this gifted and devoted
historian of the fourfooted and winged
creatures Of the earth. a part Of each Of
these volumes is taken UP by a Journal OF
Audubon's tour Of the Missouri river In
1s43 n record which had been lost in the
back Of an old secretary until 1906 when
II was found by two Of his eranddaughters !
An autobiography which Audubon wrote |
for his children was found In a barn on
staten Island, whore II had been hidden |
for many yers Research has been made |
also In San Domingo. France and New or
leans. the material collected making an |
ample store. in the light Of which It Is
surprising that SO poor book, practically |
useless and unpleasant TO his family |
should heretofore have neen our record |
OF Audubon,
His life was In itself n romance He was
Truly citizen Of the world. for he knew
many lands but never lived long In any
onc. Yet he was everywhere NJ home. The
freedom and the soaring Instincts OF the /
birds seem TO have been his and there !
was something In his soul that partook not |
IF material things lie was slngularly IN
worldly In ali bis ambitions ana tastes; |
he seemed TO live In the purer upper air /
and his most marked attachments were (
domestic; the more sordld things never
entered his heart, lie calls wordsworths |
ines.
TYPE OF the wise who soar but never
True to the kindred points OF Heaven and
home"
what record OF travel and adventure
these volumes disclose. Born on Lake
In house loaned to his
,ather for the occasion, house In which
future King Of France, Louis Philippe
-ound refuge, he went with his parents to
san Domingo as a child. only 10 escape the
ieath that overlook his mother during an
iprlslng Of the negroes Going to France
With his father he was left alone with his
second mother while The former returned 10
Amerca to serve against England, under
Rochambeau and Lafayette Win his home
n France during most of Napoieon's wars,
&c was sent out Of that rountry when
here was danger Of his being drafted into
military service. aud settled IN Pennssl.
ANA near the Schnylkill. Here lie married..
inly to ind himself after the birth ~ his
.hildren, ruined In fortune and he turned
o portrait painting IN Louisville and dane
ng lessons in New Orleans as a means u
livelihood.
out Of his msforiunes. however, came
he circumstances which led % his world