New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-30
SCULPTURE BY MACHINERY.
An Inrcntion acquired by Sir Conan Doyle.
From The London Morning Post.

From The London Morning Post.
There have been attempts from time to time
in various quarters to provide machine Whlch
will perform the task now carried out by the
sculptor's workmen, but hitherto they have met
with little or no success 1t has been reserved
for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the wen Known
and popular novelist. and Mr.. w. q. Jones, a
sculptor who is better known in the united
States than in this country, to bring before the
public an invention which will do all the work
now done by the pointer" and in twentieth
of the time. The inventor is Slgnor AuSuSte
Rontempi, of Naples. Sir A. Conan Doyle ana
Mi. Jones have acquired all the British rights
in the invention, we'll as the only machine
carrying SignOr Bontempis ideas at pres
A representative of 1.-The Morning Post" had
the opportunity of seeing the Sculpturlng ma
chine al work yesterday. 1t has been tempo
rarilv set I'D at Battersea IN a factory recently
occupied by one of those limited companies
that have fallen evil days, and its domlcile
is approached through grass grown private
road and q number of dust covered, deserted
rooms. But these depressing surroundings are
forgotten as soon as the machine is seen at
work 1t is really a wonderful contrlvance' ana
one that is probably destined to have a great
effect on the art of sculpture in the immediate
future. When our representative inspected the
machine it was engaged in producing two mar
BILE copies of a bust of Homer The Italian
workman in charge was seated side of
the machine In front of him plaster cast
With one hand he guided a rod backward and
forward over the plaster A revolving steel
drill protruded from the machine a couple of
feet away. and another further on. In front of
each of these drills fixed block of marble
A of water played the point or SaCh GRILL
Every movement of the rod in the wOrkman'S
hand was followed by a similar movement on
the part of the drills, which rapidly cut away
the surface of the marble until it correspondent
with the surface of the plaster. The machine
had already roughly cut the face of the poet
out of the marble and at work on the side
of the head. Some of the superb GUndant stone
having been rapidly cleared away, the rod was
applied to the fillet binding the poets hair, and
in u few minutes the ribbon was reproduced in
marble. The rough outline of the hair then
made It's appearance every lock being hewn out
of the hard stone with astonishing CELEBRITY and
marvellous fidelity.
The present machine cost only about $500
and the expense of working is almost infntesi-
NAL While the invention will not do away with
the necessity for the artists finishing touches
in the case of delicate work, it promises entirely
to abolish the present long and costly process
ton is concerned, the effects of it's introduction
should be remarkable. In the opinion of one
architect of experience it will reduce the price
of architectural carving from pounds to shil-
lings." The COrinthian capital, for in
stance, is reproduced in infinite number. and
is much Of the floral work that enters largely
into the adornment of Gothic buildings. The
cost of such reproduction now be greatly
reduced without in any way depreciating the
tiStic excellence Of the work There is no reason
why, when such a machine comes into common
use, really good sculpture should not take the
place of the inferior carvings in stone which
now disfigure the portals, the windows and the
mantels of many of our suburban houses. The
invention is undoubtedly notable one, and it
has vast possibilities of development.