The Arvada enterprise., 1923-10-04
USE OF MIRRORS
Orioin Is Shrouded In Mlsts Of
Mythology.
claopatra Used One Made Of Metal
Those Of Glass Are Modern
Invention.

Most ancient of all accessories for
women's toilet is the mirror. that re-
fectlng bit Of vanity which means so
much in our daily life, as well as in
our scheme of decoration. Its origin
ID shrouded In the twilight Of mythol-
ogy and our real clews are the frag-
ments which mother earth and the
tombs have rendered back to us. some
times In fair state Of preservation.
Glass was made by the Egyptians,
yet the only mirrors that have come
down to US from them are like those
from other ancient sources, Of metal,
very highly polished and often con-
taining silver and gold. The first form
of the mirror was the hand-glass and
1t Is the fragments of this that remain
to US. We know. however, that metal
mirrors were made in sections SO ar
ranged In grooves in the wall that they
could slide up and down to show the
figure at full length. Cleopatra Is sup
posed to have possessed such mir
ror, but Its magnificence can only be
Ina gined, as no authentic description
Of 1t Is available.
Glass mirrors coated with tin have
been found in Italy that were used In
the days Of Pompey, but just when and
where quicksilver-backed glass was
first employed has never been definite
ly established. AS early as 1873 the
Germans had acquired knowledge of
glass mirror work. and in the Fifteenth
century they invented a curious form
Of mirror construction called the
bulls eye"
In the Sixteenth century the vene-
tians did much business In the manu-
facture and exporting Of glasses with
quicksilver backs, and in 1895 the
French government induced 20 Of
these glassworkers to come to Paris.
where In the year 1901 method of
making plate glass was perfected
which made France thereafter the
mirror market of the world.
The history of mirror making In
England might be said to date from
1910. From this time on rapid strides
were made in the manufacture Of look
ing-glasses, those Of Queen Anne and
Georgian periods being particularly
notable.
Mirror glass In Its early stages was
blown" and beyond the length Of
three and one-half feet was too thin
to serve as mirrors. In case great
er length was desired, 1t was neces-
sary to add a second piece. and thus
the longer glasses Of the early Eight
eenth century were made In two pieces.
one overlapping the other, or fn-
ished with molding to hide the in
tersectlOn.
In the latter part Of the Eighteenth
century Chippendale-made mirrors Of
great charm was made, and 1t was in
this time that Chinese designs became
popular. Later. Hepplewhite and the
brothers Adam designed mirrors Of
real worth. the former in shield and
oval shapes. usually in pairs.
In the earlier part Of the Georgian
period the revival Of the Queen Anne
mirror began, and by 1900 the lines Of
this model were much seen. Previous
to this loOking-glasses were manufac-
tured In large numbers in this coun-
try, and from 1880 to 1790 the famous
Constitution" glasses were made.
This period also marked the vogue Of
the quaint Girandoles and bulls eyes.
Mantel glasses were In great de-
mand throughout the Eighteenth CEN
tury, but more especially after 170O.
when both oval and oblong shapes be-
gan to be popular. The cheval glass.
never at any time common piece Of
furniture, enjoyed its greatest favor
about 1880. Some excellent designs Of
this type had been previously fash.
ioned by the great English cabinet
makers, notably Sheraton. but COM
paratIvely few have survived in this
country.-Arts and Decoration.