PAPER BOXES.
Many years ago, when our mothers were little girls and ready-made playthings were not as common as at the present day, during the long winter evenings they were obliged to invent their own amusements, and it was not uncommon in a large family where there were several girls and boys, for them to take turns in providing games for certain evenings in the week. Even the little ones contributed their share to the general amusement, and it was from one of these little girls, now grown to be an old gray-haired lady, that I first learned to make these simple boxes.
Take a square of ordinary note-paper, fold it as in Fig. 1, and crease it across; now open it and bring the two corners to the central point of the crease, and making them just touch each other at that point, and crease the folds, as in Fig. 2. Next fold between these folds and between the last made, and the corners, as in Fig. 3, always remembering to crease the folds when made. Now turn the paper and crease it seven times across the other way, and you will find your paper is folded in little squares. Then take your scissors and cut the little half squares left out in Fig. 4. Then with your penknife or the sharp points of the scissors cut the little slits 1 and 2; next, cut 3 and 4, 5 and 6 to the first creases; last, 7 and 8, 9 and 10 to the dots, but no further. Now fold the joint marked 9, 10, so that it will go through the slit 2, and when you have passed it through, straighten it out and press the paper in the shape of Fig. 6. Now pass the last point through the remaining slit and your box is complete. Occasionally, we used to make “nests” of these boxes, by commencing with very tiny ones, and gradually increasing the size, making one over another until our paper gave out, or we became tired of the amusement.
A SHAVING-CASE.
Although generally considered girls’ work, many little boys delight in working upon perforated paper, and they can put this pleasure to good account in making a shaving-case for papa. Procure a piece of silver or gold gilt perforated cardboard, of the coarsest variety, and cut it into two similar pieces, five by seven inches in size. With double zephyr, work an initial or some simple design on one of the pieces only, as the other will form the back of the case. Then get half-a-dozen sheets of different colored tissue-paper, and cut them up into pieces the exact size of the case. When all are fitted, place them between the two covers, and ask some lady in the family to sew them together at the top; fasten a ribbon of the same color as the worsted to each top corner for a handle, and cover the points of juncture with tiny bows. A little boy in the writer’s family made one of these for a dear uncle, and it lasted him a year without replenishing, forming one of the most useful presents he received.
LEATHER WORK.
How many of my young readers have seen the beautiful shoes, boxes, and saddle-cloths, made of leather or velvet, and appliquéd with thinner leather, in graceful traceries, which are occasionally brought over to this country from Russia? These are mostly the work of the women and children of the smaller Russian villages, and in many instances their only means of support.
In those cold, desolate regions, where summer is very short, and the long dreary winter extends over a greater part of their lives, their occupations necessarily must be such as can be carried on in-doors, and are in many instances executed in their own homes. Hence the children seeing the simple processes going on around them, soon learn to help, and long before they have reached the age when American boys begin to think of working, they are earning their own living, and frequently supporting others of the family by their industry.
Although leather work to a Russian boy is anything but play, to a bright American it will be a source of considerable pleasure, and will serve the same purpose of amusement and instruction, for which most of the things in this book are intended.
The materials for leather work are very simple, consisting of the waste scraps from the neighboring book-binders or shoe-makers; these can be chosen without regard to shape or size.
To do the kind of work spoken of above, and known as “Kasan work,” select the thinner kid pieces from your leather, and with a lead-pencil mark upon the wrong side any design you may fancy. Then with a pair of sharp-pointed scissors cut out the design, carefully following the lines, and making the edges smooth and even. Lastly, wet the back with a little glue or paste, and stick it upon the cloth. Care should be taken not to move the pattern after it touches the cloth, as the glue might besmear the material in the open places of the pattern, and thus ruin the effect. After this has partially dried, get your mother or sister to stitch the edges on the machine, and you will have a nice bit of material, suitable for a shoe-bag or any other useful object you may like.
Another kind of leather work which is better adapted for boys, and a much more fascinating process than the above, is called by the French name “Cuir Bouilli”—pronounced “queer bwea”—or boiled leather. The scraps already gathered are suitable for this work, as any kind of leather can be used, although the softer kinds, such as sheep or calf skin, work much more easily. Soak this in hot alum water until it is soft, remembering that thick, tough leather requires a much longer time, as well as a hotter and stronger solution to soften, than the thinner pieces you may have. After this leather has been reduced to mere pulp, press it into any mold you may have at hand, taking care that it is pressed into all the cavities. After it is partially dried, in two or three days, remove the mold, and you have your object in firm hard leather which can be painted or varnished as you like. Many toys for your younger brothers and sisters can be made in this way, and are quite indestructible. Should you chance to have a good-sized piece of skin, much prettier things could be made from it, although a good worker in leather will use his scraps as the boy in his papier-maché uses his bits of paper, pasting them so nicely that no one would guess the number of pieces used. The best paste for this work is made of dextrine, a cheap substance, easily procured at any apothecary’s.
A PANEL OF LEATHER WORK.
As this is one of the simplest forms into which leather can be wrought, and one that probably gives the most satisfaction when completed, perhaps the description of a dining room panel, made by the writer’s little son, may afford more real assistance to the reader than any general rules which could be given for the work.
He had a sheet of calf-skin, nine by fourteen inches, which he soaked in warm alum water till it was very soft and pliable. Before this, however, he had prepared his foundation, which consisted of a thick piece of pasteboard six by twelve inches. Upon this was nailed or glued a simple design of a duck hanging by its legs, which he had drawn upon a thin slab of wood—a cigar-box cover, I think—and had cut out with a scroll-saw. Before tacking this on, he rounded off the edges of the figure on the right side with his jackknife, and using an old newspaper and a little paste, he built out the body of the bird, molding it with his fingers and an old ivory paper-cutter until he obtained the desired shape. After this had dried he covered his soaked leather with the dextrine paste, and laid it evenly on the form. Beginning at the middle of the panel, he carefully pressed the wet leather upon the figure, using the dull edge of the paper-cutter for the lines and deep places left in the foundation; always working from the center toward the edge, and taking particular care that each part was firmly attached to the wood. After the bird was done to his satisfaction, he proceeded to stamp over the whole background, using for this purpose an old office-seal which was at hand. In regard to the stamp, any ingenious boy can easily make a good substitute, by taking a piece of hard wood with a flat end, and cutting it across in parallel lines, re-cross these lines with other parallel ones, forming a surface of even diamond-work upon the wood. This, when pressed upon the wet leather, makes a very agreeable background for almost any figure you may like. A wet sponge must be constantly applied to the leather while working, to prevent its drying too rapidly. After the surface was well covered with the stamping, the leather was again rubbed with paste and pressed over the edge of the pasteboard background; tiny triangular pieces were snipped from the corners to allow of their lying quite flat on the under-side. Finally, the whole thing was firmly glued upon a black-walnut slab bought for that purpose. This panel is the natural color of the leather, but they are frequently stained black, and for that purpose the “ebony black stain” is the best material to use; but it is not necessary that they should be black; any color can be used, the beautiful bronze powders making very fine effects.
TO TELL THE HOUR OF THE DAY BY THE LEFT HAND.
For the benefit of those boys who make frequent excursions into the woods, or away from the sight and sound of town clocks and bells, I write the following, which I found in an old book published early in the present century:
Extend the left hand in a horizontal position, so that the inside shall be turned toward the sky; then take a bit of straw or wood, and place it at right angles at the joint, between the thumb and the forefinger. It must be equal in length to the distance from that joint to the end of the forefinger, and must be held upright, as represented in the figure at a. Now turn the bottom of the thumb toward the sun, the hand being extended till the shadow of the muscle which is below the thumb terminates at the line of life, marked c. If the wrist or bottom of the hand be then turned toward the sun, the fingers being kept equally extended, the shadow of the bit of straw or stick will indicate the hour.
When the shadow falls on the tip of the forefinger, it denotes five in the morning, or seven in the evening; at the end of the middle finger, it denotes six in the morning or evening; at the end of the next finger, seven in the morning, or five in the evening; at the end of the little finger, eight in the morning, or four in the afternoon. At the nearest joint of the little finger, nine in the morning, or three in the afternoon; at the next joint of the little finger, ten in the morning, or two in the afternoon; at the root of the little finger, eleven in the morning, or one in the afternoon; in the last place where the shadow falls, on that line of the hand marked d, which is called the table line, it will indicate twelve o’clock at noon.
STENCILS.
A dozen or more years ago I saw an advertisement from a Boston firm, of a package, to be had for the small sum of twenty-five cents, which contained several devices for entertaining children. As the advertisement seemed attractive, I sent for the article, and received by return mail a small box, which certainly contained all one could reasonably expect for the money. Many of the smaller things I have forgotten, but the idea of cutting stencils was so good, and gave the children of our family so much pleasure, that I insert a few simple designs, and give directions for cutting, hoping they may amuse the little ones of other families as agreeably as those of ours.
These designs, which require considerable care in the tracing, should be first drawn upon tracing-paper, or some stiff, thin paper, with a sharp-pointed lead-pencil; then, this being securely attached to a piece of thin bristol-board, or a common business-card, carefully cut the design, leaving the edges smooth and even. Particular care should be taken to cut all the useless bits of paper from the pattern. After a little practice, children learn to make designs for themselves, and enjoy it much more than following those given by others. It is, however, necessary that they should use those supplied at first, so as to understand just how the lines are to be cut.
After the design has been carefully cut out, take a smooth piece of white paper, fold it through the middle; now fold again, bringing the ends of the first crease together; fold once more, making the last crease to fall upon the same line as the other two, and your paper will be in shape like the letter V, Fig. 1. Be sure that b, in Fig. 1, forms a perfect point. Now lay the pattern on your folded paper, letting a, Fig. 2, fall upon b, Fig. 1, and taking care that the edges of the pattern fall evenly upon the folds of the paper. Cut the paper out, following the lines of the design. After the black portions have all been cut away, open your folded form, and you will have a very pretty stencil, which can be used in decorating your playthings, or for the various other purposes stencils are so extensively employed. One little friend of mine used to paste all his finest specimens on square pieces of black cloth, and after he had a good-sized collection, he had the pieces sewed together in the form of a book. On the cover he pasted the word “Stencil” and his initials, all cut from white paper; and it was a never-failing source of pleasure to him to show this little work, declaring proudly as he did so, “I did it all myself with my own little pair of scissors.” These stencils could be cut from variously colored papers and then pasted upon ordinary note; the whole being caught together with a piece of ribbon. A book would be the result, which, if not prettier, would be less cumbersome than my little friend’s, and would probably give full as much satisfaction, besides being much easier to make. If you will carefully examine the inside decorations of many of our fine public buildings, you will see that much of the work is put on with stencils; and by looking still more carefully, you can learn just how these stencils are made; and from them gain ideas for your own designs, which will aid you very materially in any decoration you may try. It is not expected that a boy has judgment or skill sufficient to decorate an important room, but if you would like to try the experiment, you may be able to persuade your parents to allow you to try your hand at something of the kind in an unused garret room. But even in this, do not begin at hap-hazard. Study all the designs you can find, and note the effect of the colors on each other and upon the color of the wall itself. Choose some simple, open pattern at first, and do not use more than two colors in putting it on the wall. The fresco paint, or kalsomine, comes in a powder, with full directions for using printed on each package. It is put on with a short, thick brush; and is patted on through the stencil. For stenciling, the paint or kalsomine must be mixed much thicker than for an ordinary wash, and it is best to have your stencil pattern, after it is perfected to your taste, cut from a piece of tin, if a tinman is near at hand. After the walls have received their share of decoration, it would be well to paint the door to match, using some appropriate oblong stencil for the panels, and applying it with oil paint. In such things it is very easy to overload the work, and by putting on too much spoil the effect; so care and judgment must be exercised to know at just what point to stop, as well as to avoid daubiness and an uneven character to your work.
LIGHT PRODUCED BY FRICTION UNDER WATER.
If you should rub two squares of cut-loaf sugar together in a dark room, light would result from the friction; but the effect is produced in a much greater degree by two pieces of silex or quartz; and if two pieces of a fine quality of quartz be forcibly rubbed together, you may distinguish the time of night by a watch; but what is more surprising, the same effect is produced equally strong on rubbing the pieces together under water.
In olden times, before matches were invented, fire for all purposes was produced by means of friction; a piece of flint and one of steel being the substances used, and a tin box of charred linen rags, called tinder, received the sparks which fell from the steel.
Many years ago, when your great-grandmothers were children, in many New England communities a cow’s horn, sawed across the top, and fitted with a wooden stopper, was used to hold the tinder, but later, the more stylish and luxurious tinder-box took its place. This box, made of tin, and somewhat larger and deeper than a good-sized blacking-box of to-day was fitted with an inside cover, a simple disk of tin with a ring of wire in the top for a handle, and was filled with a quantity of cotton or linen rags, which were set on fire with a brand from the hearth. When this burning cloth had reached a black color, but before it was reduced to ashes, the inside cover was let down upon it, and the flames were extinguished. After this, another outside cover was put on the box to prevent dampness penetrating, and thus rendering the tinder worthless. To insure further protection against the intruding damp, the box, with its companions of flint and steel, were generally kept in the chimney closet beside the fire-place.
In those primitive days of our country, it was a very common thing for a farmer’s wife to run into a neighbor’s and borrow some one of these necessary articles, and it was usually the tinder, which she had neglected to prepare when fire was plenty, that was the thing needed. Occasionally, when two or three houses were near together and the inmates on friendly terms with each other, one set would answer the demands of the neighborhood, and would be used by all with equal freeness. Later on, each family made their own matches, by simply dipping bits of wood into melted sulphur, and allowing it to dry on the end. These matches were kept in another tin box, and when the spark had ignited the tinder, the sulphur end was touched to the smoldering fire, and would immediately burst into flame.
Before these matches were invented, however, when the housewife wished to make her fire (stoves were of course unknown), she would seat herself near the fire-place, and, grasping the uncovered horn or box between her knees, would hold her steel in her left hand just above it, and with the flint or quartz in her right, would strike upon the former, till two or three sparks fell upon the charred surface; the bit of glowing tinder would then be carefully taken from the box, wrapped around with a bit of rag, and blown upon with her breath until the cloth burst into flames. A candle was quickly lighted from this, to keep the flame till the fire was well under way.
Every boy has probably felt the inconvenience of being without matches, when a fire on the beach in summer, or near the skating-pond in winter, would have been such a luxury. The next time the emergency occurs, strike a piece of quartz or hard white stone upon the large blade of your jackknife, over any bit of dry cotton or thin paper you may have at hand, as a tinder-box would probably not form part even of the very miscellaneous collection of the average school-boy’s pockets.
EXPERIMENT WITH FLOWER-SEEDS.
Split a small twig of the elder-bush lengthwise, and having scooped out the pith, fill each of the compartments with seeds of flowers of different colors, but which blossom about the same time. Surround them with mold, and then tying together the two bits of wood, plant the whole in a pot filled with earth, properly prepared. The stems of the different flowers will thus be so incorporated as to exhibit to the eye only one stem, throwing out branches covered with flowers of different colors, analagous to the seed which produced them. If the plants are somewhat alike in the texture of their stems, and germinate at about the same period, there will be less danger of the strong choking the weak.
HOW TO SKELETONIZE LEAVES.
Among the many desirable subjects for photographic printing, none are more satisfactory or so delicate as a graceful arrangement of skeletonized leaves. It may be very simple, and composed of only three or four leaflets; or it may be so elaborate as to embrace specimens from trees and weeds, wild flowers and garden shrubs; while the beautiful seed-pods and grasses, readily found in our fields or along our brooklets, answer for the blossoms in this dainty, fairy-like bouquet.
The methods employed in freeing leaves from their pulpy element, or cellular tissue, as it is more properly called, are very unlike, as practiced by different individuals; but the following, given the author by a lady friend who has a large and extremely beautiful collection of remarkably fine specimens, is very simple, and can be practiced with success by a boy or girl of ten.
Take a wash-bowl, and fill it half full of soft water, into which a heaping teaspoonful of baking soda should be thrown; place this in a sunny window, or one with a southern exposure if possible, and put in your leaves; care must be taken that they are all under water, and not too crowded, although three or four dozen can safely be done at a time. Any leaf which has a firm, well-defined frame-work will make a good specimen. The leaves of the horse-chestnut, maple, silver-leaf catalpa, and magnolia; those of the currant, pear, English ivy, and plum, all make fine skeletons, and many delicate seed-covers, like those of the strawberry-tomato, are very easily treated. Do not confine yourself to this list, however, but try any which resemble these in texture, as a great variety is particularly desirable, if you would have a good collection.
After you have put your leaves to soak in the soda-water, leave them in the sun for three weeks, as that is the shortest time in which any will do. Then look them carefully over, and should any be found nearly free from their tissues, take them out, and wash them off in a bowl of clean water; then with a soft brush liberate any tiny particle that may still adhere to the frame-work, as any blemish of this kind is considered a defect in the specimen.
During this process, be careful to retain the fine threadlike bit of fiber that entirely encircles the leaf and forms an outside frame-work or edge. If it is found impossible to entirely clean the skeleton by aid of the brush, it should be put in a bowl or saucer of clean water and left in the sun for two or three days longer. When they are thoroughly cleaned, place them between the leaves of an old book, and lay them aside until the time for bleaching.
If you live in or near the latitude of New York, the best time to collect and treat your leaves is in June, while they are still fresh and tender, and before the insects have destroyed their shape; but should your home be further south, April or May would be a better time.
After your collection is complete, and all are dry, they will be much improved by bleaching. This process is also very simple, consisting, as it does, of merely dipping them in a weak solution of chloride of lime, and letting them remain there until the proper color is attained; then by slipping a piece of unglazed paper—ribbon paper is best for this purpose—beneath the surface of the water, and bringing it up with the leaf lying flat upon it, the skeleton can easily be taken from the water.
If the form is not inclined to spread out on the paper as it should, take a long slender darning-needle, and with the point carefully arrange it to your satisfaction. Another drying is now necessary, but the bleached leaves should be left on the ribbon paper, which may be put between the leaves of a book as before.
These can be kept for years, and should you be successful and obtain a number of perfect specimens, they will form a very valuable addition to your materials for Christmas gifts, and, prettily arranged, a very acceptable present to any dear friend.
CAMERA OBSCURA.
Camera Obscura, a Latin name, meaning literally a dark chamber, belongs to an instrument invented by Baptista Porta in the sixteenth century.
The principle involved in the simplest and most refined forms is the same, and may be illustrated by the following experiment: Let a small hole be cut in an opaque window-shade, and the room darkened. If, now, the beam of light entering the room by this hole be intercepted by a sheet of white paper, held at a small distance from the hole, an inverted image of objects without will be seen upon the paper. By placing a small convex lens over the hole this image is rendered much more distinct. It will also be found, that at a certain distance from the hole the image attains the sharpest or clearest outline, and that if the paper be removed from this point to any position either nearer to the hole or further from it, the image becomes indistinct and confused. At the point of greatest clearness the image is said to be focused. Such being the principle of the camera, it is evident that in practice the instrument may assume many forms, provided always that it consists of a darkened box or chamber, having a hole at one end for the insertion of a lens or combination of lenses, and at the other a screen, generally made of ground glass, on which to receive the image. One of the first home-made cameras I remember seeing was constructed by a boy friend many years ago. In it he used a lens from an old ship’s spy-glass, which still remained incased in its brass tube. Fig. 1 gives a view of this form of camera. As every boy is not as fortunate as my friend in having a brass mounting for his lens, it would be well to inclose it in a small tube of papier-maché or pasteboard, so that it may be moved in or out of the opening at will. The box itself was made of cigar-box wood, with the cover sawed in two parts. After the hole had been cut at one end and the lens inserted, a piece of looking-glass was placed obliquely across the lower corner of the other end of the box, the longer piece of the cover nailed on the front part of the top, and a piece of ground glass carefully fitted, with the ground side downward, over the remaining open space; the smaller part of the cover was then fastened on one side with small pieces of tape. When not in use, this little cover fell down over the glass, but when any object was to be viewed the little lid was lifted into the position in the cut, and served as a shield to the ground glass beneath. A piece of black cloth thrown over this cover, and allowed to fall over the triangular side-openings, so as to still further prevent outside light from reaching the ground glass, is a great improvement.
In the diagram, the dotted lines show the course of the light from the object in view, through the lens (where the rays cross each other) to the looking-glass, and thence to the ground glass above.
A SIMPLER FORM OF THE CAMERA OBSCURA.
A simpler form of the camera obscura is seen in Fig. 2. Here the case is a small soap or spice box, the lens a convex spectacle-glass, and the board marked b a partition, serving as a screen upon which the image is thrown. In this form the lens may be fixed in the end of the box if desired, which is much easier than adjusting it in a sliding tube. The focal distance of an ordinary spectacle-glass averages about twelve or fourteen inches, and the box should be, of course, somewhat longer than the focal length of the glass used. A glass from “near-sighted” spectacles will not do, as it is concave instead of convex.
The box is now pointed out of the window, at some well-marked object, such as a sun-lighted building, and the partition-board moved backward and forward, till the point is found at which the image on it is best defined. Then the board may be fastened (as a, b, c, d, Fig. 2) and the top put on, of which the end should be cut off about four inches from the screen, as shown in the figure.
A piece of black cloth thrown over the head, and completely covering the ends of the opening, renders the image more distinct.
THE SKETCHING CAMERA.
This form of camera may be also used for sketching from nature, by raising it on end, and providing it with an inclined mirror, as shown in Fig. 4. The opening a, b, c, d, should in this case be sufficiently large to admit easy play of the hand in sketching, and also allow an unobstructed view of the image. The mirror may be prepared without much difficulty. Get the glazier to cut for you a piece of looking-glass three or four inches square, and cover the back with a piece of thick paper or card, to prevent scratching; then take a wire of sufficient length, and double it as in A; now bend this double wire in the form of B, letting the ends come at a and b, and placing your mirror, face downward, upon the frame as in C; hold it in place by two bands of strong paper, passed around the glass and wires, and pasted strongly on the back, at the top and bottom of the mirror. When in use this frame is placed over the lens, and reflects the image down upon the drawing-paper placed on the screen below. The four round-headed screws in the top are intended for attaching an opaque curtain to the box, which, however, is only needed when the artist is working in the open air. Then the dark curtain is buttoned in place, and falls over the head and shoulders, completely shielding the image from any invading rays of light which might otherwise confuse the draughtsman.
As a matter of fact, in using the sketching camera, it is necessary to turn one’s back to the objects sketched, if it is desired to draw them in an upright position. I have represented the artist facing the house, as it would look strangely in the illustration to see him seated with his back to the view; but he is compelled, in consequence, to draw his house, sister, and everything else which is included in the image thrown upon his paper upside down, as a penalty for appearances.
THE DARKENED ROOM.
To those boys living in the country, and having a wide, extended landscape stretched out before their windows, the “darkened room” is a very interesting feature. It simply requires a room which can be made perfectly dark. At the window (if there are more than one) commanding the broadest prospect have a perfectly tight, opaque screen fitted, with a small hole cut in the lower part for the insertion of the lens. Over this fasten a small mirror to receive the image, at such an angle as will throw the reflection down upon a stand placed two or three feet from the window, and thus make it possible for the spectator to view the scene in its normal condition. Should you be desirous of having the whole sweep of the horizon at your command in the darkened room, a simply constructed frame-work is necessary for the accommodation of the movable mirror, and also for the lens; this would further necessitate the cutting of a larger hole in the curtain. Fig. 5 represents this arrangement; a being the movable lens, which can be readily taken from its socket if desired; b, the hole in the bottom of the bracket, which should correspond to a larger hole in the shelf d, upon which the bracket rests, and can be easily turned in any direction desired. This hole should be large enough to allow the passage of all the diverging rays, and c, a small mirror, fitted like the one for the sketching camera just described, to receive the image and reflect it down through b upon the stand, or a sheet placed upon the floor for the screen. The height of the shelf d from the floor is determined by the focal length of the lens, and must be decided by experiment before the hole is cut in the shade. It is fastened in place by strings attached to small screw-eyes at its corners, and tied upon tacks driven into the window-frame. The arrangement shown in Fig. 5 can be moved on the shelf, so as to face the lens toward any portion of the view commanded by the window.
PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING.
If all boys are not so fortunate as to possess a camera, there is no reason why they should be debarred from all the pleasures of photography; and as there is much entertainment to be derived from this simple amusement, it is advisable for every boy throughout the land who is old enough to give it a fair trial. The first thing needed is a frame for holding the print while it is being exposed. This can be made by an ingenious boy, but as it is a rather troublesome job, it is better to buy a small transparent slate for five or ten cents, and discarding the copies, use the frame and glass for your work. The sensitized paper should next be prepared. This can be bought at any place where photographers’ supplies are to be found; many boys, however, are too far away from our great cities to have access to such stores, and even those who have will find more delight in making it for themselves. There is a great satisfaction in the feeling of perfect independence, and the more we can do for ourselves without aid or hinderance from the world at large, the nearer we come to the ideal state. So, presuming that every boy has this independent spirit well ingrained in his nature, I will give two formulas for this kind of paper, and leave it to the reader to decide for himself which he will use. The first produces a negative impression; that is, one in which all the parts that are dark in the copy come out light in the print, and vice versâ; and the second makes a positive print, or one in which all the shadings remain the same as in the original.
FIRST PROCESS.
Paper by this process is very easily prepared as follows: Make two solutions:
When these are dissolved, mix them together, and pour them through a piece of filter-paper into a tumbler, and then into a clean glass bottle. If filter-paper cannot be had, nice clean cotton wool answers the purpose nearly as well. This solution should be kept and also used in a dark room. To sensitize the paper, pour out a little of the liquid into a saucer; then having cut note-paper into rectangular pieces, a trifle smaller than the glass in your frame, take one of these pieces at a time, and place it evenly upon the surface of the liquid; let it lie in this position until it is flat and not inclined to curl. Now take it out by one corner, and thrusting a pin through this point, drive it lightly into the edge of a shelf in your dark room, and leave it to dry. It is now ready for use; should any be left after printing, roll it up and place it in a tin box which has a cover, to keep it from the light and dampness. To print on this paper, place your glass in the frame, and next to it any engraving you may fancy, provided it is printed on thin paper and has no type on its back. If a copy is desired precisely like the original, place the engraving face downward on the glass, but if a reverse is wished, that is, one in which all the objects in the original are turned about, and its left side is to correspond to the right in your print, then place it with its face toward you in the frame. When this is adjusted to your satisfaction, take the frame to your dark closet, and put in your sensitized paper, being careful to cover it closely with the back of the frame well fastened in place before bringing it to the light. Place the frame, glass side upward, on a window-ledge, or in any place where it will be exposed to the free rays of the sun, and let it remain until it is printed to the desired depth. It will be noticed that at first the light changes the portions exposed to a bluish color; the operation, however, is not finished at this stage, but must be continued long enough to turn these portions a deep metallic gray. Care must be exercised in examining the print, that the paper is not moved from its position relative to the copy to be printed; with the above frame this will be a very delicate matter, and it is doubtful if it can be successfully done. A better way would be to make one or two prints, without caring for accuracy of form, but simply with a view of obtaining a good color, and time the operation; this would form a sort of basis from which to work. If some subsequent engraving was upon thicker paper, it would take a somewhat longer time to print it, and if on thinner paper, the time required would be proportionately shorter. It would be a great source of convenience if the back could be cut in two equal parts, and a piece of canton flannel be pasted over both, joining them as they were at first. This with the soft side outward will keep the paper from slipping, and act as a hinge to either half. Now instead of one fastening, two will be required, one on either half of the cover; if then you wish to examine your print, you have only to open one end of your frame, and carefully lift up the edge of the paper, while the other end, remaining firmly closed, holds the whole thing in place.
After your print has reached the proper degree of color, take it out and immerse it in clean water, when it will become a rich blue, except those parts which are to remain white. Change the water once or twice, or until every part comes out distinctly; then take it from the bath and dry between sheets of blotting-paper.
The second way to prepare paper consists in washing good letter-paper with the following solution:
Papers prepared with this are of a pale yellow color; they may be kept any length of time in a tin box, and are always ready for use. For copying engravings, the wings of dragon-flies, or of cicadas, the beautiful skeletonized leaves or delicate ferns, arranged in tiny bouquets on the inner surface of the ground glass, this paper is excellent.
After it has been exposed to the influence of the sunshine, take the frame to your dark closet, and after removing the print, wash it over with a solution of nitrate of silver of moderate strength. As soon as this is done, a very vivid positive picture makes its appearance, and all the “fixing” it requires is well washing in pure water.
The dark closet spoken of above is necessary in all kinds of photography, as light let in upon the sensitized paper would darken the whole surface. To make a “dark room,” stop the upper part of the window with any opaque substance, and pin a large sheet of dark orange paper over the lower sash. The yellow paper used in making envelopes is excellent for this, but if it cannot be found, four sheets of tissue-paper, two red and two yellow, placed over each other, answer the purpose very well.
A friend of the writer utilizes an old disused chicken-house for his dark room, and it answers its purpose capitally, while it was at the window of this little room I first saw the tissue-paper successfully used.
The prints used for copy might be rendered more translucent by rubbing them over with a little linseed oil mixed with turpentine. This, of course, should be thoroughly dried before it is used in connection with the sensitized paper.
A great number of graceful, pretty things can be photographed in this manner; the delicate maiden-hair fern, so common in several parts of our country; the fine, feathery leaves of many of our wild flowers, some of the finer flowers themselves, and many of the beautiful mosses and sea-weeds after they are pressed, make exquisite little photographs, worthy of a place in any collection.
A dozen or more of these prints carefully taken, pressed, and trimmed, would make a pretty Christmas present to a dear friend. The cover could be of plain paper, with the name of the person for whom it was intended neatly written upon the top, an appropriate sentiment on the middle, and the donor’s name with the date upon the lower part of the page.
The stencils, for the making of which full directions are given in another part of this book, make very line subjects for photographs. If intended for this purpose, however, they should be of a slender, delicate pattern, small in size, and cut with extreme care. A snow-flake caught upon a black surface, and examined in a cold room, will furnish many suggestions for stencils designed for copy.