Page:A dictionary of printers and printing.djvu/939

 932

HISTORY OF PRINTING.

he produced from his own presses. As a pub- lisher, his illustrated topog^phical works, espe- cially the Hutoriet of Westminster Abbey, the UniversUies of Oxford and Cambridge^ and the Public Schools, are monuments of his spirit and taste. Mr. Ackerman was the father and originator in England of those elegant bijouteries of the festive season, the AnnuaU, which was a spirited attempt to rival the numerous publica- tions issued in France and Germany. It is well

the printiiigr Ink to the stone, for which pnrpose I first used a oommon printers* ball ; after some unsuccessful trials, I found that a thin piece of board corcred with fine cloth, answered the purpose perfectly, and communicated the Ink in a more equal manner than any other material I had before used. My further trials of this method greatly encouraged my perseverance." In order to exercise this newly Indented art, a capital was necessary to construct a press and purchase stones, paper, and other materials. M. SeneTelder tiled many expedients for that purpose, unoDg which was even offering to enlist as a private In the aitlUeryj but failing in all, he sunk in the deepest despondency. However, the sight of apa^e of wretchedly printed music suggested to htm the idea that his new method would be particularly applicable to music print- ing ; he formed a connection with M. Gleissner, musician of the elector's band* and by means of a common copper- plate press, printed several musical compositions, which were sold with some profit. Thus encouraged, he and his partner constructed a new press, by which they hoped greatly to facilitate their objects. In this, however, for reasons minutely described in the narrative, they were deceived, and the disappointment induced M. Sencfelder to turn his attention to the best form of a lithographic press. After many failures, he induced M. Falter, a music seller, at Munich, to furnish him with means of niakln;^ a large press with cylinders and a cross, the con- struction of which M. Senefelder always conceived to be the best adapted for lithographic printing, provided the stones were of sufOcient thickness, and despatch not a consideration. The account of his next invention, which was one of f^reat importance, we again give in M. Senefelder's own words. "Being employed to write a prayer book on stone, which was to be done in the com- mon correct hand. I found great dlfficultyin producing the letters reversed upon the stone. My ordinary method of writing music on stone, was first to trace the whole page with black lead pencil on paper, wet it, place it on ^e stone, and pass it through a strong press : in this way I got the whole page traced, and reversed on the stone. But this being extremely tender, and easily wiped ofiT, I should have preferred an ink to the pencil. After having tried some experiments with red chalk, and gum water and common writing ink, which did not satisfy me, I pre- pared a composition of linseed oil, soap, and lamp black, dilated with water, and with this ink 1 traced the music or letters on paper, and transferred it to the stone, and thus obtained a perfect reversed copy on the latter. This led me to the idea whether it would not be possible to com- pose an ink possessing the property of transferring itself to the stone, so that the drawing might be made at once complete, and to prepare the paper in such a manner that, under certain circumstances, it might discharge the ink with which wriiing or drawing was executed on its sur- face upon the stone plate, and not retain any part of it." The effort to accomplish this purpose cost M. Senefelder several thousand different experiments ; some of which he describes. At length he was successful. " I observed that every liquid, especially a vicous liqtiid, such as a solution of gum, prevented the Ink from attaching itself to the stone. I drew some lines with soap on a newly polished stone, moistened the surface with gum water, and then touched it with oil colour, which adhered only to the places covered with soap. In trying to write music on the stone, with a view to print In this way, I found that the ink ran on the polished surface : this I obviated by washing the Stone with soap water or linseed oil, before I began to write; but in order to remove again this cover of grease, which extended over the whole surface, (so that the whole stone would have been black on the application of the colour,} after I had written or drawn on the stone, it was necessary to apply aquafortis, which took it entirely away, and left the characters or drawings untouched. My whole process was therefore as follows:— To wash the polished stone with soap water, to dry it well, to write or draw upon it with the composition ink of soap and wax. then to

known that his successful attempt to furnish t& the Forget MelSot^B. worthy offering to an object of kindness and affection, has generated in this country a new class of elegant works. The ardour in which he embarked in the preparatioa (if books, chiefly elementary, for the instrucUoo and enlightenment of the people of the Spanish American states, and in the formation of estab- lishments in some of their principal ciUes, is deserving of the highest praise. But it is not

etch it with aqnafortb} and lastiy to prepare it for print ing with an inAision of gum vrater. 1 bad hoped to be able to dispense with the gum water, but was soon con- vinced that it really enters into chemical affinity with tbc stone, and stops its pores still more effectually against the fat, and opens them to the water. In less than three days after my first idea, 1 produced as perfect and clear impressions as any that have since been obtained. Thus this new art had in its very origin arrived at the highest degree of perfection as to the principle, and good and experienced artists were only wanting to show it in all the varieties of application." This new invention, together with that of a lever press, enabled M. Senefelder to cany on his business more extensively. Proceeding with hu experiments, he says :— " 1 discovered that my clrcmical printing process was not limited to stone only ; that other substances, as wood, metal, paper— even fat substaDces, as wax. shellac, and rosin, might be used instead of it, in some cases, and under certain circumstances." Havhip obtained an exclusive privilege for exercising his art in Bavaria, he did not consider it any longer necessary to keep the process a secret, and it soon spread over the greater portion of Germany, but his experience enaWed him for several years to outstrip all his competitors in to far as the execution of his work was concerned, althoui^ in every other respect, he seemed to be almost the coly one in whose hands the art did not give ample retnnu botli for money and labour. In no other way can tins uniform want of success be accounted for, than by top- posing, that, while the others were making the most U what he had already discovered, he was devotin(>^ moch of his time to the experimental part of the businea. This in fact was the case. About the year ) 800, Senefelder came to London for the purpose ctf establishing faimsetf as a lithographer, but a few months sniBced to convince hhn that he hadlittlechance of succeeding in his undertaking; and he returned to his own country, where, on his anival, he found that many attempts had been made In Us absence to deprive him of the benefit of his privilege. Amongst the most forward in this scheme besides M. Schmidt, professor of the royal college, were two of his brothers, to whom he had communicated aU the secrets <i the art, and it took some time to counteract the bad effects of their ungenerous conduct. Finding that, in his satin place (Munich), others were reaping many of the advaa. tagea which by right should have been the reward of his own industry, he was induced to go to Vienna, far tte purpose of superintending a calico-printing establis hm eat, the operations of which were to be conducted on the principles of the new art ; and here, for the sp«u» of sevenJ years, his talents were entirely devoted to this new under- taking ] but, at the end of which time, from a variety of causes over which he had no control, he was again thrown upon the world, destitute of e^-cry thing save the resoorcea of his own genius. It was not till about the yeai iwg that Senefelder was extricated from the difficulties of his situation, by being appointed inspector of the royal litbo- graphic establishment at Munich, which at once placed him above the necessity of exercising his profession as a means for gaining his daily subsistence, and enabled him to devote a portion of his time to the improvement of suth branches of the art, as, in his former circumstances, be had never found it possible to eflfect. He died at Monich, Februar>- 26, I8;i4, in the sixty-third year of his age.

for 1823. Crown 13mo. pp. 400. Published In November, 1832. The example of Mr. Ackerman was followed by two powerful rivals; the first of which was, in 1825, TJe LUerary Souwenir; or Cabintt of Poetry and Romtmce, edited ly Ataric A. Watt$. pp. 400. London: Huzst, Robinson and Co. Mr. Watts is himself a poet of no mean fame, and of very superior taste in the arts. To hin» is certainly due the honour of being the first to fiive to these elegant publications a pcimanent footing in England. Friendthip*s Offering i or ttte Annual Rrmembraneer : « Chriitmaa Pretent er New Year's Gift for 1823.
 * Forget Me Not; a Christmat and New Year's PreaeiU

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