The Employments of Women: A Cyclopædia of Woman's WorkPenny, Virginia
General
The Employments of Women: A Cyclopædia of Woman's Work
Penny, Virginia
Women -- Employment
to be of use; but to learn thoroughly requires three or four years. The
business generally pays well by jobs, and I see no reason why females
may not engrave as successfully as males with the same application."
=89. Bank Note Engravers.= "Steel engraving was first practised in
England by the calico printers; but it was first employed for bank notes
and for common designs by Jacob Perkins, of Newburyport, Mass." The
American Bank Note Company, New York, employ about sixty girls,
forty-seven of whom are engaged in printing or making impressions; the
others in drying, assorting, and laying together the sheets to be placed
under a hydraulic press. It requires but a few weeks to learn the part
done by girls. Some are paid $3 and some $3.50 per week. They are mostly
American girls. A lady told me that she heard a girl, who had been
employed to cut up bank notes (done with scissors), say she often earned
$9 a week. The company pay a boy $3 a week from commencement until
through his apprenticeship, which is usually four or five years. Here a
man can earn $100 a week, if a first-class bank note engraver; but in
England not more than $10 or $12. There, however, paper money is but
little used; a £5 note being the smallest in value. Bank note engraving
is both mechanical and artistic. At the office of the National Bank Note
Company, a gentleman showed me the various processes. He had often
thought ladies would do well to learn bank note engraving. I saw two or
three gentlemen engraving. The process is simple, but requires a good
deal of patience and practice. Their girls are employed to place the
sheet for an impression under a roller, and, after the impression is
made, remove it. Some receive $3, and some $3.50 a week. It is dirty
work, on account of the oil and ink used. Their girls wash every evening
the blankets used on the cylinders. Bank-note engravers of the first
order receive a salary of $4,000. Some receive from $2,000 to $3,000 per
annum. Bank note engravers work but eight hours a day. Mr. M. thinks
there would not be much difficulty, if a lady wanted to learn bank note
engraving, from the prejudices of men, for some of them are not only
just but generous. One of the gentlemen engraving knew several ladies in
England that were bank note engravers.
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