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
enough suggestions, on matters of taste, for the use of any person who
is possessed of innate natural taste, without which I would advise no
one to attempt to be a landscape gardener."
=57. Lithographers.= The impression for chalk drawings is made by
delicate manipulations with crayon pencils; for ink drawings, with steel
pens and camel-hair brushes. It requires one skilled in the use of her
pencil, for every stroke of the pencil or pen on the stone remains, and
cannot be erased. Consequently, any defect on the stone is conveyed to
every copy of the paper. In answer to a letter of inquiry, respecting
the time necessary for preparation, the writer says: "A person who draws
well upon paper would, I should think, with six months' practice on
stone, become proficient. The process differs little from crayon drawing
on paper; and the progress of pupils depends entirely on their previous
attainments in drawing. The different kinds of lithography are black,
chromo, and gold illuminated; also, lithography combined, or uncombined,
with embossing. In a report of a British school of design, it is stated
that the chromo-lithographic class for females "exhibit the commencement
of a series of useful labors." An immense number of cheap lithographs
are colored by women; such as are hung in taverns, country houses,
sailors' homes, servants' rooms, &c. At Mr. C.'s establishment, I was
told that in France the females are quite as successful as the male
artists in lithography. He says lithographs require to be more highly
colored than the colors we see in nature. Mr. C. thinks of sending to
France for lithographers, as he cannot get enough in New York well
qualified. A correct eye, skilful manipulation, and an appreciation of
art are required to make one skilful in lithography. Germans excel,
because they have so much patience. An American would become nervous at
the slow work that they prosecute with the greatest pleasure. At Mr.
C.'s they have a forewoman, who superintends the girls, who are paid by
the quantity and kind of work they do. He finds that small girls are
usually the best workers. Their fingers are more nimble, and they enter
into it with more zeal. He thinks it best for them to commence at ten or
twelve years of age. Prospect good for employment in that branch. The
coloring of all the finest pictures is done by men. It requires some
time to become sufficiently expert to earn much. Their girls earn from
$3 to $7 a week. The work requires care, and is wearisome, because of
sitting long and steadily. Mrs. P., Brooklyn, an English lady, learned
to draw when eight years old, and studied lithography with a
distinguished artist of London, who executed entirely with his left
hand, having lost three fingers on his right when he was a child. She
has spent twenty-two years in lithographing--seventeen of them in this
country. She is probably the only lady professionally engaged in this
business in the United States. She has earned almost constantly, I was
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