October 26, 1883.] THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. 677 admirable work of Mr. Ives, a more careful style of printing than our own would be required. The block is made from a brush drawing, and Mr. Ives writes as follows:—• “ The ‘ Trouble ’ plate was intended for book illustration, and is rather closely lined for newspaper printing. It may be well for you to mention the fact that fine ink, fine paper, and careful printing are necessary to do justice to any fine engraving. The only large-edition publications which fulfil these requirements are a few like Harper’s and Scribner’s (Century) magazines.” Mr. Ives also writes with reference to his process as follows:— “The relief which I now employ is a plaster cast from swelled gelatine, which is secured so easily that a seventeen year old apprentice makes them acceptably for Cross, up and West. On this relief the lines and stipple are impressed by means of a printing film of elastic V-shaped stippled lines, in a manner which gives the operator considerable control of the effect. The line and stipple picture on the plaster relief is then stripped off for lithographic transfer or etching, by a method so simple and perfect that it astonishes all who see it done. Formerly, 1 had to repro- 1 duce the impression by photography in the camera, and by | this operation could not avoid losing much of the delicacy of the original, which is wonderfully delicate, sharp, and clear in line. I have to secure ruled plates for moulding closer lined printing films before 1 can apply the transfer method of reproduction for fine work ; so it maybe months before I shall show you what fine results I can secure in this way. 1 could make more rapid progress if I had more time for experiment; I have very little. Ihe plates I send you are electrotypes from plates made by reproduc tion in the camera. After awhile I will send some made by direct transfer of the inked picture on plaster relief.” It is interesting to look back upon the block work done about twelve years ago by Mr. Woodbury, especially as Mr. Woodbury’s early blocks very nearly resemble those obtained by the method of Mr. Ives. Mr. Woodbury patented his method in 1873; but the patent is not now in force, so we quote for the benefit of our readers. “ I prepare sheets of bichromatized gelatine such as are used in the process called ‘ Woodburytype,’ and expose these under a photographic positive to the action of light, but interposing between the positive and the gelatine film, a transparency on collodion or mica, of what is known as mosquito netting, Brussels net, tulle, and so forth, which has the effect of breaking up the resulting relief into a multitude of fine square hexagonal lines ; or for some subjects X interpose a transparency on mica or collodion of any design of a similar nature that will have the same effect, such as an impression from a grained stone, or the same from a number of fine ruled lines. This sheet of gelatine when washed will give a relief having the positive photograph represented by a number of lines, instead of the simple half tone it originally possessed; I then take an impression from this by means of hydraulic or other pressure in any soft metal