MECHANICS AND USEFUL ARTS. 125 



largely promoted arts, manufacture, and commerce." In making 

 the award this year, the council were placed in a somewhat pecu- 

 liar position, inasmuch as by the terms upon which the medal was 

 established they could only make one award, while the great 

 object accomplished was due to the combined labors of two men. 

 They felt, however, that so great a national work as the electric 

 telegraph was especially worthy of reward by this societv, and 

 that the Albert medal could not be more worthily bestowed than 

 in recognition of the services of those to whom the introduction of 

 the telegraph was due. The award having been made, they have 

 directed that the medal be struck in duplicate, and a copy, with a 

 suitable inscription, be presented to each of the abo\ 7 e-nanied 

 gentlemen. Engineering. 



PICTORIAL PRINTING, OR STIGMATYPY. 



Among the notable inventions of the year are two for the pro- 

 duction of pictorial effects by the use of movable metal types, 

 cast like ordinary printing types, and bearing upon their faces 

 different devices, which, in combination, accomplish the most 

 surprising effects. One of these is American, and the other Ger- 

 man ; but, as they appeared almost simultaneously, we notice first 

 the American invention. Mr. A. P. Rollins, of Boston, conceived 

 the idea of producing by the use of type substantially the effects 

 ordinarily obtained by line engraving; and after considerable 

 study determined upon the use of 14 different faces or characters. 



The first effort in their use was made by Mr. Rollins himself, 

 who composed a picture, 6 X ?i inches, containing 10,230 pieces 

 of type ; producing a representation of an edifice, showing doors, 

 steps, windows, columns, and the roof, in accurate perspective, 

 with surroundings of trees, foliage, changing clouds, and other 

 accessories, all with surprising fidelity. Other pictures have 

 since been made from the same types, with even greater success. 

 The inventor does not claim that the idea is even yet fully devel- 

 oped ; but his object in endeavoring faithfully to represent ordi- 

 nary objects of architecture and landscape by the use of movable 

 types, has been accomplished with remarkable success. 



The German invention of a similar nature is due to one Fasol, 

 a printer of Vienna, who, during the past year, has produced, 

 with movable types, pictures of great beauty. The art, as prac- 

 tised by him, is called " Stigmatypy," from the fact that he uses 

 only the full point, of different sizes, cast upon the same body. 

 The effect is produced by the difference in shade, according to 

 the proximity of the full points. 



On the opposite page is presented a specimen of the pictorial 

 printing, representing a correct view of the house of the Adams 

 family, Quincy, Mass. 





