6 



The lecture was listened to Avith the utmost interest and 

 closest attention. 



The lecturer commenced with an allusion to the silver 

 platinp: practised by the ancient Romans, the silver being 

 soldered to copper and rolled out. This method was con- 

 tinued until the middle of the 18th century and was called 

 the French process. He also spoke of the silvered wires 

 for filigree work. 



The French process was succeeded in England by fire- 

 plating — silver fused upon copper without solder — known 

 as the Sheffield process. In this the weight of silver was 

 1-24 to 1-30 that of the copper. This ware is remarkably 

 serviceable and does not tarnish. A specimen more than 

 a hundred years old was exhibited and the plating was 

 apparently as perfect as when first made. 



Amalgam plating was next described — silver and mer- 

 cury mixed, the mercury volatilized. 



The first electro plating, which is the modern process, 

 was done in 1803, by Brugnatelli, a pupil of Volta. El- 

 kington's patent was issued in 1840, and it was not until 

 within twenty-five or thirty years that the manufacture 

 began to assume its present proportions. 



The general composition of the three bases, Britannia, 

 German silver, and nickel silver was then given, Bri- 

 tannia being a compound of lead, tin, and antimony ; 

 German silver, of copper, zinc, and nickel ; and so on. 



The lecturer then took his audience into the manufac- 

 turing room and described the process by which the raw 

 material is worked up into hollow ware, and spoons and 

 forks, which latter is a special department of the busi- 

 ness. The various methods of "chasing" were then con- 

 sidered, and silvered plates illustrating each variety were 

 exhibited. The "plating" room was next described, with 

 an enumeration of the various chemical and galvanic oper- 



