238 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[Oct., 1904. 



A New Depacrture in 

 Nactvire Printing. 



By T. E. James. 



The production of impressions of leaves, ferns, lace, 

 feathers, or other natural and artificial objects by 

 methods adapted to illustrate their outlines and sur- 



I 



Fig. I. — Blackberry Leaf. 



face features, has long engayed the attention of ex- 

 perimentalists. The records of old attempts in these 

 directions are, indeed, of singular interest. They point 

 to extraordinary industry on the part of workers in the 

 art, though this frequently outstripped manipulative 

 skill, a circumstance, perhaps, not to be wondered at, 

 considering the means at hand, and the operative 

 difficulties. 



We read of an observer who, in i()50, obtained nature- 

 prints of the dried leaves of plants by the aid of sooty 

 depositions. When the leaves were placed between 

 paper and carefully rubbed over, the adherent smoki- 

 ness was transferred, leaving a pictorial representa- 

 tion of the objects. Prof. Kniphof, of the University 

 of Erfurt, published at Halle, 1757-61, his " Herbarium 

 \'ivum," a curious work in twelve folio volimies, which 

 contained no fewer than twelve hundred printed plates 

 of natural impressions. A single plant specimen is 

 depicted on each plate, in many cases portraying its 

 whole aspect, all the ex.imples Ijeing hand-coloured. 

 The title-pages carry a border of plants, introduced 

 for ornamental purposes; and on some of these appear 

 butterflies in brilliant natural hues. It seems that 

 printer's ink was used to obtain the initial impression, 

 combined with pressure on the object. Kyhl, of Copen- 

 hagen, was also engaged in 1833 '" inventive methods. 

 He describes his process thus : — " As a correct copv 

 of the productions of Nature and .'\rt must be of great 

 importance, I submit a method I have discovered, 



whereby copies of most objects can be taken, impressed 

 into metal plates, which enables the naturalist and 

 botanist to get representations of leaves, scales, etc., 

 in a quick and easy way; these copies will give all the 

 natural lineaments with their most raised or sunken 

 veins and fibres; and the artist can, by means of this 

 invention, make use of Nature's real peculiarities; while 

 the merchant can produce patterns of delicately-woven 

 or figured stuffs, laces, ribbons, and so forth." Sub- 

 sequently, in 1851, Dr. Branson communicated to the 

 Society of Arts his views on the practicability of 

 adopting the electrotype process for the accurate re- 

 production of original impressions, when the latter 

 were taken in gutta percha. This marked a long 

 stride in advance, and following it, came the 

 adoption of lead as a mould, coupled still with the 

 electrotype system of casting a durable copy. At this 

 stage, Worring, of Vienna, made many notable im- 

 provements, which led to important practical results. 

 In 1S59, appeared the nature-printed " Ferns of Great 

 Britain and Ireland " (Bradbury), and, in 1859-60, 

 Johnstone and Croall's " Nature-Printed British Sea- 

 weeds." Mention should also be made of a paper in the 

 X'ienna Dcnkschripcn, in 1894, which was illustrated 

 by nature-printed plates of beech leaves, in sepia 

 monochrome. 



The ingenious " Physiotype " reproducing system, 

 now being brought to notice, is due to the inventi\ e skill 

 of Mr. Francis Sheridan, who has patented the process. 

 In this, inks or other fixing media are superseded, 

 the novelty of the method consisting in the use of a 

 fine powder, the chemical action of which is responsi- 

 ble for the fac-simile. The modus operandi, as carried 

 out by Mr. Sheridan, is exceedingly simple. An object 



Fig. 2.— Leaf of Woundwort. 



