The Harness Makers' Guide, 



67 



you have 

 looks wel 



monograms vary so much that whilst an ornamental cypher could 

 probably be put on to the handle of a spoon in about ten n»inutes, 

 spread over the back of a watch it mii^ht take a couple of hours! 

 Some intricate designs, of course, take days to complete. Just 

 a capital specimen of a 'thiee-letter monogram 

 on anything. Amongst curious monogranTs, a 

 notable one was seen which consisted of 

 the .entire twenty-six letters of the alphabet, 

 a design far too complicated to be reproduced 

 here. Five of its letters were done in gold, 

 six in b:own, six in violet, and nine in 

 green. 



Where the same monogram is to be 

 engraved upon a number of articles — sav 

 spoons — the first one finished is taken and 

 rubbed over with printing ink — that is, ink 

 used for printing newspapers or placards. 

 Wel after you have applied the ink to the monogram with the 

 end of your finger and rubbed it well in, and then wiped off with 

 a piece of damp paper (ladies' curl paper is the thing), enough 

 ink has remained in the cuts to mark the paper, and this in turn 

 transfers an impression to the next subject. 



The monograms A.M. and J.T. are in perfect "gothic" style. It 

 must be understood that monogram work such as is done bv the 

 best engravers only — a trade which is 

 most difficult to- learn in all its 

 ^^^^W^ branches — is treated of now. 

 ■ J[^^ ■ Here, attention may be called to 



^j^^ tW the fact that — as in the design 

 ^^*^l^ beneath — letters are sometimes 

 ■ '^ • reversed for the sake of appear- 

 ance, when the reverse letter is not to be read, 

 this monogram not being C.C.L., but C.L. A few years ago, 

 great numbers of people collected monograms, just 

 as they now do stamps, etc., and displayed them in 

 their albums. 



The writer remembers reading an article on 

 engraving, some years ago, which stated that it 

 takes an apprentice three years before he can 

 properly sharpen an ordinary graver. 



Besides being cut into articles, monograms cut out of gold oi 

 silver, metal-plated or gilded, are often fixed on them, these being 

 teimed "piercings," because they are pierced or cut out, and are 

 most often done with a fret-saw (like you may have seen queen's 

 or king's heads cut out of pennies), and afterwards carved up or 

 ornamented by- hand. Some of these are very expensive indeed, 

 especially when ornamented with precious stones. Not everyone 

 can correctly read even a three-letter monogram. The next one, 

 here shown, is of course D.B.R., the D.B. being read in the 

 ordinary way from left to right, and you know the R stands for the 

 surname, because it is made the most important letter. Some 



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