THE COLLECTION ILLUSTRATING THE GRAPHIC ARTS, 121 



arts (many of great beauty), all tile necessary tools and appliances are shown wMcli 

 are required in working the same, with explanatory matter in the form of labels and 

 printed statements. 



This collection, though it covers much space and will strike every one as most in- 

 structive, is yet to be regarded as a nucleus only, about which the full display will 

 continuously grow toward completion. As planned, we shall have in this Depart- 

 ment in a few years a collection representing every known process, perfect in classiflca- 

 tiou and in chronological arrangement, and accompanied throughout by explanatory 

 matter which will give to every specimen a historical as well as a scientific interest. 



In this country there are many persons possessed of early results from drawn and 

 engraved surfaces, with or without photographic .aid. These are sometimes artistic 

 in their nature, and sometimes they indicate only an earnest striving in that direc- 

 tion. But they are all valuable historically or technically, and should be preserved 

 in such a way as to turn them to the best account. As a rule this can only be done 

 by placing them in a public institution under the direction of persons whose knowl- 

 edge and experience insures a good estimate of their importance and of their proper 

 place in a classified collection. For such reasons I would urge those of my fellow- 

 workers in this field who have collections, for the disposition of which no definite 

 arrangements have been made, to communicate with Prof. G. Brown Goode, with a 

 view of donating the same to the National Museum. By taking this course, a x^er- 

 manent, I might say an ever-increasing, value will be given to what might in time 

 pass into the possession of unappreciative persons who cared little for the landmarks 

 of progress or the work it cost to reach them. 



In my letter to Professor Goode a number of dates are given, some slight correc- 

 tions in which (not inserted) I have already made. These dates relate occasionally 

 to the time when certain inventions were made, but more generally to the time when 

 specimens of work in my collection were produced by inventors and other persons of 

 note. I am very anxious to be correct on the subject of priority, and if it should be 

 in the power of any of your readers to question the accuracy of these dates or qual- 

 ify them in any way, and they will do so by letter addressed to me at Washington, I 

 shall be very much obliged. 

 Yours truly, 



J. W. Osborne. 



The Editor of the American Lithographer and Printer, 



12 Centre Street, New York. 



In addition it may be stated that since these letters were written the 

 collection of specimens illustrating the photo-mechanical processes has 

 received many accessions, principally by gift, iucludiug a number of 

 collographic prints by Tessie du Motay (mentioned above as not repre- 

 sented in the Osborne collection), received from Mr. William Kurtz, of 

 New York, and a very complete illustration of the original Ives process, 

 including not only specimens but also models of machinery, presented by 

 the inventor himself. These, with a selection of specimens of great his- 

 torical importance, selected from the Osborne collection, and the gen- 

 erous donations of later work by firms at presejit actively engaged in 

 the United States in.the commercial exploitation of the various photo- 

 mechanical processes, are about to be placed on exhibition, and when 

 the collection of patents granted to inventors in this department of 

 applied science, which is now being made with the aid of Mr. J. W. Os- 

 borne, shall have been completed, the U. S. National Museum will find 

 itself in the possession of a collection elucidating the history and prac- 

 tice of photomechanical processes, unrivaled by any other collection of 

 the kind at present known to exist. 



