207 
THE GRAPHOTYPE. 
BY THE EDITOR. 
W E have heard of the Talbotype and of the ubiquitous 
Wothlytype, and of the terribly unpronounceable Ca- 
outchoucotype ; but what in the name of rational orthography 
is the Graphotype ? Such we imagine will be the exclamation 
of not a few of our readers. Scientific terms are in nine cases 
out of ten badly constructed, and the title of our article is by 
no means an exception. The literal signification of the word, 
which is to the effect that something writes and prints, conveys 
no approach to the real nature of the new discovery it desig- 
nates. We shall therefore state generally that the graphotype 
is a process by which the artist is made his own engraver ; for 
it is no exaggeration to say that the pencil is converted into the 
graving-tool, in the method which has recently been discovered 
by Mr. Hitchcock, and described so well by Mr. H. Pitzcook. 
Who has compared an original sketch with an engraving, and 
failed to see the difference between the two ? In many in- 
stances, no doubt, the engraver seizes upon the spirit of the 
artist, and gives to the block all those finer touches which convey 
force and power to the drawing. But it not unfrequently 
happens that the engraver is but a copyist, and an unfaithful 
one. The more strongly marked characters of the sketch are 
carefully delineated upon the block ; but the more subtle grades 
of light and shade are passed by unnoticed. It may be urged 
that when the artist draws upon the block, this difficulty is 
removed. But even in such cases we very often find that — - 
unless the engraver is himself no mean artist — an undue pro- 
minence is given to certain lines, which materially alters the 
original design. No two heads can work out the same con- 
ceptions with the same results; and hence the objections to 
the existing methods of multiplying the results of our artists* 
labours. The artist's brain elaborates and develops an idea 
in one particular fashion, and it is extremely improbable that 
the engraver, if he even catches the idea, will hit upon the 
same means of carrying it out. In the case of scientific 
drawings this is forcibly illustrated. It would at first sight 
appear strange that an engraver could not accurately follow 
the copy which is set before him; but it is perfectly true that 
