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THE AUTOTYPE. 
We live in an age so full of new thoughts that we 
have hardly time to draw breath between the an¬ 
nouncements of new discoveries in science and art, 
and few are able to appreciate and understand the 
rapidity with which the civilized world is moving. 
Among the late improvements in what for want of 
a better term may be called mechanical art, is the 
Artotype, a recently-introduced combination of pho¬ 
tography and lithography, the object being first 
photographed and afterwards printed upon a print¬ 
ing-press with printer’s ink. 
During a visit to the establishment of Messrs. Ha- 
roun & Bierstadt, 58 Reade Street, we were favored 
with an opportunity of seeing the pictures printed and 
examining them in various stages of development, and 
we have no hesitation in saying that the delicacy and 
finish, far surpass the finest photograph, while the 
clearness and permanency of the print equals the best 
steel engraving. m 
If the mention of printer’s ink suggests the idea of 
coarseness to the reader, lie may be assured that it 
is an altogether mistaken one. There is a softness 
of tone, and a gradation in the shadows which per¬ 
suade one, in spite of evidence, that there must have 
been touches from the skilful brush of an artist in 
india-ink. 
No better evidence of the refinement and elegant 
delicacy possible to the process, can be given, than 
that it has been selected by experienced publishers, 
to illustrate Ruslan’s “ Modern Painters.” John 
Wiley & Sons have ventured upon the rather haz¬ 
ardous enterprise, of giving a beautiful edition to the 
public at one-fifth of the old one. When we say 
hazardous, we do not mean with regard to the public, 
but to the distinguished author, whose wrath spares 
neither friend nor foe in what he believes to be the 
interest of art. 
Certainly the new process answers to one of his 
favorite axioms, “ All true art is delicate.” 
It is not alone in black and white that the process is 
available, but in color also; we understood, however, 
from what was told us, that this part of the work had 
not yet been entirely perfected, though, if we might 
judge from what we saw in a certain private drawer 
into which we were permitted to peep, of a cluster of 
Eglantine and other wild flowers, that looked as 
though the dew had hardly dried from off their petals, 
we should think perfection was not far off. 
The advantage is also possessed of being applica¬ 
ble to a great variety of different substances. We 
saw prints upon white satin, brown leather, and pine 
shingle, all clear, bright, and perfectly finished. Upou 
the pure and even surface of white holly the effect is 
very fine 5 upon leather it is quaint, and suggests the 
adaptation to many uses in the industrial arts. 
The photograph has always, when good, given an 
exquisite refinement of shading j but the very tints 
which give its greatest beauty are the most evanes¬ 
cent, and every one knows how frequently a photo¬ 
graph is marred or ruined by change of color, by fad¬ 
ing, and by unsightly spots j but the artotype is sub¬ 
ject to none of these objections. Its exquisite grada¬ 
tions of shadow are entirely permanent, and it is sub¬ 
ject to no uncertainty of effect from the varying skill 
of the manipulation or the changeful quality of 
chemicals, the process being wholly mechanical. 
That its adaptation to the illustration of medical 
and scientific subjects is especially great, cannot be 
doubted; for the delicate pencil of the sun can deline¬ 
ate what no mortal hand would dare attempt, and all 
that can be desired is attained, when the sketch from 
nature is fixed in enduring tints. When scientific 
works and valuable books on art, can be illustrated 
in a style which is equal to the finest steel engraving, 
at a cost which will place them within the reach of 
the many, a great advance will be made toward the 
education of the public taste, and invaluable aid will 
be afforded to the study of natural science. 
Patent rights have recently been secured in this 
country, says an English journal, for an invention 
which consists in the creation of a type of novel tex¬ 
tile fabrics termed “ diamantds.” It consists in 
sprinkling upon any kind of textile fabric glittering 
or sparkling particles of crystalline or metallic mate¬ 
rials, with spaces reserved, if desired, for producing 
patterns. This process embellishes the fabric, and 
gives it an appearance which it is proposed to term 
“ diamante.” 
But beyond the creation of what may be termed 
an article of fashion there is in this invention a 
patentable novelty, which results from the actual 
process by which this result is attained. It consists 
in the use of matters designated as crystalline— that 
is to say, transparent and sparkling. They may be 
either gelatinous, like purified isinglass, or non- 
gelatinous, like glass, or metallic, like gold and sil¬ 
ver. These matters may be variously colored. The 
materials pulverized fall upon the fabric, which is 
stretched and arranged to travel over rollers. A jet 
of steam is directed upon the fabric, the effect of 
which is to render the surface of the gelatinous grains 
or particles moist and sticky, so that the dissolved 
particles seize the particles of crystalline matter 
which may be in contact with them, and the passage 
of the piece upon the hot cylinder then brings about 
the sticking and drying. The use of steam is im¬ 
portant, as steam does not affect the shades of color 
of the fabric like water, which might otherwise be 
used to damp the fabric before sprinkling. 
Cup and Saucer.— A cup and saucer (contri¬ 
butor 1601) that has just received the seal of the 
Society of Decorative Art is decorated with a Japa¬ 
nese design in pale tints of chocolate brown upon 
an ivory-colored ground. Besides the particularly 
graceful finish and execution of the work, it has the 
novel feature of having some of its lines ornamented 
with small white beads of enamel. 
Saucer. — A curious shape for a saucer has been 
tried with much success. It is flat, the edge turned 
up at right angles, to which a corrugated appearance 
is given, the decoration being in contrasted colors. 
INDUSTRIAL ART IN NEW YORK. 
Hitherto there has been no museum in this city 
which has given any special attention to the applica¬ 
tions of industry to art and art to industry. This 
want the trustees of the Metropolitan Museum have 
determined to supply, and have devoted a portion of 
the new art building, in Central Park, to collections 
illustrating industrial art. They propose to begin 
with the applications of metals. Valuable gifts have 
already been received, others are promised, and more 
are earnestly solicited. Professor Thomas Egleston, 
of the School of Mines, Columbia College, lias been 
authorized to receive sucli donations. Communica¬ 
tions relating to the matter may be sent to him or to 
the Director of the Museum, Glen. Di Cesnola. The 
department is an important and useful one, and it is 
to be hoped that contributions will be liberal. 
THE PHONOGRAPHIC PIANO. 
The phonographic piano is among the late appli¬ 
cations of the principle of the phonograph. A music- 
box which may cost a large sum of money and be of 
the best construction, can only produce a limited num¬ 
ber of tunes, but the phonographic piano can play 
any tune for which the music is furnished. The bars 
are struck by strikers as in a piano. A strip of pre¬ 
pared paper, upon which the tune is perforated, about 
ten inches wide, passes through rollers and over the 
keys, the strikers springing through the perforations 
in the paper and striking the .right note, the operator 
taking no more part in the production of the music 
than the organ-grinder in turning the rollers. Of 
course automatic music can never be more than a 
body without a soul, any more thaw a chromo can be 
a painting, but there are many persons who have a 
certain fondness for music which never develops into 
a passion, and often exists without the least musical 
ability. To such persons the phonographic piano 
will be a boon, for it will allow them to choose their 
own tunes, and to execute them in such a manner as 
will give them great pleasure. It is claimed that the 
music is really good, and as the price is within the 
reach of very moderate means, it will, doubtless, be 
popular. 
The Introduction of the Telephone. —The 
rapidity attending the introduction of the tele¬ 
phone as a means of business communication is 
shown by the fact that though thirteen months 
ago the first one was used in Chicago, the American 
District Telegraph Company now has over fifteen 
hundred patrons—that is to say, it has put up that 
number of telephones, with the corresponding num¬ 
ber of wires. The carbon telephone constructed by 
Edison is used. The company has a central office 
and nine branch-offices, which take in nearly every 
portion of the city. At its central office and branches 
the number of messages per day average twenty 
thousand. The demand for the telephone may be 
inferred when we say that the company has forty- 
seven men and five teams constantly employed in 
putting up new lines and instruments, and twelve 
others who are constantly engaged in keeping the 
lines in repair .—Christian Union. 
NEW FABRIC. 
NOVELTIES IN DECORATION. 
