KERAMIC STUDIO 
i43 
This made, it is wound upon a hollow spindle hold- 
ing several hundreds yards in length. A roll of the paper 
is slowly unwound, being saturated with a mixture of five 
parts of sulphuric acid and two parts of nitric acid, which 
falls upon it in a fine spray. This changes the cellulose 
of the paper into propylin gun cotton. The excess of the 
acid is expelled by pressure and the paper washed. It 
is then ground to a pulp and bleached. 
After thoroughly drying the pulp there is added to it 
a due proportion of camphor. This is done by carefully 
weighing, mixing the two ingredinets thoroughly, and 
pressing in canvas jackets between plates. It is at this 
point that the dye matter is added to make the celluloid 
any desired color. In the next operation the mixture is 
subjected to the grinding and pressure of masticators. 
These machines are simply heavy iron rollers about four 
feet long, geared together to turn inward. As the grind- 
ing continues the mass becomes more and. more homogen- 
eous and nearer to the finished appearance of celluloid. 
It is then taken from the masticators in the form of 
huge sheets, eight feet by four feet in size and one inch 
thick. These sheets are piled one on top of the other un- 
til they fill a heavy iron box. which latter is run under a 
steam-heated hydraulic press, where it remains under 
enormous pressure for about two hours. This is done for 
the purpose of welding the superimposed sheets together 
in the form of a solid cake. 
On removal the big celluloid cake is cut into sheets 
of the desired thickness. This may vary from one-thous- 
sandth of an inch to a full inch or more, according to 
the variety of goods into which the material is to be worked. 
After cutting, the sheets are hung up in drying-rooms 
six or seven months to "season," celluloid having the pecul- 
iar warping qualities of wood if worked up without due 
regard to this fact. 
From the seasoning rooms the sheets go to the various 
departments of the factory. Those taken to the novelty 
department are cut, turned, and pressed into any number 
of fancy articles. The smaller articles are cut out of the 
sheets of celluloid, while cold, then dipped into hot water, 
bent and shaped, and plunged into cold water again to 
retain their shape. The comb manufacture is simpler 
than with hard rubber. The teeth are stamped out with 
dies, either by hand or machinery, and are then polished 
with cold water and pumicestone. Combs are cut from 
sheets of "amber," "tortoise-shell" and "ivory" celluloid. 
All three of these compositions are carefully made, and 
the imitations of the genuine substance are so faithful as 
frequently to pass through the hands of experts unde- 
tected. — Fabrics, Fancy Goods and Notions. 
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ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 
A. J. L. — For the Russian design for cup, page 3 May 1899, dust center 
of saucer and lower part of cup with Empire Green. For a light green use 
Dresden Yellow Green. All black portions of design to be dark blue ; all white 
parts, scrolls, etc., light green; enamel dots, turquoise blue; handle, gold, also 
band at base of cup. Your plan for a decoration in ivory, yellow and gold 
with raised paste rose border sounds very attractive. Use the ivory padded 
delicately then use Albert Yellow or Orange Yellow for the deeper tone. 
Sorry we can not answer by mail but it is against rules. 
R. F. O. — The various makes of colors may be mixed with the mediums 
issued by the different manufacturers. 
L. G. — Decoration should always be subordinate to the shape of the 
china but in the case where a handle is made to look as if applied instead of 
being a natural outgrowth of the form, as in a ribbon handle, then the pattern 
should pass under the handle so that the latter is applied over the design. 
A. C. H. — Light tints of blue are liable to have a greenish tone on Belleek 
on account of the cream tone of the china. Try Deep Blue Green for tinting. 
G. B. — If you have white spots appear on your china in firing, moisture 
must have collected upon it. Leave the peep hole open until you have color 
in the kiln to let moisture escape. 
S. F. O. — Powdered gold is rubbed down with a horn palette knife on a 
ground glass slab, using one-half fat oil and one-half tar oil, enough only to 
hold the powder together. Thin with spirits of turpentine. 
To retouch under-fired color use a thin wash of flux slightly tinted with 
color used in first painting. Fire hard, then strengthen where necessary and 
fire again. Sometimes simply retiring hard will bring out the glaze. 
For American Beauty roses Mr. Bischoff makes a special color. Write 
him for list of colors used in painting the roses. 
E. C. B. — If turpentine disagrees with you, use oil of lavender with about 
one-quarter alcohol, more or less, to make it dry quicker. Instead of fat oil 
use copaiba with a little clove oil if it dries too fast, one drop of clove or less 
to six of copaiba. 
S. P. H. We prefer the initial on the border of the plate. It does not 
seem right to see any One's name through a screen of gravy or tea. Either 
way of executing the monogram would be good, either flat outlined in color 
or raised in gold if not raised too high, perhaps with roses and cream tint the 
raised gold would be more in harmony, as the black would make almost too 
strong a note. You could, however, use a green, red or brown outline. 
M. M. C. — Try heating the glass slab if the gold rolls up; may be it is old 
and the oil hardened. Or try oil of lavender with or without a little alcohol 
in place of turpentine. Possibly the trouble comes from the plate being moist 
with perspiration this warm weather, so the oil in the gold naturally rolls 
away from it. Wipe off your piece with a silk rag before gilding. 
Proofs of Pouyat China for the Amateur Decorator. 
As white china is the genesis of all decorative effort in 
ceramics it is sound logic to assume that the white china which 
gives the greatest amount of satisfaction to the professional, 
or commercial decorator must of necessity be the best for the 
amateur. 
This is precisely the reason why Pouyat white china is 
so highly appreciated by amateur decorators of experience. 
They know that when the professional artist secures brilliant 
results in color and gold, they are due almost entirely to the 
receptive character of the glaze The}' also know that these 
results are not those of mere chance and the caprice of fire, 
for the splendid color effects produced on Pouyat china may 
be seen in every city of the United States and Canada year 
after year as indisputable evidence of exact uniformity of 
texture which characterizes the Pouyat glaze. 
Every amateur decorator realizes the desirability of de- 
pendable quality in a glaze upon which time, money and 
artistic effort are expended, and if further argument were 
needed to prove the excellence of the Pouyat glaze it is most 
substantially furnished in the fact that the foremost profes- 
sional china decorator in America is using Pouyat white china 
exclusively for his best productions. 
Pouyat china stands alone for that peculiar velvety qual- 
ity of glaze which every experienced amateur recognizes as 
that desirable condition in a porcelain glaze which indicates 
perfect receptivity of ceramic colors. Another strong point 
of quality in Pouyat china is that of selections in white china 
for amateur decorators. When it is sold as first choice it can 
always be depended upon as first in every particular as it is a 
standard regulation of the makers of Pouyat china not to 
make goods cheaper than other makers but to make the best 
that can be made at the lowest possible price. 
China decorators, using white china, whether amateur 
or professional, are requested to examine closely into the 
models and forms of Pouyat china and to suggest any changes 
which may be desired. Wherever it is possible to improve 
the forms and ornamentation of their models the manufac- 
turers are ready and willing at any time to do so and it is their 
desire that amateurs as well as professionals shall take ad- 
vantage of the opportunhw to secure something they can refer 
to as a special model — look for the Pouyat Marks. 
Paroutaud & Watson. 37-33 Murray St., New York, sole agents. 
