Transcript of the following letter
by Library Staff
Feb 9th 1880
Prof. C. E. Bessey
Dear Sir:
I have been very busy since my return home so that I have not been
able to write to you in regard to the etching as I promised. The process is
very simple & only requires a little care & practice. The materials necessary
are: 1st a steel or copper plate - which can be had ready polished (Plates
8x5 in. cost, copper 75c steel 2.00); 2d, a small handvice; 3d, a spirit lamp;
4th Alcohol, Turpentine, Nitric Acid; 5th a ball of etching ground - wrapped
in a piece of silk; 6th a dabber made of kid leather & silk & stuffed with
wool; 7th some sheet geletine; 8th a sharp needle set in a wood handle; 9th an etching point: 10th some wall wax (White wax & burgundy pitch - equal parts);
11th a [magnifying] glass; 12th A straight edge or ruler to serve for a hand rest;
to which may be added a burnished scraper & graver, & plenty of soft clean
cotton rags, also asphaltum varnish.
The process is as follows: first clean the plate with turpentine, finish-
ing with alcohol; then fasten the plate in the vice and heat it over the spirit
lamp until it causes the etching ground to ooze through the silk, distribute
it evenly over the plate with the dabber then smoke it over a candle until the
ground becomes sufficiently dark. This preparing the ground requires a good
deal of care. Having made the sketches on paper - lay a piece of gelitine over
them and trace them with the small needle, then fill in the lines with vermillion
or black lead, then place it reversed on the grounded plate, fastened at the
sides with wax - and burnish - this will leave the tracings transfered to the
plate - reversed. It is now a comparatively simple matter to scratch away the
ground with the etching needle - the steel shows in strong contrast to the dark
ground. After the drawing is completed to satisfaction - stole out the mistakes with asphaltum varnish. Build a wall of wax around the plate and pour on the
acid (say 1 part Nitric to 3 parts Water) - the length of the exposure must vary
according to the strength of the acid & copper requires stronger acid & longer
exposure than steel. My plates were exposed about 1 3/4 minutes. The best way
is to test it on a spoiled plate each time. By pouring off the acid & stopping
out the lights - very beautiful effects can be produced but I having not attempted
this.
The principle pecautions are to spread the ground evenly and securely -
it must be neither too hot nor to[o] cold. I had a good many failures in spreading
grounds; care must also be taken not to scratch the ground - or there will be
some engraving on the plate not desired, and the acid should be watched care-
fully & not left on too long. The burnished scraper & graver are useful in
making alterations after the plate is etched. New grounds can be spread and
additions made as often as necessary. Should you come to Davenport I can show
