FRANKLIN INSTITUTE LIBRARY 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 
 4i.7_.2- 8 
 
 Book 
 
 Class 
 

Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2016 with funding from 
 Getty Research Institute 
 
 https://archive.org/details/wholeartofmarbliOOwool 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING 
 
 AS APPLIED TO PAPER 
 BOOK-EDGES 
 
 ETC. 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 A FULL DESCRIPTION OF 
 THE NATURE AND PROPERTIES OF THE 
 MATERIALS USED, THE METHOD OF PREPARING THEM, 
 
 AND OF EXECUTING EVERY KIND OF MARBLING IN USE AT 
 THE PRESENT TIME, WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS AND EXAMPLES. 
 
 BY 
 
 C. W. WOOLNOUGH. 
 
 LONDON: GEORGE BELL AND SONS, YORK STREET, 
 COYENT GARDEN. 
 
 MDCCCLXXX1 
 
CHISWICK PRESS:— C. WHITTINGHAM AND CO. TOOKS COURT, 
 CHANCERY LANE. 
 

 \ 
 
 THIS LITTLE WORK IS DEDICATED TO THE 
 MEMORY OF PROFESSOR 
 
 MICHAEL FARADAY, 
 
 WHOSE KIND INTEREST AND NOTICE OF HIS FIRST WORK 
 THE AUTHOR BEGS GRATEFULLY TO 
 RECORD. 
 
 Q 
 
 \ 
 
 ivVWB 
 
/^ — i !)^~uu^) &■ Ju~-y ^ <^/ 
 
 ^C'0 / '«- r -3fV~3(^ 
 
 Ort-U^Ll^ . / J>CJ ~~w ^£ ^ztz^c — ' 
 
 3 
 
 )u /.. 
 
 / 
 
 / 
 
 ~3r 
 
 ycyyz^c yC/^J^^_jy 
 
 3 ^yPt ^ .3 
 
 ~jl; 
 
 
 «-t^<1 
 
 
 
 <*- C «^V^t 
 
 <?£*- '7$Zt y Jfc- 3 ^ 
 
(*!(# 
 
PREFACE TO THIS EDITION. 
 
 IV JT ORE than twenty-seven years have now elapsed 
 since the author submitted his first work to the 
 notice of the bookbinding fraternity and the public in 
 general, and the very favourable reception accorded to 
 it, and in some instances, from quarters whence it was 
 least expected, coupled with the fact that it has been for 
 some years out of print (numerous applications having 
 been made for copies without success), have induced the 
 author once more to come forward with another edition, 
 superior in every respect to the first, inasmuch as, while it 
 contains all the matter supplied in the former, it possesses 
 much additional information, embodying the results of 
 the study, practice, and personal experience of consider- 
 ably more than half a century, arranged in the most 
 simple, progressive, and easy manner, calculated to de- 
 velop the various processes of this “ pretty, mysterious 
 art,” step by step, till nothing but practice will be re- 
 quired to make the student perfect. 
 
 As this is most probably the last time the author will 
 intrude upon the notice of the public, he wishes to state 
 that much time, labour and study, have been devoted to 
 the object of rendering this work as perfect as possible. 
 
8 
 
 PBEFACE TO THIS EDITION. 
 
 and worthy of still more extensive patronage among those 
 who desire reliable information on this hitherto dubious 
 and mystified subject, and he embraces the present oppor- 
 tunity of tendering his sincere thanks to those who so 
 kindly, voluntarily, and encouragingly testified their in- 
 terest in, and commendation of his book, among whom 
 he feels proud to record the names of the late Professor 
 Faraday, Professors Pepper, Bachhoffner, Dr. Normandy, 
 and others; but perhaps as strong an evidence of the 
 truthfulness and practical utility of the work as can be 
 obtained from the encomiums of some, may be deduced 
 from the hostility and bitterness of others, who, in the 
 mistaken idea that their secrets were revealed, their 
 rights invaded, and their pecuniary interest endangered, 
 have given vent to their spleen by heaping upon him a 
 variety of abuse, contumely, annoyance, and persecution. 
 However, as he never had the least particle of instruction, 
 information, or help of any kind from any of them (in 
 fact, the majority of those who bear the names of masters 
 possess but a very limited amount of knowledge of the 
 principles and practice of the profession, and still less 
 ability to impart it), he considers that he has an in- 
 disputable right to make use of the knowledge he has 
 acquired by dearly bought experience and labour as he 
 may deem proper. The author was also honoured 
 (though with what motives he will leave others to guess) 
 by our worthy transatlantic brethren, who reprinted it 
 in Philadelphia, and published it there in conjunction with 
 some work on bookbinding. Not content with the bene- 
 fit which might accrue to them in their own territory, 
 they imported a quantity into this country, and began to 
 
PREFACE TO THIS EDITION. 9 
 
 circulate them in London, obliging the author to in- 
 stitute proceedings for infringement of copyright. 
 
 But notwithstanding all these drawbacks, the interest 
 which was manifested in this novelty was proved by the 
 fact that not less than one hundred lectures, illustrated 
 by experiments, were delivered at the Royal Polytechnic 
 Institution, at Eton College, at some of the nobility's 
 conversaziones, also before the late lamented Prince 
 Consort and the late King of Portugal at a conversa- 
 zione of the Royal Society at Connaught House, his 
 Royal Highness manifesting great interest, and even 
 condescending to try some experiments with his own 
 hands, and carrying away with him a copy of the book. 
 
 There is one circumstance more which may be alluded 
 to, for, whilst rather amusing, it serves to prove the truth 
 of the foregoing statements, and must be admitted to be 
 a testimony in favour of the work. Travelling through 
 one of our large manufacturing towns or cities, the 
 author was entering a house of business to solicit orders, 
 when his attention was directed to an individual who 
 was just leaving. As he passed out, the principal asked 
 the question, “ Do you know that man On replying 
 in the negative, he remarked, in a bantering tone, “ Why 
 he is one of your fraternity, a most clever fellow, accord- 
 ing to his own account he can do everything, and has 
 published a book which tells you all about it for the small 
 charge of sixpence ; we shall soon be able to do without 
 you altogether, and be f Every man his own Marbler.’ " 
 On the following morning, proceeding through a bye 
 street, whom should he see but this very person, looking 
 intently into the window of a tobacco shop with an empty 
 
10 
 
 PREFACE TO THIS EDITION. 
 
 pipe in his hand, and, as it was obvious that he was not 
 too well off, he felt a little commiseration for him, and 
 accosting him said, “ Well, friend, were you not in such 
 a place yesterday?” “ Indeed I was,” said he, putting 
 the tip of his little finger into the bowl of his pipe, and 
 then tapping it on the palm of his other hand, “ but I 
 don’t remember seeing you there.” “ Never mind,” was 
 the reply, “ I saw you, and was informed what a clever 
 fellow you were. Now I sometimes do a little in that 
 way myself ; have you met with any success ? ” “ Ah no,” 
 said he, “ I have been on the tramp these ten days, worn 
 the shoes off my feet walking from place to place in search 
 of employment ; no luck anywhere ; shall leave here to- 
 night and push on towards Liverpool.” On a trifle being 
 slipped into his hand, his countenance brightened, and with 
 an exclamation of surprise, “ Gad,” said he, “ but you are 
 the best fellow I’ve met for many a long day,” and, 
 thrusting a hand into his coat pocket, he drew therefrom 
 a small pamphlet of a few pages, saying, “ Here, take 
 this, there’s something in it worth trying ; I’ve tried it, 
 and proved it myself, and I can confidently recommend 
 it to you; it’s first-rate. I took it out of a half-guinea 
 book published by one Woolnough of London ; it’s worth 
 all the money.” I never saw the poor fellow again, and 
 he never knew that it was Woolnough himself to whom 
 he had been confessing his delinquency, and at the same 
 time so strongly recommending his own production. 
 
 It may not be out of place here to relate, by way of 
 illustration, a circumstance which is calculated to throw 
 a little light on the causes which have tended, in some 
 measure, to cramp the progress of this art, and to dis- 
 
PREFACE TO THIS EDITION. 
 
 11 
 
 courage the development of its resources. Masters take 
 lads as apprentices, engaging to teach them the Art and 
 Mystery of Marbling, to whom it is a perfect mystery in 
 every respect ; these masters, in fact, possessing little 
 or no knowledge of the practical or experimental working 
 of the various and intricate processes connected with the 
 successful carrying out of their object, and, as a rule, these 
 lads are handed over to the tender mercies of the men 
 employed, and, unless they are gifted with a little more 
 than ordinary acuteness and penetration, will be kept in 
 the dark as much as possible with regard to many things 
 essential to their advancement and ultimate perfection in 
 their calling. The case I now introduce will not exactly 
 apply to the master, but only to the hands employed. 
 In the beginning of the present century a person pos- 
 sessing a general knowledge of the art as it was practised 
 in those days, devised a plan by which he acquired a 
 moderate competency and retired in comfortable circum- 
 stances. The course adopted by him was the following. 
 He took some half-dozen or more boys from the parish 
 workhouse, and selecting such as appeared likely to suit 
 his purpose, had them bound apprentices. These lads 
 he carefully trained, each to a separate class of work ; for 
 instance, he would keep one upon large French or Shell, 
 another on the small, another on Italian, another to cer- 
 tain patterns of Spanish, and so on, bringing each to excel 
 on a few patterns, but not making them perfect in all, 
 with the exception of one, whom he required to do book 
 edges, and for him it was necessary he should be taught 
 the whole, he, as a matter of course, having higher wages 
 than the others. Although at first there was a good 
 
12 
 
 PREFACE TO THIS EDITION. 
 
 deal of imperfect work produced, yet at that time prices 
 were such as would amply remunerate for disposing of 
 the produce of these embryo workers at a reduced price, 
 and as they improved every week, while the cost for labour 
 was so small, he soon found that his speculation was suc- 
 cessful, and by the time these youths were out of their 
 time he was able to command one of the most extensive 
 and best paying concerns going. If any dispute arose, 
 and any one of these men left, he found a difficulty in 
 obtaining work, not having a full knowledge of all, and 
 he had to return to his old place. This state of things 
 continued for some years, and when he died, the business, 
 being divided among the men, who, being taken from an 
 illiterate and humble class, were not equal to the respon- 
 sibility, suffered it to decay, and it is now only as one of the 
 things of the past, and in the present age almost forgotten 
 except by a very few. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 r I "'HE Art of Marbling is by no means a novel inven- 
 tion, although it has been kept in the dark and 
 involved in a kind of mystery by those who practised it. 
 When the author was young, it was almost an impossi- 
 bility for anyone, especially if they were at all connected 
 with the bookbinding or stationery trades, to get a sight 
 of the inside of the apartment where the process was per- 
 formed, every hole and crevice through which you might 
 get a peep was carefully stopped up, and “ No Admis- 
 sion ” put upon the door. However, patience and per- 
 severance conquer difficulties, of which truth the work 
 now before you is a witness ; it is the only practical work 
 of the kind that has ever appeared (except the smaller 
 edition of twenty-seven years ago) , calculated to impart 
 correct instructions to the minds of those who desire to 
 become acquainted with its various details. There have 
 been many receipts given and articles written and printed 
 in Cyclopaedias and works of a similar character, but the 
 methods therein described are so utterly ridiculous that 
 anyone possessing the smallest amount of knowledge on the 
 subject must treat them with contempt. Marbling is an 
 art which consists in the production of certain patterns 
 and effects by means of colours so prepared as to float on 
 
14 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 a preparation of mucilaginous liquid which must possess 
 properties of an antagonistic nature to those prepared 
 colours, and which colours, while floating upon the surface 
 of this mucilaginous liquid, are formed into patterns and 
 taken off or transferred to a sheet of paper by gently 
 laying the paper down upon it, or to the smoothly cut 
 edges of a book by gently dipping it therein. This pro- 
 cess is not very easy to describe, and yet to anyone be- 
 holding it for the first time it appears extremely simple 
 and easy to perform, yet the difficulties are many and the 
 longer anyone practises it the more he becomes con- 
 vinced that there is ample room for fresh discoveries and 
 more interesting results than any that have yet been 
 accomplished. 
 
 When it was first discovered, and by whom, or in what 
 country it was first practised, it is hardly possible to de- 
 termine. The old Dutch paper is not unfrequently found 
 on books printed at the beginning of the seventeenth 
 century, and circumstances seem to point to Holland or 
 some locality near to that country as the place where it 
 was then practised. Many years ago this old Dutch 
 paper, generally in the size of foolscap, used to be im- 
 ported into England, and in order to evade the duty to 
 which it would be subject as an article of commerce, some 
 of it (I do not mean to say all) was wrapped round small 
 packages of Dutch toys, and thus as wrappers passed free, 
 after which it was carefully taken off, smoothed out, and 
 sold to the bookbinders at a good price for the better 
 class of work ; indeed, so choice was it, that in some of 
 those old books the inside linings were formed of pieces 
 neatly and cleverly joined together, and the brightness 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 15 
 
 and durability of the colours after the lapse of so many 
 years were surprising, while the execution of some of the 
 antique specimens was no less so. 
 
 The question now before us is not how, when, or where 
 it was first discovered, or practised, but to show as clearly 
 and simply as possible how it is done or practised now, 
 and to describe in a lucid, progressive, and comprehensive 
 style the way in which the various patterns are manipu- 
 lated, so that any individual possessing an ordinary share 
 of common sense and understanding, may, without any 
 other aid than practice, perseverance, and careful obser- 
 vation, do it himself, and where there are two ways of 
 doing anything, that which half a century^s experience 
 has proved to be the best will be described. W e will now 
 proceed to describe, in the first place, the colours and 
 materials used in Marbling. 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 The Colours used in Marbling. 
 
 HE colours required for this purpose are the same as 
 
 those ordinarily used for painting either in oil or 
 distemper, but you must procure them just as they are 
 produced or manufactured, whether in lump, powder, or 
 pulp, and grind them yourself. They may be obtained in 
 London retail at most of the respectable oil and colour 
 shops, and in the provincial towns at the druggists, or 
 wholesale at the principal colour manufacturers through- 
 out the kingdom. I subjoin a list of all that are actually 
 necessary, though many more may be brought into use to 
 please the fancy. 
 
 REDS. 
 
 Carmine. 
 
 Drop Lake. 
 
 Peach Wood Lake (pulp) } 
 Vermilion. 
 
 Rose Pink. 
 
 Burnt Oxford Ochre. 
 
 BLUES. 
 
 Indigo. 
 Chinese Blue. 
 
 Made expressly for marbling. 
 B 
 
18 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 Prussian Blue. 
 Ultramarine. 
 
 YELLOWS. 
 
 Chrome. 
 
 Dutch Pink. 
 
 Eaw Oxford Ochre. 
 Yellow Lake (pulp) . 
 English Pink. 
 
 GREENS. 
 
 Chrome Green. 
 
 Green Lake. 
 
 Emerald Green. 
 Brunswick Green. 
 
 BLACKS. 
 
 Vegetable Lamp Black. 
 Common Lamp Black. 
 Drop Ivory Black. 
 
 Blue Black. 
 
 « 
 
 BROWNS. 
 
 Burnt Turkey Amber. 
 
 „ Sienna. 
 
 ORANGE. 
 
 Orange Lead. 
 
 .. Chrome. 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 19 
 
 WHITES. 
 
 China Clay. 
 
 Pipe Clay. 
 
 Flake White. 
 
 Paris White. 
 
 Carmine . 
 
 This colour takes the first place among the reds for 
 brilliancy of colour, and when properly ground and pre- 
 pared is easy and sure to work, but it is seldom used on 
 account of its high price ; where, however, a little extra 
 outlay is not an object, it amply repays for the additional 
 expense by the superior lustre and permanency of the 
 effects produced. 
 
 Drop Lake . 
 
 Next to carmine this is the most beautiful colour for 
 book edges, and is most generally used, especially for the 
 Dutch or stationery marbling. There are three different 
 sorts of this colour, viz. scarlet, crimson, and purple, and 
 different qualities of each. The scarlet is best adapted 
 for general purposes, as it possesses a greater brilliancy 
 than the others ; but as there is a great deal of a very 
 inferior kind of drop lake about, which is of no use what- 
 ever to a marbler, possessing no body when ground and 
 mixed, it will be as well to observe the following rule 
 when about to purchase this article. Take a piece of the 
 colour, break it, and apply the broken part to your 
 tongue; if it adhere to your tongue like starch, reject it, 
 as it is extremely doubtful whether it will do, but if it 
 holds up the moisture without manifesting any disposition 
 
20 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 to adhere you may try it with better expectations of suc- 
 cess, although this even is not an infallible test. This 
 colour is sold in the form of small cones or drops, from 
 which it derives its name ; it is a preparation of cochineal, 
 therefore the cost of it depends much upon the price of 
 that article. 
 
 Vermilion. 
 
 This colour is but little used, on account of its great 
 specific gravity, and seldom without being combined with 
 some other colour. It is a preparation of mercury, and 
 though nominally a much lower price than lake, yet as so 
 little of it in bulk goes to a pound it comes as dear or 
 dearer than that article ; it is, however, a permanent 
 colour. 
 
 Peach Wood Lake . 
 
 This colour is a preparation from peach wood, and has 
 only been introduced some twenty or thirty years to the 
 general notice of the trade. It was first brought under 
 my notice by Mr. Thos. Hinks, of Small Heath, Birming- 
 ham, manufacturer of colours, chemicals, &c., and is a 
 great acquisition to the marbler, not only of book edges 
 but also of paper, as the very reasonable price and supe- 
 riority of appearance give it the advantage over all the 
 common reds formerly used in the marbling of paper. 
 This colour is an exception to the general rule, as it is 
 sold in the pulp, or damp state, and may be mixed and 
 even used without grinding, being manufactured almost 
 exclusively for marbling ; it is decidedly the best and 
 cheapest red we have for general purposes ; it possesses 
 depth, permanence, and brilliancy, and ranks next to drop 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 21 
 
 lake. It may be necessary to state that it is not known 
 at the druggists or colour shops, but must be obtained 
 only from the maker, Mr. Hinks, who for the convenience 
 of all parties requiring it, will supply it in either large or 
 small quantities . 1 
 
 Bose Pink. 
 
 This is a very useful though common colour for paper ; 
 it is made by boiling chalk or whiting in a decoction of 
 Brazil wood. It is a very fugitive colour, the pink very 
 quickly fading on exposure to the atmosphere or to heat. 
 Combined with a little orange lead or burnt ochre, it 
 answers for a vein colour for common paper, or mixed 
 with indigo or Chinese blue it makes a good purple. 
 
 * Burnt Ochre. 
 
 This colour is obtained in its raw or native state from 
 pits dug in the earth in the neighbourhood of Oxford, 
 hence it is called Oxford ochre, and from its hardness, 
 especially when burnt, “ stone ochre.” It is a sort of 
 clay, and when burnt or made red-hot, turns to a kind of 
 red colour ; it is one of the most useful colours we have, 
 and as the price is low is extensively used. With the ad- 
 dition of a little black it makes a good brown, with a little 
 blue or indigo it makes a good olive, and is a good bright 
 fawn colour when used by itself, and is not liable to fade 
 or change. 
 
 Chinese Blue. 
 
 This is a very beautiful, but not a very durable colour ; 
 
 1 Since writing this I find other makers of this colour in the 
 market. 
 
22 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 it is, however, an almost indispensable one to the marbler, 
 as it will produce nearly every shade of blue by the addi- 
 tion of certain proportions of white. This colour requires 
 particularly well grinding, as indeed do all the blues ; it 
 is also sold in some places in the pulp or damp state, 
 both deep and pale. 
 
 Indigo. 
 
 This colour is a most valuable article, and cannot be dis- 
 pensed with under any consideration. The Bast India 
 or Bengal is the best. It is too well known to require 
 any description here. Though not a bright colour, it is one 
 of the most durable ; and for mixing and producing greens 
 and purples of a permanent kind is invaluable, neither can 
 you make a good black without it ; but be sure you obtain 
 it good. 
 
 Ultramarine. 
 
 This is a very beautiful colour, but must be used very 
 sparingly, as it will not glaze or take any polish, and is 
 always inclined to rub off. The kinds now in general 
 use are the French and German, the genuine article being 
 far too expensive for this sort of work. 
 
 Prussian Blue. 
 
 This colour is now almost superseded by the Chinese 
 blue, which is a much brighter colour ; Prussian blue is 
 much darker and heavier-looking than the Chinese, and is 
 a very bad colour for glazing, and harder to grind. 
 
 Butch Pink . 
 
 This is a common but very useful colour; it is a prepara- 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 23 
 
 tion of whiting and Quercitron bark. Mixed with blue or 
 indigo, it makes a good green, and is also useful in mix- 
 ing with chrome to produce the various shades of yellow 
 you may require. 
 
 English Pink . 
 
 This is sometimes useful, it contains only half the depth 
 of colour to be fouud in Dutch pink. 
 
 Yellow Lake . 
 
 A good colour for general purposes, principally used 
 for old Dutch, and also for making greens mixed with 
 blue. 
 
 Chrome [Pure). 
 
 There are various shades of this colour, known as 
 lemon, middle, and orange, varying in shade from a pale 
 lemon to a deep orange approaching to red ; it is a use- 
 ful colour, but unless you get it pure or genuine, is very 
 difficult to get to work properly. 
 
 Paw Ochre 
 
 is Oxford ochre in its native state. This may be used 
 in certain proportions for making your olive or stone- 
 coloured tints combined with Dutch pink, white, blue, or 
 black ; it is also of use in small quantities to mix with 
 your yellows when they are inclined to run off; this 
 colour being of a very adhesive nature. 
 
 Drop Ivory Black. 
 
 This colour cannot be well used alone, it requires to be 
 
24 
 
 THE WHOLE AET OF MAEBLING. 
 
 combined with lamp black and indigo to get it to work 
 properly as a black. 
 
 Vegetable Black. 
 
 This is a superior kind of lamp black, but made from 
 vegetable instead of animal matter: it is surprisingly light 
 and cannot be used alone. It will not produce a good 
 black for marbling except in combination with double its 
 own weight of good indigo. A little drop black may be 
 used with it. 
 
 Green . 
 
 Most of the green colours used in marbling are pro- 
 duced by mixing certain proportions of Dutch pink or 
 yellow lake with blue according to the shade required, 
 which must be regulated by your own judgment. As to 
 the blue used, it must be remembered that Chinese blue 
 will fade (indigo will not), and should the green be 
 inclined to run off, a little raw Oxford ochre will be 
 necessary. There are many green colours sold at the 
 colour shops : among them is the emerald green, but 
 it is comparatively useless in marbling, as it possesses 
 but little body and will not burnish, and being prepared 
 from arsenic is a rank poison and injurious to health. 
 
 Brunswick Green 
 
 will not stand the light of the atmosphere, but will fade 
 in a few hours ; it is, however, a very cheap colour, but not 
 adapted for marbling. The best of all the ready-made 
 greens is good 
 
 Green Lake , 
 
 which is a deep bright colour, and more permanent than 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 25 
 
 the others, but too expensive for paper. Next to this 
 comes the 
 
 Chrome Green, 
 
 also a pretty good colour. But it is hardly worth while to 
 multiply these, as it will only tend to confuse rather than 
 to edify the learner. 
 
 Turkey Umber Burnt. 
 
 This colour produces a very good brown, but it is 
 hardly needed, as it requires a great deal of grinding and 
 requires to lie some time after to soften or rot, while if 
 you have the burnt Oxford ochre, with the aid of indigo 
 and black you can produce almost any shade of brown you 
 may require. 
 
 Orange Lead. 
 
 This is a very heavy colour, and is mostly used for the 
 edges of account books ; it may, however, be used in the 
 manufacture of marbled paper, but a large proportion of 
 it will sink to the bottom of the trough on account of 
 great weight. 
 
 White. 
 
 For this an article called China clay is mostly used ; 
 also, for some purposes, common pipeclay will answer. 
 Flake white may also be used, but it is much heavier, and 
 the others do quite as well and are much cheaper. Paris 
 white is a similar thing to the china clay, but harder, and 
 is apt to clog the brushes, as it is often mixed with plaster 
 of Paris. 
 
26 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 Gum. 
 
 Of all the varieties of gum there is but one that is of 
 any use for the purpose of marbling, and that is called gum 
 tragacanth, or gum dragon — called by some druggists 
 gum elect. You cannot be too particular in your choice of 
 this article, on which so much of the excellence of your 
 work depends. It is like the foundation of a building : if 
 that be faulty, the whole fabric will fall to the ground. 
 Good gum should be large, white, hard, and flaky 
 (although I have occasionally had some very good in 
 small white flakes), but that which is discoloured and 
 lumpy is doubtful, it is no gain to buy it, however 
 cheap it may be offered ; if used at all, it would only do 
 for the most common kinds of work, and even then one 
 pound of the best would go farther than two of the bad, 
 and produce a more satisfactory result. Have the best 
 of everything, and it will be cheapest in the end, as the 
 loss of time, joined with the inferiority of the work pro- 
 duced by the use of bad material, will prove. Good gum 
 will produce a smooth surface when dissolved, but bad 
 gum will often yield a rough one, which is inimical to your 
 purpose. Again, some apparently good gum, or gum 
 which has been exposed some time to the action of the 
 atmosphere, will give a smooth surface enough, and yet 
 possess no strength ; the colours will flow well, and form 
 themselves properly, and, when the paper is lifted off, 
 will look at first very beautiful ; but upon looking at it 
 after it has been hanging up for five minutes, you will 
 find the colours all running off, to your indescribable 
 annoyance and vexation. 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 27 
 
 Directions for preparing the Gum . 
 
 Procure a large earthen pan, glazed on the inside, 
 capable of holding from eight to twelve gallons ; put 
 therein one pound of gum tragacanth, and pour on it 
 about two gallons of soft water ; let it soak all night. 
 The next morning stir it up well with a birch broom for 
 about five minutes, breaking the lumps; repeat this at 
 intervals of three or four hours during the day, adding 
 more water as it thickens, or absorbs that which was first 
 put to it. In about forty-eight hours you may venture 
 to make use of it, though seventy-two hours would be 
 better, and I have found some gum which worked all the 
 better for remaining a week in solution, as, although a 
 considerable portion of the gum may be dissolved, some 
 of the hardest pieces, which contain the most valuable pro- 
 perties of the gum, will still remain in a semi-solid state. 
 When your gum is properly dissolved, you must gradu- 
 ally dilute it with water till it is brought to the proper 
 consistency, when it must be strained through a fine hair 
 or muslin sieve. If you require it for Nonpareil, you 
 must be particularly careful that you have no lumps in it, 
 or they will get between the teeth of your comb and drag 
 the colours ; if for Spanish or Shell, it will require to be 
 rather thinner than for Nonpareil, and if for the old Dutch 
 or Account Book pattern a little thicker; but a little 
 practice will soon enlighten the practitioner on this part 
 of the process. 
 
 Linseed or Flax Seed. 
 
 It is possible to marble some common patterns on 
 
28 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 mucilage of linseed alone, but it is a very objectionable 
 vehicle for more reasons than one. If used, the linseed 
 must either be boiled, or boiling water must be poured 
 upon it, and kept stirred for a considerable time, to extract 
 the mucilage from the seed ; but it is very seldom used, 
 as it so quickly decomposes, or turns to water. 
 
 Flea Seed (Plantago). 
 
 This is an article but little known except by those 
 who have occasion to use it ; its peculiar appellation 
 arises, I suppose, from its great similarity to the very 
 annoying little insect whose name it bears, being very 
 like it in shape, colour, and size. When saturated with 
 boiling water, and well stirred, it will yield when cold a 
 very strong and powerful mucilage, far stronger than 
 what can be obtained from linseed ; and, what is better 
 still, it will not soon lose its properties, or turn to 
 water, but will keep good for days. It is a great im- 
 provement when mixed with the gum for the making 
 of the French or Spanish marbles; but it is a total enemy 
 to Nonpareil and all drawn patterns, as it will not allow a 
 comb to pass through it without dragging all the colour 
 off with it. To prepare it for use, put a quarter of a 
 pound of seed into a pan or crock, pour upon it a gallon 
 of boiling water, keep it well stirred for ten minutes, let 
 it stand for half an hour, then stir it again for ten minutes 
 more. In another half-hour pour a second gallon of boil- 
 ing water, stirring it as before, at intervals, for one hour. 
 Let it remain, and the seed will settle at the bottom of 
 the vessel ; when cold, pour off the top for use, and the 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 29 
 
 seed will bear more boiling water, though not so much as 
 at first. And sometimes the seed will yield a third supply; 
 but this you must determine by your own judgment, as 
 the seed when exhausted will lose its mucilaginous pro- 
 perty, and must then be thrown away. One thing I 
 would mention — never stir your seed up after it is cold, 
 or nearly so, or it will not settle again without being 
 heated afresh, or more boiling water being added to it, 
 and it would be very difficult to strain it. 
 
 Irish or Carrageen Moss. 
 
 This may be either used or let alone; some like to use 
 a little of it mixed with the gum for Nonpareil. It must 
 be well washed and soaked in cold water, and be gently 
 boiled for an hour or two, and when cold, strained, and 
 well beaten up with the gum before putting it into the 
 trough. But do not attempt to use it either for Spanish 
 or French, as it will do more harm than good. 
 
 It is possible to marble on this alone also. 
 
 Ox Gall. 
 
 The surest way of obtaining this article genuine is by 
 procuring it in the bladder as it comes from the animal, 
 if you are acquainted with any butcher on whom you can 
 depend ; if not, you must ascertain that the bag or 
 bladder has not been broken, as I have been deceived 
 myself in this way. 1 will here expose the method of the 
 fraud practised on me. I had for some time been sup- 
 plied with galls from a slaughter-house, but finding that 
 
30 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 although, the galls were brought in the skins, and emptied 
 into a jar in my presence, it took a great deal to produce 
 the proper effect, I set my thoughts to work to find out 
 the cause, and at last discovered that the man who brought 
 them procured one or two good galls, and at the same 
 time obtained some empty bags or skins from which the 
 gall had been taken; he then mixed the genuine with a 
 quantity of water, and refilled the whole lot, carefully 
 tying them up with a fine string, and selling them to me 
 as the proper article. The gall from some animals is very 
 thick and ropy ; but, if kept awhile, will go thin, without 
 losing its properties. In fact, gall is all the better for 
 being kept some time, and is none the worse for stinking, 
 excepting the disagreeableness of the odour to those 
 using it. 
 
 Oil. 
 
 This is an agent of which you cannot be too careful, 
 for, although it is indispensable for the production of 
 some patterns, it is a most formidable enemy to the per- 
 fect accomplishment of others ; indeed, a brush which has 
 been used in the colour mixed for a French or Shell 
 pattern, would, if put into a jar of colour in use for 
 Spanish or Nonpareil, completely spoil it for those pur- 
 poses, unless it were thoroughly cleansed from every par- 
 ticle of grease. I just mention this to show the neces- 
 sity of being most scrupulously particular in everything 
 connected with the processes of marbling, and how 
 apparently trifling a matter may throw an obstacle in 
 the way such as you would hardly credit. 
 
 Now the best oil for general use in French or Shell 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 31 
 
 marbles is the Florence or olive oil. It may be had in 
 flasks at most druggists^ or Italian warehouses. Other 
 oils may be used, such as linseed or boiled oil ; but for 
 general purposes the olive is best, and least trouble to 
 work. 
 
 Spirits op Turpentine. 
 
 This is also another agent which requires to be kept 
 under careful control, as it will make your colour full of 
 holes and blotches where they are not wanted. 
 
 Kerosine, Paraffin, or Rock Oil. 
 
 This is another extraordinary production of nature, 
 only of recent introduction. Little can be said about it 
 at present; but it appears to partake somewhat of the 
 properties, and to produce something of the effects of 
 spirits of turpentine, and if used must be used with 
 caution. However, if any have time and inclination to 
 experiment, let them do so, as, in this way, novel and, it 
 may be, important results may be attained. 
 
 Alum. 
 
 This is a well-known substance, of a light colour, and 
 a sharp acid taste, soluble in boiling water; but although 
 you may keep it dissolved while heated, if allowed to 
 stand till cold, you will find only a certain proportion of 
 the alum taken up by the water, the remainder forming 
 itself into crystals at the bottom of the vessel ; but if you 
 pour the liquid off, and add more water, by repeating 
 
32 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 the process you may get it all dissolved. The uses to 
 which this article may be applied in marbling are (first) 
 to counteract the effect of too much gall in the colours. 
 If any one of your colours should spread or run out too 
 much, a few drops of this solution of alum will check it, 
 and cause it to contract or close up, but it must be used 
 with caution, as it will affect the tints of some colours, 
 and will also resist the friction of the flint in glazing, 
 causing it to tear. Secondly, 
 
 If put into the solution of gum tragacanth it will 
 make it thicken, and help it to keep good a little longer ; 
 but it is not possible to work well with it, as it will only 
 produce very inferior work. It takes a great deal more 
 gall to make the colours flow out upon it, the one being 
 opposed to the other ; still, it is sometimes useful at a 
 pinch, but it is better to do without it altogether if pos- 
 sible. 
 
 It is also a necessary ingredient in the making size for 
 the paper after marbling. 
 
 There are, doubtless, other agencies at present hidden 
 from us, which the light of advancing science and in- 
 creasing knowledge will reveal, producing effects which 
 may throw all our present attainments in the shade ; but 
 till then we must make the best use of the means within 
 our reach, and by cultivating these we may reap more 
 than we expect. 
 
 Water. 
 
 Soft or rain water, where it can be procured, is best 
 adapted for all the preparations of marbling, but hard 
 water will do, especially if a small quantity of soda or 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 33 
 
 pearlash be dissolved in it. Water that has been boiled, 
 and allowed to cool, answers every purpose. 
 
 Of the Preparations or Vehicles Required for 
 Marbling. 
 
 For Spanish, French, or Shell, Italian, West End, and 
 British, you will require a mixture of the solution of gum 
 bragacanth and the mucilage of flea- seed in the propor- 
 tion of one quart of the latter to two gallons of the 
 former; beat them well up together till they are thoroughly 
 incorporated with each other, strain the mixture through 
 the hair sieve into your trough, and it will be fit for 
 use. 
 
 For Dutch, Nonpareil, Curl, Antique, and in short all 
 patterns which require to be formed with any kind of in- 
 strument on the surface of the preparation in the trough, 
 you had better use nothing but the pure solution of gum 
 tragacanth; in fact, you may marble all the patterns on this 
 alone, so that if you find any difficulty in procuring the 
 other articles mentioned, if you can only procure good 
 gum you may do any or all the varieties of marbling upon 
 it, although some patterns are improved by the addition 
 of the preparation of the flea-seed before described. 
 
 Of Grinding the Colours. 
 
 On this head you must be very particular, for if any of 
 your colours are not finely or properly ground, you must 
 not expect your work to look well. Where a large 
 quantity of colour is required, a colour-mill is the most 
 
 c 
 
34 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 advantageous method to be adopted, but if on a small 
 scale the ordinary slab and muller will answer the pur- 
 pose ; but whether by the mill or by hand, the colours 
 must be ground perfectly smooth and fine. They must 
 be all ground with a preparation of beeswax, in the pro- 
 portion of one ounce of the prepared wax to one pound 
 of colour ; this will prevent the colour from rubbing off, 
 and make it burnish or glaze easily. 
 
 To Prepare the Wax for Grinding. 
 
 To attempt to grind beeswax in its native state would 
 be a fruitless task, as it would only stick to the stone, and 
 would not unite with the other ingredients. To obviate 
 this you must prepare it in the following manner. Take 
 of the very best beeswax two pounds, put it in an earthen 
 pipkin, and with it a quarter of a pound of the very best 
 white curd soap, cut in very thin small pieces, place it in 
 a gentle heat, and when both are quite dissolved (but be 
 sure they are not boiling) put the pipkin containing the 
 hot liquid on a table, taking in one hand a jug containing 
 cold water, and gently stirring the wax with the other, 
 pour in the water a little at the time, keeping it constantly 
 stirred, and you will find it gradually thicken till at last 
 you will hardly be able to stir it at all ; but you must be 
 very careful not to have it too hot when you pour in the 
 water, for if you do the moment the water and wax come 
 in contact it will fly up out of the pipkin, and perhaps 
 scald you. Set it to cool, and when cold you will be able 
 to pulverize it between your thumb and finger ; in this 
 state you may mix or grind it with the colour easily, but 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 35 
 
 it is best if worked well in with the dry colour before you 
 wet it. 
 
 Troughs. 
 
 The troughs are generally made of wood, and must be 
 water-tight, and perfectly flat and smooth at bottominside, 
 because, where bottom combs are used, any unevenness 
 would injure them, and be likely to distort the pattern. 
 Sometimes they are made of slate, which is better ; but 
 they are very heavy, if you have to shift them, and are 
 more expensive. With regard to sizes, some are made to 
 take in a single sheet, others two sheets together ; but 
 whatever their size, they should be a little larger than the 
 paper for Spanish, French, Italian, &c., but for Nonpareil 
 and patterns of that class, it will require to be larger still, 
 or the edges of the paper will be imperfect. There should 
 be a small partition on the right-hand side, about three 
 inches wide, made by letting in a narrow piece of wood 
 or slate, about a quarter of an inch in thickness, and so 
 placed in a sloping position, — the top being about the 
 eighth of an inch below the sides, — as to allow of the 
 waste being skimmed over it, without running over the 
 sides. A hole about the size of a wine cork should 
 be made in one corner, to run the contents out when- 
 ever you want to do so. A skimmer, constructed of a 
 ; thin piece of wood about three or four inches wide, and 
 of sufficient length to pass along the inside of the trough 
 without interruption, when drawn along the surface of 
 the fluid for the purpose of skimming, will also be re- 
 quired, as it must be skimmed for every sheet made. 
 
36 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 Combs. 
 
 The combs used in marbling are various in their con- 
 struction, some being what are termed top and others 
 bottom combs ; that is, one is drawn along the top of the 
 fluid in the trough, the teeth just touching the floating 
 colours, while the other is put to the bottom and held down 
 with the points of the teeth touching the bottom of the 
 trough all the time it is being drawn through. They 
 should be made with brass wire, the smaller the pattern 
 the finer the wire. The bottom combs are generally made 
 by a reed-maker, that is, one who manufactures the 
 peculiarly fine and uniformly regular wire apparatus used 
 by the silk weavers in their business, and which they can 
 divide with the nicest precision and exactness into any 
 
 number of teeth to the 
 inch; but twelve or thir- 
 teen to the inch is fine 
 enough for any Nonpa- 
 reil comb, if finer it is 
 apt to drag. 
 
 The top combs are 
 generally manufactured 
 by the parties using them, 
 and various methods have 
 been adopted for the pur- 
 pose. Pins, needles, and 
 wire have been brought 
 into requisition, and with various results, according 
 to the ingenuity or clumsiness of the individual at- 
 tempting the task. The greatest difficulties are : first. 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 37 
 
 keeping uniform distance or space between the teeth; 
 second, keeping the points exactly level, so that they may 
 touch the level surface of the liquid all over, without hav- 
 ing one part under and another not touching at all; third, 
 having them perfectly flat, not bent or crooked, one part 
 inclined to stand out behind and another part sticking 
 out before, as with these defects it will be impossible to 
 produce a regular or uniform appearance. We will, 
 therefore, try to describe to you a method which, after 
 many years' practice and experience, we consider the most 
 easy and most likely to be successful. 
 
 Cut some pieces of paper about four or five inches long 
 and about two and a-half broad, carefully, evenly, and 
 exactly fold them as in the following diagram, thus : — 
 That is, fold it first nearly in half, 
 then turn the widest part back and 
 fold it evenly about one-eighth of 
 an inch from the first fold, turn it 
 back again level with the first fold ; 
 then draw a line parallel with the 
 edge of the fold either with ink or 
 pencil about one-twelfth of an inch 
 from the edge, so as to permit the 
 pins or needles to catch in the part ^ 2 
 
 folded back, and measure and mark 
 
 out the distances through which your points are to be put. 
 If you find any difficulty in comprehending this plan, pur- 
 chase a sheet of pins and observe the manner in which they 
 are stuck through, closing up the folds of the paper, and 
 the idea will be realized at once. Some combs have been 
 made of such pins, but the heads are in the way. 
 
38 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 When yon have stuck your needles or pins you will 
 require to regulate them ; if any have gone askew or you 
 have any crooked ones, they must be replaced by others, 
 and you must leave as much as possible of the length of 
 the needles or pins from the points as you can do consis- 
 tently with security for holding them fast in their places ; 
 and in order to do this you must flatten the paper out 
 again, and with the side of a knife or something perfectly 
 level, press against the points till they are quite even, then 
 
 Fig. 3. 
 
 take a narrow strip of paper glued and secure them by 
 sticking it on to the upper part, and when that is dry you 
 can turn back the other part of the paper and with a little 
 thin glue stick the two folds together : this will leave the 
 points sticking out like a comb, and render it doubly 
 secure. You can now fix any number of these short 
 lengths upon a piece of thin wood, perfectly true and exact, 
 two or three inches wide, as the size of your trough may 
 require ; taking care to trim the ends of each piece so that 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 39 
 
 it shall join the other without making a gap between, and 
 it will be necessary to cut a piece out of each end of the 
 wood, permitting it to rest upon the edges of the trough, 
 to allow of your guiding it evenly along. I here again 
 observe that you must have the trough made very true and 
 level in every part, for although the bottom combs may 
 be made to work provided the bottom only be smooth and 
 level, yet the top combs cannot be made to do unless the 
 sides are level also. In order to test the level of the trough 
 when the liquid is in it, take a piece of stick, or your 
 finger, put it to the bottom of the liquid, in one part mark 
 the depth ; try another part in the same manner, till you 
 get it the same depth all over. Should your table or 
 bench be uneven, you must wedge it up by putting small 
 wedge-shaped pieces of wood between the bottom of the 
 trough and the table where it may be required ; and you 
 must be very particular in thus adjusting your trough, 
 especially in those patterns which require combs or other 
 instruments in their production. 
 
 In using the bottom comb it will be necessary to have 
 a small trough, about a couple of inches in width and filled 
 with clean water, on the left-hand side of the trough, in 
 which to place the comb when you have drawn it through 
 the colour, or it will get clogged. The combs must occa- 
 sionally be brushed, as frequently little impediments will 
 get between the teeth and make an unsightly mark through 
 the sheet. 
 
 The Arrangement of the Trough and Colours, etc. 
 Procure a firm level table, or fixed bench, of a conve- 
 
40 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 nient height, sufficiently large to hold your trough and 
 leave you some feet of spare room on each side of it ; you 
 must place the pots or jars containing the colours on your 
 right hand, and your paper or books to be marbled on 
 your left. Have the gall-bottle handy ; better place it 
 between some of the jars, where it will not be likely to 
 get knocked over, as you will be obliged to have frequent 
 recourse to it, to keep your colours in good working 
 order, as a very trifling matter will throw them out ; fill 
 your trough to within half or three-quarters of an inch 
 of the top with your solution, whatever kind it may be, 
 proceed to mix and try your colours, at first a few spots 
 at the time, on the surface of the solution, adding the 
 ingredients, as their effects may reveal to you the neces- 
 sity thereof by their action and appearance, adjusting 
 their proportions till you obtain the desired effects, and 
 trying them on small pieces of paper before hazarding 
 whole sheets. When you are satisfied that both solution 
 and colours are in perfect order, skim the surface of the 
 solution all over, taking care not to agitate it too much, 
 commence sprinkling on the colours immediately, and 
 then you can proceed as in the following examples : — 
 
 Sizing the Paper after Marbling. 
 
 This depends much upon the nature of the paper you 
 have to size. If it be an ordinary hard-sized printing 
 paper, the size will not need to be so strong as it would 
 be for the proper half-sized paper made for the express 
 purpose of marbling. The ordinary size is prepared as 
 follows : Take half a pound of the best pale soap and half 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 41 
 
 a pound of best glue. Cut the soap into small pieces, and 
 boil them together in three gallons of water till dis- 
 solved. Then dissolve in another vessel half a pound of 
 alum by boiling. Mix the two together in as near a boil- 
 ing state as you possibly can, in a tub or any other vessel 
 that will hold it, stirring them up well ; and, when cool, 
 put the preparation into a trough similar to those used 
 for marbling, and lay the paper in it, just in the same 
 manner, taking it out on a stick, and hanging it up to 
 dry in the same way. If the paper be very soft, more 
 glue may be used in making the size, after which it will 
 be ready for glazing. 
 
 Glazing. 
 
 This is accomplished by means of a machine similar to 
 those used by calenderers to glaze prints and curtains, 
 and is effected by the friction of a smoothly surfaced flint 
 stone on the face of the paper. We will endeavour to 
 describe it. A polished or smoothly faced flint stone is 
 fixed in a block of wood, having a handle at the centre of 
 each side to work it by. Over the flint is fixed one end 
 of a pole, about five feet long, the other end being placed 
 in a hole or cavity in a spring board overhead, so as to 
 allow the flint to be moved backwards and forwards 
 at will, upon a piece of wood so hollowed out as to ad- 
 mit of an equal pressure all over; the longer the pole 
 the less hollow the plank or block requires to be. It 
 is very hard work by hand, and is now mostly done by 
 steam power. Some is done by heated steel cylinders, as 
 bookbinders* cloth is done; but this is objectionable, as 
 
42 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 the paper is made very thin, and is more difficult to use, 
 being apt to curl up when pasted, and difficult to keep 
 from creasing and stretching . 1 
 
 1 It may be as well to observe that, of the examples of marbling 
 that follow, the completed patterns are all glazed. Only those that 
 illustrate the progress of a pattern are unglazed. 
 
The Illustrative Examples in this Volume 
 
 HAVE BEEN EXECUTED EXPRESSLY FOR THIS 
 WORK UNDER THE IMMEDIATE SUPER- 
 INTENDENCE of the Author, 
 
 AND MOST OF THEM BY 
 
 HIS OWN HAND. 
 

 
EFFECTS OF GALL AND WATER. 
 
1 
 
Example No. 1. 
 
 S gall is the principal acting ingredient in every 
 
 pattern — in fact, as it is impossible to proceed with- 
 out it — we will, in the first place, by the aid of a very 
 simple pattern, endeavour to illustrate its effects. 
 
 Assuming, therefore, that you have the solution in the 
 trough properly prepared, and of the right consistency, 
 your colours ground as directed, and everything conve- 
 niently arranged and ready to hand, take two pots or 
 jars, in one of these mix up a little blue colour with gall 
 and water, and in the other a little gall and water 
 alone : about half a table-spoonful of gall to half-a- 
 pint of water will be about the proportion, but for this 
 no exact rule can be given, as all galls are not of the 
 same strength, the only way of determining this being 
 by trying its effects on the solution, by sprinkling a few 
 drops of the colour on it first ; if it does not float or flow 
 out and spread on the surface of the solution, you must 
 add more gall, a little at at a time, till you produce the 
 appearance represented by the example (&, No. 1), then 
 take the brush with the gall and water, and sprinkle it 
 carefully and evenly over the blue you have just previously 
 put on, and if you have the right proportion of gall in 
 the water it will produce the effect represented in the 
 example (&, No. 1) : if there is not enough gall in the 
 water it will only give the appearance of white spots on 
 the blue ; if too much, it will drive the blue up into very 
 
46 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 fine veins, leaving too much of the white paper exposed ; 
 this you will soon be able to rectify by a little judgment 
 and practice. This example is given simply to illustrate 
 the effects of gall, and to show how important a place it 
 occupies in the production of the marvellous and beauti- 
 ful varieties with which this book is illustrated. 
 
 But if, instead of sprinkling or throwing on the 
 colours by the hand, you put them on by striking or 
 knocking the stock of the brush against a small iron rod 
 or bar about half an inch in thickness, you will have a 
 neat network in lieu of the larger spots and coarse veins, 
 and the pattern called Blue Italian (No. 1) will be pro- 
 duced. 
 
 Size or medium, a mixture of gum tragacanth and flea- 
 seed. 
 
 Example No. 2. 
 
 Italian Four Veins . 
 
 We will now take the example No. 2. In this you 
 must adopt the same method of procedure, the only diffe- 
 rence being a greater number of colours, and of course a 
 little more difficulty in the manipulation. You will now 
 require five jars and brushes, one for each colour (viz.), 
 red, yellow, green, blue, and white, or gall and water ; 
 they must all be mixed with gall and water as in the pre- 
 ceding example, but each succeeding colour will require 
 a little more gall than its predecessor, and the white, or 
 last colour, must be sufficiently strong in gall to drive the 
 other colour sup into very fine, small veins; you must expect 
 to make several trials before you succeed in getting your 
 
PROGRESSIVE STAGES OF ITALIAN. 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 47 
 
 colours all right for working. I have given progressive 
 illustrations for your guidance by which you will see the 
 changes which take place as each additional colour is 
 sprinkled on the solution in the trough ; you must begin 
 with knocking on the red ; secondly, yellow ; thirdly, 
 green ; fourthly, blue ; and the effects produced should be 
 such as you will see marked a, &, c, d, e , in the illustrated 
 example No. 2. These four colours may be put on with 
 small brushes, but the white or gall and water will re- 
 quire a larger brush, and should be held up on a level 
 with your head and beaten on evenly all over the other 
 colours ; if you hold it low down near the surface you 
 will produce a cloudy, irregular appearance, unsightly to 
 the eye, and unfit for good work. 
 
 When well done it is a very neat and pretty, though 
 simple pattern, but requires great carefulness and clean- 
 liness in making or working, in order to turn it out well; 
 and you must be very careful to keep the rings of the 
 brushes wiped with a piece of rag after dipping them in 
 the colour, before commencing to knock them against 
 the iron rod, as the colour will accumulate on them and 
 fall in large spots or blotches here and there, which will 
 spoil the appearance of the work altogether. 
 
 Note, gall and water is preferable for the top colour 
 for book edges, but you can work with more certainty, 
 especially by gas or candlelight, by mixing a little white 
 with it; all the colours for this pattern require to be 
 thin. 
 
 Size or medium, a mixture of gum tragacanth and 
 fleaseed. 
 
48 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 Some are made with one colour only, such as red 
 or blue ; some with two, but the working is the same 
 in all. 
 
 Example No. 3, 
 
 Spanish . 
 
 You must not imagine that there is anything like 
 nationality attached to any of these varieties of marbling 
 on account of their names. England has long maintained, 
 and still maintains the pre-eminence over every other 
 country in this very peculiar and interesting branch of 
 art industry. Many of the foreign papers are got up 
 with a beautiful surface and finish while the intrinsic 
 merit of the work is of a very mean standard, and are sold 
 at a much cheaper rate than that at which they can be 
 produced by the British workman. But to proceed. 
 This sort of marbling is distinguished from all others 
 by having a series of light and dark shades traversing the 
 whole extent of the sheet of paper in a diagonal direc- 
 tion, and if you will closely follow the instructions 
 here laid down, the striking beauty of the effects will not 
 be more surprising than the simplicity of the method 
 adopted for producing them. The colours for the veins 
 may be mixed in the same manner as for the previous 
 patterns, that is, with gall and water, and the same prepa- 
 ration of gum and flea-seed is used to work upon ; but in- 
 stead of knocking the colours on, you must have a little 
 more in your brushes and sprinkle or throw them on by 
 a peculiar motion of the hand w^hich you can only acquire 
 by practice. First, red; next, black; thirdly, yellow; 
 
PROGRESSIVE STAGES OF SPANISH. 
 
3 
 
 v 
 

 j. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 4 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 49 
 
 fourthly, blue ; and lastly, with a larger brush and fuller of 
 colour, you throw on the brown or predominating colour, 
 beginning at the left-hand corner of the trough farthest 
 from you, and working down and up closely and regularly 
 all over, taking care not to go twice oyer the same place, or 
 you will produce an appearance like rings by the falling 
 of one spot upon another, which is objectionable. You 
 must next take up the sheet of paper by the two opposite 
 corners, and holding it by as small a portion as possible 
 between the thumb and forefinger of each hand, keeping 
 it nearly upright but inclining towards the left, you allow 
 the corner held by the right hand gently to touch the 
 floating colour, while, as soon as it touches, you must 
 shake, agitate, or move it to and fro with a regular 
 motion, at the same time gradually lowering the sheet of 
 paper with the left hand till it is lying flat on the surface 
 of the solution in the trough. On taking it up you will find 
 it shaded in stripes, and where properly done it will have 
 a very pretty and striking appearance, but of course it 
 will require considerable practice to make it perfect. 
 The brown colour will require to be much stronger in 
 gall, as well as thicker in consistence than the vein 
 colours ; a> b, c , d , e, represent the colours as they 
 appear in succession as thrown on. No. 3 a the same 
 when shaded, as /, whether green, brown, or any other 
 colour. 
 
 Example No. 4. 
 
 Fancy Spanish or Lace Pattern . 
 
 This is rather a complicated and tedious pattern to 
 make, but it has a very neat and pretty appearance when 
 
 D 
 
50 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OE MARBLING. 
 
 done well, and looks like a combination of tke Italian 
 with Spanish, which in fact to a great extent it is, the 
 difference being this — that there are more colours in the 
 veins, and the white is beaten on more finely, and the 
 veins are not so closely driven up as in Italian itself, the 
 last or principal colour being so tempered with gall as to 
 drive the whole of the colours previously put on suffi- 
 ciently close to produce the appearance of lace net 
 between the spots lastly thrown on, which should be 
 done rather liberally, so as to uniformly cover the whole; 
 when this is done, lay on the paper in the same way as 
 described in the previous pattern, shading it as it de- 
 scends, and you will have the result shown in No. 4. 
 
 Example No. 5. 
 
 This is a pleasing variety caused by bending or fold- 
 ing the paper in squares or diamond shapes, producing 
 somewhat the appearance of watered silk. There is no 
 difference in the preparation of the colours required for 
 this purpose, but it is more difficult to guide the paper in 
 shading as you lay it down. A little more than half a 
 century ago the so-called Spanish marble was unknown, 
 and, like most novelties, commanded a very high price 
 when it first came out ; and various stories were circu- 
 lated as to how it was first discovered, some of them 
 ridiculous enough. One is as follows : A man was busily 
 engaged on his work, and just as he was on the point of 
 laying on his paper, another drove with some violence 
 against his trough, by which the whole surface was 
 agitated and set in motion like the waves of the sea, 
 
S 
 
 5 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 51 
 
 and the effect thereby produced excited further attention 
 and study, ultimately resulting in the production of this 
 very pretty description of marbling. I have also been 
 credibly informed that the first that was made was done 
 in the following manner : — One man got under the trough, 
 and when the colour had been all put on, and the paper 
 held in readiness to be laid down, he shook the trough so 
 as to produce an undulating surface, when the paper was 
 immediately applied, producing a wave-like appearance : 
 these shades, however, were so broad and irregular when 
 compared with those which are done by the present 
 method, besides occupying the time of two to do the 
 work of one, that it fell into disuse as soon as the im- 
 proved method was brought to light. There was also 
 another story current, which was this — and I am sorry to 
 say that there is a considerable probability of an approach 
 to truthfulness in it. A workman who had been indulg- 
 ing too freely in potations of strong drink came to his 
 occupation one morning with a trembling, shaking hand 
 and unsteady nerves : he could not hold a joint still, and 
 alas ! had neither money nor credit to get a drop more 
 (just to steady him) ; so to work he must go as he was. 
 But when he came to lay the paper down, his poor palsied 
 hand shook so much that he spoiled (as he admitted) 
 every sheet he tried. Some of this attracted the notice 
 of the master, to whom the cause was explained, and the 
 light thus thrown on the subject gave rise to further in- 
 vestigation and improvement, till at last the perfect 
 development was obtained, and it became exceedingly 
 popular, and brought in a very liberal remuneration. I 
 do not vouch for the truth of either of these statements ; 
 
52 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 I merely give them as I received them ; but it is not at 
 all necessary for the object of this work either to receive 
 or reject them . 1 
 
 Size or medium, gum tragacanth and flea-seed for all 
 Spanish patterns. 
 
 Example No. 6. 
 
 Extra or Drag Spanish. 
 
 This is another variety, for which at one time there 
 was a great demand, and which stands out quite distinct 
 from any of the others. In order to accomplish this, you 
 must have a trough twice the size of the paper you intend 
 to marble, as, in order to produce the elongated form of 
 the spots, you must, instead of shading, draw or drag the 
 sheet of paper from one end of the trough to the other, 
 letting it fall about an inch at a time, each inch, as it 
 were, overlapping the former, and adjusting your dis- 
 tances so as to let the last fall just as you arrive at the 
 opposite side of the trough to the one from which you 
 began. The colours and preparations may be just the 
 • 
 
 1 Since writing the above, the author has obtained possession of 
 a book printed in Madrid nearly a hundred years ago ; it appears to 
 have been bound at the same time and place, and is lined inside 
 with a rude kind of Spanish marbled paper, the outsides of the book 
 are also covered with the same ; and as both the texture and ap- 
 pearance of the marbled paper appear to be the same as that on 
 which the book is printed, it seems evident that Spain can claim the ; 
 precedence of England in the production of that variety, and that 
 the various statements which have been made with reference to its 
 method of discovery should be received with caution. The book is 
 now in the author’s possession. 
 
s 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 ] 
 
 
PROGRESSIVE STAGES OF NONPAREIL. Part I. 
 
PROGRESSIVE STAGES OF NONPAREIL. Part II. 
 
7 
 
 } i 
 
 ' v 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
53 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 same as for the other Spanish, only they must be con- 
 siderably thinner, as from the circumstance that one sheet 
 of paper being drawn over a surface usually allotted for 
 two, the colours would accumulate so thickly on the 
 paper that they would not only look muddy, but would 
 also peel or scrape off, and not glaze. It is also more 
 tedious to make, and of course more expensive than the 
 ordinary kinds of Spanish, and always realizes a higher 
 price. 
 
 Example No. 7. 
 
 Nonpareil . 
 
 Perhaps no pattern that ever was produced has had 
 such an extensive and prolonged run as this, and although 
 it has now become so common as to be used on almost 
 every description of work, it still holds its place in the 
 favour of the public. About forty-five years ago it was 
 sold at the extraordinary price of six shillings per quire 
 for demy size, and that was very inferior to what may 
 now be obtained for half-a-crown or three shillings. 
 
 In order to do this description of marbling you 
 must have a solution of gum tragacanth alone in the 
 trough to work upon, and the colours, though mixed 
 with gall and water, must be used thicker, and in 
 larger quantities than for Spanish. The accompanying 1 
 example will greatly help to facilitate your comprehen- 
 sion of the idea of the progress of the pattern through its 
 various stages till completed. You must first begin by 
 sprinkling the surface all over with red (a) ; secondly, 
 black, see (b) ; thirdly, orange chrome, see (c) ; fourthly, 
 blue, see ( d ) ; and lastly, buff, see ( e ) . You must now 
 
54 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING 
 
 Fig. 4. 
 
 take the peg-rake, which must be as long as the trough 
 
 from right to left; this you 
 must pass carefully and steadily 
 up the trough from front to 
 back through the colours, and 
 down again from back to front, 
 taking particular care when you draw it back that you bring 
 the teeth of the rake exactly between the lines where they 
 went up, and which, if left so, would produce a pattern in 
 itself: see (/). Next, take your comb, which should be 
 kept conveniently close to the trough in a narrow box filled 
 with water, and gently draw it through the colour as 
 formed by the rake from left to right, and the process is 
 complete, ready for the laying-on of the paper, which 
 should be done as quickly as possible. The result is 
 shown in the example No. 7. 
 
 There may be many varieties made of this kind, both 
 as regards the sizes of the combs, and the colours used 
 for the various sorts of binding and books ; for instance, 
 a brown Nonpareil, and a black and brown combined, 
 have been largely patronized for works of divinity ; a red 
 Nonpareil for military, and a green for floral ; but they 
 are all produced on the same principle and by the same 
 kind of process as the first described, whether the colours 
 employed be few or many : see example No. 8. 
 
 Example Nos. 9, 8, 10. 
 
 Curl. 
 
 The colours for this pattern will require to be mixed 
 and prepared in precisely the same way as the preceding 
 

- 
 
11 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 55 
 
 or Nonpareil pattern; the size or medium, also the same — 
 viz., gum tragacanth alone. Proceed as follows : — First, 
 sprinkle on a fair body of red ; secondly, blue ; thirdly, 
 green ; and fourthly and lastly, yellow or orange, which- 
 ever you may prefer. You must next make your curls — 
 as it would be very tedious to make these one by one — 
 over as large a surface as a sheet of paper ; and, as there 
 would be considerable difficulty to keep them uniform, 
 you will require an instrument formed something like a 
 harrow in miniature, consisting of small bars of wood 
 placed parallel with each other at regular distances, each 
 containing a number of pieces of wire about three inches 
 in length, inserted at intervals corresponding with the 
 number of curls you require on your sheet of paper. 
 Presuming, therefore, that you have your colours all on 
 ready, you take this instrument in both hands, and drop- 
 ping it equidistant from all sides of the trough, give it two 
 or three turns with a rotary movement, lift it immediately 
 out, lay on the paper, and you will have the pattern re- 
 presented in the example (No. 9) or No. 8. No. 10 has 
 wider space and two movements, one the reverse way of 
 the other. 
 
 Examples Nos. 11 and 12. 
 
 Zebra . 
 
 This is a very nice pattern when well made, and requires 
 to be kept clean. In working you must proceed in just the 
 same manner as though you were going to make Non- 
 pareil with the first four colours, viz., red, black, blue, 
 and yellow or orange. When you have proceeded thus far 
 you must rake it before you throw on the buff colour from 
 
56 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 front to back, and afterwards throw on the top or buff 
 colour ; lay on the paper flat for one pattern, and shade it 
 as for Spanish for the other. 
 
 Example No. 13. 
 
 West End. 
 
 This is a very neat, quiet pattern, and is in every re- 
 spect similar to the Spanish in the working and throwing 
 on of the colours, the principal difference being that the 
 paper is laid down flat without being shaded. It con- 
 sists of two prominent colours besides the veins : one of 
 these is dark and dotted all over with small white spots, 
 the other or top colour is light, and is made by taking a 
 portion of the dark colour and adding to it and mixing 
 up with it a quantity of white, sufficient to bring it to 
 the required tint, and whether the predominant colour be 
 brown, blue, or green, the same rule may be observed 
 with all. Mix the vein colours with gall and water as 
 in the instructions previously given for Spanish, then mix 
 the dark brown thicker in body, and with a larger pro- 
 portion of gall ; sprinkle it on full, so as to drive the veins 
 up fine ; next take the white or gall and water, as in 
 Italian, and beat or knock it on finely and evenly all 
 over, but not so much as in the Italian ; lastly, take the 
 light or top colour which will require to be stronger in 
 gall than any of the other colours, and sprinkle it lightly 
 and evenly over all. Lay on the paper as quickly as pos- 
 sible, and the pattern is complete. The same preparation 
 of gum and flea-seed will do for this as for the Spanish 
 or Italian patterns. 
 
13 
 
14 
 
 
15 
 

17 
 
 * . 
 
 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 57 
 
 Examples Nos. 14, 15. 
 
 Antique Spots . 
 
 There will now be no necessity for ns to repeat or re- 
 capitulate the manner of mixing and throwing on the 
 colours for the veins, &c., therefore useless repetitions 
 will be avoided, as they will tend to confuse rather than 
 to edify ; however, any remarkable variations will still be 
 specially noticed and duly impressed on the attention of 
 the student. In this section of the art you will find two 
 examples, the colours being prepared the same as for 
 Nonpareil and the same medium, viz., gum tragacanth, 
 being used to work upon. When you have thrown on 
 the three colours, red, black, and yellow, you must rake 
 them as for Nonpareil before throwing on any more, after 
 which proceed to throw on the other two ; a little white 
 to be beaten over the whole at last. The same rule to be 
 observed whether the top colour be pink, blue, fawn, or 
 any other shade. See Example No. 13. 
 
 Sometimes the raking is done as follows. A wider rake 
 is used, with prongs of wire ; this is taken through the 
 first three colours from left to right, it is then again taken 
 through with an up-and-down or undulating movement, 
 after which the other colours are put on as described be- 
 fore. This gives a more elaborate appearance to the pattern, 
 but we must leave everyone to their taste, as what one 
 approves another may condemn. See Example No. 14. 
 
 Examples Nos. 16, 17. 
 
 Antique , Straight , and Curled. 
 
 The first stages of this pattern will have to be worked 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18 
 
' 
 
A 20 
 
B 20 
 
 
G 
 
 20 
 
 
D 20 
 
ww. 
 

 
 3m 
 
 
 
 JP% 
 
 
 ^SK» 
 
 :» * >* 
 >> >> 
 
 
 >^> >0 
 
 
21 
 
I 
 

 23 
 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 59 
 
 tween them, the thickness of which must be determined 
 by the size of the pattern required. This you must move 
 up and down as you draw it along through the colour from 
 left to right, taking special care that the prong of the hind 
 one just catches the bottom of the loop formed by the 
 first, and you have the desired effect. 
 
 There are several variations of this style in use, both 
 Shell and otherwise, indeed you may multiply patterns 
 till you are confused. 
 
 Examples Nos. 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 . 
 
 Old Dutch . 
 
 This is one of the oldest and most esteemed patterns 
 in use at this present period ; it is more mechanical and re- 
 quires a greater number of appliances than any of the pre- 
 vious sorts, and is accomplished by a very different process 
 to any that have yet been noticed. If you take a sheet of 
 this paper and examine it attentively, you will perceive 
 that the colours are not scattered here and there in an 
 indiscriminate confusion, but follow each other in regular 
 succession diagonally across the whole sheet of paper, red 
 being the preponderating colour. 
 
 In order to do this pattern well your colours should be 
 particularly well ground, and of the very best quality, 
 they ought also to be mixed a day or two before using, 
 that they may be as mellow as possible. If attention be 
 not given to these instructions, your labour will be in vain, 
 for you will never be able to produce satisfactory results, 
 with either inferior or badly prepared materials. 
 
 You will require a number of small tins or pots, an 
 
60 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 inch and a half or two inches wide and about the same in 
 depth — small jam pots will answer the purpose very well ; 
 you will also require two frames the size of the paper you 
 intend to marble, in which are inserted a number of 
 wooden pegs, about a quarter or three-eighths of an inch 
 thick, fixed at regular distances about two and a half or 
 three inches apart ; both these frames must correspond 
 exactly, and the pots of colour must be so arranged that 
 the pegs will each drop into its respective pot of colour 
 without any difficulty. It is with these you will have to 
 put on the colours instead of brushes, with the exception of 
 the red alone, which will have to be thrown on with a 
 brush. 
 
 The colours required are red, blue, green, yellow, and 
 white, and as you will not be able to mix these colours in 
 the small pots, you must procure four large jugs with 
 spouts, capable of holding about three pints of colour — a 
 jug for each colour; in these the colours must be mixed, and 
 be made all right for working before putting them into 
 the little ones. In order to ascertain this you must try 
 
 Y 
 
 B 
 
 Y 
 
 B 
 
 Y 
 
 B 
 
 G 
 
 Y 
 
 G 
 
 Y 
 
 G 
 
 Y 
 
 Y 
 
 B 
 
 Y 
 
 B 
 
 Y 
 
 B 
 
 G 
 
 Y 
 
 G 
 
 Y 
 
 G 
 
 Y 
 
 Y 
 
 B 
 
 Y 
 
 B 
 
 Y 
 
 B 
 
 G 
 
 Y 
 
 i 
 
 G 
 
 Y 
 
 G 
 
 Y 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 61 
 
 them by dipping into each a piece of stick and letting a 
 drop fall on the solution (having first thrown on a little 
 red), and tempering it with gall till it spreads out to the 
 desired extent ; when they are all right for working, you 
 proceed to fill the little pots and arrange them in the 
 order shown in the diagram, one lot of the pots being 
 filled with nothing but white , 1 and the other lot num- 
 bering the same in quantity, filled, or rather half 
 filled, with the three colours, green, blue, and yellow, 
 denoted in the diagram by G, B, and T. When you 
 have done this and arranged them conveniently as near 
 the trough as possible without interfering one with 
 the other, take the two frames of pegs and drop 
 them carefully into the pots in such a manner as will 
 enable you by a rotary motion of the frame with both 
 hands to stir round the colour without upsetting the 
 pots. You may now commence operations for the final 
 procedure by first skimming the surface, then with a 
 moderate-sized brush throw on a pretty good body of 
 red, then lift carefully and gently your first frame, con- 
 sisting of white only (always remembering first to give 
 it a slight rotary movement so as to keep the colour from 
 settling at the bottom of the pot, which it will very soon 
 do) — gently, I repeat, lest you should shake the drops of 
 colour off before you get it to its proper place over the 
 red, and just let the tip of each peg touch the surface of 
 the floating red all parts at the same time ; quickly lift it 
 
 1 Instead of pots for the* white, it will be less trouble to fill a 
 trough with white, about an inch deep, in which you place the 
 first frame of pegs, and as white costs little, you can afford a little 
 waste. 
 
62 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 off, placing it again in the pots ready for the next time, 
 then quickly and carefully take the other with the three 
 colours and let the points deposit a single drop of colour 
 as exactly as you can in the centre of the drops of white 
 just put on. You must now take a tapering stick — a stout 
 brush-handle is as good a thing as any — and pass it up 
 and down through the colours as they are now arranged 
 on the trough from front to back at regular distances till 
 you have gone over the whole extent of the surface, then 
 pass your comb through from left to right, and you have 
 Old Dutch, large or small, according as your comb may be ; 
 when you have lifted the paper out as it hangs on the stick, 
 pour gently a little clean water over it, as that will wash 
 away all the superfluous colour and gum and make it look 
 clear and bright, which it will not do unless you wash it ; 
 still, even this will require to be performed with judgment, 
 or you may wash off or impoverish the colours instead of 
 improving them. It may also be done by putting on the 
 three colours first, and the white after, the colours being 
 adjusted accordingly. 
 
 When curls are required, of course you must have 
 another frame with wires, according to the number and 
 size of the curls required. 
 
 Some patterns are made by drawing through a second 
 and larger comb, and sometimes even a third, but the 
 more the colours are worked or drawn about after they 
 are floated on the solution, the more likely they are to 
 get broken and deteriorated in appearance to the eye. 
 
 Some use a rake similar to that spoken of for Nonpa- 
 reil, but for this pattern the brush-handle is preferable. 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 63 
 
 Example No. 24. 
 
 British. 
 
 This is not a very easy pattern to execute, although it 
 has so unpretending and simple an appearance, as it re- 
 quires a good deal of practice and judgment to keep up 
 any degree of uniformity. Some of the patterns are made 
 with and some without veins. It must be done in a 
 trough double the length of the paper you use, as it 
 must be dragged or pushed from one end of the trough 
 to the other in the same manner as directed for the Drag 
 or Extra Spanish, and the size or solution must be the 
 same, viz., a mixture of flea-seed and gum tragacanth. 
 
 Proceed as follows: — Take two jars and a large plate 
 or dish, mix your colour, whatever it may be, in one of 
 these jars in the same w r ay as you would for ordinary 
 Spanish, pour some of it into the other jar, and dilute it 
 with a considerable portion of gall and water so as to 
 make it much thinner in consistency, but more powerful 
 in its spreading or flowing-out propensities, pour on the 
 plate about a dessert-spoonful of the last or thin colour, 
 and then, taking the brush out of the thicker colour, 
 press it down on the other colour on the plate rather 
 hardly, at the same time just giving it a twist round so as 
 partially to amalgamate the two without combining them 
 too closely. Proceed immediately to sprinkle on all over 
 the trough ; the light and dark spots will fall together, 
 intermingling with each other, and producing that varie- 
 gated and motley appearance which characterizes the 
 pattern. In laying on the paper, you must draw it in 
 the same manner as for the Drag Spanish ; black alone 
 
64 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 used in this way on a coloured paper has a very unique 
 appearance, and is, in fact, more like marble of some 
 kinds than much of what bears the name of marble 
 paper. 
 
 Thus far we have gone without the aid of any other 
 acting agencies than gall and water alone ; if such re- 
 sults as these can be produced with such simple materials, 
 may we not be justified in expecting at some not very 
 remote period far greater and more surprising effects 
 from the advancement of scientific and chemical research, 
 and its application to things hitherto considered by the 
 many as beneath their notice, but which nevertheless in- 
 volve mysteries which, with all their attainments, they 
 are unable to solve, and so pooh-pooh them as common- 
 place and undignified withal. 
 
 Examples Nos. 25, 26, 27, 28, 28a. 
 
 French or Shell Marble . 
 
 The colours for this kind or variety may be prepared 
 very nearly in the same way as for the Spanish or West 
 End, but the vein colours may be a little thinner, and the 
 top or principal colour not quite so strong in gall, but in 
 addition to the gall a few drops of oil may be mixed and 
 well stirred up in it : put in but a few drops at a time, 
 stirring it well with the brush every time you add to it, 
 trying it occasionally till it produces the desired effect, 
 which should be the appearance of shell-like rings, 
 darker in the centre than round the edges. Be very 
 careful in mixing in the oil, as too little will make it full 
 of unsightly holes, while too much will cause it to lose 
 
25 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 65 
 
 the shell or ringy appearance altogether, and to spread out 
 in such a manner as to destroy the appearance of the 
 pattern entirely ; there will be no way of rectifying this 
 but by mixing some more colour without any oil, and 
 adding it to that which contains too much. 
 
 We will, as at the beginning, commence with a single 
 colour, without any vein, and a very neat pattern may be 
 produced therewith, and called Small Blue Shell. The 
 blue may be made with a mixture of indigo, rose pink, 
 and Chinese blue, or damp Chinese blue where it can be 
 procured ; you must also provide yourself with a small 
 iron rod or bar about 12 or 14 inches long, not too 
 heavy. This you must place on your left hand, so as to 
 be conveniently taken up when you require to make use 
 of it, which in the small patterns will be with every 
 colour you use, as well with the vein as the body colours; 
 but in this instance, having but one colour and no veins, 
 you will have but little difficulty in accomplishing your 
 task. Presuming, therefore, that you have your colour 
 right, and everything in order, you, as usual, steadily 
 skim the solution or mixture in the trough, and with a 
 tolerably good brushful of the colour in your right hand 
 and the rod in your left, you proceed to beat or knock 
 the stock of the brush against the rod ; go equally and 
 uniformly all over, taking care that the colour falls in 
 spots as near to one uniform size as possible, otherwise 
 it will have a cloudy and imperfect appearance. In order 
 to accomplish this desirable object, you must hold the bar 
 at least at an elevation as high as your head, which will 
 cause the spots to extend over a greater space, and to 
 become finer as they descend, while if you hold it too 
 
 E 
 
26 
 
 
27 
 
 £ 
 
28 
 
 
A 28 
 
 
 
 % 
 
 
 AV . 
 
 c 
 
* 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 TV 
 
 

 30 
 
 ■** 
 
 . v 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 67 
 
 Sometimes two or more Shell colours are worked one 
 over the other with good effect. One specimen of this 
 description is introduced here, but as in former in- 
 stances the last colour requires to be mixed with both 
 more gall and oil to make it expand over the colour pre- 
 ceding it. (No. 28 a.) 
 
 Having thus far explained the principles contained in 
 the production of the Shell or French marbles, we will 
 introduce another variety in which the French and 
 Spanish are combined, and sometimes with good effects. 
 In order to do this, you must first produce on the solu- 
 tion a small French pattern, but with a considerably less 
 amount of colour than you would put on for French alone, 
 and for this reason, because it would require an amazing 
 strength of gall to make the Spanish colour flow out over 
 a complete Shell pattern, and if it did so flow out it would 
 so close up the Shell that it would have a most muddy 
 and confused appearance ; therefore you must not have 
 your French or Shell mixture so strong as for Shell itself, 
 and your top or Spanish colour will then flow pleasantly 
 over it with good effect, and produce a very pretty 
 variety, whatever colours you may fancy to make it with. 
 It is sometimes called Spanish with Shell veins. (See 
 example No. 29.) 
 
 Example No. 30. 
 
 Stormont . 
 
 We will now introduce another ingredient to the 
 notice of our students, and that will be spirits of tur- 
 pentine ; its effect, when properly mixed and incorpo- 
 
68 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 rated with the colour, is to cause it to break into fine 
 holes like a network when it falls on the solution in the 
 trough. It is used principally in the production of one 
 of the oldest patterns extant, bearing the name of Blue 
 Stormont, and though apparently a very simple pattern, 
 consisting of only two colours, it is nevertheless one of 
 the most difficult to keep in working order, owing chiefly 
 to the very speedy evaporation of the spirits of turpen- 
 tine, and the chemical action which is always going on 
 among the ingredients with which the colour is mixed 
 up; and it requires acute observation and great quickness 
 of manipulation on the part of the operator to keep it 
 anything like uniform in appearance. 
 
 The same mixture or preparation of gum and flea-seed 
 will do for this as for the Spanish or French. The 
 colours to be used will be red and indigo; no other blue 
 will answer the purpose. Good indigo alone, and well 
 ground — without which you will not be able to produce 
 the proper effect — must be employed, and mixed with 
 gall water and spirits of turpentine, of which last ingre- 
 dient a considerable proportion must be used. You must 
 keep it constantly stirred, especially when your red vein 
 is thrown on and you are ready for the other, taking the 
 brush between both hands and twirling it backwards and 
 forwards through the colour in the jar; and you may do 
 this without fear of frothing it, as the* spirits of turpen- 
 tine will prevent that, and when you sprinkle it on the 
 solution it will immediately fly out, and then as speedily 
 contract or close up again, and appear to be in constant 
 motion as it floats upon the surface, driving up the red, 
 which of course is mixed with gall and water, as all the 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 69 
 
 vein colours should be, into a fine vein, which relieves 
 what would otherwise be a monotonous appearance. As 
 before remarked, it is a very extraordinary pattern to 
 manage. Sometimes it will go well at the very first 
 trial, or at other times you may waste hours and not 
 succeed to your satisfaction, but after letting the colour 
 stand for a day or so it will work well, and give you no 
 further trouble. 
 
 Should the holes in the pattern come too large, it may 
 be from either an excess of the spirits of turpentine or 
 from too little — nothing but experience will enlighten you 
 on this point. If, however, it should be from too much, 
 add a little more gall with a little more indigo, with a few 
 drops of alum- water, but you must be very careful of this, 
 for if you put in too much it will make the colour thick 
 and clotted, in which case you must have recourse to a 
 little weak solution of pearlash ; but it is best, if possible, 
 to do without either of them, as the more ingredients you 
 put in the more difficult you will find it to control their 
 effects ; but when you get it right, it is one of the quickest 
 patterns ever made. 
 
 The Stormont, which name is applied to all colours 
 which have turpentine in them, is also used in combina- 
 tion with French or Shell colours, sometimes being 
 thrown on lastly over the Shell, at other times under 
 the Shell, or the Shell colours last, both having a very 
 good effect. 
 
70 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 Example No. 31. 
 
 Gloster 31. 
 
 This pattern is produced in precisely the same manner 
 as the Antique Spot, with this exception, that instead of 
 the Spot being a flat colour, i.e., a colour mixed with gall 
 and water alone, a blue Stormont is thrown on in place 
 of it, and no white is beaten on at the last. Medium, 
 gum alone. 
 
31 
 
 > 
 
 7 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 71 
 
 Book Edges. 
 
 With regard to the preparations and manipulations of 
 the colours, there is really no difference between book 
 edges and paper; all the colours should, however, be 
 ground with wax, otherwise you would find it difficult to 
 burnish them without scratching, unless you sized them, 
 which is objectionable for this reason, that the books 
 would undergo being twice wetted where once would do, 
 thereby softening the millboards and delaying the drying. 
 
 As there is no need therefore to repeat what has been 
 already described and explained in the former part of 
 this work, I shall limit my observations to what I con- 
 sider only necessary and useful. 
 
 In the first place, it is a much easier task to marble 
 a book edge than a perfect sheet of paper, because when 
 you have covered the entire surface with colour, although 
 there may be some portions faulty and imperfect, some 
 parts may be picked out sufficiently good to permit 
 a book edge to be taken off it, while if the whole were 
 transferred to paper the bad or faulty parts would con- 
 demn the whole. 
 
 When plates, which are generally printed on a very soft 
 paper, are placed at the beginning of a book or inter- 
 spersed through its pages of letterpress, you must be 
 very careful to keep the book compressed as tightly as 
 you possibly can, and when marbled lay the book down 
 the beginning side upwards, as the liquid has a tendency 
 
72 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 to settle round the edge of the book on the board, and if 
 not attended to and shaken or wiped off will be apt to 
 stain the outside leaves, as experience will prove. 
 
 For book edges you may do with a much smaller trough 
 and also smaller quantities of colour than for paper. Should 
 you have but few books, and those of various patterns, you 
 had better use the solution of gum tragacanth alone to work 
 upon, as you will be able to do any pattern upon that 
 medium which you cannot do upon any other; besides, it will 
 keep good longer than anything else. Y our colours also for 
 edges will look all the brighter and work the more readily 
 by the addition of a little alcohol — gin, rum, or whisky 
 will answer the purpose admirably, but they will be apt to 
 evaporate or dry up more quickly. Your trough for 
 general purposes should be about twelve inches in breadth 
 and about twenty-four in length, the depth about two and 
 a-half or three inches, and made according to the plan de- 
 scribed at page 35. Supposing that you have your 
 colours all in readiness on your solution ready for appli- 
 cation, take the book, or books, as many as you can hold 
 with safety, hold them tightly with the backs in your 
 right hand and the fore-edges in your left, knock the 
 ends on a solid block of wood, stone, or any other sub- 
 stance, so as to send the boards up and produce a level 
 surface — otherwise the projection of the boards will pre- 
 vent the colour from reaching the edges of the books — and 
 let them touch the colours, the back part first, allowing 
 the book to descend gently and gradually till it reaches 
 the fore-edge, which you must not permit to descend below 
 the surface at all, while the back of the book will have 
 had a dip of about half or three-quarters of an inch, so as 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 73 
 
 to produce, when gently lifted out, the appearance of a 
 slanting wet mark on the end of the board. If you were 
 to dip it too flat, you would most likely have a white 
 blotch somewhere about it, caused by the imprisoned 
 air. 
 
 In doing the fore-edge the beginner had better place 
 the book between a pair of boards, having first thrown 
 back the boards of the book ; a pair of cutting or back- 
 ing boards will answer the purpose. If you feel any diffi- 
 dence, you had better tie a piece of cord round them to 
 make all safe, but be sure to get the fore-edge as flat as 
 possible, or you will most likely get an air-bladder in 
 the hollow, which will greatly disfigure the appearance of 
 your work. 
 
 If the books are not too tightly drawn in, the boards 
 may be put back over the ledges, so as to allow them to 
 come up flush to the fore-edge; but as some paper swells 
 very much when wetted, it makes the ends so thick that 
 it makes it very difficult to obtain sufficient pressure in 
 this way on the fore-edges to keep the wet from getting 
 into the book. However, I leave this to your own judg- 
 ment, experience alone must decide. When dipped, wipe 
 off the superfluous moisture with a sponge ; put the 
 boards back in their places, and put them to dry, but not 
 at the fire, as that injures the colours. Vellum or 
 stationery work and books uncovered, or in the flat, do 
 not, of course, require all this trouble ; but still they 
 cannot be done properly without boards, as the outside 
 ones would be necessarily exposed to injury. We now 
 come to 
 
74 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 Vellum or Stationery Work. 
 
 The Large Dutch, which makes so showy an appearance 
 on the edges of the ledgers and account books in the 
 shop windows of the stationers, is done in a very dif- 
 ferent manner to any of the processes hitherto de- 
 scribed. 
 
 The colours used for this description of work must be 
 of the best quality, and must be ground with alcohol, 
 and also mixed up with the same, combined with gall, 
 just sufficient to make them float and spread to the re- 
 quired proportions. You will require no brushes, but, in- 
 stead, you must provide yourself with tapering pieces of 
 wood about the thickness of a little finger; but as this is 
 rather a vague idea, I had better say about half an inch 
 in thickness, tapering, but not to a point, and about four 
 inches in length, one for each colour. Small pots will be 
 required for these colours, capable of holding about as 
 much as a small tea-cup. The colours required are red, 
 orange, blue, and green. The red must be the best 
 scarlet, drop lake, or carmine ; the orange, orange lead ; 
 the blue, indigo and ultramarine ; and the green, indigo 
 and Dutch pink. These, as I before stated, should all be 
 ground and mixed up with alcohol, adding as much gall 
 as you find necessary to produce the required effect. 
 The colours will be all the better for being ground a day 
 or two before using, and kept moist. Your gum may also 
 be a little thicker for this Large Dutch than for the other 
 kinds of work. Having tempered your colours, and 
 proved them by trying them on the gum, take up in your 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 75 
 
 left hand the pot of colour, while, with your right, you 
 take the stick, holding it by the thumb and two fore- 
 fingers, somewhat in the way you would take up a pen, 
 but slanting it (not, as the schoolmasters would say, over 
 the shoulder), but quite the other way; and while you 
 keep stirring the colour every time you dip the stick 
 into it, taking up as much as the stick will hold, draw it 
 steadily across the surface in sloping stripes, similar to 
 those you would make on a smaller scale if learning to 
 write, taking care that you do not bury the point of the 
 stick beneath the surface ; but as you pass it over, let it 
 just touch, so as to permit the colour to flow off as you 
 draw it along. And instead of, as in writing, drawing 
 the stroke commencing at the top, here you do the reverse 
 — you commence at the bottom, and pass the stroke away 
 from you. 
 
 The first colour you lay on should be the red. Lay on 
 two strokes of this, almost close together ; then leave a 
 small open space ; then make two more, and so on, till 
 you have gone over as large an extent as will suffice for 
 the book you have to marble. Next take the orange, and 
 put on one stripe of that between each two stripes of red 
 that are close together, filling up the intermediate spaces 
 with alternate stripes of green and blue side by side — - 
 that is to say, there must be a stripe of green and a stripe 
 of blue also between each pair of red stripes. Then 
 draw the large-sized comb through the colours from left 
 to right; or, if you prefer it, form a sort of feather 
 pattern by drawing up and down a piece of wire or 
 pointed stick at intervals of two or three inches. Perhaps 
 the following may explain more clearly the order for 
 
76 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 laying on the colours ; the letters are the initials of the 
 various colours : — 
 
 E0EGBR0RGBE0E6BE0RGBR0R. 
 
 For the Small Dutch the colours are drawn by a taper- 
 ing stick up and down through them to the shape re- 
 quired, and of course a smaller comb is used. 
 
 Another method of doing the Large Dutch is by having 
 a pot of white in addition to the other colours, laying 
 them on as follows : — First, lay on stripes of red at 
 regular distances ; next, lay on orange between every 
 alternate stripe of red ; then lay on, between the stripes 
 of red left, the green ; again, right through the centre of 
 the stripe of green make a stripe of blue ; and lastly, 
 take the pot of white and make a clean sharp stroke 
 through the centre of the blue, draw the comb through, 
 and you will have a very nice clean edge when washed, 
 as all this class of work should be, — the difference be- 
 tween this method and the former being that, instead of 
 laying on the green and blue side by side, the one is 
 taken through the other, and the white through both. 
 When well done, it looks more lively and is easier to 
 accomplish than the other. I have seen a good deal of 
 work of this kind done on a trough only six inches in 
 width. 
 
 Antique (Complex). 
 
 This pattern is of rather a complicated nature, and re- 
 quires a little skill in its manipulation, which is very 
 tedious ; and unless the colours are in first-rate order, 
 and your paper well adapted for the purpose, you will 
 find the colours crack before you complete the process 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 77 
 
 of laying them on the solution. The first three or four 
 colours are sprinkled on as usual, they are then drawn 
 with a piece of pointed stick diagonally up and down 
 across the trough, and then crosswise again at proper dis- 
 tances ; the green or dominant colour is then sprinkled 
 all over, or in pods at t certain distances; then with a 
 smaller brush the lighter colour is knocked on in small 
 quantities at measured distances ; and lastly, white is 
 beaten on over the whole, in the same manner as for 
 ordinary antique. Some have given it the undignified 
 name of Kidney Pattern : it looks very well when pro- 
 perly made, but is little used at present. 
 
 On the Adaptation of this Art for the Manufacture 
 of Paper-Hangings. 
 
 That this process might be adapted for the purposes of 
 house decoration, with regard to its suitability for halls, 
 plinths, and staircases, has been proved by experiments 
 made some years ago, and which met with general ap- 
 probation from all to whose notice the patterns were 
 Submitted in that department of useful ornamentation, 
 one house of business alone being of opinion that they 
 could find a ready market for it; but unless it could be 
 supplied to them by waggon-loads, it would be of no use 
 to introduce it. As it was not possible at that time to do 
 this, from the impossibility of obtaining competent hands, 
 it fell to the ground. Whether it may at some future 
 time be revived, it is not possible to say ; but if it ever 
 should be, there must be a wide field open in that direc- 
 tion for the exercise of talent, and the development of 
 
78 
 
 THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 artistic skill and ingenuity, which would doubtless in 
 time meet with its reward, especially if a few artistic 
 touches were applied by hand, in conjunction with the 
 natural and easy flow of the colours peculiar to this pro- 
 cess, and which no hand work can equal or imitate, but 
 which might be improved in effect by a judicious and 
 skilful combination of both. Of course the patterns, and 
 everything connected therewith, would be on a much 
 larger scale than has hitherto been attempted. 
 
 Marbled Cloth. 
 
 In the year 1851, during the time of the first great 
 Exhibition, after numerous experiments, it was found 
 that this process might be applied to dyed and plain 
 cloth, so extensively used in the binding of books, and 
 on some of the coloured cloths the effects produced 
 surpassed in brilliancy any that had hitherto been exe- 
 cuted upon paper. When first introduced to the notice 
 of a few of the principal bookbinders and publishers of 
 London, it was received with the most cordial approval 
 and orders to a large amount were promised; but these 
 flattering indications of success ultimately contributed to 
 its failure, and although orders to a large amount were 
 taken and executed, those in whose hands the control 
 and management, or rather mismanagement, was vested, 
 thinking that from the great demand for the article they 
 could command any terms they thought proper to exact, 
 proceeded to impose such arbitrary terms that the trade 
 in general turned against it, and a reaction took place 
 which they were not able to hinder or check, and a patent 
 
THE WHOLE ART OF MARBLING. 
 
 79 
 
 having been taken oat, not only for Great Britain but also 
 for other countries, it resulted in a loss. The writer, who 
 first brought it to perfection, being under an engage- 
 ment with the. firm for a term of years, was excluded 
 from any participation in the benefits, and his advice 
 was rejected, though afterwards, when too late, it was 
 regretted it had not been followed. The patent and 
 the firm are now both extinct. 
 
 For the sides of half-bound extra work it certainly is 
 an improvement, both as regards durability and appear- 
 ance ; of course it is a little more expensive, but in the 
 binding of a good book that is an item not worthy of 
 consideration. 
 
 One proof of the success which attended its first intro- 
 duction may be adduced from the fact that another manu- 
 facturer of bookbinders* cloth, finding that he must not 
 infringe the patent, attempted to imitate some of the 
 patterns by printing, but the results produced fall far 
 behind the hand-work, and are very imperfect imitations 
 at best, the only advantage being that pieces may be 
 printed in any length, while those which are bond fide 
 marbled are limited to a yard or two in length at most. 
 

 
 
 , / 
 
 I 
 
 
 n “ 
 
 r* 
 
 
I 
 
 
Uaitt