The Invention of Lithography Part 1

The Invention of Lithography.

by Alois Senefelder.

PREFACE

A book like this requires no preface; it makes its own way, supported by its contents. But the famous author deems that his acquaintance with me gave him the direct impulse for producing this work, which has been desired so long and from all sides; and he wishes that I shall say something about the history of its production. I seize the opportunity gladly to prove the esteem and the friendship that the talent of this honorable contemporary and fellow countryman, a talent combined with the utmost ambition and with childlike good nature and unselfishness, have inspired in me.

One may not declare that his contemporaries showed indifference to the invention of lithography to which his fortunate star led Herr Alois Senefelder, and to the improvements that he sought with thousands of experiments and restless labor. On the contrary, the invention has spread itself with surprising speed through Europe and beyond, and has been received with admiration everywhere. But the lack of proper instruction, due to the many who had learned it only partially and introduced it only for the sake of a small, pa.s.sing profit, has hampered its perfect success.

Therefore the inventor, who, happily, still lives among us, has been urged from near and far to tell the story of his important, many-sided discovery, and to give instructions for its use, that is, to produce such a work as is before us now.

But the artistic genius, full of his subject, would far rather work, experiment, strive, than write! Many times Herr Senefelder decided to set down how he happened on this art, how the successive steps of its development were reached, and at what point of development its various processes now stand; but always his ceaselessly striving spirit showed him something new that might be achieved, and forced him back again into his element,--experimentation.

Thus the "Pattern Book," begun in 1809, remained unfinished and without text; and the other work, announced two years ago by Herr Andre, in Offenbach, as being undertaken by him with Herr Alois Senefelder, hardly would have seen the light.

A forceful impetus from without was needed to compel Herr Senefelder to fulfill the general request of the public. It came as follows. Many statements in print attracted my attention. They credited the invention of lithography to Paris, to London; and in Munich there were various contradictory legends, some alleging that Herr Alois Senefelder had made the very first experiments and others crediting them to Herr Schmidt in Miesbach, at that time Professor in Munich. I considered it my duty to clear away this uncertainty and to prepare a critical history of this invention while it still was possible.

The weekly _Anzeiger fur Kunst und Gewerbfleiss_ in the kingdom of Bavaria, which has appeared since 1815, exists for the purpose of producing annals of the art and industrial history of Bavaria.

Therefore, toward the end of 1816 and early in 1817, I inserted some letters about the invention of lithography and called on all friends of native art history to point out any inaccuracies and send proofs to the contrary, that the truth might thus be ascertained about a subject of great literary value for this generation and for posterity. More than all, I urged Herr Alois Senefelder, then absent, "to produce a detailed history of his invention as soon as possible, with a text-book embellished by specimen plates, in which the full use of the art might be truly and clearly explained." I sent this printed letter to Herr Senefelder in Vienna.

The first object of my request has been without much result. Hardly a single voice has been raised to uncover the correct and the incorrect in the various stories with strictly historical accuracy, and thus to bring the truth to light, that lithography may not experience what our Klopstock sings: "Too oft in eternal night is cloaked the inventor's great name!"

I have been more fortunate in my second object. Herr Alois Senefelder recognized my good intention and my pure pleasure in this important art that will give our Bavaria unending fame and spreading celebrity. Since his return to Munich, it has been the subject of many conversations between us, and I have endeavored to enliven the courage and self-confidence of this remarkable man, who often was depressed by the failure of many an enterprise.

My three endeavors--to win the gracious attention of our most high royal family for the latest improvements in chemical printing attained through Herr Senefelder's work; to impel the venerable national inst.i.tution to which I belong to investigate the art scientifically; and the publication of the text-book and the history of the inventor--these have been not without result.

His Majesty, our most gracious King, this all-honored Father of his nation and his people, and long a gracious promoter of lithography, has taken gracious cognizance of the newest, amazing experiments in metallography and papyrography with which Herr Senefelder busied himself last winter, has encouraged him magnanimously to publish the present work, and has permitted that it shall be dedicated to his n.o.ble name.

Her Majesty, our supremely honored Queen, herself a connoisseur in the creative arts, also has honored these experiments with her gracious attention, and thus has enlivened the courage and the energy of the artist.

The most celebrated technicians in the Royal Academy have examined these processes and also the various small presses lately invented by Herr Senefelder in order to make stone-printing, and also metal and paper printing available for private use and business, and have given him the most flattering testimonials. The Polytechnic a.s.sociation of Bavaria also has aided, through its before-mentioned weekly publication, in making Herr Senefelder and his art, and especially his most recent achievements, known in a wider field than might otherwise be possible, and to bring him to the attention of his fellow citizens and interested travelers.

At last, Herr Alois Senefelder has used the hours that he could spare from his continuous experiments and investigations to write down the history of his labors out of his faithful memory; and also to give a full description of all methods invented by him to this time, accompanied by highly instructive specimen pages, partly made by himself and partly by artistic friends, but all printed either with his own hand or under his direct supervision.

Thus with the past winter there developed a new, still more busy life of this rare, useful man; and thus there originated the present work that I do not hesitate to declare as belonging among the most noteworthy productions of the present Leipsic Book Fair.

The book is in two parts: (1) the history of the invention and of the various applications of the new art: (2) the description of the methods for writing, drawing, engraving, transferring, etching, and printing, stated with all the clearness possible, and accompanied with object-lessons in the form of wonderfully successful and instructive specimen plates.

With the great candor inherent in the character of the author he tells faithfully how he came to make his first experiments, what mistakes he made, with what inner and outer difficulties he contended, how one idea led to another, what combinations he tried, what plans, successful and unsuccessful, he made, and under what unrest and embarra.s.sments he lived for many years.

The minute detail of the history and the interpolation of the personal relations of the author and his acquaintances may surprise many readers at first sight; but many of these are intimately connected with the development of stone-printing, and in the cases of others, the author did not have time to re-write what really had been written as only the first draft, because his original intention of re-writing would have prevented the appearance of the book in the present Easter Book Fair.

In the history of an important invention, minuteness hardly can be called a fault. How gladly would we read all the family circ.u.mstances of Johann Gutenberg and Johann Fust, if there were such a history of the beginnings of typography as now is before us about lithography!

Thus there has been fulfilled the desire that Herr Alois Senefelder tell openly and plainly how he came to discover stone-printing. Now that his testimony and claims lie open to all eyes, it is possible to compare it with the other stories that are told, and to bring the necessary accuracy into the investigation by sharply defining those things that properly may be called stone-print. It is time to urge contemporaries once more to declare anything known to them that is in contradiction of this history, so that a critical history of stone-printing may be produced, with a chronicle of what was done in the early years of the art, how and by whom, so that we may learn if several minds had the idea simultaneously, and thus to do justice to all. It is to be desired that a writer equipped for the purpose with total non-partisanship, utter truthfulness, and clearness of perception and judgment may do this not unimportant service to literature very soon!

As to the text-book, forming the second part of this publication, it has been demanded even more than the history.

Stone-printing has spread so much in recent years that a few certain lithographers could no doubt give satisfactory instruction. But there is only one voice among those who are acquainted with the matter thoroughly, and that is, that Herr Alois Senefelder made not only the earliest but the most numerous and various experiments, and therefore is the foremost man to give instruction.

He is of an upright spirit, and I can a.s.sert with full conviction that in this text-book his aim was not only to tell everything fully, but also with the utmost accuracy. Already he has instructed many in the art, trained many others, and thus has learned what are the circ.u.mstances that ordinarily hinder the efforts of a beginner.

Even recently, according to his statement and that of Professor Mitterer, whom I consider the best expert in lithography next to Senefelder, there still have been phenomena that surprised lithographers most unpleasantly in the midst of a piece of work, and ruined results as if by witchcraft,--cases wherein, in two apparently perfectly similar manipulations, there would not succeed to-day that which had succeeded yesterday, nay, even an hour before. The text-book gives all explanations and remedies for such cases that the wide experiences of Senefelder have made known to him. Therefore, if an artist proceeds exactly according to the instructions given here, and yet meets obstacles, he need merely look for the reason in some small, unnoticed detail or in the quality of his materials. He need not become discouraged, for if he has faith in his faithful and candid teacher, he will attain the goal.

Besides the branches and methods already known and practiced with success outside of Munich, as in Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Berlin, London, Paris, etc., this text-book teaches several methods that had not been made public by the inventor till now; and the fundamental principles of those methods already known are stated here solidly. He gives information also of his most recent attempts to use metal plates as well as the stone paper recently invented by him.

Although the procedure in these two latter methods resembles stone-printing largely, it differs so much in some points from real lithography that Herr Senefelder proposes to publish a work about these processes especially, which may then serve as a supplement to this one.

So may this work go forth in the world under good auspices, to increase the fame of its author, secure for him the respect of all friends of art in and outside of Germany, and become an encouragement for him to dedicate his life further to his greatly promising art and its fullest development!

Honor in rich measure has come to him already through his art. A worldly wise man in his place would have become a wealthy one. That he is not; but our magnanimous King has made him secure against want during his remaining life, and my knowledge of his character a.s.sures me that he will utilize this, and any other advantage that may accrue to him in time to come through this work or his art, for perfecting it, and then to train his only son, now five years old, to the art, so that he may practice it in future with honor to his father's name.

FRIEDRICH VON SCHLICHTEGROLL.

MUNICH, EASTER DAY, 1818.

SECTION I

HISTORY OF STONE-PRINTING

PART I

FROM 1796 TO 1800

As my father, Peter Senefelder of Konigshofen in Franken, was court actor in Munich, I had ample opportunity in early youth to see and read many theatrical pieces. Thus I developed such a love for this branch of literature and for the theatre that I would have become an actor myself had I been permitted to obey my inclination. But my father, who was determined not to permit any of his children to choose the stage, compelled me to study law. I could satisfy my longings only occasionally by playing a few times in private theatricals and by venturing on a few dramatic writings in my hours of recreation. In my eighteenth year (1789) the question arose, at a gathering of youngsters, as to how we should entertain ourselves in the approaching Carnival time. We decided to give a little private play.

Many pieces were proposed, but none seemed suitable, because each one wished to play a good and suitable part, and, besides, we could not fill most of the parts, as we lacked women. We were almost giving up hope when Herr Kuerzinger, now court actor, proposed to me to write a play, as I had begun one shortly before that happened to suit each of my friends.

I finished the little piece, _Die Madchen Kenner_, in a short time. It was ready for production, when through accident we were disappointed about securing the private theatre on which we had counted. We were emboldened to request leave to produce it in the Kurfurst's Court Theatre and succeeded, thanks to my father's aid. The over-kind praise which it won encouraged me to have the play printed. Although I was pretty generous with free copies among my friends, I received so much from Lentner, the book-dealer in Munich, that a net profit of fifty gulden remained to me.

I had not worked eight days on the little thing, and had made all this money, without counting the pleasure of the work. No wonder that now I feared no longer for my future! My love for the theatre became overpowering, and as my father died soon afterward (1791), and I found no further a.s.sistance toward completing my studies in Ingolstadt, I resolved to become a dramatic author and actor.

I found no place for me in the Court Theatre. Its leaders were opposed to my family, because my mother with her large family received a larger pension, through the favor of the Kurfurst, than she could have expected in ordinary course. In a few strolling theatres, such as Regensburg, Nurnberg, Erlangen, and Augsburg, where I endured privation and misfortune enough, my enthusiasm was well dampened in the course of two years. I decided, as I could see no other prospects for the moment despite my not inconsiderable attainments, to support myself in future as author.

I had written several dramatic pieces already that had won sufficient applause. Therefore I decided to have some of these printed in order to meet my immediate expenses. I gave one of them to the printing establishment of Herr Hubschmann, in Munich, and when the first folio was finished, I made the proposition to Herr Lentner to take some or all of the copies. He told me that I would have done better to let him have the ma.n.u.script; but since it had been begun, he told me to make sure that it be finished before the beginning of the Leipsic Easter Fair, in which case he promised to obtain for me one hundred gulden net, after deducting all costs. I begged Herr Hubschmann to finish the printing, but, as he a.s.sured me that it was impossible, I took the remaining folios to another printer. Despite this the play was not printed till two weeks after the fair, and I received from Herr Lentner barely enough to pay the printing cost.

My hope of profit was lost. I had, however, seen the entire procedure of printing, because I had spent many a day in the establishments. I found that it would not be hard for me to learn, and could not withstand the desire to own a small printing establishment myself. "Thus," thought I, "I can print my productions myself, and so alternate healthfully between mental and physical activities." I could earn a decent living, too, and thus become an independent man.

This idea controlled me so that I studied all sorts of ways to realize it. If I had possessed the necessary money, I would have bought types, a press and paper, and printing on stone probably would not have been invented so soon. The lack of funds, however, forced me to other expedients. At first I thought of etching letters in steel. These matrices I planned then to impress on pear wood, in which the letters would show in relief, somewhat like the cast type of the book printers, and they could have been printed like a wood-cut. A few experiments showed me the possibility of this, and I could easily have invented a machine with which the moulding could have been done more quickly than a printer could set his type. I reserve the right to use this possibly fruitful idea in future with improvements. At the time, however, I had to give up the whole thing through lack of implements and sufficient skill in engraving.