CUT GLASS In the past there has been more mystery surrounding the photographing of cut glass than possibly any other commodity, some people even paying fairly large sums of money to have others teach them how to do it. The difficulty has undoubtedly arisen through the fact that, while a piece of cut glass, in a good light, is a very beautiful object to the eye, when photographed in a natural state, it is very disappointing. This is probably due to the reflect ing of one cut into another and the design on the back showing through, caus ing a confusion of lines.
Cut glass can be divided roughly into three classes : deep cut, shallow cut and etched or engraved glass.
Single pieces of deep or shallow cut can be handled very nicely in what is known as a shadow box with which we are all more or less familiar, and which consists of a square box open at two ends and lined with dark velvet, felt or flannel. The object of the shadow box is to cut down the reflections from one cut to another and also enables one to control the light locally. Many very pretty effects arc gotten by placing the shadow box against a light, or a piece of white cardboard, using reflected light, which produces a back light or what would be known in portraiture as line lighting. This back light, with just enough light in the front to give detail on the camera side, makes a very satisfactory way of photographing one or two pieces without any prep aration whatever. If there should be any trouble of the design from the back coming through, it may be sprayed very lightly with a solution of dextrine and condensed milk, such as mentioned a little later.
However, this method cannot be employed in large set-ups such as are necessary when making photographs for salesmen's samples or for catalogues, where the manufacturer will want all pieces of a certain cut and design on one page in showing his line, and the operator will have to use a dope in working in the open light.
Some operators use nothing but blue analine dye sprayed on with an air brush, with just enough gum arabic solution to make it stick. Another method used quite extensively is to spray on ordinary opaque with an air brush, cover ing the entire outside of a piece. When the opaque is dry, it is held over a
jet of live steam to just slightly moisten the opaque and then powdered graphite or plumbago is dusted on, the surplus shaken off and, when dry, the piece is polished with a soft brush such as a shoe or clothes brush. It sounds like a mussy job, but when you have things working right and handy, it goes very quickly. In fact, it is work usually performed by boys in the larger places who soon become quite dextrous and can turn out an enormous amount of glass in a short time.
Illustration No. 50 is a good example of cut-glass work prepared in this manner.
While this method is often complained of as giving a wooden or iron effect, it brings out the design wonderfully well and, as cut glass is sold practically to dealers only by the use of these photographs and they arc acquainted with the article itself, the design is really the only part in which they are interested. This is quite an old dope, although it is still much used, one of its advantages being that the opaque is soluble in water and therefore easily removed, a big consideration when photographing a large quantity of glass.
Another dope is a water color paint which will photograph white, or nearly- so, on which is dusted just enough graphite to give a slight sheen. This brings out the cut and gets away somewhat from the iron or wooden effect given by the opaque and yet has all its advantages.
Still another method is to spray on a sizing of some kind or other and then apply aluminum bronze. This gives a fairly nice effect, although it is harder to get off after photographing and shows somewhat of a grain which is, to my mind, objectionable.
One important item, no matter what preparation is used, is to clean the cut glass after the photographic work is done. Also it is well, when signing a contract to photograph cut glass, to have a clause inserted whereby you are released from responsibility in case of breakage as, in preparing the glass, there is a big chance of a piece being dropped and if it happens to be a large punch bowl, the profits are gone.