[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—In the notice of
Samuel Palmer's "Eclogues of Virgil," which appeared in the Spectator of December 15th, the reviewer asks, "Why it is that where fine-art publishers produce in the same work etchings and fac-similes of drawings made by one or other of the photographic (or photogravure) processes, they should think it necessary to place round the fac-similes a sham plate-mark ?"
The answer is simple. The plate-mark is not a sham. All the illustrations in the book bear a plate-mark, because all, whether etchings or photogravures, are printed from copper- plates. A photogravure is an engraving on copper, produced by a process in which photography plays a certain part. It is printed exactly as other copper-plates are printed. There are other strange mistakes in the review, about which Mr. A. H. Palmer will write to you shortly ; but as we are unwilling to remain for a day longer than necessary under the imputation made by the reviewer, we trust you will kindly insert this letter in your next issue.—We are, Sir, &c., SEELEY AND CO.
Previous page
