Wisconsin School for the Deaf - Tattler Yearbook (Delavan, WI)

Page 22 text:

BLOCK PRINTING By KARL SPRAGUR BLOCK PRINTING originated in the Orient, having been invented by the Chinese in the latter part of the seventh century. Early in the eighth century it had spread to Japan. The Japanese lost no time in developing this art. They continued to improve block printing until they had become far more skilled in the art than the Chinese originators. Today, most of the finest block printing is produced by the Japanese people. Not until the fourteenth century, did block printing find its way into Europe. It was first used for illustrating Bibles. Bibles were written by hand until Johann Gutenburg invented movable type. This invention, with the use of block prints for illustrations, made it possible to put out books on a larger and cheaper scale. Block prints, carved out of wood, have given way to linoleum blocks. Instead of being carved out. prints are now etched on linoleum. Although results from wood carving give finer lines, linoleum etching is much easier and quicker. Block printing today plays an important part in the world of art. It is done by different methods in various countries. Japan bus the most colorful method. Many people are taking up block printing as a worth while hobby. Block printing, from the drawing of the picture to the printing of the block, takes several steps. White drawing paper is used for the drawing and lettering which is done with a soft lead pencil. The drawing and the lettering is then traced on tissue paper and again on the back of the same piece of tissue paper by holding it against a window or placing it over a white sheet of paper so a pencil can be run over the lines which show through. This gives you the figure in reverse. Holding a mirror close to a printed page and looking at the reflected image in the glass will give you an idea %vhat the reverse figure is like. It is necessary to make the block in reverse because when a print is made from it. the figure is reversed back again to its original and desired form. The reversed copy of the drawing is placed on a linoleum block. It is kept in place by two or three thumb tacks while the impression is being made on the block. With different types of etching knives, the etcher then cuts out the picture. To do this requires a firm hand and greut care as one little sup ui me smie »s enough to spoil the work. All except that part of the linoleum which makes the impression when printed is etched out. Cuts of many lines require more skill than those with just a few lines. Straight lines are hurder to etch than those that are curved. After a proof has been taken, the cut is corrected to remove imperfections. More proofs are also taken, and corrected if necessary, until one feels that the block will give the print wanted. The block should be type-high for the press. If it is not, it can be built up from the bottom with bond paper or thin card-board. With the aid of wood furniture, quoins, a quoin key, and tin iron frame called a chase, the block is locked up and ready for the press. In making ready, weak impression spots are built up on the draw sheet with tissue paper or a heavier stock if the impression is very weak in spots. The guides used for holding the puper in correct alignment are then set. The work is then ready for printing. While printing, the ink should be watched so that it will lie uniform throughout. If one wanted to print the United Stales flag in colors, he would have to make three cuts, one for each color, red. white and blue. The blue field of the flag would first be printed from one block. Then the white stripes and white start on the blue field. I ist. the third block, with red stripes would be printed to complete the picture. The cuts must be so made that the blue field, stars, red and white stripes fit into their proper places. Very simple equipment is required for block printing in the home. An old wash-wringer can he used in the place of a press. Other items are a plate of glass for the inking, a rubber cushion or a rubber roller for inking the block, paper and etching knives. Very beautiful Christmas, tally, and greeting cards can be made by block printing as well as programs, posters, book illustrations, paper and magazine covers, place cards, menu cards, and the marking of detours on maps. Block printing is also used for making book plates. The textile industry uses block printing extensively for its designs. By making a hobby of block printing, a person can find great pleasure in printing his own cards, book plates and other similar articles.

Page 21 text:

these words together, such as hair-pin. paperclip. fountain-pen, hookworm, freshman and many others. So we see that our language is constantly changing and adding new words all the time. Some of the latest words added are jitter-hug. air-liner, television, magic-eye. radio-ear. stratosphere. and zipper. Then there is the present style of using letters for words such as W. P. A.. A. A. A.. T. V. A. If people wish to keep up with these chunges they must live with language and keep awake to the contacts they make with language in newspapers, hooks, conversation, on the radio and in movies every day. THE ART OF WEAVING By DORIS GRAV “Tho IiikIuvo aim of Art in to makr •©me uneful thing beautiful. —Keryon Kox WEAVING, it is believed, is the oldest occupation that man has. Adam, when he left the Garden of Eden, wore a coat of skin hut soon afterwards his descendants wore nn upper garment known to them as a simln”. This was, without duuht. woven coarsely and loosely from the fibers of certain roots and plants. The first piece of weaving was not done sheerly for beauty hut for use. As centuries passed, people began to enjoy beautiful things more and more. They even carried this love into their daily tasks, one of which was weaving. Some one conceived the idea of extracting the juices of certain roots to make dyes with which they could beautify the wool before it was woven Into material. It probably faded at first, but thut, after many experiments, was checked to a certain extent. The Indians in our own country had beautiful. simply woven blankets of many colors. Even today Americans search eagerly for the beautiful Navajo blankets of the Indian. We are all familiar with the wampum of our Indian friends which was so valuable that it was used for money. Wampum, to them, was what silver. gold and paper money are to the white man today. Slowly but surely, weaving progressed until at the present day we find that weaving is no longer a neccessity or duty to be performed by the women of a household, but an occupation to be smoothly, neatly and quickly done by the larger automatic looms of factories. Despite the quickness and neatness of these looms, the work of the smaller lloor or hand looms is preferred by most people because it actually seems to be dearer to one doing the work. The rea- son for this is that the beauty, design, patience and love of the weaver seems to be woven into the pattern. In addition, such a loom gives special happiness to many unfortunates, such a the crippled, sick, convalescent, handicapped. and so forth. Some people make a living solely Irom weaving. Such must have great patience and perseverance, as without these a weaver would accomplish little. One can imagine the satisfaction in a piece of work well done. As Anson G. Chester has expressed it in his poem. “The Tapestry Weavers, Oh the •ight of it drllcatc beauty. How it pay him for all it cost, No rarer, daintier work than his Wm over done by the froi»t What awes me the most is how a blind person weaves in beautiful colors, not making a single noticeable mistake. It requires all of my sight to string-up a loom. Even then I make mistake x:fter mistake. Yet strange as it may seem. I truly believe that they do better work than most people who can see. They probably are more conscientious about their work as they know that those who can see will judge them by their work. The interlacing of threads into cloth isn't the only form of weaving. Man has found that woven reeds make excellent baskets This form of weaving is probably us old as that of clothmaking. possibly older. As the years come and go. white men are trying to get the Indians interested in their forefather's occupation. In due time, they may become outstanding leaders in the weaving world, but that will not prevent other people from being vitally interested in the century old occupation. weaving.

Page 23 text:

CITIZENSHIP DAY IN WISCONSIN By J. KL.MORE HOPKINS A I)AY has been set aside in Wisconsin for the purpose of initiating into the ranks of citizens all persons who became twenty-one years of age during the current year terminating with the third Sunday in May. Citizenship Day, as it is known, was held this year on the twenty-first day of May in the hope of stimulating the interest of new citizens and educating them in their duties, responsibilities and obligations. For several years civic leaders, government officials, and citizens interested in government and citizenship have pondered over the question of what Could be done to lend the average citizen into more active participation in city, state, and national government. Each year some two and a half million young men and women in the United States celebrate their twenty-first birthdays. Many of them commence going to the polls to vote on election day. As often as not. on this first trip to cast their ballot, they have no deep sense of duty, responsibility, or obligation. They are twenty-one years old and. therefore, entitled to vote. True, they studied civics in their grammar and high school days, but that only gave them a general idea of what citizenship meant. Their minds were too immature to comprehend the details so these were not stressed. Furthermore. they cannot fully appreciate their duties, responsibilities, or obligations ns voters until they become of age and assume them. The best time, therefore, to give young Americans a complete picture of the part they play in the administration of public affairs is when they have reached their twenty-first birthdays. Wisconsin voters are very lax. Fifty-three percent of the eligible voters went to the polls in the general election Inst year, and only twenty-nine percent voted in the primaries. This shows the great indifference of the average voter. We should seek by all means to conserve and capitalize the interest and enthusiasm of the young voter. He should he impressed with the fact that his decisions are of importance: that they do affect the future of the state and nation although he may not at the moment be able to perceive the fact. A number of times during the past few years the suggestion has been made that we adopt Citizenship Day as a means of reawakening citizen interest and pnrticiimtion in governmental affairs. Everywhere the suggestion was hailed ns “an excellent idea. but nothing was ever done to carry it out. On October 13. 1038. Professor R. J. Colbert of the University of Wisconsin Extension Division offered the idea at a round-table conference of the municipal administration class at the Manitowoc School for Adult and Vocational Education. It was offered as a possible project for the class. At first no attempt was made to act upon the suggestion of Doctor Colbert. A week later he again brought the matter before the class, hut this time he stressed it more strongly by contending that a greater interest and wider participation of new voters in government would result. After the lapse of another week. Judge Albert Schmidt, attending the class, made a motion that they adopt the suggestion of Doctor Colbert. The class was unanimously in favor of it and asked Mr. A. L. Nimtz. director of the vocational school, to appoint a committee. composed of people from all parts of the county to study the idea and plan a well-rounded program. An executive committee was chosen to take charge of the proiect. Members of the com mittce included a local judge, the directors of the vocational school, other school principals and superintendents, the county superintendent, newspaper representatives, the county agricultural agent, representatives of organized labor, representatives from civic and sendee organizations. representatives from women's clubs and municipal representatives. The inspiration and satisfaction, which result from community action on an important idea, drives the interest and incentive of the young citizen toward a better understanding and more active participation in governmental affairs. Citizenship Day, therefore, must be regarded as essentially an educational movement and conducted as such. A series of six teachers' institutes were held and from three hundred to four hundred men and women attended. From among this large group, seventy-six men and women were selected, one man and one woman for each of