recurred to by him as an absorbent material similar to paper, and a
trial by making an impression from his above-mentioned paper matrix on
the stone, and subsequent gumming, convinced him that he was correct in
his surmise. By this act lithography became an established fact.

A few short years of intelligent experimenting revealed to him all the
possibilities of this new discovery. Inventions of processes followed
each other closely until in 1818 he disclosed to the world in a volume
of immortal interest not only a complete history of his invention and
his processes, but also a reliable description of the same for others to
follow. Nothing really new except photo-lithography has been added to
this charming art since that time; improvement only by manual skill and
by chemical progress, can be claimed by others.

Chromo-lithography (printing in colors from stone) was experimented on
by the great inventor. He outlined its possibilities by saying, that he
verily believed that printed pictures like paintings would sometimes be
made thereby, and whoever has seen the productions of our Boston firm,
L. Prang & Co., will bear him out in the verity of his prediction.

When Prang touched this art in 1856 it was in its infancy in this
country. Stray specimens of more or less merit had been produced,
especially by Martin Thurwanger (pen work) and Fabronius (crayon work),
but much was left to be perfected. A little bunch of roses to embellish
a ladies' magazine just starting in Boston, was the first work with
which the firm occupied its single press. Crude enough it was, but
diligence and energy soon developed therefrom the works which have
astonished not only this country but even Europe, and the firm, which
took thereby the lead in their speciality of art reproduction in color,
has succeeded in keeping it ever since from year to year without one