AUTHOR'S PREFACE.


Early in the present century the method generally adopted for polishing
furniture was by rubbing with beeswax and turpentine or with
linseed-oil. That process, however, was never considered to be very
satisfactory, which fact probably led to experiments being made for the
discovery of an improvement. The first intimation of success in this
direction appeared in the _Mechanic's Magazine_ of November 22, 1823,
and ran as follows: "The Parisians have now introduced an entirely new
mode of polishing, which is called _plaque_, and is to wood precisely
what plating is to metal. The wood by some process is made to resemble
marble, and has all the beauty of that article with much of its
solidity. It is even asserted by persons who have made trial of the new
mode that water may be spilled upon it without staining it." Such was
the announcement of an invention which was destined ultimately to become
a new industry.

The following pages commence with a description of the art of French
Polishing in its earliest infancy, care having been taken by the Author,
to the best of his ability, to note all the new processes and
manipulations, as well as to concisely and perspicuously arrange and
describe the various materials employed, not only for French polishing
but for the improving and preparation of furniture woods, a matter of
great importance to the polisher. The arts of Staining and Imitating,
whereby inferior woods are made to resemble the most costly, are also
fully treated, as well as the processes of Enamelling, both in
oil-varnishes and French polish, together with the method of decorating