MOUNTING AND FRAMING.
[Sidenote: Mounting and framing.]
Having our print, the next question is how shall it be mounted and framed.
There can, of course, be no laws for this, but we feel justified in making
a few remarks on this head.
[Sidenote: Mountants.]
The best mountant we know of is a weak solution of fine French glue. It
acts better than any other mountant we have used, and we have tried
several of the formulæ made with starch, arrowroot, and other compounds.
Fine French glue holds firmly and there is no cockling after mounting.
After mounting the prints are improved by being passed through a press,
but this is by no means necessary. We shall now make a few remarks upon
framing. [Sidenote: Framing.] In the first place it is our opinion that
all cut mounts are inartistic. Mr. Whistler, not long since, made some
remarks on this head, which are well worthy of attention. His objections
to cut mounts were that the different tints of the picture, the gold
border, and the cut mount, weakened the edges of the picture and detracted
from its directness and strength, and this is no doubt true. For this
reason we do not think platinotypes look well mounted on India paper, the
edges are decidedly weakened, and as for mounting silver prints on India
the result is most inharmonious. In our opinion then the print should be
mounted upon white paper, preferably Whatman’s rough drawing-paper, and
for all pictures less than whole plate size, we should recommend a margin
from three to four inches. A suitable moulding for these would be a
bevelled moulding enamelled white. [Sidenote: Moulding.] In all cases
where the mount shows, it must be remembered that the colour should
harmonize with the print. [Sidenote: Mounts.] We saw some prints of
Whistler’s “Sarasate” mounted on plain black cabinet mounts, and they
looked charming. As in that case, the picture came out nearly all black,
the whole made a harmony in black. When the prints are mounted on cards as
in the case of cartes and cabinets, there should be absolutely nothing on
the face of the card. The hideousness of the photographer’s name in
shining golden letters is far too common. Nothing could look better for
these small pictures than plain black mounts, with no word or letter or
coloured line or any other embellishment. If the photographer is such a
tradesman at heart that he must air his medals, let him put all that part
of him on the back of the card. The method of stamping each photograph
with the photographer’s name is not less to be deprecated. For the
industrial photographer some simple but artistic lettering should be
chosen, and it should be printed small in one corner in Indian ink, which
harmonizes with the grey of platinotypes. Any good die-cutter could supply
an artistic stamp, and the charge, even if a little greater than usual,
could not be very great. Or the photographer might cut out his name
artistically in the gelatine film, but we recommend the former plan. The
mounts for cartes and cabinets should have a margin of at least half an
inch all round, as this adds considerably to the effect.
[Sidenote: Platinotypes.]
For platinotypes ranging from whole plate size up to 15 by 12, we prefer
to frame them up closely, showing no mount. The frame we like best for
large black and white work is a pattern we took from a painting by De
Hooghe. These frames are made of mahogany, 2½ inches wide, and bevelled
inwards, and have a rather broad slip of English gilt between the frame
and the picture. [Sidenote: Frames.] The mahogany is stained black and
polished. Pictures of 15 by 12 and upwards, should also be framed close
up, and for the larger sizes we prefer gilt frames and simple mouldings
with but little carving. Cambridge frames are simple, but do not look
distinguished. Each picture should have a separate frame, and we trust
that exhibition committees will one day see their way to enforcing this
rule, which, besides ensuring a better effect, would prevent much bad work
being hung. Sometimes six prints are hung for the sake of one or two,
because they are all in one frame. We could scarcely believe, had we not
seen it, the fact that some exhibitors have chronicled on a part of their
frame the medals taken elsewhere by the picture. Such a proceeding,
besides being vain and ill-bred, is apt to influence credulous judges. One
would think it quite needless to say that this form of advertisement is
not ornamental, nor does it enhance the virtue, qualities, or beauty of
the picture. All artificial methods of mounting and framing are to be
avoided. One of these is mounting on glass. [Sidenote: Albums.] All albums
used for mounting prints should have plain pages, tinted in harmony with
the charcoal grey of the platinotype. All the vulgar decorations of ships,
flowers, &c., which disfigure the photographic albums of to-day should be
rigidly excluded. The bad taste of the manufacturers of these things is
only another proof of the bluntness of the æsthetic feelings of producers
and buyers alike.