ETCHINGS BY JACK FROST
"When icicles hang by the wall,
And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,
And Tom bears logs into the hall,
And milk comes frozen home in pail."
--Shakespeare.
In zero weather, in mid-winter, when the earth is frozen to a great
depth below the surface, when in driving over the unpaved country roads
they give forth a hard metallic ring; when the trees are all stripped of
their coverings, with the exception of a few forlorn brown leaves, which
cling tenaciously to the skeleton branches, which crack and sway in the
chilly blasts; then indeed we may be fully assured that nature has
utterly succumbed to the advances of the Frost King, and that "Jack
Frost" himself has arrived in earnest.
How he tweaks and nips exposed ears and noses, and how they tingle and
ache because of his stinging caress. Jack Frost, we read, is "the very
personification of frost and cold." All of us are more or less familiar
with the mischievous pranks of Jack Frost, and they are quite separate
and apart from those of the gentle white hoar frost, which is frequently
seen early in autumn, upon the first still, cool mornings.
"Jack Frost," as the great Frost Spirit is familiarly known the world
over, is a most important, if rather mythical personage, and very few of
us are really familiar with the works which he creates in his more
serious moods, and the really wonderful methods which he displays. For,
with all his mischief-making, he finds abundant opportunity to work out
and display much really fine artistic ability in his choice etchings and
decorative schemes.
[Illustration: 45. One of Jack Frost's masterpieces]
[Illustration: 46. A mass of feathers scattered upon glass]
The night time seems to be most favourable for the finest efforts of
Jack Frost; usually in mid-winter or early spring. He prefers to select
a still, cold night, zero weather, for his best out-of-door display, but
it is usually in the coldest winter weather that he applies his very
choicest designs upon the glass of our windows, and just how charming
and interesting they are, you may judge by the photographed designs
herein shown.
Upon a still moonlit night, when Jack Frost is astir, if you chance to
be out of doors, especially in the open country, you will be made aware
of his presence in many ways besides the tingling of your ears. Suddenly
a sharp mysterious report will occur in the forest, and a great tree
trunk is cleft mysteriously in twain. Again an ominous cracking, as loud
as a rifle report comes from the still ice-covered pond. It is merely
Jack Frost indulging in a bit of rifle-practice.
That barren field, brown and unattractive by daylight, how it glistens
and scintillates as the moonlight floods it. All last summer's withered
seed pods and grasses; the fluffed-out goldenrod, and many others are
rejuvenated and hung with sparkling, pendent ropes of jewels, all the
creation and work of the Frost Spirit, who has simply paused to caress
them with his icy breath, in passing, and lo, they are beautiful. Later,
when the morning sun touches them, they all, like Cinderella, are shorn
of their finery, and become as before, just mere commonplace, brown and
withered seed pods again. But with infinite patience, as soon as it is
twilight the following night, the Frost Spirit steals forth again and
restores once more his magic, fantastic pictures by the rays of the
wintry moonlight.
[Illustration: 47. Sometimes Jack Frost sketches oak leaves]
[Illustration: 48. Detail of frost crystals largely magnified]
The heavy frosts are a recognised and most important factor in creating
remarkable changes in rocky formations of the earth's surface. Large
masses of rock are constantly being split and reconstructed by its
mighty blasting powers, and great sections of solid material are
converted in the same manner into soil by the secret action of the
frost, which works continually with the other elements of heat and water
to effect these changes. These powerful agents working year after year
cause vast and important changes to occur in the formation of mountains
and valleys. So great is the power of frost, that it has frequently been
utilised in blasting; when water being poured into the crevice of a
great rock, and allowed to freeze, the rock was readily split, as
desired.
All vegetation succumbs readily to the withering blight of the frost
with the exception of the evergreen varieties. The cause for this is,
that the juices of plants naturally expand when touched by the frost,
and at last burst, which destroys the vesicles or life of the plant,
which soon blackens and dies. Of all the pranks in which Jack Frost
indulges, his wholesale destruction of the beautiful flowers and plants
is the greatest to be deplored. But with all the marvellous works of the
mighty Frost Spirit, nothing is quite so fascinating and interesting as
the curious phenomena or frost formations which he creates and deposits
upon the window-panes in mid-winter. Jack Frost is a finished artist, I
assure you, and his etchings are dainty and attractive beyond words.
If you have entered an unlighted room, and seen the moonlight filtering
palely through a frost-etched window; then you know its charm. How it
glittered and sparkled, the delicate frostwork. You were attracted no
doubt and marvelled at the dainty tracings, but few of us have really
had an opportunity to study the detail of these frost designs minutely,
or have considered that there were more than three or four designs at
most.
[Illustration: 49. Twigs and leaves]
[Illustration: 50. Branch-like arrangement of twigs and delicate
fern-like leaves]
It is only quite recently, in fact, that the beautiful etchings of Jack
Frost have been classified and photographed in all their perfection.
Happily this has now been accomplished, by the aid of a compound
photographic camera, and it opens up a new and fascinating field to the
camera expert as well as to the student of frost crystals. Marvellous
indeed is the variety and detail displayed in these attractive
window-pane etchings furnished by the Frost Spirit, and if one is housed
some day, in mid-winter, zero weather, one may watch the entire growth
and development of these exquisite frost etchings from start to finish.
To do this, place a lamp or candle before a frost-covered window, in a
cold room, or unheated by furnace, of course not near enough to the
glass to crack it, but just close enough to melt the heavy frost curtain
which may have formed previously upon the glass. After this has been
allowed to dissolve gradually, you will observe a thin water film or
formation which has been left upon the outer edge of the glass, the
centre of which will be clear. Do not disturb this film, for it is in
part from this that the frost crystallisations form and develop.
As soon as you move the lamp away from the glass, the pictures instantly
begin to grow and develop. Delicate, feathery etchings of ice crystals
first appearing around the outer edge of the water film, and according
to the temperature of the room, form rapidly or slowly. Exquisite
tracings, and fern-like leaves shoot out as by magic toward the centre
of the glass, but as soon as they reach a dry place upon the glass, they
instantly cease. If you observe very closely, you will discover that
meanwhile, in the little open spaces, between the bolder fern-like
designs, more delicate feathery forms are gradually appearing,
formations which sometimes resemble fine coral branches. As soon as the
water-film ice crystallisations are completed they are closely followed
by the true frost crystals, which form upon the various dry places upon
the glass, delicate lines and stars and also in a thin, dew-like
deposit, which rapidly freezes, and assumes a granular, snow-like form.
This granular frost develops very rapidly, and soon covers all the
unoccupied, clear, dry places; but one curious fact worthy of
observation: it does not intrude upon, or approach near to the separate
and individual designs or masterpieces, of the frost already formed upon
the glass, but rather draws away from their immediate vicinity. This
strange habit of the granular frost is well shown in the photographed
illustration, where it will be observed that the granular frost acts
merely as a background or sky effect for the real frost pictures, as in
a painting.
[Illustration: 51. Moss-like arrangement of frost]
[Illustration: 52. Twin freaks]
Classified, there are about ten distinct types of the window-pane frost.
Representatives of each and all types never appear at any given time
upon one window; and strangely enough the designs are never precisely
alike on any two panes of glass. Reduplications of any previous design
are extremely rare, and would only occur when a multitude of identical
conditions occur.
This is rather singular, when we consider the different factors which go
to form the window-pane frost. Certain panes of glass vary in thickness
and in surface topography, also in the arrangement of minute, invisible
scratches, and the accumulation of dust particles which collect from day
to day, all of which affect the arrangement and collection of the frost
crystals. It has been observed that double windows and furnace-heated
apartments are not favourable to frost formations; but in rooms which
are allowed to cool off at night, and in rural dwelling houses which are
not heated by steam or furnace the Frost Spirit loves to work, and
decorates their windows with his choicest etchings.
[Illustration: 53. An unusual design]
[Illustration: 54. A powdering of small flowers]
The beautiful frost studies illustrating this chapter were photographed
in northern Vermont, where the winters are long and the cold very
intense; affording the very best opportunities possible for the
development and study of the frost etchings. These studies are, of
course, somewhat magnified, yet you will have no difficulty in
recognising many familiar frost designs.
No. 35 is a linear type, and of rather common occurrence, easily
recognisable.
In No. 36 the photographer scratched his initials crudely upon the
window-pane; instantly Jack Frost began to elaborate the crude work,
with much better effect.
No. 37 is easily suggestive of a strip of very costly hand-made lace.
No. 38 is a very beautiful arrangement showing two distinct types of
window-pane frost. Observe how each type never intrudes upon another.
The white fern-like type is raised from the glass, and was formed in a
very cold room where it slowly developed and grew for days.
No. 39 is another striking arrangement of the two types; observe the
very delicate fleecy patterns of the frost which forms a background for
the fern-like scrolls.
No. 40 shows a perfectly developed fern; while in No. 41 we have a
strikingly beautiful example of a group of ferns; this type is heavily
laid upon the glass, and develops in zero weather.
No. 42 shows very clearly, in detail, the granular formation of the
frost which has drawn away from the true frost crystals forming in
detached places, in order to give them room to complete their elaborate
patterns.
No. 43 shows an extremely graceful feather effect, with beautifully
curved scroll like tips.
No. 44 is a very striking arrangement of window frost, showing
exquisitely arranged branches, resembling evergreens, shooting out into
the clear spaces upon the glass.
[Illustration: 55. A maple leaf etching]
[Illustration: 56. Find the frost spider]
No. 45. One of the most beautiful and striking masterpieces of Jack
Frost.
No. 46. Singularly suggestive of a mass of white feathers thrown loosely
upon the glass.
No. 47. Another masterpiece from the brush of the Frost Spirit, a
perfect oak-leaf design.
No. 48. This is a largely magnified specimen of window-pane frost,
showing examples of frost crystals greatly magnified and in detail.
No. 49. Another arrangement of leaves, showing also branch-like twigs.
No. 50. A very delicate pattern. Note the perfectly formed leaf design
with its delicate background of feathery tendrils.
No. 51. A remarkably fine feathery design.
No. 52. Two very freakish specimens of frost etchings. Suggesting
somewhat the artificial "flies" used by fishermen.
No. 53. Like a delicate bit of seaweed.
No. 54. Like a delicate powdering of small flowers, scattered over the
window-pane.
No. 55. Perfectly formed leaf designs.
No. 56. A design worthy of study. Find the spider.
No. 57. Two types. Suggesting gray moss clinging to rocks.
No. 58. A very rare design. An almost perfect spider's web, formed of
thick, granular frost, with beautiful moss-like ornamentation in lighter
design.
No. 59. One of the choicest and most delicate designs photographed which
might have formed in the ocean instead of upon a window-pane. No. 60:
this beautiful etching was made in northern Vermont, and is very like a
white forest of fir trees.
[Illustration: 57. Two distinct types of window pane frost]
[Illustration: 58. Curious design suggesting spider web, with moss-like
ornamentation]
MYSTERIES AND BEAUTIES OF THE SNOW
[Illustration: 59. One of the choicest designs of window frost. A
perfect specimen of a certain type of delicate seaweed]
[Illustration: 60. A design of frost work from "the land of the pointed
firs"]