then with your brush lay on it very equably a good
coat of the prepared varnish; let this dry for an
hour, more or less, according to the dryness of the
atmosphere and the thickness of the coat of varnish.
Meantime cut and trim your designs carefully to fit
the glass, (if it is one entire transparent sheet
you will find it little trouble;) then lay them on
a piece of paper, face downwards, and damp the back
of them with a sponge, applied several times, to equalise
the moisture. After this operation, arrange your
time so that your designs may now be finally left
to dry for fifteen minutes before application to the
glass, the varnish on which has now become tacky or
sticky, and in a proper state to receive them.
Apply the printed side next to the glass without pressure;
endeavour to let your sheet fall perfectly level and
smooth on your glass so that you may avoid leaving
creases, which would be fatal. Take now your palette,
lay it flat on the design, and press out all the air
bubbles, commencing in the centre, and working them
out from the sides; an ivory stick will be found useful
in removing creases; you now leave this to dry, and
after twenty-four hours apply a slight coat of the
liqueur diaphane, leaving it another day, when if
dry, apply a second coat of the same kind, which must
be left several days: finally, apply a coat of
varnish over all. If these directions are carefully
followed, your glass will never be affected by time
or by any variations in the weather: it will
defy hail, rain, frost and dust, and can be washed
the same as any ordinary stained glass, to which, in
some respects, it is even superior. It is impossible
to enumerate the variety of articles to the manufacture
of which diaphanie may be successfully applied as
it is not confined to glass, but can be done on silk,
parchment, paper, linen, &c., after they have been
made transparent, which may be accomplished in the
following manner:— stretch your paper,
or whatever it may be, on a frame or drawing board,
then apply two successive coats (a day between each,)
of diaphanous liquor, and after leaving it to dry
for several days, cover it with a thin layer of very
clear size, and when dry it will be in a fit state
to receive the coat of varnish and the designs.
Silk, linen, or other stuffs, should be more carefully
stretched, and receive a thicker coat of size than
paper or parchment; the latter may be strained on
a drawing or any other smooth board, by damping the
sheet, and after pasting the edges, stretching it down
while damp. Silk, linen, or other stuffs require
to be carefully stretched on a knitting or other suitable
frame. Take great care to allow, whatever you
use, time to dry before applying the liqueur diaphane.
All kinds of screens, lamp-shades, and glasses, lanterns,
&c., &c., may be made in this way, as heat will produce
no effect upon them. The transparent pictures
are successful, because they may be hung on a window
frame or removed at will, and the window blinds are


