Senefelder on Lithography

The invention in the late eighteenth century of lithography, or «writing on stone,» reshaped the course of graphic arts. Some years later, the father of this world-changing technology, Alois Senefelder, published a description of the process. This English translation of the original German work, Vollständiges Lehrbuch der Steindruckerey, vividly describes Senefelder's struggles to develop and popularize the medium and the lithographic techniques employed in the process. The work is divided into two parts: the first presents a history of the invention and its different processes; the second provides practical instructions for its application—the varieties of stone, ink, instruments, paper, and presses used for different tasks, and the pitfalls to be avoided in working with these materials. An essential reference for graphic artists and students, the classic 1819 treatise remains the definitive work on this topic.