Pyrography is an art form that has appeared all over the world, all throughout history... though we seem to have practically forgotten about it here in America.
The Victorian American, however, was quite enamored of it. Encapsulating the height of technology, and riding the coat-tails of a crafting craze, pyrography was a highly popular pastime for the era's fashionable ladies and gentlemen.
The Victorians pyrographed everything, from wooden thimbles to wardrobes, from pill boxes to—yes—pillows. They even gave this art it’s modern name; the word “pyrography” is a Victorian invention.
In ancient times pyrography was done by heating a metal utensil, such as a poker, until it was red-hot, then using it to sear the canvas (often wood, though other materials were used.)
The Victorians, however, brought this art into the modern age. In the late 19th century, Melbourne’s Alfred Smart invented the benzoline pen. This pen shot benzoline fumes through a hollow platinum tip: essentially, it “painted” with burning paint. This was a massive improvement over traditional pokerwork!
Advertisements from the time show that one of these kits sold for around $1.50 (about the price of a good corset).
Today we use electric pens rather than chemical ones, but the principle remains the same: sear the material to create the design. Modern pyrography can be used to decorate anything that burns, including wood, fabric, paper, and leather.
Perhaps you would like to embellish your leather gloves? Or make a wooden bracelet? Or decorate a frontpiece for your corset? My favorite materials, of course, are those that can be used in the home. But really, you’re only limited by your creativity… and the flammability of your material.
More information, and some great pictures, can be found at the Antique Pyrography Tools exhibit at the E-Museum of Pyrographic Art:
http://pyromuse.org/oldtools.html
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