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Glass Letter Cutting

This is the cutting out of glass letters, and includes the selection of the glass, and cutting, bevelling, and polishing. This is the most skilled branch for men and the best paid. The forms of letters are drawn on a sheet of paper; the apprentice has squares of glass which he places over the drawn letters and traces the shapes on to the glass. The form of the letters having been traced on to the surface of the glass, the squares are sent into another department to be gilded by girls; this done, they are returned to be cut into shape by a skilled workman. This part of the work requires great skill and care. The letters when shaped are passed on to men to be smoothed, rouged if necessary, bevelled, and polished. The smoothers, bevellers, and polishers, all sit at tubs containing water, and do their work by dipping the part on which they are working into water and holding it against a revolving wheel.

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this is the cutting out
of the human soul

             bang! cries the boy
                   bang! bang!
    oh the girl has skinned her finger

sheerly for hours
                  diamond-edged voicedrills
       polish the will

innocent crashes
       on wooden floors

the most skilled branch of existence
           and by far
the most poorly paid

(requiring skill and care)

is to cut out a shape
that is vaguely humanoid

              to exit the tub of water
      rouged and smoothed and bevelled

gilded by girls