Presto magazine (sometimes called Presto Musical Times) was published in Chicago from circa 1888 to 1903. The following article was first printed in the October 14, 1897 issue. It is reprinted for your edification; we accept no responsibility for damages real or consequential. MIH
M. Konick, in the British Journal of Photography, suggests the following method of blackening wood, which has the advantage of resisting acids and alkalies:
Paint the wood with A and a short time after with B, and remove with a damp cloth the yellow powder that forms. Repeat this operation every day till the desired color is obtained, and then rub the wood with vaselin or linseed oil. By using potassium bichromate instead of the soda salt, a good black color is obtained at once.