Colour-Matching on Textiles by David Paterson.

Colour-Matching on Textiles by David Paterson. Hardcover published 1901.

Some of you may have gathered that I sell a fairly broad range of books.  Due to the nature of second hand bookselling (i.e. selling second hand books) and the vast variety of subjects that I stumble upon, I like to offer a fairly broad range.  Yet, despite trying to not have a bias (which of course I do have), there are some subjects that I love to find and sell, just that little bit more than others… and technical books is one such subject, particularly vintage titles such as this one.

I like to think that there are people interested in these subjects (technical stuff)… either as hobbies… or are simply interested in the subject matter for whatever reason… (or actually do want to program that vintage 1990s computer using original software (?).)  ...and would love a book on the subject.

This book published in 1901, is a lovely technical “manual intended for the use of Dyers, Calico Printers, and Textile Colour Chemists.”  I personally don’t know anyone who has any of these skills, or has an interest in any of these skills… but I’m sure they are out there.  What I particularly like about this book is the use of real textiles, obviously dyed, to illustrate some of the text.  These small bits of material have been hidden away in the back of this book for 110 years and have managed to maintain their colour and condition… I really like this.

Some of these pages have the word “Fulton” ink stamped onto them.  More than likely this is the name of a previous owner and rather joyfully he/she has used his/her stamp liberally throughout the book.  An educated guess leads me to believe that this book was used as a reference or work tool within a workplace and the owner, concerned about their ownership of this book, made their mark… and then made it again… and again… and again (this time upside down) etc etc.

And finally I want to mention the “Catalogue of Special Technical Works for Manufacturers, Professional Men, Students, Colleges and Technical Schools by Expert Writers” that is printed on the last pages of the book… that’s the last 37 pages of the book.  This is a real smorgasbord of technical tomes including such popular titles such as:

Drying Oils, Boiled Oil and Solid and Liquid Driers by L.E. Andes.

Pure Air, Ozone and Water by W.B. Cowell.

Bone Products and Manures by Thomas Lambert

Recovery Work after Pit Fires by Robert Lamprecht

The Prevention of Smoke by W.C. Popplewell

Workshop Wrinkles by W.N. Brown

Hops in their Botanical Agricultural and Technical Aspect and as an Article of Commerce by Emmanuel Gross.

There are many more titles than this and I can tell you that I will be keeping an eye open for most of these… “Bone Products and Manures”… ohhhh yesssssss, the joy, the joy.