Item #901371 Valuable Secrets in Arts, Trades, &c., Selected from the Best Authors, and Adapted to the Situation of the United States. Evert Duyckinck.
Valuable Secrets in Arts, Trades, &c., Selected from the Best Authors, and Adapted to the Situation of the United States
Valuable Secrets in Arts, Trades, &c., Selected from the Best Authors, and Adapted to the Situation of the United States
Valuable Secrets in Arts, Trades, &c., Selected from the Best Authors, and Adapted to the Situation of the United States

Valuable Secrets in Arts, Trades, &c., Selected from the Best Authors, and Adapted to the Situation of the United States

New York: Evert Duyckinck, 1816.
Hardcover.

A handy early 19th century compendium on how to do just about anything – from engraving to removing stains, treating canine madness (rabies) to making wine. Culled from the editor’s preface: The present work is a faithful compilation of various secrets in the refined arts and trades; discoveries no way unworthy the attention of Americans. Many of the following secrets and receipts are derived from the works of the first artists in France, Italy, Germany, and Great-Britain; and the labours of several eminent artists here have given great assistance towards rendering them easily to be understood by the most common capacity, and more extensively useful to the infant manufactories of the United States. That the work might not be altogether uninteresting to that great portion of the people of the United States which constitute the agricultural part, many and valuable essays on agriculture, rural and domestic economy are added, chiefly selected from American works of known and acknowledged estimation and value. In the confidence that the American public will always be ready to give proper encouragement and support to every work intended to promote the true interest and lasting good of the Untied Station this work is, without further preface, submitted to his fellow-citizens, by THE EDITOR.

Chapters:

  • Chapter I - Of the Art of Engraving
  • Chapter II - Of Metals
  • Chapter III - Of the Composition of Varnishes, &c.
  • Chapter IV - Of Mastichs, Cements, Sealing Wax, &c.
  • Chapter V - Of Glass Manufactory, and the of making compositions to Imitate Precious Stones, Commonly Called French Paste
  • Chapter VI - Concerning Colours and Painting
    • Concerning Colours and Painting
    • To Paint on Paper
    • Composition for Limners
    • To make transparent colours
    • Composition of colours to dye skins or gloves
    • To color or varnish Copperplate Prints
    • For painting on glass
    • Preparations of colours of all sorts for oil, water, and crayons
  • Chapter VII - Relative to the Art of Gilding
  • Chapter VIII - The Art of Dying Woods, Bones, &c.
  • Chapter IX – no chapter IX either in the index, or pagination.
  • Chapter X – Secrets Relative to the Making of Curious and Useful Sorts of Ink
  • Chapter XI – Secrets Relative to Wine
  • Chapter XII – Concerning the Composition of Vinegars
  • Chapter XIII – Secrets Relative to Liquors and Essential Oils
  • Chapter XIV – Secrets Relative to the Confectionary Business
  • Chapter XV – Secrets Relative to the Art of Preparing Snuff
  • Chapter XVI – Secrets of Taking Out Spots and Stains
  • Chapter XVII – Essays on Various Arts and Trades
  • Chapter XVIII – Essays on Agriculture, and Rural Economy
  • Chapter XIX – Essays in Domestic Economy
  • Chapter XX – Medical Receipts – including advice on the most easy and certain method of preserving men and animals who have been bitten by mad creatures, from being seized with the disorder usually called canine madness, or hydrophobia.
  • Chapter XXI – Secrets Entertaining and Useful – with sections on making soap, making a fire that cannot be extinguished by water, killing maggots in sheep, and distilling and brewing.
Item #901371

4 x 6-5/8”, full calf, red title label spine, 317pp+18pp index, last page (p.317) erroneously marked p.139.

Complete and intact, tight, with edge-wear to leather and predictable foxing & toning to 200-year-old leaves, stamped owner’s name first paste-down, a few ink marks preliminary leaves, chip to fore-edge of p.95/96 not affecting text, chip and tear fore-edge last free endpaper, a generally good+ copy of this fascinating look at human endeavor and versatility.

Price: $250.00