Hi! This is Rachel Malay, director at the Port Library in Beloit. I hope everyone’s looking forward to the upcoming holiday! The library will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday the 28th and also on Friday the 29th. We’ll reopen at our regular time on Saturday.
The library has several shelves full of books on quilting, cooking, crafting, jewelry making, sewing, and this collection is circulated quite a bit. However, when it comes to craft work traditionally done by men, how-to’s and picture books of examples are sometimes harder to come by. Originally written in 1891 and now republished in paperback, A Manual of Wood Carving by Charles G. Leland was the most popular self-educational crafting book in its day. As is to be expected of books published over 100 years ago, there is more text than illustration. However, a careful reading of the instructions proves that this slim volume is still useful and easy to understand. The pages themselves have not been reset or retyped; merely this is a photo copy of the original work. After a modern introduction and list of other books by the publisher the reproduction of the book begins. After an introduction listing tools and how to use them, the following chapters are divided into 20 lessons of increasing complexity and skill. The last three chapters cover repairs, stains, fillers, and how to make your own tools. An appendix even provides ideas for projects. So, if you have a passing interest in woodcarving, wish to start a new hobby, or are an experienced craftsman wanting new ideas, this is a good book to flip through.
You can get the book reviewed here and more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit, on the North Campus. This is director Rachel Malay, saying “Thanks for checking us out!”
A Manual of Wood Carving by Charles G. Leland
ISBN: 9780983150053, 200 pages. B&W illustrations.
Adult Non-Fiction, handicrafts section
The library has several shelves full of books on quilting, cooking, crafting, jewelry making, sewing, and this collection is circulated quite a bit. However, when it comes to craft work traditionally done by men, how-to’s and picture books of examples are sometimes harder to come by. Originally written in 1891 and now republished in paperback, A Manual of Wood Carving by Charles G. Leland was the most popular self-educational crafting book in its day. As is to be expected of books published over 100 years ago, there is more text than illustration. However, a careful reading of the instructions proves that this slim volume is still useful and easy to understand. The pages themselves have not been reset or retyped; merely this is a photo copy of the original work. After a modern introduction and list of other books by the publisher the reproduction of the book begins. After an introduction listing tools and how to use them, the following chapters are divided into 20 lessons of increasing complexity and skill. The last three chapters cover repairs, stains, fillers, and how to make your own tools. An appendix even provides ideas for projects. So, if you have a passing interest in woodcarving, wish to start a new hobby, or are an experienced craftsman wanting new ideas, this is a good book to flip through.
You can get the book reviewed here and more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit, on the North Campus. This is director Rachel Malay, saying “Thanks for checking us out!”
A Manual of Wood Carving by Charles G. Leland
ISBN: 9780983150053, 200 pages. B&W illustrations.
Adult Non-Fiction, handicrafts section
RSS Feed