I picked up this wonderful Stair and Handrail book at a local estate of an aerospace engineer. He had the best variety of rare technical books I have seen in a very long time. The full title of this book is long and listed below.
"A Treatise on Stairbuilding and Handrailing Containing numerous examples illustrating the construction of the various classes of wood stairs, both for houses and passenger ships, and of stone stairs; with a complete course of handrailing, showing easy, accurate, and economical methods of getting out and preparing wreathed handrails; also an appendix consisting of a short course of plane and descriptive geometry bearing on the subject. Intended for the use of house and ship joiners, masons, builders, architects and for students in technical school preparing for the examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute and the Science and Art Department in Carpentry and Building Construction" The book was written by William Mowat & Alexander Mowat, and was published by George Bell & Sons, in London, England 1900.
This book is profusely illustrated with hundreds of drawings, charts and diagrams. It has 10 large foldouts (we photographed a few of them). This book has 368 pages including the index and measures 7.25"x10.75".
The book is in Fair to Good Condition. All pages present. No missing or loose pages. Frontis tissue page is present but not attached. Front hinge cracked but binding tight. Top of spine has tear (see photo). Gilt title on spine. Green cloth boards show edge wear and bumping. Light and even tanning throughout. Minor foxing on first few pages. Inside text clean for 122 years old. No missing foldouts or pages.
I am going to list the Titles of the Chapters but not the details because there is just too much info to type but this should give you an idea of the contents:
Part I - STAIRBUILDING
Chapter I - Preliminary Remarks and Definitions - Classifications of Stairs
Chapter II - Observations on the Designing and Planning of Stairs
Chapter III - Construction of Straight Stairs
Chapter IV - Construction of Quarter-Turn Newel Stairs with Winders at the Starting
Chapter V- Half-Turn Newelled Stairs
Chapter VI - Half-Turn Geometrical Stairs
Chapter VII - Half-Turn Geometrical Stairs Continued
Chapter VIII - Stairs for Passenger Ships
Chapter IX - Stairs for Passenger Ships Continued
Chapter X - Stairs for Passenger Ships Continued
Chapter XI - Miscellaneous Illustrations of Stair and Balustrades - Characteristics Examples of Newel Staircases of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
PART II - HANDRAILING, THEORETICAL
Chapter XII - Handrailing Theoretical
Chapter XIII - Handrailing Theoretical Continued
Chapter XIV - Handrailing Practical
Chapter XV - Handrailing Practical Continued
Chapter XVI - Handrailing Practical Continued
Chapter XVII - Handrailing Practical Continued
Chapter XVIII - System of Handrailing by Normal Sections
Chapter XIX - System of Handrailing by Normal Sections
Chapter XX - General Details of Construction
Chapter XXI - Construction of Spiral and Elliptic Stairs
Chapter XXII - Terrace Stair with Stone Balustrade
This is a superb book for the carpenter or woodworker. Even the most skilled will enjoy the illustrations and text.
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