Item #142150 A manuscript compendium relating to the cotton industry of the late nineteenth century, compiled by a Lancashire machine fitter specialising in cotton processing. Cotton Industry, Joseph Arthur PRESCOTT.
A manuscript compendium relating to the cotton industry of the late nineteenth century, compiled by a Lancashire machine fitter specialising in cotton processing
A manuscript compendium relating to the cotton industry of the late nineteenth century, compiled by a Lancashire machine fitter specialising in cotton processing
A manuscript compendium relating to the cotton industry of the late nineteenth century, compiled by a Lancashire machine fitter specialising in cotton processing
A manuscript compendium relating to the cotton industry of the late nineteenth century, compiled by a Lancashire machine fitter specialising in cotton processing
A manuscript compendium relating to the cotton industry of the late nineteenth century, compiled by a Lancashire machine fitter specialising in cotton processing
A manuscript compendium relating to the cotton industry of the late nineteenth century, compiled by a Lancashire machine fitter specialising in cotton processing
A manuscript compendium relating to the cotton industry of the late nineteenth century, compiled by a Lancashire machine fitter specialising in cotton processing
A manuscript compendium relating to the cotton industry of the late nineteenth century, compiled by a Lancashire machine fitter specialising in cotton processing

A manuscript compendium relating to the cotton industry of the late nineteenth century, compiled by a Lancashire machine fitter specialising in cotton processing

[Lancashire, unpublished], 1886.

Small quarto, 245 pages (of a 288-page notebook) with numerous manuscript diagrams (one coloured).

Quarter roan and sand-grain cloth; covers rubbed and a little worn about the spine, with slight loss; traces of childish scribbling (in pencil) to the front endpaper; a few signs of age and handling (with a small hole in one leaf); overall, in excellent condition.

The neatly-written notes and well-executed drawings appear to relate to a technical education course covering cotton processing, with particular emphasis on the types and configurations of machines for ginning, carding, spinning, and weaving cotton. More broadly, subjects include the planting, picking, pests and diseases of the cotton plant, the characteristics of different kinds of cotton, recipes for size, and the assessment of cloth. The latter part of the notebook includes questions from examination papers, and what are perhaps model answers.

The front pastedown is inscribed 'Joseph A. Prescott, June 7th 1886', father of South Australian soil scientist and climatologist James Arthur Prescott CBE. A biographical memoir of the latter includes some scanty but pertinent details about his father: 'Joseph Prescott began adult life as a fitter of textile machinery at the site of installation. This work took him to Italy, Alsace (then part of Germany) and northern France. His special line of expertise was in machinery for fine spinning, the comber and spinning mule. He rose from fitter to maintenance engineer, to foreman, and to manager in charge of development' (see below for source). This notebook must date from near the beginning of his career.

Offered together with a copy of 'James Arthur Prescott, 1890-1987' by C.G. Stephens and J.P. Quirk (an offprint from the 'Biological Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society', Volume 34, 1988), and two later related ephemeral items.

Item #142150

Price (AUD): $750.00

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