JF Ptak Science Books
Panorama of Industry; or the Merchants’ and Shippers’ Guide; containing an account of only one of the principal houses, manufactories, or warehouses, in nearly every branch of industry in London. To which are subjoined, Useful Information and references for strangers.
Published under the direction of Messrs. Brunswick and Dollingen, first year, at the offices of the Panorama of Industry…Cavendish Square, London. Brewster & West, printers, London: 1845. Original wrappers. 8.5×5″, iv, 135pp, with an occasional trade illustration here and there. Delightfully presented and written. Provenance: from the Boston Athenaeum, to the Library of Congress, with scant markings on the rear of the title page, and with the LC surplus/duplicate stamp on the interior of the front cover. There is a 2″ tear at the top joint, and the flat spine’s printed title is only about 50% visible. Still, a nice copy (solid GOOD). $150
This panorama of industry contains a splendid account of some integral businesses and industries in the London vicinity at mid-19th century which are now and now nearly all entirely changed, with many of them being non-existent.Reading pamphlet like this, and city directories and such, looking at the listing of businesses, gives you an excellent feel for the essence of the business life of a city–businesses that are there because they are filling a need/demand. And so we see a big ads for
- “artist’s colourman”–selling artists’ supplies
- blacking manufacturers,
- razor manufacturers
- cosmorama–essentially a large and sprawling perspective view that could be hundreds of feet long, utilizing “lenses” and creative lighting to give greater depth to the images)
- coach builders
- drilled needle manufacturers
- dock builders
- dyer and scourer
- essence of coffee
- floor cloth manufacturers
- “French fancy goods”
- “gold beater”
- perforating machinery
- preserved potato provisions
- Sealing wax
- stream engine boilers
- straw hats
- stay and corset makers
- tea tray (papier mache) dealers
- umbrella maker
- water gilder
- whalebone cutters
- whalefin merchants
- whip manufacturers