The Builder's Jewel, or The Youth's Instructor and Workman's Remembrancer. Explaining Short and Easy Rules, made familiar to the meanest capacity, for drawing and working.
London: Printed for R. Ware, 1741. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #49067
Square 16mo. Pp. 24, with frontispiece and 99 engraved plates, totaling 100 plates. The frontispiece is slightly trimmed at the bottom. Contemporary smooth calf? Newly rebacked with a red leather spine label titled in gilt, gilt-stamped compartments, and date stamped at the spine foot. Contains a few pencil diagrams on the rear endpaper and a period ink name on the front endpaper. The text is clean throughout, with only one ink smudge on one plate, and all plates are present and in excellent condition. This exceedingly scarce first edition is an influential 18th-century practical manual aimed at apprentices and young workers in the building trades. It provides clear and straightforward guidance on essential skills including carpentry, masonry, and general construction techniques. Designed both as an instructional text and a handy reference ("remembrancer"), it played a vital role in the education and professional development of tradesmen during a period when formal training was often limited. Intended as a pocket manual of basic architectural information for workmen and students, the volume details proper classical proportions and designs of columns, pedestals, moldings, and more. The work reflects early efforts to systematize and transmit craft knowledge and remains a valuable resource for historians of architecture, labor, and early industrial education. Significantly, The Builder's Jewel influenced American architecture in the colonial period, serving as a key reference for craftsmen and builders. Its principles contributed to the design and construction of prominent early American structures, underscoring its role in shaping the architectural landscape of the time. Rink, Technical Americana 2491.
Price (CAD): $3,500.00