Turning the Book Wheel

Smoke pictures are very simply made….when well framed, they form neat little presents, and are very successful in bazaars for charitable purposes.

Amateur Work, illustrated v.7 1887.  

For the ambitious 19th c. do-it-yourselfer, another timely project from the editors of Amateur Work.  

All you need is 32 inches of zinc tubing, a couple pounds of galvanized iron wire, and plaster of paris. Voilá, a fire-proof Christmas tree!

Many of our most downloaded books are related to crafts, hobbies, or collecting.  

The last few weeks, there’s been much interest in Directions for making Poncetto lace (1917) by Theresa Rizzi. According to her slim instructional volume, the Italian Poncetto (or Puncetto Valsesiano ) was first made in the 7th century in Valsesia, Italy. 

What do you do with examples of inserts for a praxinoscope? Animate it of course!

From Amateur Work, Illustrated. v. 6, 1881, which is chock-a-block full of amazing DIY projects from the time, including a folding chair, beehives, and a gas-burning reading lamp. Please don’t try the last one…