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Small 8vo. Full period leather. xxxvi, 377 pp. Tight, covers Good; scuffing to boards, spine well rubbed, title label gone, chipping at head of spine, corners bumped, endpapers tanned w/ former owner's names & a few tiny punctures, some light to moderate foxing, one leaf a little loose, small name and date on endpaper. A much better than average copy of this scarce early American imprint, which covers cooking, liquor making, dyeing, fishing, many art techniques and other matters First American edition of selections from "Secrets Concernant les Arts et Metiers." The English translation first published in London 1775 as "Valuable Secrets Concerning Arts and Trades." the second American edition was published in 1795 in Norwich, Conn. First American edition. ENCOURAGING THE UNITED STATES TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND INDEPENDENCE FROM EUROPE. The editor of the American edition in the Preface notes that "Whilst the inhabitants of Europe are distracted by the din of arms and their principal employment is to contrive the most expeditious means of destroying one another, let the happy citizens of these infant States turn their attention to the useful and elegant arts of peace; let them avail themselves of the discoveries of those ancient nations in the happier years that are past; until we no longer stand in need of their supplies, or remain exposed to the fluctuations of their fortune." Includes instructions for engraving on copper, brass and steel, secrets relative to metals, making cements, mastichs, sealing wax, varnished, creating imitation gems and French paste, painting, especially for carriage painters, painting of papers, dyeing skins and gloves, painting on glass, art of gilding, dyeing woods, bones, making inks, making liquors, making confections, on fishing, making marbled papers and preparing snuff and winemaking as well as making true phosphorus extracted from urine which is inflammable. Shipton & Mooney 29242; Lowenstein, American Cookery 9; Rink, Technical Americana 154; Ferguson, Books of Secrets, 849-851 (French editions); Supplement 3, p. 58; Maclean, Household and Cookery Books, p. 146; Cagle, American Books on Food and Drink 774; Sabin 98399 (second American edition) A nice copy of this SCARCE work. Not Ex-Lib. Seller Inventory # 100203
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