Herein, for the first time, is revealed the impact and scope of the basic repeating rifle in the Civil War. Well documented, and supported by exciting on-the-spot reports, the author presents convincing evidence that the Spencer seven-shooter was a major factor-possibly the major factor in winding up the war which cost far more American lives than World War II. Christopher Spencer, the inventor and manufacturer, personally demonstrated the arm to President Lincoln on the White House lawn. Lincoln himself did considerable shooting with it, and he was so impressed by the performance of the seven-shooter that he directed procurement by the Ordnance Department. Lee is shown losing at Gettysburg, largely through the multiple-firepower of some 3,500 seven-shooters in the hands of the reorganized Federal cavalry. Seven Spencer-armed regiments are described as blasting a path for Grant out of the Wilderness, and a handful of seven-shooting regiments win Cold Harbor for him in a five-minute charge. Much of Sheridan'

Originally published in 1914, this book aims to give practical advice to anyone wishing to clean, repair and make all kinds of clocks. Alongside the very detailed and precise descriptions, there are many illustrations that deal with everything from chimes and the description of striking works, to hints on clock making. Contents Include Introduction Cleaning a Skeleton Clock Repairing a Skeleton Clock Special Tools and Processes Other Pendulum Timepieces Pendulums Portable Clocks English Striking Clocks French and American Striking Clocks Quarter Striking and Chiming Clocks Turret Clocks Making Clocks Altering Clocks Electric Clocks

VIOLIN VARNISH A Plausible Re-creation of the Varnish Used by the Italian Violin Makers Between the Years 1550 and 1750, A. D. By JOSEPH MICHELMAN Published by JOSEPH MICHELMAN, Cincinnati, Ohio, U. S. A. 1946 Introduction PUBLICATION OF THIS BOOK is approached with a little temerity. After more than eight years of extensive research on the varnish used by the Italian Violin Makers from 1550 to 1750 A. D., it has not been possible to corroborate the results in the chemical laboratory. This is due entirely to the unavailability of samples of the varnish for confirmatory analysis. Violins made by the Italian masters of this period are so valuable and so scarce that a small sample of the varnish has not been procurable for experi mental purposes. Therefore, synthesis must precede analysis .... and with no assistance from the latter. This, then, will explain the sub-title of this book as A Plausible Re-creation of the Varnish Used by the Italian Makers Between the Years 1550 and 1750 A. D. However, the results of this investigation are so logical and so deeply supported by a vast amount of convincing evidence, that publication of the book is in order. First, possibly the find ings will be confirmed, or otherwise, by investigators who may be more fortunate in having access to material from authentic violins made by the old masters. Confirmatory chemical tests will be suggested it should be comparatively simple, especially through modern micro-analytical methods, to determine the presence of certain constituents in the varnish. Secondly, possibly the results will be suggestive to others so that the confirmed rediscovery of the so-called lost art of var nishing violins will eventually ensue.It is unfortunate that this policy of freely exchanging ideas and information has not gen erally existed. Almost every violin-maker has his own private formulas for varnishes, which he treasures highly and guards closely. The secret of the old Italian masters has defied dis covery for nearly one hundred years, and any disclosures that will shed light on the mystery should be made. vi VIOLIN VARNISH Thirdly, the results may be interesting from a chemical stand point the literature investigated does not contain many refer ences to similarly colored vaniishes. The varnishes are perfectly transparent and many are exceedingly permanent, which may be of interest to paint and varnish chemists. Investigators in the realm of colloid chemistry may be interested in the organosols that will be discussed. If the results of this investigation are eventually confirmed, then it must follow that the varnish makers of medieval times produced Synthesized their own resins. The synthetic resin would then become a product of the 16th cen tury and not belong exclusively to more recent years as hereto fore pre-supposed. Lastly, and most important of all, publication of these results should make freely and permanently accessible to violinists, and lovers of the instrument throughout the world, violins that satisfy the criteria that have been established for the instruments cellos and basses included of the old Italian makers. . . . The instru ments of these masters are now two hundred to four hundred years old. Their violins are made entirely of wood held to gether only with glue and cannot be expected to withstand the ravages of time forever. . . . Then too, better instruments should be made more universallyavailable to violinists students as well as amateurs and professional players. Deserving playere are too frequently deprived of the advantages of good quality instru ments and are compelled to use ill-sounding, unresponsive violins with a resulting decrease in interest and advancement. Further improvement in the quality of modern violins is desired, and that improvement should approach the standards established by the old Italian masters. The subject matter of this book will of necessity become tech nical, especially when the theoretical aspects are considered...

This is a themed volume of 28 papers, written in honour of Marion Archibald. It considers the role of coinage in northern Europe from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the early thirteenth century. Although the focus of the volume is the coinage itself, the majority of the papers consider coinage in its historical and/or archaeological context. A recurrent theme of the volume is the movement of coinage across the English Channel and the North Sea and beyond. Particular areas of focus include the importation and use of money in early Anglo-Saxon England; movement, hoarding and secondary treatment of coinage during the Viking Age; and monetary contacts between England and her neighbours under the Normans and Angevins. The papers in this book provide an important range of perspectives in current numismatic research, and will provide a valuable resource for scholars in a variety of disciplines with interests in the economy and society in northern Europe, c. 500-1250.

Cigarette Cards and How To Collect Them By I.O. Evans 200 pages Contents include: Introduction - The beginnings of the cards - Trade cards - Types of card - Production and distribution - The subject matter of the cards - Imperial and foreign issues - Rare cards and curiosities -Making a collection - Storage and classification - The cigarette card trade - The uses of card collecting - A suggested classification of cigarette cards Originally published in 1937. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Obscure Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Contributions by Jani L. Barker, Rudine Sims Bishop, Julia S. Charles-Linen, Paige Gray, Dianne Johnson-Feelings, Jonda C. McNair, Sara C. VanderHaagen, and Michelle Taylor Watts The Brownies' Book occupies a special place in the history of African American children's literature. Informally the children's counterpart to the NAACP's The Crisis magazine, it was one of the first periodicals created primarily for Black youth. Several of the objectives the creators delineated in 1919 when announcing the arrival of the publication-"To make them familiar with the history and achievements of the Negro race" and "To make colored children realize that being 'colored' is a beautiful, normal thing"-still resonate with contemporary creators, readers, and scholars of African American children's literature. The meticulously researched essays in A Centennial Celebration of "The Brownies' Book" get to the heart of The Brownies' Book "project" using critical approaches both varied and illuminating. Contributors to the volume explore the underappreciated role of Jessie Redmon Fauset in creating The Brownies' Book and in the cultural life of Black America; describe the young people who immersed themselves in the pages of the periodical; focus on the role of Black heroes and heroines; address The Brownies' Book in the context of critical literacy theory; and place The Brownies' Book within the context of Black futurity and justice. Bookending the essays are, reprinted in full, the first and last issues of the magazine. A Centennial Celebration of "The Brownies' Book" illuminates the many ways in which the magazine-simultaneously beautiful, complicated, problematic, and inspiring-remains worthy of attention well into this century.

"In the early transition from the long-lived flintlock system, handgun development closely paralleled that of the long arms. With the advent of the revolving pistols, however; came patents that created monopolies in revolver production and the through-bored cylinder necessary for self-contained metallic cartridges. The caplock revolvers took on a separate evolution and remained state of the art long after the widespread appearance of cartridge firing rifles and shotguns. They rode in the holsters of of explorers and adventurers across the world and granted safe conduct in the back-alleys of the Industrial West right up until the last quarter of the 19th Century. Handguns possess a mystique distinctly different from that of other firearms. They are tools of personal empowerment-chosen by their owners to provide independence and freedom of movement. In the ambitious, optimistic early years of western industrial civilization they were the emblem of liberty and equality and the bane of repressive governments and social movements. Largely because of the traditions that emerged in the time of the caplock pistols and revolvers, they remain so in the early years of the 21st Century."

..". [Annie Hwang's] poetry sings for every aching soul....talks about every loving heart....Speaks of the unflinching reality of life....Cries for the dreams that we all are craving for....." -Munia Khan

Text extracted from opening pages of book: The Collector's Hand-Book ON POTTERY af PORCELAIN HV WILLIAM CHAFFERS REVISED AN1* CONSIDERABLY AUGMENTED BY FREDERICK LITCHFIELD The Collector's Hand-Book OK flarfts anli Konoramg on POTTERY ftP PORCELAIN Of the Renaissance and Modern Periods SELECTED FROM HIS LARGER WORK ( EIGHTH EDITION) KNTITI. KO 41 fHarfas anto fHcmagrams on )

Barbie has inspired generations to think and dream big. Let this Barbie oracle deck and guidebook remind you that You Can Do Anything!

Originally published in London 1924. A wonderful collection of prose and verse on the joys of smoking, tobacco, pipes snuff etc, since Raleigh's time. Contents include: History. - Tobacco. - Pipe Songs and Fancies. - Woman and the Weed. - Some Great Pipemen. - Cigars. - Cigarettes. - Snuff. - Virtues of the leaf. - Parodies. - Pipe Varieties. - Tobacco and Books. - Philosophy of Smoke. - Recipes and Hints. - Smoking Accessories. - Bibliography.etc Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

This engaging book details the wide variety of model kits produced by Revell, Inc. of Venice, California, from the 1950s through the 1970s. Over 545 color photographs display many of the much sought after kits, ranging from automobiles and ships to aircraft and spaceships. Also included are a fascinating history of the company and the men and women who drove its success, a detailed recounting of the wide ranging, exquisitely detailed models produced, discussions of the artists who brought the box art to life, a bibliography, and a model kit index providing listings of the models produced, their variations, and their value in the secondary market. Newly updated values are found in both captions and the index. Anyone collecting or building models will be fascinated with this book.