Books, Manuals, Publications

[dw]

Marc,

Bravo, indeed! Wow! I know how much work went into that.

The only thing that would make it better is to put it in pdf format and on a CD. Probably all of them together wouldn't quite fill a CD but it would be worth doing. Everything would be printable and searchable and...always available even if the server is down (I couldn't get in last night). I'm sure you're already looking into it but if you need any tips or pointers, etc., I gladly offer them.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[dw]

PS,

Is it possible that a "black thumb" refers to a thumbstall? If your wax is made with dark pitch and rosin, only a brief period of use is necessary to turn even a tan thumbstall black.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[marc]

DW,
Quite honestly, the thumbstall idea's as reasonable idea as anything else at this point. I'm not sure when they show up in the technology otherwise - that might be the only dissuading arguement.

Quite honestly, I don't do much with pdfs, but once we get the typos and scanning artifacts that I've missed cleared up, anyone who wanted to do that should feel perfectly free to do so. While the coding and formatting is copyrighted to me (big whoop there), the intellectual content is public domain (According to the most recent seminar I attended, thanks to the most recent copyright law changes, even unpublished manuscripts before 1900-1923* are free and clear. Published works from before 1923 aren't even an issue). And it's not like it's going anywhere

*this range has to do with the blurriness merging US law into the Berne Convention rules, so the US date will remain 1923 until the rest of the world catches up in 2019 or so.

Anyway, it's not like I'm in this to make money
I've been describing bits of Rees to people lately and just decided the heck with it - I've got some time right now.

Al,
All things may be possible with time...

Marc

[dw]

Mark,

Let me know when you think it's ready and I'll convert it to pdf and put it up on the Guild's website for download. Also tell me how you want it credited--if you're talking about the html coding, that's lost.. In fact, I'd rather just work with raw text...although, presumably you've tried very hard to render the web version as close to the original as possible so that would at least give me a guide on how it has to be laid out.

I have to say that this has inspired me. I may try to convert one or two (or eight) of Golding's volumes--give me something to do on rainy weekends since I can't get any DirectX 9 video cards to work with my system. In lieu of my Call of Duty.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[marc]

The only major changes I've made to the layout is to insert the figures into the text where they are mentioned, and move the footnotes between the paragraphs so that someone reading it will be able to find them.

Actually, if you all don't mind, take a look at, say, "cutting out men's boots", and just tell me if it makes sense to you (layout-wise, writing style wise is not my problem )

Marc

[dw]

Marc,

I like the looks of your layout, especially for the net. However, I'm not familiar with Rees in the original form. I've got a photocopy from the Guild library of about 15 years ago but since I've never seen an original I don't really know how it should be laid out.

I was fooling with Golding this evening. I scanned in a page and OCR'd it. Converting it to rtf introduced some formatting errors--lots of interline space--so when I imported it into Ventura, I had to make some changes in font, font size, kerning, and interline spacing to get it to come close to looking like the original. Fortunately most of that work was not for nothing. Those changes get saved in a style sheet and the next time it will be much easier to lay out the imported text.

Anyway the upshot is that, out of respect for the author, if nothing else, I want to keep Golding as visually close to the original as I can get it...both in formatting and layout. I would suppose that you, or anyone attempting to digitalize to pdf, would want to do the same with Rees...given the constraints of the technology. I mean it's pretty hard to reproduce a 4.5" x 7" book on the net simply because the text will, by default, run the width of the screen. But pdf's completely transcend that problem. That's the beauty of the pdf format.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[tjburr]

Marc, DW,

Looks wonderful. I am very impressed since I know how much it takes to generate a document like that.

I also wanted to let you know that I have a program on my computer that can read in HTML text and export in PDF format. I tried it on the title page and it worked wonderful. So if you would like me to read it in and convert it, it would be very easy.

I also agree that PDF is a wonderful format, since anyone can get a free reader, and it always appears the same as opposed to HTML which can sometimes be less than repeatable across computers.

Also for your information, the program I used is called Open Office, www.openoffice.org. It is a free program that is actually quite a good office suite. It has a word like program, a spreadsheet program, a presentation program etc. It does ok, not perfect though, at reading microsoft equivalent files, and can read and write in many formats including PDF. The program is available for a number of computer platforms including windows, linux and mac (DW, I seem to remember you have a mac), as well as a number of languages (for the international readers).

Terry Burress

[dw]

Terry,

No, I'm a hard core PC user. I've done near everything you can do "under the hood" short of building one from scratch--and I know I could do that if I wanted the hassle.

I'm with you 100%. PDF is great because across all platforms and regardless of the printer or the fonts installed on a system, the document will always look and print exactly as it was designed. That's especially critical with patterns for instance. Even if you and I had identical systems but different printers, I could not be sure a pattern I sent you would print out true to size. But with pdf, it will...right down to 1/100 of an inch.

I have WordPerfect and Acrobat and Ventura Publisher and the CorelDraw Suite--all great programs and even better reasons why I haven't switched to WinXP much less Linux.

I made a pretty good start on Golding Vol. VI the last couple of days. The really hard part is the first eight pages or so. Once I get everything OCR'd and into Ventura properly formatted, all I have to do is sent the doc to the distiller printer driver and voila, I have a pdf.

This is how I put my books on CD.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[marc]

DW,Terry:

If you have the photocopy from the microfilm, that is as clost to the original fomrat as you are likely to get.

Of people decide they want the Rees in the original pagination, that won't be a big issue to translate at this stage. I just figured section by section would be easier to read.

Speaking professionally for a change (that whole Library thing), pdf is an excellent ancillary format, but is not entirely perfect as the primary format - particularly in this case because:

a) Each page is essentially a graphic, and therefore can require a lot of memory and downdoad time to acquire. Surprisingly enough, not everone on the web has the computer power needed to read even all the most basic of pages (this is why I tend to put up really low intensity, low graphics pages - and I still get complaints from people who can't manage it.

b) Yes, in theory everyone should be able to download Adobe Reader for free and install it - however - I work in a University Library, where everyone is online and netted up. I juat asked our maintainance tech how many of the 47 staff in our building have the online skills necessary to actually download and install Adobe reader without explicit, detailed instructions (for each platform, mind you) and she felt that less than half could actually pull it off. WITH explicit in structions, only about 4/5ths could. Now, these are not stupid people, mind you (ok, one is just irretrievably stupid, but the rest aren't) - they just have different skill sets than the nuances of online "stuff". Many folks can't even keep their up and running without extra help (and that is NOT meant in a critical way, it's just the facts. Many people can't perform their own essential car maintainance either).

Since my purpose is to get the information out to everyone possible, I just find it better not to exclude people by using a format that some of them aren't going to be able to manage as the principle means of access.

Just a different point of view - no big.

Marc

[relferink]

I've been running into references to the “American Standard Last Sizing Schedule”. This is used by Medicare in their description for qualifying shoes that can be used for Diabetic foot care. Within Medicare nobody seems to be familiar with this schedule and I have not been able to find any further information. Does anybody on the forum know about the American Standard Last Sizing Schedule and maybe were a copy of this schedule can be obtained?

Rob

[erickgeer]

I was wondering wher I can find a list of books available to HCC members to get copies or excerpts copied.

I am mostly looking for a bibliography, so I can keep an eye out for the old texts on boot and shoemaking.

Thanks,

Erick

[das]

Erick,

Thanks for your interest in these. Currently the HCC reprint program is being reorganized, the library [including tons of earlier periodicals] thoroughly catalogued and relocated--no small task. Once it's resettled, we'll be announcing a "Grand Reopening"

In the mean time Marc Carlson has scanned and posted John F. Rees, 'Art and Mystery of a Cordwainer' [1813] in its entirety on his Medieval shoemaking website, plus a few other earlier shoe-texts free for the downloading.

If all you want to do is start a bibliography for stuff to hunt, I suggest you go to the Library of Congress on-line catalogue, and see if it will let you search the whole shoemaking class by prefix "TS 990". It may give you all the books on that subject, without knowing author, date, or titles. Otherwise there are paper bibliographies floating around, possibly the two biggest are the Northampton Central Museum & Art Gallery's [they're on-line], and the shoe books at the Northampton Central Library.

[dw]

Erick,

There is a small reading list--maybe 10 titles--on my webpage at http://www.bootmaker.com/dwswb.htm . Click on "Reading List" in left frame and it will take you to the list.

I compiled this list from the Northampton Museum Bibliography...although mine is focused specifically on books about modern (relatively) shoemaking techniques. Not much history or allied Trade topics.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[erickgeer]

DW,
Thank you, I keep on reading a last name or a partial title, so it was hard to do searches.

I did find a listing for the Bertoli book(s?) a couple of days ago, out of the UK , chunk of change though. I found it through ABE Books online if someone is looking.

Erick

[dw]

Erick,

Bordoli, you mean? Yeah, it can be spendy. I set out to purchase everything on that list that was readily available--some stuff like Rees and Devlin are only to be found as museum copies. But I got all of Bordoli, all four Gresham, Leno, Plucknet, Swaysland, all eight Golding and several others. This was closing in on fifteen years ago now and I still ended up spending over a grand anyway.

I'm still missing Thornton--had a "watch" out for it with a dealer in England but never have heard of a copy for sale.

When all is said and done, I've never regretted the books I did get nor the money I spent.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[Mick Nesseim]

I am looking for a copy of the book
"Bootmaking and Mending,IncludingRepairing, Lasting, and Finishing" Edited by Paul N. Hasluk. Published by Cassell and company,Ltd,of London,1917.
Mick

[dai]

Mick

The author is Hasluck rather than Hasluk, which may make searches more productive. You can also look for the 1895 edition also published by Cassell.

regards Dai

[marc]

I just ran across this and thought I'd share:

Calendar 2005
Shoes: Four Centuries of Historic Footwear
http://www.sallyqueenassociates.com/2005.htm

Marc

[lancepryor]

I am considering buying the Bordoli series published by Gresham. DW, you mention in this area that Bordoli is superior to Gresham. Could you explain? Was Bordoli originally published somewhere else/by someone else? The Gresham set is 4 volumes, around 1300 pages.

Also, I ran across a listing for this book: A Manual of Boot and Shoe Manufacture.
HILL, H. and YEOMAN, H. Anyone know anything about this book?

Thanks.

Lance Pryor

[jake]

To All,

Thought I would post a manual for the No. 12 Landis Shoe Stitcher (curve needle). A big Thanks goes to Ward & Kennedy and Larry Waller. Larry was able to persuade this company to provide everyone attending one of our HCC annual meetings to a free copy. Thought I would share it with everyone else. Enjoy!
By the way, we need to support a company like Ward & Kennedy. They're good people! Ask for Sue. This manual is in PDF format.

Admin's note: I have deleted the pdf attachment. The manual may be found at the HCC homepage http://www.thehcc.org/library.htm -- see message below for a direct link

[jake]

For those who are brave enough to attempt to disassemble the No. 12 Landis Shoe Stitcher, here is a step by step manual which may be of help. D.W. may whup me for uploading this. It's kinda big, but I wanted it clear to read and print. Be patient on the download!

Admin's note: I have deleted the pdf attachment. The downloadable manual may be found at the HCC homepage -- http://www.thehcc.org/library.htm -- see message below for a direct link

[plugnickle]

Thank you for the copies, Jake.

Steve

[jake]

Hey Steve,

You're Welcome! Once again, it was good to visit with you this last weekend. You'll have to make it a yearly affair now!

P.S. Hope the shop construction is going well. We've been having rain for the past few days. At least your shop is in the dry now. Good luck!

[admin]

Jake,

I think the best place for these would be on the HCC website in the Library section. The main reason being that sooner or later all thes posts get archived...at which point these somewhat large files are just sitting there taking up room.

I am in the process of changing the html code of the library page and will include links to download these files. Then I will post a link, here, over to the HCC homepage and delete these files from the Crispin Colloquy. This may take a little while (or it may happen today), but I hope you won't be offended. It just makes better organizational sense to me and leaves the manuals that you so generously scanned and uploaded available to everyone.

Email me if you have any objections, suggestions, etc..

Yr. Hmb. Svt....

[jake]

Makes good sense! Sounds good to me.
Thanks in advance for all the "behind-the-scenes" work you do for us. It's a "Thank-less" job, and I for one sure do appreciate it.