A reprint of the 1845 edition, this intriguing text incorporates more than a century of developments in the building trades since the publication of Joseph Moxon’s Mechanick Exercises, the earliest known English-language book on woodworking.

Nicholson, a cabinetmaker and architect, provides richly detailed explanations of the tools, techniques and terms used by tradesmen of the period in carpentry, joinery, bricklaying, masonry, slating, plastering, painting, smithing and turning. Beginning with a review of practical geometry applicable to all the trades, he delves into each field, though with considerable emphasis on carpentry and joinery, providing in-depth instructions for typical operations or “mechanical exercises” of the trade.

The straightforward text is complemented by richly detailed drawings, reproductions of the original prints made from copperplate engravings. A highly instructive and enjoyable read, it provides 21st century woodworkers or anyone interested in traditional building techniques a fascinating view of the trades as they were practiced over 150 years ago.

Hardcover, Smyth sewn, 6" x 9", 334 pages. Reprinted in 2021.