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I've got an old gardening book called 'the ABC of vegetable gardening' first printed in 1937 and in that you're not properly dressed unless you're wearing plus 4s
Bren's post above in another thread had me scrambling through an old book I have - The Manual of Practical Gardening by H H Thomas to see if there were any similar illustrations showing the mode of dress. My book according to Amazon seems to have been printed in 1934 and there is a note on the fly leaf that seems to support that so mine predates Bren's by 3 years.
I have Beeton's Dictionary of Everyday Gardening published about 1897. Lots of line drawings but can't see any with a gardener in.
Also have the Smallholder Encyclopedia by Walter Brett - undated - but same clothing as in the compost heap film
Bren's post above in another thread had me scrambling through an old book I have - The Manual of Practical Gardening by H H Thomas to see if there were any similar illustrations showing the mode of dress. My book according to Amazon seems to have been printed in 1934 and there is a note on the fly leaf that seems to support that so mine predates Bren's by 3 years.
Any older books out there?
I've got 'the Garden expert and amateur' but the first couple of pages are missing so I can only date it by what's written in the margins seems to be 1941 onwards.
Bren, I have a few old ones mostly salvaged when helping with house clearances. The books aren't in the best of conditiom but they are readable and show that the gardening problems we have were experienced by our antecedents as well
Great place to find older books of 'any' description will be your local charity shops and can be picked up for pennies (well perhaps a couple of squid!)
I've had many a good find in the two local ones. Most are out of print today.
Also keep an eye out - oooh that sounds painful! - at your local library. From time to time mine have a shelf of books which they are selling off - normally for just a pound. I guess that they are slow borrowers - or they are making way for newer publications. No guarantee that gardening books will be amongst those on offer - but if you love books - then is a good source to feed your desire to read.
I've always preferred the touchy-feely book - but I do think there would be a great opportunity - if the original texts/photos/diags could be found to convert to e-books now that the technology has arrived. Next best thing to owning a rare original.
I've always preferred the touchy-feely book - but I do think there would be a great opportunity - if the original texts/photos/diags could be found to convert to e-books now that the technology has arrived. Next best thing to owning a rare original.
There a company called ArchiveCD Books who have been buying rare old books and scanning them to CD that can be bought. Once scanned the originals are given to a reference library. Its mostly genealogy and history books but there are others. I think Google books have some too
can't beat your 1897 publication VC but I do have " Pictorial Practical Flower Gardening" from 1905 by Walter P Wright Horticultural Superintendant under the Kent County Council and Edward J Castle. Publisher Cassell and Company limited. Original price one shilling or in cloth one shilling sixpence. So 5p or 7.5p in todays money. Probably quite expensive at the time. The type face is tiny and the illustrations of which there are 100 are in black and white although the one on the cover is in colour.
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