Susanne Schulz-Falster Catalogue Eighteen - International League ...

history, early writers on the book trade, and gives detailed bibliographical
references. His study is of particular interest, as it does not concentrate on
institutional history, but individual bookseller data instead.
St Bride catalogue 3571; Munsell, Catalogue of books on printing and the kindred
arts, 11; Cicognara 1577.
Productivity Increased with Double-Handed Spinning Wheel
13. BERNIÈRES, M. de. Mémoire sur un rouet a filer des deux
mains a la fois, inventé par M. De Bernieres, Ècuyer, l’un des quatre
Controleurs-Généraux des Ponts & Chaussées de France, & Membre
des Académies Royales des Sciences... Paris, Clousier, 1777. £1,500
4to, [252 x 195 mm] pp. vi, [7]–22, with one large folding engraved
plate; some browning, due to paper quality; contemporary calf-backed
paste-paper boards, spine decoratively gilt, faint gilt lettering, red edges;
manuscript note [by the author ?] to foot of A2 ‘Ce memoire a été
presenté a la Reine par l’auteur le 14. decembre 1777’.
First edition, uncommon, of a detailed technical description of the doublehanded
spinning wheel, invented by de Bernières and presented to Marie
Antoinette in 1777. De Bernières gives a detailed description of his invention,
which is illustrated as a close-up on the left-hand side of the engraved
plate. The wheel, positioned in the middle and propelled with the help of
a foot peddle, drives two spindles with flyer bobbins. The fibres are spent
from a single distaff, drawn with both hands. The large engraving shows
some forty women in a large hall working on the double-handed wheels. De
Bernières envisioned training children in the use of these spinning wheels,
as he thought they were naturally ambidextrous. He also proposed their use
in work houses and hospitals. De Bernières’ invention which doubled productivity
provided a considerable competitive advantage. Double-handed
spinning was taught to girls and women in special spinning schools.
The charming engraving is probably based on a drawing by C. de Saint-
Aubin, now in the Ècole des Beaux Arts, Paris.
OCLC: Metropolitan Museum, Bibliothèque Nationale; see W. Endrei and
R.P. Maines, ‘Two-handed spinning’, in D.M. Hafter, European Women and Preindustrial
craft, 1995, pp. 31–41.
14. BISSET, James. A descriptive guide of Leamington Priors;
containing a brief account of that celebrated and fashionable spa ...
Comprising also various interesting county sketches, including a
particular account of Kenilworth and Warwick castles... Illustrated
with elegant Vignettes, and a Perspective View of the Castle and
Borough of Warwick. Coventry, Merridew, 1814. £450
8vo, engraved frontispiece, pp. [iv], xii [vere x, vii/viii omitted from
pagination], 98, with 11 plates, one folding; uncut in the original
printed boards, rebacked, upper corner worn.
susanne schulz-falster rare books catalogue eighteen