Carriage and Wagon Makers' Machinery and Tools

Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association, Inc., The, May/Jun 2004

Carriage and Wagon Makers' Machinery and Tools By Kenneth L. Cope. 200 pp., illustrations, softcover, 2004. $25.95 nonEAIA members / $23.35 members.

The latest in Cope's series of books on the materials of the industrial revolution and their makers, this book provides primary source material on the numerous firms that produced machines for carriage, wagon, and wheelmaking. Much of the material is taken from early catalogs and manuals and thoroughly illustrated. The matter is arranged alphabetically by manufacturer, for which Cope has provided brief corporate histories. It is no surprise that a great many machines were contrived to do the intricate work of the wheelwright, perhaps the most demanding specialized trade involved with the production of wagons and carriages.