So unless I've missed something, this is the first Work article with a feminine byline. I don't quite know what to make of it. It seems that the popularity of using a nom de plume was such that we can only guess at genders for this and that contributor. I'm left wondering if the actual author was a large, bearded bloke, but hearth and home-ness of the article warranted a "Miss" in the alias. Or, if this is indeed the work of the first woman contributor, operating within the confines of famously sexist social hierarchy.
Regardless, the project proposed seems an elegant and straightforward solution to a problem still plaguing people today. I wish I had a suitable corner in my apartment.
Still, if home organization isn't your cup of tea, have a gander at the purfling installment of "The Violin: How To Make It."
Disclaimer: Articles in Work: The Illustrated Weekly Journal for Mechanics describe materials and methods that would not be considered safe or advisable today. We are not responsible for the content of these magazines, and cannot take any responsibility for anyone attempting projects or procedures described therein.
The first issue of Work was published on March 23rd, 1889. The goal of this project is to release digital copies of the individual issues starting on the same date in 2012, effectively republishing the materials 123 years to the day from their original release.
The original printing was on thin, inexpensive paper. There are many cases of uneven inking and bleed-through from the page behind. Our copies of Work come from bound library volumes of these issues and are subject to unfavorable trimming, missing covers, etc. To minimize harm to these fragile volumes, we've undertaken the task of scanning the books ourselves. We do considerable post processing of the scans to make them clear but please bear with us if a margin is clipped too close, or a few words are unreadable. We would like to thank James Vasile and Karl Fogel for their help in supplying us with a book scanner and generally enabling this project to get off the ground.
You are welcome to download, print, and pretty much do what you want with the scan for your own personal purposes. Feel free to post a link or a copy on your blog or website. All we ask is a link back to the original project and this blog. We are not answering requests for commercial downloads or reprinting at this time.
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