Brown & Sharpe was the earliest major manufacturer of machinist tools and machinery, and were instrumental in the design and manufacturing of many of the tools we use or collect today.Pre-1900 Brown & Sharpe catalogs are extremely rare. They seldom appear in the collector's market, so anyone who collects or studies 19th century machine tools and machinist's tools will be delighted with the three catalogs that are reprinted in this valuable book. The earliest catalog in the volume, 1868, is the first offered by the newly formed Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Co. (and the first to offer a practical micrometer, a major advance in shop floor measurement). it is also the first to offer products from both Brown & Sharpe and its related company, Darling, Brown & Sharpe, each in its own section. The next catalog, issued in 1887, also contains separate sections for the two companies, but the range of products is much larger, reflecting the company's rapid expansion. The last catalog, issued in 1899 as the company was poised to enter the new century, is dedicated to machinist's tools only. No collector or industrial historian should be without this collection, unless, of course, he is fortunate enough to own the originals. 291 pages. 6" x 9". Profusely illustrated. ................................... $19.95