A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines

Andrew Ure's 19th-century encyclopaedic reference work covering the practical arts, manufacturing processes, and mining techniques of the Industrial Revolution, originally published in the 1830s. Ure, a Scottish chemist and early advocate of factory inspection, compiled descriptions of everything from bleaching and brickmaking to steam engines and the smelting of iron. The Dictionary was a standard reference for engineers, manufacturers, and self-taught mechanics — including the young Thomas Edison, who read it during his years as a telegraph operator.