A Complete Guide to the Ornamental Leather Work

In an age of machines, here is a book that celebrates the patient art of making things by hand. James Revell's 1887 guide to ornamental leatherwork captures a moment when craft meant something, when a person could take a humble hide and transform it through skill and imagination into something that outlived them. The technique is deceptively elegant: wet leather becomes pliable, capable of being molded, shaped, and pressed into flowers so delicate they seem ready to bloom, yet durable enough to endure for generations. Revell and his students at the School of Design developed innovative construction methods that departed from strict botanical accuracy not for laziness, but for strength - crafting entire corollas from single pieces of leather so no fragile seam could ever fail. The book offers more than instruction; it offers a philosophy of making. You'll find recipes for stains and stiffeners, guidance on selecting quality hides, and step-by-step directions for creating lilies, fuchsias, ornamental brackets, and frames. Whether you approach it as a historical document or a genuine inspiration for modern craft, this guide reminds us that beauty and durability are not opposing forces but partners in the art of making.