Looking for a book from the 40s/50s

Did you enjoy making things as a boy in the 1940/50s? You may have owned a copy of the book I am looking for.

I had this book as a 12 year old lad back around 1955. I am not absolutely certain of the title but to the best of my memory it was possibly entitled "Something to make and do for boys." Although it could any or all of those words plus some others, ie things, hobby, practical handy etc. The author and publisher are unknown to me but I believe it was published in UK.

It was given to me by my father and he may have owned it as a boy so it could date back to 1900 and on to the 1940s if he bought it for me second hand.

It was a black or dark blue hardback and it was about 8" high by 6" wide and 1" Thick.

I will only know the right book from the contents page which included make a slot machine (which I made) make a simple Fluoroscope or X-Ray device (sounds dangerous) to see through your hand and Build an Outdoor Model Railway. All illustrations were black and white drawings as I remember.

I have searched the internet high and low but have failed to find it so far. Can anyone help at all with either it's Title, author, publisher or better still a copy of it.

Jim

The Handy Boy's Book by John Barnard pub Ward Lock

james Schutte:

Your post rang a bell with me because I had this book as a child, lost my copy and much later was able to pick one up for 50p. My copy is stated to be an "ENTIRELY NEW EDITION" but it does contain the slot machine and X-ray camera. No publication date that I can see but produced to the prevailing economy standards.

Good luck in your search.

James,

There's one for sale on Ebay right now.

Len. P.

there are a number available from Amazon if it is the same book by John Barnard all used

Thanks to everyone who contributed to my quest for this book. It was one I had not come across before and It looked like it could be the right book but on obtaining a copy I found the slot machine to be for opening a door using a solenoid to shift a bolt whereas the one I built was a box about 12"x6"x4" and was a simple mechanical vending machine with no electrical components. I can't remember what it dispensed or how it worked. The x-ray device in this book was just a sheet of rice paper whereas the one I remember was called a "Fluoroscope" and possibly had a big picture of the early type of handheld screen, it might still have used rice paper though and not the lethal x-ray tube!! that was in "The Boy Electrician". The railway section did not have a "Garden Model Railway Layout" which is what I am looking for. This was a 1951 copy "An entirely new edition". Perhaps I need to look at an earlier version.

So the search continues, if anyone has any further suggestions please let me know. Once again thank you all for your help.

Jim

james Schutte:

Sorry it wasn't the book you wanted.

It could be the "Boy Electrician" published in 1913 it is now in the public domain so you can legitimately download a PDF copy such as this one here **LINK**

I had a brief look at the contents page, it includes making a fluoroscope as well as a model railway, but I didn't notice whether it included a slot machine as well.

Clive

Hobbys magazine of the early 1930s published a circuit and article on how to build a Fluroscope. The X-Ray tube started life as a vacuum type incandesant light bulb, can't remember much about it, I think Dad built it while he was still at school, I don't know if it worked.

Ian S C

When I was A kid no visit to the Myer department store in Melbourne to buy shoes was complete until you had checked the fit by sticking your feet in a fluoroscope. I remember it had 3 viewing ports one for the fitter one for you and one for the parent.

In those days X-rays were regarded as safe for this sort of unnecessary use.

**LINK**

Regards
John

'Braggins' in Bedford also had a foot flouroscope upstairs. Downstairs they still had the pull-spring overhead wire to send the capsule to the cashier. that would have been early 60's. (over the road Sainsbury still patted the butter off a block and sold broken biscuits)

Late 70's an x-ray engineer came to look at our misbehaving 50's machine. the starting point was grabbing the high tension leads to 'feel' for power, then staring through the aperture to view the cathode heaters and putting his arm under the ezposure to asses the xrays by how the ionisation affected the hairs on his arm. Suprisingly despite being white haired he still had a face and no sign of anaemia. I'm not sure if he really was in his 80's as he said...or actually a young man with no future....

Sounds the sort of chap who enjoys tanning himself by Cherenkov radiation...

Neil

James,

I remember a "Boys book of Make and Do" from the 50s. I wonder is that the one you are looking for?

John

They had one of those X-ray machines for feet / shoes in a posh clothes / shoe shop in Harrogate in the mid 60s. By then it was no longer in use but I remember being frustrated at not being allowed to try it. I was very interested to see an image of the bones in my feet. Possibly the staff who knew how to use it had passed on...

I have found this book at last after yet another Google session. It Is entitled "Something to Make" by Eric Wood and is part of " The Modern Boy's Library" published by Cassell 1925. The model railway section may be of interest to some of you, somewhat dated of course. A copy is currently on sale on Amazon. Thanks to everyone for their input, which has been interesting and useful.

Jim

On-topic and off-topic both, and a little anecdotal.

In 1970 when I was 11, and the Milkman delivered to everybody, the (then) Milk Marketing Board produced a book called 'The Project Club Project Manual' which you could buy and then work your way through the 'Project Packs', also available from your Milkman. This book covered fun projects, and learning hobbies and interests from exploring and mapping, to codes and ciphers, model making, brass rubbing, arts and crafts, literature, archaeology, and just about every single thing any pre-pubescent boy would be interested in back then. It was Encyclopaedia, Comic Book, and Instruction manual, all rolled into one

To my delight, my parents bought me one, and I had months (years?) of fun reading it and trying the projects. It was disposed of once Girls and Motorbikes became the over-riding interest.

Fast forward to 2005 and I'm out in New Zealand working for a few months to test it out before emigrating (I changed my mind..), and having a Saturday drive out in the Central North island, and stop off in a 2-horse town in the middle of nowhere, namely Marton, in the Rangitikei district.

I stop for a coffee and a browse in Wally’s second hand bookstore. Wally is a character - a rough and ready version of Grizzly Adams with a greasier beard and a wicked sense of humour. He has a sidekick with some congenital defects who good-naturedly bears the brunt of Wally’s jokes. Chatting about where I’ve come from and where I’m staying in NZ, he jokes that Wanganui has an upside-down river. When I don’t get it he tells me its because the mud is always on the top, a reference to the temporary problems when silt is washed down from the plateau area under heavy rain.

Something distantly familiar on one of the book spines catches my eye, and I am totally astonished and absolutely delighted to find a copy of ‘The Project Club – Project Manual’ on the shelf. I can’t believe that a little town in the middle of nowhere New Zealand has a copy, and for a measly $3 I buy it to re-live a bit of my childhood, and pass it on to my kids to enjoy.

All of which I'm afraid is of absolutely no use to you in tracing the Book you're after, but just illustrates that the most obscure of titles can turn up in the oddest of places sometimes, so don't stop looking.

And Yes, it's still on my Bookshelf to this day. Now I don't suppose anyone is sitting on a copy of 'The Words Heritage, Vol. I', by Donald A. Mcackenzie....

Peter

When you have established the book you need, try the Abe website. I have found it to be superb for finding

second-hand books at reasonable price.