|
 Really
Useful - The Origins of Everyday Things
by Joel Levy
Buy
Really Useful: The Origins of Everyday Things from Amazon.com.
Alternatively you can buy it
from Amazon.co.uk
 Although,
strictly speaking, this book has nothing to do with antiques,
in fact anybody who buys or collects them is likely to find it
fascinating.
Usually, antiques buyers find the
history of objects interesting and this book looks at the history
of a large number of things we use in our everyday lives.
Did you know that buttons began
as ornaments thousands of years ago? It was the Greeks and Romans
who first had the bright idea of making loops to put over the
buttons and it wasn't until the Middle Ages that someone thought
of slitting fabric to make the first buttonholes. Even something
that appears as comparatively modern as a safety pin can trace
its history back to Roman times while the idea of putting a lens
on the eye to correct vision was apparently first suggested by
Leonard da Vinci.
These are just a few of the fascinating
facts behind the history of everyday objects. The book is well
illustrated and covers many different familiar things from the
abacus to zippers.
Although this is probably not a
book that you will will want to read from cover to cover, it is
ideal for dipping into.
Quick
Facts
Title: Really Useful - The Origins of Everyday Things
Author: Joel Levy
Publisher: Antique
Collectors Club
ISBN: 1851494340
Binding: Paperback
Publication Date: 30th January
2003
Number of Pages: 240
Price: £14.99 (UK),
$24.95 (USA)
Copyright © 2003 by Carol
Fisher All Rights Reserved
Return
to Home Page
|
