| One of the best and fascinating accounts I have found of
steel working in the 18th Century England and Wales (1753-1755) is by Reinhold Rucker
Angerstein.
Angerstein seems have been an eighteenth-century industrial spy. He
recorded his findings and detailed observations in illustrated diaries
and notebooks.
A translation of the Diary by Torston Berg
and completed his son, Peter was published by the National Museum of
Science & Industry in 2001 ISBN
1 900747243.
Among the processes he documents are tinwork, japanning, cut-steel
work, and papier mâché.
There is (was) a preview of the book at: Google
Books.
Angerstein (1718-1760) was a member of an old family of Swedish Iron
masters, of German descent.
Financed by the Swedish Association of Iron masters he made a series of
journeys across Europe taking detailed notes of the current industrial
processes.
When he returned to Sweden he was appointed as Director of Steelworks(Direktör
för rikets gröfre svartsmide). See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhold_Angerstein |
