The Normal Union System of Industrial Drawing, Primary Course Number 5

Printed wraps, oblong 8vo bound at the upper edge. 12 unnumbered pages with 8 compartments on each page with most examples given on the upper half and space for the student's work on the bottom. Presumed first edition. This copy has been completed by grammar school student Eva Butz, location unknown. In Very Good to Near Fine condition with a few spots of foxing, overall nice and crisp. Montgomery's series is one of many that entered the competitive (and lucrative) market for standardized drawing instruction, which became a growing priority in common schools as the demand for skilled draftsmen ballooned during the Second Industrial Revolution. Montgomery prefaces his series: "For centuries Writing and Drawing were regarded as mere accomplishments for the few. The practical necessity of Writing has long been acknowledged, but the immense value of Drawing in all kinds of Mechanical, Manufacturing, and Art Industries, has only begun to be generally realized, and Drawing itself, as the true basis of technical education to be systematically taught in all grades and kinds of schools."