1854 Samuel Clift Stonington CT Contractor Mason Builder Leather Diary Brick Tools Providence

Wonderful all original pre-Civil War occupational work diary from identified mason or millwright in Stonington CT.  Measuring about 6" x 4.25"  and about .5" thick.  Leather with strap closure, and looks like the original pencil tucked inside.  There are perhaps 200 to 250 pages in here between calendar and note blanks at the latter part of the diary.  I'd estimate that about 10% has written content like the examples shown. The leather has some wear as shown, original gold date remains. Two loose papers were tucked inside the diary and they come along.  One notes a number of then current books for the engineer, mechanic, machinists, etc.  The other looks like a love poem from a friend.   Really nice very early eastern US occupational diary. Good condition!

A quick inspection of some of the shown entries reveals that the owner (Samuel Clift):

Tools purchased

• axes

• augers

• hammers

• anvil

• spirit levels

• shovels

• stone

Workers hired

• machinist

• pattern makers

• blacksmith

• miller

Construction materials

• fire brick

• chimney work

• terra cotta cornice

from one of the loose scraps:

Mechanical / Engineer Books”

• Engineers and Machinists Manual – by Blake and Co.

• Youngs Mechanic's Calculator – $1.75

• Weale Dictionary of Terms of Art – $3

• Brande’s Encyclopedia

• Haswell Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal

• Scott’s Engineer and Machinists Assistant

• P. M. Glover – Practice on the use of Mathematical Instruments