E-Museum of Pyrographic Art

The Book Store
and Library

Exhibit

Back to E-Museum Entrance

- Café Flambé -

- Portraits and Paintings -

- Decorative and Applied Art -

- Folk and Traditional Art -

- Bookstore and Library Exhibit -

- Tools and Techniques Exhibit -

Welcome!

Books on Pyrography, is an exhibit of those books dedicated to the instruction of pyrography, or those books highlighting pyrography as a technique and introducing pyrographic artists.

Larger Works with Pyrography, is an exhibit showing larger works that contain pyrographic references, or that contain works of art that have employed pyrography, but where it is not the highlighted technique. This exhibit is intended as a resource for those researching pyrography, and as a testimony to the broader uses of pyrography for the purpose of expanding awareness of this art form.

Pyrography Bibliography, is a resource listing antique, old, out-of-print, and also current new books on pyrography intended for those researching pyrography and for the purpose of expanding general knowledge on the history of this art form.

Contemporary Articles on Pyrography

Exactly a year before the E-Museum opened its doors to welcome the world on January 1st 1998, the curator of the E-Museum began writing feature articles on pyrography for the Woodcarvers Online Magazine (WOM) currently published by Matt Kelley on his Carvers Companion website. Over the years, the Pyrograffiti articles, as they came to be called, numbered over fifty. At the link here is the list of all of them. [Once there, a simple name search (Command F) will help you find topics or artists of particular interest to you.]

Note that, from the beginning, there have been mutual links throughout the E-Museum between many of the artists' E-Museum salons and their corresponding WOM articles.

For some years, the Sue Walters Newsletters have been a popular feature with pyrographic artists worldwide. Her articles often provide tutorials, as well. On her web site at the link here, you will find a place to sign up to receive notice each time a new one of Sue's newsletters becomes available. She also offers tools and books there.

Antique Articles on Pyrography

In The Modern Priscilla magazine is a 1908 article entitled Pyrography on Wood and Leather with the subtitle "Treatment of Designs by V.S.F." It offers excellent designs and ideas for projects.

In the Pyrography catalogue of the Erker Bros. Optical Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., is a 1901 illustrated article entitled
A Practical Lesson on the Dignified Art of Burning Wood by
C. Frank Ingerson of Chicago. It offers helpful advice for the 'would be' pyrographic artist and serves as the introduction to the catalogue.

From 1900 is this two-page article by Emma Moffet Tyng that is entitled Etching on Wood or Leather: Its Decorative Uses and Value that was published in Good Housekeeping Magazine.

From 1895–1896 is this series of eleven articles entitled "Burnt Work" by Harriet Keith Fobes that was published in The Delineator Magazine. The series begins with the March 1895 issue. Also available are the following issues: May 1895, June 1895, July 1895, September 1895, October 1895, November 1895, and January 1896.

By Mrs. Maud Maude is an excellent 2-page illustrated article in The Delineator Magazine entitled The Art of Pyrography or Poker-Work—No. 1 published in January 1892 in both London and New York. It does an excellent job introducing the technique and detailing the use of the benzine tool and the platinum tips.

The second in The Delineator Magazine series by Mrs. Maud Maude is a 3-page illustrated article entitled The Art of Pyrography or Poker-Work—No. 2 published in February 1892. It offers conventional border patterns appropriate for pyrography.

The third in The Delineator Magazine series by Mrs. Maud Maude is a 3-page illustrated article entitled The Art of Pyrography or Poker-Work—No. 3 published in March 1892. It familiarizes the student with both the technique for natural drawing as well as decorative adaptations of natural subjects. It also offers patterns and tips to familiarize the more advanced student with the techniques for doing flowers and plants, landscapes, and portraits with both light and dark backgrounds.

In Ingalls' Home and Art magazine are two illustrated article segments entitled "Scorch Work" and "Scorch Work—Now better known as Pyrography" by L. and M. J. Clarkson. It also mentions Maud Maude and offers additional designs.

Bookbinding in Pyrography

Evangeline
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Pyrography and color on leather bookcover
By an unknown artist

From the collection at Pauchunganuc Farm,
the circa 200-year-old,
ancestral home and museum
of Anna North Coit
of N. Stonington, Connecticut, U.S.A.

Sid Huttner's Lucile Project, display of pyroengraved antique book covers in split suede plus an introduction and links to Sid Huttner's quest to locate individual examples of the many published versions of the book Lucile* as a way of encapsulating 19th C. bookbinding techniques.

Note from the Curator to Collectors:
At the following website, dealing with Rare Books, an interesting entry was found concerning a rare book not on the subject of pyrography, but rather bound with a vellum decorated in pyrography. The entry is quoted here:
101. (FINE BINDING). Guerin, M. de. Le Centaure. La Bachante... Boutitie, Paris, 1921. One of 320 numbered examples. 4to, bound in full vellum, front and rear covers with a superb Art Deco design of the figure of a Centaur bearing a chain of flowers, surrounded by a geometric design. The outlines are rendered in pyrogravure; the design is painted in the manner of an enamel, in rich hues of green and blue. The rear board is signed George Baudin.In all, a quintessential piece of Art Deco design. Silk endsheets, marbled fly-leaves, original wrappers bound in. 60 pp., with 16 lithographs by Raphael Drouart. A rare example of this style of binding, in fine condition.

Pyrogravure is a technique for incising the surface of vellum with a heated stylus. Vellum is a difficult material in which to produce a design in blind, but this technique enables the artist or binder to produce a design free-hand with comparative ease. In France such bindings enjoyed a brief vogue. $650.00

You are leaving The Book Store and Library.

Continue your stay at the E-Museum with a visit to:

Pyrographic Art Exhibit Halls:

Portraits and Paintings

Decorative and Applied Art

Sculpture

Traditional and Folk Art

Antique Pyrography

Children's Pyrographic Art

Special Pyrographic Art

Pyrography Tools and Techniques Exhibit

Your comments and questions are welcome and appreciated. Please e-mail the E-Museum Curator.

Back to E-Museum Entrance homepage