Fibre archeology : Anatomy of a purchase

This was a wonderful fibre archeology find (and I include paper as fibre) at  the  Flea Market  'dig' this morning.

For some reason I was much aware of the process so am noting it here.

When I saw the book I first thought the technique would have something to do with a chair and chairs are always of interest.  The book looked familiar and  maybe I had already once owned a copy. But, maybe not.  There was a 50 cent sticker on it  so I picked it up.  A brief glance at the back cover with the "maybe not" in mind  - and  the price – had me buying it.

Now what is interesting here – I did not raise it to my nose and smell it.  I tend to sniff anything and everything I buy secondhand – as discreetly as possible, of course.  If there is the merest whiff of mould or must or moth balls or smoke or  perfume I do not buy it.  Have learned from experience.

But I did not think to smell it.  When I got home I certainly did and it is fine and not put into a plastic bag and tossed in the outdoor garbage.  Experience, again.

Having done the sniff test, I opened it up and saw this.  A Woodward's bill of sale.  From 1977.  Just inside the cover where the clerk would have put it.

I don't think the book has been read.  Wonder where it has been for 34 years?  Makes me think someone bought it for someone he or she thought needed to "relax" and the recipient's response was to 'shelve it'.   

Underneath the bill of sale was the author's bio.

Wonder what "dip TP" means.

Google came up with a number of "Laura Mitchell"s.  This one seems to have had ties with dentistry as well and on one site was referred to in the past tense.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A brief browse has me intrigued and I have started to read from the front of the book.