{"product_id":"the-path-to-mechanized-shoe-ross-thomson-9780807857557","title":"The Path to Mechanized Shoe Production in the United States","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn 1800, shoes in the United States were made by craftsmen, each trained to create an entire shoe. A century later, shoes were mass-produced in factories employing dozens of machines and specialized workers. Ross Thomson describes this transition from craft to mechanized production in one of the largest American industries of the nineteenth century.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEarly shoe machinery originated through innovations made by shoemakers, tailors, and especially machinists. It continued to evolve through a process of \"learning by selling,\" in which sales of one generation of machines led to technological learning and ongoing invention by those who used, serviced, and sold them. As a result of this process, the mechanization of the shoe industry and the manufacturers of the machinery it used -- including such firms as Singer and United Shoe Machinery -- evolved together.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn researching the process of industrialization, Thomson examined nearly 8,000 patents. Comparing the patent information with directories for more than eighty American cities, he was able to find out who the inventors were, who employed them, how many patents they held, and the extent to which their inventions were used.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginally published in 1989.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ross Thomson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0807857556\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780807857557\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of North Carolina Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/01\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 312\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.00lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.10h x 6.10w x 0.90d","brand":"Ross Thomson","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48065158381823,"sku":"9780807857557","price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_e3e14d42-8154-457c-ae14-dc36a530557f.jpg?v=1768673380","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-path-to-mechanized-shoe-ross-thomson-9780807857557","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}