Medical. Surgery. Tourniquets and Amputation Instruments. Wilson Lowry c1803

$180.00

Wonderful engraving of early Surgery Instruments intended to improve life. This is a fine original stipple engraving by Wilson Lowry for Rees' "Encyclopedia", published in London circa 1803 by Longman & Rees of Paternoster Row.

Wilson Lowry (1762-1824) started work as a house painter. He went to London at the age of 18 with an introduction to the print seller John Boydell, who gave him work and also introduced him to the surgeon, William Blizard, who encouraged Lowry to become a surgeon. After four years Lowry undertook medical training, but preferred artistic pursuits. He received training at the Royal Academy and worked for a number of engravers, as well as Boydell. Lowry specialised in engraving plates of architectural and mechanical topics, and he excelled in perspective views of machinery.

Lowry developed a number of special instruments to assist his work as an engraver. He devised a ruling machine around 1790, a device for generating elliptical curves in 1801, and; in 1806 he invented another device to assist with perspective drawing. Lowry was the first engraver to use diamond point to his engraving instruments, and he discovered a corrosive fluid for biting the lines into steel plates.

Approximate page size 27 x 21cm (10.5/8 x 8.1/4 inches)

Out of stock