Industrial Craft in Australia Oral Histories of Creativity and Survival

“Stein offers distinctive insights into the political and creative economies of manufacturing technologies and the continued—though contested—role of industrial craftworkers within them. Though deeply rooted in the personal histories of Australian patternmakers, the book will be useful for scholars of craft, industrial labor, and manufacturing technologies across a range of global contexts and trades.” (Amanda Lanzillo, Technology and Culture, Vol. 64 (3), July, 2023)

“Jesse Adams Stein’s important book explores the little-known world of engineering patternmaking, situates it within the context of long-term industrial decay, challenges common assumptions about the causes of that decline, and makes suggestions about what might reverse it. … the book’s photographs suggest, many of the patterns shaped by these craftspeople are incredibly beautiful. … This tightly argued, incredibly rich text should be read not just by labour scholars and activists, but also by progressive politicians and citizens.” (John Tully, Labour-Le Travail, Vol. 90, 2022)