Complete 2 Volume Set
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Alfred G. Geeson's The Practical Painter & Decorator is a comprehensive mid-twentieth-century authority on the craft and business of decorative painting, reflecting both traditional techniques and modern developments in building finishes. Issued here in its Fourth Edition (1950), this substantial two-volume work was designed as a professional manual for painters, decorators, and students of the building trades. It covers materials, surface preparation, brushwork, colour theory, distemper and oil techniques, decorative processes, and the organisation of a painting business, combining practical instruction with technical precision.
Richly illustrated throughout, the set includes diagrams of tools and equipment, detailed technical drawings, and colour plates such as the twelve-colour wheel and complementary schemes, demonstrating the scientific and artistic foundations of decorative work. Geeson approaches the subject with both architectural sensitivity and trade realism, addressing not only aesthetic principles but also durability, economy, and evolving industrial materials in post-war Britain. The clear layout and instructional format make the work both accessible and authoritative.
As a complete two-volume set published by Virtue & Company Limited of London, this edition represents a significant reference in the history of building crafts and decorative arts. It appeals to collectors of trade manuals, students of design and colour theory, architectural historians, and practitioners interested in traditional painting and decorating methods of the mid-century period."
