10/15/2026
📚🧱⚒️ 102 YEARS OF MASONRY KNOWLEDGE, CRAFTSMANSHIP, AND HISTORY RIGHT IN MY HANDS!
ANOTHER ABSOLUTELY AMAZING ADDITION TO MY HISTORIC MASONRY BOOK COLLECTION!
Tonight, I’m diving into a remarkable piece of masonry history!
PRACTICAL BRICKLAYING — PUBLISHED IN 1924!
Written by Howard L. Briggs and revised and enlarged by architect William Carver, this incredible book was published by McGraw-Hill Book Company more than a century ago!
And let me tell you, the information, illustrations, technical drawings, and craftsmanship documented in these pages are absolutely fascinating!
🏛️ WHAT MAKES THIS BOOK SO SPECIAL?
This wasn’t simply a book about laying bricks.
It was written as a handbook of instruction and a manual for the journeyman bricklayer!
Inside are detailed illustrations and explanations covering:
🧱 Traditional bricklaying techniques and construction methods
⚒️ Historic masonry tools, equipment, and scaffolding systems
🏛️ Architectural brick bonds, corners, and wall construction
📐 Technical drawings, structural details, and construction principles
🧱 Decorative brickwork, curved walls, and historic masonry craftsmanship
👷 Apprenticeship programs and the importance of developing skilled tradesmen
BUT ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PARTS OF THIS ENTIRE BOOK IS THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SHORTAGE OF SKILLED CRAFTSMEN IN 1924!
Think about that for a moment.
102 YEARS AGO, THE MASONRY INDUSTRY WAS DISCUSSING THE SAME WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND APPRENTICESHIP CHALLENGES WE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT TODAY!
The book even includes a letter dated January 4, 1924, from the Bricklayers, Masons and Plasterers International Union of America, supporting the importance of educating apprentices and journeymen.
That is incredible history!
AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I SPEND SO MUCH TIME STUDYING THESE BOOKS!
As a seventh-generation mason and the owner of Curatola Masonry, I believe understanding where our trade came from is just as important as understanding where it’s going.
Modern equipment, engineering, materials, and building codes have certainly evolved.
But the fundamentals of craftsmanship, proper construction, attention to detail, and understanding how masonry systems work remain essential.
When we’re restoring a historic church, rebuilding a century-old chimney, repairing structural brickwork, or preserving an original masonry façade, understanding the construction methods of the past can make all the difference.
YOU CANNOT TRULY PRESERVE HISTORIC MASONRY WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING HOW IT WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT!
And while these historic drawings are invaluable for understanding traditional construction, today’s work must still comply with modern engineering requirements, building codes, and safety standards.
📚 I DON’T BUY THESE BOOKS JUST TO PUT THEM ON A SHELF. I BUY THEM TO READ, STUDY, AND LEARN FROM THEM!
Every book teaches me something.
Every drawing tells a story.
And every generation of craftsmen has knowledge worth preserving.
THE DAY I STOP LEARNING IS THE DAY I STOP GROWING AS A MASON!
More than a century later, the knowledge inside this book still deserves to be studied, respected, and passed down to the next generation.
PRESERVING THE PAST. MASTERING THE CRAFT. BUILDING THE FUTURE!
🧱⚒️ CURATOLA MASONRY
Seven Generations of Masonry Heritage.
#1924
