Edgar George Thomssen

Edgar George Thomssen was an American technical author born in 1886. He is best known for writing Soap-Making Manual (1922), a detailed guide to the raw materials, processes, analysis, and control methods used in modern soap plants.

His later books show the same practical focus. Modern Soap Making (1937), written with Clarence Ralph Kemp, expanded on large-scale soap production, and Soaps and Detergents (1949), with John W. McCutcheon, reflects the industry’s shift toward newer cleansing products. He also co-authored Modern Cosmetics (1947) with Francis Chilson, extending his interest from soap into beauty and personal-care manufacturing.

Very little biographical detail is easy to confirm from standard reference sources, but his surviving books make his strengths clear: he wrote for readers who wanted useful, concrete instruction rather than theory for its own sake. For modern listeners, his work offers a window into the applied chemistry and industrial craft behind everyday products.