Fred H. (Fred Herbert) Colvin

Fred Herbert Colvin was an American machinist, technical journalist, author, and editor whose career was closely tied to the rise of modern manufacturing. Born in Sterling, Massachusetts, in 1867, he became known for explaining engineering and shop practice in a way working readers could immediately use.

Over the years, he worked with important trade publications including Machinery and American Machinist, and he wrote or edited many articles, handbooks, and textbooks on machining, engineering, and factory work. His writing helped document both the tools of industry and the everyday culture of the workshop.

Colvin is also remembered for his autobiography, Sixty Years with Men and Machines, a personal look back at the decades from the 1880s into the mid-20th century. It remains appealing not just as technical history, but as a warm, direct account of invention, labor, and industrial change.