author
Joseph Turney Wood
1865–1924
A practical leather chemist and industrial pioneer, he wrote from deep firsthand experience in the tanning trade. His work captures a moment when traditional craft was being closely examined through science.
1 Audiobook
The Puering, Bating & Drenching of Skins
by Joseph Turney Wood
About the author
Born in 1865, Joseph Turney Wood was an English leather specialist, chemist, and director of Turney Brothers in Nottingham. Contemporary records and his own book present him as deeply involved in the technical side of tanning, and he also served as an examiner in leather tanning, dressing of skins, and leather dyeing for the City and Guilds of London Institute.
He is best known for The Puering, Bating & Drenching of Skins, a detailed study of leather-processing methods drawn from many years of observation and practice. The work stands out because it bridges workshop knowledge and scientific investigation, explaining difficult industrial processes in a careful, methodical way.
Wood died in 1924. Surviving archival references show that he left diaries covering the years 1887 to 1923, which suggest a life spent closely engaged with both the leather industry and everyday life in Nottingham.