author
T. J. McConnaughay
A late-19th-century craft writer, this author left behind a practical guide that joins barbering and taxidermy in one unusual volume. The book feels grounded in real shop experience, with advice meant to help working readers build useful skills.
1 Audiobook
Barbers' Manual (Part 1); Text Book on Taxidermy (Part 2)
by T. J. McConnaughay
About the author
T. J. McConnaughay is known for Barbers' Manual (Part 1); Text Book on Taxidermy (Part 2), published in Chicago in 1898. The book stands out for its unusual pairing of trades, offering instruction for barbers alongside a hands-on guide to preserving animal specimens.
In the preface, McConnaughay presents the work as the result of long practice rather than theory alone. He writes that he had run his own barber shop for thirty-one years and had combined taxidermy with his shop work for twenty-three years, describing the book as a practical, money-saving and money-making handbook for readers who wanted useful skills.
Very little biographical information about McConnaughay appears to be readily available in major reference sources beyond his books. What does come through clearly is his practical voice: he wrote for apprentices, working tradespeople, and anyone interested in learning by doing.