1923 notebook of Hazen C. Traves, a budding auto mechanic from Chicago, IL. Cloth hardcover, 7.5 x 5 inches. In Fair to Good condition--the volume has sustained water damage, bearing a medley of tidemarks and discoloration; cloth worn through in a few places. Written from both covers (plus a few pages in the middle used at a later date). The first 23 pages have illustrated notes on the basics of motors and electrical engineering. At the back are 16 pages on automobiles and diagrams of specific systems by Westinghouse, Bosch, Maxwell, Ford—including a lively one of the Westinghouse Generator & Ignition System. Externally shabby, the contents are redeemed by the incongruously bright and naive crayon lines waving over the unevenly inked text. An honest artifact without any aesthetic pretense.