Starting tomorrow, Tools for Working Wood will start releasing free, downloadable versions of the late 19th- and early-20th century how-to magazine, Work: An Illustrated Magazine of Practice and Theory.

Joel Moskowitz, owner of the Brooklyn-based boutique woodworking tool retailer and founder of Gramercy Tools, said the first issue will be available on the company’s website at 7 a.m. on Friday, with a new issue to follow every week. Friday marks the 123rd anniversary of the first publication of Work, which debuted in 1889 with a cover price of one penny.

The idea is a pet project for Moskowitz, an aficionado of both old tools and old books who said he has been collecting volumes of Work and similar antiquarian woodworking titles for years. Digitizing the issues grew out of his own desire to read the original material without damaging it, he said. 

Work was more of a generalist how-to magazine, which carried in-depth articles on woodworking and furniture design, but also metal-working, sign making, book-binding and other technical topics. Those familiar with Tools for Working Wood’s catalogs will note the similarity in layout, look and feel of Work, particularly the ads. Moskowitz said the company drew on Work and similar period titles for inspiration.  “It took a while because we were distracted by reading the magazines.”

Tim Corbett, a tool designer for the company who spearheaded a lot of the digitizing, will give a written commentary on each issue as it’s released. At the moment, Moskowitz said he has at least four years of issues ready to be released, and plans to keep the weekly release schedule going indefinitely. Although hopeful that the downloads will help market his company, Moskowitz said the bigger goal is to make this difficult-to-find material available.

“I’m really proud of the project. This is one of the most fun things we have ever done,” he said. “Being able to disseminate this information is a great thing. I collect books so this allows me to share that collection.”