Retouching and Finishing for Photographers. Third Edition. By J. Spencer Adamson.

Isaac Pitman & Son, London, 1937. Hardcover, good with small split in hinge at top of spine, with good dust jacket that is frayed at extremities and chipped. 130 pages plus a separately paginated 24 pages of information about technical books.  First published in 1925, this third edition provides updated retouching and finishing techniques. Uncommon, especially with the dust jacket.  Summary:

Retouching and Finishing for Photographers (Third Edition, 1937) by J. Spencer Adamson is a comprehensive technical manual published by Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons that details traditional, pre-digital darkroom, negative, and print manipulation techniques. Written primarily for professional portrait and commercial photographers, the book provides step-by-step instructions on negative retouching—such as using pencils, knives, etching tools, and chemical reducers to smooth skin textures, correct facial contours, and eliminate blemishes—alongside techniques for print "spotting" and hand-finishing. Accompanied by black-and-white plates and diagrams, this third edition updated earlier methodologies to reflect the evolving standards of mid-1930s commercial photography, serving as a landmark guide to the precise craftsmanship required to refine photographic imagery long before the advent of digital editing software.