Dig Deeper: Fireworks and Pyrotechnics

Resource Guide

This resource guide accompanies our new Flash! Bang! Boom! A History of Fireworks exhibition and highlights featured books as well as works that further explore the history, science, and spectacle of fireworks, pyrotechnics, and explosives technology. From the craftsmanship of fireworks makers, to the technologies behind firework design, testing, and display, these works offer a deeper look into the centuries of knowledge that have sent light and color into the sky.

View our catalog’s full featured list of materials related to fireworks and pyrotechnics or click the buttons below to explore selected works. You can also request a library appointment to view materials or reach out to a librarian if you have a question about our holdings.

Monographs

The following monographs were sources used for Flash! Bang! Boom! A History of Fireworks:

• A History of Fireworks (1949)
  Brock, Alan St. Hill

• The Chemistry of Fireworks (2000)
  Russell, Michael S.

• Dictionary of Pyrotechnics: A Complete Manual Covering the Authors Work and Experiments from 1890 to 1930 (1930)
  Weingart, George Washington

• Fireworks: Pyrotechnic Arts and Sciences in European History (2010)
  Werrett, Simon

That’s not all! See below for more monographs on fireworks and pyrotechnics, or explore the full featured list in our catalog.

• The Chemistry of Explosives (2004)
  Akhavan, Jacqueline

• Pyrotechnicsin Industry (1981)
  Barbour, Richard T.

• Advanced Homemade Fireworks (1986)
  Barrymore, Blaze C.

• Manual of Explosives, Military Pyrotechnics, and Chemical Warfare Agents; Composition, Properties, Uses (1943)
  Bebie, Jules

• De la pirotechnia : 1540 (1977)
  Biringuccio, Vannoccio

• The Pirotechnia of Vannoccio Biringuccio (1959)
  Biringuccio, Vannoccio

• Pyrotechnics : The History and Art of Firework Making (1922)
  Brock, Alan St. Hill
  • View in our digital collections

• Chemistry of Pyrotechnics : Basic Principles and Theory (1985)
  Conkling, John A.

• Miscellaneous Technical Information on the Development of Pyrotechnics (1946)
  Coxon, W. F., Mosses, A. N., Bosley, G.A.H, and Bolan, G. T.

• A Davis Chrestomathy : Selected Writings of the Late Dr. Tenney Lombard Davis, Ph. D (1994)
  Davis, Tenney Lombard

• Sugars in Fireworks and Explosives (1948)
  Davis, Tenney Lombard

• The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives (1941)
  Davis, Tenney Lombard

• The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives (1943)
  Davis, Tenney Lombard

• A Practical Treatise on the Fabrication of Matches, Gun Cotton, Colored Fires and Fulminating Powders (1864)
  Dussauce, Hippolyte

• Modern Pyrotechnics : Fundamentals of Applied Physical Pyrochemistry (1961)
  Herbert, Ellern

• Spreng- und zündstoffe (1921)
  Kast, Hermann

• Gunpowder : Alchemy, Bombards, and Pyrotechnics : The History of the Explosive That Changed the World (2004)
  Kelly, Jack

• Bonfires and Illuminations : Remembrances of Fireworks and the Fourth from American Fireworks News (1994)
  Klofkorn, Warren Keith

• The Day We Celebrated : Fourth of July Jollifications & Other Celebrations of Yesteryear (1992)
  Klofkorn, Warren Keith

• Catalogue des livres rares et précieux composant la bibliothèque de M. Ruggieri (1998)
  Labitte, Adolphe

• The Firecracker Cookbook (2002)
  Lough, Edwin

• Pyrotechnics : From the Viewpoint of Solid State Chemistry (1980)
  McLain, Joseph Howard

• A Bibliography of Firework Books : Works on Recreative Fireworks from the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Century (1985)
  Philip, Chris

• Explosives, Matches and Fireworks (1938)
  Reilly, Joseph

• Chemical Warfare, Pyrotechnics and the Fireworks Industry (1968)
  Watkins, T. F., Cackett, J. C., Hall, R. G.

• Dictionary & Manual of Fireworks : Including Weingart with a Difference — The Carlisle Papers (1996)
  Weingart, George Washington

• Pyrotechnics, Civil and Military (1996)
  Weingart, George Washington

• Pyrotechny : A Practical Manual for Manufacturers of Fireworks, Signals, Flares and Pyrotechnic Displays (1939)
  Weingart, George Washington

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Rare Books

Our rare books collection traces how explosives have been used throughout history, from warfare to spectacle and entertainment. The following rare books were used in Flash! Bang! Boom! A History of Fireworks:

• La pirotechnia, o sia, Trattato dei fuochi d’artificio (1749)
  Alberti, Giuseppe Antonio

• La pyrotechnie de Hanzelet : Lorrain ou sont représentés les plus rares et plus apprevuez secrets des machines et des feux artificiels (1630)
  Appier-Hanzelet, Jean
  • View in our digital collections

• The Mysteries of Nature and Art (1635)
  Bate, John
  • View in our digital collections

• Pirotechnia : li diece libri della pirotechnia, nelliquali si tratta non solo la diuersita delle minere, ma ancho quanto si ricer ca alla prattica di esse e di quanto s’appartiene all’ arte della fusione ouer getto de me talli, e d’ogni altra cofa a questa fomigliante (1550)
  Biringucci, Vannoccio

• Gründliche Anweisung zur Lust-Feuerwerkerey (1771)
  Blümel, Johann Daniel

• Vollenkommene Unterweisung/ wie Raketen/ Feuer- Wasser- Sturm-Kugeln/ Granaten/ Pech-Sturm-Kräntze/ und allerhand Lust nnd Ernsthaffte Feuer-wercke zubereiten (1660)
  Brawe, Hermann
  • View in our digital collections

• Buchsenmeisterey, das ist, Kurtze doch eigentliche Erklerung deren Ding, so einem Buchsenmeister furnemlich zu wissen von noten (1591)
  Brechtel, Franz Joachim

• Istituzioni di pirotecnia : per istruzione di coloro che vogliono apprendere a lavorare i fochi d’artifizio (1819)
  Calà Ossorio, Marcello

• Traité des feux d’artifice pour le spectacle (1747)
  Frézier, Amédée François
  • View in our digital collections

• Inventioni, nelle quali si manifestano varij secret, e utili avisi a persone di guerra (1579)
  Isacchi, Giovanni Battista
  • View in our digital collections

• Traité des feux artificieles pour la guerre, et pour la recreation (1632)
  Malthus, Francis
  • View in our digital collections

• Essay sur les feux d’artifice pour le spectacle et pour la guerre (1745)
  Perrinet d’Orval, Jean-Charles

• Künst Buch von allerhandt rahren undt schönen inventionen so wohl in der Feuerwerckerey Künst als auch in der Büchsenmeisterey zusammen (1671)
  Räbel, Andreas
  • View in our digital collections

• Elémens de pyrotechnie (1811)
  Ruggieri, Claude-Fortuné
  • View in our digital collections

• Artis magnae artilleriae : pars prima (1650)
  Siemienowicz, Kazimierz
  • View in our digital collections

• The Art of Making Fireworks with Safety and Ease (1830)
  Turner & Fisher
  • View in our digital collections

That’s not all! See below for more rare books on fireworks and pyrotechnics from our collection or explore the full featured list in our catalog.

• De la pirotechnia libri X (1540)
  Biringuccio, Vannoccio
  • View in our digital collections

• La pyrotechnie, ou Art du feu : contenant dix livres, ausquels est amplement traicté de toutes sortes et diversité de minieres, fusions et separations des metaux (1556)
  Biringuccio, Vannoccio

• Tracts Written by the Honourable Robert Boyle, Containing New Experiments, Touching the Relation Betwixt Flame and Air : And About Explosions (1672)
  Boyle, Robert

• A System of Pyrotechny, Comprehending the Theory and Practice, with the Application of Chemistry (1825)
  Cutbush, James

• Fünff Bücher : vonn Kriegs Regiment und Ordnung : wie sich ein jeder Kriegssmann inn seinem Ampt vnnd Beuelch halten soll, was zu anfang eines Kriegs zuerwegen vnnd zubetrachten sey (1558)
  Fronsperger, Leonhardt

• Vonn Geschütz vnnd Few[e]rwerck wie dasselb zuwerffen vnd schiessen (1557)
  Fronsperger, Leonhardt

• Artificial Fireworks, Improved to the Modern Practice, from the Minutest to the Highest Branches (1766)
  Jones, Robert

• Pratique de la guerre : contenant l’usage de l’artillerie, bombes et mortiers, feux artificiels et petards, sappes et mines, ponts et pontons, tranchées et travaux, avec l’ordre des assauts aux breches (1650)
  Malthus, Francis

• Tractatus quinque medico-physici : quorum primus agit De sal-nitro, et spiritu nitro-aereo (1674)
  Mayow, John
  • View in our digital collections

• Essai sur l’electricité des corps (1746)
  Nollet, abbé (Jean Antoine)

• Précis historique sur les fêtes, les spectacles et les réjouissances publiques (1830)
  Ruggieri, Claude-Fortuné

• Pyrotechnie militaire, ou Traitécomplet des feux de guerre et des bouches à feu (1812)
  Ruggieri, Claude-Fortuné

• Künstliche und rechtschaffene Feuerwerck zum Schimpff vormals im Truck nie aussgangen (1591)
  Schmidlap, Johann

• Chemical Lectures, Publickly Read at London, in the Years 1731, and 1732 ; And at Scarborough, in 1733 ; For the Improvement of Arts, Trades, and Natural Philosophy (1734)
  Shaw, Peter

• La pyrotecnie de Starkey, ou, L’art de volatiliser les alcalis, selon les preceptes de Vanhelmont, & la préparation des remedes succedanées ou aprochans de ceux que l’on peut préparer par l’alkaest (1706)
  Starkey, George

• Pyrotechny Asserted and Illustrated : To Be the Surest and Safest Means for Art’s Triumph Over Nature’s Infirmities (1658)
  Starkey, George

• Legends No Histories, or, a Specimen of Some Animadversions upon the History of the Royal Society : Wherein, Besides the Several Errors Against Common Literature, Sundry Mistakes About the Making of Salt-Petre and Gun-Powder are Detected and Rectified (1670)
  Stubbe, Henry

• The Plus Ultra Reduced to a Non Plus : Or, a Specimen of Some Animadversions upon the Plus Ultra of Mr. Glanvill (1670)
  Stubbe, Henry

• Mathematical Recreations, or, A Collection of Many Problems Extracted Out of the Ancient and Modern Philosophers (1674)
  van Etten, Hendrik

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Journals

Explore our journal collection’s periodicals on explosives.

• Association of American Railroads Report of the Chief Inspector of the Bureau for the Safe Transportation of Explosives and Other Dangerous Articles

• Atlas Powder Company’s Annual Report

• Explosivstoffe

• Memorial des services chimiques de l’état

• Nitrocellulose : fachblatt für die Nitrocellulose-und Sprengstoffindustrie

• The Hercules Mixer
  • View in our digital collections

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Archives

In addition to the selections below, you can explore all of our archival collections on the explosives industry in our archives database!

Materials on fireworks:

• Francis P. Simpson recipe book

Materials on the Commercial Solvents Corporation, a major American chemical company heavily involved in industrial explosives:

• Commercial Solvents Corporation Records

• Photographs from the Records of the Commercial Solvent Corporation

Materials on Hercules, Inc., a chemical and munitions manufacturer:

• Photographs from the Records & Ephemera of Hercules Incorporated
  • View in our digital collections

• Records of Hercules Incorporated
  • View in our digital collections

Materials on the Institute of Makers of Explosives:

• Institute of Makers of Explosives (IME) – Correspondence, 1965-1972

Materials on Walter O. Snelling (December 13, 1880–September 10, 1965), a chemist who developed explosives:

• Papers of Walter O. Snelling
  • View in our digital collections

Videos on explosives:

• German War Plant Razed (1945)

• Blasting Cap Danger (1957)

• Don’t Touch! (1970s)

• Explosives: Tools for Progress (1970s)

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Featured image at top: Ink drawing of an artillery shell from Künst Buch von allerhandt rahren undt schönen inventionen so wohl in der Feuerwerckerey Künst als auch in der Büchsenmeisterey zusammen, a German manuscript on the art of firework making by pyrotechnician Andreas Räbel, 1671.