1994 Pamphlet

I produced this pamphlet in 1994 it being at the time the only French language information on the subject. As it was not intended to be sold, Mc Gill University Print Shop printed it for only the cost of the paper, card, and ink.

At this time masonry heaters were almost unknown in Quebec, there being no information at all in the main stream media. Only two English language books existed, and the famous 1984 Finnish Fireplace Construction Manuel. Photographs were just that, and even getting hold of a couple of nice images in finished houses was not easy. The year after printing this I opened the Pyromasse web site, and never put any more effort into hard literature.

Recycled paper and Card. No colour. And at least the intention of no commercial BS. The imagery on the front and rear cover is composed of a collection of 26 carved bones. These are carved from the bones of executed criminals, or people who died violent deaths. Medieval Tibet was no Buddhist utopia, capital punishment often consisting of being sliced to death. But executions were only carried out by necessity, and the bones of the condemned carved afterwards to acknowledge that even those that had to be executed had a role on the larger picture of society. The bones were stitched to the aprons which were worn by shaman during certain rituals.

At least pre Younghusband, John, Paul, and myself took the bones to the Egyptology department of Manchester Museum. Their top man said it was not his speciality, but he could say that it was obvious that they were really old. I bought them in Bangkok, and Rysel, from a French gem dealer. I keep the bones as power objects, which is why stylised representations of them were used to decorate the cover of the pamphlet. The pamphlet was deliberately produced in this manner and form in acknowledgment of the early French political pamphleteers.

Click image to view 1600px. Click here for links to original scans (non-optimised!, 1 to 3 MB per image)

Marcus Flynn, 2020