ENGINEERING

Montgomery Cunningham Meigs (1847-1931), nicknamed 'Monty', civil engineer and inventor, was the son of the celebrated American army officer and engineer of the same name (1816-1892), Quartermaster-General of the United States army during and after the American civil war. While easily overshadowed by his illustrious father, Meigs was a fascinating figure in his own right, talented in a wide range of fields: manager of the canals and locks of the Old Des Moines Rapids Canal, designer of steamboats and other river craft, and Mississippi river pilot.

8vo, 60 pp (paginated 3873-3932). Disbound. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Royal crest at head of first page, beneath which: 'Anno Quinto Georgii IV. Regis. | Cap. clvi. | An Act for making and maintaining a Tunnel under the River Thames, from some Place in the Parish of Saint John of Wapping in the County of Middlesex to the opposite Shore of the said River in the Parish of Saint Mary Rotherhithe in the County of Surrey, with sufficient Approaches thereto. | [24th June 1824.]'.

Small 4to (20.5 x 16 cm): 12 pp. Stitched. In original light-green wraps. Text clear and complete, 39 lines to the page. Printed on discoloured high-acidity paper: dogeared, and creased, with wear to the corners of the wraps. Outlining a plan for a secure artificial harbour for Buenos Aires. Begins: 'Este Plano demuestra un seguro puerto artificial, suficiente para todas las embarcaciones untramarinas.

12mo, 2 pp. On first leaf of a bifolium. Text clear and complete. On slightly grubby, aged and lightly-creased paper. As they are '[i]n the midst of the Elections, which we shall not finally get rid of till, perhaps, the middle of December', he is 'quite unable' to do as Price wishes. 'I could not condense what ought to be condensed, without a good deal of reference & reading taking time - which is scarcest of articles with me, at the moment'. The subject of recent biographies by J. N. Greaves ('The Last of the Railway Kings', 2008) and D. J.

Not published. Cyclostyled on the rectos only. 8vo: 165 pp followed by 28 pages of 'figures'. Contained in a buff 'Apex Vertical Filing Folder'. Very good, on aged paper. Complete and clear. Stamped 'UNCLASSIFIED' on front cover, with manuscript reference 'GVC/54T'. Preface reads 'The present work is the English rendering of a partly revised German manuscript which the Author prepared for the Leipzig publishers Bibliographisches Institut to be published as volume 49 of their series Meyers kleine Handbücher.

Three pages. On aged, ruckled paper, with traces of mount adhering to damaged second leaf of bifolium. Text entirely legible. He has 'selected autograph letters from some of my scientific friends, and from a distinguished philosopher and mathematician General Poncelet, and the other from an eminent Military Engineer Genl Morin at the head of the "Conservation des Art et Metiers".' He also sends 'notes from Lord Stanley, Sir D. Brewster, Dr. Robinson the Astronomer of Armagh, and my excellent friend Mr Hopkins the Geologist and Mathematician of Cambridge'.

All three items 4to, 1 p. All three good, on lightly aged paper. The first and last bearing the stamp of The Royal Society of Arts. Letter One (addressed to H. T. Wood by Menzie's secretary '): 22 June 1917. Wood's letter will be 'placed before' Urquhart on his return from Russia, where he is at the time of writing. Letter Two (addressed to G. K. Menzies by Urquhart): 9 November 1917. He will be pleased to attend the meeting at which he will 'receive the medal awarded me by the Society for my paper on Russia read in November last'.

8vo: 16 pp. Stapled and unbound, in original blue printed wraps. Good, with light spotting, in stained, spotted wraps. Rust stains from staples. Ownership inscription of H. J. Young, dated November 1895, on front wrap. Advises his audience on 'the education proper for a budding Engineer', 'a lad who intends to tread the higher walks of theh profession'. Moves from apprenticeship to the positions of chief draughtsman and manager, before ending with observations on the 'combination of qualities' required by the 'successful business man'.

Scottish naval architect (1860-1936) and shipbuilder, President of the Institute of Marine Engineers. Seventeen items, various formats. In good condition though dusty and creased. Several items docketed and bearing the R.S.A. stamp. Correspondence indicates Denny's involvement in the R.S.A. matters (lecturing, serving on council, etc). LETTER ONE (30 January 1917): Asks for a dozen copies of the R.S.A. Journal. 'We have in our Works here Committees of Workmen collecting money for war charities and I am anxious to let them read Mr.

Octavo: 5 pps. Unbound. In original grey printed wraps. Very good, with thin strip of discoloration at foot of back wrap. Manuscript correction (by Robinson?) to one word, and pencil diagram of 'Waste Weir & flood Water Channel' drawn on blank verso of final leaf.

Octavo: 28 pp (paginated 203-230). Unbound and stitched. In original orange printed wraps. Fold-out lithographic plate (c.21 x 45 cms, containing figs. 2 to 6) by C. F. Kell of Castle Street, Holborn, and three illustrations in text: fig.1, a 'useful portable silo [...] made by Messrs. Reynolds', fig.7, 'a simple form of silo with Reynolds' pressure', and fig.8, 'a suggested design for a silo'. The aim of the paper is to 'bring before The Surveyors' Institution some recent phases of the sewage question'. Very good, if a tad dusty at head.

The two items rolled into tubes. The 'Crown Deep Ltd. Insurance Plan' carbon printed on one side of a piece of cloth roughly 44 x 102 cm. In good condition: slightly discoloured and frayed. The keyed entries range from '1 No. 1 Headgear & all appurtenances' to '77 Shed near Feedwater tanks', and include '69 Coolie Compound at Dam' and '57 Stable Boy's House'. The table of results of the 'milling tests', approximately 37 x 74 cm, is clear and complete on discoloured paper with closed tears at head repaired with archival tape.

4to: 3 pp. Bifolium. Good on lightly aged and creased paper. Text clear and entire. Eighty lines of text, beginning abruptly, without salutation, 'Vous m'avez demandé ma pensée sur le prospectus que vous avez proposé.

8vo: 13 pp. Stitched. In original cream printed wraps. On aged, spotted paper, in heavily worn wraps. Facsimile of handwriting at head of front wrap reads 'With the Author's Compliments'. Two diagrams in text.

8vo bifolium, 1 p. 9 lines of text. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper. Addressed, with two circular postmarks in black ink, on verso of second leaf. On the letterhead Sorel's achievements are given as '1837 Prix de Mécanique, Monthyon, A l'Académie des Sciences, Médaille d'Or' and '1839, Médaille d'Or, A l'Exposition Nationale des Produits de l'Industrie'. Announcing that 'il sera fait une expérience du nouveau Système de Locomotion de Mr Pecqueur, Mardi 2 Juillet de Midi à 3 h. rue Neuve Papincourt No. 11.

Pollard's eleven letters: one 12mo (1 p); the other ten 4to (eight 1 p and two 2 pp). The first has a small spike hole affecting one word, otherwise the collection is in good condition. Four docketed and seven bearing the Society's stamp. Pollard was 'Professor of Instrument Design (Mechanical)' (later 'Optical Engineering') at Imperial College, and the correspondence relates to the publication of his 1922 Cantor Lectures to the Society on 'The Mechanical Design of Scientific Instruments'. Emery Walker's two letters: both 12mo, 2 pp (one of 15 and the other of 19 lines).

8vo bifolium, 3 pp. 57 lines of text. Addressed on verso of second leaf of bifolium, with circular postmark in black ink, to 'Madame Thomas, chateau de marville, près et par St. Denis (Banlieue de Paris).' Good, on lightly creased and aged paper, with slight damage to second leaf from breaking of wafer. Text clear and entire, in a difficult, indiosyncratic hand. An interesting and significant letter, announcing Fournel's appointment to the post which would result in his greatest achievement.

4to bifolium: 2 pp, with address on otherwise-blank second leaf. Very good on lightly aged paper. Slight wear to extremities. A significant document, casting light on the relative states of engineering in early nineteenth-century France and England, and the role of the scientist in France at that time.

12mo: 1 p. Fifteen lines of text. Good, on aged and lightly-creased paper. Minor foxing. Difficult hand. Begins 'Je voudrais avoir cette année la collection des Documents parlementaire qui seront distribué au corps legislatif. | Autrefois j'étais abonné pour une petite somme [...]'.

12mo: 1 p. Good, on lightly creased paper. Reads 'Je remets à Mr Pulin, porteur de la présente, la lettre de Mr Savoye pour l'aider à retirer les exemplaires des médailles et les diplômes donnés à MM les Membres du Jury.' Presumably relating to the awarding of prizes at an industrial exhibition.

On one side of a piece of watermarked laid paper, roughly 33 x 22 cm. Aged and with chipping, wear and creasing to extremities. Text clear and entire. Entries on nineteen presses sold to ten individuals (Gerard, Didier, Dabaret, Morel, Foubert, J. Butini, G. Estsienne, Jourdain, Crespel-Delisse and Durand), giving the nature of their work (e.g. 'fabr. de Vermicelle à Troyes' and 'fabr. de bougie diaphane'), and the use to which the presses are put (e.g. '1 presse horizontale pr blanc de baleine'). Gives the ' of each individual. A few pencil additions in a contemporary hand (e.g.

12mo, 1 p, 7 lines. Good, with the address on the verso of the second leaf of the bifolium, which also carries the broken red wafer. Written in French. An interesting communication between two of the leading lights of French nineteenth-century mathematics. Lalanne describes Moigno as 'toujours le juge bienveillant et aimable que je connais depuis si longtemps'.

4to: 2 pp. Text clear and entire on lightly creased, grubby and dogeared paper. Titled by Cousinéry 'Création d'un Musée des Travaux Publics, Envoi d'une Note à ce sujet.' The note is not present.

12mo: 1 p. Text clear and entire on creased and slightly grubby paper. Asks Hyde Clark to 'make the preliminary report you suggest, & speak with Mr Crompton'. He feels that 'the thing is to be accomplished; & that there will be honour & profit to all who may concern themselves in the undertaking'. Asks to hear from Hyde Clarke 'in a few days'. The subject of the letter is unclear.

12mo, 3 pp. Good, on browned and lightly creased paper with some wear to extremities. In French. Long thorough order with instructions for delivery, casting light on the logistical problems encountered in international trade in nineteenth-century Europe. Pražak is sending 'six pièces d'or à vingt francs, ou une somme de 120 francs en or', and gives a list of four books he would like sent to him. There follows a discussion of the problems of delivering the books to Prague.

12mo, 1 p, 16 lines. In French. Very good. Cancelling an appointment, and sending 'l'article que vous m'avez demandé pour la Revue': 'vous êtes parfaitement libre de tailler, couper, et rogner'.

Six of the letters are 4to, 1 p; the other is 12mo, 1 p. All good, on lightly aged paper. All bearing the Society's stamp and most docketed. On a variety of subjects: a proposed paper by 'Herr Frahm', the use by the Institution of the Royal Society's library for a council meeting, the delivery to the Society of a 'model tank that is coming from Germany' ('the reader of the paper is sending his representative over from Germany to superintend matters'), and a 'Proposed Memorial to the late Sir William White' ('with reference to Mr. Bailey Saunders and Mr. C. R. Graves.

12mo, 1 p, 7 lines. Good, on lightly aged paper. He has received at the Ecole Polytechnique ('où je passe toutes mes journées les examens') his correspondent's 'important travail'. He sends his best wishes and thanks him for 'ce beau souvenir'. Loose in blue paper folder with catalogue entry for the previous sale of the letter laid down on front.

16mo, 3 pp. Text clear and entire on aged, creased paper. In French. He was not able to go to the Académie on the day the tickets were distributed for the 'Séance annuelle des beaux arts'. He asks for his two tickets to be sent to his friend 'M. Canon', a professor at the Ecole Polytechnique. Canon's address ('29 Rue Jean de Beauvais') in another hand on otherwise-blank verso of second leaf of bifolium.

12mo, 2 pp, 11 lines. Concerns the 'porteur de ce billet', a 'M. Laudet', who has been the victim of 'un affreux malentendu'. 'Le malheureux perdait sa femme au moment où il manquait une garde'.