INVENTOR

1p., 4to. In good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with a short closed tear along a crease and slight loss to one corner. He regrets that 'it is not in my power to afford any Official Assistance, in promoting the use of your very Ingenious, & Valuable Invention; as the Business of this Department is exclusively confined to the Building, & <?>, belonging either to His Majesty, or the Public, such as Palaces, Public Offices &c.' He suggests a number of organisations to which Lawrence should apply., 'as the Departments most likely to encourage your useful Undertaking'.

2pp., folio. On bifolium. In a contemporary hand in margin of first page: 'Mr. Leblond' and a reference number. The document begins: 'Pre. Louis Caron de Vernon a eu l'honneur de servir sous les ordres de V: Altesse Royale en 1793 dans le 73 Bataillon de Paris, et au camp de Ste. Margueritte celui d'offrir son pain a V: Altesse, qu'Elle volut bien daigner accepter, en recommandant de lui rappeller cette circonstance dans l'occasion.

The Patent Office - now the Intellectual Property Office - was established by the Patent Law Amendment Act of 1852, which simplified the procedure for obtaining patents of invention and reduced costs. In 1883 another Act of Parliament brought into being the office of Comptroller General of Patents, with, according to the National Archives, 'a staff of patent examiners to carry out a limited form of examination; mainly to ensure that the specification described the invention properly, but without any investigation into novelty'.

3pp., 4to. 60 lines of text. Bifolium. Good, on aged paper. Addressed, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Valentine Mott M.D. | 25 Park Place | New-York'; with three postmarks, one from Havre and another 'Forwarded by Lewis Rogers & Co.' (Mott was in Europe at the time of writing.) An tantalising letter, regarding an intriguing affair about which nothing else appears discoverable. Eldridge is sending 'a hand bill, 5000 of which have been circulated thro Paris and the towns in its vicinity'.

Both items in very good condition, on lightly-aged paper, each with slight trace of paper label at spine. Letter One: 3 pp, 12mo. Docketed at head of first page '1 Dec/88.' and 'The Explorer of Thibet [sic]'. He thanks him 'for the Card of the St Botolph Club' and will try to go there the following day. He has 'so many things to do' that he is not sure he will be able to stay there long. Letter Two: 4 pp, 12mo. Docketed beneath address '6 January 89.', and beneath signature 'The traveller in Thibet [sic]'. Thanking him for the 'note and cheque', and hoping that the sketch arrived safely.

12mo, 2 pp. Good, on aged paper, with light offsetting from another letter. Slight loss to one margin through removal from autograph album, slightly trimming a couple of words of text. He is 'much indebted' to the recipient 'for the trouble you have so kindly taken in obtaining for me sight of the Machinery in the Bank'. He will call 'to know if you have been able to make any arrangement'. The words 'inventor of the Kaleidescope [sic]' are neatly added in manuscript beneath Brewster's signature in imitation of type.

Text of all three letters clear and entire. A well-written and well-informed correspondence relating to 'locomotive matters'. Letter One (14 October 1942): Manuscript. Foolscap, 4 pp. Good, on aged high-acidity paper. 'Knowing, and to some extent, at least, sharing' King's 'interest in loco matters', Pimm informs him that the Ministry of Supply 'have ordered 360 L.M.S. mixed traffics generally like the 227 that AW's [Armstrong Whitworth] bill as their last order'.

Two pages, 12mo. Mourning border. Damp stained. Cowper has told 'P[rofesso]r. Wheatstone' [Sir Charles Wheatstone (1802-1875), Professor of Experimental Philosophy at King's College, pioneer of the telegraph, and seller of musical instruments] of Novello's 'wish to have a little conversation with him'. Gives dates when Wheatstone will be available to see Novello at ''King's College (in the Museum)'. '[H]e will very shortly go to Switzerland & therefore the earlier you meet him the better'.

See DNB for both van Straubenzee and E.A. Inglefield (the latter Admiral and explorer (1820-94). One page, folio. Van Straubenzee feels it is important to visit Gozo "during this month on duty", and asks if Inglefield will be good enough to "grant [him] a steamer" on a named day, Inglefield's note is vertical in the margin, saying "Submitted for the information of the Commander in Chief, observing that the "Escort" has been lent for this service. / Dockyard, 3 Nov. 1875 ./ EA Inglefield AdmlSupt".

The four items, all on aged and lightly spotted paper, are attached by four rusty staples. One (five pages, octavo): In reply to the firm's inquiry regarding 'the prevention of rising spaces in Monotype', Marshall states that, instead of giving information, he 'would rather send you the method and you try it out and prove for yourself its value, then pay me afterwards'.

Inventor and engineer (1870-1923), whose papers are held by the Royal Society. During the war Harker was in the Inventions Department of the Ministry of Munitions. One page, 12mo. Good, if slightly grubby. Docketed in pencil and bearing the Society's stamp. Reads 'I send herewith a short contribution to the discussion of Dr Flemings paper at which I was present but in which on account of lack of time I did not feel it desirable to take part verbally.' Signed 'J. A. Harker'.