Science, Medicine and Technology

English electronic engineer (1849-1945), inventor of thermionic valve. Widely considered to be 'the founder of electronics'. All three items good though grubby and on slightly discoloured paper. Item three dog-eared and grubby in top left-hand corner. All signed 'J. A. Fleming' and bearing the Society's stamp. ITEM ONE (two pages, quarto, 15 November 1915, University College, Gower St, to Wood, docketed): On the subject of a paper he proposes to give to the Society entitled 'The Organisation of Scientific Research'.

One page, 12mo, good condition, tipped on another peice of paper with unrelated notes on verso. Note (Wiki) "He curated collections at the British Museum and the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, and was editor of the Popular Science Review.

In good condition, lightly-aged. Addressed to 'Miss Paget, | 28, Campden Hill Square | W.' Reads: 'I will look in this morning at the hour of coffee.'

These volumes bear tragic testimony to a diseased mind. A native of Argentina, Hume saw service in the First World War with the 1st County of London Yeomanry at Gallipoli, before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps (66 Squadron, RFC and RAF). In May 1917, while on his second patrol, he was shot down over France. It was while incarcerated in several POW camps (he escaped from one) that Hume's mental illness appears to have begun to manifest itself, and he was exchanged for German prisoners in August 1918.

In its obituary of Prunella Stack the Guardian describes the League as 'the most innocuous of the interwar mass fitness movements': the present item would indicate otherwise. The prospectus is printed on both sides of a 25 x 31 cm. piece of shiny art paper, irregularly folded to make a 25 x 15 cm. front cover, flanked by two 25 x 7.5 cm flaps (with the front of one listing the members of the committee, and of the other the League's rules).

The collection consists of four items. All four in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight creasing. ONE: Typed Memorandum. 3pp., foolscap 8vo. Signed over a stamp by Campbell, and witnessed by Florence Campbell of Newcastle-on-Tyne. Campbell agrees to teach Langsford 'how to prepare the photographic paper called "Gelatino-chloride glossy printing-out paper" by the same formula and process as he uses and put him in the way to start and carry on a business for himself'.

Small envelope only (no letter!), sl. dingy, with name "Professor Huxlery" written on it twice in another hand. With detail as described above.WITH:unused postcard photgraph of Huxly, head and shoulders.

36pp., 8vo, with photos and a folding "Diagram of the Dover Glasgow Road", green printed illustrated paper wraps, slight damage ot spine, condition mainly good. Initial sof previous owner on front cover. Three copies on COPAC (Nottingham, Kew, Brimighma, NOT BL).

117pp., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper; in contemporary worn vellum binding, with metal clasp, with marbled endpapers. Two sequences of receipts, starting at different ends of the volume, one (rather more businesslike) later than the other. In addition to the total of 117pp. of receipts, each of the two sequences has its own thumb index.

1p., 8vo. With mourning border. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-ruckled paper. After exclaiming 'How kind of you!' Pinero explains that he has been 'inoculated regularly since the autumn, and it has done me no good'. He continues: 'No, I won't say that; I might have been worse but for the injections.' He concludes by stating that he will show Shore's letter to his doctor, 'to prick his conscience'.

12pp., 8vo, spine reinforced, covers(pp.1-2) grubby, small closed tear, mainly good condition. I counted three copies of this, the first, edition on COPAC.

The Bristol Aeroplane Company was an early and important innovator in the field of aircraft design and development. Four variants of its Titan engine (I, IIF, II Special, and IV) were produced in 1928. The present brochure and photographs are contained in a large manila envelope, with 'The "Bristol" Aeroplanes' printed in green on front. The photographs are all in very good condition, and all measure around 18 x 23.5 cm. The brochure is 4pp., 4to, printed in brown on a bifolium of cream paper. It is in good condition, with a little wear and creasing.

Both items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Purdie's letter: 4pp., 4to. Closely and neatly written on a bifolium, with the last page cross-written over the third. Addressed, with postmarks and red wax seal, to 'G. P. Nicholson Esqre. | Wath | nr Rotherham'.

Olive's Letter: 3pp., 4to. Bifolium. Addressed, with postmark, on reverse of second leaf to 'H. J. Mant Esq | 2 Wood St | Queen Square | Bath'. The letter is without place or date. Olive has written the letter on behalf of the Bath attorneys Mant & Bruce (he states at the conclusion that 'Mr Bruce requested me to write to save him the trouble'), who are acting for an interested party (Capper?).

1p., 4to. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. With envelope, addressed by Cubitt to 'C F Stuart Esqre | 20 New Norfolk Street | Park Lane', with red wax seal and postmarks, and docketted 'Mr Cubitt. Engineer'. He has received Stuart's letter of 17 May, and has 'since seen Mr. Buchanan with all the Reports Plans Instr[ucti]ons &c &c relative to the question of interference with Lord Blantyre's property', and he will 'more fully examine' them 'during the recess of Parliament'. He has 'also seen & consulted with Mr.

4pp., 16mo. Bifolium. On aged and worn paper, with small spike-hole on one leaf. The letter begins: 'I am sorry to say that the poor man from whom I removed the large tumour has died of Erysipilas - It is a great pity - but one of those results over which we have little or no control - Perhaps the inflammation was a kind of continuance of that which he had on him when the operation was done'. He points out that 'at the present time the Hospital [i.e. King's College Hospital] is remarkably free from Erysipilas - a thing which few of us in London can boast much about in general'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. On aged and worn paper with small spike-hole to one leaf. The letter begins: 'A hare and a pheasant delivered here the other day with F.A.B. Reading upon the parchment card - the initials, I immediately concluded of my old friend Mr. Bulley and the first information that he still lives after a certain bloody deed performed upon him many months ago.

1p.,12mo. Fifty-three lines of small type. Good, on lightly-aged and ruckled paper, with traces of mount on blank reverse. The item begins: 'MR. PUNCH is accustomed to receive letter and treaties, imploring him not to call homoeopathy fudge, and some of them attempting to assign reasons why he should not. In all these communications, the medical opponents of homoepathy are called "allopathists."' Later on the author comments: 'PROFESSOR HOLLOWAY is perhaps an allopathist; however he does not tell us on what principle his pills and ointments cure all diseases.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on aged paper with traces of previous mount. The nineteen rules begin with 'RULE I. | That this Society be called the Reading Pathological Society.' They end with 'RULE XIX. | That the Society be empoweredd to act at ordinary meetings, on any matters not comprehended in these rules, and that new rules may be added, or old ones modified, notice having been given at the previous meeting, but that such rules be submitted to the next Annual Meeting.' Scarce: no copies found on either COPAC or OCLC WorldCat. From the papers of F. A.

Two pages, cr. 8vo, fold marks, good condition. "Do not I know that sort of critic. He probably knows nothing about Hospitals. It is so easy to make general statements. "Wasted" indeed. I wonder how one could waste money in feeding these poor people many of whom would be far better if we could feed them up. A short time ago one of our doctors suggested suet & treacle for his patients and got the reply 'we can't afford it'. It is miserable economy to starve patients. And as to nurses it is absolutely essential that their food should be appetizing & varied.

The three items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. All three items are excessively scarce, with no copies of any of them located on either COPAC or WorldCat. ONE (circular letter): 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Date number '25' and Shepherd's name added in manuscript.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with traces of mount adhering to the blank reverse of the second leaf. The First page is headed, in fancy type, 'ROYAL MEDICAL BENEVOLENT COLLEGE. | EPSOM.', beneath which is an engraving of the College. The prospectus is presented in the form of a letter, and is dated 'Febry. 1859' and signed (as a 'faithful fellow-laborer') by Propert in light-blue ink.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with small piece cut away from one corner, and traces of mount adhering to the blank reverse, which also carries a few marks in ink, with a couple of minor marks in the margin at the foot of the recto. At the head of the page is the engraving, roughly 12.5 x 12 cm, attractively done, and showing Gough in cutaway jacket and waistcoat, standing behind a table, with a seated audience behind him, holding aloft a glass of water.

66 + [3] + [1] pp., 4to. The item has been disbound from a volume, and the title leaf is longer than the rest, in order to retain the ownership inscription in the top left-hand corner of the title-page, which carries a signed presentation inscription from Magnin to his colleague Frantz Glénard. The title leaf is creased and has a long vertical closed tear near the spine, which has been unobtrusively repaired with archival tape. Pp.53/54 and 61/62 have had text trimmed away by the binder.

1p., 4to. 26 lines, closely and neatly written. Good, on disbound leaf of aged and worn paper.

1p., foolscap 8vo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'John Watson Esquire | Manager of the Gass [sic] Light Coy | New Street | Edinburgh', and docketed '1820 | Davd. Budge & Co | Johns Coffee house | Edinburgh 27 Novr | containing a Statt. of their Burners & hours of burning'.

4pp., foolscap 8vo, on two bifoliums. On aged and worn paper, with slight bloom at head and a little loss to spine from disbinding.

1p., 12mo. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Reads 'My Dear Mrs. Buchanan, | Many thanks for kindest New Year's greetings: - | A Happy New Year to you and yours | Faithfully yours | Erasmus Wilson'.

Four pages, bifolium, folio, 1" tears on fold marks, staining, loss of small amount of margin, text complete and clear. It includes: a statement of the Company's affairs "to the 27th of April, 1825 (expenditure, payments, debts, salaries etc.); "Abstract Account of Tonnage and Rent [...]" (Timber, lead, iron etc). Submitted by B.A. Griffith, and concluded by the "Orders" (dividend, etc.). Final page has manuscript address to "Richard Griffith Esq. M.D. | Cardiff."

Timothy Hackworth is, as his entry in the Oxford DNB states, 'one of the great pioneers of the steam locomotive'. It was the view of the eminent railway engineer D. K. Clark, writing in 1855, that no single individual had, up to the year 1830, done so much for the improvement of the locomotive. Robert Young's biography of his father-in-law (he married Hackworth's youngest daughter Jane) is a solid and well researched book of permanent interest, intelligently-written and drawing on personal information.