Science, Medicine and Technology

From the archives of Alexander Gibb & Partners, engineers. A. Mauritius Cyclone Damage, 1960: 26 b & w photographs, very good condition, 18 x 12cm, tipped in, with typed information at base (no.[1], for example: Cyclone Damage [space] 'Carol' [space] March 1960 | Government School MAPOU - Classroom roof blown off"). Subjects include: school Mapou (5); Scottish Church; School Calebasses (2); Mare Longue Reservoir (3); Mare aux Vacaos (4); bridge at Trianon Hill; East Coast Roads (9); B. Mauritius Roads and Bridge Airport Sewerage. 30 b & w.

Two pages, 4to, fold marks, four small closed tears. A difficult hand. He thanks Crow for his book, "Contributions to the Principles of Morphology", just published, suggesting that Crow must have enjoyed reviewing "older views", adding, "The Philosophy on which Biology has [?] based is much neglected ...I never came across any Botanist for example who thought the two [?] of Goethe, & his theory of meta-morphosis has been a great curse ... for 100 years. The mistake of [?] was, that we had no 'definitions' of a leaf to begin with. ...

12mo, 2 pp. 28 lines. With original envelope. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Regarding Saki's membership of two gentlemen's clubs - the Savage and the Author's - he has wished to refresh his memory before replying. Having heard back from both he admits he was mistaken; though he 'had drinks with him on several occasions at both he was never an actual member but, on and off, a guest only'. He recalls that Munro did not have 'any very close friends', but that he was 'much liked' by close acquaintance. 'Alas! I have no longer even a photograph of him'.

One page, 23 x 9, edges obviously trimmed, except left margin, which is stained as if exposed at some time. Full text as follows: "Monday 9 July 1821. Sent off a Balloon with carburetted hydrogen Gas at 4 P.M. with the Wind about N.W. [O]n Saturday Evening the 4 July this Balloon was seen falling near Cranbrook in Kent and was found the following morning consequently was suspended in the Atmosphere about 124 Hours and had apparently travelled a Space of only [gap left for no.

Two pages, 12mo, minor staining, mainly good condition.

Folio, 29 + [i] pp. Disbound. Text complete and clear. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. Faint accession stamp at head of title. 'In accordance with the request of Viscount Palmerston, conveyed in Mr. Fitzroy's letter of the 31st day of October 1853, the Board have instituted very extensive inquiries among those acquainted with the means for the prevention of smoke, a great part of the evidence thus received being given in abstract in the Appendix to this Report.' The appendix runs from p. 11 to p. 29. Scarce: the only individual copy on COPAC at Southampton.

Three pages, 8vo, good condition. He commences with a mathematical supposition (in formula terms) then proceeds with putting the suppositions of "the master" [Malthus, Ricardo or their like?) in mathematical terms, concluding a fall of price to "3/4d or one quarter", adding that "The suppositions he makes are incompatible with the ratio theory ...", doing sums which he concludes with the an answer he describes as "absurd".

Thirty pages, on both sides of fifteen leaves of landscape folio, with each leaf folded in to give the item a 4to shape. Paginated 389 to 418, and printed in double column. Disbound. Stitched as issued, with uncut edges. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Excerpted from the Proceedings of the Royal Society, London, 1778. ESTC citation number N72283. The first two pages comprise an 'Explanation to the Columns' which form the rest of the paper, these being detailed meteorological tables.

27pp., 8vo, sewn as issued, good condition. Scarce. COPAC lists six copies, while WorldCat lists the Glasgow and Edinburgh copies but no American.

The collection is laid down on the rectos of 43 leaves of a 4to folder, on pages printed with borders and headed with the name of the Museum. Items in good condition, with the usual aging to newspaper cuttings, in worn folder. Folder in original buff wraps with, printed on front wrap, 'Compiled and Edited by WILLIAM E. APPLEBY', and with the subject given in manuscript as 'Atomic Models & Machines (MEL) Zeta.' Last page with note by Appleby: 'Zeta | Science Museum | Made by | [signed] William E Appleby'.

Paper, 11 x 5cm, faint traces on reverse of its origin in an album, 99 in bottom corner in another hand (number in collection), mainly good. Believe me to be, Dr Sir, yours most sincerely WB Carpenter.

Paper, 9 x 12cm, small closed tear, good condition, marked at top No. 296 in a collection, saying I wish you success in this & on this & every other [?] that you undertake.

Top third of a letter, staining of glue faintly on reverse, with subscription and signature Yours faithfully William Jenner, name of addressee, and, on reverse, surviving part of letter, Dear Madam, | I have received a letter from my friend & former pupil Dr [rest lost]. From a collection, No. 417 in another hand at top.

Part of letter, 11 x 7cm, fold marks, slightly obscuring a letter or two, marked No. 100 in a collection. The item comprises to subscription and signature, as well, on the reverse, some text, I meant to have said that she might leave off both the [?Steel] & the alkaline drops, but if the irregularity of bowels from acidity should return, she may take the Drops without the [?Steel]. She will not do without the powders, but every fifth or sixth [rest lost].

12mo, 133 pp. Hundreds of neat entries, in a small hand, written lengthwise on graph-paper pages in a red-cloth 'Memoranda' book ('Compliments of Ingersoll-Rand Co., Limited, 165, Queen Victoria St., London, E.C.4.'). Good: with text clear and complete on lightly-aged paper, in the original worn red binding. Many entries are dated (with a few also giving the dates on which various planes crashed), and among the airports referred to are Northolt, Yeovil, Radlett, Cowes, Rochester, Guernsey, Jersey, Peterborough, White Waltham, Hanworth Park, Elstree, Cranfield, Luton.

All in good condition on lightly-aged paper, and all but one (Letter Five) bearing the Society's stamp. Letters One, Two and Six docketed. Letter One (18 November): 12mo, 2 pp. Hoping that Wood, 'as an Ex President of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain', will 'help the Hurter and Driffield Memorial Fund [of which he is Honorary Treasurer] which is being got up [by the Royal Photographic Society] [...] to do honour to the memory of those famous workers in the Chemistry & Physics of Photography'. Letter Two (26 November): 4to, 2 pp.

Seven pages, 8vo, sewn as issued, very good condition, with additional leaf inserted (one printed page), edges staine. The insertion is a Postscript on gun cotton. Two copies on COPAC.

Seven handbills, c.14x22cm, variyng condition from fair to good, some chipping and marking, mainly advertising cheap tickets to Dublin (1, Sept. 1940), Portadown (1, Nov. 1940), and Warrenpoint (2, 1940-41). With: a. Return of Passenger Traffic at [Newtownstewart](189-); b. [Card, c.7x11cm] "Shipping Goods to Belfast"; Form for answer choices to be ticked for Traffic Manager, Belfast (x2); blank cards for recording details of goods consigned (One headed "Live Stock", another "Important Goods".

Three pages, 8vo, some damage, but text clear and complete, tear at fold of bifolium despite attempt to repair with sellotape., He has been asked by a friend to get an answer about the diseases of camels, quoting his enquiry in which one, Photoshootui (if I read the word right), is described, and referring to ancient sources and Native opinion. His correspondent is engaged in a popular treatise, or history, of vaccination. Hallam hopes for references to Western books that might give information.

4to, [16] pp. Drophead title. Disbound and with some leaves loose. Text clear and complete. On aged paper. From Patron King George III and President Sir Joseph Banks to the last of the 'Foreign Members' 'D. Eustatius Zanotti, Astronom. Bonon.' Scarce: the only copy on COPAC at the British Library.

The prospectus is folio, 3 pp, in a bifolium. Loosely inserted is a folio leaf, with the testimonials printed on one side, and a quarto leaf with four engraved illustrations: two of wheels under carriages, and two showing details of the springs on those wheels. The three items are on aged paper, with the illustrated leaf in good condition, and the other two items with chipping and closed tears. The texts and illustrations of all three items are clear and complete, apart from some loss to a footnote to the testimonials, caused by the page being printed too low on the leaf..

Pamphlet, 'Published for the Information of Officers of the Quartermaster's Department', 9pp.,12mo, original grey printed wraps, good, on aged paper, in worn and stained wraps, tiny cross shape neatly punched through the leaves in bottom outer corner.

A total of twelve 12mo pages and two 4to pages. All texts clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The first letter addressed to 'Mrs Norbury', and the others to 'Grace'. After a first letter of 1948, in which he complains that he is 'becoming more & more a home dweller', the correspondence continues in 1951, with Keith thanking Mrs Norbury for a gift of sugar ('Its arrival made my housekeeper Miss Holman quite elated'), and sending Lionel Norbury encouragement on his Hunterian Oration ('My heart goes out to the Orator & to his Better Half').

Folio, 12 + [i] pp. Text clear and complete, with a few pencil underlinings. Aged and somewhat worn. Folded vertically in the centre to make the conventional long legal packet, with the right-hand side of the reverse of the last leaf (with is stamped in red with the number 273683) carrying the printed title, with the address of the solicitors altered in pencil to 18 Pall Mall SW1, and with two manuscript names deleted: 'Mr. Finlay. Q.C. | Mr. Rowland Gibson'. Unsigned draft copy. No copy of this historical item on COPAC.

On piece of paper cut from letter, 4.5 x 10.5. With both sides lightly-sprinkled with ink dots. Reads 'Believe me | Yours | John P Gassiot'. Reverse, with printed letterhead, gives the beginning of the letter: 'Sir | I was informed Yday Evg. that <...>'. Docketed by Webster 'Sent List | 28/2/57'. From Webster's autograph collection.

Small 4to, 3 pp. Paginated [1]-4. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Formerly a bifolium, but with the two leaves now separated and attached by a thin strip. Part of mount adhering to second leaf.

4to, 2 pp. Bifolium. Eighteen lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged and creased paper. Having been presented with a copy of the first volumes of Lyttelton's 'History of the Life of Henry the Second', he has 'read the first Edition with the greatest Pleasure'. He praises the way in which Lyttelton is 'conducting the Narration with the Dignity so peculiarly necessary in that Species of Composition', as well as the 'Classical Elegance of Stile [sic]'. After more praise states 'Mrs Montagu's inoculation was an attempt worthy her Spirit & good Sense.

4to, 15 pp. In small type. Text clear and complete. On brittle green high-acidity paper, with chipping and loss to extremities and three of the leaves detached. Begins by listing 'General Council of the Automobile Club | (appointed to confer with the Club Committee on questions affecting Automobilism generally).' Headed by 'His Grace the Duke of Sutherland'; followed, on second page by Club Committee and officers, and then (pp. 3-10) the list of members in three columns, giving name, optional address, and date of election; ends (pp.11-15) with lists of 'Members of Affiliated Clubs'.

Pp.[1]-16, 8vo, disbound, numbered "13" in pencil, fold mark, spine showing wear, mainly good condition, inscribed "John Clay Esq | with the Author's | Kind regards".

The five photographs are all in sepia and 15 x 20 cm. Each is mounted, with a 17.5 x 22.5 white backing, on a piece of grey 25 x 30 cm card. Each is neatly captioned in black copperplate, with red underlining. The photographs are all in good condition, on discoloured and worn mounts. The items were clearly produced for display by the company, as they all have pinholes in their mounts. The captions read: 'G.E. Rly Restaurant Cars.' [exterior shot]; 'G.E. Rly Restaurant Car - Kitchen', 'G.E. Rly. Restaurant Car Third Class Compartment', 'G.E. Rly Restaurant Car.