astronomy

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Plain postcard. Lightly aged. Addressed to John [Graham, obscured by postmark], The Willows, Church Road, Lowfield Heath, Crawley, Sussex. Reads: ‘Many thanks. I am terribly sorry to say that I am a broken reed at the moment, because there are various conference dates I haven’t got. I’ll write when the situation clarifies. / Best wishes / [in autograph] P. M. / PS Last Wed. of each month is no good: BAA [i.e. British Astronomical Association monthly meeting] day!’ Image on application.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice for postage and with an unobtrusive crease to one corner (not near signature). Reads: ‘Sir / A meeting of the Standard Commission will be held at Sir John Lubbock’s Bank, St. Mildred’s Court, Mansion house Street, on Thursday Feb 11, at 11 o’clock in the forenoon, when your attendance is particularly requested. / I am, Sir, / Your obedient servant / G B Airy’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB, which notes his unpopularity at his college Christ’s, which terminated his fellowship in 1783. According to Fanny Burney he was ‘dullness itself’. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, on lightly aged and browned paper. Folded for postage. Signed ‘A. Shephard Plume’s Profr. / Camb.’ The recipient is not named.

Scarce: no copy on ViaLibri, OCLC WorldCat and JISC LHD. Stapled pamphlet. 7pp, 12mo. Unpaginated. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with light spotting and slightly rusted staples. Inscribed at head of cover: ‘With the author’s compliments / O. A. LeBeau’. Drophead title on third page: ‘HALLEY’S COMET. / BY O. A. LE BEAU, B.Sc. / [Mr. Le Beau is an O. B. of the Grammar School, whose Astronomical Notes in our columns some years ago many of our readers will no doubt remember. - ED.]’

1p, 12mo. On aged and creased leaf, folded once and with traces of mount on the blank reverse. Reads: 'Presented to Prof. Alexr. H. Green M.A. F.R.S. With the compliments of the author | Isaac Roberts | June 1894'. The work presented was presumably the first (1893) volume of Roberts' pioneering 'Selection of Photographs of Stars, Star-Clusters and Nebulae', the second appearing in 1899. The two volumes contained 125 reproductions of photographs which he had exhibited at the Royal Astronomical Society. See both men's entries in the Oxford DNB.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Lee and his wife held regular festivals of 'Peace and Temperance' in the grounds at Hartwell, and he writes that he hopes Ransome has received the prospectus of the festival which he sent him. He and his wife would be pleased were Ransome to attend, and he offers him 'a Bed in our house, or to secure one for you in Aylesbury'. In a postscript he states: 'If you cannot come or your Brother; I hope that you will send some delegate, or MP. to represent Ipswich at our peaceful Congress'.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Neatly and closely written. At the end of the letter Lee names the recipient as 'Miss May | Carr Street | Ipswich'. (She was the daughter of Quaker astronomer Charles May, a partner in the firm of civil engineers Ransomes and May.) Lee begins by stating that he and his wife 'are anxious to come to Ipswich on tuesday the first of July in order to attend the meeting of the British Association of Science'.

ONE: TLS. Ithaca, NY; 20 September 1976. 1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. The letter begins: 'Dear Christopher Fry, | I so relish climbing the castellations of your wit, to where I feel energized and deliriously long-sighted, or running higgledy-piggledy with your thoughts, at times as if with the bulls of Pamplona, I simply cannot resist telling you so any longer.' According to her 'internal calculations' she owes him 'at least a galaxy for the delight your plays have given me; perhaps you'd accept these few planets instead'.

The signature ('Robert S Ball') is on a 3.5 x 11 cm slip of paper, laid down on a piece of light-grey paper cut from an album, with the letterhead 'OBSERVATORY, | CAMBRIDGE' on a second slip laid down on the same piece. In good condition, lightly-aged.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Folded twice. After thanking him for sending 'the card with Shelley's philosophic verse', he continues: 'I am sorry that you have so sad a memory connected with 1883 - the year gets with me sadder for the loss of friends and with hopes dashed too'. Nevertheless he looks forward, and hopes 'for pleasure in useful work for both of us'.

Five black and white prints, all laid down on mount and in glass frame. Later prints (1940s) rather than the early silver gelatin ones. Each with manuscript caption at foot of mount, and Negative Number written in manuscript on reverse of frame. Each print in excellent condition. All five behind glass in worn plain black frames. From the papers of Charles Chilton, the creator and producer of the influential BBC Radio series 'Journey into Space' (1953-1958), which numbered among its admirers Stephen Hawking and Colin Pillinger.

From the papers of the family of the second wife of the geologist Alexander Henry Green (1832-1896), previously Miss Wilhelmina Maria Armstrong of Clifton. 1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with slight creasing to bottom corners. Reads: 'Dear Mrs. Green | I fear I shall be on the way to Japan to see the Eclipse. Very sorry to miss your dinner party | Yours sincerely | H H Turner'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. He begins: 'On taking up the spare proof I find one small correction which should have been made'. He describes the correction that needs to be made on 'page 5 of th proof 13th line from bottom'. Ramsay is not named, but the item is from his papers.

1p., 12mo. On grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Small manuscript shelf-mark at top left. He thanks him for sending 'the numbers of the Scientific Roll', and asks to be put down as a subscriber. 'I shall try to get the others.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Begins: 'On looking through your "Bibliography to Climate" I find that you are not acquainted with my work on the Climate of Uckfield, pubd in 1871 - which comprises 28 years uninterrupted obs[ervation]s there'. He refers him to the library of the Royal Meteorological Society in George Street for a copy. He is about to publish 'eleven years observations at my present Observatory'

[16]pp., 8vo, paginated 285-300. Stitched into grey printed wraps. On aged and chipped high-acidity paper. Inscribed at head of front wrap: 'With the Compliments of | William J. S. Lockyer | 28.VI.01'. See Lockyer's obituary in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol.97 (1937), pp.275-277. The only copies on OCLC WorldCat at the British Library and Observatoire de Paris.

1p., 16mo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and stained paper. In the light of an invitation from Ransome's wife, he proposes to 'drive to Stoke' in the early afternoon of the following day with his daughter Annet ('who has now relieved Hilda'), hoping that it 'will suit Mrs. Ransome's and your convenience'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and ruckled paper. He invites him to pay him a four-day visit at Brock Park, 'to meet many of your Liberal friends'. Note: Tomline had his observatory at Orwell Park, hence a neighbour of Ransome's (Orwell House).

For more information on Webb see his entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp., 4to. On bifolium. In good condition, with light signs of age. Around ninety lines of closely and neatly written text. Addressed (with postmark and red wax seal of smith at forge) on reverse of second leaf to 'Thomas Dick, Esq. L.L.D., | Broughty Ferry | near Dundee, | Scotland.' A highly interesting and informative letter.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly aged-paper, with small piece torn from second leaf. Addressed, with postmark, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Robt. Woodhouse Esqr. A.M. | Plumian Professor of Astronomy & Experimental Philosophy, | Cambridge'. He writes: 'I have just made out the following demonstration of the Binomial Theorem, & as it is very short, & quite elementary, I shall be extremely obliged if you will condescent [sic] to honour me with your opinion of it before I make it public.' A full two pages of calculations, in a smallish hand, follow.

1p., 4to. In good condition, on aged paper discoloured at the corners, neatly placed in a paper windowpane mount. He asked 'Mr Foulis to pack up Fifty four English Euclids Small paper, for as they had been put up in three bundles of 18 books in each, he thought it should be left to pack up these bundles as they were rather than break one of them to take out four books'. The books have been sent to 'Borroustonness', i.e. Bo'ness (Burrowstounness), Falkirk, and Foulis has given him a receipt from 'Richard G the Master of the Neptune aboard which Ship they are <?> directed to you'.

Both items in good condition, with light signs of age, and both tipped in to a paper folder, on the front of which is written the entry from the1833 bookseller's catalogue from which they were purchased: 'La Lande Member of the Academy of Sciences at Paris, a very interesting Letter to some Magistrate soliciting relief for the purpose of his labouring usefully, having expended much money on his pursuits, without reserving any indemnity. It exhibits his delicacy in soliciting this assistance, and expresses a hope that his asseverations will obtain credit.

1p., 4to. On aged paper, with some discoloration and chipping to extremities. He has been hindered by an 'unexpected interruption' from sending, via 'Richd. Scrivener', 'Stewarts Quadrature of Curves', but Scrivener will bring it 'the next time he goes to London'. The middle paragraph concerns 'Langhorne's sermons', which he asks to be sent 'by Coach'. He ends by asking the recipient - if he has received 'the silver medal for me from Mr. Glendinning, in Hatton Garden', to 'wrap it up, & put it into one of the Books'.

1p., 4to. In very good condition, on lightly aged paper. Tipped into a paper wallet, on the front of which is written in a contemporary hand the entry from the1833 bookseller's catalogue from which it was purchased, indicating that the item was considered uncommon even at that time: 'Cassini, the Astronomer, relative to a Memoir of the Sieur du Tremblay. | A choice specimen of a scarce Autograph. | No 176 Thorpe's Catalogue 1833'. Cassini's copy letter, with nine lines of text, is written over the unsigned letter to which it is the reply..

One page, 12mo, good condition. A difficult hand. "I send by book post some more Copy for Part 1 of 'Light' in Good Words & to morrow or next day you shall have the rest - which [will make?] somewhere about 12 or 13 more Columns more of letterpress. | The figures are [?][open?] so that they may be put into the wood-engravers hand without the MS. | Be so good reduce the MS & let me have proofs in duplicate." Note: These articles on "Light" did not appear in "Good Words" until 1865. This leeter is presumably to the Editor, Norman Macleod.

ONE: Typescripts of 13 radio talks. 65pp., 4to. On loose leaves. Titles: 1, 'Our Earth in Space'; 2, 'Dreams of other Worlds'; 3, 'Rockets into Space'; 4, 'Man-made Moons'; 5, 'Man in Space'; 6, 'Space Research and Ourselves'; 7, 'Contact with the Moon'; 8, '"One small Step . . . ."'; 9, 'Space Stations and Lunar Bases'; 10, 'Mariners to Mars'; 11, 'Into the Hot Regions'; 12, 'The Grand Tour'; 13, 'Flight to the Stars'. TWO: Typed Note, signed on behalf of T. Van Heerden, Head of External Services, SABC. 16 March 1972.

Collection of eleven items. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. ONE: Typescripts of 13 radio talks. 65pp., 4to. On loose leaves. Titles: 1, 'Our Earth in Space'; 2, 'Dreams of other Worlds'; 3, 'Rockets into Space'; 4, 'Man-made Moons'; 5, 'Man in Space'; 6, 'Space Research and Ourselves'; 7, 'Contact with the Moon'; 8, '"One small Step . . . ."'; 9, 'Space Stations and Lunar Bases'; 10, 'Mariners to Mars'; 11, 'Into the Hot Regions'; 12, 'The Grand Tour'; 13, 'Flight to the Stars'. With a few manuscript emendations by Moore in black felt-tip pen, and other editorial emendations.

For more information on Common, see his entry in the Oxford DNB. Both items on aged and worn paper. ONE: Typed Letter Signed. 31 March 1900. 1p., 4to. 'I bought a gross of balls of Hunter and paid for them on the understanding that I should take them as I wanted them'. He has a rough idea how many he has had, and will be 'able to say exactly when I look in my locker'. He ends by asking the firm to refer to Hunter's books regarding the matter. TWO: Typed Receipt, signed by Common over two red Inland Revenue penny stamps. 12 May 1900. 1p., 4to. 'Received of Messrs Emmerson & Co.

The card is 6 x 8 cm, with the engraved image of the Basilica 5 x 7 cm, within a ruled border, with 'Sr. John Goodricke' in copperplate in a cartouche at the foot. In fair condition, aged and lightly ruckled and spotted. In a contemporary hand, on the reverse: 'No 9, Somerset Street. | Portman Square'. An attractive and unusual item. Goodricke's connection with St Peter's is unclear, but a common feature shared with Bramham Park is the presence of an obelisk. Goodricke's son was the noted 'deaf astronomer' John Goodricke (1764-1786).

A Fellow of the Royal Society, Marlborough's main scientific interest was astronomy, a subject on which he corresponded with von Brühl. The four items in good condition, with light signs of age and wear. They are accompanied by a typewritten (1960s?) report (3pp., folio), whose purpose is to disprove any connection between them and 'the name of Henry Cavendish and his work on the barometer'.