MATHEMATICIAN

[Prince Matila Ghyka, Romanian mathematician.] Correspondence to him in French from Karl Häuptli, Swiss architect (TLS and three Autograph Studies, with diagrams, on ‘le nombre d’or’) and A. Andre of Marseilles (TLS and enclosures on the I Ching).

Author: 
Prince Matila Ghyka [Matila Costiescu Ghyka] (1881-1965), Romanian aristocrat, mathematician and polymath; Karl Häuptli (b.1894), Swiss architect associated with Theodor Fischer; A. Andre]
Publication details: 
ONE (Häuptli): 11 April 1953; on his letterhead as ‘Diplomierter Architekt / Fachlehrer am Kantonalen / Technikum in Biel [Switzerland].’ TWO (Andre): 17 March 1965; ‘17 av. des Coccinelles / Les Caillols / Marseille (XIIe) [France]’.
£850.00

Ghyka, who was grew up and was educated in France, settled in London after the Second World War, and is considered one of the most significant members of the Romanian diaspora. His main preoccupation was with geometry and mathematical aesthetics, and his publications on the subject were influential: the ‘first epiphany’ of theatre director Peter Brook ‘came while reading a book by the Romanian prince Matila Ghika while staying with Salvador Dalí in Spain’ (Guardian, 17 January 2010).

[C. Dudley Langford, chemist and mathematician whose discussion of ‘Langford pairing’ (Langford sequence) is of importance in computing.] Two Autograph Letters Signed to ‘Sir Richard [Dundas Hamilton]’, one about his health, the other about a theorem

Author: 
C. Dudley Langford [Charles Dudley Langford] (1905-1969), chemist and mathematician [Sir Richard Dundas Harington (1900-1981), 13th baronet]
Publication details: 
27 March and 2 October 1945; both from 16 Henrietta Street, Girvan, Ayrshire [Scotland].
£120.00

Langford trained as an industrial chemist and was a member of Royal Chemical Society. In later life he turned to mathematics, and published thirty articles in the Mathematical Gazette. One of these (‘Problem’) appeared in 1958 and concerned what came to be known as the Langford Sequence. Its significance is discussed by Martin Gardner, in his ‘Mathematical Magic Show’ (1978). Both items aged and creased, with closed tears, but with text complete and legible. Both are addressed to ‘Dear Sir Richard’ and signed ‘C Dudley Langford’. ONE: 3pp, 12mo. On two leaves.

[Sir George Biddell Airy, Astronomer Royal who established the Greenwich Meridian.] Autograph Letter Signed to ‘Francis Baily Esqre’, announcing a meeting of the 'Standard Commission'.

Author: 
Sir George Biddell Airy (1801-1892), mathematician and Astronomer Royal who established the Greenwich Meridian
Publication details: 
‘Royal Observatory Greenwich / 1851 Feb 8 [amended from ‘Jan 27’]’.
£50.00

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’.

[John Playfair, Scottish mathematician and geologist, Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh.] Autograph Inscription: ‘University of Edinh. / Mathematicks / by / John Playfair’, for William Fraser.

Author: 
John Playfair (1748-1819), Scottish mathematician and geologist, Church of Scotland cleric and Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh
Playfair
Publication details: 
November 1803. University of Edinburgh.
£56.00
Playfair

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On one side of 12 x 8 cm card. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Evidently removed from album, part of one of whose leaves is laid down on the reverse. Reads: ‘University of Edinh. / Mathematicks / by / John Playfair / Class 1. Novr. 1803 / For Mr William Fraser’.

[Augustus de Morgan] Autograph subscription to letter Signed.

Author: 
Augustus De Morgan [(1806?1871), mathematician and logician.]
Publication details: 
Univ[ersity] Coll[ege] Lond[on]. 16 Aug. 1848
£35.00

Clipped Subscription to letter, including signature, small closed tear (no loss of text), verson shows signs of having been glued onto (perhaps) an album page, writing clear.

[Mary Somerville, Scottish scientist after whom Somerville College, Oxford, is named.] Autograph Signature ('Yours truly | Mary Somerville') cut from letter.

Author: 
Mary Somerville [née Fairfax, sometime Greig] (1780-1872), Scottish scientist and author after whom Somerville College, Oxford, is named
Publication details: 
Without date or place.
£35.00

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. Since 2017 she has been depicted on the Scottish ten pound note. On 2.5 x 8.5 cm slip of paper, cut from letter. In good condition, lightly aged. Laid down on 4 x 9.5 cm piece of paper. Reads 'Yours truly | Mary Somerville'.

[George Dyer, classicist, poet, friend of Leigh Hunt and Charles Lamb.] Autograph Letter in the third person to bluestocking 'Miss Lousada' (Abigail Lousada), regarding letters he is writing, meeting Augustus De Morgan, and 'the little Mathematician'

Author: 
George Dyer (1755-1841), classicist, poet and editor of the 'Delphin Classics', friend of Leigh Hunt and Charles Lamb [Abigail Lousada (c.1772-1833); Augustus De Morgan, mathematician]
Publication details: 
No date or place.
£120.00

On 7.5 x 14 cm piece of laid paper, laid down on part of a leaf from an album. In fair condition, on aged and spotted paper. The letter reads: 'G Dr. respects to Miss Lusada - begs she will please to accept the enclosed - 3 more Letters will follow - wch. shall be sent. to Miss Lusada - Dr. is gone to dine with Mr. Morgan, who desires his Compts. and informs Miss L. that he will send to her soon the little Mathematician'. The recipient was in fact Abigail Lousada, the bluestocking daughter of Isaac Barrow Lousada [sic] of Devonshire Square.

[ Henry Richmond Droop, Victorian Mathematician. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('H. R. Droop') [ to E. Meyrick Goulburn, Dean of Norwich ], presenting a copy of his book 'The Edwardian Vestments', and discussing its contents. With the book itself.

Author: 
Henry Richmond Droop, M.A., of Lincoln's Inn, Barrister-at-Law; Formerly Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge [ H. R. Droop (1832-1884), mathematician ] [ Edward Meyrick Goulburn (1818-1897)]
Publication details: 
Letter: addressed from 1 New Square, Lincoln's Inn [ London ]. 1 February 1882. Book ('Reissued with supplementary notes.'): Published in London by Hatchards, Piccadilly, 1876.
£400.00

LETTER: 8pp., 12mo. On two bifoliums. In good condition, lightly aged, and tipped-in onto the half-title of Item Two below.

[ Eric Harold Neville, mathematician. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('E. H. Neville') to 'Sir Dundas' [i.e. Sir Richard Dundas Harington ]

Author: 
E. H. Neville [ Eric Harold Neville ] (1889-1961), English mathematician, of Trinity College Cambridge and the University of Reading, who convinced Srinivasa Ramanujan to come to England
Publication details: 
On letterhead of The Copse, Sonning on Thames. 26 October 1944.
£320.00

See W. J. Langford's glowing obituary of Neville (described as 'the greatest of them all' from a pedagogical point of view) in the Mathematical Gazette, May 1964. 2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. He begins by reassuring Harington that his books are 'safely here', but continues: 'I fear that every book I possess on numerical equations is on duty for the time being in the computing department of one of the RAF establishments.' He does not know of 'any book which gives an account of the processes actually used nowadays.

[ Thomas Simpson, English mathematician. ] Autograph Note Signed ('T. Simpson') to the London bookseller John Nourse

Author: 
Thomas Simpson (1710-1761), English mathematician, eponym of Simpson's Rule [ John Nourse of the Strand, London bookseller ]
Publication details: 
Without place or date.
£180.00

1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with central spike hole. Addressed on reverse to 'Mr Nourse | Bookseller | in the Strand.' He is sending '10 Copies of Geometry', and asks him to send 'the Book of Algebra and Mr. Walmsley's Book by the Bearers'.

[ John Hellins, astronomer. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('J. Hellins') to unnamed rercipient, regarding 'the silver medal for me from Mr. Glendinning, in Hatton Gardens', and the sending of books.

Author: 
John Hellins (d.1827), English mathematician and astronomer
Publication details: 
'Potter's-Pury' [ Potterspury, Northamptonshire ], 23 June 1803.
£220.00

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'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('S. P. Rigaud') from Stephen Peter Rigaud, Savilian Professor of Geometry at the University of Oxford, to Rev. W[illiam]. T[oovey]. Hopkins of Elmdon House, Coventry [Rector of Nuffield], explaining a mistake.in geometry.

Author: 
Stephen Peter Rigaud (1774-1839), mathematian and astronomer, successively Fellow of Exeter College, Savilian Professor of Geometry at the University of Oxford, and Savilian Professor of Astronomy
Publication details: 
Richmond; 28 January 1824.
£80.00

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Black wax seal adhering to reverse of second leaf, which is addressed, with postmarks, by Rigaud to 'Revd. W. T. Hopkins / Elmdon House / Coventry'. He explains, with two diagrams, a geometrical mistake by Hopkins, the letter beginning: 'Your difficulty arises entirely from your imagining that the squares of lines are proportionate to the lines themselves - This is by no means the case'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Olinthus Gregory') from the English mathematician Olinthus Gilbert Gregory to Knight Spencer, Secretary, Surrey Institution[, regarding a series of lectures by his friend John Mason Good]. With engraved portrait of Gregory.

Author: 
Olinthus Gregory [Olinthus Gilbert Gregory] (1774-1841), Mathematical Master, Royal Military Academy, Woolwich [Knight Spencer, Secretary, Surrey Insitution; John Mason Good (1764-1827), lecturer]
Publication details: 
Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. 26 March [1812].
£90.00

1p., 4to. Bifolium. Very good, on lightly-aged paper, with slight traces of mount on reverse of second leaf, which is addressed, with three postmarks and docketing by Spencer, to 'Knight Spencer Esq. | Surry [sic] Institution | Blackfriar's Road'. Gregory is pleased to learn 'that there is a probability of Mr. Jones being able to accommodate us with apparatus for our proposed Lectures, upon such terms as are likely to square pretty well with the funds of the Surry Institution'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Geo Sanderson') to Lowry.

Author: 
George Sanderson (c.1835-1814), English mathematician [Wilson Lowry (1762-1824), engraver]
Autograph Letter Signed ('Geo Sanderson') to Lowry.
Publication details: 
17 January 1803; Stanhope Street, London.
£225.00
Autograph Letter Signed ('Geo Sanderson') to Lowry.

8vo, 1 p. Text clear and complete. On aged and creased paper, with chipping to extremities. Thin strip of stub adhering to reverse, which carries the address in Sanderson's hand: 'Mr: Lowry | No: 57 | Tichfield St:'. He asks him to 'send the Books by the Bearer. | I find my self better & am in hopes of goeing out in a Day or two if weather permits'. He concludes by sending his compliments to Lowry's wife and daughters. Docketed in a contemporary hand at foot of page: 'One of the greatest Mathematicians of this country | Originally (and occasionally till his Death) a Taylor'.

Autograph Signature.

Author: 
Olinthus Gilbert Gregory (1774–1841), English mathematician
Publication details: 
Without date or place.
£23.00

Good firm signature on slip of paper roughly 2.5 x 10 cm. Laid down on slightly larger rectangle of grey paper cut down from leaf of autograph album. A little ruckled, otherwise very good.

Autograph Note Signed ('E. de Jonquieres'), on visiting card, to 'Monsieur Lalanne, Conservateur de la Bibliothèque de l'Institut'.

Author: 
Ernest de Jonquières (1820-1901), French naval officer and mathematician [Léon Lalanne [Léon Louis Chrétien Lalanne] (1811-1892), French engineer and mathematician]
Publication details: 
9 July 1886; Paris.
£56.00

Written on both sides of the card, dimensions 5.5 x 9 cm. Good, with a little light scuffing on the front. Communication between two leading lights of French nineteenth-century mathematics. Printed text reads 'VICE-AMIRAL DE JONQUIERES | MEMBRE DE L'INSTITUT | AVENUE BUGEAUD, 2'. Asks Lalanne to 'inscrire Monsieur Bonnaffé, lauréat de l'Institut, parmi les lecteurs'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Costaz') to 'Monsieur Dupont' and his son.

Author: 
Baron Louis Costaz (1767-1842), French mathematician and engineer
Publication details: 
19 October 1841; Mousseau.
£75.00

12mo, 1 p, 12 lines. Inviting 'M.M. Dupont, père et fils' to help him eat 'le civet d'un lievre qui a eu la Bêtise de se laisser tuer par une femme du hameau du Mousseau'.

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