SCIENTIFIC

Three Autograph Letters Signed (all three 'Norman Lockyer') to 'Farquhar'.

Author: 
Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer (1836-1920), English scientist and astronomer, co-discoverer of helium gas [Norman Lockyer Observatory; Harrogate]
Publication details: 
9, 11 and 19 August 1900; first letter from 16 Penywern Road, London SW; second on letterhead of the Solar Physics Observatory, South Kensington, London; third on letterhead of Marine House, Whitley, R.S.O., Northumberland.
£85.00

The first and second letters are both 12mo, 2 pp; the third is 12mo, 1 p. The first and third are good, on lightly aged paper; the second has some smoke staining to top and bottom outside corners. All text clear and entire. The letters concern Farquhar's efforts, as a 'friendly service' on Lockyer's behalf, to get a room in Harrogate. References to the Majestic and Prince of Wales hotels, and to 'Oliver' (perhaps J. A. W. Oliver?).

Autograph Letter Signed ('L. Lalanne') to 'Monsieur Sisson' ('Mon cher capitaine').

Author: 
Léon Lalanne [Léon Louis Chrétien Lalanne] (1811-1892), French engineer and mathematician [or, I'm told, his brother!]
Publication details: 
9 February [no year]; no place.
£56.00

12mo, 2 pp, 11 lines. Concerns the 'porteur de ce billet', a 'M. Laudet', who has been the victim of 'un affreux malentendu'. 'Le malheureux perdait sa femme au moment où il manquait une garde'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Peter Clare, Secretary.') to unnamed male correspondent.

Author: 
Peter Clare, Secretary, The Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester [John Dalton; John James Tayler; Eaton Hodgkinson; John Eddowes Bowman]
Publication details: 
18 September 1839; 'Society's Rooms George Street Manchester'.
£56.00

12mo, 1 p, 10 lines. Forwarding a copy of a resolution passed by a meeting of the Society's Council on 17 September. The five line transcription of the resolution reads: 'Resolved That the following Gentlemen form the Printing Committee for the present year. Dr. Dalton [John Dalton (1766-1844), chemist], Rev. John James Tayler, Peter Clare, Eaton Hodgkinson [(1789-1861), engineer], John Davies & John Eddowes Bowman [botanist].'

Two Autograph Letters Signed and two Typed Letters Signed, to "Mr Epps", writing on behalf of the "S.E. Union" (natural history society?).

Author: 
[Gregory, Sir Richard Arman] R.A. Gregory, sometime Editor of "Nature"
Publication details: 
[Printed heading] The Manor House, Middleton-on-Sea, Near Bognor Regis, 19 Feb. 1945-5 April 1947.
£150.00

Total 7pp., 8vo, some sunning, creasing, but texts clear and complete. (1945) Epps has alerted him to the "position of the S.E. Union in relation to teh proposal to make Pagham Harbour . . . a Nature Reserve". He explains his position and involvement (a reluctant "leader") and what was happening, including problems with current buildings and landowners. He needs to examine the "map". (1945) He thanks Epps for a pamphlet on Nature Conservation in GB and will arrange for the County Planning Officer to see it.

Typed Letter Signed ('R. E. Slade') to K. W. Luckhurst, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts; with carbon of Luckhursts reply.

Author: 
Roland Edgar Slade (died 1968), physicist and vice-chairman of ICI
Publication details: 
21 January 1952, on letterhead Tednambury, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. Luckhurst's reply dated 23 January 1952.
£38.00

Letter, 4to, 1 p, 12 lines. On lightly aged and spotted paper, with pin holes in top left-hand corner. Docketed in blue ink. Slade is 'very pleased with the re-prints': 'I think these three Essays go very well together.' Suggests that a copy be sent to the Secretary of the National Farmers' Union: 'tell him the terms on which he can have extra copies if he wants them to circulate amongst members of committees'. The carbon of Luckhurst's reply, on green paper, is 8vo, 1 p, 15 lines. 'We have been in touch with the N.F.U. [...] Do you think that I.C.I.

One Autograph Letter Signed, one Typed Letter Signed, one Autograph Note Signed and one Typed Note Signed (all 'E. N. da C. Andrade'), to G. K. Menzies (3) and K. W. Luckhurst (1), Secretaries, Royal Society of Arts, with carbon of one reply.

Author: 
Professor Edward Neville da Costa Andrade (1887-1971), English physicist, poet and historian of science
Publication details: 
1931, 1932, 1933 and 1948; the autograph letter on letterhead of 69 Exeter Road, London N.W.2, and the other three items on University College, University of London letterheads.
£120.00

All items good. Two bearing the Society's stamp. Item One (typed note, 15 October 1931, 4to, 1 p): He is sending 'short summaries of the two lectures, in a form which I prefer to mere headings'. Item Two (autograph letter, 17 January 1932, 8vo, 1 p): He is sending 'summaries of the two lectures'. 'As you seemed in a hurry I have not waited to have them typed. I think that they are legible, but I will look at a proof if you like.' He has left it to Menzies 'to add any preliminaries or conclusions that may be necessary'.

Offprint of article entitled 'Protection Against Lightning. What is a lightning conductor? How does it protect against lightning? And how should it be applied to be effective?'

Author: 
Alfred Hands [J. W. Gray & Son, Lightning Conductor Experts]
Publication details: 
Reprinted from "The Field" newspaper, May 16th, 1914.'
£28.00

8vo: ii + 14 pp. Unbound. Stapled and in original brown printed wraps. Very good on art paper. Six photographic illustrations, including 'Clothing of a man struck by lightning' and 'Farm-house at Whaddon, near Stamford, struck and practically wrecked by lightning.' Hands is described as 'Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society, Member of the Astronomical Society of France, Senior Partner of J. W.

Autograph Letter Signed ('P. Lorain | Professeur à la Faculté de Médecine de Paris') to unnamed male correspondent. In French.

Author: 
Paul Lorain (1827-1875), Medical Examiner and Professor of the History of Medicine and Surgery at the Faculté de Médecine de Paris
Publication details: 
18 July 1873; Assay le Rideau, Loire.
£45.00

8vo: 1 p. On grubby, creased, discoloured paper, with chipping and slight loss to extremities. In French. As a result of the bad state of his health he is forced to live far from Paris and will not be able to accept the invitiation of the British Medical Assocation. The writer will soon receive the replies of those of Lorain's colleagues who have also been invited.

Autograph Letter Signed to the English mineralogist and geologist William Phillips (1775-1828).

Author: 
Henry Kater (1777-1835), English physicist of German descent
Publication details: 
23 May 1823; Union Place, Regent's Park [London].
£80.00

12mo: 2 pp. Very good. Addressed to 'Mr. W. Phillips' on otherwise-blank second leaf of bifolium, which carries traces of previous mount. Acknowledges 'the obliging present' of Phillips's 'valuable work on mineralogy' (the influential 'Outline of the Geology of England and Wales', 1822, written with William Conybeare).

Autograph Letter Signed to Mrs Sartoris, 27 Chapel Street, London.

Author: 
Mary Somerville (1780-1872), Scottish scientist after whom Somerville College, Oxford is named
Publication details: 
15 July [postmarked 1844, with Penny Red stamp]; 14 Lower Belgrave St, Eaton Square [London].
£100.00

16mo: 3 pp. A small bifolium (each leaf 10.5 x 9 cms) on aged paper. Discoloured strip at foot of first leaf, containing four lines of text and the signature, cut away and reattached with archival tissue, with damage to two words (not in signature). Second leaf with minor damage through breaking of seal. Good Penny Red stamp, postmarked in black, and second red postmark. The earliest she can accept the dinner invitation is the following Wednesday.

Autograph Note Signed ('Tho. Graham') to 'Mr. Schultze | Poland Street', printer.

Author: 
Thomas Graham (1805-1869), Scottish chemist and Master of the Mint
Publication details: 
4 Gordon Square [London]; 9 June 1851.
£56.00

One page, octavo. Carefully laid down on neatly-docketed larger piece of paper, but with the glue employed badly aged and causing staining. Closed tear across letter caused by removal from spike. Signature clear and unmarked. Reads 'Dear Sir, | I believe it will be better to set up the enclosed proofs, in sheets in the usual manner. The remainder of the Report will be sent immediately.'

Autograph Note Signed ('T Redwood') to unnamed recipient.

Author: 
Theophilus Redwood (1806-1892), Welsh analytical chemist, Professor of Pharmacy at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Theophilus Redwood
Publication details: 
19 Montague Street, Russell Square [London]; 26 March 1889.
£36.00
Theophilus Redwood

One page, 12mo. Blind stamped monogram at head. Text clear and entire, but on heavily damp-stained paper. Reads 'The enclosed is to be inserted in the Journal of the Chemical Society among the Proceedings.'

The Theory of Chances, or The Modern Development of the Rules of Probability; with some notes regarding 'probabilities' in the game of roulette at Monte Carlo.

Author: 
James McGowan, FIA, formerly Government Actuary to the South African Government [Gambling; Roulette; Monte Carlo; Theory of Probability]
Publication details: 
London: Lamley & Co. 1, 3, and 5 Exhibition Road, South Kensington. [Printed at the Oxford University Press by Frederick Hall.]
£120.00

Small octavo: 31 pages. Unbound and stapled. Very good, in grubby original pink printed wraps. According to one authority McGowan is the 'first fully qualified actuary in South Africa of whom there is record [becoming] Cape Government Actuary of the former Cape Colony in 1890'. COPAC (under mispelt name "MacGowan") only recordds the BL copy.

Certificate in favor of R. Battley | Elected a Fellow 9 Nov 1827', signed by Frost, Yarrell and William Newman

Author: 
Richard Battley (1770-1856), English chemist; William Yarrell (1784-1856), English zoologist; John Frost (1803-40), founder of the Medico-Botanical Society.
Publication details: 
London; 12 October 1827.
£85.00

One page, roughly eleven inches by eight. On aged paper, with fraying to extremites affecting one word of text. 'Richard Battley Esqre. of Fore Street Cripplegate a Gentleman very conversant in several branches of science particularly Vegetable Chemistry and Pharmacy being desirous of becoming a Fellow of the Medico Botanical Society of London | We whose names are hereunto subscribed do recommend him as highly deserving of that honor & likely to pr an useful and valuable member.' Signed 'J Frost', 'Wm. Yarrell' and 'Wm. Newman'.

Typed Letter Signed to the editor of the Journal of the Rontgen Society.

Author: 
Sir Richard Arman Gregory, Professor of Astronomy, Queen's College, London (1864-1952)
Publication details: 
25 July 1918; on letterhead of the British Science Guild (British Scientific Products Exhibition, 1918).
£33.00

Signed 'R. A. Gregory'. One page, folio. Good, with one dogeared corner. Bearing the stamp of the Royal Society of Arts. Circular letter referring to an enclosure (not present) relating to an exhibition which 'will shew that by the combination of science and industry we have done nearly as much in four years of war as the Germans did in the preceding forty. More than 250 manufacturers are sending exhibits, and the Air Ministry will make a large display, as well as the Food Production Department.' Asks for 'a sympathetic editorial note or article'.

Two Typed Letters Signed, the first to G. K. Menzies, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts, the second to S. Digby, R.S.A.

Author: 
Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti
Publication details: 
12 January 1918, on letterhead 'HOLLINWOOD, | LANCASHIRE'; 23 August 1918, on letterhead 'FERRANTI LIMITED, | ELECTRICAL & GENERAL ENGINEERS, | HOLLINWOOD, | LANCASHIRE.'
£95.00

British scientist (1864-1930); patented the Ferranti alternator, 1882; chief electrician to the London Electric Supply Corporation. Both items one page, quarto. Both very good, though dusty; one with small pinholes in one corner. Both bearing the R.S.A. stamp, and one docketed. ITEM ONE: He has received Menzies letter of 11 January, 'from which I note that you are sending me one dozen copies of Mr.

Autograph Letter 'To the Editor', entitled 'Phrenology', and signed 'Apollonius'.

Author: 
PHRENOLOGY [Wiveliscombe; Somerset Country Gazette]
Publication details: 
Wiveliscombe Decr 18th, 1840'.
£65.00

Two pages, quarto. On a discoloured piece of brittle, thin wove paper, with some fraying, several closed tears and a little loss (affecting three words). A long, able and closely-written defence of the discipline. '[...] | X appears decidedly opposed to an alarmed at the science, and feels himself awfully degraded with the comparisons drawn by Phrenologists between the human species and the lower animals - that they should exist, breathe, and partake of, in a limited degree, corresponding qualities with the human race.

Autograph Letter Signed to Thomas Archer. [Humphry Davy].

Author: 
William Thomas Brande
Publication details: 
6 January 1843; Royal Mint.
£150.00

English chemist (1788-1866) who succeeded Sir Humphrey Davy as Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution (1813). Two pages, octavo. Very good, though lightly creased and with remains of previous mount adhering to one edge. Begins 'I have no doubt that much fraud is committed by the substitution of spiritious liquors of different strengths, for what is called woodspirit and wood naphtha'.

Four Autograph Letters Signed and one Typed Letter Signed to G[eorge]. K[enneth]. Menzies, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
William Arthur Bone [THE COAL INDUSTRY]
Publication details: 
31 Oct. 1913 and 6 Feb., 2 March, and 5 and 12 Oct. 1919.; the first three on Imperial College of Science and Technology letterhead, the fourth from St Albans and the fifth from Stockton on Tees.
£80.00

English scientist (1871-1938), Professor of Chemical Technology at the Imperial College of Science and Technology. All items quarto and very good, though lightly grubby, creased and stained in places. All five docketed and bearing the Society's stamp. LETTER ONE (one page): He will be happy to give 'a course of Cantor lectures [...] on the subject of "Surface Construction" provided that you will put in the requisite gas & air services at your cost for the practical Demonstration'.

Twelve Typed Letters Signed to the Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Percy Dunsheath
Publication details: 
Between 28 October 1925 and 30 June 1926; all on letterhead 'W. T. HENLEY'S TELEGRAPH WORKS COMPANY, LIMITED. | RESEARCH DEPARTMENT. | Gravesend, | Kent.'
£120.00

English electrical engineer and research scientist and writer (1886-1979), Member of the Senate, University of London. All items one page, quarto. All but one very good; one item discoloured and creased at head, and with several closed tears. All signed 'P Dunsheath' and most docketed or bearing the Society's stamp. The letters concern a lecture at the Society Dunsheath agreed to give following a conversation with Sir George Sutton entitled 'Science in the Cable Industry'. Dunsheath suggests that L. B.

Tables astronomiques publiées par le Bureau des Longitudes de France. Tables de la lune, par M. Burckhardt.

Author: 
Johann Karl Burckhardt [Bureau des Longitudes, Paris]
Publication details: 
Paris: Mme Ve Courcier, Imprimeur-Libraire pour les Mathématiques, Quai des Augustins, No. 57. Décembre 1812.
£200.00

Burckhardt (1773-1825) was a German astronomer, who first computed the orbits of a number of comets. First and only edition. Quarto. Pages: viii + 88. A rare survival, but in very poor condition: grubby, creased, stained and frayed at edges. In remains of makeshift wraps. Text perfectly legible throughout. Some scholarly annotations in pencil and pen.

Typed Note Signed to G. K. Menzies, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
William Henry Patchell
Publication details: 
12 August 1922; on letterhead '64, Victoria Street, | Westminster, | London, S.W.1.'
£28.00

British engineer (1862-1932), President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and for thirteen years 'Engineer-in-Chief, Charing Cross, West End, and City Electric Supply Corporation, Ltd'. One page, quarto. Very good. Thanks Menzies for a copy of the Society's journal, 'including Dr. Crowley's Paper with my contribution'. Signed 'W. H. Patchell'.

Autograph Letter Signed to [Anne,] Lady Brodie.

Author: 
Sir Robert Harry Inglis
Publication details: 
7 Bedford Square | Jan. 30. 1854'.
£28.00

British Tory politician (1786-1855). The recipient was the wife of the noted surgeon Sir Benjamin Brodie the elder (1783-1862). He thanks her for 'the valuable present which you have conveyed to me through Lady Inglis. The subject is one of the deepest interest; and your honoured father ['Serjeant Sellon, a lawyer of repute', according to the DNB] will have treated it with corresponding devotion as well as learning'. He sends his regards to her husband, and signs 'Robert H. Inglis'.

On the observations made with a rigid specteoscope, by Captain Mayne and Mr. Connor, on a voyage to the Straits of Magellan.

Author: 
J. P. Gassiot, F.R.S.
Publication details: 
London: presentation copy to John Tyndall of the Royal Institution of offprint from the 'Proceedings of the Royal Society', No. 94, 1867.
£45.00

8 leaves, 8vo, paginated [5-6] 7-19 [1]. Stitched: in contemporary brown plain wraps. In good condition, though folded in half lengthwise and with wraps rather grubby. Inscription reads 'Dr Tyndall FRS &c &c | from J P G'.

Typed Letter Signed to F. R. McQuown.

Author: 
Ian William Beresford Nye
Publication details: 
15 September 1964, on letterhead of the British Museum (Natural History), Department of Entomology.
£35.00

Entomologist (1924-), author of the monumental 'Generic names of moths of the world' (6 vols, 1975-91). The recipient is the author of several works on gardening. 1 page, 8vo. In good condition, but creased and with one closed tear and with sellotape stains at head and foot. He thanks his correspondent for the letter of 10 September enclosing a caterpillar, and compliments him on its preservation. '[I]t is in perfect condition for determination. It is very difficult to preserve the green coloration, as in life.' He identifies the specimen as a cabbage moth.

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