Science, Medicine and Technology

Strip of paper, 3 x 10.5 cm, removed from letter for inclusion in an autograph collection. Good, on lightly-aged light-blue paper. Laid down on strip of cream paper. Reads '<...> believe me dear Lestock | as ever, Yours faithfully | F Beaufort'. Neatly docketed in a contemporary hand in the bottom left-hand corner 'Sir F. Beaufort'. Text on reverse reads '<...> to poor Sneyd I can <...> advice to him, short of <...> filling the plan he had <...> and getting him (at <...>'.

12mo, 2 pp. good, on aged paper, but with slight damage along the inner edge as a result of removal from stub. Text entirely legible. Docketed 'Professor Tyndall' in a contemporary hand at foot of second page. He wishes he 'could respond to half the invitations for which I am indebted to the kind acts of my friends'. The 'duties now pressing' on him 'render this literally impossible'. 'All I can do under the circumstances is to wish success to your young society'.

All five items in good condition, with a little rust spotting from a staple. A little wear to the edge of item two, not affecting text. Four of the five stamped with Horton's call sign '2AHN'. Item One: a printed leaflet (4to, 2 pp), dated GENERAL POST OFFICE, | London | March, 1939.', headed 'B | EXPERIMENTS IN WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY | [...] | AUTHORITY FOR SENDING AND RECEIVING | SUMMARY OF CONDITIONS OF ISSUE | NOTE. - All sending stations must also be equipped for reception'. Item Two: Typewritten copy of Horton's 'Application for Experimental Licence 25th.

Six of the letters are 4to, 1 p; the other is 12mo, 1 p. All good, on lightly aged paper. All bearing the Society's stamp and most docketed. On a variety of subjects: a proposed paper by 'Herr Frahm', the use by the Institution of the Royal Society's library for a council meeting, the delivery to the Society of a 'model tank that is coming from Germany' ('the reader of the paper is sending his representative over from Germany to superintend matters'), and a 'Proposed Memorial to the late Sir William White' ('with reference to Mr. Bailey Saunders and Mr. C. R. Graves.

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?).

Attractive image roughly eleven inches by ten wide, captioned 'VIEW OF THE INTERIOR OF THE GREAT INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION, DUBLIN - OPENED MAY 12, 1853.' On piece of paper roughly fourteen and a half inches by eleven. Good on light-foxed aged paper with two neat vertical folds (perhaps indicating removal from a book). At foot of page list of twelve measurements of the 'PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS OF THE BUILDING', from 'Main Frontage' to 'Width of Outer Gallery'.

12mo, 2 pp, 13 lines. Good, on lightly aged paper. He is sending his reply (not present) to an article by André Beaumier 'qui me concerne (Figaro du 11 mars)'. The question of university reform is important and 'à l'ordre du jour', consequently he asks his correspondent to make use of his reply. Fouillee was, according to J. A. Scott, 'the founder of French solidarist philosophy'. Loosely inserted in blue paper folder with catalogue entry for the previous sale of the item laid down on front.

16mo, 3 pp. Text clear and entire on aged, creased paper. In French. He was not able to go to the Académie on the day the tickets were distributed for the 'Séance annuelle des beaux arts'. He asks for his two tickets to be sent to his friend 'M. Canon', a professor at the Ecole Polytechnique. Canon's address ('29 Rue Jean de Beauvais') in another hand on otherwise-blank verso of second leaf of bifolium.

One of the letters is 4to, 2 pp; ten are 4to, 1 p; and one is foolscap, 1 p. The collection is in good condition, on lightly aged paper. Many of the letters are docketed and most bear the Society's dated stamp. Written in the capacity of Secretary of the Aeronautical Society, and editor of its 'Official Organ - The Aeronautical Journal'. Topics include the hiring of the Royal Society's hall for two series of talks to the Aeronautical Society. Faraday also discusses the details of a lecture by 'Mr.

4to, 1 p, 18 lines. Addressed on verso of second leaf of bifolium. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper with a few closed tears along folds. Written in French. He regrets that he cannot respond to the appeal that Tessier has made on behalf of the Société des Inventeurs. When he retired from business he thought he would have 'des moments de loisir', but the experience of each day teaches him the contrary, and his time has never been so occupied.

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'.

4to, 1 p, 8 lines. Good, on lightly aged paper. Small indentation from paperclip in margin. Reads 'Monsieur Alcan prie Monsieur Delacroix de remettre au porteur le Testament (tissé) de Louis XVI, dont il a besoin pour le cours de ce soir au conservatoire des Arts et metier. | le preparateur du cours | Ernest Stamm | Paris le 13 fevrier 1860'. Loosely inserted in blue paper wraps with slip of an entry for the letter from a French autograph catalogue, misattributing it to Stamm.

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].'

16mo (13 x 10.5 cm), 1 p, 8 lines of text. Good. Ordering a geographical work and referring (obscurely) to words with an arab flavour (hard to read).

12mo bifolium: 1 p. 11 lines of text. Address and docketing on second leaf. Good, but with 1 cm hole in first leaf of bifolium, possibly caused by breaking open of blue wafer, which still adheres. Hole causing loss to two words, including latter part of signature. Asks the recipient 'de remettre a Mr. Pousin conducteur des ponts et chaussees, un double demi metre en Cuivre et un metre en cuivre avec quatre petites roulettes pointilles'. He will pay for the order in a few days time.

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.

The collection is in good condition. Three of the communications bear the stamp of the Royal Society of Arts, of which the recipient Wood was the Secretary.

4to: 1 p. Very good. 18 lines. Concerns a 'lecture by Dr. D. A. Allan' (Douglas Alexander Allan, writer of several works on museums and exhibitions). 'It is very regrettable that Dr. Allan made the statements which he did without confirmation. They were completely erroneous and on the day following he called here and expressed his regrets at the incident. He has now full particulars in skeleton form regarding the activities of this Museum'.

4to: 1 p. Very good on the first leaf of a bifolium. A third quarto leaf carries the address, in Dampier's hand, with his franking signature 'free | T. Rochester.' Also the oval seal, c.3 cm high, a clear impression in red wax. 24 lines of text. Interesting letter. Dampier begins by thanking Adams for 'your Congratulations to me on my Promotion to the See of Rochester.

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.

On three pages of a foolscap bifolium, supplied by J. Warner & Co., Law Stationer of New Oxford Street, ruled and with red borders. Good, on lightly stained paper. On 25 July 1912 Mohr and Friedrich Hansen 'made an application for a Patent for an improvement in the process of the manufacture of a filament for an electric incandescent lamp (at present known as the "Boran Lamp") accompanied by a complete specification at the Patent Office', but the application has not yet been accepted.

8vo: 3 pp. Bifolium. Very good. Written in French. After an 'etude attentive de rapport de M.M. de Lacretelle et Millas et des autres documents en ma possession' on the Exposition's foreign returns he finds 'certaines lacunes et certains points douteux' concerning which he hopes Berger can enlighten him. He gives a list of seventeen officially-participating countries, each with the subsidy it has received in francs, complaining that 'huit de ces chiffres sont douteux'. This is followed by a similar list of six countries which did not participate officially.

Wortmann - whose 'Das Gesetz Des Kosmos' (1965) is considered a cosmological masterpiece - corresponded with Hermann Hesse, and was the only modern author to be described by him as a master of the Glass Bead Game. The Sacred Science Institute in America is presently working with Wortmann's family to bring out an edition of his work. The collection is discoloured with age and some leaves are slightly dog-eared, but the whole is in good condition.

4to. Pages: viii + 103. Appendix consisting of nine detailed actuarial tables. Tight copy, in grubby, stained and worn printed paper boards. From the library of the librarian of the Medical Society of London, Nehemiah Asherson, and with the Society's oval stamp on the verso of the title. Small circular label on front board.

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.

4to: 2 pp. Eleven lines. Good, on lightly creased and discoloured paper. Column of printed advertisements in left-hand margin of first page, which is headed by a printed description of d'Olincourt's qualifications, enclosed in an engraving of a jumble of disparate items including a book-press, beehive, scientific instruments, laurel wreath and sailing mast. He has begun to publish an 'immense ouvrage d'architecture', and he hopes Bance will subscribe for a number of copies which he will be able to sell 'chez vos clients'.

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).

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.

Octavo: 18 pp. Unbound: stabbed and unstitched. First leaf and leaves with pp. 15/16 and 17/18 loose. Leaves with pp.3/4 and 15/16 half-separated. Paper discoloured and chipping at edges. Extends to 918 lots. The odd number of leaves implies the loss of a final leaf, possibly bearing text. Stamp of the Public Library Ford Collection. Docketing in pencil notes a duplicate at the New York Public Library. No other copy traced.

Disbound, 27pp., cr. 8vo, plus one page of illustrations (four varieties of waterspouts (oceanic phenomenon like tornadoes), minor defects but mainly good condition. The text is mainly in Latin but one substantial footnote is a quotation from an English periodical, and the dedication and another substantial footnote are in Swedish. The footnotes reflect the paucity of material concerning this phenomenon, presumably not mentioning Benjamin Franklin's contribution to the study because it hadn't yet been published (?).