[Manuscript notebook of an anonymous English plane spotter, containing detailed entries of planes coming in to various airports in southern England between 1947 and 1950. In notebook containing publicity material for the Ingersoll-Rand Co. Ltd.]

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. Typical of the hundreds of entries (many of which have red dots to the left, or/and blue ticks to the right) are the first three: 'G - AGAK Hirtenberg H.S. 9A (57/307) J.H. Davies Esq Filton | G - AGAU G.A.L. 42 Cygnet II Cowes Aero Club Ltd. | G - AGAX G.A.L. 42 Cygnet II R.C. Cox, Chobham (Esher 8/3/49)'. Loosely inserted are two 4to bifoliums with pencil manuscript, the first (3 pp) headed 'London Airport (Saturday, 30/8/47 - listing planes seen on that day inc. King's Flight, BOAC (6 planes), Skyways Ltd, etc))' and the second (4 pp) headed 'Elstree (Sunday, 27/7/47)'. At the rear of the volume is an attractive 62-page illustrated Ingersoll-Rand publicity manual on art paper, giving details of the company's various products ('the world's largest manufacturers of air compressors and pneumatic tools'). Not my subject, but this looks like a very valuable record.