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  General History

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BRIGHT, John. English orator and radical statesman. AUTOGRAPH QUOTE SIGNED, 1 page, Jan 30, 1883, 4" x 4". "Tis greatly wise to talk with our past-hours and ask them what report they bore to Heaven, and how they might have borne more welcome news ..." Very good condition. Bright (1811-89) engaged in free trade agitation and in movements for financial reform, electoral reform, and religious freedom. BOOKID0044 $40.00

Among the great orators of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, no one stands out more prominently than John Bright, with the exception of Mr. [William E.] Gladstone. Bright's twenty-five years of representation for Birmingham was celebrated at the time with great enthusiasm. This great statesman was born at Greenbank, England, and after receiving an ordinary education, he entered the business of his father — a firm of wool spinners. In 1839 he distinguished himself by becoming a vigorous member of the anti-Corn-Law league. He was a representative for the city of Durham from 1843 to 1847, after which he was returned to parliament from Manchester. The indignation which was felt against the "peace-at-any-price" party led to his rejection by Manchester, but was soon after elected to represent Birmingham, which position he still holds. During the civil war in this country [the United States], Mr. Bright was prominent among English statesmen as a champion of the Union, and to this day he holds the gold-headed cane of Lincoln as a token of the esteem the martyred president felt for him. His views on politics at home have been largely incorporated in recent legislation. So averse to war is he that he resigned from the cabinet prior to Alexandria's bombardment.

— From T. Harrington, Prominent Men and Women of the Day, 1888

CARLSSON, Ingvar. Prime Minister of Sweden (1986-91). TYPED NOTE SIGNED, approx. 4-1/4" x 6" UNICEF Holiday Card with pictorial cover; opens to typed (not pre-printed) note inside: "My very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year" with ink signature of Ingvar Carlsson. Very good condition.  BOOKID0047  $25.00

CONACHER, J.B., ABERDEEN COALITION, 1852-1855; A STUDY IN MID-NINETEENTH-CENTURY PARTY POLITICS, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1968) VG/G- (owner sig. fep, otherwise very clean and bright inside; Brodarted dj). 604pp. + xiv, indexed. Scarce copy of the arguably definitive account of a crucial 19th-century English government and its reforms. Describes the coalition's formation, Cabinet membership, legislative achievements (including: Gladstone's famous budget settling the income tax; the India Act, and reform legislation). Also surveys the administration's routine problems, and examines in some detail England's involvement in the Crimean War, the failure of the government's plans and its subsequent and sudden collapse in January 1855. A scholarly yet highly readable book that includes a remarkable amount of useful detail. Central figures in the book: Prime Minister Aberdeen, Aberdeen's Whig colleague Lord John Russell, Home Secretary Palmerston, Foreign Secretary Clarendon, and William E. Gladstone, who engineered the coalition's greatest parliamentary successes. Treatment of Gladstone's famous 1853 budget is especially interesting.  BOOKID0068  $95.00

CARLSSON, Ingvar. Prime Minister of Sweden (1986-91). TYPED NOTE SIGNED, approx. 4-1/4" x 6" UNICEF Holiday Card with pictorial cover; opens to typed (not pre-printed) note inside: "My very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year" with ink signature of Ingvar Carlsson. Very good condition.  BOOKID0047  $25.00

Curtis was lead defense lawyer for President ANDREW JOHNSON during Johnson’s impeachment trial in the Senate in 1868. "[Curtis’s] speech opening the President’s defense was his greatest forensic effort," notes the DAB, "displaying the dignity, coolness, and clarity which marked his style, and was admitted by his opponent Butler to have so thoroughly presented Johnson’s case that nothing more was added throughout the trial."

Later, as a U.S. Supreme Court associate justice, Curtis wrote a lengthy dissenting opinion and then resigned from the high tribunal to protest the majority ruling in the Dred Scott case (1857) — one of the most (in)famous cases in American history. In that case, the court majority held that Negro slaves were not citizens in the sense contemplated by the Constitution. Many believe the majority's Dredd Scott ruling hastened the onset of the Civil War.

This letter addresses a legal dispute involving Stoughton's client, Robert Lawton Thurston, American pioneer manufacturer of steam engines. Thurston had sued George H. Corliss, alleging infringement of Thurston’s patent for a “drop cut-off” device (invented by Frederick E. Sickels but purchased by Thurston). The case eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court (Taney presiding), and the court decided in favor of Corliss. Curtis's letter reads, in part,

"I enclose a draft of a letter to the Chief Justice [Taney]. If you approve it, please have a copy made & send it to Mr Thurston ... I will hand his reply with our letter to the Chief Justice ... I recd your letter about the General & shall be glad to assist if I can. I will see Senator Foote as early as I am able ... I must think the Senator entirely mistaken in supposing I can exert any influence in the matter..."

Sources:  DAB, CDAB. || Return to Top ||

GLADSTONE, William E., English Prime Minister, AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED, Downing Street, dated 11 April 1853 on the third of three pages. 8vo. Light fold marks, trace of mounting on the blank reverse side of second leaf, otherwise good condition. Docketed on the final blank page: "Chancellor of Exchequer 11 April 1853." This letter is part of what may arguably be called one of the swiftest and most radical socioeconomic shifts in British history: Gladstone’s visionary financial blueprint that altered the well-being of every working family in England practically overnight. Among other things, Gladstone’s plan lifted the burden of taxation from "the humbler classes" and levied it across all classes of English society. Gladstone wrote this urgent request for financial advice as Chancellor of the Exchequer before introducing his sensitive and closely guarded budget to Parliament on 18 April 1853. —SOLD—

If you needed something done — something important, something tough — you sent Hope Grant. He racked up a battlefield record second to no one. That he survived the Sikh Wars and 1857 mutiny in India was itself a miracle, for an account of his campaigns and feats reads like a history of the wars themselves — he seemed to be everywhere, often in fiercely contested hand-to-hand combat. Everywhere Grant accomplished what he was sent to do, often more, often against great odds (being outnumbered tenfold never stopped him):  the desperately contested battles of Chillianwallah and Goojerat; Umballa, Delhi (twice), Lucknow (twice), Cawnpore, Mossa Bagh, Koorsie, the Baree road, Sirsee, Sooltanpore, Trans-Ghorgra ... it's a very lengthy list. Click on Grant's name above to see his biography page.

HOOK, Theodore E. (1788-1841), AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED, nd, 3pp, 8vo. Signed with initials. VG. English playwright, humorist extraordinary, and novelist; son of James Hook, English composer. Noticed in DNB.  BOOKID0043  $75.00

Theodore Hook achieved celebrity while still a boy, writing 13 successful comic operas and melodramas (1805-11), as a punster and matchless improvisatore, and as a practical joker — his greatest performance the Berners Street Hoax of 1809. He rapidly became the most renowned practical joker of the 19th century, as signified decades after his death by the publication of books about his escapades, books such as The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bon Mots, Puns and Hoaxes of Theodore Hook. In 1812 Hook was given the post of treasurer to Mauritius, where he fared gloriously until a grave deficiency was discovered in the public accounts. Hook, ascribing the “unfortunate defalcation” to a clerk who had committed suicide, was arrested and sent, nearly penniless, to England to stand trial. Though criminal proceedings against him were dropped, he was pronounced a crown debtor to the tune of £12,000 — whereupon he was rearrested. Hook was later released from the King’s Bench but not from the debt, which he made no effort to repay. Meanwhile, he had started the Tory John Bull and the New Monthly Magazine (1836-41). His last years were devoted to a series of clever humorous novels. He was one of the most successful writers of the "Fashionable Novel," or "Silver Fork" novel, which focused on the lives of the rich and famous. (DNB; Chambers [1984])

McCORMACK, John W. Speaker of U.S. House of Representatives. TYPED LETTER SIGNED, 1948, 1p, 4to. To Congressman Phil J. Philbin (Mass.), regarding appointment of Leo Doherty (position not stated). Says “I am not giving the appointment even a thought because I feel this will depend on the results of the election.” Staple holes at top, o/w VG. Signed “John.” McCormack (1891-1980), a Liberal Democrat, was a skilled tactician, ascending to majority leader and minority whip before becoming Speaker of the House (1961-69), in which positions he proved a loyal supporter of presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. First elected to Congress in 1928, McCormack served without interruption to 1970; helped draft 1935 Social Security Act; led fight against Nazism and Communism; first Catholic Speaker of the House. (CDAB)  BOOKID0039  $25.00

McCORMACK, John W. Speaker of U.S. House of Representatives. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED, 1 page, February 10, 1974, approximately 6” x 9” on his personal letterhead, Boston, Massachusetts, to Canadian John Buchanan, thanking him for his letter and sending him Christmas greetings. Very good condition. Born in Boston, McCormack (1891-1980), a Liberal Democrat, was a skilled tactician, ascending to majority leader and minority whip before becoming Speaker of the House (1961-69), in which positions he proved a loyal supporter of presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. First elected to Congress in 1928, McCormack served without interruption to 1970; helped draft 1935 Social Security Act; led fight against Nazism and Communism; first Catholic Speaker of the House. (CDAB)  BOOKID0041 $25.00

NORTON, C.E. (1827-1908), American writer, editor, educator. AUTOGRAPH APPLICATION for Sanders Theatre Concerts, Harvard University. 1-page application form for 1893-94 season tickets, filled in and signed in brown ink, indicating seating preferences, and with theater layout printed on reverse side. Norton, in his popular lectures, interpreted European culture to generations of Harvard University students. From 1873 to 1897 he was professor of art history at Harvard. One of his most famous works was a translation of Dante's Divine Comedy (1891-92). He also wrote travel sketches of Italy and studies of ancient art and medieval church architecture and edited the works of several contemporary literary figures. As editor, along with James Russell Lowell, of the North American Review, and as a founder of the magazine The Nation, Norton exerted great influence on 19th-century American fiction. BOOKID0057. $25.00

PALFREY, John Gorham. American Unitarian clergyman and historian. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (1835), 2-1/3 pages, 7-3/4 x 9-7/8, plus address leaf with postal markings, to B.B. Edwards of Boston. Asks to be excused from writing a history of a college (most likely Harvard). Piece missing from address leaf where seal has been cut away, not affecting text. J.G. Palfrey (1796-1881), also proprietor and editor, North American Review (1835-43); member, U.S. House of Representatives (1847-49); author of the landmark — if somewhat less than wholly objective — History of New England (1858-75).  BOOKID0042  $75.00

PHELPS, Edward J. American diplomat. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (1864), 1p., 4to. Declines invitation. E.J. Phelps (1822-1900), American lawyer, diplomat, elected president of the American Bar Association (1880); Kent Professor of Law at Yale University (1881-1900, except during diplomatic missions). Also served as first president of the Vermont Bar Association. President Benjamin Harrison appointed Phelps as U.S. counsel to the 1883 fur-seal arbitration with Great Britain, and  President Grover Cleveland named him minister to Great Britain (1885-89), succeeding James Russell Lowell. "His acknowledged strength and success as a lawyer lay in his grasp of fundamental principles rather than in mastery of legal technicalities or factual details," and his diplomatic efforts in England "materially strengthen[ed] the ties of friendship between the two countries." (DAB XIV:528)  BOOKID0046  $45.00

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  LIFE  SCIENCES AND MEDICINE

ATKINSON, George Francis, Ph.B.  ELEMENTARY BOTANY.  NY: Henry Holt and Co. (1899); (c) 1898 HB 444 pp. + xxiii, indexed, thoroughly illus. with engravings, photos, and an occasional “Roentgen photograph” (or X-ray, then relatively new). Light rubbing to cover, else VG condition with very clean, bright and tight interior.  BOOKID0059  $22.50

CAREY, George W., M.D.  BIOCHEMIC SYSTEM OF MEDICINE, THE; COMPRISING THE THEORY, PATHOLOGICAL ACTION, THERAPEUTICAL APPLICATION, MATERIA MEDICA, AND REPERTORY OF SCHUESSLER'S TWELVE TISSUE REMEDIES.  St. Louis, Missouri: F. August Luyties (1894) First Edition. 444 pp., indexed. Contemporaneous Chicago pharmacy’s ownership stamp on inside front cover; light wear to cover, light spotting on front; end papers split and hinges started. Interior solid and very clean; a very good copy to work with. BOOKID0062  $65.00

CARTWRIGHT, Frederick F. and Michael D. Biddiss, DISEASE AND HISTORY, NY, Dorset Press, 1972. HB viii + 248 pp., indexed. Fine condition in NF dust jacket. Was malaria more catastrophic for the Roman Empire than attacks by the Goths or Vandals? Did the Black Death hasten the end of feudalism? Did syphilis turn the initially benevolent reign of Ivan the Terrible into a bloodthirsty tyranny? The authors argue that diseases have altered the course of history more than historians have acknowledged. Click HERE to see a picture of this book. BOOKID 0033  $20.00

FENNEL, Charles T.P., Ph.G. (compiler, based on lectures by ADOLPHUS FENNEL). PRINCIPLES OF GENERAL PHARMACY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SYSTEMS OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND ITS USES, PHARMACEUTICAL MANIPULATIONS, Cincinnati, Missouri: McDonald & Eick (1886). First Edition, 124 pp. + xvi, indexed. Overall VG-, a solid copy; light wear to embossed, gilt-entitled cover; thin 2” copper stain at bottom of front; stain on rear endpaper not affecting text pages or board. Adolphus Fennel was professor of practical and analytical chemistry, theoretical and practical pharmacy at the Cincinnati College of Pharmacy. BOOKID0063  $48.00

FISHER, Richard. JOSEPH LISTER; 1827-1912, New York: Stein & Day (1977) First Edition. NF/VG-. 351 pp., indexed, illus. BOOKID0067  $25.00

FRIEDRICH, E.P.; H. Holbrook CURTIS (Ed.), RHINOLOGY, LARYNGOLOGY AND OTOLOGY AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE IN GENERAL MEDICINE, Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders & Co. (1900) 348pp. + 34pp. of publisher's adverts. at back. Translated from the German edition. Friedrich, a privatdocent at the University of Leipzig, embarks on what he calls a "somewhat hazardous experiment" to unite the specialties of rhinology, laryncology, and octology in one volume, describing the interdependence of diseases of the entire organism and those of the nose, pharynx, larynx, and ears. Heady stuff at the time. (The American Medical Association followed 27 years later with its own flavor, "Laryngology, Otology, and Rhinology," apparently believing in alphabetized titles. Not to be outdone, in 1944 Howard C. Ballenger rearranged the alphabet once more with "A Manual of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology." Go figure.) Endpapers split and hinges started, otherwise the book is VG and holding together quite well. BOOKID0069 $45.00

FULTON, John F. and Elizabeth H. Thomson. BENJAMIN SILLIMAN, 1779-1864; PATHFINDER IN AMERICAN SCIENCE, NY: Henry Schuman (1947). First Edition, 294pp., indexed. Overall VG; cloth cover slightly faded; very clean and bright interior. No dj. Benjamin Silliman, the "father of American scientific education." A solid copy. BOOKID0065  $20.00

GIRARD, Maurice, METAMORPHOSES DES INSECTES, LES, Paris: Hachette et Cie., 1879 (Biblioteque des Merveilles). In French. HB gold-embossed blue cloth. vii + 368 pp. indexed and lushly illustrated. Notch binding, front hinge started at top; corners slightly bumped, some wear to spine with a 1" tear along back edge (not noticeable on shelf); light foxing to perhaps 10% of the pages, otherwise G to VG condition. Overall a distinctive and very handsome book. Click on the photo to see other pictures of and from this book. BOOKID 0029  $125.00

HALL-EDWARDS, John, RADIATIONS FROM SLOW RADIUM AND THEIR THERAPEUTIC VALUE, London: Bailliere, Tindall and Cox, 1921 1st Edition. 105 pp., incl. photos, diagrams, and appendix with several case notes. Based on "a large series of tests," the physician author provides a concise, nonmathematical medical handbook on electron therapy, incl. chief characteristics and physical constants of radium, but reference also to uranium and thorium. This may have been the only such book published since Dawson Turner's 1910 treatment, Radium, Its Physics and Therapeutics. Flex-bound maroon cloth, bright gilt lettering; front cover sun- (or radium?) shadowed with small darkened spot at bottom edge, else VG with bright, tight and handsome contents. BOOKID 0026  $45.00

HAYES, E.W., MD, TUBERCULOSIS AS IT COMES AND GOES, Monrovia, California: Privately published (1924) First Edition HB, 64 pp., light wear to spine, else VG; no dj (as issued). Ownership plate (Mission San Juan Capistrano) inside front cover. This book first appeared as an article in Journal of the Outdoor Life. BOOKID0058 $35.00

HUXLEY, Thomas Henry, AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED, from Huxley to Miss Nellie Maclagan (daughter of Sir Douglas Maclagan, Edinburgh surgeon), sending her signed photographs and a check for the Edinburgh University Union. 3 pages, 7 x 4.5 inches. In good condition. The letter reads in part: "I have looked up half a dozen photographs (the best I have) and signed them in accordance with your wish. I greatly fear the supply may exceed the demand." Huxley remains widely recognized for his role in defending Darwin’s theory of evolution, but his significant influence on education — in England and the U.S. — is less well known. This letter shows Huxley taking time from his customarily crushing dawn-to-late-night work schedule to help raise money for the Edinburgh University Union. —SOLD—

, MAN'S PLACE IN NATURE AND OTHER ANTHROPOLOGICAL ESSAYS, New York, Appleton (1896). Authorized Edition xiii + 328 pp. Very Good condition. Black half leather with gilt-edged pages atop, gilt lettering on spine, blue and maroon marbled boards.Numerous illustrations and woodcuts. Chapters include: natural history of the man-like apes, relations of man to the lower animals, and fossil remains of man. Interesting title with gleanings concerning Africa, Sumatra, much of the equatorial world. A number of excellent early woodcuts of apes. BOOKID 0008

Don't let the title throw you — this masterpiece is a page turner! Huxley quietly grabs hold of your attention and leads you painlessly through geologic history in plain English, telling a fascinating and absorbing story that'll make you sorry to reach the end. Essays like this show why Huxley always attracted overflow audiences of everyday people, and why Huxley lectures were as popular in his day as NOVA and Discovery are today.

HUXLEY, Thomas Henry, SCIENCE AND CHRISTIAN TRADITION — ESSAYS, NY, Appleton (1896). Authorized Edition xxxiii + 419 pp. Very good condition. Black half leather with gilt-edged pages atop, gilt lettering on spine, blue and maroon marbled boards. BOOKID 0010 —SOLD—

HUXLEY, Thomas Henry, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION — ESSAYS, NY, Appleton (1894). Authorized Edition ix + 451 pp. + 2pp adverts at back. A beautiful book in Very Good condition, maroon buckram binding, edged pages atop, gilt lettering on spine. A solid copy. Huxley remains widely recognized for his role in defending Darwin’s theory of evolution, but his significant interest and influence in educational matters is less well known. He was frequently consulted for his advanced views on the form education should take, not just in England but in the United States, where his first major impact came with policies adopted by Johns Hopkins University. BOOKID 0007 —SOLD—

HUXLEY, Thomas Henry, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION — ESSAYS, NY, Appleton (1896). Authorized Edition ix + 451 pp. Very Good condition. Light maroon cloth binding, slightly sun faded spine, with gilt-edged pages atop, gilt lettering on spine. A solid copy. BOOKID 0011 $35.00

SEARLE, S.R., MATRIX ALGEBRA FOR THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (INCLUDING APPLICATIONS IN STATISTICS), New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1966 First Edition. 296 pp., indexed. An unused copy, one corner lightly bumped and very faint soiling to cover, otherwise VG condition. A useful and intentionally informal aid for biological science students and professionals, requiring only high school algebra as a prerequisite. Covers elementary matrix operations, determinants, inverse of a matrix, rank and linear independence, linear equations and generalized inverses, latent roots and vectors, orthogonal matrixes, regressional analysis, linear statistical models, and more. Includes book list.  BOOKID0020 $25.00

STEELE, J. Dorman and J.W.P. Jenks, POPULAR ZOOLOGY; CHAUTAUQUA EDITION, New York, Chautauqua Press, c. 1889 xiii + 319 pp. + 5 pp. publisher's adverts at back. Indexed and illustrated with many engravings. Embossed cover shows light wear; cloth worn through at tips of three corners; a spot and small scuff in upper left of front cover, else Good condition; a solid copy. Owner's inscription on fep. Covers invertebrates and vertebrates; includes notes to instructors. BOOKID 0024 $14.50

TRUAX, Rhoda, JOSEPH LISTER: FATHER OF MODERN SURGERY, Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co. (1944) First Edition. 287 pp., illus., indexed. VG in G- Brodarted dj; ownership plate inside front cover. BOOKID0066  $18.50

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  THE LETTERS DRAWER

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Click on a highlighted author's name to see information about the author.
Where a document title appears as a hyperlink, click on the title to view the document.

BRIGHT, John. English orator and radical statesman. AUTOGRAPH QUOTE SIGNED, 1 page, Jan 30, 1883, 4" x 4". "Tis greatly wise to talk with our past-hours and ask them what report they bore to Heaven, and how they might have borne more welcome news ..." Very good condition. Bright (1811-89) engaged in free trade agitation and in movements for financial reform, electoral reform, and religious freedom. BOOKID0044 $40.00

Among the great orators of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, no one stands out more prominently than John Bright, with the exception of Mr. [William E.] Gladstone. Bright's twenty-five years of representation for Birmingham was celebrated at the time with great enthusiasm. This great statesman was born at Greenbank, England, and after receiving an ordinary education, he entered the business of his father — a firm of wool spinners. In 1839 he distinguished himself by becoming a vigorous member of the anti-Corn-Law league. He was a representative for the city of Durham from 1843 to 1847, after which he was returned to parliament from Manchester. The indignation which was felt against the "peace-at-any-price" party led to his rejection by Manchester, but was soon after elected to represent Birmingham, which position he still holds. During the civil war in this country [the United States], Mr. Bright was prominent among English statesmen as a champion of the Union, and to this day he holds the gold-headed cane of Lincoln as a token of the esteem the martyred president felt for him. His views on politics at home have been largely incorporated in recent legislation. So averse to war is he that he resigned from the cabinet prior to Alexandria's bombardment.

— From T. Harrington, Prominent Men and Women of the Day, 1888

BUSH, Vannevar. TYPED LETTER SIGNED, dated June 19, 1946. Written on Office of Scientific Research and Development stationery, to Irvin Stewart on his resignation from the OSRD. Signed “V. Bush.” Bush was a pioneer in analogue computers, the atom bomb, dry photography. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him to head several commissions to see how science could aid the war effort. Letterfolds, light toning, else Very Good condition. Book ID 9991.  $70.00

BUSH, Vannevar. TYPED LETTER SIGNED, dated June 7, 1957. Written on Massachusetts Institute of Technology stationery, to Irvin Stewart on Stewart's retirement as president of West Virginia University. Signed “Van.” Bush was a pioneer in analogue computers, the atom bomb, dry photography. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him to head several commissions to see how science could aid the war effort. Letterfolds and pencil notation "no reply," else Fine condition. BOOKID 9988.  $45.00

CARLSSON, Ingvar. Prime Minister of Sweden (1986-91). TYPED NOTE SIGNED, approx. 4-1/4" x 6" UNICEF Holiday Card with pictorial cover; opens to typed (not pre-printed) note inside: "My very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year" with ink signature of Ingvar Carlsson. Very good condition.  BOOKID0047  $25.00

Curtis was lead defense lawyer for President ANDREW JOHNSON during Johnson’s impeachment trial in the Senate in 1868. "[Curtis’s] speech opening the President’s defense was his greatest forensic effort," notes the DAB, "displaying the dignity, coolness, and clarity which marked his style, and was admitted by his opponent Butler to have so thoroughly presented Johnson’s case that nothing more was added throughout the trial."

Later, as a U.S. Supreme Court associate justice, Curtis wrote a lengthy dissenting opinion and then resigned from the high tribunal to protest the majority ruling in the Dred Scott case (1857) — one of the most (in)famous cases in American history. In that case, the court majority held that Negro slaves were not citizens in the sense contemplated by the Constitution. Many believe the majority's Dredd Scott ruling hastened the onset of the Civil War.

This letter addresses a legal dispute involving Stoughton's client, Robert Lawton Thurston, American pioneer manufacturer of steam engines. Thurston had sued George H. Corliss, alleging infringement of Thurston’s patent for a “drop cut-off” device (invented by Frederick E. Sickels but purchased by Thurston). The case eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court (Taney presiding), and the court decided in favor of Corliss. Curtis's letter reads, in part,

"I enclose a draft of a letter to the Chief Justice [Taney]. If you approve it, please have a copy made & send it to Mr Thurston ... I will hand his reply with our letter to the Chief Justice ... I recd your letter about the General & shall be glad to assist if I can. I will see Senator Foote as early as I am able ... I must think the Senator entirely mistaken in supposing I can exert any influence in the matter..."

Sources:  DAB, CDAB. || Return to Top ||

GLADSTONE, William E., English Prime Minister, AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED, written at an important moment in British ecclesiastical history. To the Rev. James Davis, valuing his invitation to join the Evangelical Alliance, but refusing on the grounds that "my engagements are beyond my powers," taking issue with the form of words in which the Alliance defines original sin, and wondering whether the Alliance "is broad enough to admit all who are truly united to Christ" but assures "you have my cordial sympathy ... in all measures which tend to ... the profusion and propagation of positive Christian truth."  Black-bordered mourning stationery (both letter and envelope). With the original stamped envelope, which bears a 3/4" tear next to the stamp. Datelined 73 Harley Street, 2 July 1876. BOOKID 0032  $175.00

GLADSTONE, William E., English Prime Minister, AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED, Downing Street, dated 11 April 1853 on the third of three pages. 8vo. Light fold marks, trace of mounting on the blank reverse side of second leaf, otherwise good condition. Docketed on the final blank page: "Chancellor of Exchequer 11 April 1853." This letter is part of what may arguably be called one of the swiftest and most radical socioeconomic shifts in British history: Gladstone’s visionary financial blueprint that altered the well-being of every working family in England practically overnight. Among other things, Gladstone’s plan lifted the burden of taxation from "the humbler classes" and levied it across all classes of English society. Gladstone wrote this urgent request for financial advice as Chancellor of the Exchequer before introducing his sensitive and closely guarded budget to Parliament on 18 April 1853. —SOLD—

If you needed something done — something important, something tough — you sent Hope Grant. He racked up a battlefield record second to no one. That he survived the Sikh Wars and 1857 mutiny in India was itself a miracle, for an account of his campaigns and feats reads like a history of the wars themselves — he seemed to be everywhere, often in fiercely contested hand-to-hand combat. Everywhere Grant accomplished what he was sent to do, often more, often against great odds (being outnumbered tenfold never stopped him):  the desperately contested battles of Chillianwallah and Goojerat; Umballa, Delhi (twice), Lucknow (twice), Cawnpore, Mossa Bagh, Koorsie, the Baree road, Sirsee, Sooltanpore, Trans-Ghorgra ... it's a very lengthy list. Click on Grant's name above to see his biography page.

HOOK, Theodore E. (1788-1841), AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED, nd, 3pp, 8vo. Signed with initials. VG. English playwright, humorist extraordinary, and novelist; son of James Hook, English composer. Noticed in DNB.  BOOKID0043  $75.00

Theodore Hook achieved celebrity while still a boy, writing 13 successful comic operas and melodramas (1805-11), as a punster and matchless improvisatore, and as a practical joker — his greatest performance the Berners Street Hoax of 1809. He rapidly became the most renowned practical joker of the 19th century, as signified decades after his death by the publication of books about his escapades, books such as The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bon Mots, Puns and Hoaxes of Theodore Hook. In 1812 Hook was given the post of treasurer to Mauritius, where he fared gloriously until a grave deficiency was discovered in the public accounts. Hook, ascribing the “unfortunate defalcation” to a clerk who had committed suicide, was arrested and sent, nearly penniless, to England to stand trial. Though criminal proceedings against him were dropped, he was pronounced a crown debtor to the tune of £12,000 — whereupon he was rearrested. Hook was later released from the King’s Bench but not from the debt, which he made no effort to repay. Meanwhile, he had started the Tory John Bull and the New Monthly Magazine (1836-41). His last years were devoted to a series of clever humorous novels. He was one of the most successful writers of the "Fashionable Novel," or "Silver Fork" novel, which focused on the lives of the rich and famous. (DNB; Chambers [1984])

LOWE, Robert, Viscount Sherbrooke. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (1872), 1 p, 4-3/4 x 7-1/4. Declines an invitation "... I would gladly have accepted had I not been engaged...." Lowe (1811-1892), practiced law, Sydney, Australia (1842); member of legislative council, New South Wales (1843-50). Liberal MP (1852-80); vice president of education board (1859-64); an Adullamite, helped defeat Whig Reform Bill (1866). Gladstone’s chancellor of the exchequer (1868-73); home secretary (1873-74); created viscount (1880).  BOOKID0048 $45.00

MACKENZIE, Morell (1837-92), English physician, pioneer in throat diseases. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED, 1 page, November 19, 1891, 4" x 7", personal letterhead, London, accepting an invitation. “I shall be delighted to dine with you at the Reform Club on Monday Evening....” Light soiling, else Very Good condition. Morell MacKenzie became embroiled in a medical controversy when he incorrectly diagnosed Prussian King Frederick III’s throat disease as noncarcinogenic. We may surmise, under the circumstances, that it was not King Frederick's dinner invitation that prompted the MacKenzie letter offered here. BOOKID0074 —SOLD—

McCORMACK, John W. Speaker of U.S. House of Representatives. TYPED LETTER SIGNED, 1948, 1p, 4to. To Congressman Phil J. Philbin (Mass.), regarding appointment of Leo Doherty (position not stated). Says “I am not giving the appointment even a thought because I feel this will depend on the results of the election.” Staple holes at top, o/w VG. Signed “John.” McCormack (1891-1980), a Liberal Democrat, was a skilled tactician, ascending to majority leader and minority whip before becoming Speaker of the House (1961-69), in which positions he proved a loyal supporter of presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. First elected to Congress in 1928, McCormack served without interruption to 1970; helped draft 1935 Social Security Act; led fight against Nazism and Communism; first Catholic Speaker of the House. (CDAB)  BOOKID0039  $25.00

McCORMACK, John W. Speaker of U.S. House of Representatives. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED, 1 page, February 10, 1974, approximately 6” x 9” on his personal letterhead, Boston, Massachusetts, to Canadian John Buchanan, thanking him for his letter and sending him Christmas greetings. Very good condition. Born in Boston, McCormack (1891-1980), a Liberal Democrat, was a skilled tactician, ascending to majority leader and minority whip before becoming Speaker of the House (1961-69), in which positions he proved a loyal supporter of presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. First elected to Congress in 1928, McCormack served without interruption to 1970; helped draft 1935 Social Security Act; led fight against Nazism and Communism; first Catholic Speaker of the House. (CDAB)  BOOKID0041 $25.00

NORTON, C.E. (1827-1908), American writer, editor, educator. AUTOGRAPH APPLICATION for Sanders Theatre Concerts, Harvard University. 1-page application form for 1893-94 season tickets, filled in and signed in brown ink, indicating seating preferences, and with theater layout printed on reverse side. Norton, in his popular lectures, interpreted European culture to generations of Harvard University students. From 1873 to 1897 he was professor of art history at Harvard. One of his most famous works was a translation of Dante's Divine Comedy (1891-92). He also wrote travel sketches of Italy and studies of ancient art and medieval church architecture and edited the works of several contemporary literary figures. As editor, along with James Russell Lowell, of the North American Review, and as a founder of the magazine The Nation, Norton exerted great influence on 19th-century American fiction. BOOKID0057. $25.00

NOYES, Arthur A., noted American chemist. TYPED LETTER SIGNED (1905). To Willis R. Whitney, research scientist at G.E. Research Laboratories in Schenectady, New York, on Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Research Laboratory in Physical Chemistry) letterhead, 2 pages, 8-1/2" x 11", dated April 13, 1905. Arthur Noyes, president of the American Chemical Society (1904), was professor of theoretical chemistry and director of the physical chemistry research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Author of Qualitative Chemical Analysis (1895), Laboratory Experiments on the Class Reactions and Identification of Organic Substances (1899), The General Principles of Physical Science (1902), and more than 60 articles in scientific periodicals. (Thoroughly noticed in DSB. Ref. also: National Cyclopædia of American Biography.)  BOOKID075  $125.00

PALFREY, John Gorham. American Unitarian clergyman and historian. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (1835), 2-1/3 pages, 7-3/4 x 9-7/8, plus address leaf with postal markings, to B.B. Edwards of Boston. Asks to be excused from writing a history of a college (most likely Harvard). Piece missing from address leaf where seal has been cut away, not affecting text. J.G. Palfrey (1796-1881), also proprietor and editor, North American Review (1835-43); member, U.S. House of Representatives (1847-49); author of the landmark — if somewhat less than wholly objective — History of New England (1858-75).  BOOKID0042  $75.00

PHELPS, Edward J. American diplomat. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (1864), 1p., 4to. Declines invitation. E.J. Phelps (1822-1900), American lawyer, diplomat, elected president of the American Bar Association (1880); Kent Professor of Law at Yale University (1881-1900, except during diplomatic missions). Also served as first president of the Vermont Bar Association. President Benjamin Harrison appointed Phelps as U.S. counsel to the 1883 fur-seal arbitration with Great Britain, and  President Grover Cleveland named him minister to Great Britain (1885-89), succeeding James Russell Lowell. "His acknowledged strength and success as a lawyer lay in his grasp of fundamental principles rather than in mastery of legal technicalities or factual details," and his diplomatic efforts in England "materially strengthen[ed] the ties of friendship between the two countries." (DAB XIV:528)  BOOKID0046  $45.00

Floyd Karker Richtmyer (1881-1939), professor at Cornell University from 1910-39, started his career by researching the application of photoelectricity to the field of photometry, but in 1918 turned to X-ray spectroscopy, the subject that would occupy him the rest of his life. Concurrently, Richtmyer was known as an enthusiastic teacher and in 1928 published the celebrated Introduction to Modern Physics, a book that "had considerable influence on the teaching of atomic physics and ... remained a valuable work" after his death. (DSB)  Richtmyer's book entered its final edition on the mid 1950s — a remarkable testimony to the soundness of the book, considering the radical and rapid changes in physics throughout the first half of this century.

Richtmyer served as president of the American Physical Society, the Optical Society of America, and the American Association of Physics Teachers, which established the annual Richtmyer Memorial Lecture that continues to this day. "As editor of the Journal of the Optical Society of America and The Review of Scientific Instruments," notes the AAPT, "[Richtmyer] had wide influence on the development of physics in the United States. As a teacher, author, research worker, and dean, he was the guide of many young physicists who are now leaders of American science." Richtmyer was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1932 and for several years served on the executive committee of the American Institute of Physics.

Louis McKeehan was, among other things, author of Yale Science: The First Hundred Years, 1701-1801 (New York: H. Schuman, 1947).

Sources:  DSB XI:441, DAB XXII:556.

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  PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING

BAUMGARDT, Carola, JOHANNES KEPLER: LIFE AND LETTERS, London, Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1952 (Reprint; [c] 1951 Philosophical Library) 8vo. HB blue cloth, 209 pp., bibliography, index, list of Kepler’s works cited within. Good+ condition; bookplate. Introduction by Albert Einstein. This book made available, for the first time in English, letters from 1596 to 1631, selected with a view to portraying Kepler’s personality, not his scientific achievements and their consequences. "This is what the reader must know, when he sees from the letters under what conditions of personal hardship Kepler completed his gigantic work," Einstein writes, including Kepler’s enormous inner struggle between logical theory, observation, accepted convention, and remnants of astrology. "They show that the inner enemy, conquered and rendered innocuous, was not yet completely dead." A tight and clean copy. BOOKID0036  $18.00

Carnegie Steel Company, CARNEGIE BEAM SECTIONS, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1927. First Edition (stated) Near-Mint condition; no dj (as issued). Flexible binding. 170 pp. Small owner's stamp on inside end paper, otherwise mint contents, bright, tight, and clean. Includes separately printed, simultaneously issued 19-page booklet, “Carnegie Beam Sections; Additions to New Series,” saddlestitched in heavy printed paperboard cover (as issued); good jacket, fine contents. BOOKID0013  —SOLD—

DICKINSON, L.P., EASY EXPERIMENTS IN ELECTRICITY AND HOW TO MAKE THEM, Chicago, Frederick J. Drake & Co. 1903 HB. 1 + 204 pp. + 5pp. adverts. Index. Owner’s inscription on fep. Frayed at top and bottom of spine, corners slightly bumped, small spot on front cover, else VG. Clean tight copy. BOOKID0014  $15.00

FULTON, John F. and Elizabeth H. Thomson, BENJAMIN SILLIMAN, 1779-1864; PATHFINDER IN AMERICAN SCIENCE, NY: Henry Schuman (1947) First Edition, 294pp., indexed. Overall VG; cloth cover slightly faded; very clean and bright interior. No dj. Benjamin Silliman, the "father of American scientific education." A solid copy. BOOKID0065  $20.00

General Electric Company, GENERAL ELECTRIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGINEERING GRADUATES, Schenectady, NY: General Electric Company, 1927 GE publication No. GEB 16B. 52 pp., saddlestitched in corporate-gray paperboard cover. VG condition; contents clean and bright; no marks. An early recruiting brochure for young engineers, tolling the virtues of engineering life at GE. Lavishly illus. with b/w photos of GE sites and operations. BOOKID0030 $25.00

GIBSON, Charles R., ROMANCE OF MODERN ELECTRICITY, THE, London, Seeley and Co. Ltd., 1906. "Describing in Non-Technical Language What Is Known About Electricity and Many of Its Interesting Applications." Indexed, 347 pp. + 20 pp. publisher's adverts in back; 34 illustrations, 11 diagrams. Good condition; foxing to pages; solid binding. Gorgeous multicolor cover; you don't see covers like these anymore! BOOKID0015  $37.00

GOODEVE, T.M., ELEMENTS OF MECHANISM, THE, London, Longmans, Green and Co., 1888 1st Edition. Indexed, 345 pp. + 2 pp. publisher's adverts at back. Notch-bound HB, cover in green embossed cloth, gilt lettering on spine. Cloth worn through at very tips of corners, not noticeable unless viewed head-on. Owner's signature inside front cover, sparse pencil checks or brief notations inside, otherwise contents very good.  BOOKID0025  $15.00

Contents: converting circular motion to reciprocating motion; linkwork; converting reciprocating motion to circular motion; the teeth of wheels; the use of wheels and trains; aggregate motion; truth of surface and power of measurement; misc. contrivances.

HALL-EDWARDS, John, RADIATIONS FROM SLOW RADIUM AND THEIR THERAPEUTIC VALUE, London: Bailliere, Tindall and Cox, 1921 1st Edition. 105 pp., incl. photos, diagrams, and appendix with several case notes. Based on "a large series of tests," the physician author provides a concise, nonmathematical medical handbook on electron therapy, incl. chief characteristics and physical constants of radium, but reference also to uranium and thorium. This may have been the only such book published since Dawson Turner's 1910 treatment, "Radium, Its Physics and Therapeutics." Flex-bound maroon cloth, bright gilt lettering; front cover sun- (or radium?) shadowed with deep maroon stain at bottom edge, else VG with bright, tight and handsome contents. BOOKID0026  $45.00

HISCOX, Gardner D.; with electrical engineering chapters by Newton HARRISON, MODERN STEAM ENGINEERING IN THEORY AND PRACTICE; A NEW, COMPLETE, AND PRACTICAL WORK FOR STEAM-USERS, ELECTRICIANS, FIREMEN, AND ENGINEERS, NY: Norman W. Henley Publishing Company (1907; copyright 1906) First Edition, extremely clean, 487pp. + 6pp. publisher's catalog, indexed, illus. with more than 400 engravings and 42 tables. A comprehensive turn-of-the-century reference that covers steam engine theory and practice, engineering, electrical systems, slide-valve high-speed engines, corliss valves, compound and triple-effect engines, steam turbines, cost of steam power, and its application and operation in power plants for electrical generation, pumping, refrigeration, and elevators. The book includes more than 200 questions and answers likely to be asked by engineering examining boards, thereby providing an instructive snapshot of the state of the art in 1906, as well as the competency and licensing standards then in force. Gilt title on spine, embossed red boards lightly soiled with a damp mark on part of one edge, the book remains nevertheless a handsome copy. BOOKID0071 $75.00

KEISER, Edward H., LABORATORY WORK IN CHEMISTRY; A SERIES OF EXPERIMENTS IN GENERAL INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, NY: American Book Company (1895) 119pp. + viii, indexed, illus. Very light wear to boards and aging to endpapers, small ownership stamp inside front cover, else Very Good condition. A tight and solid copy, interior very clean and unmarked. A wonderfully succinct treatment intended to supplement personal instruction in large classes and, as such, a useful glimpse into late 19th-century American chemistry education — both for what the book includes and omits. BOOKID0070  $25.00

LINDEN, David., HANDBOOK OF BATTERIES AND FUEL CELLS, NY, McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., 1984 HB. xix + 1,088 pp., 803 illustrations. Unused. Fine condition with VG+ dust jacket. Comprehensive reference in handbook format. Indexed, 43 chapters and appendixes, including guide to manufacturers. BOOKID0017 $75.00 (In print at $125)

Lunkenheimer Co., LUNKENHEIMER CO. ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE AND PRICE LIST, 1908, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1908 HB, 564 pp. Cover slightly soiled, front hinge started, else good. A very clean copy, heavily indexed and illustrated. Brass and iron valves, whistles, cocks, gauges, injectors, lubricators, oil pumps, oil and grease cups, etc. Includes period photos of Lunkenheimer factories and facilities. —SOLD—

MILLER, Samuel C. and Donald G. Fink, NEON SIGNS; MANUFACTURE, INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE, NY and London: McGraw-Hill (1935) First Edition, 11th impression. 288 pp. + xii, indexed, include. some 100 illustrations. VG condition. Seller’s stamp inside front cover, small tape marks inside covers where owner affixed jacket; otherwise a tight and very clean copy. Classic handbook on this American-grown art form. BOOKID0060  $65.00

MORRISON, L.H., DIESEL ENGINES; OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, Chicago, American Technical Society, 1936 "A Practical Text on the Construction, Operation, and Repair of Heavy-Duty Engines." HB. First Edition. 212 pp. VG; no dj. Indexed, illustrated with drawings and annotated photos. Cover shows some age fading to spine, otherwise solid. Contents bright, tight, and clean. Owner’s inscription on fep. BOOKID0019 $20.00

NOYES, Arthur A., noted American chemist. TYPED LETTER SIGNED (1905). To Willis R. Whitney, research scientist at G.E. Research Laboratories in Schenectady, New York. On Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Research Laboratory in Physical Chemistry) letterhead. See The Letters Drawer.

RICE, C.M., DICTIONARY OF GEOLOGICAL TERMS (EXCLUSIVE OF STRATIGRAPHIC FORMATIONS AND PALEONTOLOGIC GENERA AND SPECIES), Ann Arbor, Michigan: Edwards Brothers, 1951 465 pages. Green cloth boards. Owner's name marked out on inside cover, else VG+ condition. A compilation of terms and their definitions as used in various branches of geology: general, structural, economic, physiography, glacial geology, petrology, mineralogy, evolution, invertebrate and vertebrate paleontology; stratigraphy. BOOKID0055   $17.50

RICHTMYER, F.K. American physicist and educator. TYPED LETTER SIGNED (1933), 1p, 4to, to Yale University physicist Louis William McKeehan, advising that McKeehan has been nominated as director of the Optical Society of America. See The Letters Drawer.

RICHTMYER, Floyd Karker, INTRODUCTION TO MODERN PHYSICS, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1928 First Edition, Second Impression. HB, Green cloth, illustrated, indexed. Minor external wear, signature of Paul V. Ninenko, MIEE, on FEP, minor pens marks on four pages, else VG, large 8vo 596 pages. American physicist Floyd Karker Richtmyer (1881-1939), professor at Cornell University from 1910-39, conducted well-known investigations in X-ray spectroscopy. But he was also an ardent and talented educator, and his much-heralded 1928 Introduction to Modern Physics textbook "had considerable influence on the teaching of atomic physics," remaining a valuable work well into the 1950s — remarkable testimony to the soundness of the book, considering the radical and rapid changes in physics. (DSB) Richtmyer served as president of the American Physical Society, the Optical Society of America, and the American Association of Physics Teachers, which established the annual Richtmyer Memorial Lecture that continues to this day. "As editor of the Journal of the Optical Society of America and The Review of Scientific Instruments," notes the AAPT, "[Richtmyer] had wide influence on the development of physics in the United States. As a teacher, author, research worker, and dean, he was the guide of many young physicists who are now leaders of American science." Richtmyer also was elected to the National Academy of Sciences and served for several years on the executive committee of the American Institute of Physics. BOOKID0051 —SOLD—

RICHTMYER, Floyd Karker, INTRODUCTION TO MODERN PHYSICS, New York: McGraw-Hill 1942 HB, VG condition, 723 pp., illustrated, indexed. BOOKID0052  $25.00

SMITH, P. De W., MODERN MARINE ELECTRICITY, NY, Cornwell Maritime Press, 1942 "For the Operating Marine Electrician, Covering the Ship’s Electrical Equipment, Its Operation and Maintenance." HB. NF in G dj. viii + 279. Indexed. Includes foldout illustrations. A very clean, tight copy. BOOKID0020$16.00

STEELE, J. Dorman, PhD, FGS., POPULAR PHYSICS, New York, American Book Company, 1896 xii + 380 pp. + 8 pp. publisher's adverts in back; indexed and illustrated with many engravings. HB maroon cloth; embossed front cover and spine, with gilt lettering; marbled page edges. Light scuffing to back cover, light pencil notations on front and back end papers, else a very good and solid copy. Contents: properties of matter, motion and force, attraction, elements of machines, pressure of liquids and gases, sound, light, heat, magnetism, and electricity. Includes instructor notes, and exercises for students. BOOKID0023  $18.00

SUITS, Chauncey Guy, American research physicist and inventor at General Electric Corporation. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED. Inventor of many things, including the first system for automatic tuning. See The Letters Drawer.

STEINMETZ, Charles Proteus, FOUR LECTURES ON RELATIVITY AND SPACE. NY, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1923. First Edition. HB brown cloth, VG; seven stereoscopic images in pocket at back of book. A truly masterful explanation of relativity by General Electric's resident-genius research engineer who made possible, among other things, the relatively efficient transmission of electrical power over long distances.—SOLD—

Without Charles Steinmetz's development of theories of alternating current, the expansion of the electric power industry in the United States in the early 20th century would have been impossible, or at least greatly delayed.  Charles Proteus Steinmetz (1865-1923), German-born American electrical engineer, patented some 200 inventions and developed many technologies still in universal use, including improvements to motors and generators. He was an early advocate of a nationwide electrical network, atmospheric pollution control, and solar energy conversion. He investigated electrical phenomena duplicating those of lightning and developed lightning arresters for high-power transmission lines. (DSB) Part of Steinmetz's genius was his ability to apply even the most difficult theory to practical problems and explain his work to others clearly and simply, in terms they understood.  That gift is fully evident in this book: After 10 minutes I felt I clearly understood for the first time a portion of Einstein's theory that (to my mind) no one else has explained so well — Bertrand Russell, Einstein and Infeld, etc. —CB

TUPHOLME, C.H.S., TWENTIETH CENTURY ENGINEERING, New York, Philosophical Library, 1944 Excellent condition; no dj. Small, contemporary bookseller’s stamp on inside cover; ownership stamp of American Merchant Marine Library Association on end paper. Fascinating cutaway illustrations showing construction details of trains, WW II combat aircraft (British and Messerschmitt BF-109), engines, cars, and more. BOOKID 0022  $25.00

U.S. Naval Academy, Department of Marine Engineering, PRINCIPLES OF THE BASIC MECHANISMS, Annapolis, Maryland, U.S. Naval Institute, 1938 iv + 208 pp., indexed. Provides fundamental principles underlying marine engineering mechanisms and machines, aimed at U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen. Profusely illustrated with diagrams and photos. HB maroon cloth. Cover spotted, owner's signature fep; else a VG and solid copy. BOOKID 0027  $17.50

WARD, J.H., STEAM FOR THE MILLION; A POPULAR TREATISE ON STEAM, AND ITS APPLICATION TO THE USEFUL ARTS, ESPECIALLY TO NAVIGATION, New York: D. Van Nostrand (1876) G/ndj (as issued). 120pp. indexed, illus. "A New and Revised Edition" of this popular treatise "intended as an instructor for young seamen, mechanics' apprentices, academic students, passengers in mail steamers, etc.," by a U.S. Navy commander. BOOKID0072 $45.00

WOLFE, Bernard, PLASTICS — WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW, Indianapolis / New York: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1945 HB, 8vo, brown cloth stamped in gilt (faded on spine). 189 pp., illus. with b/w photos. From the original LEVITTOWN Public Library. The history and development of plastics, just as the infant industry was in the midst of explosive growth precipitated by widespread development and application during World War II. The author suggests plastics are still too expensive for some purposes (plastic cars, for example), but foresees a place for them in residential construction: resin-impregnated shingles, paints, and plumbing. An interesting and enjoyable read, as the author has firm opinions on the subject and is not shy about sharing them. BOOKID0037  $20.00

Torelle, Ellen, PLANT AND ANIMAL CHILDREN AND HOW THEY GROW, NY: D.C. Heath & Co., 1912 HB, pictorial gray cloth. 230 pp., indexed, illus. w/ 335 figures. Spine slightly sunned, cover lightly soiled; portions of four small figures have been neatly cut out, two affecting text, and a half-inch tear at bottom of title page and fep (no paper missing), otherwise a solid book in Good+ condition. Intended to teach fundamental botany and zoology to elementary and high school students who intend to pursue courses in agriculture. BOOKID 0035  $7.00

BROWN, Robert, SCIENCE FOR ALL, London: Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co., undated (ca. 1880). 5-vol. set, complete (approx. 1,500 pp.). HB 4to. (8" x 10 1/2"). VG condition, handsomely illustrated with color frontispieces, numerous chromoliths, hundreds of woodcuts. A beautiful set in attractive matching pictorial cloth bindings. A wonderful period set that examines the ordinary and extraordinary in the world around us, including new-fangled inventions like the telephone (sure to be in every home some day!).  To see these beautiful books, click on [Picture One]  [Picture Two]  [Picture Three]. BOOKID 0034  $250.00