DIGITAL COMPUTERS - AUTOMATIC COMPUTING ENGINE (ACE), 6 VOLUMES

i. Coombs, Allen W.M. (1911-1995) and W.W. Chandler (1913-1989). Automatic computing: An analysis of arithmetical operations. London: Post Office Research Station, 1946, first edition, folio, original wrappers, (Weinreb Collection, Bloomsbury, 28 October 1999, lot 265, Erwin Tomash), [T&W C177; Randell 1979 p.121], wrappers torn with some lossii. Wilkinson, James Hardy (1919-1986). Progress report on the Automatic Computing Engine. Teddington: National Physical Laboratory, 1948, first edition, folio, original wrappers, (bought from Morgan, 1989), [T&W W78; Origins of Cyberspace 934; Randell 1979 p.174], some browning and annotations, slight splitting to spineiii. Wilkinson, James Hardy (1919-1986). Report on the pilot model of the automatic computing engine, part II - The logical design of the pilot model. Teddington: National Physical Laboratory, 1951, first edition, folio, original wrappers, 6 leaves of diagrams in pocket at rear, (bookplate of William Wallace Youden (1925-1968), bibliographer of computer literature; bought from Morgan, 1989), [T&W W79]iv. Woodger, Michael. "Automatic computing engine of the National Physical Laboratory" [in:] Nature, vol. 167, no. 4242]. London: Macmillan, 1951, small 4to, disbound, [T&W W107; Randell 1979 p.176]v. Woodger, Michael. Automatic computing engine of the National Physical Laboratory [offprint from:] Nature, vol. 167, no. 4242]. St Albans: Fisher, Knight & Co., [1951], 8vo, 2 leaves, [T&W W108]vi. Wilkinson, James Hardy (1919-1986). An assessment of the system of optimum coding used on the pilot automatic computing engine at the National Physical Laboratory [offprint from:] Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series A, vol. 248, no. 946]. London: Royal Society, 1955, folio, original wrappers, [T&W W76], remnants of adhesive label to upper wrapper

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James Wilkinson was educated at Cambridge and worked at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, England, during World War II. He became Alan Turing’s assistant when Turing’s design for the Automatic Computing Engine was being implemented. When Turing left the NPL to join Manchester University, Wilkinson took over responsibility for the design and construction of the Pilot Ace. He is best known, however, for his work in numerical analysis.