(Mechanics)

Manuscript entitled "Practical Mechanics,"  1790



4to ( 7 3/4 x 6 1/4 in.; 195 x 160 mm), 181 pages, illustrated with 25 diagrams, (8 full-page), carefully executed in ink and grey wash, 6 pages on 3 leaves separated. the 181 pages bound in contemporary vellum, 3 pages of the separate ms. encapsulated. Card chemises and slipcase.  

"The Property of a Gentleman resident in New York" (sale, Sotheby's London, 5 March 1963, lot 291) — The Stanitz Collection of Science and Technology (sale, Sotheby's New York, 25 April 1984, lot 296)

4to ( 7 3/4 x 6 1/4 in.; 195 x 160 mm), 181 pages, illustrated with 25 diagrams, (8 full-page), carefully executed in ink and grey wash, 6 pages on 3 leaves separated. the 181 pages bound in contemporary vellum, 3 pages of the separate ms. encapsulated. Card chemises and slipcase.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A charming manuscript, probably the work of a young scholar, on such subjects as levers, mills, hydrostatics and hydraulic machinery, pumps, friction, a crane, ship building, the planets, optics, the microscope and the theory of the motion of rivers.