BABBAGE--GREAT EXHIBITION AND GREENWICH ROYAL OBSERVATORY, 2 VOLUMES

i. [The Art Journal]. The Industry of all nations… illustrated catalogue. London: Virtue, [1851], FIRST EDITION, 4to, numerous illustrations, original pictorial cloth gilt, gilt edges, [T&W B66], some damp-staining, slight splitting at gutter, binding worn and soiledii. Sheepshanks, Richard (1794-1855). A letter to the board of visitors of the Greenwich Royal Observatory in reply to the calumnies of Mr Babbage… London: Barclay, 1860, FIRST EDITION, 8vo, frontispiece portrait, presentation copy inscribed by the editor (“Isaac Fletcher | from | Miss Sheepshanks | August 1864.”) on verso of front free endpaper, original morocco, top edge gilt, [T&W S105; Origins of Cyberspace 80], some browning and spotting, binding worn

Isaac Fletcher (1827-1879), Member of the Royal Astronomical Society; bought from Jeremy Norman, San Francisco, 1994

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Two volumes connected by Babbage’s disappointments. In 1851 his Difference Engine was excluded from the 1851 Great Exhibition and he was, additionally, not asked to play a significant role in the organisation of the event. Babbage felt that Richard Sheepshanks, Secretary of the Royal Astronomical Society, was partially responsible for difficulty in obtaining government finding for his Difference Machine. After Sheepshanks’s death, his sister Anne (1789-1876) reprinted or reissued a number of his tracts, of which six are placed in this volume. Among them are "A reply to Mr. Babbage’s letter to The Times" and "On the planet Neptune and the Royal Astronomical Society’s medal" [Origins of Cyberspace 64].