the first sprinkler system
CONGREVE, Sir William.
Affidavit for a patent to secure buildings against fire, 5th January 1809.
Poole Patent Office, 1808.
The invention followed a devastating fire that destroyed the old Theatre Royal at Covent Garden in September 1808. Congreve's solution was in effect a modern sprinkler system. A series of perforated pipes were to be connected by fusible links to an outside control valve, in the event of a fire, water could be poured through the system to be evenly dispersed across the building. In 1812 the design was installed at the Drury Lane theatre after it too had succumbed to fire in February 1809.
Single leaf folded in two; signed 'William Congreve', old catalogue description tipped to upper margin recto, MS note tipped to verso, blind stamped 'Two Shillings Six Pence'; minor soling to verso, small cosed tear not affecting text, right hand edge rubbed.
Stock code 109293
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Affidavit for a patent to secure buildings against fire, 5th January 1809.
MALVEZZI, Virgilio; MONMOUTH, Henry Carey (Earl of).
[Romulus and Tarquin].
1637.
The first edition in English of Virgilio Malvezzi's histories of the legendary Roman kings Romulus and Tarquin, translated by Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth
£1,500.00
THUCYDIDES; HOBBES, Thomas (translator).
History of the Grecian War:
1676.
The final lifetime edition of Thomas Hobbes's English-language translation of Thucydides History of the Grecian War
£3,500.00
SARPI, Paolo; BROWN, Edward (translator).
The Letters of the Renowned Father Paul,
1693.
The first edition in English of the collected letters of Paolo Sarpi, translated out of the Italian by Edward Brown
£800.00
TROTSKY, Leon.
Stalin
1947.
The first UK edition of Leon Trotsky's biography of Joseph Stalin
£550.00
