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The focus of this series is engineering, broadly construed. It covers technological innovation from a range of periods and cultures, but centres on the technological achievements of the industrial era in the West, particularly in the nineteenth century, as understood by their contemporaries. Infrastructure is one major focus, covering the building of railways and canals, bridges and tunnels, land drainage, the laying of submarine cables, and the construction of docks and lighthouses. Other key topics include developments in industrial and manufacturing fields such as mining technology, the production of iron and steel, the use of steam power and chemical processes such as photography and textile dyes.

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151 results in Cambridge Library Collection - Technology

Page 2 of 8

Samuel F. B. Morse
  • His Letters and Journals
  • Samuel Finley Breese Morse
  • Edited by Edward Lind Morse
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    28 August 2014
    First published in:
    1914
  • The American inventor Samuel Morse (1791–1872) spent decades fighting to be recognised for his key role in devising the electromagnetic telegraph. While he will always be remembered in the history of telecommunications, and for co-developing the code which bears his name, Morse started out as a painter and also involved himself in matters of politics over the course of his career. Published in 1914, this two-volume collection of personal papers was edited by his son, who provides helpful commentary throughout, illuminating the struggles and successes of a remarkable life. Volume 1 includes observations made in Europe while Morse studied painting. During the Napoleonic wars, he writes letters home describing the rising level of crime and social unrest in London, mentioning that he sleeps with a pistol. He is in London when Spencer Perceval is assassinated and later writes of meeting Turner, 'the best landscape painter living'.

Electric Illumination
  • Volume 2
  • Edited by James Dredge
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    18 December 2014
    First published in:
    1885
  • Two years after Thomas Edison patented his electric light bulb, the 1881 International Exposition of Electricity in Paris, featuring many spectacular lighting displays, showcased the potential of this technology for commercial and domestic use. The accompanying International Congress of Electricians also agreed on international standards for units of electrical resistance, potential and current. In its wake, James Dredge (1840–1906), editor of the British periodical Engineering, compiled this illustrated overview of electrical technology and its application to lighting. First published in two volumes between 1882 and 1885, and using material that had previously appeared in Engineering, as well as new articles by various contributors, this substantial work reflects the complexities and possibilities of a propitious technological development. Among other topics, Volume 2 covers electrical measurement, standard textbooks, photometry, and recent developments in lamps and dynamos. The appendices give abstracts of British electrical patents from 1873 to 1882.

Life of Robert Stevenson
  • Civil Engineer
  • David Stevenson
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    28 August 2014
    First published in:
    1878
  • Published in 1878, this biography of the civil engineer Robert Stevenson (1772–1850) was written by his second-youngest son David (1815–86), also a civil engineer and uncle to the author Robert Louis Stevenson. Having already published The Principles and Practice of Canal and River Engineering in 1872 (also reissued in this series), he set about writing this survey of his father's life and works, based on extracts from Robert's professional reports, notes from his diary, and communications to scientific journals and societies between 1798 and 1843. Perhaps most widely known for his practical and persuasive leadership in building many lighthouses for the Northern Lighthouse Board - including that on the notorious Bell Rock, over which he came into conflict with engineer John Rennie regarding the design - Stevenson ensured that the Scottish coastline became a much safer place for shipping for decades to come.

A System of Mechanical Philosophy
  • Volume 2
  • John Robison
  • Edited by David Brewster
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    21 August 2014
    First published in:
    1822
  • After a brief career at sea, during which he tested Harrison's chronometer for the Board of Longitude, John Robison (1739–1805) became lecturer in chemistry at the University of Glasgow. In 1774, having spent a period teaching mathematics in Russia, he returned to Scotland as professor of natural philosophy at Edinburgh. Despite his busy schedule, he contributed major articles on the sciences to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, giving an overview of contemporary scientific knowledge for the educated layperson. After his death, these and other pieces of his scientific writing were edited by his former pupil David Brewster (1781–1868) and were finally published in four volumes in 1822, with a separate volume of illustrative plates. This reissue incorporates those plates in the relevant volumes of text. Volume 2 contains Robison's articles on the steam engine (revised and expanded by his friend James Watt), on other machinery, and on fluid flows.

A Treatise on Roads
  • Wherein the Principles on Which Roads Should Be Made Are Explained and Illustrated, by the Plans, Specifications, and Contracts Made Use of by Thomas Telford, Esq., on the Holyhead Road
  • Henry Parnell
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    25 September 2014
  • The politician Sir Henry Parnell (1776–1842) was instrumental in drafting legislation to improve the important road linking London with Holyhead in Anglesey, a major port for communication with Dublin. He was aided by the pioneering civil engineer Thomas Telford, and in 1833 Parnell published the first edition of this thorough work on road construction and maintenance. Reissued here is the second edition of 1838. Drawing on his experiences with Telford, who called the work 'the most valuable Treatise which has appeared in England' on the subject, Parnell outlines not only the rules governing the planning of a new road, but also addresses the practical aspects of building and repairing roads, noting the various tools and materials needed. Parnell, later Baron Congleton, also highlights the connection between road construction and national development, and includes a number of appendices relating to contemporary legislation on the subject of roads.

Practical Tunnelling
  • The Setting Out of the Works, Shaft-Sinking and Heading-Driving, Ranging the Lines and Levelling under Ground, Sub-Excavating, Timbering, and the Construction of the Brickwork of Tunnels
  • Frederick Walter Simms
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    31 July 2014
    First published in:
    1844
  • The engineer and technical writer Frederick Walter Simms (1803–65) ranked as a leading authority on tunnel construction for railways. After working for a time at the Royal Observatory, Simms assisted Henry Robinson Palmer and later Sir William Cubitt on the South Eastern Railway. He was awarded the Telford medal by the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1842 for his articles on tunnelling, and further employment on railways in England and France was followed by engineering consultancies to the East India Company and the London, Chatham and Dover Railway. He gained greatest recognition, however, as the author of authoritative engineering textbooks, notably this work, first published in 1844. Considered the standard textbook on the subject at the time, it sets out the approved practices of the day, using the Bletchingley and Saltwood tunnels, whose construction Simms supervised, as key examples. A number of technical illustrations accompany the text.

A Treatise on Mills
  • In Four Parts
  • John Banks
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    24 July 2014
    First published in:
    1795
  • From the 1770s onwards, John Banks (1740–1805) lectured on natural philosophy across the north-west of England. Much of his work aimed to show engineers, mechanics and artisans how they could benefit from expanding their theoretical knowledge. First published in 1795, and reissued here in its 1815 second edition, this work shows how to calculate the power limits of waterwheels, millstones and other commercially important machines. In the author's words, a key aim is to avoid wasted effort 'in attempting what men of science know to be impossible'. Starting with the mechanics of circular motion, he leads the reader step by step through a series of worked problems, showing the theory's practical applications. He then moves on to his experiments on the flow of water, and uses his results to better analyse the various types of waterwheel. Banks' On the Power of Machines (1803) is also reissued in this series.

A System of Mechanical Philosophy
  • Volume 3
  • John Robison
  • Edited by David Brewster
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    21 August 2014
    First published in:
    1822
  • After a brief career at sea, during which he tested Harrison's chronometer for the Board of Longitude, John Robison (1739–1805) became lecturer in chemistry at the University of Glasgow. In 1774, having spent a period teaching mathematics in Russia, he returned to Scotland as professor of natural philosophy at Edinburgh. Despite his busy schedule, he contributed major articles on the sciences to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, giving an overview of contemporary scientific knowledge for the educated layperson. After his death, these and other pieces of his scientific writing were edited by his former pupil David Brewster (1781–1868) and were finally published in four volumes in 1822, with a separate volume of illustrative plates. This reissue incorporates those plates in the relevant volumes of text. Volume 3 reprints Robison's large treatise on astronomy, based on his university lectures, as well as his articles on telescopes and pneumatics.

Electric Illumination
  • Volume 1
  • Edited by James Dredge
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    18 December 2014
    First published in:
    1882
  • Two years after Thomas Edison patented his electric light bulb, the 1881 International Exposition of Electricity in Paris, featuring many spectacular lighting displays, showcased the potential of this technology for commercial and domestic use. The accompanying International Congress of Electricians also agreed on international standards for units of electrical resistance, potential and current. In its wake, James Dredge (1840–1906), editor of the British periodical Engineering, compiled this illustrated overview of electrical technology and its application to lighting. First published in two volumes between 1882 and 1885, and using material that had previously appeared in Engineering, as well as new articles by various contributors, this substantial work reflects the complexities and possibilities of a propitious technological development. Among other topics, Volume 1 covers electrical units, methods of generation, conductors, and various kinds of lamp. The appendices give abstracts of British electrical patents from 1837 to 1872.

Underground Life
  • Or, Mines and Miners
  • Louis Simonin
  • Edited and translated by H. W. Bristow
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    28 August 2014
  • Born in Marseilles, Louis Simonin (1830–86) became a leading mining engineer of his age. He travelled widely on government and private commissions, particularly around the United States, where he was held in very high esteem. His posthumous renown rests primarily on this substantial work on mining, first published in 1867. The book is divided into three parts, dealing with coal mining, metal mining, and the mining of precious stones. It covers metallurgy and mineralogy, the history of mining, and techniques, methods and equipment. Bringing the struggles of miners to life, and enhanced by numerous illustrations by some of the leading engravers of the day, the book is regarded as having inspired and informed Émile Zola, whose great novel Germinal (1885) depicts coal miners' lives during a strike. Simonin's work reached a wide readership in his native France, and this English translation appeared in 1869.

The Principles of Bridges
  • Containing the Mathematical Demonstrations of the Properties of the Arches, the Thickness of the Piers, the Force of the Water against Them, etc.
  • Charles Hutton
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    06 November 2014
    First published in:
    1772
  • Though raised in Newcastle's coal-mining community, Charles Hutton (1737–1823) went on to make his mark as a teacher and mathematician. A fellow of the Royal Society (and recipient of the Copley medal), he carried out research into the convergence of series, ballistics, and the density of the earth. After flooding destroyed several bridges across the Tyne in November 1771, he began to study the design of bridges, and published this mathematical treatment in 1772. It demonstrates the ideal properties of arches and piers, with due consideration given to the force of water flowing against these structures. Hutton's practical observations also enhance a section that provides definitions of relevant terms. Not merely a solution to the demands of transport and trade, a well-designed bridge, in Hutton's eyes, stands as a structure of elegance and beauty.

Motor Vehicles and Motors
  • Their Design, Construction and Working by Steam, Oil and Electricity
  • Volume 1
  • W. Worby Beaumont
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    21 August 2014
    First published in:
    1900
  • 'Cheap or rapid or convenient road transport for man and goods is one of the most important of all contributions to national comfort and prosperity.' An early evangelist for the automobile, William Worby Beaumont (1848–1929) drew on his engineering background to produce the first volume of this work in 1900, when motor vehicles were still relatively new to British roads. Rapid developments in the automotive industry prompted the publication of a second volume in 1906. Replete with technical drawings and photographs, the work describes in great detail the design, construction and operation of the earliest motor vehicles, including those powered by steam, electricity and fuels derived from oil. Volume 1 traces the development of the automobile, from various attempts to produce steam vehicles light enough to run on roads through to the advances of Daimler and Benz. It also includes an overview of attempts to harness electrical power to propel road vehicles.

Motor Vehicles and Motors
  • Their Design, Construction and Working by Steam, Oil and Electricity
  • Volume 2
  • W. Worby Beaumont
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    21 August 2014
    First published in:
    1906
  • 'Cheap or rapid or convenient road transport for man and goods is one of the most important of all contributions to national comfort and prosperity.' An early evangelist for the automobile, William Worby Beaumont (1848–1929) drew on his engineering background to produce the first volume of this work in 1900, when motor vehicles were still relatively new to British roads. Rapid developments in the automotive industry prompted the publication of a second volume in 1906. Replete with technical drawings and photographs, the work describes in great detail the design, construction and operation of the earliest motor vehicles, including those powered by steam, electricity and fuels derived from oil. Volume 2 describes the advances made both in the technological development of automobiles and in the volume produced. Detailed descriptions and illustrations are provided for the leading examples of the time from manufacturers such as Renault, Cadillac, Daimler and Wolseley.

A Collection of the Laws Which Form the Constitution of the Bedford Level Corporation
  • Samuel Wells
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    20 November 2014
  • Much of eastern England is below sea level, resulting in wide swathes of marshland that are easily flooded. In the seventeenth century, the Bedford Level Corporation was set up by Francis Russell, fourth earl of Bedford, in order to manage the drainage of the Great Level of the Fens, which became known as the Bedford Level and is the largest region of fenland in eastern England. Between 1828 and 1830, Samuel Wells, the corporation's registrar, published his well-documented history of the Bedford Level and the attempts made at various points to clear it of water using a variety of methods, from earthworks raised by the Romans to the strategies of Sir Cornelius Vermuyden and the eventual introduction of steam-powered technology. Volume 2, published in 1828, contains the necessary documents and appendices for the proper understanding of Volume 1, which appeared two years later.

Sketch of the Civil Engineering of North America
  • Comprising Remarks on the Harbours, River and Lake Navigation, Lighthouses, Steam-Navigation, Water-Works, Canals, Roads, Railways, Bridges, and Other Works in that Country
  • David Stevenson
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    28 August 2014
  • A distinguished civil engineer, David Stevenson (1815–86) continued his father's work of designing and building lighthouses around the coast of his native Scotland. His three-month tour of the United States and Canada in 1837 resulted in this highly detailed and unprecedented survey, first published in 1838. Stevenson covers a large number of engineering works, ranging from lighthouses and canals through to roads, bridges and railways. Notably, Stevenson's praise for North America's faster and sleeker steam vessels led British shipbuilders to emulate the models he describes and illustrates in this text. The work remains a historically valuable assessment of the continent's infrastructure at a time of great industrial expansion. Stevenson's The Principles and Practice of Canal and River Engineering, 2nd edition (1872) and his Life of Robert Stevenson (1878), a biography of his father, are also reissued in this series.

A Treatise on Engineering Field-Work
  • Comprising the Practice of Surveying, Levelling, Laying Out Works, and Other Field Operations Connected with Engineering
  • Volume 1
  • Peter Bruff
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    21 August 2014
    First published in:
    1840
  • In the 1840s, the civil engineer Peter Bruff (1812–1900) designed what was then the largest brick structure in Britain, the 1,000-foot-long Chappel Viaduct in Essex. He went on to become a railway entrepreneur and developer, and was responsible for the creation of the resort town Clacton-on-Sea, where he also designed many of the buildings. In this illustrated guide, first published in 1838 and here reissued in the revised and expanded two-volume second edition of 1840–2, he discusses the theory and practice of surveying (calculating the accurate position of points in the landscape) and levelling (calculating the accurate height of points). Volume 1 covers surveying; Bruff discusses different methods for calculating bearings and distances, and the equipment required. He explains the various errors to which each method is prone, how to avoid or minimise them, and gives example surveys of land boundaries, parishes and railway lines.

A Memoir on Suspension Bridges
  • Comprising the History of their Origin and Progress, and of their Application to Civil and Military Purposes
  • Charles Stewart Drewry
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    21 August 2014
    First published in:
    1832
  • Published in 1832, this was the first English textbook dedicated to the topic of suspension bridges in Britain and continental Europe. Having assisted the naval officer and civil engineer Samuel Brown in preparing plans for the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Charles Stewart Drewry (1805–81) used information supplied directly by his engineering contemporaries to give an overview of the principles and challenges involved in the construction of suspension bridges. A key reference for the early history of this type of structure, the book discusses various methods and materials, ranging across rope, wood, chain and wire. Details regarding experiments on the strength of iron bars and wires are also given. Enhanced by lithographic plates and woodcut illustrations, the work is notable for its discussion of many examples of important bridges, such as Thomas Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge and the first such construction over the Thames at Hammersmith, as well as designs from overseas.

Histoire du Canal du Midi
  • Connu précédemment sous le nom de Canal de Languedoc
  • Antoine-François Andréossy
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    06 November 2014
    First published in:
    1799
  • Officially opened in 1682, the Canal du Midi, designed and built by the engineers Pierre-Paul Riquet and François Andréossy, stretched from Toulouse to the Mediterranean. The present work was written by Andréossy's descendant, Antoine-François Andréossy (1761–1828), a French general and diplomat. A member of the Académie des Sciences, he analyses here the terrain of the south of France to show how and why the canal was built. Notably, the work became known for the author's argument that Riquet had usurped the glory that really belonged to his ancestor. Concluding with original documents from the period of the canal's construction, along with an appendix giving details on the canal's route, the book is reissued here in its first edition of 1800. A second edition appeared in 1804, and a third edition was begun but never completed.

Harbours and Docks
  • Their Physical Features, History, Construction, Equipment and Maintenance with Statistics as to their Commercial Development
  • Leveson Francis Vernon-Harcourt
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    21 August 2014
  • Professor of civil engineering at University College London, Leveson Francis Vernon-Harcourt (1839–1907) drew on considerable practical experience, having worked most notably on London's East and West India docks. The present work was first published in two volumes in 1885. This reissue combines in one volume the text and the plates, including plans and maps of important examples. The topics discussed include natural and artificial harbours; the impact of waves, tides and currents; and general principles of construction. Furthering Vernon-Harcourt's aim to educate readers on both the theory and practice of hydraulic engineering, the work features case studies on specific projects (including their origins and condition at that time), shedding much light on the history and operation of infrastructure that proved essential for the development of modern trade. Of related interest, Thomas Stevenson's The Design and Construction of Harbours (second edition, 1874) is also reissued in this series.

Concrete
  • Its Use in Building and the Construction of Concrete Walls, Floors, Etc.
  • Thomas Potter
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    10 July 2014
    First published in:
    1877
  • Clerk of works to an aristocratic landowner, Thomas Potter possessed considerable practical experience when he published this work in 1877. His intention was to provide a source of helpful information relating to a building material that was being increasingly used in Victorian construction, yet not without detractors, who objected on aesthetic as well as technical grounds. Clearly enthusiastic about concrete's potential applications, Potter seeks to give a balanced assessment of its usefulness and versatility. While the text does not discuss the chemical processes involved, it does cover aggregates, matrices, how to mix the two, the apparatus needed, the construction of walls, floors and roofs, and the costs and disadvantages of using concrete. The book also features several contemporary advertisements, including one for 'Potter's Concrete Building Apparatus and Appliances'. Of related interest, Charles William Pasley's Observations on Limes, Calcareous Cements, Mortars, Stuccos, and Concrete (1838) is also reissued in this series.

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