Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company : Private: Horace Darwin, Vol. 1

Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company

<p style='text-align: justify;'>This letterpress copybook belonged to Horace Darwin and over the 500 pages of its contents, it is dominated by reports and letters concerning his work as a consulting engineer on land reclamation, water supply and drainage schemes, most notably for Wittingehame House and the Garvald estate in East Lothian of Arthur James Balfour, his parental home at Down House in Kent, and streets in Brighton. Letters from Darwin concerning the design and delivery of bespoke scientific instruments (including sketches) begin to appear infrequently from March 1879 onwards but become more frequent as 1880 progresses. Interspersed throughout are letters on such diverse topics as arranging servicing and repairs of lawnmowers and bicycles, agreeing terms for rental of houses in Cambridge and payment of domestic bills, organising journal subscriptions, organising a new Will and financial settlement following his marriage to Emma Cecilia (Ida) Farrer in January 1880, and offering advice on how to become a consulting engineer. The letterpress copybook concludes with a letter from Darwin and Albert George Dew-Smith offering the position of foreman to William T. Pye on 16 December 1880. The volume is indexed.</p>