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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 3 of 8

Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers, Canals, and Railways, of Great Britain
  • As a Reference to Nichols, Priestley and Walker's New Map of Inland Navigation, Derived from Original and Parliamentary Documents in the Possession of Joseph Priestley, Esq.
  • Joseph Priestley
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    21 August 2014
    First published in:
    1831
  • This account of the waterways and railways of Great Britain covers those transport routes and systems of inland navigation that had been completed or were in construction at the time of publication in 1831. Not to be confused with his polymath namesake, Joseph Priestley (1766–1852) entrenched his expertise as manager of the Aire and Calder Navigation. Here he provides alphabetical entries ranging from the Aberdare Canal in Glamorganshire to the Wyrley and Essington Canal in the Midlands. Details are given regarding location, construction, relevant Acts of Parliament, and even tonnage rates. Published to accompany a huge map of British inland navigation (a smaller version is featured here as the frontispiece), the book became a standard reference work in its day. Shedding light on the development of commercially crucial infrastructure, it remains valuable to readers and researchers interested in the history of British transport and technology.

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.

The History of the Drainage of the Great Level of the Fens, Called Bedford Level
  • With the Constitution and Laws 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 1, published in 1830, contains a historical account of the area and of the commission set up to address the perennial problem of flooding.

The Diaries of Edward Pease
  • The Father of English Railways
  • Edward Pease
  • Edited by Alfred Edward Pease
  • Published online:
    05 February 2015
    Print publication:
    13 June 2013
  • Edward Pease (1767–1858), who left behind extensive diaries for the years 1824–57, was dubbed the 'father of English railways' thanks to his backing of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which began operating in 1825. A prominent Quaker and woollen manufacturer in Darlington, Pease famously recruited George Stephenson (1781–1848) as the line's engineer. His great-grandson Sir Alfred Pease (1857–1939) edited these diaries for private circulation only, but was persuaded to publish them in 1907. The work includes an introductory essay on Quakerism and biographical sketches of Pease and his wife Rachel. The diaries themselves reveal, as the editor mentions in his preface, a life devoted to public and private good works. The appendices include a variety of Quaker texts and other material relating to the Pease family and the founding of the railways.

Observations on Limes, Calcareous Cements, Mortars, Stuccos, and Concrete
  • And on Puzzolanas, Natural and Artificial
  • Charles William Pasley
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    22 May 2014
    First published in:
    1838
  • An officer in the Royal Engineers, Sir Charles William Pasley (1780–1861) wrote on matters ranging from military sieges to architecture. In this substantial work, first published in 1838, he outlines the experimentally determined properties of various building materials, with a view to their practical application. Offering guidance on how to decide between different calcareous mortars and cements, Pasley discusses how to judge their comparative strengths. Heeding advice from the Institution of Civil Engineers, he made this work a broad overview, rather than simply focusing on his special area of interest: natural and artificial cements. His research on cements led to the large-scale manufacture of products such as Portland, patent lithic, and blue lias. Pasley discusses the research of other authors in the appendix. Also reissued in this series, in English translation, is Louis-Joseph Vicat's Practical and Scientific Treatise on Calcareous Mortars and Cements, Artificial and Natural (1837).

Description des expériences de la machine aérostatique de MM. de Montgolfier
  • Et de celles auxquelles cette découverte a donné lieu
  • Barthélemy Faujas de St-Fond
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    17 July 2014
  • The French geologist and traveller Barthélemy Faujas de Saint-Fond (1741–1819) was a strong supporter of the aerostatic experiments of the Montgolfier brothers, seeking to publicise their pioneering endeavours in this 1783 work. Exploiting the principle that hot air is lighter than cold, the Montgolfiers developed and demonstrated their hot air balloons to great acclaim. In this collection of reports, Faujas presents the details of each experiment, describing the balloons as well as potential improvements. Where possible, he specifies the position of witnesses, precise timings and viewing angles. A number of finely engraved plates enhance the work, giving readers a flavour of the spectacle that impressed contemporary observers. Faujas published a second volume, containing additional accounts and illustrations, in 1784. His Minéralogie des volcans (1784) and Essai de géologie (1803–9) are also reissued in this series.

The International Exhibition of 1862
  • The Illustrated Catalogue of the Industrial Department
  • Volume 4, Foreign Division
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    17 April 2014
  • Replete with detailed engravings, this four-volume catalogue was published to accompany the International Exhibition of 1862. Held in South Kensington from May to November, the exhibition showcased the progress made in a diverse range of crafts, trades and industries since the Great Exhibition of 1851. Over 6 million visitors came to view the wares of more than 28,000 exhibitors from Britain, her empire and beyond. Featuring explanatory notes and covering such fields as mining, engineering, textiles, printing and photography, this remains an instructive resource for social and economic historians. The exhibition's Illustrated Record, its Popular Guide and the industrial department's one-volume Official Catalogue have all been reissued in this series. Volume 4 continues to catalogue the Foreign Division. Notable is the appearance of early exhibits from Steinway & Sons in the brief section for the United States. In contrast, Austrian and German exhibits occupy more than 400 pages.

Practical Essay on the Strength of Cast Iron and Other Metals
  • Containing Practical Rules, Tables, and Examples, Founded on a Series of Experiments, with an Extensive Table of the Properties of Materials
  • Experimental Researches on the Strength and other Properties of Cast Iron
  • Eaton Hodgkinson
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    22 May 2014
    First published in:
    1846
  • Although cast iron was used in pagoda construction in ancient China, it was in Britain in the eighteenth century that new methods allowed for its production in quantities that enabled widespread use. An engineer who had educated himself tirelessly in technical subjects from carpentry to architecture, Thomas Tredgold (1788–1829) first published this work in 1822. It served as a standard textbook for British engineers in the early nineteenth century, and several translations extended its influence on the continent. Reissued here in the fourth edition of 1842, edited and annotated by the structural engineer Eaton Hodgkinson (1789–1861), who presents his own research in the second volume, this work addresses both practical and mathematical questions in assessing metallic strength. In Volume 2, benefiting from twenty years of progress since Tredgold's original publication, Hodgkinson provides details of his own advanced experiments.

The Commercial Dictionary of Trade Products, Manufacturing and Technical Terms
  • With a Definition of the Moneys, Weights, and Measures, of All Countries, Reduced to the British Standard
  • Peter Lund Simmonds
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    21 August 2014
  • An industrious journalist and editor of periodicals, Peter Lund Simmonds (1814–97) wrote across a range of subjects, including natural history and applied science. An active member of the Royal Society of Arts, he first published this dictionary in 1858. Reissued here in its revised and enlarged edition of 1867, it contains more than 22,000 entries. The curious can discover within that a calcar is a furnace in a glassworks, or that the best kind of Cuban tobacco is known as calidad. Readers will also learn that the hautboy can be either eaten or played, being the name for both a wild strawberry and a form of oboe. Testifying to the proliferation of manufactured goods in the nineteenth century, and the contemporary desire to diffuse 'sound and useful knowledge among the masses', this work will appeal to readers interested in the history and lexicon of trade and technology.

A Practical and Scientific Treatise on Calcareous Mortars and Cements, Artificial and Natural
  • Louis-Joseph Vicat
  • Edited by John Thomas Smith
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    28 August 2014
    First published in:
    1837
  • Having devised an artificial cement in 1817, Louis-Joseph Vicat (1786–1861) sought to share and further the science surrounding calcareous cements. His son, Joseph Vicat, went on to found the eponymous company which became an international manufacturer of cement. This work was first published in French in 1828 and is reissued here in the English translation of 1837. Vicat addresses the subject of limes, the ingredients used to prepare mortars and cements, and how these building materials are affected by environmental conditions, such as immersion in water or exposure to damp soil and inclement weather. He also compares binding products of the time with those developed by the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. The translator, J. T. Smith, provides helpful explanatory notes and clarifies technical terms. Charles William Pasley's Observations on Limes, Calcareous Cements, Mortars, Stuccos, and Concrete (1838) is also reissued in this series.

The Steam Engine
  • Comprising an Account of its Invention and Progressive Improvement
  • Thomas Tredgold
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    17 July 2014
    First published in:
    1827
  • Thomas Tredgold (1788–1829) has been described as 'the most influential technical author of his generation and possibly of the nineteenth century'. His writings contributed greatly to the wider understanding of engineering, and it is his definition of civil engineering that the Institution of Civil Engineers wrote into their charter of 1828. Published in 1827, this work provides a historical survey and explanation of 'a masterpiece of human contrivance'. Tredgold breaks his subject down into ten sections, each covering areas such as the properties of steam, the differing means of harnessing its power, the history of the steam engine's invention and improvement, and the various applications of steam power. Containing many tables, formulae and line drawings, this thorough work complements Charles Frederick Partington's Historical and Descriptive Account of the Steam Engine (1822), which is also reissued in this series.

Personal Narrative of the Origin and Progress of the Caoutchouc or India-Rubber Manufacture in England
  • Thomas Hancock
  • Published online:
    05 December 2014
    Print publication:
    13 February 2014
  • Over the course of three decades, the English businessman and inventor Thomas Hancock (1786–1865) took out sixteen patents relating to the potential applications of natural rubber. Hancock's fascination with this material, the properties of which had not been fully appreciated in England, drove him to experiment extensively with manufacturing methods. This led to the development of the mechanical process of 'mastication' and the chemical process of vulcanization, the end product of which was used by Macintosh to create waterproof garments. This illustrated account of Hancock's discoveries and methods was first published in 1857. It covers the origin of his interest in natural rubber and his subsequent experiments and patents. Also included are details about the plants from which natural rubber is extracted. The result is an informed chronicle of the commercial exploitation of a versatile and lucrative resource.

Practical Essay on the Strength of Cast Iron and Other Metals
  • Containing Practical Rules, Tables, and Examples, Founded on a Series of Experiments, with an Extensive Table of the Properties of Materials
  • Practical Essay on the Strength of Cast Iron and Other Metals
  • Thomas Tredgold
  • Edited by Eaton Hodgkinson
  • Published online:
    05 December 2014
    Print publication:
    22 May 2014
    First published in:
    1842
  • Although cast iron was used in pagoda construction in ancient China, it was in Britain in the eighteenth century that new methods allowed for its production in quantities that enabled widespread use. An engineer who had educated himself tirelessly in technical subjects from carpentry to architecture, Thomas Tredgold (1788–1829) first published this work in 1822. It served as a standard textbook for British engineers in the early nineteenth century, and several translations extended its influence on the continent. Reissued here in the fourth edition of 1842, edited and annotated by the structural engineer Eaton Hodgkinson (1789–1861), who presents his own research in the second volume, this work addresses both practical and mathematical questions in assessing metallic strength. In Volume 1, wherever progress has been made since the original publication, Hodgkinson adds notes to Tredgold's original text, pointing out certain errors.

The Life of Sir John Fowler, Engineer
  • Thomas Mackay
  • Published online:
    05 December 2014
    Print publication:
    18 April 2013
    First published in:
    1900
  • As a civil engineer, Sir John Fowler (1817–98) devoted his life to the railways. His best-known achievements include the first railway bridge across the Thames in London, Manchester Central Station, the development of the London Underground and (with Sir Benjamin Baker) the Forth Bridge - arguably the most remarkable feat of engineering of the nineteenth century. Given access to friends and family papers, the author and social theorist Thomas Mackay (1849–1912) portrays a man who was fascinated by engineering as a child, and who continued to work up until his death. As a portrait of one of the architects of Victorian Britain, this biography, first published in 1900, will be of great interest to historians of the period as well as readers wishing to know more about the development of iconic infrastructure.

The Architect, Engineer, and Operative Builder's Constructive Manual
  • Or, A Practical and Scientific Treatise on the Construction of Artificial Foundations for Buildings, Railways, etc.
  • Christopher Davy
  • Published online:
    05 December 2014
    Print publication:
    10 July 2014
    First published in:
    1839
  • Little is known about Christopher Davy (c.1803–49), despite his regular contributions to architectural and engineering magazines in Britain and America. Describing himself as an 'architect and teacher of architecture', he also took an interest in steam engines and railway construction. In this work, published in 1839, and using information gathered from experiments by the Board of Ordnance, Davy begins by describing the characteristics of the geology of England and Wales, with regard to its suitability for obtaining building materials and laying strong foundations. He describes the means by which soil and rock samples may be taken, and gives details relating to the construction of the foundations of St Paul's Cathedral on the troublesome London clay. Later chapters discuss the practicalities of pile driving, the use of concrete, and the properties of limestone. Reflecting the progress of technical knowledge in the early nineteenth century, the work features several illustrations of contemporary apparatus.

The Life of Thomas Telford, Civil Engineer
  • With an Introductory History of Roads and Travelling in Great Britain
  • Samuel Smiles
  • Published online:
    05 November 2014
    Print publication:
    17 July 2014
  • This biography of the civil engineer Thomas Telford (1757–1834) was published in 1867 by Samuel Smiles (1812–1904), the author of Self-Help and of other biographies of engineers and innovators. Smiles had already written about Telford's life and achievements in Volume 2 of his Lives of the Engineers (which is also reissued in this series), but in returning to the topic he adds to this new edition an introductory section (taken from Volume 1 of Lives of the Engineers) on the history of roads in Britain, from prehistoric trackways, via the Romans, to the modern road-building system pioneered by John Metcalf (the extraordinary 'Blind Jack of Knaresborough') and Telford himself. This illustrated work gives engaging accounts from earlier writers of the perils of road travel, and also deals in detail with Telford's own career as a builder of roads, bridges and canals.

History of the Manchester Ship Canal from its Inception to its Completion
  • With Personal Reminiscences
  • Volume 1
  • Bosdin Leech
  • Published online:
    05 November 2014
    Print publication:
    24 April 2014
    First published in:
    1907
  • By the late nineteenth century, charges imposed on Manchester companies for the use of Liverpool's docks and the connecting railway had created an atmosphere of resentment within the business community. The Manchester Ship Canal was to play a major part in the city's regeneration following the depression of the 1870s, but it took a lengthy battle for the scheme to gain the backing of Parliament and for construction to begin in 1887. In this two-volume work of 1907, Sir Bosdin Leech (1836–1912) traces the canal's conception, planning and construction. Volume 1 discusses the historical and economic factors that led to the creation of the waterway, as well as the bitter political fight to make it a reality. The work includes a large amount of illustrative content, enhancing the light shed on the landscape and notable personalities of Manchester at that time.

The Life of Robert Stephenson, F.R.S.
  • With Descriptive Chapters on Some of his Most Important Professional Works
  • Volume 2
  • John Cordy Jeaffreson, William Pole
  • Published online:
    05 November 2014
    Print publication:
    20 March 2014
    First published in:
    1864
  • Relying on incremental experiment and practice rather than individual leaps into the unknown, Robert Stephenson (1803–59) forged an influential career as a highly respected railway and civil engineer. From the steam locomotive Rocket to the London and Birmingham Railway and the Britannia Bridge, his work helped to consolidate the foundations of the modern engineering profession. Based on the first-hand testimony of relatives and contemporaries as well as correspondence and official records, this 1864 biography by John Cordy Jeaffreson (1831–1901), published only five years after Stephenson's death, tells the story of this quiet industrial innovator. Five chapters by engineer William Pole (1814–1900) provide a more technical insight, examining some of Stephenson's most significant railway bridges. Volume 2 covers his advocacy of standardisation of the permanent way during the Gauge War, and his life as a bridge builder and politician.

Submarine Telegraphs
  • Their History, Construction, and Working
  • Charles Bright
  • Published online:
    05 November 2014
    Print publication:
    20 March 2014
  • An accomplished telegraph engineer in his own right, Sir Charles Bright (1863–1937) was the son of Sir Charles Tilston Bright (1832–88), who had achieved greatness in laying the first transatlantic cable in 1858. The younger Bright worked alongside his father for a time, continued his research, and became an authority on the subject. Examining the history, construction and working of submarine telegraphs, this 1898 treatise traces both technical and commercial developments, looking also at the labour involved. Bright addresses the laying of cables across the globe, giving accounts of projects in India, South America and beyond. Illuminating the many commercial uses for submarine cables, Bright provides an informed survey of the early standardisation of telegraphy systems. Replete with detailed illustrations and technical drawings, this work remains an indispensable resource on the history of telecommunications and electrical engineering.

The International Exhibition of 1862
  • The Illustrated Catalogue of the Industrial Department
  • Volume 3, Colonial and Foreign Divisions
  • Published online:
    05 November 2014
    Print publication:
    17 April 2014
  • Replete with detailed engravings, this four-volume catalogue was published to accompany the International Exhibition of 1862. Held in South Kensington from May to November, the exhibition showcased the progress made in a diverse range of crafts, trades and industries since the Great Exhibition of 1851. Over 6 million visitors came to view the wares of more than 28,000 exhibitors from Britain, her empire and beyond. Featuring explanatory notes and covering such fields as mining, engineering, textiles, printing and photography, this remains an instructive resource for social and economic historians. The exhibition's Illustrated Record, its Popular Guide and the industrial department's one-volume Official Catalogue have all been reissued in this series. Volume 3, given over to the Colonial Division and the Foreign Division, includes copious examples of manufactured and agricultural goods from India, occupying nearly 300 pages. Also featured are 91 exhibitors of Jamaican rum.

Page 3 of 8