Nineteenth century books

This collection of about 23,000 popular and academic books covers all branches of science, technology and engineering. Medicine, natural history, anthropology, exploration and geography are also well represented. The collection is a rich resource of primary material for the study of the nineteenth century and includes many major and minor works. Books are mostly in English but there are French, German, Italian and other languages represented.

Holdings of rarer works include books (sometimes signed) by Charles Babbage, Marie Curie, Charles Darwin, Sir Humphry Davy, Michael Faraday.

Also included are sets of pamphlets collected by John Tyndall (25 volumes), Oliver Lodge (9 volumes) and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (51 volumes).

The Library also holds 45 boxes of programmes, reports and evidence collected in the 1880s for the Royal Commission on Technical Instruction on educational institutions in Europe and the USA.

Catalogues: most of the collection is catalogued on cards, although all the astronomy books and selected other titles do have computer catalogue entries. Please email smlinfo@sciencemuseum.org.uk if you need staff to check the card catalogue.

Highlights

Early encyclopaedias

• Wilkes, John. Encyclopaedia Londinensis, or, Universal dictionary of arts, sciences, and literature (London, 1810-1829)
• Rees, Abraham. The cyclopaedia or, universal dictionary of arts, sciences, and literature (London, 1819-1820)

Mathematics

• Euclid. The first six books of the Elements of Euclid : in which coloured diagrams and symbols are used instead of letters for the greater ease of learners (London, 1847). 

Astronomy

• Guillemin, Amédée. The world of comets (London, 1877)

Physics & Chemistry

• Meyer, W. H. Theodor. Beobachtungen über das geschichtete electrische Licht sowie über den merkwürdigen Einfluss des Magneten auf dasselbe nebst Anleitung zur experimentellen Darstellung der fraglichen Erscheinungen (Berlin, 1858)

Natural history

• Strickland, Hugh Edwin. The dodo and its kindred (London, 1848)
• The Zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle , under the command of Captain Fitzroy, R.N., during the years 1832 to 1836 / edited and superintended by Charles Darwin (London, 1849-53)

Civil engineering

• Provis, W. A. An historical and descriptive account of the suspension bridge constructed over the Menai Strait, in North Wales (London, 1828)
• E.W. Cooke. Views of the old and new London bridges (London, 1833)

Trades & Industries

• Twintig plaaten , voorstellende de werkplaatsen benevens de voornaamste werktuigen en voortbrengselen van twintig verschillende ambachten (Groningen, 1849)
• Simonin, Louis. Underground life, or, Mines and miners (London, 1869)

Mechanical engineering

• Chapman, Henry. Diagrams of mechanics ((London, 1842)

Electric lighting

• Bax, E. Ironside. Popular electric lighting (London, 1891)

Telecommunications

• Russell, W. H. The Atlantic telegraph (London, 1866)

Transportation

• Pictorial history of the Great Eastern steam-ship (London, 1859 or 60)
• Tissandier, Gaston. Histoire des ballons et des aeronautes celebres : 1783-1800 (Paris, 1887)
• Bottomley, J. F. The Velocipede : its past, its present & its future (London, 1869)

Exploration & Discovery

• Description de l'Egypte, ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Egypte pendant l'Expedition de l'Armée française (Paris, 1809-1830) 
• Franklin, John. Narrative of a journey to the shores of the Polar Sea, in the years 1819, 20, 21, and 22 (London, 1823) 
• Duperrey, Louis Isidore. Voyage autour du monde : exécutée par ordre du roi, sur la corvette de Sa Majesté, La Coquille, pendant les années 1822, 1823, 1824 et 1825 (Paris, 1826)