[Rarebooks] Offer : RUFUS PORTER AND AMERICAN AVIATION.

[Laderman]

1. KNIGHT, JOHN; Editor: MECHANICS' MAGAZINE AND REGISTER OF INVENTIONS AND 
IMPROVEMENTS. . New York, D.K. Minor and J.E. Challis,1833 to 1837. In the 
September 1834 issue [Volume IV, No. 3], was published a two page 
description of an "AERONAUTIC STEAM CAR,"  SIGNED B.G.N. and datelined 
Michigan Territory. It included a detailed illustration of the mechanism. 
It was a pointed cigar shaped bag under which there was a carriage, which 
enclosed the machinery and passengers. Four counter rotating propellers [2 
and 2] and a rudder, both vertical and horizontal blades. In the November 
8th issue, [Volume IV, No.5] a similar but much more detailed proposal was 
published by RUFUS PORTER for a machine 500 feet long. It is the first 
publication of any of Porter's aeronautic designs. It is titled "TRAVELING 
BALLOON OR FLYING MACHINE" and begins at the title page. There is a large 
and detailed picture of this machine as well. The motive power is a screw 
rather than propellers.  In the November 15th issue a letter adding a 
detail and datelined Hartford, October 4th 1834 was published. In the 
letter he states that he had sent a copy of his plan to a friend in Troy 
New York in January last. The editors of the magazine state as well that 
Porter's competing machine with its plan reached them before the September 
issue was distributed. In 1849 Porter demonstrated a clockwork driven model 
of the machine based on this design before an audience, with success. His 
published pamphlet for his later design is almost identical to this one. He 
also organized a company to invest in a full scale machine to be used for 
transcontinental travel.  However, the machine designed by the still 
pseudonymous Michigander B.G.N. has the honor to have been the first 
American designed flying machine, published. Porter also has a new design 
in the November [1st] issue. Here his diagram is on the title page and his 
design on the following two pages. It is for a steam driven forcing pump. 
Among the other devices first published here is Cyrus McCormick's Self 
Sharpening Horizontal Plough [with illustrations]. In a later issue, April 
1824 is published Hussey's Grain Cutter, a forerunner of the reaper,  which 
was in production in Ohio. It also reprinted Stephenson's improved 
Locomotive Steam Engine in December 1834 among many other fascinating 
American and British inventions. This is a volume of selected issues rather 
than a run. It includes Volume III, No Il, Feb. 1834- April 1834 [Pp. 
66-256] Vol. IV, II 4, 5 [and three more 5s each a different date and with 
different contents]; and three similar sixes. This abundantly illustrated 
scientific magazine published material on a variety of science topics, 
focusing mainly on recent inventions and methods. Many articles dealt with 
the steam engine, shipbuilding, railroads, machinery, and manufacturing 
processes; and most were accompanied by diagrams. A good deal of the 
material was selected from European scientific works. Contents also 
included a meteorological record, analysis of scientific periodicals, and 
memoirs.  There are no copies noted at OCLC, but there are copies at MWA, 
Hollis, DLC, YUS, Penn, U of Chicago, UMI, has scattered issues only. It is 
a rare magazine, most copies being in microfiche form. The magazine has the 
honor to contain the details and illustrations of the first two American 
designed airships. Both quite ingenious, and both with one flaw, that there 
was not yet a large scale power plant light enough to lift them. Bound in 
original marbled boards, new cloth backstrip, Very Good. $1050.00

2. HENSON, WILLIAM SAMUEL: " BY PERMISSION OF THE PATENTEES" / THIS 
ENGRAVING OF THE FIRST CARRIAGE, THE "ARIEL."  Drawn on stone by W. Wilson, 
Lith. Printed and published by Day & Haghe Lithographers to the Queen [Nd 
but Ca. 1842]. WILLIAM SAMUEL HENSON [1805-1888] together with his partner 
JOHN STRINGFELLOW(1799-1883) in 1842 patented his "Aerial Steam Carriage" 
and proposed setting up a company called the Aerial Steam Transit Company 
to handle passengers and freight by air, despite the fact that they didn't 
have a working airplane, or even a model. Following the writings of Sir 
George Cayley, who had laid down many of the principles of powered flight 
in 1809-1810, they built several models, but none flew; nevertheless, they 
issued promotional brochures. During this period, before all success seemed 
futile, this print was issued.  It must have been before 1844 when all 
tests were finally unsuccessful, because they had not yet invented a 
powerful enough light motor.  Stringfellow,  Henson's partner did achieve 
this later. However, after the failure of his design Henson emigrated to 
the United States, so this can be called the first separate illustration of 
a heavier than air flying machine invented by an American. In the 
lithograph the machine is apparently life size and is shown flying over the 
Nile and above the pyramids. This copy is hand colored as issued and with a 
little light foxing, as well as a little matte burn at the very edges of 
the sheet which is 24 x 32 cm. in size. It is one of the earliest images of 
a possible heavier than air machine. It included a horizontal but no 
vertical stabilizer. In the late 1840's, with Stringfellow's lightweight 
steam engine he designed a monoplane with swallow-shaped wings, rather than 
the rectangular ones Henson had designed but continued with the 
delta-shaped horizontal tail, and again no vertical tail, or rudder. He 
also continued to use two counter-rotating propellers, one on each side at 
the back. A large model of this version was able to fly in interiors. $750.00

ZITA BOOKS / NEW YORK, N.Y. / G. LADERMAN
=================================================
telephone: 212-866-4715  email:zita at speakeasy.net

http://www.antiqbook.com/zitabooks/

Carriage billed at cost. Payment in US dollar check or bank transfer required.
Credit cards accepted for payment through paypal. The usual trade discounts
offered.  Prices here quoted take precedence over any earlier listing.