BABBAGE, Charles, Mr. Babbage's Invention. Copies of the Correspondence Between the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury and the President and Council of the Royal Society, relative to an Invention of Mr. Babbage [INCLUDING]: A letter to Sir Humphry Davy, Bart. on the application of machinery to the purpose of calculating and printing mathematical tables

Published by House of Commons, London, 1823

Folio; pp. [8]

THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE GAINS THE SUPPORT OF DAVY, THE ROYAL SOCIETY, AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. An exceptionally scarce and important document. This is the sole separate printing of the parliamentary record ('Sessional Papers') containing Babbage's celebrated letter to Humphry Davy, as well as the favourable response of the Royal Society. Only one other copy is recorded worldwide, at the University of Illinois; however, the present copy is the only known example to retain its original stab-stitching, i.e. to be offered in the pristine 'as issued' state, rather than being disbound from a sammelband.

Although many calculating machines predate Babbage's Difference Engine, the Engine marks a decisive break: Babbage wanted not only to mechanize calculation, but to automate it. Specifically he wanted to automate the compilation and printing of astronomical and other mathematical tables. The present document marks the moment when Babbage's Difference Engine went from an inventor s dream to a reality – albeit one only ever partially completed.

Having created a model of his Difference Engine in the early 1820s, Babbage sought public support, writing with extensive detail of the project to the most famous scientist in the land – Humphry Davy, then President of the Royal Society. With Davy's backing, the Royal Society's response was decisive: a grant to Babbage was made, and production began in earnest.

Near fine condition: stab-stitched as issued; docket title printed orthoganally to rear of last sheet; presented in an attractive large-format folder with a paper title to the cover.