AËRONAUTICS: An Abridgment of Aëronautical Specifications Filed at the Patent Office From A.D.1815 to A.D. 1891

Octavo (8 1/2 X 5 5/8 inches) London: Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street, 1893. Original First Edition. 160 pages, illustrated with drawings of early ideas for achieving manned flight prior to the Wright Brothers. original blue cloth hardcover beveled boards, with title and authors names in gilt, framing a, centered, gilded image of a man descending in a parachute (shown also in the text in black and white as "patent No. 10937 A.D.1888").

Very good condition, minor scuffing to front cover and spine, not affecting contents. Small rubber stamp of a previous owner in upper right corner of title page, over an inked notation ("1.1. 95"), and another unobtrusive notation at bottom right corner of same page - neither affecting text or contents. Minor crimping of upper right corner thru page 13, also not affecting text or contents that are both very clean.

There are more than 275 patent entries: from Balloons (" ... captive, combined with aeroplanes, photography from ....") to Flying Machines, to Kites, and Parachutes; each with a description.

There is a "Name-Index,"a "Subject-Index," and several blank pages for "Aeronautical Notes."

From the preface: "Many of the specifications describe inventions which are no doubt impracticable; some are even ridiculously absurd and are probably the result of dreams. All these, however, are equally included with the ingenious inventions, as in weeding them from the remainder we should make the work incomplete and therefore of little value. Besides, many practical suggestions may be gleaned from the most absurd inventions; and is it not premature to criticize a question which is still unsolved?"

"It is to be hoped that so many failures will not deter inventors from still striving to master the great problem of aerial navigation; for it should be remembered that aerial navigation is not an impossibility but only a difficulty, which may be mastered by careful study and perseverance."

The authors were friends with the Wright Brothers.