British Engineering Commission to the Occupied Area of Germany, May 7th to 26th 1919 (During the Armistice) Sir Henry Fowler's copy (Signed)

London: Department of Overseas Trade, 1919. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. Signed by Owner. 1st Edition. Landscape. An official album, bound in original brown cloth, with 130 original photographs showing the work of the British Engineering Commission. This was a was a group of British engineers, including Sir Henry Fowler, whose copy this was, who were sent to Germany in 1919 to assess the state of German industry after World War I. The Commission was established by the Department of Overseas Trade. The Commission's report indicated unsurprisingly that the German industry had been seriously damaged by the war. Sir Henry Fowler, KBE (29 July 1870 - 16 October 1938) was the well known railway engineer, who became Chief Mechanical Engineer to the Midland Railway and subsequently the LMS. He was responsible for a number of locomotives designed under his watch, perhaps most notably the "Royal Scot". His reputation meant that he joined the Commission and can be seen in a number of the photographs. The cover bears his signature dated 1919. This is probably only of a very few prepared for the Commissioners and has images of their travels and problems as well as war damage and general images. The Commissioners were, Sir Henry Fowler, W.J. Larke, Chas Day, S.H. March, C. Rodgers, J.W. Sowden, M.C.S. Swallow, F.J. West and Lieut-Colonel Stewart Roddie (representing the War Office). It is possible only 10 of these albums were produced for the representatives. .