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Author: Humber, William
Title: A Practical Treatise on Cast and Wrought Iron Bridges and Girders, as applied to railway structures, and to buildings generally, with numerous examples..
Place Published: London
Publisher: E. & F.N. Spon
Date Published: 1857
Description:

x, [2], 106 + 1 errata pp. Illustrated with frontispiece and 57 numbered plates, many folding or double page. (Folio) 37x27 cm (14½x10") original half morocco and pebbled cloth, spine reinforced with black masking tape. First Edition.

First Edition of this superbly illustrated "survey of the iron bridges erected in the wake of the Britannia Tubular Bridge exploiting the increased knowledge of the material and its behaviour resulting from that monumental structure. Humber's book is made up of a series of plates, each fully described, illustrating examples of all kinds of structures including aqueducts, viaducts and road bridges. A lengthy section is devoted to the Crumlin Viaduct (prototype for many bridges erected overseas), newly opened and built with Warren & Kennard's patent triangular girder. Other structures include Joseph Cubitt's bridges on the Great Northern Railway, a splendid tubular girder bridge on the Midland Great Western Railway in Ireland designed by Hemans and constructed by Fairbairn & Sons, Rendel's Sursuttee Bridge on the East India Railway, Thomas Page's Chelsea Bridge, and a final section on iron girders used for fire-proof floors."

Fair amount of wear and soiling to binding, edges and corners worn, remnants of original spine covered with black masking tape, with the original gilt titles visible, remnants of four strips of tan masking tape once used to hold front board, front board along with the flyleaf and half title page have detached from the binding in one piece, rear board detached and held with black tape; endpaper gutters reinforced with masking tape, numerous library stamps to front endpapers and title page, some tearing to preliminary leaves, all plates intact and vibrant, with very little foxing or staining.