When I was working in the rare books department at Durham University in
1960/61, Mr. Povey visited Palace Green with his "collimating lamp" -- the
term "Martin Lamp" was not mentioned in my hearing. It was a moderately
cumbersome affair, black, appearing in my memory as an odd-looking
medium-sized short-stemmed desk lamp with an automobile battery serving as
a power source. Certainly it was a chore to carry it up the stairs to the
Routh Library.
It did not require darkness to operate, working in the ordinary daylight. I
do not recall whether it was a cloudy day.
I was given a glimpse of the results, which made it fairly obvious which
side of the sheet was printed second, and I've wanted one ever since.
If you can find a Horblit slide rule I imagine I'm not the only one who'd
be grateful if it could be put into production again.
At 13:19 2000/12/27 -0800, you wrote:
>Dear list readers,
>
>For those of you who follow such things, I am still hard at work on my
history and census of the Hinman Collator, tentatively titled THE HINMAN
COLLATOR AS AN AGENT OF CHANGE. Just kidding. No really.
>
>I am now writing up the chapter dealing with all the bibliographical
machines, methods, devices, gadgets, and gizmos inspired by, or at least
invented or proposed after, the Hinman. These devices include machines for
textual collation as well as gadgets to perform other bibliographical
functions. I am interested in tracking down information on or perhaps even
surviving examples of two devices from the later category.
>
>1. The Martin Lamp was developed by Kenneth Povey and introduced in the
pages of Studies in Bibliography ( vol. 13, 1960, 189-190). This was a
homemade device, really a kind of flashlight, for distinguishing the
"hillocks" left by the second forme impression. It probably was not but
may have been commercially manufactured. I would appreciate hearing from
anyone with information or experience with this device, or (hope against
hope) anyone with a surviving example of one of these gadgets.
>
>2. The Bibliographical Collation Compiler was advertised in the pages of
the old AB Bookman's Weekly ("New Collation Computer," Antiquarian Bookman,
4 January 1965, 732). This little darling was a kind of bibliographical
slide rule used for determining the "proper number of leaves and pages"
once the collation of a book was ascertained. It was invented by Harrison
D. Horblitt and offered for sale by the bookseller John F. Fleming. It sold
for $7.50. Again, I would appreciate hearing from anyone who used one of
these devices and especially (heart be still) from anyone who may still
have one.
>
>Reply to me unless you think your response may be of interest to the
entire list.
>
>Thank you
>
>
>
>
>Steven
>
>Steven Escar Smith
>C. Clifford Wendler Professor,
>Special Collections Librarian
>Cushing Memorial Library
>Texas A&M University
>5000 TAMU
>College Station, TX 77843-5000
>(979) 845 1951
>
Alexandra Mason, Spencer Librarian Emerita
Spencer Research Library
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS 66045-2800
E-mail: alxmason@eagle.cc.ukans.edu