Smedley, Frank & Andersen, HansBiblio.com
MARTENSEN, Hans AndersenBiblio.com
Allgemeines Signal-Buch
1820179668Copenhagen: Printed by Hartwig Friedrich Popp for the author 1820. First edition of this handy simplified signal book for merchant ships. Martensen developed his scheme from that of Nathaniel Squire whose English Universal Signal Book of 1817 was one of the earliest essays at such a telegraphic system. Rare no copies noted institutionally and just a single copy at auction. Martensen 1781-1822 was a Danish schoolmaster and ship-owner who lived in Flensburg in Schleswig who published the book in four languages his preferred Danish German the predominant tongue in his home town but also French - as Livre Universal de signaux - and English The Universal Signal Book. All editions are rare WorldCat locates a copy in Danish in the Royal Danish Library and another in NYPL but gives no locations for any of the other editions citing only the description in Bibliotheca Danica similarly no listings bar the Danish on KVK. Martensen took Nathaniel Squire's Universal Signal Book as an initial impetus to create this code it appeared in Danish in 1817 but in his introduction draws attention to the manifold "shortcomings and imperfections" in the Englishman's effort. Martensen also wrote several other books on seamanship navigation trading tariffs currency and mathematics almost certainly turning to the pen after his livelihood was taken from him in the war: "Sometime between December 1808 and June 1812 when after Denmark had sided with Napoleon in the war with the British his ship was captured and he was imprisoned thus losing his wealth and health. He died in 1822" Thompson p. 2. Octavo 202 x 131 mm. pp. 16. 2 folding engraved plates day and night signals tabulation of alphanumeric signals employing a system of just 5 different flags. Letterpress advertisement pasted to the front pastedown advises on how to identify your intention to use Martensen's code when trying to open communication with another vessel. Original mottled sheep-backed marbled boards strong reddish orange publisher's label to the front board. Just a little rubbed hand-written library title label to the front board stamp of "Signalvaesen A" - signal vessel A to the front pastedown attractive ink stamp of the Søe Officiers Archiv with inked accession data to the title page small stamps of the Marinens Bibliotek to rear endpapers and verso of one of the folding plates text leaves maybe a touch toned but overall very good and a very pretty copy. Curtis Thompson Following the Cultured Public's Chosen One: Why Martensen mattered to Kierkegaard 2008. hardcover
Peter Harrington · Royaume-Uni750,00 £GB≈ 856,35 €
