Meccano

1915 · 46618 — Liverpool England: Meccano Ltd. ca. 1915. One oblong 8vo. instruction book 10 x 7 in. 98 pp. Over 150 text woodcut illustrations diagrams & charts. Recent black cloth colour plate mounted front cover some interior tears edgewear chipping to corners still a G copy; together with two Meccano engineering education outfits which appear to have 90% of the necessary pieces distributed between the two including 25 hole angle strips Sector Plates Axles Cranks Pulleys brass nuts & bolts in Box 3a spring original tool screwdriver tool angle rods clips and much more. Both kits with wooden boxes covered in black paper colour plates on upper cover of lids lid to kit 3a lacking back piece colour plate on inner side of lid of first kit minor edgewear some chipping rubbing still a G set. A fascinating pair of original pre-World War I Meccano mechanical engineering kits which were developed and invented by Frank Hornby in 1898. He developed the original kits to teach his sons how to build the cranes that fascinated them when watching ships being unloaded in Liverpool. The first Meccano factory opened in 1907 and in 1910 Hornby published his first book on using the pieces of education Hornby System of Mechanical Demonstration. The instruction book with these kits explains how to build cranes the Eiffel Tower Ferris Wheels Bridges Lighthouses many of them requiring substantial accessory kits which were marketed and sold by the Meccano Company. The company continues to operate until this day in France from their factory in Calais and in 2000 they bought the Erector brand. Meccano, Ltd., hardcover