B chapter.indd - Charles Babbage Institute - University of Minnesota

88
Erwin Tomash Library
Babbage, Charles Babbage, Charles
with differently colored inks. He notes in his preface (see
illustration) that all his test subjects agreed that colored
papers were easier to read, but subjects differed as to
which color they preferred. The first edition was printed
on a variety of colors: light yellow, green, etc.
Babbage also took great pains with the layout of the
tables experimenting with type fonts and various
columnar approaches. For example, a comparison of
these tables with an earlier set (see, for example, the
entry for Hutton, Mathematical tables, 1785) reveals
the obvious difference in ease of use.
The only complete set of these experimental volumes
extant is held in the Crawford Collection now at the
Royal Observatory in Edinburgh.
Illustrations available:
Title page
B 55
Babbage, Charles (1791–1871)
Table of the logarithms of the natural numbers from 1
to 108000.
Year: 1831
Place: London
Publisher: B. Fellowes
Edition: 2nd
Language: English
Binding: original paper boards rebacked
Pagination: pp. xx, 202, [2]
Collation: a 8 b 2 B–N 8 O 4 P 2
Size: 262x158 mm
Reference: Van S CBCP, #70; Babb CBLP, #71, #73; Ran
ODC, p. 405; MCK CBCW, v. 2, pp. 72–107
Babbage had the proofs of the first edition of these tables
checked as many as nine times; despite these efforts, nine
errors were found. These were corrected in this second
edition, which in this example is printed on yellow paper
with gray undertones.
Illustrations available:
Title page
Preface remark on colored papers
First page of table (color)
B 56
Babbage, Charles (1791–1871)
Table of the logarithms of the natural numbers from 1
to 108000.
Year: 1834
Place: London
Publisher: Charles Knight.
Edition: 3rd
Language: English
Binding: modern half-leather marbled boards
Pagination: pp. xx, 202, [2]
Collation: [A] 8 b 2 B–N 8 O 4 P 2
Size: 241x154 mm
Reference: Van S CBCP, #70; Babb CBLP, #71, #73; Ran
ODC, p. 405; MCK CBCW, v. 2, pp. 72–107
This copy of the third edition is printed on light green
paper. There was also a second issue of the third edition
in 1838.
Illustrations available:
Title page
Page 1 of the tables (color)
B 57
Babbage, Charles (1791–1871)
Table of the logarithms of the natural numbers from 1
to 108000.
Year: 1841
Place: London
Publisher: William Clowes and Sons
Edition: 4th
Language: English
Binding: original paper boards; red leather label
Pagination: pp. xx, 202, [2]
Collation: [A] 8 b 2 B–N 8 O 4 P 2
Size: 236x146 mm
Reference: Van S CBCP, #70; Babb CBLP, #71, #73; Ran
ODC, p. 405; MCK CBCW, v. 2, pp. 72–107
This copy of the fourth edition is printed on light yellow
(sienna) paper. A second copy is also available.
Illustrations available:
Title page
Page 1 of the tables (color)
B 58
Babbage, Charles (1791–1871)
Table of the logarithms of the natural numbers from 1
to 108000.
Year: 1844
Place: London
Publisher: John Murray
Edition: 5th
Language: English
Binding: half bound leather
Pagination: pp. xx, 202
Collation: A 8 b 2 B–N 8 O 4 P 1
Size: 229x135 mm
Reference: Van S CBCP, #70; Babb CBLP, #71, #73; Ran
ODC, p. 405; MCK CBCW, v. 2, pp. 72–107
This copy of the fifth edition is printed on light yellow
paper.
Illustrations available:
Title page
Page 1 of tables (color)