David Napier Engineer 1790-1869 An Autobiographical Sketch with Notes

Glasgow, Scotland: James MacLehose and Sons. Very Good+. 1912. 1st Edition; 1st Printing. Hardcover. B&W Illustrations; This book is in Very Good+ condition and is lacking a dust jacket. The book and its contents are in generally clean, bright condition. The spine ends and corners of the book book covers have some light bumping, rubbing and beginning fraying. The text pages are clean and bright. The map at the rear of the book is in clean, bright condition. A card has been glued on stating "with the author's compliments" "David Napier, second son of the blacksmith to the Duke of Argyll, was born in 1785. While cousins became shipbuilders, he took engineering training in Scotland before coming to London. There in 1808 he founded the firm that was to become D. Napier & Son in Lloyds Court, St Giles, London. He designed a steam-powered printing press, some of which went to Hansard (the printer and publisher of proceedings of the Houses of Parliament) , as well as newspapers. The company moved to Lambeth, South London in 1830. Between 1840 and 1860, Napier was prosperous, with a well-outfitted factory and between 200 and 300 workers. Napier made a wide variety of products, including a centrifuge for sugar manufacturing, lathes and drills, ammunition-making equipment for the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, and railway cranes." (from Wikipedia) .