Tomash (Erwin), 1921-2012; Williams (Michael R.), born 1942

Three volumes (27 cm), x, 1573 pp., c. 4000 illustrations. Publisher’s printed wrappers, pictorial slipcase. - An alphabetical catalogue of more than 3000 documents relevant to the history of computation, from Bruno Abdank-Abakanowicz’s Les intégraphes (1886), to the German computer pioneer Konrad Zuse’s description of the various Zuse computers (1950). “Computation” is broadly defined and includes logic, mathematical methods, tables, logarithms, trigonometry, and mechanical aids (including sectors, abaci, quadrants, astrolabes, and slide rules), as well as punched-card machines and computers. The chronological range is correspondingly wide, from 1180 (a manuscript accredited to Mubashshir Ibn Ahmad Al-Razi; ex-Sotheby’s, London, sale 26 April 1995, lot 53) to 1955 (up to and including the first generation of electronic stored-program computers). The catalogue contains short essays on specific devices and methods: astrolabes, logarithms and slide rules, Napier’s rods, nomography, sectors, surveying instruments, and ready reckoners. Reviewed by Jon Agar, in Isis, volume 101 (2010), pp.637-639. Cf. Michael R. Williams, “Building a world-class book collection: the Tomash Library” in IEEE annals of the history of computing, volume 23 (2001), pp.39-43. ¶ As new.