Stationery Steam Engine Makers. Volume 1 Landmark Collectors Library. Hardback – 176 pages. The George Watkins Collection, Author A P Woolrich. ISBN 1-84306-200-3

This remarkable book, which would be more accurately described as a catalogue, is the first of a two volume series. It catalogues part of the George Watkins collection, which is held at the English Heritage National Monuments Record, Swindon.

George Watkins was an assiduous collector of advertisements, photographs, trade literature, magazine articles etc. for stationery engines and this book covers part of the collection in very precise detail. The author, A P Woolrich, has been careful to include only the most perfect images for this work and these are reproduced in faultless detail. It includes engravings from engineering journals dating back to the 1860’s.

Clear copies of the original advertisements, together with a comprehensive photographic and drawing record, make this an extremely interesting book. It would be of particular interest to the historian or engineer wishing to build a model of an engine that may not have been modelled previously. Historians and readers interested in Victoriana will find this book indispensable when carrying out more detailed research.

This book is available from Tee Publishing. £26.99 + £5.99 pp

Colin Usher