Cirigottis (2 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. 2nd Edition. The second edition dated 1939 with brown card promotional bookmark printed in English and Arabic, and two related marketing booklets issued subsequent to the 1st edition of July 1934. Original brick-red titled oatmeal cloth 18x25cm. Printed by Al-Hilal, Cairo, on glossy paper. 128pp with b/w photos and illustrations throughout. The covers are near fine, bumped to the extremities. The interiors are near fine lightly tanned with some foxing and previous owner's signature dated Egypt 1941 to the ffep. Rare institutionally with Worldcat and Library Hub locating 5 copies between them (OCLC 39764868: BL; Israel Institute of Technology; National Library of Israel; NYPL; Northwestern University), and 2 for the 1st edition. The authors are unnamed, but the 1st edition credited D.E. Llewellyn, G. Melville, and P. Cirigottis. The Foreword states: "The camel, one of the strangest looking animals, has survived on the desert mainly because his pad spreads the load to 18 lbs per square inch, as do the tracks of a tank. Therefore, the camel is being ousted by the tractor track and the low pressure tyre. Tanks are as welcome on plastic roads as pneumatic tyres as long as, on reasonably smooth tracks, they spread the load and save the road" (p4). The bookmark text states: "This book is mainly devoted to the reduction of road construction costs possible in North Africa and the Middle East if traffic is trusted to pneumatic tyres, but Section V fully describes the bitumen stone macadam types long ago developed in the areas by the Shell Company for provincial and suburban roads --- where iron tyre carts cannot be abolished or where soils suitable for mix-in-place are as dear as stone suitable for road making --- the Shell staff have also developed here all the bitumen specifications for the construction of city streets". Sections I and II deal with the theory and practice, including military perspective, discussion of clay soil aerodromes, choice, construction, maintenance, etc. Section III presents several completed projects and demonstrations, stating "With the Haifa-Baghdad Road now in progress, the 4,000,000 square metres will be surpassed". Updating on progress with, and adding to those listed in the 1st edition, these include: the Fayoum Road, the Suez Canal Company's Deversoir Road and Beni Yussef Camp, Gezira Sporting Club Cairo, Amman Aerodrome, Basrah Civil Airport, Dhibban (Habbainieh) Aerodrome, Gaza-Jaffa Road, Cairo-Suez Road (demo), Almaza Aerodrome in Cairo, "small undertakings in Cairo", Heliopolis Aerodrome, Khartoum suburban roads, Benghazi roads, Mogadishu roads, Aden Protectorate, Jeddah-Mecca Road (demo), Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road, Trans-Sinai Road (Approach to Mitla Pass), Lydda Airport, Haifa Airport, Beirut Aerodrome, and Ismailia Aerodrome. Section IV is devoted to Suez Canal Company Roads (From km146 to Genefa Canal Station, Genefa to Deversoir, Deversoir to Ismailia, etc). Section V gives spefication for cheap stone referencing the Malakal and Amman Aerodromes. Section VI gives estimates, specifications and conversions. ENCLOSURES: Two earlier related Shell Company of Egypt promotional booklets released as updates to the 1st edition: (1) "Mix-in-Place Plastic Roads and Runways in Basrah, September 1934." 13x19cm. (8)pp gatefold including title panels in English and Arabic, and 6 full-page captioned b/w photos showing various stages of construction. This announces completion of 60,000 square meters by the RAF in Basrah, and the Port Authorities, who are working on a further 50,000, with an additional 140,000 in the pipeline. VG. // (2) "Mix-in-Place at Benghazi (Tripolitania), November 1934." 16x18cm. (8)pp gatefold including 2 title panels in English and French, and Arabic and Italian, and 10 similarly themed b/w photos. This shows "Construction of the plastic sand mixture using no foundation but the loose dune sand which was also employed for the construction of the embankment". VG.

Hardcover. Condition: Good. 1st Edition. The first edition, dated July 1934 (the 2nd followed in 1939). Original petrol blue cloth 20x25cm illustrated in black with the stylised front wheel arch of a car bottom left, and wheels of an aircraft top right. Printed on glossy paper. 89pp with b/w photos and illustrations throughout + (2)pp for Notes. The covers are good, and appear to have been touched up in places with closely matched paint. The front hinge has split entirely. The interiors are very good or better. Extremely rare, with Worldcat locating 2 copies of this edition (OCLC 249471902: Universitat Braunschweig; King Abdul-Aziz Al Saoud Foundation for Islamic Studies and Human Sciences), and 5 locations for the 2nd edition. This was issued to promote "Plastic Roads for Plastic Tyres" to motorists and engineers: "North Africa and the Near East provide the most suitable soil and climate for motor roads at ridiculously low costs; vast areas, where no carts would go even if a road were built, await treatment --- Even on the mud of the Nile valley a cheap sand mixture could be superimposed" (Foreword). Section I deals with the theory and practice of mix-in-place. Section II presents several case studies showing where work has already been done including: the Fayum Road, Beni Yussef Camp, the Suez Canal Company's Deversoir - Great Bitter Lake and and Suez - Ismailia Roads, Gaza - Jaffa Road, Gezira Sporting Club (Cairo) Petrol Pump Road and Parking Area, Abbassia Barracks footpaths (Cairo), Heliopolis Aerodrome runways; Heliopolis Sergeants' Mess Road, Margil Runway (Basrah), Civil Airport (Basrah), Dhibban (near Baghdad), Amman Aerodrome, and Malakal Aerodrome. Section III describes alternatives to mix-in-place that may be cheaper under circumstances. This includes Haifa New Harbour, Khartoum, Port Said, Damanhour - Alexandria, Jaffa - Jerusalem, Haifa - Jerusalem, the Iraq Petroleum Company's Pipeline Road, etc. Section IV provides estimates for various specifications. The photos show various stages of construction, machinery, military traffic trials, and local workers. ENCLOSURES: Two related Shell Company of Egypt booklets released soon after the book, with matching "Enclosure 16868" tickets to the fronts. (1) "Mix-in-Place Plastic Roads and Runways in Basrah, September 1934". 13x19cm. (8)pp gatefold including title panels in English and Arabic, and 6 full-page captioned b/w photos showing various stages of construction. This announces completion of 60,000 square metres by the RAF in Basrah, and the Port Authorities, who are working on a further 50,000, with an additional 140,000 in the pipeline. Near fine. // (2) "Mix-in-Place at Benghazi (Tripolitania), November 1934". 16x18cm. (8)pp gatefold including 2 title panels in English and French, and Arabic and Italian, and 10 similarly themed b/w photos. This shows "Construction of the plastic sand mixture using no foundation but the loose dune sand which was also employed for the construction of the embankment". Very good except for rubbing and closed tears along the central fold.