"Sur la machine analytique de Charles Babbage" in "Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des Sciences"

Luigi F. Menabrea (1808-1896) "Sur la machine analytique de Charles Babbage" in "Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des Sciences", Paris, Gauthier-Villars, 1884, vol 99, 1216pp, with the Menabrea/Babbage on pp. 179-182. Fine copy of this publication, bound in a period binding of calf-backed marbled boards, with raised bands, and gilt-stamped dentelles. The boards show some bits of wear and rubbing but overall this is really a lovely copy. VG condition (a solid book, 7/10). This short but full work by Menabrea appears forty-two years after he published his very important "Notions sur la machine analytique de M. Charles Babbage" (in Bibliotheque Universelle 1842). This earlier work from 1842 was a collection of firsts: it was the first published account of the Babbage analytical Engine (first conceived in 1834), and the first description of its design, as well as thirdly-first the first publication of a computer program. This shorter paper (the 1842 is 25pp long) is in its way a comprehensive review of the capacities of the analytical engine, Menabrea noting that "le moment de re-memorer Charles Babbage semble d'autant plus opportun" ("the time to remember Charles Babbage seems all the more timely.") In the 1884 paper Menbea also points out the spectacular capacity for programming and even for printing the results ("et d'on imprimer les resultats"). (It is interesting to note here that in a footnote is a letter written by Babbage to Menabrea in 1843 regarding the unnamed translator of this piece for the Scientific Memoires III, the "tres noble et tres belle dame englaise, don't le nom sera transmis a la posterite sur les aides d'un de plus grandes poetes de notre siecle, etaits Lady Ada Lovelace".) This paper is to some degree a review and summary of that earlier famous paper (Babbage had his share of fits and starts with funding/making his calculating engines, and died 13 years before this 1884 Menabrea was published). This is a very interesting paper, and a delight to read.…