A. Rupert Hall (1920-2009) was Professor of the History of Science and Technology at Imperial College, London and a former director of the Wellcome Trust. He wrote widely on the history of science and edited and translated numerous unpublished works by scientists including Isaac Newton.Norman A. F. Smith (1938-2009) was Reader in the History of Science and Technology at Imperial College, London. He is the author of several works including Man and Water: A History of Hydro-Technology and A History of Dams.

• PrefaceSome Aspects of the History of Journal Bearings and Their Lubrication, P. S. BardellThe Waltham Pound Lock, K. R. FaircloughParkesine and Celluloid: The Failure and Success of the First Modern Plastic, Robert FriedelIron Arched Bridge Designs in Pre-Revolutionary France, J. G. JamesThe Early History of Mechanical Harvesting, L. J. JonesThe Sector and Chain: An Historical Enquiry, G. Hollister-ShortThe Contributors