Records of the London County Council Public Control Department relating to weights and measures and gas testing, 1888-1972, including records of Daily Gas Testing; Gas Testing Weekly Returns; reports and conferences relating to gas supply; quarterly reports of the Chief gas examiner; quarterly reports by the LCC chemist and reports regarding the Weights and Measures Acts.

Samples of records including journal of weights, measures, weighing and measuring instruments submitted for verification and fees received by the inspector of weights and measures; journal of fines; certificates of measures verified; certificates of weighing on a public weighbridge; certificates for weighing mechanically propelled vehicles; receipts of glassware for testing; glass-testing book; public notice concerning Publicans' Glass Measures; public notice concerning Sale of Bread; standards and testing of gasholders testing sand-blast machines; papers relating to the re-verification of local standards, scale-beams, and so on with the Board of Trade.

Records of the Middlesex County Council Public Control Department, 1904-1965, including personal papers of Chief Officer John O'Keefe (1950-1960) including files on the foods and food standards commission, food labelling, weights and measures regulations, Consumer's Advisory Council, samples sent to the public analyst, articles on food and drugs legislation, correspondence, photographs of the work of the department and examples of labels and forms used by the department.

Papers relating to food standards including files on coffee, gelatine, fish paste, ice cream, margarine, mustard, salad cream and mayonnaise, jams and jellies, beverages, wines, spirits and liquors, bread, milk, butter, cream, yoghurt, confectionary, vegetables, meat, eggs, soups, herbs and spices, cakes, pies and biscuits, slimming foods, vinegars and condiments, cheese, cereals, crisps, honey, soya products, vitamins. Also files on drugs, cosmetics, pollen tablets, and animal fats.

Papers relating to merchandise marks including legislation; notes regarding legal points; and files regarding honey, fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry, butter, turpentine, bleach and fabrics. Papers relating to the interpretation and labelling of poisons.

Papers relating to weights and measures including regulations; notes for the guidance of inspectors; correspondence and enquiries relating to sand and ballast; files regarding coke, coal, liquid fuels and lubricating oils; files regarding weighing equipment and measuring instruments including weighbridges.

Also registers and index cards of infringements; reports of infringements and legal appeals.

Records of Metropolitan Water Board predecessors, 1870-1969, comprising contracts, tenders and specifications for construction, improvements and other works.

Letter from Karl Heinrich Marx of London to Maurice Lachâtre, 18 Mar 1872. Approving of the 'idée de publier la traduction de das Kapital en livraisons périodiques', but thinks that 'le public français, toujours impatient de conclure' will not continue to buy the parts because of the difficulties encountered in the introductory chapters. The letter ends: 'Il n'y a pas de route royale pour la science et ceux là seuls ont chance d'arriver à ses sommets lumineux qui ne craignent pas de se fatiguer à gravir ses sentiers escarpés.'

Autograph, with signature.

Specification of Works to be contracted for in Building the Conservative Club House in St. James Street, May 1843, formed of 20 large parchment membranes taped together.

The Specification commences with 74 articles dealing with the structure, the site, and general conditions for the performance of the work; these fill rather more than five membranes. The rest of the Specification is headed "Description of inside Work and Finishings" and deals with the interior of the intended building, room by room, and staircases, passages, etc. There are ten small marginal drawings of mouldings, fitments, etc.

The signatories are:

Boston W. Ormsby Gore J.M. Fector Geo.Baker Castlereagh Geo.W.Baker

The place of Lord Boston and Viscount Castlereagh and W. Ormsby Gore, as Conservative peers and Conservative M.P. respectively, is obvious. The function of John Minet Fector in this transaction is as yet unascertained; he was a collateral descendant of the well-known Minet family. The two Bakers doubtless represent the firm of George Baker and Son, builders, of Palace New Road, Lambeth.