David Salomons' House

Privately printed, n.p., first edition, 1968. Cloth, 8vo,. 84 pp, 11 plates. 530 entries. From the preface: "Most people today associate the name of Salomons only with a figure vaguely remembered and distantly connected with the story of Anglo- Jewish emancipation. The truth is somewhat different and a great deal more interesting. David Salomons (1797-1873), created a baronet in 1869, was in fact the chief protagonist in the final battle to secure for his people the politicali rights enjoyed by other Englishmen. The Jewish community of his day encouraged his efforts, and - to some extent - organized support. But it was he, and he alone, who first took up the battle in public, fought out the issues in court, and (exposing himself to considerable penalties) entered and spoke for his cause in Parliament. His nephew and heir, David Lionel Salomons (1851-1925), is a far more neglected figure. His interests, both intellectual and practical, were in science, and as a scientist his range and talents were remarkable. He was an electrician, an engineer, an expert on motor mechanics when few Englishmen knew what a motor car was, a photographer of note, a craftsman in wood, ivory and metal, and one of the first to devise a system of automatic signalling on railways… Broomhill was presented to the Kent County Council by the second baronet's last surviving child, Mrs. Vera Bryce Salomons, in 1938, and is now a home for convalescent women. The two memento rooms were opened to the public in the same year, and a short handlist (In Remembrance. David Salomon's House) was provided for visitors. The main object of the present catalogue is to enlarge and replace the handlist, and to provide a souvenir of Broomhill. Covers slightly rubbed qith minor marks, otherwise Very Good.