Book Collection
La Planéte Mars by Camille Flammarion - Vol II 1909.
Signed by the author's second wife, Gabrielle. A postcard showing the author and his second wife seated while talking to each other is taped to the series title page. The postcard is dated Jan. 30, 1946 and has a note written by Gabrielle to the previous owner of this book. The half title page is signed by a previous owner "Ensign a. b. Meinel, USNR, NAVTECHMISEU Paris, 23 April 45". NAVTECHMISEU was a US Navy intelligence unit that was formed in December 1944, whose mission was to exploit German science and technology for the benefit of the Navy Department's technical bureaus.
UPDATE:
During a talk at the 240th American Astronomical Society meeting on the American astronomer Aden Meinel I managed to make a connection between the name on the half title page of this book and the person. The name of the previous owner written on the half title page was Ensign a. b. Meinel, USNR. Now let me share something about the person.
Aden Meinel was the founding director of Kitt Peak National Observatory, designed the Multiple Mirror Telescope, and laid the foundation for the James Webb Space Telescope while he worked at JPL. Before he became an astronomer he served in the US Navy during WW2. His first assignment in the US Navy was aboard the USS Indianapolis, and luck would have it that he would be reassigned. Towards the end of the war he was assigned to NAVTECHMISEU, which was a naval intelligence unit. Aden was instrumental in bringing the German rocket scientists to the United States.
During Aden's assignment in Europe he made the acquaintance with Gabrielle Flammarion, which is when my copy of "La Planéte Mars" was inscribed. The post card inserted into my copy shows that Aden and Gabrielle continued to correspond for a while after he returned to the States.
For more information on Aden Meinel please read his obituary in Physics Today at Aden Meinel Obituary or the biography by James Breckinridge at Aden Meinel Biography.
Cover.
Previous Owner's Inscription.
Previous Owner's Inscription Close-up.
Post Card showing the author with his second wife.
Note to previous book owner from author's second wife.
Signature from the author's second wife.
Close-up of the signature from author's second wife.
Postcard showing the author's observatory. The postcard was inserted between pages of the book.