Josiah Spode

Two letters si👍gned, also signed by other manufacturers including Josiah Wedgwood and Matthew Boulton, to William Strutt of Derby

about the seizure by the Customs House of Mr Ljunberg, who had been illegally collecting plans and models of machines for fifteen years on behalf of Denmark, the letters soliciting a concerted effort by manufacturing bodies to counteract the danger threatened to them and to get control of the spy's "several manuscript Books", 6 pages, folio, address panels, remains of red wax seals, London, 24 October 1789 and 25 June 1790, seal tears, one letter weak at fold, light soiling

"...In several manuscript Books which appear by the Da🍷tes to have been 15 years compiling, are a great Number of Plans of Machines collected from the great manufacturing Towns, with Descriptio๊ns and Explanations in the German language..."

Matthias Ljunberg,💟 who was employed by the Danish government, had made copies of machines that were protected by patent. When his industrial espionage was discovered Ljunberg was prosecuted by HM Customs with a full support of a consortium of manufacturers, representing manyꦚ of the major figures of the Industrial Revolution.

PROVENANCE:

Sotheby's, London, 13 December 1990, lot 429