50 YEARS AGO

“Laboratory design” — It was decided to carry out a survey of the use actually made of space and services by scientists working in reasonably well-provided laboratories... Differences in the [bench] lengths used by scientific and experimental officers were small; it was found for these grades that about 12ft. of benching satisfied one man's requirements for 97 per cent of the time... A finding of some interest was that for 57 per cent of a scientist's time and 33 per cent of an assistant's time no bench was in use at all.

From Nature 26 November 1955.

100 YEARS AGO

W. G. Grace — Finish of an on-drive.

Great Batsmen, their Methods at a Glance. By G. W. Beldam & C. B. Fry; Pp. xiv+716; illustrated by 600 Action photographs. Price 21s. net.

Each of the many batsmen pictured has been photographed in one or more characteristic attitudes before, during or after the striking of the ball, and after a careful study of every picture, Mr Fry has set down his own interpretation for the guidance of the reader... W. G. Grace, for example, is shown in twenty-six different attitudes, and all have some lesson to tell. In the photograph reproduced we have the finish of an on-drive, in which the turn of the body has aided powerfully in giving full effect to the stroke. The eyes are still looking at the spot where the ball was when it was struck. The whole series of photographs prove that all great batsmen follow the ball with their eye right up to the moment of striking.

From Nature 23 November 1905.