Reference request (bibliographic) - Steinhaus

Question

I have an old edition of Hugo Steinhaus's Mathematical Snapshots. The title page lists the publisher as G. E. Stechert & Co, New York, Leipzig, London, Paris. Then in lighter type (probably a rubber stamp), Philadelphia Book Company, 22 North Ninth Street, Philadelphia, Pa.

At the top of the following page there's a line that's been whited out, followed by PRINTED IN POLAND. Bottom of the page says PRINTED BY KSIAZNICA-ATLAS IN LWOW (with a few diacritical marks I won't try to reproduce).

I'd like to know the date of this publication - presumably that's what was whited out.

Answer 1

Answering myself so the question doesn't linger on the open queue.

From the Library of Congress

Dear Mr. Bolker:

It appears to be referring to the 1938 edition. See the following WorldCat bibliographic record:

Title:  ... Mathematical snapshots.
Author(s):  Steinhaus, Hugo, 1887-1972. 
Irvine, Charles, ; translator.
Bardach, M., ; translator.
Ward, A. J., ; editor.
Publication:    New York, Leipzig G.F. Stechert & Co.
Year:   1938
Description:    135, [1] pages illustrations (some color) maps, diagrams 25 cm
Language:   English
Standard No:    National Library: CAT10911707 LCCN: a 43-2402
    SUBJECT(S)
Descriptor: Mathematical recreations. 
Mathematical recreations. 
Genre/Form: Puzzles and games. 
Puzzles and games. 
Note(s):    At head of title: H. Steinhaus.  
    Copyright date on verse of t.p. covered by label.  
    Printed in Poland. 
    "The photographs in this book were made by Miss W. Diamond,      
     the anaglypha were executed by Mr. F. Otto, the drawings by Messrs. 
     Engelstein and Grünberg, the bioscope by Mr. Engelstein, 
     the nets to the maps were constructed by Miss Halicka ... 
     The English translation ... by Mr. Ch. Irvine and Mr. M. Barbach 
     has been revised by Mr. A.J. Ward."--Page [136].
    Illustrative material in pocket; movable scale and net for map laid in. 
    Includes bibliographical references.
Class Descriptors:  LC: QA95; Dewey: 510.45; NAL: 325
Other Titles:   Translation of Kalejdoskop matematyczny
Document Type:  Book
Entry:  19750723
Update: 20180327
Accession No:   OCLC: 1469216
Database:   WorldCat

Thank you for consulting with the Library of Congress, Science Reading Room.

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Edit incorporating useful comments from Dave Renfro.

I happened upon this question/answer while looking up additional bibliographic information about the Steinhaus book. Googling “Kalejdoskop matematyczny” gives the Wikipedia page Kalejdoskop matematyczny, which says that in 1938 there was a simultaneous publication of the first Polish edition by Książnica-Atlas (Lviv, Poland) and the first English edition by G. E. Stechert and Company. Later printings and/or editions in Polish were published in 1954, 1956, 1989.

What follows is information I’ve previously had in my personal records. Later editions in English are: 2nd edition by Oxford University Press in 1950 (vi + 266 pages & MR 12,44e & Zbl 41.27502; reprinted by Oxford University Press in 1960 – MR 22 #5541), 3rd edition by Oxford University Press in 1969 (vii + 311 pages & Zbl 169.29003; reprinted by Oxford University Press in 1983 – Zbl 513.00002, and by Dover Publications in 1999 – MR 2000h:00002 & Zbl 955.00005).

Reviews I’m aware of: Bronisław Knaster (1893–1980), Annales de la Société Polonaise de Mathématique [= Rocznik Polskiego Towarzystwa Matematycznego] 17 (1938), pp. 263–264 (in German); Robert Carl Yates (1904–1963), National Mathematics Magazine [after 1945: Mathematics Magazine] 13 #7 (April 1939), pp. 351–352; Tomlinson Fort (1886–1970), American Mathematical Monthly 46#6 (June–July 1939), p. 354; Thomas Arthur Alan Broadbent (1903–1973), Mathematical Gazette 23 #256 (October 1939), pp. 422–423; Broadbent, Mathematical Gazette 35 #313 (September 1951), p. 210; Clyde Truman McCormick (1908–1994), The Pentagon 11 #1 (Fall 1951), pp. 48–49; Bryant Tuckerman (1915–2002), American Mathematical Monthly 58 #10 (December 1951), pp. 708–709; Aaron Bakst (1900–1962), Mathematics Teacher 45 #2 (February 1952), p. 134; [reviewer not named], Irish Mathematical Society Newsletter [after 1985 : Irish Mathematical Society Bulletin] 9 (December 1983), pp. 79–80; Michael Leslie Cornelius (1937–___), Mathematical Gazette 68 #444 (June 1984), p. 155.