Products | Voyager Rare Books Maps & Prints

Gold Mining in Queensland – Two Original Magic Lantern Slides – 1890’s

Two rare original magic lantern slide issued by George Washington Wilson (G.W.W.) in the late 1890’s.

Note the items are sharper than the images … we have some refraction going on with our scanning technique we nee to sort out … if you are interested get in touch.

Original 3.5 inch square, standard size, lantern slide. Original label from G.W.W.. Fine quality image – no damage except the odd ageing to the securing tape, easily replaced.

GWW (George Washington Wilson) sent his top photographer, Fred Hardie, to Australia in the 1890’s to take images for their business in magic lantern slides. Hardie travelled from South Australia to Cairns, Queensland mainly by train but occasionally by horse and trap. Very active at the time. G.W.W. went out of business just before WWI, through competition and a waning in interest in the product. The slides produced are scarce. The bulk of the G.W.W. catalogue eventually ended up at Aberdeen University.

The slides comprise:

Alluvial Gold Diggings – Cradle at Work – Aberdeen Reference 30591 and, Gold Digging – The Whip – Aberdeen Reference 30595.

Rare Images of Queensland Gold Mining Activity.

$180.00

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Whalers of the Midnight Sun – Alan Villiers [A Fiction Based on His Experiences] – 1964

Maritime hero Alan Villiers brings his undoubted experience to this adventure book aimed at young boys.

A new edition and first of its type, Angus and Robertson 1964. Octavo, 248 pages with ten full pages illustration from woodcuts by Charles Pont. A little aging to page edges and gift inscription back of half title, nice bright jacket, all up a pretty good copy.

Endpaper maps of the voyage from Hobart, Tasmania down to Macquarie Island; the Balleny Islands; the Ross Sea; Grahams Island before heading north to Montevideo.

A Norwegian expedition picks up some extra crew at Hobart, a motely band of youths and a stow away, little Alfie, who appears at Macquarie Island. Adventure ensues.

Alan Villiers, a yarn about Whaling, from personal experience.

$35.00

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Miniature Antique Maps – Geoffrey King – Second revised edition 2003

The definitive reference on miniature antique maps and a special instruction on the development of the decorative map over the centuries.

A second revised and final edition of Geoffrey Kings work. Published by Tooley Adams & Co, Oxfordshire. Octavo, 223 pages with hundreds of illustrations.

Starts with a useful forward by London miniature map specialist, Graham Franks, acknowledgments, introduction and bibliography before the detailed chronological guide, attendant notes, and index of names.

A unique work to the field and a must have for a collector. Unfortunately, copies are hard to come by, particularly this revised edition.

King – the definitive reference on miniature antique maps.

$160.00

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Sikes’ Hydrometer – Made by Hicks of Hatton Garden, London for Osborn & Jerdan, Sydney c1900

A lovely classic Sikes hydrometer in a near pristine fitted mahogany case (25cm x 12cm x 6cm), original plush lining, with original bone plate engraved “Sikes’ Hydrometer made by J.J. Hicks, London for Osborn & Jerden Ltd Sydney” and decorative bone inlay surround.

The hydrometer float and all the weights carrying the same identification number (13573) – the float is engraved Sikes.

The bone backed thermometer is intact, working and in incredibly good condition. It is engraved the same as the case plate.

This is an upmarket version as there are also two boxwood rules for assisting in the calculations of proof etc. Both are marked with the makers name and address at 8,9 & 10 Hatton Garden, London.

Everything is in super condition.

There is a similar example at the Powerhouse, part of the Allan Bromley Collection.

James Joseph Hicks (1837-1916) first traded at 8 Hatton Gardens in the 1870’s. He expanded into adjoining premises in the 1890’s, so we would date this instrument c1900. Hicks had been apprenticed to L.P. Casella, fine instrument makers, also in the Hatton Garden district, in 1852. By 1860 he had risen to foreman and from that date a number of patents are registered in his name. Once in business under his own name he developed and manufactured numerous instrument types particularly in meteorology and industrial control instruments, such as the Sikes.

Osborn & Jerden were a highly successful Sydney outfit, the successors of Frost and Shipham. They were described as scientific opticians and electricians. They also sold upmarket scientific toys, magic lanterns and slides, photographic equipment, telephones, phonographs etc. They had the best Christmas window in Sydney. In 1907 C Byers Coates who worked for Osborn & Jerden was the cinematographer for “Robbery Under Arms” one of Australia’s earliest movies. The film was processed at their George Street facility.

See our research for a brief explanation on the Sikes’ Hydrometer.

Fine and complete Sikes’ Hydrometer with rules – Quality maker and special Sydney retailer.

$320.00

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Byron’s Journal of His Circumnavigation 1764-1766 – Edited by Robert E. Gallagher

Another well produced piece of work put out by the Hakluyt Society.

John Byron of Wager fame (the poets Grandfather and Voyager hero) has come in for some criticism regarding his circumnavigation of 1764-1776. Hard to understand considering he is in the all time top 20.

Sent by the Admiralty to search for Pepys’s Island and the Southern Continent and then around in the Pacific north to find the “other end” of the North West passage. He re-discovered the Falkland Islands (but was beaten by Bougainville) and when in the Pacific decided for his own reasons (quite valid) to go in a more direct route and all around back to Blighty.

His journal is at the mecca of all journals marine, the National Maritime Museum, London. And, here it is published with super supporting items by editor Robert Gallagher. Much about the giants of Patagonia.

Printed by the Cambridge University Press for the Hakluyt Society in 1964. Octavo, 230 pages with numerous illustrations and maps and charts many folding or multiple folding. A particularly good thoroughly clean copy.

John Byron first the Wager then the Circumnavigation on of the greatest naval heroes of the 18th C.

$50.00

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James Cook Bicentennial Medal (1970) by Andor Meszaros

A striking medal issues by the National Trust of Australia in 1970 to commemorate the 200-year anniversary of James Cook’s discovery of the east coast of mainland Australia.

Copper bronze 50mm in diameter, weigh 60gm (160gm cased). Heavy relief portrait of Cook dominates the right hand edge of the medal with the Endeavour helmsman covering the whole of the background … the impression is of is singularly focused observation of the fits sighting .. which would have been at Point Hicks. The narrative James Cook 1770-1970 to the left and below that the signature of the medallist Andor Meszaros. On the reverse the National Trust emblem. A fine example still housed in its original felt lined case all in fine condition. 3,000 medals were cast so it is not uncommon but how many still have their original case and remain unmarked.

Hungarian born Andor Meszaros (1900-1972) perhaps Australia’s greatest medallist. He was a natural sculptor and held high positions in the art in Australia and, recognised by his peers internationally. His name was made as a medallist when he designed the Melbourne Olympic Games Medals in 1956 … he also designed the Australian Vietnam War Medal in 1968.

James Cook honoured at 200 years by distinguished medallist Meszaros

$120.00

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All products

Gold Mining in Queensland – Two Original Magic Lantern Slides – 1890’s

Whalers of the Midnight Sun – Alan Villiers [A Fiction Based on His Experiences] – 1964

Miniature Antique Maps – Geoffrey King – Second revised edition 2003

Sikes’ Hydrometer – Made by Hicks of Hatton Garden, London for Osborn & Jerdan, Sydney c1900

Byron’s Journal of His Circumnavigation 1764-1766 – Edited by Robert E. Gallagher

James Cook Bicentennial Medal (1970) by Andor Meszaros

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