Curiosities

Rare Image of Australia’s Rarest Bird – Rawnsley’s Satin Bower Bird [Ptilonorhynchus Rawnsleyi] – Silvester Diggles – c1870

Rare original hand-coloured image lithographed on stone by Queensland naturalist Silvester Diggles. Highlighted with gum Arabic. Published as part of his magnificent work “The Ornithology of Australia” between 1866 and 1870 in twenty-one parts by Pugh of Brisbane, in a very limited edition. By the time part sixteen was published there were only ninety-two subscribers. The original plates were executed by Diggles and his niece, Rowena Birkett.

The bird specimen from which this lithograph was derived was found by H.C. Rawnsley in the scrub behind his house in Witton [Indooroopilly] on the Brisbane River in Julu 1867. Diggles dedicated and named the bird after him. The narrative that accompanies the plate goes on and is of historical interest. Diggles states that the strong resemblance in the bird’s colouring to the Satin Bower bird and the Regent Bower bird may lead to the suspicion of it being a hybrid. However, he refers to the explorer A.C. Gregory, who inspected the bird and confirmed that he had seen the very same species in Northern Queensland … the narrative goes into detail regarding Gregory’s testimony. However, we now know that the bird was a hybrid after all – the only other examples of a similar occurrence are quite recent … in the last twenty year. We believe though only three such occurrences have been identified to date.

The work measures 38cm by 27cm, good strong hand colouring clean and undamaged. A very scarce item.

About Silvester Diggles

Silvester Diggles (1817-1880) artist and musician born in Liverpool, England. He came to Australia in 1853 settling in Brisbane where he taught music and drawing. Diggles was a founder of the Brisbane Choral Society in 1859 and the Philharmonic Society in 1861 known as “the father of music in Brisbane”. Diggles was also a founder of the Queensland Philosophical Society and helped establish the Museum. His greatest work was The Ornithology of Australia. It nearly sent him broke. His health deteriorated worry about finances being a factor. He died at Kangaroo Point in 1880.

Price $590.00 unframed
An opportunity to own a Silvester Diggles lithograph of an exceedingly rare bird indeed.

$590.00

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The Belgium Essays – Charlotte and Emily Bronte – Edited and translated by Sue Lonoff.

A first edition of this rather scarce and unknown book published as “A Critical Edition” by the Yale University Press in 1996 [they have done some great stuff].

Large octavo, 468 pages, very good condition in a full clean dust jacket.

In 1842 Charlotte and Emily B went to Brussels to study and write under the tutelage of Constantin Heger. They returned for the same again the next year. The result of this was twenty-eight essays penned in French. This book is the first to contain them all, nine of them have never been published elsewhere. They are presented in their original form with manuscript corrections and notes and with a facing English translation by Lonoff.

Special Bronte work from Charlotte and Emily expanding our knowledge of their prestigious talent.

$50.00

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The Sextant Simplified [A Practical Explanation of the Use of the Sextant at Sea] – Oswald Watts

A later edition of this “go to” book on the sextant published by Thomas Reed, Sunderland etc in 1969.

Octavo, 100 pages, many diagrams and images to explain the use of the instrument as one would expect. A near fine copy.

First glance the sextant is a pretty simple and straightforward device. This book take one from the simple “take and angle” understanding to the more complex use and correction required have a solid and sure position – quite useful the sure bit when facing reefs and rock in previously new territory.

Sextant explained – enough to make you a master mariner – fill up the bathtub and go for it!

$35.00

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German WWII – Signal / Flash Lamp / Daimon 2201

This lamp was made for the German military during WWII by Daimon GMBH of Cologne [Koln]. Pressed tinplate design, robust, with a simple switching mechanism to release a button for Morse Code. Articulated stand at rear which would double as a loop for a belt for handy carry.

No battery supplied with sale but this simple design works and would be hard to destroy.

Military signals flash-light from WWII- German Design.

$60.00

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Antique Surgical Tracheotomy Set – Down Brothers – c1910

A nice complete cased set of tracheotomy instruments by Down Brothers, London. Case identifies the maker and their premises opposite Guy’s Hospital.

The set comprises two ebony handled retractors, an ebony handled scalpel and a set of tracheotomy forceps, all with makers mark. The 1910 catalogue for Downs [See Welcome Foundation Collection ] indicated that the design for the dilating forceps was after a design by Dr St Clair Thomson, Professor of Laryngology at King’s College Hospital. In addition, a three silvered tracheotomy cannulae of differing sizes. All housed in the original covered box which is showing some wear but truly authentic.

Down Brothers was founded in 1874 and had premises opposite Guy’s Hospital at 21 & 23 St Thomas’s Street, London from 1879. They were incorporated as a Limited Company in 1902 although this detail may be unreliable as dating evidence [there is no mention of the Limited on the box]. Later, circa 1946 they amalgamated with Mayer & Phelps and moved to Mitcham Surrey.

Quality Instrument from a leading Surgical Instrument Supplier

$290.00

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Fine Apothecary/ Medical Cabinet – c1850- Godfrey & Cooke London [Established 1680]

Really special fine polished solid mahogany medical cabinet retailed by Godfrey & Cooke, London in the Victorian era. Campaign style brass handle and recess, working lock with original key [not to be lost]. Lovely red velvet padded interior, with two finely crafted lift out stacking trays. Individual compartments around the inside of the cabinet contain eleven glass medical bottles all with ground glass stoppers. The top tray contains period apothecary scales and a good set of weights [2,1 and ½ Drams; 2,1 Scruples and 6,5,4,3,2,1 and ½ Grains]. The lower larger tray contains a glass pestle and mortar, two lidded jars and three small ground glass stoppered bottles. Below this tray is a void containing a minute measuring cylinder [measure in “drops”] in a shagreen case and an old dropper.

The cabinet is unmarked, 26.5cm by 15cm by 14cm high; weighs approx. 3.5 kgs. The internal items are in as good a condition as you will get, one stopper with a chip the rest undamaged. Three stoppers fused in place – we are not going to force them.

The back story of this cabinet is worth a movie.

Ambrose Godfrey-Hanckwutz (1660-1741) was born in Kothen, Germany. At the age of nineteen, already married, he moved to London where he worked as an assistant to Robert Boyle founding member of The Royal Society, often described as the first chemist. He reduced his name to Ambrose Godfrey to assimilate. His primary task with Boyle was to discover the method of making phosphorous – which involves an intriguing story [too long for here]. He was eventually successful, and much money was made which allowed him to set up his own chemist’s business at the Sign of the Phoenix, Covent Garden. On his death in 1741 his sons took over the business and then in turn a nephew of the same name. On his death in 1797 the business was bought by Charles Gorman Cooke and became Godfrey & Cooke with activities on Conduit Street and then later The Royal Arcade, Bond Street. The name continued until 1910.

Fine 19thC London apothecary/ medical cabinet

$1,590.00

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Rare Image of Australia’s Rarest Bird – Rawnsley’s Satin Bower Bird [Ptilonorhynchus Rawnsleyi] – Silvester Diggles – c1870

The Belgium Essays – Charlotte and Emily Bronte – Edited and translated by Sue Lonoff.

The Sextant Simplified [A Practical Explanation of the Use of the Sextant at Sea] – Oswald Watts

German WWII – Signal / Flash Lamp / Daimon 2201

Antique Surgical Tracheotomy Set – Down Brothers – c1910

Fine Apothecary/ Medical Cabinet – c1850- Godfrey & Cooke London [Established 1680]

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