Curiosities

Victorian Spectroscope – Adam Hilger c1890

A superb quality late Victorian brass Direct Vision Spectroscope, of the “Rainband” variety.

The device includes a “train” of five alternating crown and flint glass prisms.

Made by Adam Hilger and his brother Otto who operated from Tottenham Court Road London from 1875 until 1916 when the business was taken over with the backing of Vickers.

Nicely engraved A Hilger London and in near fine condition protected in its original custom made brass canister.

Interestingly, Adam Hilger supplied one of the most advanced spectroscopes of the day to the Sydney Astronomical Observatory in 1878 to be used in conjunction with their Merz 7 ¼ inch refractor.

Neat Victorian Spectroscope top maker clear and true spectrum

$240.00

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Kim Philby and other Russian Spy Celebrities – Russian Stamp Set 1990

A complete set of five mint stamps issued in Russia in 1990.

Each with a portrait of a member of the espionage elite. Rodolf Abel (1903-1971); Konon Molody (1922-1970); Vaupshascov (1899-1976); Kudrya (1912-1942) and …

“was he, or wasn’t he?” Harold “Kim” Philby.

Nicknamed “Kim” after the Rudyard Kipling boy hero spy – should have been a clue!

If you don’t know who Kim Philby is we are guessing you won’t want to buy this set …

Postage likely to be reduced on final billing.

Unusual item for those undercover agents out there …

$25.00

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Prepared Microscope Slide – Whole Worker Bee – 100 Year Old

I fine example by H.W.H. Darlaston.

Herbert William Hutton Darlaston (1867-1949) operated as a commercial microscope slide mounter from his house in Birchfield, Birmingham, England from 1895 until the 1925.

Regarded as a specialist in insect slides of high quality. He is known to have prepared whole insect slides for the distinguished entomologist Miriam Rothschild.

Postage likely to be reduced on final billing dependent on buyer location.

Worker Bee – fine example by insect expert Darlaston

$80.00

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Stilbite – Western India – ex Werner Hoch Collection

A sizeable and attractive lump of stilbite from Vaijapur, Aurangabad District, Maharashtra, India.

We are told from whence it came that it was originally part of the Verner Hoch collection, the main part of which is now in the Natural History Museum, Vienna.

Stilbite [after Greek – stilbein “to shine”] is a tectosilicate part of the zeolite group of minerals. Formed often in a basaltic volcanic environment.

This example is characteristic of it’s found location [it takes various forms in different parts of the World – Iceland, Scotland etc]. Here we have a peach/ pink hue and a translucent characteristic. The large form is often described as a “bow tie” and you can see why. This is a particularly good example with larger forms sitting on a bed of crystals on the host structure.

13cm by 8cm by 6cm weighing 330gm.

Super example of Stilbite with dominant bow-tie structure – nice hue

$95.00

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Kalgoorlie Golden Mile – Western Australia – Original Magic Lantern Slide – Newton & Co – c1910

Very good condition magic lantern slide from Newton & Co Fleet described in cursive writing.

We date the slide to around 1910. New & Co were at 43 Museum Street London. They were the world’s longest established suppliers of scientific instruments being formed by Sir Isaac Newton’s cousin J. Newton in 1704. At the time of this slide the proprietors were still from the Newton family. The British Museum have Newton & Co out of business at Museum Street in 1913, but other references have it continuing

A really broad view which magnifies to present incredible detail. Standard British size in fine condition. We believe this slide and image is pretty rare.

Kalgoorlie was discovered by Paddy Hannan and Tom Flanagan in 1893. There horse had thrown a shoe and when they stopped to sort it out they noticed gold …. Well … on the ground everywhere. Hannan staked a claim and the rush was on. By 1896 the rail had arrived and the area had taken over from Coolgardie as the primary WA goldfield.

As an aside the Newton & Co address is as you might suspect in sight of the British Museum in London and also opposite The Plough … a favourite Voyager pub.

Rare Australian Gold Mining Lantern Slide

$80.00

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[Early Catalogue] – Dr Kirby’s Ready Remedies – 1872

Full title: Prices Current of Dr Kirby’s Ready Remedies being Selected Officinal Medicines prepared in the form of coated pills, pilules, granules, concentrated mixtures etc for Medical Practitioners by Messrs. Kirby & Company.

[Officinal is not a misspelling - it means a place where medicines are kept - from a Latin expression]

Brown paper cover catalogue, saddle stitched, 20 pages, Pictorial advertisement for Kirby’s Miniature Dispensary inside back cover, terms of trade to rear. Some marks and a stamp remnant [probably taxed] on cover, internally very clean.

Edmund Adolphus Kirby was a medical entrepreneur of the day. Author of “A formulation of selected remedies” and a pioneer in modern medicine preparation and dispensing.

The catalogue provides an interesting opening narrative on the methods and trends introduced by Kirby re the consistent preparation of medicines in pill and other form so that practitioners could ‘do away with” the mortar and pestle. His literally hundreds of standard formulations could be delivered swiftly by the use of the new parcel postage system.

Kirby patented a number of inventions including the adjustable medical couch and the “folding pattern portable medicine case’ suitable for “Saddle Practice”

Very scarce we cannot find a copy anywhere there should be including the Welcome Collection.

Scarce and interesting medical ephemera – early medical wholesaling

$80.00

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Victorian Spectroscope – Adam Hilger c1890

Kim Philby and other Russian Spy Celebrities – Russian Stamp Set 1990

Prepared Microscope Slide – Whole Worker Bee – 100 Year Old

Stilbite – Western India – ex Werner Hoch Collection

Kalgoorlie Golden Mile – Western Australia – Original Magic Lantern Slide – Newton & Co – c1910

[Early Catalogue] – Dr Kirby’s Ready Remedies – 1872

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