Curiosities

Armorial Book-Plates. Their Romantic Origin and Artistic Development – Signed limited edition of 300 this number 218 by the expert of all experts Neville Barnett – published in 1932

Unusual faux snake-skin binding. Excellent condition 172 pages.

With numerous book-plate illustrations with 17 tipped in originals from those of great fame (our favourite being that of Polar Explorer Douglas Mawson).

Chapters on the Origins of Armory; the Age of Chivalry; the Pageant of Heraldry; the Romance of Arms; German, French and British Book-plates the latter extensive and importantly Australian and New Zealand Armorial Book-plates.

Collectable work from the doyen of Australian Bookplates – Neville Barnett – Numbered Limited Signed edition with Mawsons bookplate.

$390.00

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Martin Cash – Life After Bushranging – Maree Ring

A unusual item, an extended pamphlet really all about Tasmania’s favourite bushranger Martin Cash. Not so much his goings on in his early days of bushranging (although there is a good snippet of that) but more about his time in New Zealand and then later on return to Hobart.

Written from a sympathetic viewpoint, as often the case with Cash. We are not sure quite why that is the case. For sure he is supposed to have had a soft spot for women and we guess in return women had and still have a soft spot for him.

However, and it’s a big however … when in NZ he seemed to spend most of his time forming and running brothels (yes plural). In fact in the end he was given the big tip off to leave the country … forcing his return to Tasmania. His illicit activities paid him well and he was able to purchase a smallholding up the back of New Town … he spent most of his leisure time in the pubs of Salamanca … well don’t we all.

Self published Hobart in 1993. Softcover, stitched, 41 pages with some useful and relevant illustrations. We like the unpretentious writing of the researcher author. A fine copy.

Martin Cash – the final story – and an interesting one too.

Postage will be reduced on this item on final billing.

$20.00

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Antarctica and Back in Sixty Days – Tim Bowden – Double Audio Cassette

We love this sort of fairly recent ephemeral curiosity. Audio cassettes so common and used by many in the 1970’s and 1980’s and died an almighty death with the advent of the DVD. If you still have a tape player then you are the target customer for this item.

Tom Bodwen went off to the Antarctic and he took his tape recorder with him. He did a few of these and this one is our favourite. A good length, two tapes, and in good playing condition. Still housed in its protective box

A good one to relax to when you need a break from the heavy exploration classics.

Tim Bowden a super Polar entertainment.

$30.00

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Australian Born Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry – [Sir] John Warcup Cornforth – Signed manuscript letter

A very special letter (dated 1980) not only because of its truly distinguished author but here we have real content. Letters by Nobel Prize winners are not terribly rare but so often are perfunctory, relating to meetings, events or simply lunch. Here we have real, in depth, chemistry. The receiver, Dr Buckel, a distinguished scientist in his own right, may have been rather embarrassed on receipt. Cornforth believes that Buckel had tackled his work from completely the wrong route … indeed Cornforth is puzzled and goes on to set out in great detail his preferred option(s). In our view the content reveals the manner in which Cornforth visualises the solution to the problem from first principles then more complex mechanisms and solutions and alternative options as his thinking develops. The fact of his genius is plain in the writing. We love it.

The only Australian to date to have won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

Dear Dr Buckel

Thank you for your letter of 7 October. I was interested by your account of the work with glutaconate, but rather puzzled that you did not try the degradation to malate in the way you say I suggested. I have forgotten the details of our conversation during your very welcome visit, but certainly I would expect direct oxidation of glutaconate to malate by permanganate to be most unfavourable. This is because in glutaconate one has the combination of a double bond deactivated by conjunction with a carboxyl and a strongly activated methylene group. In these circumstances one would expect permanganate to attack the methylene group to a considerable and perhaps predominant extent, before the double bond was attacked. This is why it would be preferable to use a specific agent first to hydroxylate the double bond. Indeed, it should be possible to proceed in high yield to malic acid by making use of the fact that one of the hydroxyl groups will form a lactone. Thus: … chemical formulae.

He goes on …

The opening of the lactone ring is generally faster than the hydrolysis of an ester group (especially a benzoate) so that if you put the acetyl or benzoyl-lactone in hot water and neutralized the acidity as it appeared you should be able to get a clean ring-opening without other chemical changes. I really think you should try this – it seems so much simpler than the routes you have explored.

I will ask at Sittingbourne if they have any chiral acetate left – I brought none of it here. It will be ten years old now and will have lost nearly half its original radioactivity but a specimen tested for chirality about five years ago seemed not to have been racemized by radiolysis or by preservation in the form of aqueous potassium acetate. However, I wonder if this is the best way to make chiral 4-substituted glutamates and I wonder if you could do this from chirally tritiated malate using R-citrate synthetase and malate dehydrogenase, following this by treatment of the citrate with aconitase, isocitrate dehydrogenase etc. This should give you a totally chiral product whereas by starting from acetate you are at the mercy of isotope effects.

Cornforth goes on to offer his help in finding candidates for research, a task he may achieve on Thursday at The Royal Society where he is attending a discussion on glycolytic enzymes. There it is again proof The Royal Society …is the best Club in the World!

Sydney born Cornforth was totally deaf by the age of twenty but already recognised as and exceptional academic. He went to England, Oxford, along with a similarly gifted chemist Rita Harradence, who he later married. His relationship with Rita started over a broken Claisen flask .. Cornforth was a expert glassblower … something that was essential in the aspiring chemist in the 1930’s. Interestingly, there was no place in Australia where one could do a decent PhD in chemistry at that time. Naturally at Oxford Cornforth was in his element. He went on to be the first to synthesise cholesterol and had a hand in stabilising penicillin building on the work of fellow Australian Howard Florey. Cornforth was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1975 and coincidental with being made “Australian of the Year”. Cornforth also won the Davy Medal, Copley Medal, was Knighted and made Fellow of the Royal Society

Scientific gold – Manuscript letter with considerable scientific content by Australian Nobel Prize winner John Warcup Cornforth

$590.00

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Guide to Bruny Island History – B Davis

Described as a Second edition 190 albeit there had been a number of printings of the First the proceeds of which have gone traditionally to erect plaques at important historical sites around Bruny.

Not exclusively but essentially a history of the post colonial island and a special history its is too.

Card cover with an early French version of the map as decoration. 40 pages all up nicely illustrated from period photographs – they have come out better than often with this type of “local” production. A good coloured modern map to centre for perspective and bearings.

The third largest of the nearby Tasmanian islands and one held dear by those that have the life luxury to live there.

Bruny get the history then the experience … book your ferry today.

$35.00

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Aces Made Easy [Cheating at Bridge - Our Emphasis] – McCullough and Fogasse.

Published by Methuen, London in 1945, having first been published in 1934.

Small octavo, 134 pages, illustrated by Fogasse. I very good copy albeit with dust jacket chips.

We love this little book which is essentially all about how to cheat well at the card game Bridge. Bridge players on the whole are rather snooty self important individuals. It’s a game that can lead to divorce, and lost friends, so cheating on those so self consumed seams to Voyager to be rather fair.

The Author wrote a few books along these lines – another we like is tilted “Card-playing for Profit” .. another “What shall I tell my Partner?”.

Get over the moral dilemma and cheat at Bridge it’s much more fun than the game.

$30.00

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Armorial Book-Plates. Their Romantic Origin and Artistic Development – Signed limited edition of 300 this number 218 by the expert of all experts Neville Barnett – published in 1932

Martin Cash – Life After Bushranging – Maree Ring

Antarctica and Back in Sixty Days – Tim Bowden – Double Audio Cassette

Australian Born Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry – [Sir] John Warcup Cornforth – Signed manuscript letter

Guide to Bruny Island History – B Davis

Aces Made Easy [Cheating at Bridge - Our Emphasis] – McCullough and Fogasse.

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