Curiosities

Builder Bookends – Armor Bronze – c1925

A nice heavy pair of bookends of builders at work by Armor Bronze designed by Julio Kileny.

Expert Kuritzky states that Armor Bronze were listed as at 333 4th Avenue New York in 1920. He goes on to say that the New York facility was apparently discontinued in 1929 and they then re-emerged at Taunton Massachusetts in 1934 and finally closed just after WWII in 1948.

Kurtitsky gives this deign a date of c1925. One of our bookends still carries the original Armor Bronze New York label which helps with a pre 1929 date.

Some ageing as you would expect but generally in very good condition.

Deco builders had more fun …

ON HOLD ….

$390.00

Updating cart…

The HMS Challenger Expedition 1872-1876 Centenary Celebration of Visit Tristan da Cunha – Mint Stamp Set

The British protectorate of Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic is the most remotely populated place in the world. There is no airstrip or internet and the population is circa 300. They rarely get visitors. The main island is Volcanic and an eruption in the 1960’s saw the whole population leave for a couple of years and live temporarily in the UK. The main island is 38 square miles and the main endeavour unsurprisingly is fishing.

The mint stamp set issued in 1973 comprising 4,5, 7 1/2 and 12 1/2 pence and show the Challenger, the Pinnace off Nightingale Island, World map of the Voyage and the Onboard laboratory as well as schematics of deep sea sounding apparatus.

Postage will be reduced appropriately to cost on charging.

A nice commemorative set aligned to the Challenger Expedition

SO SORRY SNAPPED UP!

$12.00

Updating cart…

Maps are Territories – Science is an Atlas [Includes Australian Aboriginal Mapping] – Turnbull and Others – Modern but Scarce

A very unusual softcover published by Deakin University and produced as part of a the study materials for Nature and the Human Environment at Deakin.

It was prepared by a team of seven academics of whom David Wade Chambers was the Chair but is more specifically attributed to David Turnbull with the contribution of Helen Watson with the Yolngu community at Yirrkala being specially noted. It was also published in an academic context in Chicago.

In this form really quite rare and hard to obtain given its original purpose. The US equivalent commands quite high prices.

Softcover, small landscape quarto, glossy and heavily illustrated in colour. This is a corrected printing of 1993. Fine condition apart from crease from holing open front cover.

The underlying purpose is to display good evidence for the equivalent of maps in early cultures and to link that with “purpose’. For example, the London Tube map is an easily identified and understood modern map. Winding the clock well back we have incredible “clay tablet”’ maps from Nippur dated 1,500BC, and Nuzzi even earlier at 2,300BC. Our favourite, the incredible carved wooden coastal charts carried in the kayaks of the Greenland Eskimo. And more so the Australian Aboriginal depictions such as the homeland of the Gumatj clan with the names of parts of a Crocodile image representing the names of areas of land and coastal areas.

Rare chance to obtain this work

$55.00

Updating cart…

Brisbane City Medal Celebrating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee 1897

Minted by Stokes and Sons, 31 mm diameter circa 14 gms weight. Reference authority Carlisle 1897/43

Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee was celebrated with enthusiasm around the Commonwealth. This medal was issued by the Municipality of Brisbane to celebrate the event.

On the obverse we have Jugate busts of a young and older Queen Victoria, around Queen Victoria’s 60th Year of Reign *1837 to 1897* … mint name Stokes & Sons in tiny letter on the rim below the date.

The reverse has at its centre within a wide rim the Shield of the Municipality, quartered with top left … horses, sheep and bull; top right … farmer with plough, wheat sheaf and spade; bottom left early steam-ship and lighthouse; bottom right … sailing ship at Brisbane Port loading produce including bale of wool and barrels. Around the rim *Municipality of Brisbane* Incorporated 1859.

Posted will be reduced to cost on this light item.

Collectable Victoriana Unique to Brisbane.

$70.00

Updating cart…

The Mary Celeste – John Maxwell – First Edition 1979

Published by Jonathan Cape, London a 1979 first edition, Octavo, 208 pages in very good near mint condition.

Often wrongly called Marie Celeste … she was an American Merchant Brig that was found deserted near the Azores in 1872. She was found by the Canadian Brig Dei Gralia. The Mary Celeste was in fine condition and nothing had been taken or as out of place. Some very strange explanations were put forward … that the crew had vaporised etc. There was an inquest at Gibraltar and skulduggery was suspected … but in what form and why nobody could fathom … until this book by John Maxwell.

Maxwell trawled through the official documents and statements relating to the affair and in the finale suggest a solution which is described as “convincing and full of high drama”

Very good copy of Maxwell’s definitive book on the Mary Celeste.

$25.00

Updating cart…

Australian Mineral Specimen – Black Tourmaline – Yinnietharra

A large and weighty example of Black Tourmaline a semi-precious crystalline boron silicate mineral.

This fine example from the Yinnietharra deposit in Western Australia lovely crystal form at termination.

Total weight xx gms

Very good and sizeable example

$80.00

Updating cart…

Builder Bookends – Armor Bronze – c1925

The HMS Challenger Expedition 1872-1876 Centenary Celebration of Visit Tristan da Cunha – Mint Stamp Set

Maps are Territories – Science is an Atlas [Includes Australian Aboriginal Mapping] – Turnbull and Others – Modern but Scarce

Brisbane City Medal Celebrating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee 1897

The Mary Celeste – John Maxwell – First Edition 1979

Australian Mineral Specimen – Black Tourmaline – Yinnietharra

Product Categories