Curiosities

Gold Mining in Queensland – Four Hand Coloured Magic Lantern Slides – 1890’s

Four rare original magic lantern slide issued by George Washington Wilson (G.W.W.) in the late 1890’s. Hand coloured to a high standard.

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.

G.W.W. sent their 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 quite scarce, and rarely seen coloured. 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; Alluvial Gold Digging Queensland – Good Prospect – Reference 30592; Sinking in a Payable Reef – Reference 30593 and Gold Digging – The Whim – Reference 30595. Note we have an uncoloured slide of 30594 The Whip which is being sold separately.

Rare Hand Coloured Images of Queensland Gold Mining Activity.

$480.00

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James “Digger” Nash – Discoverer of the Gympie Goldfields, Queensland – Original Magic Lantern Slide 1890’s

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

Original 3.5 inch square, standard size, lantern slide. Original label from G.W.W.. Fine quality image – no damage or mould. We are sorry that if you look closely you will see my iphone reflected in the image …

G.W.W. sent their top photographer, Fred Hardie, to Australia in the 1890’s to take images for their business in “Travelogue” lantern slide. He 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 quite scarce, some more so such as this one. The bulk of the G.W.W. catalogue eventually ended up at Aberdeen University. Expert in the field, Mark Butterworth, tells us that the original plate for Digger Nash is missing from that archive. He regarded this as probably the finest photograph of Digger Nash known to exist. He donated a copy to the Gympie Gold Mining Museum.

James Nash (1834-1913) discovered gold at Gympie in 1867. Born in England, he migrated to Sydney at the age of 23. In 1863 he moved to Queensland, to calliope and Nanago. On an extended prospecting tour in 1867 he found rich deposits near the Mary River. His report of the find on 16th October of that year started on of the wildest gold rushes in history.

Original Magic Lantern Slide – a Fine example – “Digger” Nash

$160.00

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Petronius – The Satyricon – Private Press – Norman Lindsay Illustrated – 1910

A Revised Latin Text of the Satyricon with the Earliest English Translation (1694) Now First Reprinted with an Introduction together with One Hundred Illustrations by Norman Lindsay

Published privately by Ralph Straus, London 1910. Folio, (33cm by 26cm), 303 pages, 100 leaves of plates.

First English translation side by side with the Latin on alternating pages. The Satyricon, Satyricon liber (The Book of Satylike Adventures) a work of fiction by Gaius Petronius. It is and example of Menippean satire.

Gaius Petronius Arbiter (27AD-66AD) was born in Marseille. He became a Roman Courtier in the reign of Nero. He is well mentioned by Tacitus, Plutarch and Pliny the Elder who regarded him as a “judge of elegance”. Petronius became a member of the Senatorial Class who devoted their lives to pleasure … he was essentially a fashion advisor to Nero. Sleeping by day he devoted night time to amusement … he had a reputation of being very good at it!

In the Satyricon, Petronius uses a new style of writing in that each of the characters are well and openly described. Previously, such literature focused mainly on the plot. There is no holding back in terms of moral issues, and it is thought that the main character Trimalchio (who is on the naughty side) is a cameo of Nero.

Petronius fell out of favour and committed suicide in a rather strange manner.

Goings on in the Days of Nero – with numerous Norman Lindsay Illustrations.

$390.00

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The Natural History of Stuck-Up People – Albert Smith – 1847

A fourth edition and scarce regardless. Published by David Bogue, London.

Even more scarce in its original form with delicate printed wrappers, albeit a little dusty and chipped. Small octavo, 116 pages with preliminaries and after catalogue.

Illustrated by A Henning. A hilarious put- down of Stuck-up people. Could still be well applied, approaching two hundred years later.

Takes us through the life and goings on of the rather stuck-up Lacquer family headed up by the well heeled Spangle Lacquer Esq.

“These good people partake much of the nature of mushrooms insomuch they haven’t only sprung up with great rapidity to their present elevation, but have also risen from mould of questionable delicacy”

Very useful early Victorian put-down of the stuck-up variety

SO SORRY SOLD

$120.00

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The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont – 30 Years amongst the Australian Aborigines – By Himslef – First edition 1899

Published by George Newnes, London a first edition 1899.

Octavo, 396 pages with 46 illustrations. Unusual decorative covers with our hero author, in battle with bow and arrow, on stilts! Some age, still a very good copy.

This book caused an absolute stir in Australia. The Author, real name Henri Louis Grin, claimed to have been shipwrecked and lived among the aborigines in Australia for 30 years where he claimed to have met Ludwig Leichhardt’s daughter. Also, some time in Papua New Guinea with pearls and gold. Told by himself! Seemingly, gave presentations to the Royal Geographical Society before exposed as a fraudster

Strange adventure in Australia

$120.00

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The Third Man (Graham Greene – Anton Karas) – The Harry Lime Theme

Sheet Music published by Chappell & Co, London in 1950. Published so-incidental with the BBC adapatation.

A classic with special appeal for a particular generation. The theme for the film noir The Third Man … written by Graham Greene directed by Carol Reed. Here adopted by the BBC for their rendition of the classic post war drama.

Whilst filming on location in Vienna, Carol, Orson Welles etc were out on the town and in a wine cellar heard Anton Karas play his zither. Reed was captivated and contracted Karas to play the soundtrack. This act of genius helped to assuage what is widely regarded as the longest speechless ending in film history … check it out, again.

Dan da dan .. dan da dan de dan ..

Get out the schnapps and tune up the zither

$25.00

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Gold Mining in Queensland – Four Hand Coloured Magic Lantern Slides – 1890’s

James “Digger” Nash – Discoverer of the Gympie Goldfields, Queensland – Original Magic Lantern Slide 1890’s

Petronius – The Satyricon – Private Press – Norman Lindsay Illustrated – 1910

The Natural History of Stuck-Up People – Albert Smith – 1847

The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont – 30 Years amongst the Australian Aborigines – By Himslef – First edition 1899

The Third Man (Graham Greene – Anton Karas) – The Harry Lime Theme

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