Curiosities

The Antiquity of the Aborigines of Australia and Tasmania – The Discovery of Gold – Magnetism etc – Georgina King FRASA – Sydney 1924

A self-published pamphlet by Georgina King of work previously published in the “Sunday Times”. Printed by William Brooks, Sydney and issued in 1924.

Octavo, 23 pages, soft wrappers as issued, three illustrations in the text regarding aboriginals. Some age from use still a very good copy.

The articles are as per the title … The Antiquity of the Aborigines of Australia and Tasmania – Two Stone Ages in Australia; The Discovery of Gold and How it was Found in Payable Quantities; Magnetism – terrestrial and Universal; Diamond and Their Origin.

A most usual body of work. Georgina King (1845-1932) was an amateur geologist and anthropologist. As a woman she was excluded from the “professional” category e.g. she was not allowed to read her own paper at the Royal society of NSW. Her ideas were rather whacky though and make for interesting reading … they did not stop her becoming a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Society. The daughter of Rev George King she was advised by him and naturalist Bennett not to marry if she wanted to get on in her chosen filed. She corresponded with Robert Logan Jack regarding geology and Huxley on natural sciences. In her eccentricity she blamed other for stealing her ideas, including Edgeworth David on her radical concepts of the earth’s formation and Einstein on the theory of relativity. She believed diamonds were fossilised marine organisms … quoting from the paper contained here …

“Diamonds existed as marine organisms. They are composed of pure carbon, containing only a little hydrogen, and the most minute particles are often found in what were small cavities, perhaps their breathing apparatus; some were like feathers. The cleavages of the diamond were the gills of those marine organisms …”

Her article of the aborigines is a lot more grounded. She was a friend of Daisy bates and provided financial support to Bates for her work among aboriginal people.

Georgina King isolated Australian Scientist with some wild ideas and some interesting ones.

$50.00

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Australian Vintage Children’s Puzzle Blocks – c1920’s

A nice set with six (obviously) pictorial puzzles to solve. Produced in Australia with artwork by “T and C Print”. Nice condition and a lovely example of the challenges that children were given before the iphone and a lot more.

Stress free (for you) educational puzzle for the very young – a future treasure to be handed down …

$80.00

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Antarctic Treasure – The Songs of the “Morning”

Published by the Bread and Cheese Club Melbourne in 1943 – quarto, original grey ribbed wrappers, frontispiece of the Morning in McMurdo Sound. Previous ownership inscription on title otherwise a very good copy.

The Songs of the “Morning” were composed in the Antarctic on the SY Morning the relief ship to Captain Scott’s expedition of 1901-1904. The music was written by Gerald Doorly – Third Officer and the lyrics by John Morrison – Chief Engineer.

The vessel was originally a Norwegian whaling ship and was refitted for the Antarctic and sailed to Lyttelton, New Zealand before making two trips to the South in support of Scott.

The Bread and Cheese Club was a Melbourne based art and literary society founded in 1938 with the purpose of fostering “Mateship, Art and Letters”. This all male establishment published only 40 books. Following the death of its founder J.K. Moir it fell into decline and was disbanded in 1988.

No music has been composed further South – And Bring Back the “Bread and Cheese”

$90.00

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The Life of Marco Polo – Liebig Advertising Cards

A complete group of six attractive trade cards by Liebig issued mid-20th Century. In Dutch – Het Leven Van Marco Polo – “The Life of Marco Polo”

Delightful images depicting various stages in the adventures of Marco Polo. Significant narrative, in Dutch, at the rear of each card … more than usual which makes for that special foreign language lesson.

Each 10cms x 7.3cms in very good condition.

Card 1 – First Departure for the East; 2 – The Roof of the World; 3 – Governor of Jaugia in Service of the Great Khan Koubilai; 4 – At the Head of the Victorious Army; 5 – The Battle of Cuzole; The recounting of his Travels – Il Milione.

Marco Polo – his Life in Beautiful Images

$50.00

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Platypus Hand Coloured Copper Engraving – Schmuzer – 1798

Original hand coloured copper engraving of the Platypus by Schumzer for Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm. It was produced for Wilhelm’s “Discourses in Natural history”.

Wilhelm (1758-1811) was a Protestant Pastor born to an engraver and publisher in Augsburg, Germany. He began his great work on natural history in 1792. It was printed by his father and issued in installments. This engraving by Jacob Schmuzer was completed in 1798 and is clearly based on the image in Hunter’s First Fleet Journal.

Price $120.00 unframed … enquire if you would like this item framed …

Very early Platypus Engraving from the late 18th Century

$120.00

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Scarlet Mite (Autumnal Acarus) by Shaw & Nodder – 1790

Original copper engraved and hand coloured this engraving of the Scarlet Mite (Autumnal Acarus) was published on 1st September 1790 by Shaw & Nodder. The rather scary little guy likes apples and pears and in real life is rather tiny.

George Shaw was in charge of the Natural History Department at the British Museum. Nodder was a natural history artist and worked for Banks on his Florilegium.

Very good condition with a great plate impression …23cm by 14cm … framed nicely with external frame dimensions 29cm by c6cm …. a good one for the eclectic study.

Price $90.00 unframed or $220.00 framed in Voyager Natural History style ..

Unusual engraving from 1790 of the aptly named Scarlet Mite

$90.00

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The Antiquity of the Aborigines of Australia and Tasmania – The Discovery of Gold – Magnetism etc – Georgina King FRASA – Sydney 1924

Australian Vintage Children’s Puzzle Blocks – c1920’s

Antarctic Treasure – The Songs of the “Morning”

The Life of Marco Polo – Liebig Advertising Cards

Platypus Hand Coloured Copper Engraving – Schmuzer – 1798

Scarlet Mite (Autumnal Acarus) by Shaw & Nodder – 1790

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