Curiosities

Rare Image of Australia’s Rarest Bird – Rawnsley’s Satin Bower Bird [Ptilonorhynchus Rawnsleyi] – Silvester Diggles – c1870

Rare original hand-coloured image lithographed on stone by Queensland naturalist Silvester Diggles. Highlighted with gum Arabic. Published as part of his magnificent work “The Ornithology of Australia” between 1866 and 1870 in twenty-one parts by Pugh of Brisbane, in a very limited edition. By the time part sixteen was published there were only ninety-two subscribers. The original plates were executed by Diggles and his niece, Rowena Birkett.

The bird specimen from which this lithograph was derived was found by H.C. Rawnsley in the scrub behind his house in Witton [Indooroopilly] on the Brisbane River in Julu 1867. Diggles dedicated and named the bird after him. The narrative that accompanies the plate goes on and is of historical interest. Diggles states that the strong resemblance in the bird’s colouring to the Satin Bower bird and the Regent Bower bird may lead to the suspicion of it being a hybrid. However, he refers to the explorer A.C. Gregory, who inspected the bird and confirmed that he had seen the very same species in Northern Queensland … the narrative goes into detail regarding Gregory’s testimony. However, we now know that the bird was a hybrid after all – the only other examples of a similar occurrence are quite recent … in the last twenty year. We believe though only three such occurrences have been identified to date.

The work measures 38cm by 27cm, good strong hand colouring clean and undamaged. A very scarce item.

About Silvester Diggles

Silvester Diggles (1817-1880) artist and musician born in Liverpool, England. He came to Australia in 1853 settling in Brisbane where he taught music and drawing. Diggles was a founder of the Brisbane Choral Society in 1859 and the Philharmonic Society in 1861 known as “the father of music in Brisbane”. Diggles was also a founder of the Queensland Philosophical Society and helped establish the Museum. His greatest work was The Ornithology of Australia. It nearly sent him broke. His health deteriorated worry about finances being a factor. He died at Kangaroo Point in 1880.

Price $590.00 unframed
An opportunity to own a Silvester Diggles lithograph of an exceedingly rare bird indeed.

$590.00

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The Belgium Essays – Charlotte and Emily Bronte – Edited and translated by Sue Lonoff.

A first edition of this rather scarce and unknown book published as “A Critical Edition” by the Yale University Press in 1996 [they have done some great stuff].

Large octavo, 468 pages, very good condition in a full clean dust jacket.

In 1842 Charlotte and Emily B went to Brussels to study and write under the tutelage of Constantin Heger. They returned for the same again the next year. The result of this was twenty-eight essays penned in French. This book is the first to contain them all, nine of them have never been published elsewhere. They are presented in their original form with manuscript corrections and notes and with a facing English translation by Lonoff.

Special Bronte work from Charlotte and Emily expanding our knowledge of their prestigious talent.

$50.00

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Clochemerle Les Bains – Gabriel Chevallier – First UK Edition 1964

A super copy of this fun book translated by Xan Fielding and published by Secker & Warburg, Lonon in 1964. Thick octavo, 448 pages, lively dust jacket designed by A Games.

Not sure what age you have to be to remember the riotous naughty comedy series about the characters and goings on in this idyllic French village. Well written but with a wit beyond and a good dousing of hanky-panky, maybe not entirely in fitting with now norms (oh dreary me). Regardless, anyone with warm blood is likely to enjoy until the end and pine a little for French wine and real cheese.

Clochemerle where lives were lived to the full and nobody got injured – well permanently injured

$35.00

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The Sextant Simplified [A Practical Explanation of the Use of the Sextant at Sea] – Oswald Watts

A later edition of this “go to” book on the sextant published by Thomas Reed, Sunderland etc in 1969.

Octavo, 100 pages, many diagrams and images to explain the use of the instrument as one would expect. A near fine copy.

First glance the sextant is a pretty simple and straightforward device. This book take one from the simple “take and angle” understanding to the more complex use and correction required have a solid and sure position – quite useful the sure bit when facing reefs and rock in previously new territory.

Sextant explained – enough to make you a master mariner – fill up the bathtub and go for it!

$35.00

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German WWII – Signal / Flash Lamp / Daimon 2201

This lamp was made for the German military during WWII by Daimon GMBH of Cologne [Koln]. Pressed tinplate design, robust, with a simple switching mechanism to release a button for Morse Code. Articulated stand at rear which would double as a loop for a belt for handy carry.

No battery supplied with sale but this simple design works and would be hard to destroy.

Military signals flash-light from WWII- German Design.

$60.00

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Elliot Brothers – Strand London – Prismatic Compass – c1880

A working Victorian prismatic compass by the esteemed Elliot Brothers.

Constructed of blackened brass, 9.5cm in diameter, weight 160 gm. Engraved on the sighting arm “Elliot Bros. 449 Strand London”. Also, likely first owners name engraved on the rear “Herbert J Dauberry”. The sighting arm still contains its “horsehair” and lifts and stays in the vertical position. The hinged prism can be moved to its operating position over the base plate. With the compass held steady and flat a notch on the prism body is aligned with the horsehair on the arm. A compass reading can be taken through the magnified prism lens, the compass can be held in position via a locking pin under the arm. The compass rotates freely, and the lead glass is unusually free of scratches. Really quite a special object.

William Elliot founded his business at Gray’s Inn, London in 1800. He started by making fine drawing instruments. By 1807 he had moved to High Holborn and by 1816 was making telescope and barometers. In 1830 he moved to 56 The Strand and his sons joined the partnership. They began making surveying instruments particularly for the fast-developing railway industry. In 1853 Willam died, and the sons continued as Elliot Brothers. They moved to larger premises at 449 The Strand sometime around 1860 and were there until another move to St Martin’s Lane circa 1890 – so we can have a good stab at the date of manufacture.

The business continued to flourish and eventually became part of G.E.C. and then Siemens.

Quality Prismatic Compass – by Distinguished Elliot Bros.

$160.00

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Rare Image of Australia’s Rarest Bird – Rawnsley’s Satin Bower Bird [Ptilonorhynchus Rawnsleyi] – Silvester Diggles – c1870

The Belgium Essays – Charlotte and Emily Bronte – Edited and translated by Sue Lonoff.

Clochemerle Les Bains – Gabriel Chevallier – First UK Edition 1964

The Sextant Simplified [A Practical Explanation of the Use of the Sextant at Sea] – Oswald Watts

German WWII – Signal / Flash Lamp / Daimon 2201

Elliot Brothers – Strand London – Prismatic Compass – c1880

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