Curiosities

Ships Figureheads – Complete Set of John Player’s Cards – 1931

A complete set of 25 vibrantly coloured cigarette cards used to promote John Player’s cigarettes – issued in 1931.

The first time we have had this set and already our favourite. A maritime delight. Each card has an interesting narrative on the back … a wee bit better and more informative than other sets we believe.

In protective sleeve as shown .. the odd insignificant mark – a really good set.

Naval vessels include … Princess Royal, Queen Charlotte, Colossus, Seahorse, Bellerophon (We prefer “Billy Ruffian”), Royal Sovereign, Black Prince, Victory (hurray), Terra Nova, Formidable etc etc.

We have seen this set mounted for display. One of the few that can still get away with that treatment in the “modern home”!

Complete set and a nautical delight

$120.00

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Tales From the Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio [Beautifully Illustrated] – Private Printing 1937

Private Printed in, London 1937. A rare edition. Text based on an anonymous translation of 1741 revised by S.W. Orson in 1898. The striking illustrations are printed from linocuts by Edmondo Lucchesi, and we are told the typeface is 16-point Poliphilus.

Demo-folio, quarter red cloth backed decorated red/pink paper covered boards with paper title to front. 89 pages numerous woodcuts. Some ageing near the ends, still a better than good copy of a favourite illustrated book.

Boccaccio’s tales amusing, moral suggestions, and the odd amoral act. The long introductory title to each gives a flavour e.g.

“Masse da Lamorecchio, pretending to be dumb, is appointed gardener at a nunnery, and is favourably received by the inmates”, and

“Pernella puts her gallant into a tub on her husband’s coming home, which tub the husband had sold; she consequently tells him that she had also sold it to a person who was then in it to see if it were sound; upon this the man jumps out and makes the husband and makes the husband clean it for him”.

Boccaccio with the titillating woodcuts of Edmondo Lucchesi

$120.00

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Little Ragged Blossom and more about Snugglepot and Cuddlepie – May Gibbs – First Edition c 1920

Published Sydney: Angus Robertson no date but 1920 and a First Edition.

Quarto. Cloth backed pictorial boards with a colour vignette of Little Ragged Blossom pasted on with some wear. The odd mark – on the whole a very good copy.

The wonderful fantasy world of the gum-nut babies portrayed in glorious detail. Illustrated by Gibbs with two full colour plates and twenty wonderful sepia plates as well as pictorial end papers and many line illustrations in-text. Scarce in any condition. Reference the authority Muir 2752.

Little Ragged Blossom a May Gibbs Delight

$240.00

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The Theory of Atomic Collisions – Mott and Massey (Professor Westfold’s Copy) – First edition 1933

A first UK edition, published at Oxford by the Clarendon Press in 1933. The standard full text of the period.

Large octavo, 282 pages. Original black cloth covered boards with gilt titles to spine. Dust jacket rather drab and aged but unusually present. The signature of K. C. Westfold and dated October 44 on the front free end paper.

Comprehensive high level text starting with The Wave Equation then Scattering – by a Centre Force, by a Coulomb Field. The Spin of the Electron. Collisions. Inhomogenous Differential Equations. General Theory of Atomic Collisions. Born’s Approximation. Scattering of Slow Electrons. Inelastic Collisions. Electrons and Molecules. Massive Particles. Transition Probability. Relativistic Treatment of the Two Body Problem …. Nuclear Problems.

The excellent index is a read itself of the who was who in higher mathematics including a notable relative of Voyager!

K.C. Westfold (1921-2001) a brilliant Australian mathematical brain was Professor of Applied Mathematic at Monash and at various time Dean of Science, Professor of astronomy and Vice Chancellor of the University. He was an Archibald Prize sitter.

Cornerstone book of the period in this supreme area of mathematical physics – nice relevant previous ownership.

$60.00

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Medal in Celebration of the Discovery of the Johnstone River, Queensland in 1873.

Produced in 1973 the celebrate the 100 year anniversary of George Elphinstone Dalrymple’s Discovery.

Cast in coppered bronze by K G Luke. 50 mm in diameter, weighing 48 gm, very good condition.

Nice design of the North and South Johnson combining and meandering down to the Pacific Ocean through heavily wooded hilly terrain. A very clear horizon, and in the sky above the explorers full name and commemorative dates the full commemorative details in a border around the edge. On the reverse a Floral and scroll design, presumably to take the engraved name of any recipient – here still blank.

The designer is associated with Sir Kenneth George Lake (1896-1971) who had a very successful business making all things requiring metal design … he was also an important identity in sports administration in Australian particularly the AFL.

George Elphinstone Dalrymple was a legendary explorer, pioneer and pastoralist in northern Queensland. See Robert Logan Jack’s Northmost Australia for a good account of his efforts. He named the Johnstone River in 1873 in honour of Robert Johnstone of the Native Police who had carried out his handy work in the region. Unusually, the river had already been named by Captain Moresby a year or two earlier … his name the Gladys did not stick, thankfully. The Johnstone is a spectacular part of Australia .. the rivers are subject to exceedingly high rainfall and make for the very best of white water rafting. The confluence of the North and South is about five kms west of the town of Innisafail. If you go there … watch out for salty crocodiles.

Very good uncirculated condition, strong relief.

Celebrating Northern Queensland Exploration

$80.00

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A Monograph of Nototherium Tasmanicum – H. H. Scott – 1915

Published in 1915 in Tasmania researched and written by H.H. Scott Curator of the Museum at Launceston.

Published by the Department of Mines as part of the Geological Survey Record No 4. A fine copy, 47 pages plus 22 full page plates in super condition. Cloth backed boards as published.

The Author acknowledges the early assistance of the great Professor T.W. Edgeworth David of Antarctic fame.

The discovery of a large extinct marsupial

Superb copy and rare and unusual

$70.00

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Ships Figureheads – Complete Set of John Player’s Cards – 1931

Tales From the Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio [Beautifully Illustrated] – Private Printing 1937

Little Ragged Blossom and more about Snugglepot and Cuddlepie – May Gibbs – First Edition c 1920

The Theory of Atomic Collisions – Mott and Massey (Professor Westfold’s Copy) – First edition 1933

Medal in Celebration of the Discovery of the Johnstone River, Queensland in 1873.

A Monograph of Nototherium Tasmanicum – H. H. Scott – 1915

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