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Clinometer – WWI – 1918 – E.R. Watts and Son with original leather carrying case.

British Military Clinometer dated 1918 Numbered 1729 Mark IV. Fully functional with a super vernier mechanism with miniature armed magnifier for ease of reading.

Rare to find it in its original leather case also dated 1918. The case is in particularly good condition and has a patina to die for – such a lovely item.

The maker was established by Edwin Watts in 1856. The history of the company is remarkable and can be found online. Edwin was 23 years of age and set up his workshop in a small room over Bermondsey stable in London. His first order was from Negretti and Zambra for a mining dial. By 1873 he had twenty men working for him but still worked out of stables and a hay loft. The big break was a commission to supply theodolites to the Canadian Pacific Railway. Various family members joined the firm. In 1904 George Watts designed an ingenious dividing engine.

By WWI, the firm was a major enterprise, and it was called on to design new and innovative instruments including the Watts Vertical Force Variometer and the Light Mountain Theodolite – which was later used on Everest.

As the 20th century progressed the firm participated in the “roll up” of a number of like enterprises including Adam Hilger [see our spectroscope] and Swift microscopes. It eventually became part of Rank Precision Industries and like a lot of British industrial companies went bust in the late 1960’s.

Quality Clinometer by Watts with a delightful original leather case.

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$260.00

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Australian Explorers (from 1818 to 1876) In Rhyme – Eliza Berry 1892

Extremely scarce and unusual book of rhyme by Eliza berry who was the Head Teacher of the Girls School at Kangaroo Point Brisbane. Published by Gordan and Gotch, Melbourne in 1892.

Small octavo, 39 pages of verse after Preface and dedication. Bound as original in red cloth covered boards, simple indented line decoration to front and back and title in gilt to front.

All up 154 verses taking us through the history of Australian exploration in chronological order between 1818 and 1876.

Starts with a vague mention of the Dutch and then Dampier. Then really concentrating on land explorers … into Oxley, Hamilton Hume and Captain Hovell, Charles Sturt, Sir Thomas Mitchell, George Grey, Eyre, Sturt, Ludwig Leichhhardt, Kennedy, Gregory, Burke and Wills, Howitt, McDouall Stuart, Landsborough, Warburton, Forrest, Giles and Hodgkinson. Others get a mention but we kept our list to the main characters.

It is unusual, and the poetry is not Shakespeare, but one thing for sure Eiza displays a good knowledge of the explorations and often draws on a special point of interest associated with each.

Berry poetic summary of the Australian explorers 1892

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$160.00

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Jottings during the Cruise of H.M.S. Curacoa Among the South Sea Islands in 1865 – Julius Brenchley – First edition 1873

First edition of this magnificently illustrated scientific voyage account in the Pacific.

Published by Longmans, Green & Co, London in 1873. Large octavo, 487 pages. Decorated with two fold-out chromolithographs, 44 wood engravings and 50 hand coloured engravings mainly of natural history interest. Large folding map at rear with original colouring. An early rebind in half leather over plum cloth covered boards; raised spine divisions with gilt titling. Some evidence of age and staining otherwise a nice and honest copy of a scarce and desirable item. Carries the bookplate of voyage collector and author Geoffrey Ingleton.

The author Julius Brenchley (1816-1873) was a noted traveller of the period. Born in Maidstone in Kent, England he carried out numerous adventures. His travels encompassed, North, Central and South America and Africa before he embarked on this voyage with the Curacoa in the South Seas. The ship was under the command of Captain William Wiseman and visited Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Niue or Savage Island, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Santa Cruz, New Hebrides, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands.

Brenchley gathered an enormous collection of artifacts and natural history specimens which ultimately ended up being split between the British Museum and the Maidstone Museum.

Special Beautifully Illustrated Pacific Voyage Account

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$890.00

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Arabian Nights – The Poor Fisherman – Set of Trade Cards- Liebig c 1905

A group of six brightly coloured trade cards by Liebig of Antwerp, advertising their tasty “Fray-Bentos” products.

Each circa 10cm by 7cm. Produced c1905 and all in very good condition.

Delightful chromolithographs depicting scenes from the Tale of the Poor Fisherman from the Arabian Nights.

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$60.00

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Clinometer – WWI – 1918 – E.R. Watts and Son with original leather carrying case.

Australian Explorers (from 1818 to 1876) In Rhyme – Eliza Berry 1892

Jottings during the Cruise of H.M.S. Curacoa Among the South Sea Islands in 1865 – Julius Brenchley – First edition 1873

Arabian Nights – The Poor Fisherman – Set of Trade Cards- Liebig c 1905

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