Prestige Items

Folding Georgian Guinea Scales circa 1805

A very good set of early Guinea Scales with contemporary instructions label. Manufactured Stephen Houghton who took over from Anthony Wilkinson at Ormskirk, Lancashire. Wilkinson had died in 1804. We have two very good examples this probably the best.

Self-erecting and known generally as the Lancashire Gold Balance. The brass beam is rectangular in section and has a hinged “turn and swing” overweight which counter poises the beam for the guinea or half-guinea. Once folded the end-button release mechanism sets and releases nicely.

A small rectangular sliding weight on the load arm registers in graduations to show discrepancies in of under-weight coins.

The collapsing mechanism makes the whole entirely portal in the gentleman’s trouser.

Functioning Georgian Gold Sovereign Scale

$190.00

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Buffon’s Natural History – 180 Hand Coloured Plates in 31 Volumes – Paris 1827

Oeuvres Completes de Buffon – Mises en order er Precedees d’une Notice Historique Par M.A. Richard Professor Agrege a la Faculte de Medecine de Paris; Suives de Deux Volumes sur les Progress des Sciences Physiques er Naturelles Depuis la mort de Buffon par M. le Baron Cuvier Secretaire Perpetuel de l’Academie Royale des Sciences.

Published by Chez Baudouin Freres and Chez N Delangle Paris in 1827. A full set less volume 8 which is purely narrative – all of the 180 magnificent hand coloured plates are present.

Lavishly bound in full polished tree calf with wide gilt floral design around front and back boards, gilt rolled on board edging, gilt design to spine, with each volume carrying separate black leather title and volume labels themselves gilt styles, marbled endpapers.

Some scuffing and wear to the leather boards and internally occasional foxing and browning and offsetting. On the whole, a handsome set with superior shelf presence – see images – more can be supplied in request – no issue.

Buffon with every hand coloured plate present

$1,590.00

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The Origin of Species – Charles Darwin – Murray of London Edition 1894

Published by John Murray, London, 1894. Sixth edition. Charles Darwin amended each edition – the sixth represents the final text..

In the preferred original Murray green cloth binding and in very good condition. Octavo, xxii,432 pages a tiny bit rubbed and marked, light age – still a very good copy.

Described by Bern Dibner as “the most important single work in science”.

Darwin’s theory of the origin of species by means of natural selection arose out of his studies in the 1830′s during the voyage of the Beagle. In 1856 geologist Charles Lyell, urged him to write a book on the subject. In 1858 Wallace sent Darwin a summary of the views Darwin had formed twenty years earlier. Darwin set about writing “The Origin of Species” which was published in Nov 1859.

Darwin concluded, “There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that whilst this plan has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.”

Darwin – The Origin of Species - The greatest scientific book ever written

$790.00

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The Proposed Chemical Laboratory at the University of Sydney -1888 – A Liversidge – Professor of Chemistry

An understandably scarce document and an unusual one – one that appeals very much to Voyager. Sydney University has been without an adequate science laboratory for many years. Liversidge has risen to be Professor of Chemistry and with a strong hand in geology, metallurgical sciences etc.

This extensive paper was presented before the first meeting of the Australian Association for the Advancement of Science, Sydney August 28^th 1888.

Large sized [foolscap plus?] 4 pages of narrative -equivalent of 4 times that against usual and then twelve plates on 5 pages of various designs highlighting the practicalities required in a modern science laboratory. Bound in stout half red morrocco over morrocco? covered boards – later paper title, end papers darkened – whole supported by bound in blanks at rear [the sign of a top binder] – paper support on internal hinge. Very good condition. Stamp of the Royal Society of N.S.W. who strangely disposed such items – shame on them.

Tours had been taken of European and Japanese then modern equivalents and similar standards were to be achieved albeit for budgetary purposes some of the architectural materials had to be more restrained. Having said this the alcoves of the corridor were to have the busts of great European scientists installed. We particularly like the incorporation of the furnaces for metallurgy and the massive outside hydrogen sulphide generator and that quick egress in the event of explosion was thoughtful.

The Sydney University first proper science laboratory – we find it intriguing

$125.00

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Thirty Diatom Species – Mounted Microscope Slide and Catalogued by Bernard Hartley

Bernard Hartley was diatom royalty. He was born in 1917 and lived most of his life at Yoevil in Somerset. He was a civil engineer and began to make prepared microscope mounts of diatoms in 1957. He worked with fellow diatom expert R I Firth and together they identified and systemised the cataloguing of British diatom species. His other close colleague was the undisputed King of diatoms Klaus Kemp who must have had the steadiest hand known to man.

If you know little about diatoms how about this for a start. These tiny marine organisms [phytoplankton] contribute around 50 % of the marine oxygen production. In the right conditions they reproduce rapidly dividing every twenty four hours – but they only live six days. There are 12,000 known species and an estimated possibility of 200,000. The Amazon basin is fertilised by diatoms remains whipped up into the wind currents from the Sahara – an estimated 27 million tonnes per annum. They take two forms one radially symmetric and the other bilaterally symmetric. Lots more look them up – oh and they are very small and it takes great talent to handle them.

Here we have a slide by Hartley with a carefully placed row of thirty varying diatom types and, almost impossible to find, his original list of species types.

50% of the marine generated oxygen – better save them then! Special scientific collectable – with the list!

$190.00

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Physics – Original Oxford Doctorate Thesis – Unified Field Theory – F.H.J. Cornish 1954

For the mathematically inclined and admirers of Einstein and those that followed his footsteps – this is gold – read on.

This is an original first typed and manuscript thesis by Cornish, then an Oxford – went on to the University of British Columbia. Categorically original – you can feel the type face from the other side of the paper – an originality that always makes us shiver – a connection with the author.

Full title “The Mathematical Form and Physical Content of Unified Field Theories derived from a Variational Principle’

The work starts from a historical perspective and Einstein in 1915 and moves on to Schrodinger .. the unresolved issues and aspects of static spherically symmetric solutions to Einstein’s theory. Then the new work. A loose sheet inserted, when at British Columbia, summarises, presumably for a presentation by Cornish …

“This is a new extension of Einstein’s General Relativity Theory designed to unify the fields of gravitation and electromagnetism. The field equations of the new theory have been solved approximately for a static spherically symmetric field. The solution may be interpreted as a charged mass particle with an electro-magnetic contribution to the mass. The solution valid near the centre of symmetry contains a form factor or radius parameter which is related to the magnitude of the charge of the particle. Using the Einstein-Infeld-Hoffman method the interaction of an “n” charged particle system is found to be in accord with the Newtonian-Lorentz force terms. A finite rest mass for the photon is predicted”

Quarto, nicely bound is stout boards, half morrocco, two parts after preliminaries including preface, abstract and index, Part I – 56 pages; part II 87 pages, reference list to die for.

Seems a bit trivial, and we are gushing, but we cannot help admire the penmanship re the mass of mathematical formulae – the only correction we can see is one of placement.

Cornish – In the footsteps of Einstein – Original Work 1954 – so how heavy are your photon’s?

$280.00

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Folding Georgian Guinea Scales circa 1805

Buffon’s Natural History – 180 Hand Coloured Plates in 31 Volumes – Paris 1827

The Origin of Species – Charles Darwin – Murray of London Edition 1894

The Proposed Chemical Laboratory at the University of Sydney -1888 – A Liversidge – Professor of Chemistry

Thirty Diatom Species – Mounted Microscope Slide and Catalogued by Bernard Hartley

Physics – Original Oxford Doctorate Thesis – Unified Field Theory – F.H.J. Cornish 1954

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