Scientific Instruments, Specimens, Books and Collectables

[A History of the Aclare Mine – South Australia] – Silver and a Trace of Gold – J.K. Chilman

A very good copy of Special Publication No 1 celebrating 100 year of the Department of Mines and Energy, South Australia.

Soft silvered cover, 212 pages with numerous illustrations … from photographs, sketches, maps, mine plans etc.

From discovery in the 1840 to the end of that century … and the continuing heritage interest an extremely thorough work.

R.K Johns in his preface … “Silver and a Trace of Gold” establishes the mood of these times and painstakingly and sympathetically traces the events connected with speculation and mining investment, the opening and closure of mining operations, and the developments in metallurgical practice and smelting of mixed metallic ores. It not only traces the history of the Aclare mine, and the Kanmantoo- Callington mining field, but has relevance to the whole mining history in the State” … a bit dry but does capture the breadth and depth of this study.

A Mining History well presented and more … processes etc

$40.00

Updating cart…

A Complete Treatise of Mines Etc – Henry Manningham – First Edition 1756

An extremely rare work from a period when mining expertise was as much a military endeavour as for the extraction of resources.

Lengthy title continues … extracted from the Memoires d’Artilliere. To which is prefixed, by way of Introduction, Professor Belidor’s Dissertation on the Force and Physical Effects of Gunpowder. Illustrated by a Variety of Copper Plates.

A first English language edition of this work translated and compiled by mining engineer Henry Manningham. The original French by P Surirey de Saint Remy (1660-1716). Benard Forest de Belidor (1698-1761) was a hydraulics and ballistics expert. Born into a military family he later became Professor of Artillery at Aisne. He became an early expert on the calculus and its use in solving technical problems.

Published by Millar, the Strand, London 1756. Octavo, xxix,168 pages with 21 folding copper engraved plates, elaborate engraved vignette on Dedication. Ex John Crerar Library with the odd stamp, later half leather binding somewhat worn, top edge gilt. Toned and pages a bit brittle still a useful copy of an extremely scarce item.

Early Mining and the Use of Gunpowder Carefully Explained.

$390.00

Updating cart…

Victorian Microscope Slide – Horse Ant … Whole Insect Specimen – Mounted and dated 1880.

Nice condition, quality mount of a whole insect specimen of the Horse Ant, also known as the Red Wood and Southern Wood Ant. Classified by Linnaeus in 1761. Earlier, in 1648 the English Chemist John Ray distilled thousands of these ants to discover formic acid.

Mounted in gum arabic, with minimal oxidation a super example dated 1880.

Horse Ant in all its glory over 140 years old.

$40.00

Updating cart…

Vintage Microscope Slide – Pollen from the Antarctic

Nice condition, quality mount of an unusual subject – Pollen from the Coast of the Antarctic.

Nice deep mount with well preserved coloured mount rings. We are unsure who the preparer was but would suggest they must have been a professional given the mount is in such good shape. The hand written label looks familiar to us but we still cannot pick the preparer.

The location likely in the area immediately south of South America … as these pollen samples would have started life in warmer climes.

Unusual Antarctic Microscope Slide

$40.00

Updating cart…

The Billings Microscope Collection of the Medical Museum Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. James Hansen et al [Second and Preferred Edition]

This is the preferred second edition 1974 of this standard reference for antique microscope collectors and those interested in antique scientific instruments generally. It contains 32 additional pages of microscopes to the first published in 1967.

The existence of this collection which maybe rivals that of the London Microscopical Society is down to Lieutenant John S Billings a medical officer in the US Amy who was put in charge of the Army Medical Museum. He did a magnificent job and must have been well financed and supported. He built the heart of the collection between 1883 and 1993 [couldn’t be a better period}. The result has been augmented over the year from donations and acquisitions.

Softcover quarto, 244 pages, 4 colour plates and 473 black and white photographs of examples. Very good condition … the covers might look marked but it is just the trendy arty finish.

A brief history of the microscope is followed by a three part catalogue. Part I … contains the collection acquired by Billings and later donations etc up until 1966. Part II represents a significant collected added from Europe in 1966 – the Kaas Collection. Part II are the important additions since the first printing.

Billings and essential scientific reference – the best edition .

$90.00

Updating cart…

“Society of Arts” Victorian Brass Microscope with Case – c1860-70

A quality fully working English brass microscope from around 1860-70.

With the early V shaped bar for rack and pinion focus and fine adjustment knurled knob. Two objectives both multiple compounding. There is also Live Box for observing creepy crawlies. The concave mirror is in very good condition. The original mahogany case is a quality box, original to the instrument and in very good condition, with separate drawer for slides and bits and pieces. The case still has its original lock and its key, often long lost. The microscope is mounted on a rectangular mahogany board which slides into the case.

Very similar to the example presented by Peter Turner FRMS to the Royal Microscopical Society catalogued as number 92 in authority Turner.

In the early 1850’s the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce offered a prize for the design of a compact compound microscope that could sell for 3 guineas. The design, which is reflected here, was won by Robert Fields & Son of Birmingham in 1854. Due to the popularity of the design it was copied by others but often at a higher price. These copies were often unsigned as is the case here. However, the brass foot is very much in the style of Ross so we suspect it came from that maker.

Nice 19th Century Cased Brass Microscope..

$590.00

Updating cart…

[A History of the Aclare Mine – South Australia] – Silver and a Trace of Gold – J.K. Chilman

A Complete Treatise of Mines Etc – Henry Manningham – First Edition 1756

Victorian Microscope Slide – Horse Ant … Whole Insect Specimen – Mounted and dated 1880.

Vintage Microscope Slide – Pollen from the Antarctic

The Billings Microscope Collection of the Medical Museum Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. James Hansen et al [Second and Preferred Edition]

“Society of Arts” Victorian Brass Microscope with Case – c1860-70

Product Categories