New South Wales

Australian Born Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry – [Sir] John Warcup Cornforth – Signed manuscript letter

A very special letter (dated 1980) not only because of its truly distinguished author but here we have real content. Letters by Nobel Prize winners are not terribly rare but so often are perfunctory, relating to meetings, events or simply lunch. Here we have real, in depth, chemistry. The receiver, Dr Buckel, a distinguished scientist in his own right, may have been rather embarrassed on receipt. Cornforth believes that Buckel had tackled his work from completely the wrong route … indeed Cornforth is puzzled and goes on to set out in great detail his preferred option(s). In our view the content reveals the manner in which Cornforth visualises the solution to the problem from first principles then more complex mechanisms and solutions and alternative options as his thinking develops. The fact of his genius is plain in the writing. We love it.

The only Australian to date to have won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

Dear Dr Buckel

Thank you for your letter of 7 October. I was interested by your account of the work with glutaconate, but rather puzzled that you did not try the degradation to malate in the way you say I suggested. I have forgotten the details of our conversation during your very welcome visit, but certainly I would expect direct oxidation of glutaconate to malate by permanganate to be most unfavourable. This is because in glutaconate one has the combination of a double bond deactivated by conjunction with a carboxyl and a strongly activated methylene group. In these circumstances one would expect permanganate to attack the methylene group to a considerable and perhaps predominant extent, before the double bond was attacked. This is why it would be preferable to use a specific agent first to hydroxylate the double bond. Indeed, it should be possible to proceed in high yield to malic acid by making use of the fact that one of the hydroxyl groups will form a lactone. Thus: … chemical formulae.

He goes on …

The opening of the lactone ring is generally faster than the hydrolysis of an ester group (especially a benzoate) so that if you put the acetyl or benzoyl-lactone in hot water and neutralized the acidity as it appeared you should be able to get a clean ring-opening without other chemical changes. I really think you should try this – it seems so much simpler than the routes you have explored.

I will ask at Sittingbourne if they have any chiral acetate left – I brought none of it here. It will be ten years old now and will have lost nearly half its original radioactivity but a specimen tested for chirality about five years ago seemed not to have been racemized by radiolysis or by preservation in the form of aqueous potassium acetate. However, I wonder if this is the best way to make chiral 4-substituted glutamates and I wonder if you could do this from chirally tritiated malate using R-citrate synthetase and malate dehydrogenase, following this by treatment of the citrate with aconitase, isocitrate dehydrogenase etc. This should give you a totally chiral product whereas by starting from acetate you are at the mercy of isotope effects.

Cornforth goes on to offer his help in finding candidates for research, a task he may achieve on Thursday at The Royal Society where he is attending a discussion on glycolytic enzymes. There it is again proof The Royal Society …is the best Club in the World!

Sydney born Cornforth was totally deaf by the age of twenty but already recognised as and exceptional academic. He went to England, Oxford, along with a similarly gifted chemist Rita Harradence, who he later married. His relationship with Rita started over a broken Claisen flask .. Cornforth was a expert glassblower … something that was essential in the aspiring chemist in the 1930’s. Interestingly, there was no place in Australia where one could do a decent PhD in chemistry at that time. Naturally at Oxford Cornforth was in his element. He went on to be the first to synthesise cholesterol and had a hand in stabilising penicillin building on the work of fellow Australian Howard Florey. Cornforth was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1975 and coincidental with being made “Australian of the Year”. Cornforth also won the Davy Medal, Copley Medal, was Knighted and made Fellow of the Royal Society

Scientific gold – Manuscript letter with considerable scientific content by Australian Nobel Prize winner John Warcup Cornforth

$460.00

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Winners Medal – Agricultural Society of New South Wales – 1878

The Agricultural Society of New South Wales issued these sumptuous medals to class winners. This one was issued for the 1878 show.

9.0 cm in diameter cast in bronze and makes quite a statement. Made by Hardy Brothers of London and Sydney. A few bumps around the edge and a hint of compression, still beautifully defined and imposing.

Features the female form depicting “New South Wales” standing and looking forward holding alighted torch and holding the wreath of a victor. Around her are four children representing the four seasons with harvest wheat, grapes and sheep to tend. Below in three small panels the arts, agriculture and industry are represented.

On the obverse the victor’s wreath circling the engraved winners details under the slogan of the event “Practice with Science”.

“Sydney Jam Preserving Coy for best Collection of Fruits in Syrup – Sydney 1878”

A good and early example of this grand Agricultural Winners Medal.

$125.00

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The Convict Settlers of Australia – Robson

A first edition of this respected book on the subject. Published by the Melbourne University Press in 1965. Octavo, 257 pages, numerous tables of data included as appendices.

We are encouraged by the author to go through the tables in the appendices first before reading the book which is based up a statistical sample derived by way of the informative tables.

The body of the book seeks to define what sort of people made up the mass of the convicts transported and what sort of life they led in Australia. Conclusions that cannot be drawn from google search.

The Australian Convict population analysed and defined.

$30.00

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Australian Eastern Shovelnose Ray – by Shaw & Nodder – 1791

Very early copper engraved hand coloured engraving of the Australian Eastern Shovelnose Ray (Aptychoterma Rostrata) which you can find along the coast from Newcastle in NSW to the Far North in Queensland, more prevalent around the Barrier Reef. Very good condition original 18thC colouring.

A medium sized ray with a long flattened triangular snout, wedge shaped disk and shark like tail. Sexually dimorphic dentition – the males have elongated carps on their anterior teeth that allow them to grip the female during mating … ouch.

George Shaw oversaw the Natural History Department at the British Museum. Nodder was a natural history artist and worked for Banks on his Florilegium.

Price unframed $90.00 or $190.00 framed in Voyager Natural History style.

Very early Australian Fish Engraving

$90.00

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Lachlan Macquarie – Governor of New South Wales – Journals of his Tours in New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land 1810-1822

A special and substantial book about the activities of this energetic and decisive Governor. Without his tour of Van Diemen’s Land the north of Tasmania would have ended in ruins.

Published by the Library of Australian History in 1979. Large octavo, 280 pages. Tipped in colour portrait of the great man and 10 other tipped in colour plates. Three large folding maps and facsimile page. A sumptuous production in very good condition.

Printed from the original manuscripts held in the Mitchell Library. Illustrations from the Mitchell collection and the Dixon Library.

Macquarie a leader ahead of hid time – so much accomplished.

$60.00

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Hyacinthe de Bougainville’s Account of Port Jackson 1825 – The Governor’s Noble Guest – Marc Serge Riviere

Another beautiful production of the Miegunyah Press. Published in 1999, large octavo, 291 pages, nicely illustrated, super fine copy.

Baron Hyacinthe the son of the explorer Bougainville commanded an expedition in 1825 to Macau, Manilla and New South Wales in the Thetis and Esperance. This is a translation of his private diaries. He met Governor Brisbane and many explorer and notables … Hume, Blaxland, Oxley, Macarthur, Marsden and Piper.

It contains a bit of an expose as a result.

Hyacinthe had influence and knew people

$50.00

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Australian Born Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry – [Sir] John Warcup Cornforth – Signed manuscript letter

Winners Medal – Agricultural Society of New South Wales – 1878

The Convict Settlers of Australia – Robson

Australian Eastern Shovelnose Ray – by Shaw & Nodder – 1791

Lachlan Macquarie – Governor of New South Wales – Journals of his Tours in New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land 1810-1822

Hyacinthe de Bougainville’s Account of Port Jackson 1825 – The Governor’s Noble Guest – Marc Serge Riviere

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