Maritime

19th Century Microscope Slide – Soundings 240 Fathoms Storm Bay Tasmania – Norman London

A terrific slide of historical importance to Tasmania.

Prepared by Norma of London carrying the Norma monogrammed label and the familiar Norma cursive writing.

John Norman (1814-1893) was maybe the most prolific preparer of specimen microscope slides for the London scientific gentry. He operated most of the time out of various places in City Road, London. He won prize medals for mounts at the 1862 Expedition. Super quality and variety. He was joined by his sons Alfred and Edwin who continued his business after his death. There are many entries in the authority Bracegirdle showing numerous images of Norman examples.

This fine condition slide is from soundings taken [as stated at 240 fathoms] in Storm Bay on the way into the Derwent, Hobart, Tasmania. The soundings could well have been made by HMS Dart which was at one time conduction a survey of Australasia. The ship has an unusual history – well worth some research.

The soundings show remains of foraminifera [forams for short] set into a deep beautifully preserved mount – a quality typical of Norman.

Scientific dredgings from a deep part of Storm Bay, Tasmania. Top maker well over 130 year old and still in perfect condition.

$120.00

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Wooden Hookers [Fishing Boat] of Hobart Town & Whalers Out of Van Diemen’s Land – Harry O’May

Published by the author a fine copy published at Hobart in 1978.

The word “Hooker” in this context comes from the Irish :”Huiceir” a name for a Galway fishing vessel.

Octavo, 137 pages plus 101 pages indices not paginated. Very clean superb dust jacket.

Harry O’May’s compilation of two books packed with historic detail about the Tasmanian early whalers – superb photographic record nowhere else seen.

One of the best Tasmanian Maritime

$30.00

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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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Wind Aloft Wind Alow – [Single-handed crossings of the Atlantic under sail and then under power.] – Marin-Marie

Translated from the French, this edition 1947 by Peter Davies, London. Octavo, 322 pages. Book and jacket have received a scrunch in the top right, internally very clean. Jacket now in Brodart, a good copy. Nicely illustrated, some from the authors accomplished paintings

Marin-Marie was the appointed “Painter to the French Ministry of Marine”. This is his super account of the Atlantic crossings first by sail in the Winnibelle and the under power in the Arielle. Sail occupying two thirds of the book. At the time he was the first to go it alone all the way across under power.

A book full of the marine … quite technical in places re automatic steering, engines etc

Marin-Marie twice across sail and power…. super read

$25.00

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The Dutch Seaborne Empire 1600-1800 – C.R. Boxer

Published by Hutchinson, London 1n 1965, a first edition. The author Charles Boxer was the Professor of Portuguese at Kings College, London at the time – he would likely have been the Dutch Professor also .. if they had had one.

Large octavo, 326 pages, illustrated throughout, very good dust jacket, a lightly embossed stamp on title,. A very good copy of a special work now hard to find.

Not your usual narrative, this book looks at the reasons behind the rise of the Dutch as a major seafaring nation from the mid 1600’s for over a century. Peace was signed after an eighty year war with Spain in 1648 and for the Dutch the seagoing expansion was near to phenomenal in terms of speed and ambition. Useful appendices include a chronology 1568-1795 which provides a framework …

The author Charles Boxer was an incredibly colourful character. Born into a military family (although his mothers family had been early sheep farmers in Tasmania). He enlisted and found himself in Japan in the 1930’s. Then a full blown spy in Hong Kong at the beginning of War II, imprisoned by the Japanese for three years. He married the most beautiful woman in Hong Kong , Ursula Tulloch, but left her for a life with the equally glamorous American writer Emily Hahn. Back in England his depth of knowledge was recognised in receiving the Lisbon sponsored Professorship which he made is own.

The Dutch … their power at sea and what was behind it …

$40.00

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South Australia – Marine Bryozoan – Antique Microscope Slide – Ernest Hinton – 150 Years Old

Ernest Hinton worked as a professional microscope slide preparer from 1864 to the end of the 19th Century. His mounts are identifiable by his standard slide labels and small distinctive and very neat handwriting. See example in authority Bracegirdle Plate 21 and page 52. This slide we believe circa 1875.

Hinton became a member of The Quekett Microscopical Club in 1872 [as an aside if you want to know more about the Q.M.C. contact Voyager Bill]. He spent his first 20 years working for Edmund Wheeler, some think he produced all of Wheeler’s slides from 1870. He worked in his own name from Holloway, London. His slides are considered to be of the highest quality.

Here we have an interesting Australian subject a marine lacy bryozoan from the waters off South Australia where they particularly occur. They are actually colonies of small marine animals [or zoids] fused together. Millions can form a colony, and South Australia has over 500 species.

Fine Australian specimen from top London maker circa 150 years old

$70.00

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19th Century Microscope Slide – Soundings 240 Fathoms Storm Bay Tasmania – Norman London

Wooden Hookers [Fishing Boat] of Hobart Town & Whalers Out of Van Diemen’s Land – Harry O’May

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

Wind Aloft Wind Alow – [Single-handed crossings of the Atlantic under sail and then under power.] – Marin-Marie

The Dutch Seaborne Empire 1600-1800 – C.R. Boxer

South Australia – Marine Bryozoan – Antique Microscope Slide – Ernest Hinton – 150 Years Old

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