Royal Geographical Society Journals and Similar Journals

Meteorite Craters at Henbury [Central Australia] – Geophysical Report – J. M. Rayner – 1939

Report No 42 of the Aerial, Geological and Geophysical Survey of Northern Australia published in 1939.

Report on the Magnetic Survey conducted in 1937 with large folding plan showing craters and position of magnetic traverses and anomalies (75cm x 75cm) and a second folding plate showing the profiles of horizontal and vertical components of the magnetic field (70cm x 55cm). All in very good condition.

Thirteen craters ranging from 9m to 200m in diameter.

A significant cluster of meteorite craters can be found on the Henbury Station which is 130km south of Alice Springs. The craters were recognised by A. R. Alderman, who surveyed and catalogued them, in 1931 closely followed by the Bedford group – a substantial amount of meteor samples was removed. Jack Maxwell Rayner (1906-1982) conducted the first serious scientific study in 1937 the work forming the basis of this unique report published in 1939.

The craters have special scientific significant as it is believed to be the only example where all criteria e.g. size, shape, degrees of erosion can be studied in the one place. There are 13 significant craters and Rayner conducted full technical studies on all but crater no 9 {not sure why]. Rayner went on to become Director of the Commonwealth Bureau of Minerals and Resources.

Henbury Meteorite Crater Cluster.

$190.00

Updating cart…

Macquarie Island and its Future – Sir Douglas Mawson – 1922

A scarce offprint from the Royal Society of Tasmania Paper and Proceedings printed by “The Mercury”, Hobart and published in December 1922.

Original wrapper, 54 pages with seven plates including a full map of the Island. University stamp of Adelaide University School of Geology where Mawson was Professor of Geology at the time of this publication – so he likely had his hands on this copy. It is clearly marked “duplicate” so we feel it has honestly got into the private ownership at some time.

Macquarie Island of course had been central as a chosen station for the Mawson led Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-1914. The first radio connection with the Antarctic was achieved … and quite a bit else.

Mawson read his report in an abbreviated form at the 12thJune meeting of the Society that year.

Scarce Mawson Item – Macquarie Island – his views to its future.

SO SORRY SOLD

$120.00

Updating cart…

Fine Apothecary/ Medical Cabinet – c1850- Godfrey & Cooke London [Established 1680]

Really special fine polished solid mahogany medical cabinet retailed by Godfrey & Cooke, London in the Victorian era. Campaign style brass handle and recess, working lock with original key [not to be lost]. Lovely red velvet padded interior, with two finely crafted lift out stacking trays. Individual compartments around the inside of the cabinet contain eleven glass medical bottles all with ground glass stoppers. The top tray contains period apothecary scales and a good set of weights [2,1 and ½ Drams; 2,1 Scruples and 6,5,4,3,2,1 and ½ Grains]. The lower larger tray contains a glass pestle and mortar, two lidded jars and three small ground glass stoppered bottles. Below this tray is a void containing a minute measuring cylinder [measure in “drops”] in a shagreen case and an old dropper.

The cabinet is unmarked, 26.5cm by 15cm by 14cm high; weighs approx. 3.5 kgs. The internal items are in as good a condition as you will get, one stopper with a chip the rest undamaged. Three stoppers fused in place – we are not going to force them.

The back story of this cabinet is worth a movie.

Ambrose Godfrey-Hanckwutz (1660-1741) was born in Kothen, Germany. At the age of nineteen, already married, he moved to London where he worked as an assistant to Robert Boyle founding member of The Royal Society, often described as the first chemist. He reduced his name to Ambrose Godfrey to assimilate. His primary task with Boyle was to discover the method of making phosphorous – which involves an intriguing story [too long for here]. He was eventually successful, and much money was made which allowed him to set up his own chemist’s business at the Sign of the Phoenix, Covent Garden. On his death in 1741 his sons took over the business and then in turn a nephew of the same name. On his death in 1797 the business was bought by Charles Gorman Cooke and became Godfrey & Cooke with activities on Conduit Street and then later The Royal Arcade, Bond Street. The name continued until 1910.

Fine 19thC London apothecary/ medical cabinet

$1,590.00

Updating cart…

Australian Antarctic Expedition 1911-14. Scientific Reports Series C – Zoology and Botany – Vol VIII Part III – Echinodermata Echinoidea [Urchins].

By Professor Rene Koehler, Lyon France – edited by professor Launcelot Harrison, University of Sydney.

We have mentioned previously about how long it took to get the scientific reports from Mawson’s expedition published. This one 1926 so twelve years after the event.

It is alos interesting how widely the field samples were dispersed in this process. This one from Lyon printed in Sydney in French without an English translation. So one for those that have the linguistic capability or the knowledge to interpret, and admire, the thirty three magnificent plates full page plates.

Large format, soft cover, staple bound as issued, 134 pages of narrative followed the plates, very good condition.

Cold water urchins given the French treatment with super plates

$60.00

Updating cart…

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

$490.00

Updating cart…

No Image Available

Easter Island – Reports on Archaeological Field Work Conducted by William Mulloy at Easter Island for the Easter Island Committee – 5 Volumes [Complete]

Very scarce outside institutional libraries these reports represent the high point in archaeological research and conservation at Easter Island by the island’s foremost authority William Mulloy.

William Mulloy was with Thor Heyerdahl during his expedition to Easter Island and contributed to the important publication resulting. Mulloy went on to take greater interest resulting in a lengthy extensive series of work. He was Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wyoming at the time.

Five reports all published by the Easter Island Committee, funded by the international Fund for Monuments Inc of Washington DC.

Comprising – Bulletin One published 1968 reprinted 1975. Large format soft flesh coloured card wrapper, pages vii 24 ii and 43 including 24 illustrations from photographs and 6 figures including maps etc. Comprising Archaeological Field Work conducted February to July 1968 relating among other things to the restoration of Ahu Ko te Riku and Ahu Tahai.

Bulletin Two of December 1970 reprinted 1979 regarding the restoration of Ahu Vai Uri. Same format, binding, and condition. Pages vii and 43, including 20 illustrations from photographs.

Bulletin Three (although not printed so on cover – this is Bulletin 3) of December 1970 reprinted 1979, on the restoration of Ahu Huri a Urenga and two unnamed Ahu at Hanga Kio’e. Same format, binding, and condition. Pages xi, 47 with 20 illustrations from photographs, maps, and plans.

Bulletin Four published 1975 regrading the Ceremonial Center of Orongo part 1 (we think all published). Same format, binding, and condition. Pages viii and 40 pages with 18 illustrations from photographs, maps, and plans.

Bulletin Five published in 1975 by Patrick Carlton McCoy under instruction from William Mulloy – Easter Island settlement Patterns in the Late Prehistoric and Protohistoric Periods [A Survey]. Same format, binding, and condition. Pages x and 164 with 18 Tables; 61 Illustrations including images from photographs, superb maps, plans, diagrams etc – a most extensive body of work.

Original Reports by William Mulloy for the Easter Island Committee – Complete Set

$290.00

Updating cart…

Meteorite Craters at Henbury [Central Australia] – Geophysical Report – J. M. Rayner – 1939

Macquarie Island and its Future – Sir Douglas Mawson – 1922

Fine Apothecary/ Medical Cabinet – c1850- Godfrey & Cooke London [Established 1680]

Australian Antarctic Expedition 1911-14. Scientific Reports Series C – Zoology and Botany – Vol VIII Part III – Echinodermata Echinoidea [Urchins].

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

Easter Island – Reports on Archaeological Field Work Conducted by William Mulloy at Easter Island for the Easter Island Committee – 5 Volumes [Complete]

Product Categories