Science including Natural Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Astronomy, Medical Sciences etc

Houdini on Magic – Edited Gibson and Young – First 1953

Published in 1953 a first edition by Dover, USA. Octavo, 280 pages, images from period photographs of the great man and many technical drawings of the tricks behind his escapology.

Previous ownership stamp on free end paper, a little age offset by the rare dust jacket.

Houdini, born Erik Weisz in Budapest, brought to the USA as a child by his parent. He became likely the world’s greatest ever escapologist, with a raw technique unassisted by modern contrivance. The principal author was his amanuensis [assistant who documented his activities] in the last ten years of Houdini’s life. Who better placed to produce this informative work describing, inter alia, the famous handcuff escape; locked jail escape; underwater escape … among his magic tricks we learn about the disappearing girl; how to walk through a brick wall and cut a woman in half.

Throughout all of this we learn about the man himself … just as mysterious!

Houdini on Magic – Who Else

$60.00

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De Re Metallica – Georgius Agricola [the Hoover Translation]

This is the second printing of the famous Hoover translation of the equally famous 16^th Century monumental publication by Georgius Agricola on all things then known in mining, metallurgy, geology etc.

Longer title … De re Metallica translated from the first Latin edition of 1556 with biographical introduction, annotations and appendices upon the development of mining methods, metallurgical processes, geology, mineralogy & mining law from the earliest times to the 16^th century by Herbert Clark Hoover and Lou Henry Hoover.

This edition, published by Dover, New York in 1950. 638 pages after xxxi preliminaries, illustrated throughout from the images of the original wood engravings. Blue green themed dust jacket variant. Jacket near perfect. A very good to better copy.

The series of books within the book (an early style) I Arguments against the art of mining II The miner and the mining of veins III Veins and stringers and seams in rocks IV The method of delimiting veins and the functions of the mining officials V The digging of ore and the Surveyor’s art VI The miner’s tools and machines VII The assaying of ore VIII Rules for the work of roasting, crushing, and washing the ore IX Methods of smelting ores X the work of separating silver from gold, and lead from gold and silver XI Separating silver from copper XII rules for manufacturing salt, soda, alum, vitriol, sulphur, bitumen, and glass … Agricola’s works – Ancient authors on mineralogy, mining, metallurgy- Nomenclature to be adopted for weights and measures etc.

There is so much to admire about this book … the date of the foundation work, its breadth and quality, the learning from the engravings. Strangely maybe we particularly like the section on pumps in mines – essential equipment for water bound mines and the ingenuity pre powered machines is very interesting. Regarding the translation – what a job done by Hoover(s). The difficulty must have been very challenging – for example Agricola struggled to find Latin equivalents for many mining terms so had to contrive them from everyday Latin words – Hoover then had to decipher these once and only Latin words – unsurprising that his hair was depleted.

De Re Metalicca – The Foundation Work for all Mining and related – the readable version

$140.00

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Ray Society – William Turner – Libellus de Re Herbaria 1538; The Names of Herbes 1548.

William Turner (1508-1568) is regarded as the father of British Botany. He was born at Morpeth, Northumberland, the son of a tanner. He was a super bright lad and went to Cambridge [early days] and worked his way up there before publishing his first book Libellus de Re Herberia – regarded as the first serious compilation of plants with medical properties.

His primary study was in theology and he became a name in the Protestant Church of Henry VIII. Unfortunately, when Mary became Queen he had to bolt to the Continent only to return after her death.

Published by the Ray Society, who do such magnificent important facsimiles. Note there are only five known copies of the first book and one of the second, such was their then circulation and style [quality] of printing and binding. This book, large octavo, 275 pages, jacket near complete, chip to bottom jacket spine. A near very good copy.

There have been two books previously about Turner and his work and publications, both in the 19th C with limited print runs – they themselves scarce. They have useful “best histories” of Turner’s life so that content is reproduced here along with some other useful tabular comparisons from those works – all very informative.

William Turner Botanical First and a very interesting life.

$60.00

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The Prehistory of Australia – D.J. Mulvaney

John Mulvaney (1925-2016) was born and educated in Victoria and went on to study archaeology at Cambridge. On return to Australia, he devoted hid academic career to understanding and recording Aboriginal pre-history.

This is a first edition of his most popular work on the subject published by Thames & Hudson, London in 1969.

Squat quarto, 276 pages, a super near fine copy in a nice dust jacket, top edge stained blue as required of the first printing. Profusely illustrated with maps, technical drawing, and photographic images.

Mulvaney, a wealth of understanding and information

$50.00

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The Fossil Fishes of the Hawkesbury Series at Gosford – Robert Etheridge Jnr – 1890

A very good copy of this rare report issued by the New South Wales Department of Mines – Memoirs of the Geological Survey of New South Wales – Palaeontology No 4.

Thick hard cover, cloth crimped spine, as issued. Large format 30 cm x 25 cm.

Begins proper with a letter from Wilkinson Geological Surveyor in Charge to the Minister setting out the background and content. A railway was being built in the Hawkesbury region, and a superb group of fish fossil remains were found … they were examined by non-other than T. W. Edgeworth David who provides a “Stratigraphical Note” as an introduction along with a geological section of the “find”.

55 pages of scientific narrative are followed by ten full page plates on very thick paper / card with interwoven explanatory notes. An impressive set of engravings lithographed by Berjeau & Highley printed by Mintern Bros.

Philibert Charles Berjeau [1845-1927] was a leading London based natural history lithographer who worked hand in hand with Percy Highley [1856-1929]; the printers Mintern Bros were also London based and produced work of a high technical standard including John Gould’s Birds of New Guinea.

Rare work edited by Etheridge introduced by Edgeworth David and lithographed by a top London outfit.

$140.00

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Antique Medical Instruments – Wilbur

Published in 2008 by Schiffer, the pen people, of Atglen, USA. Revised edition with updates by the distinguished Keith Wilbur MD who can trace back his descendants to Rhode Island 1636.

We mention the “pen people” as the book is produced in an unusual cursive font with matching line drawings of instruments.

Quarto, softcover 149 pages, very good condition.

Great content we really rate this as an introduction to the subject and for serious collectors. We also like that it has a very good section on the development of the microscope often omitted. A useful price guide provides some perspective on value.

A list of medical museums in the USA good prove a valuable starting point for a holiday focused on such matters. Plan your next trip.

Wilbur’s Medical Instruments a great place to start … and more

$60.00

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Houdini on Magic – Edited Gibson and Young – First 1953

De Re Metallica – Georgius Agricola [the Hoover Translation]

Ray Society – William Turner – Libellus de Re Herbaria 1538; The Names of Herbes 1548.

The Prehistory of Australia – D.J. Mulvaney

The Fossil Fishes of the Hawkesbury Series at Gosford – Robert Etheridge Jnr – 1890

Antique Medical Instruments – Wilbur

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