North America Archives - Page 9 of 14

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Early in the last century ambulances in large cities carried surgeons with them on their calls. These men, and they were virtually all men, wore identifying caps. The one on offer is from Lincoln Hospital, an institution founded in 1839 to serve the Black community in the Bronx but which evolved over time to become one of NYC’s major trauma centers and a teaching hospital. While there is some evidence of use it remains in remarkably good condition for Read More...

05 Sep

Original Photos Relating to Philo Farnworth’s Pioneering Television Work

By M and R Gordon

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Philo Farnworth was a major figure, if not the major figure, in the development of television and one of a handful of true technological geniuses at work in the USA during the first half of the 20th century. We are offering four photos from Philo Farnworth’s labs in San Francisco and Philadelphia. These are original images from an album assembled by Farnworth in the 1930s to document work in progress. They show key members of his staff with various Read More...

19 Aug

JOSLIN’S TERRESTRIAL TABLE GLOBE

By Van Leest Antiques

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Hand-colored paper gores pasted on papier-mâché and plaster to form a 12″ diameter globe. Housed in a stand with four turned wooden legs and turned stretchers, supporting a wooden horizon bearing a printed zodiacal circle and brass meridian ring. Diameter 12 inch and 47 cm high. The Cartouch gives: Joslin’s Terrestrial Globe / Containing all the latest Discoveries and Geographical Improvements / Also the Tracks of the most celebrated Circumnavigators / Compiled from Smiths new English globe with additions and improvements by Read More...

08 Jun

REPRINT OF THE EVOLUTION OF MINE-SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS

By MikeRead

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VERY GOOD REFERENCE & MANY ILLISTRATIONS COVERING THIS LARGE SUBJECT WITH VALUABLE INFORMATION. Contact Email: [email protected] Read More...

01 Mar

KIMBER CLEAVER’S INNOVATIVE AMERICAN MARKING PROTRACTOR

By TESSERACT

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KIMBER CLEAVER’S MARKING PROTRACTOR, American, c. mid-19th century, boldly signed “Young & Sons, Philada., Pa.” This very substantial instrument is made of brass, 6-1/2″ x 6-5/8″ (16.5 x 17 cm), with distinctive X-form superstructure carrying the 5″ diameter divided circle, clamp and long tangent screw. The circle has a silver degree scale divided every half-degree and labeled with directional headings (e.g., SW 210°). The circle is mounted with four knobs for rotation and four spring-loaded marking pins. Rotation is Read More...

26 Feb

RARE AMERICAN ELLIPSOGRAPH, c. 1870

By TESSERACT

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RARE AMERICAN ELLIPSOGRAPH — F. BOWLY’S INSTRUMENT FOR DESCRIBING ELLIPSES, c. 1870, signed “F. Bowly’s patent Jan¹y. 14, 1868.” This most unusual instrument is constructed with framework of beautifully grained tropical hardwood, and with linkages and fittings of brass and boxwood. When closed up it measures 16-1/4″ (41 cm) long and only 5/8″ x 1-7/8″ (1.6 x 4.8 cm) in overall cross section. The frame (whose form reminds one of a violin bow) has fixed point and index pointer Read More...

03 Feb

EARLY RECORDING TELEGRAPH REGISTER — THE SAMUEL MORSE / ALFRED VAIL DESIGN

By TESSERACT

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EARLY RECORDING TELEGRAPH REGISTER — THE SAMUEL MORSE / ALFRED VAIL DESIGN, American, c. 1865, signed “J.S. Keeling, 16 Broadway” and “E.M. Pierson” and numbered “1.” This substantial brass device is mounted to a 5-3/4″ x 13″ (15 x 33 cm) mahogany board, with two terminal posts wired to a pair of electromagnetic coils. The main structure is most elegantly designed, with aesthetic recurved shaping of the 5/16″ thick solid brass side plates. The brass mechanism consists of a Read More...

30 Jan

SPECTACULAR FULL-CREATURE PREPARATIONS

By TESSERACT

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SPECTACULAR FULL-CREATURE PREPARATIONS, English, c. last quarter 19th century, the six each mounted under cover glass on a 1″ x 3″ (2.5 x 7.6 cm) glass slide with applied paper label(s). Included are mounts by Norman, Darlaston, and the famous Frederic Enock, displaying Sedge Fly, Gad Fly, Sailor Beetle, Male Earwig, Sheep Tick, plus a Heath Spider. Dramatic mounts in fine condition. Read More...

27 Jan

NOVEL PIE CRIMPER — AN ORIGINAL U.S. PATENT MODEL

By TESSERACT

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NOVEL PIE CRIMPER — AN ORIGINAL U.S. PATENT MODEL, American, 1863, signed in ink by the inventor “Herbert Marshall, Dracut, Mass.” Well crafted of three woods, this 7″ (18 cm) long full size model has a fine turned handle which swivels, curved brace block to follow the curvature of a pie plate, and the cut wheel with repeating patterns of lines and circles to impress a professional looking design on the dough all around the circumference of the unbaked Read More...

22 Jan

Model & diagram of the North American Aviation, Trisonic Wind Tunnel, El Segundo, CA.

By Hatchwell Antiques

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A resin model and diagram of the North American Aviation (NAA) Trisonic Wind Tunnel (TWT), El Segundo, California. Circa 1955. Diagram printed on thick card. The Trisonic Wind Tunnel was built by North American Aviation in the 1950’s. The tunnel was so named because it was capable of testing in three speed regimes – subsonic, transonic, and supersonic, with a maximum speed of Mach 3.5. Aircraft such as the XB-70 Valkyrie, B-1 Lancer, X-15 space plane, Apollo Command and Service Module, the Read More...

02 Dec

Six late 19th and early 20th-Century Probangs

By M and R Gordon

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Six late 19th and early 20th-century probangs. Probangs were used to remove foreign bodies that were lodged in the throat or esophagus. Numbers 1,2 and 6 have shafts made of a flexible natural material. Number 1 has German-silver mountings and when the collar is slid down folds in half. Number 4 is stamped “ARNOLD & SON” and with the broad arrow indicating that it was used in the British military. Nos 3 and 5 are two different version of Read More...

19 Nov

SPENCER LENS CO. MICROSCOPE OBJECTIVE

By TESSERACT

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SPENCER LENS CO. MICROSCOPE OBJECTIVE, American (Buffalo, N.Y.), , mid-20th century, 95x, N.A.1.25, Hom. 1-1.8 mm, # 574493. Very fine. Read More...