Archives

~GOOD MOGINIE SIMPLE/COMPOUND MICROSCOPE~

Standing 12 inches tall, this simple/ compound microscope has unusual form and function. Created by William Moginie c.1860, it incorporates elegant form and function.  Having a pair of turned brass legs in front to add stability (tripod design), a single sided 1 1/2 inch mirror, 4 inch bevelled glass stage insert, this field instrument has the option of compound use with a single “female” 1 1/2 inch signed objective in canister, a simple lens to be inserted from the Read More...

Large Antique T. Harris & Son ‘Day or Night’ Single-draw Brass/Wooden Telescope

Offered for sale is an antique brass & wooden telescope by Thomas Harris & Son of London.  It’s called the “Day or Night” and may be an Admiralty pattern telescope, or in any event one designed for marine applications.  It’s quite a sizable single-draw instrument – see measurements below.  With both its size and the warm tactile nature of its wooden barrel, the instrument has a really nice look and feel and is also nicely weighted and perfectly usable.  Read More...

C1870 cased Lowne spirometer by Weiss

Lowne portable spirometer by Weiss & Son. The instrument and mahogany case are original. The tubing, mouthpiece and glass are replacements. Given that the case has no room for the glass, it was apparently sold separately or  clinicians supplied their own. “Spirometers were developed in England in the 1840s. They measured the ‘vital capacity’ of the lungs. This means the largest amount of air they can hold, which can indicate the health of the respiratory system. They also indicated improvement Read More...

Copper printing plates for a pharmacist, c.1890

An attractive group of printing artefacts: five small copper printing plates, one for a pharmaceutical label, one showing a pestle and mortar, one with a Royal coat of arms, and two indicating membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. These appear to be ‘unnoficial’ productions, as they have not been identified with any official Pharmaceutical Society ephemera. Moreover, the Coat of Arms does not match the RPS’s Arms, as granted in 1844: here the central panel is replaced with ‘Member of Read More...

C.S. Myers on Shell Shock: Exceptionally scarce offprint group, 1915–1919

Charles S. Myers’ foundational account of ‘shell shock’, as published in The Lancet, 1915–1919, comprising three offprints: 1. ‘A Contribution to the Study of Shell Shock: Being an Account of Three Cases of Loss of Memory, Vision, Smell, and Taste, Admitted into the Duchess of Westminster’s War Hospital, Le Touquet’, The Lancet, 13 February 1915 2. ‘Contributions to the Study of Shell Shock: Being an Account of Certain Cases Treated by Hypnosis’, The Lancet, 8 January 1916 [two copies] 3. ‘A Final Read More...

~FINE BAKER No. 2 BINOCULAR MICROSCOPE~

Fine Baker binocular No. 2 microscope standing 18 inches tall (fully racked up) with 95% original lacquer (no areas of wear-slight spotting of body tubes). Bar limb construction, all rack and pinions very tight. Large 2 1/2 inches double sided mirror (perfect). Square mechanical stage.  6 objectives (3 , 2, 1 , 1/2, 4/10 and 1/4 inch), 4 eyepieces (two for binocular, one short and one long for monocular, prism intact and cover to use when not in binocular mode, Read More...

The origin of precision astronomy: The Hooke-Gascoigne micrometer in the Philosophical Transactions, 1667

A decisive moment in the history of science: William Gascoigne invents the micrometer, communicated here by Richard Towneley and Robert Hooke in two issues of the Philosophical Transactions for 1667 (nos 25 & 29). Comprising: 1. TOWNELEY, Richard, ‘An Extract of a Letter, Written by Mr. Richard Towneley to Dr. Croon, Touching the Invention of Dividing a Foot into Many Thousand Parts, for Mathematical Purposes; HOOKE, Robert, ‘More Wayes for the Same Purpose, Intimated by M. Hook’, Philosophical Transactions No. 25 Read More...

18th century telescope – James Chapman.

An 18th century mahogany taper barrelled telescope, signed on the single draw, ‘Jas’ (James) Chapman, St Catherines, London’, with foliate design engraving around the signature. He worked from St Catherines from 1774 – 1796. The telescope measures 39″ (99 cms) to focus with a main lens of 35 mm, gicing a clear sharp image with a magnification of 32 x. This is quite high power and limits the field of view. It has protective sliders to each end. In very good Read More...

18th century decagonal telescope.

Unsigned, single draw decagonal, taper barreled telescope. The main lens is a single element (non achromatic) which dates it to 1750’s or possibly earlier. It comes to focus at 29″ (74 cms) and the draw tube is retractable and has a five lens eye-piece. The barrel has an age crack which is not serious. The telescope gives a fine sharp image on the centre of view. It comes with a later wooden display stand. Read More...

Abney level & case – R.W. Wright, London.

An early 20th century Abney level with a brass scale & magnifyer with 1.5″ bubble level and 1.75″ compass with jewelled needle and locking bar, the compass with cardinal points and 360 degree outer circular  scale. The body is additionally engraved, ‘R.J. Money’ (presumably the owner). It has a bakelite eye-piece. With threaded stem for tripod mounting. In original lined leather case. Read More...

A SPECTROSCOPE by R.J.BECK , IN FITTED CASE , ALL IN GOOD WORKING COND.

CASE  5 IN x 1.75 IN. x  2 IN HIGH , CLOSES WELL  WITH HEALTHY CLICK, NOTHING BROKEN, NO REPAIRS Read More...

SOLID SILVER HALLMARKED CHARLES GIBSON MEDICINE SPOON ,ENGRAVED ” GIBSON INVENTOR ” DATED 1828

A FINE CHARLES GIBSON SILVER SPOON , CLEARLY HALLMARKED CHARLES GIBSON, LONDON 1828. ALSO ENGRAVED ON STEM  ” GIBSON INVENTION ”     12.5 CMS LONG, 25 GMS NO REPAIRS ,NOTHING BROKEN , SOME LIGHT MINOR  SCRATCHES   Read More...