UK and Ireland Archives - Page 25 of 94

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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...

22 Aug

C1870 cased Lowne spirometer by Weiss

By M and R Gordon

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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...

21 Aug

Copper printing plates for a pharmacist, c.1890

By Boris Jardine Rare Books

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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...

21 Aug

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

By Boris Jardine Rare Books

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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...

20 Aug

~FINE BAKER No. 2 BINOCULAR MICROSCOPE~

By Scientifica Opticae Inc.

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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...

17 Aug

18th century telescope – James Chapman.

By Scientific Inspirations

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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...

17 Aug

18th century decagonal telescope.

By Scientific Inspirations

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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...

13 Aug

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

By Scientific Inspirations

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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...

12 Aug

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

By Opticalworld

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

12 Aug

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

By Opticalworld

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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...

11 Aug

~FINE SWIFT PARAGON No.2 MONOCULAR MICROSCOPE~

By Scientifica Opticae Inc.

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I can only describe this Swift & Son Paragon monocular microscope as a No. 2 (student model) due to it’s diminutive stature. Standing only 12 inches tall (15 inches fully racked). it is constructed from bright and anodised brass c.1910. Simply yet extensively accessorised, it boasts 6 signed Swift objectives ranging from 1 inch to 1/12 of an inch (repeat on 1/6-later addition-will look for anything missing i.e. 1/2 or additional eyepiece). The 1/12 inch is marked as oil Read More...

07 Aug

Coxeter’s Civil War Era Bullet Extractor

By M and R Gordon

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A fine example of Coxeter’s bullet extractor. Unsigned but identical to the example shown in the 1870 the Coxeter & Son’s catalog. The instrument was introduced by Coxeter at an earlier date. An example can be found in Weiss’s 1863 catalog. It was used for extracting Minnie balls not musket balls. The Coxeter catalog cut shows the instrument with a Minié ball in place. British instruments were used by both sides during the American Civil War. For a discussion Read More...