—Exceedingly rare and fine quadruple Clepsammia or Hourglass, probably the finest extant example from the 17th century in the world. Price $16,200.
Only scientists and noble men could afford an instrument like this back in the 17th century. Therefore, only few were ever made. Once dropped to the ground, the instrument was destroyed.
Most individuals never heard of a clepsammia from the 17th century, not even of a single double bubble clepsammia. There is nothing to be found on Google; that is how rare these are. I was only able to find records of two other 17th century quadruple clepsammias or hour-glasses. The other two are not complete and have missing parts. The one I'm offering here is in all original complete preservation, and this after 400 years!
Incredible find; Nathaniel Potter the II, son of immigrant Nathaniel Potter who came to the USA in 1628 from England, brought this quadruple Clepsammia somewhen between 1650 and 1700 from one of his trips to Europe back to the United States. A descendant, 13 generations removed, had it in his possession until 2016 when I bought it from him.
Since then I did a lot of research. However, I was only able to find records of two other quadruple early 17th century Clepsammias or Hourglasses through my research outside major museums; this is an incredible rare Hourglass of which most collectors have not even seen pictures of, even advanced collectors. Imagine, this delicate Hourglass with its hand-blown glass spheres was never dropped in 400 years! I also have never seen an image in any of the many books about scientific instruments out there; this is how rare these early 17th century clepsammias or Hourglasses are! This is not just an antique, this is from the 17th century!
The leading collector in the field, famous French writer and intellectual, Jacques Attali, owns one of the other two known extant instruments. His quadrupple Hourglass is pictured in his book, “Mémoire de Sabliers.” read more>>
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— Rare Bryant’s Celestial Indicator, pat. Sept. 10, 1872. Price $8,750.00
Bryant’s Celestial Indicator is a unique two-in-one instrument, combining an Armillary Sphere and an Orrery inside the Sphere that shows relative planetary movement in the Solar System.
Henry Bryant of Hartford, Connecticut, invented this beautiful astronomical device for which he was awarded the patent with the number 131,148, on September 10, 1872.
He described in his patent application as the Nature and Objects of his Invention: “My invention is an instrument for use in schools, collages, and the like, for illustrating and explaining various celestial phenomena, such as are commonly the subject of study and investigation in pursuing the study of astronomy.”
With his instrument, phenomena like the changes of seasons, the Earth’s nutation, solar and lunar eclipses, star constellations and their associated zodiac signs, celestial measurements, solstices and their propinquity toequitorial coordinates, i.e. right ascension and declination, precession of the equinoxes, the ecliptic and celestial equator, spring and neap tide, and much more can be explained.
Bryant’s Celestial Indicator is probably the most comprehensive instrument ever invented to explain Astrology.
Somewhat delicate, only very few survived and are highly sought after. read more>>
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— Seeley’s Portable X-Ray Machine From 1915. Sold!
James E. Seeley was a prolific inventor with an ingenious mind. Many patents were issued to his name.
The portable X-ray machine offered here was manufactured by Vulcan Coil Company located in Los Angeles, California; a company Seeley was one of the incorporators. Seeley protected this machine with three patents which were issued in 1915 and 1916 in his name.
Only very few were ever built, the machine offered here has serial number G209 and powers an early high frequency cold-cathode ion-X-ray-tube with auto-regeneration invented by Henry Lyman Sayen and patented in 1897, just two years after Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovered X-rays on November 8 1895. X-rays were also called Röntgen-rays to honor its inventor.
Most early X-ray machines utilized induction coils powered by direct current to create the high tension needed to create X-rays. The Vulcan Coil offered here is powered by 110 Volts alternating current and uses a special coil which was patented by Seeley on October 19, 1915.
Little was known about the danger of X-rays at the time; radiologists taking X-rays of patients did not protect themselves from the harmful radiation and many suffered greatly and died young.
Today X-ray technology is so advanced that natural radiation is not much greater than having taken a diagnostic X-ray from a radiologist or dentist. Read more>>
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— Exceedingly rare Pocket Battery No.1. Sold!
A pocket device with an open jar containing liquid acid? What a crazy idea....
For the 19th century a truly pocket size machine, just very unpractical as the open jar with the liquid acid had to be emptied after each use to be moved. Manufactured by Whitall Tatum & Co. the Mahogany case of this “Pocket Battery no.1” measures only 4 by 3 by 1-1/2 inches!
Two patents protected this crazy invention of which this example seems to be the only one that survived; read more>>
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— Only Known Surveying Instrument Signed J.MORSE (18th Century). Sold!
Samuel F. B. Morse, the inventor of the Telegraphic Code, the MORSE-CODE is well known by everybody; his
father, Jedidiah Morse, born in Woodstock Connecticut in 1761 is less know even so he was the first to published an all encompassing work on the United States Geography in Colonial Times in 1784. It was an instant best-seller and earned him the sobriquet of “Father of American Geography.” He was a Yale graduate, minister of Charlestown Massachusetts for thirty years, scholar of Indians, politician, philanthropist, and so much more. As an investor, he bought for instance ten shares issued to finance the first Massachusetts Turnpike in 1791 for $291. Also included is a letter Jedidiah Morse wrote to his wife in 1795, read more>>
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— Early, ca 1820, James Watt Model Steam Engine. Sold!
Possibly the finest model of an original period Model from ca 1820, featuring a four column rotative James Watt vertical steam engine of the reciprocating beam type with double-action low-pressure single-cylinder, Watt's “parallel motion” linkage, and Watt's centrifugal speed governor.
If the reader knows of the wereabouts of a finer model anywhere in the world, I would love to hear about it; please leave a comment with the pertinent info for everybody else to see. Please correct me and leave a comment, thanks!
James Watt is considered the father of the industrial revolution and was one of the most important engineers and scientists in history. Some scientists argue that the design of the parallel motion (or double-acting engine) patented by Watt in 1784, should serve as the starting point of the “Anthropocene Epoch” - the unofficial interval of geologic time in which human activity began to substantially alter Earth's surface, atmosphere, and oceans. read more>>
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— Charles Page Reciprocating Electro-Magnetic Engine of 1838. Sold!
At that time (1830's and 1840's) it was still open whether Electromagnetic motors should be rotating or reciprocating machines, i.e. simulate a plunger rod of a steam engine.
While Davenport's motor was resembling a rotating design,
Pages motor was based on the plunger type, resembling a steam egine by which
Page replaced the piston generating the force transmitted to the flywheel by a
beam with four electric magnets.
This working demonstration model was crafted by Daniel Davis Jr., sometime after July 1838 and was mentioned in Benjamin Silliman's American Journal of Science, vol. XXXV, 1838, page 264; the oldest Scientific Journal in the United States, founded in 1818.
It is estimated that less than five of these models have survived and are only to be found in museums or major private collections. read more>>
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— Charles Lane Poor Line of Position Computer. Sold!
This exceedingly rare navigation instrument is called “Line of Position Computer,” and is essentially a mechanical navigator or circular slide rule for determining one's location, either from morning or afternoon sightings for longitude or from the St. Hilaire method of finding the line of position.
Despite the extensive references in the literature, Poor´s Line of Position Computer was not a commercial success and only very
few examples are known to exist, “[t]he scarcity of surviving examples suggests the government and general public had little interest
in the instrument. Indeed, aviators preferred inspection tables over slide rules for navigation,”
The National Museum of American History.
Charles Lane Poor (January 18, 1866 — September 27, 1951) was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, the son of Edward Erie Poor. He graduated from the City College of New York and received a Ph.D. in 1892 from Johns Hopkins University. Poor became an American astronomer and professor of celestial mechanics at Columbia University from 1903 to 1944, when he was named Professor Emeritus. He published several books on astronomy and a monograph disputing the evidence for Einstein´s theory of relativity in the pre-war years before the theory became firmly established. Poor published a series of papers that reflect his lack of understanding for the theory of relativity, read more>>
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—Very Early Leclanche Battery Sold!
French Scientist Georges Lionel Leclanché is considered the inventor of the dry-cell battery, the battery which for decades powered portable electric powered gadgets from flashlights to radios to GPS.
Leclanche's original battery he patented in 1866 and perfected with his second patent of 1867 is probably the most important invention when it comes to batteries. While the battery initially was not suitable for high constant currents, it was cheap to manufacture and lasted a long time.
First it was extensively used for telegraphy, later for telephones and all kinds of bells. Telephone conversations became inaudible if they lasted to long. While the Telephone was not used, the battery would always recover and lasted a long time or till the zinc rod or carbon pile was used up and new electrodes needed to be fitted inside the glass jar.
Georges Leclanché never lived to see the battery market really take off, unfortunately he died of cancer in 1882. read more>>
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