Null Aerospace
The three-stage Thor-Able rocket, carrying the Tiros I meteorolo…

Description

Aerospace The three-stage Thor-Able rocket, carrying the Tiros I meteorological satellite, lifts off from the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, c. 1960 Vintage silver print, mounted on sheet, gouache enhancement on image, caption label in Spanish on back 25.5 x 20.5 cm (23.5 x 32 cm)

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Aerospace The three-stage Thor-Able rocket, carrying the Tiros I meteorological satellite, lifts off from the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, c. 1960 Vintage silver print, mounted on sheet, gouache enhancement on image, caption label in Spanish on back 25.5 x 20.5 cm (23.5 x 32 cm)

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Estim. 20 000 - 30 000 EUR

George Washington Autograph Letter Signed to Architect of the Capitol William Thornton ALS signed “Go: Washington,” one page, 7.25 x 9, August 28, 1799. Handwritten letter to William Thornton, the architect who designed the United States Capitol. In full: "I would thank you for requesting Mr. Blagden to give me as early notice of the time, and amount, of his next call upon me, as he can, that I may prepare accordingly." In fine condition, with some faint staining, and a few short fold splits. Accompanied by a vintage press photo of one-time owner Joseph Plummer, a collector of books and Americana, holding the letter. William Thornton (1759-1828) was an American physician, inventor, painter, and architect who designed the United States Capitol. He was appointed by President George Washington as Architect of the Capitol in 1793, and by Thomas Jefferson as first Superintendent of the United States Patent Office in 1802. The present letter from Washington to Thornton is one of more than thirty recorded in The Papers of George Washington; it relates to the construction of two townhouses on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., designed by George Washington and built by George Blagden. During this period, Thornton was serving as Commissioner of the Federal City, and in that capacity offered advice and official approval for Washington's plans. The project had begun in the fall of 1798 with Washington's purchase of a vacant lot on the west side of North Capitol Street. Inspired by a building he had seen in Philadelphia, Washington described his vision as 'two houses, united Doors in the center, a Pediment in the Roof and dormer windows on each side of it in front, skylight in the rear' and 'three flush stories of Brick, besides Garret room...capable of accommodating between twenty and thirty borders...not costly, but elegantly plain.' Washington's builder, George Blagden, who worked as superintendent of stonework and masons at the Capitol, broke ground in December 1798. Washington took an active role in overseeing the project, providing detailed specifications for the buildings and sourcing many materials himself in order to reduce costs. In this letter, he inquires about the exact time of Blagden's next visit, so that he can "prepare accordingly"—in other words, have funds ready to pay him. Washington had secured a loan from the Bank of Alexandria to pay Blagden a $1,000 installment in July, and would pay him $1,000 more, through Thornton, in September. On November 9, 1799, Washington recorded in his diary: 'Viewed my building in the Federal City.' A week before his death, he attempted to purchase plaster for the interior. He fell ill in December, and passed away before seeing the completion of the building in 1800. George Washington's nephew and heir, Bushrod Washington, finished and furnished the townhouses, operating them as a boarding house for members of Congress. Several prominent early American legislators stayed there, including Speaker of the House Nathaniel Macon of North Carolina and William Crawford of Georgia. The property was consumed by fire when Washington burned during the War of 1812, and the lot and charred remains of the building were purchased for a mere $1,446. The buildings were restored into a larger hotel in the mid-19th century, but razed in the early 20th. Today, there stands a plaque marking their place: 'Here were the lots acquired on October 3, 1798 by General George Washington and on which he built two brick dwellings from designs by Dr. William Thornton. A dwelling remodeled from the two dwellings was owned and occupied by Admiral Charles Wilkes, the famous explorer.'

Estim. 2 000 - 4 000 EUR

Henri Becquerel Handwritten Notes on Radioactivity French physicist (1852-1908) whose experiments with uranium salts led to the discovery of spontaneous radioactivity; for this breakthrough he shared the 1903 Nobel Prize for Physics with Marie and Pierre Curie. Handwritten notes on radioactivity by Henri Becquerel, five pages on three sheets, 9 x 13.75, no date but circa 1903. Significant handwritten notes on radioactivity, chronicling discoveries and work of Pierre Curie, Marie Curie, André-Louis Debierne, Ernest Rutherford, and himself between November 1899 and January 1903. In part (translated): "Curie and Madame Curie. Nov. 6, 1899. Radioactivity communicated by exposure to Ra[dium] rays. Increases with the weather. Tending towards limit. Activity plate. Induced radioactivity decreases quickly then slowly. Asymptotic law...Feb 17 01 Curie ionized liquids...We also looked for how to contained the weakened uranium chloride crystals removed of these solutions; these resumed little by little but the humidity conditions from which we had neglected to remove them made the results irregular. Transformed into oxides this 24 December...Let us add that on December 27 we had put the same quantity of the mixture of uranium chloride and barite chloride which were discussed in two balloons, one closed and the other open. The precipitates of barite sulphide collected gave as calculation measuring activity 0.0718 for the closed balloon and 0.0779 for the balloon open...July 1902. Mr. Rutherford...made an interesting study of the absorption of these Uranium radiations by this block, and which has various reserves, then it mainly attaches to the study of the emanation of Thorium and Radium (noting that the production law...is the same with or without an electric field). He concludes from the absorption that the radiations from Thorium and Radium are identical (effects not as a whole). Dispersion of induced radioactivity. Radiation induced by Tho[rium] loss ½ in 11 hours. For Radium different curves depending on the preparations...Continued emanation of Thor[rium] and Ra[dium] / Emanation (Dorn and not Curie—not aware of the emanation of the radium)." In very good to fine condition, with various edge tears, primarily along the top edge. Accompanied by two related contemporary newspaper clippings from French and German newspapers. A unique scientific manuscript by a pioneering physicist who lent his name to the SI unit for radioactivity, the becquerel (Bq).

Estim. 80 - 120 EUR

Eiffel Tower construction (gilded). (France, late 19th century). Construction of the Eiffel Tower (gilded). (France, late 19th century). Wooden box, size 27.8 x 27.8 x 10.5 cm, covered with paper evoking a stone or brick wall. It contains twenty-three wooden pieces, gilded on the outside. A set for building a rustic Eiffel Tower, but in gold! The lid of the box can be removed; once turned upside down, it serves as a base on which to build the Tower, which rises to a height of 60 cm from a base of 24 cm. All the parts are made of fairly rough wood, with only the outer faces sanded and carved with lines that evoke the look of the metal construction; there are two individual storeys, and the ridge is topped with a piece of turned wood. Assembly is simple. The astonishing aspect of the object is given by the fact that the Tower is covered in gold paint. Made at the end of the 19th century, perhaps contemporary with the erection. Under the box is a vestige of a label bearing the words "Fabrication française". In fine condition.

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