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Click here to subscribeBarnes Wallis (1887-1979): English Scientist and Inventor of the bouncing bomb, a signed and typed letter from Barnes Wallis to Richard Todd Esq dated 23rd May 1968 on embossed paper from White Hill House, Effingham, Surrey, together with a pen and ink drawing dedicated to Richard Todd by Vivienne Gualdi. (2)
'Truth is what stands the test of experience' EINSTEIN ALBERT: (1879-1955) German-born Theoretical Physicist, Nobel Prize winner for Physics, 1921. An exceptional, large vintage signed and inscribed 15 x 17 photograph by Einstein, the gelatin silver print by Yousuf Karsh depicting Einstein in a pensive head and shoulders pose with his hands slightly raised and clasped before him. Signed by Einstein in white fountain pen ink to the lower right corner of the image, 'To Mr. Gabriel D. Haver, A. Einstein', and dated 1951 in his hand. Einstein has further added an autograph quotation in his hand above his signature, in full, 'Truth is what stands the test of experience'. Also signed by Karsh in white fountain pen ink to the lower left corner. A small series of surface creases (causing a few small cracks in the image) to the left edge, above Einstein's hands, and with a few other more minor surface and corner creases, none of which affect Einstein's signature, quotation or image. Signed photographs of Einstein of this size and quality are extremely rare and desirable and the present example is greatly enhanced by Einstein's addition of an English quotation. About VG This well known image of Einstein was captured by Karsh at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study in 1948, just a few years before the physicist signed the present example. The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum in Missouri describes Karsh's sitting witth Einstein,'Now as an old man, in poor health, he [Einstein] still spent a few hours each day in his office working on the third edition of his book The Meaning of Relativity. Karsh found him in his office in wrinkled clothing, sock less shoes with wild uncombed hair. He was not happy with the wool coat he was wearing so he sent an assistant to find something else. He returned with a sweater. After putting it on Karsh offered him a comb for his hair and Einstein replied "I never use one" and none dared to suggest that he should. Using gentle lighting and posing him with a contemplative look he wanted him to look benevolent. Karsh was known for asking questions of the subjects of his portraits and many times he would voice record the sessions. He asked Einstein what would the world be like were another atomic bomb to be dropped, he replied wearily, "Alas we will no longer be able to hear the music of Mozart." Einstein's quotation is an English version of the last sentence of his foreword to Relativity: A Richer Truth (1950) by Philipp Frank. The book was published by the Beacon Press of Boston in 1950 and by Jonathan Cape of London in 1951, the same year in which Einstein signed the present photograph. IAA Ltd would like to extend their thanks to Barbara Wolff, Information Officer of the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, for her assistance in cataloguing the present lot.
ENOLA GAY: Signed 8 x 10 photograph by both Paul W. Tibbets (1915-2007) American Brigadier General, pilot of the Enola Gay and George R. Caron (1919-1995) American Technical Sergeant, tail gunner of the Enola Gay individually, the historic image depicting the mushroom cloud over Hiroshima following the dropping of the Little Boy atomic bomb by the B-29 bomber Enola Gay on 6th August 1945 during the final stages of World War II. Signed by Tibbets in bold blue ink, adding the words Pilot - Enola Gay in his hand beneath his signature, and signed by Caron in bold black ink, adding the place and date of the event, Hiroshima 8/6/45, in his hand beneath his signature. Both have signed to clear areas at the head of the image. EX
GREAT WAR - A TRENCH ART BRASS TABLE PLAQUE the hammered panel inlaid with a study of a reclining female nude, easel backed, 11cm x 15cm together with a trench art ink stand, the base modelled as a snake with mills bomb base inkwell and cartridge pen holder, 7cm high and a 1917 dated Krupp brass shell case engraved with a palm tree, St. George and the Dragon, crusaders' crosses, and 'Bethlehem-1917', 28cm high, (3).
GREAT WAR - HOME FRONT - FIRST DAYLIGHT GERMAN RAID ON LONDON - A PIECE OF HOUSE BRICK OR RUBBLE with an applied original paper label, inscribed in ink 'From a House in Eaton Mews North (Belgravia) Damaged by a Bomb Dropped by a German Aeroplane Nov.28 - 1916' together a piece of iron shrapnel applied with an original paper label inscribed 'Piece of Shell Found in Garden from an Air Raid on Sept. 30th 1917'.
SECOND WORLD WAR - LANCE CORPORAL L. K. HANKS H.M.H.S. (HOSPITAL SHIP) LLANDOVERY CASTLE - A PERSONAL SERVICE PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM containing approximately 120 inscribed black & white images including studies of the ship's operating and x-ray facility's, small boats carrying the wounded from Tobruk (Jan 1941), bomb damage on ship following the Suez raid of 1941, natives in North Africa, Italian Hospital Ship Gradisca Smyrna (April 9th 1942), etc. Provenance: Warner Dailey, purchased from the daughter of L. K. Hanks, 12 December 2014.
CIRCUS SCHUMANN - AN EXTREMELY RARE COLLECTION OF FIVE GERMAN PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS RELATING TO CIRCUS AND INCLUDING THE FAMOUS SCHUMANN CIRCUS FAMILY (I) CIRCUS SCHUMANN WORLD TOUR 1907 - 1912 containing approximately 198 large format (18cm x 13cm) each captioned, including studies of South Africa, Ireland, Australia, Stockholm, Nice, Leipzig, Algeria, Kiel, London, Berlin, Blackpool, Breslau, Monte Carlo, Turin, , life on the ocean liners, etc. The Circus-Theatre Albert Schumann (also known as Circus Schumann, and later, Schumann Theatre) stood in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, from 1905 to 1944. It was located opposite the Hauptbahnhof (the main train station), at the centre of the city, occupying the block between Karlstrasse and Taunusstrasse. What had remained of the building after the massive Allied bombing of March 1944 was demolished in 1960. The building had been established by the great German equestrian and circus director Albert Schumann (1858-1939), who had already taken over the old Circus Renz in Berlin, and had built another Circus Albert Schumann in Vienna. Schumann had originally erected a temporary wooden structure in 1893 in Frankfurt just two blocks east of the new circus's location, which was then situated in a largely undeveloped area; the success of the shows he gave there encouraged him to construct a permanent building in the same area. To finance the project, Albert Schumann created a new company, the Aktiengesellschaft für Zirkus- und Theaterbau (Corporation for the Circus and Theatre Building) based in Berlin and Frankfurt; among the shareholders were Schumann's brother-in-law Julius Seeth (1863-1939), a celebrated wild animal trainer, and Seeth's brother-in-law, British-born equestrian Joe Hodgini (Joseph Henry Hodges-1865-1950). The company asked the architects Friedrich Kristeller and Hugo Sonenthal to design a building that could be used indifferently as a circus or a variety theatre. Kristeller was a Berlin-based architect, who would design a few years later a famous Art Nouveau office building on Krausenstrasse, which houses today the Federal Ministry of Transportation. The construction began in September 1904, and the Circus-Theatre Albert Schumann opened its doors on December 5, 1905. It was equipped with a ring and a stage, the ring could be covered with seats to transform the circus into a full-fledged theatre, with a stage equipped with all the latest technical amenities. At full seating capacity, the house could accommodate 4,500 spectators. The dome above the ring (or the parterre, according to the configuration) was 28 meters high (approximately 92 feet), which allowed all sorts of large aerial acts, and there were stables for 150 horses, located below the stage. The monumental façade of white sandstone was designed in the then fashionable Art Nouveau (or Fin de Siècle) style, with elaborate ornamentation by the eminent Berlin sculptor, Joseph Uphues (1850-1911). The vast foyer was decorated with frescos by Frankfurt-born painter Alfred Helberger (1871-1946), who was to become one of Germany's most prominent impressionist painters-until the Nazis banned his work, which they considered 'degenerate.' The front of the theatre also housed a high-end restaurant, a popular café, and a bar, and a 150-meter long Beer Tunnel ran under the building (it would serve as a bomb shelter during WWII). The entire project had cost four million Marks (approximately US$ 16 million). Albert Schumann gave the initial management of his circus-theatre to his brother-in-law and partner, Julius Seeth. Each season until the Great War the building offered one month of circus, one month of operetta, and ten months of variety. After the war, it became mostly a variety theatre: Varieté shows-a mixture of circus acts, singers, dancers and comedians-were immensely popular in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s; great circus acts such as The Codonas on the flying trapeze, the legendary juggler Enrico Rastelli and the greatest clowns of the era, Grock, The Fratellinis and The Rivels, graced its stage during this period. Albert Schumann regularly presented his horses there until 1926. The Schumann Theatre, as it became known then, was a very successful and fashionable venue, but it had to close its doors in 1930, victim of the Wall Street crash of 1929 and its devastating impact on the already distressed German economy. Yet, it was able to reopen in 1931 with a revue titled Hello Paris, and success returned until the advent of WWII. When the Allied Forces bombed Frankfurt in 1944, the stage and the auditorium of the Circus-Theatre Albert Schumann were completely destroyed, but the façade, and the foyer and restaurants right behind it, survived. The U.S. Army took over the building in 1945, and until 1958, used its remaining restaurants and bars as recreational facilities for its soldiers. After the departure of its American occupants, there were talks of rebuilding the theatre behind its historic façade, but the German post-war economic situation was still bleak, and the emerging television was perceived as too dangerous a competition (which indeed it was at the time) to risk a venture in the live entertainment business. (ii) An Extremely Rare Second World War & Post War Period Album containing 83 large format (Winter Garten) studies of act's and performers mostly captioned, or signed and dated - 3 Fiochi's (1943) - Los Cherilos (1942) - The Chinese Lucky Girls - Namping Truppe, etc. (iii) An Early 1950's East German Circus Album containing 89 photographs and prints, with Russian language programmes and studies of act's and performers including bears, clowns and rocket ship aerial acts. (iv) Circus Busch in Wismer 1953, An Album of 39 Large Format 12cm x 18cm Black & White Images by Walter Bedau & Karl Lehar of Berlin including studies of clowns, lion taming, elephants, acrobats, etc. (v) Circa 1958 East German Album multi - format, including performers and private family images, etc.
Selection of Cloth Insignia consisting of Royal Signals Malaya far east made shoulder title, printed Canadian Dental Corps shoulder title, embroidered bomb disposal formation sign, Royal Signals tropical slip on rank slide, Green Howards white on green shoulder title, Polish green and black collar pennon, First Commando Brigade embroidered shoulder title, Lincoln Home Guard printed formation sign, 1st Corps Royal Signals printed formation sign, 12 CTR embroidered formation sign, 1st Corps Royal Engineers formation sign, plus other items. Various conditions. (30 items)
Royal Air Force Aircrew Insignia consisting of wartime padded Pilots wing, padded WW2 issue Bomb Aimers brevet wing, WW2 period padded Observers half wing, padded Air Gunners brevet wing, WW2 period Signallers brevet wing, post war Navigators padded brevet wing, parachute instructors brevet wing, padded Quarter Master brevet wing and Ghana parachute jump instructors wing. All remain in good condition. (9 items)
NONESUCH PRESS:Dickens, Charles: The Nonesuch Dickens, 1937-38. 1st edn. thus, limited to 877 sets, of which 66 sets were destroyed when a bomb hit the bindery in September 1940 (Dreyfus, Nonesuch Press, 108). Complete works in 25 volumes. Including the Nonesuch Dickens, and the volume with an original woodblock, original engraving and certificate of authenticity on Chapman & Hall headed paper and signed by the deputy chairman. The original engraving is ‘This is a sweet spot, ain’t it? A lovely spot’, drawn by G J Pinwell (housed in the publishers special folding box with a compartment for the woodblock). Engraved title vignettes and plates, facsimile wrappers from the original parts. Original cloth in varying colours with morocco title labels lettered in gilt, top edges gilt, others uncut. VG+/Fine set (25)Presented to Sir Norman Adsetts on his retirement from SIG in 1996
COLONEL JOHN MONTMORENCY TUCKER: THE LIFE AND NAVAL MEMOIRS OF LORD NELSON; COMPILED FROM ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS AND OTHER AUTHENTIC SOURCES, London, Willoughby & Co, circa 1850, armorial book plate of H W Compton, several references in work to Capt Henry Compton, HM Bomb Vessel Perseus, engraving of Nelson tipped in verso front free end papers, port frontis and numerous vignettes in text as called for, contemporary half calf gilt rebacked, original backstrip retained
Crested wares of Great War interest: Aviation pieces to include - 'Model of a Super Zeppelin', City of London crest, Arcadian china, 12.5 cm long; Zeppelin with black cross, Rochester crest, Carlton china, 12 cm long; BETA, Falmouth crest, Willow Art, 8 cm long; Airship, Nottingham crest, Arcadian china, 13 cm long; model of a British Searchlight, Carlton china, 7 cm high; three models of bombs dropped from Zeppelins; German Incendiary bomb; canister bomb; British arial torpedo; German arial torpedo and an 'Anti Zeppelin candlestick as used during the Great War', Shelley china, 8.5 cm high (13)
MEITNER LISE: (1878-1968) Austrian Physicist who worked on radioactivity and nuclear physics. Meitner famously refused an offer to work on the Manhattan Project during World War II, declaring 'I will have nothing to do with a bomb'. Fountain pen ink signature ('Lise Meitner') and date, 3rd September 1950, in her hand on an oblong 12mo piece evidently neatly clipped from a page removed from an autograph album. Annotated in the hand of a collector and with an unidentified signature and inscription in German to the lower half of the piece. Two heavy ink blots appear at the head of the page, only very slightly affecting a couple of letter of Meitner's signature. G £100-150
ORSINI FELICE: (1819-1858) Italian Revlutionary. Leader of the “Carbonari“ who tried to assassinate Napoleon III Emperor of the French. Orsini was sentenced to death and executed. Rare A.L.S., Felice Orsini, three pages, 8vo, 2 Church Lane, Liverpool, 27th October 1857, to Miss Finch. Orsini states `With very great pain I have heard that Mr. Finch is very poorly, I would call today...´ further saying `Today I am leaving for Birmingham and in a few days I shall be back and shall call on you and all your family. In that opportunity I hope to find Mr. Finch very much better; in every case if you think that I can be useful for something, I beg at you and your family do not spare me, because you and every person at your family have in me a friend...´. Accompanied by the original 12mo envelope in Orsini´s hand. EX £300 -400 At the time of the present letter Orsini was briefly visiting England, where he returned from Paris, to contact gunsmith Joseph Taylor and order six copies of a bomb of his own design. Orsini was convinced that with the assassination of Napoleon III, France and further Italy would rise in revolt. Only two months later, back in Paris, Orsini and his accomplices threw three bombs at the Imperial carriage. Eight people died and over a hundred wounded, but the Emperor and Empress remained unhurt. Orsini was guillotined the 13th March 1858.
Naval interest medals, HMS Duke of York, a WWll group of four to W K Foulkes, Foulkes was a Rating on HMS Duke of York battleship, 1945-1946, his album of forty photographs, including scenes of the Japanese surrenders in Hong Kong and Tokyo Harbour, atom bomb devastation, crossing the Equator, views on board on the trip home, and his Pacific issue naval shirt
A SMALL COLLECTION OF WWI ERA TRENCH ART, to include 4' shell casing which has been engraved with the North Staffordshire Regt Crest and signed 'H. Elson 17/1/19', small shell fashioned into a tobacco tin engraved 'Arras' small shell casing fashioned into a tin with North Staffordshire Crest, small fashioned tin with Notts and Derby Crest to lid, mills bomb with hinged lid on a plinth possibly ashtray or ink pot?, brass letter opener with Gordon Highlanders Crest on hilt, small German dagger in scabbard marked on blade Tiedemann, Cosurig, Dresden (7)
Dinky bubble-packed Military vehicles, 281 Military Hovercraft, 612 Commando Jeep, lacks driver, 654 155m Mobile gun, all good to excellent boxes good, 677 Task Force set, 690 Scorpion tank, 699 Leopard recovery tank, all good to excellent boxes good some staining to bubble pack, 665 Honest John missile launcher, good lacks missile, box good some staining and loss to bubble pack, 617 VW KDF and 50mm gun, 683 Chieftain tank, both good box fair, some damage/loss, and a 604 Land Rover bomb Disposal unit, good to excellent, box good some creases, (10 items).
TWO CARVED LIME WOOD BOSSES, possibly medieval, the first carved as a fleur de lys, the second as an English rose, both with remains of colouring, both 23cm square (2) Provenance: by repute, from Exeter Cathedral and recovered after a German bomb destroyed part of the cathedral in the Second World War
A selection of WWI and WWII military medals to include Victory medal, Mons Star 1914 with bar dated 5th Aug - 22nd Nov, The Military Medal for bravery in the field with certificate to 17642 SAPR A.H.COLE R.E. 1914-18 War medal to 9947 P.T.E. C. BICKNELL R.S. FUS, 1939-45 War medal, Defence 1939-45 Star and Africa Star. A 1939-45 War medal and Bomb & Mine Clearance medal with bar 1945-49 to 14447692 SPR. K. COLE, Territorial medal to 2076396 SPR A.J. COLE RE, Contemptibles Ass lapel badge and two discharge papers, service book WWII and identity card All with original boxes
“MOST SECRET” RECORD OF ENEMY AIR ACTIVITY OVER THE LONDON REGION SEPTEMBER 1939 TO DECEMBER 1940. Records a day by day account of every enemy raid with details of bomb damage and casualties with schematic photographic maps of London with bomb damage identified for September, October, November and December 1940. 37pp., in all. Believed to be a contemporary Ministry publication.
Barnes Wallis signed cover. Rare RAF Museum First Series SC17 RAF Hartland Point International Air Day. Signed by the legendary aviation designer Sir Barnes Wallis, inventor of the bouncing bomb used in the Dambusters raid, as well as the Variable Geometry Aircraft. Good condition. All signed items come with a Certificate of Authenticity and can be shipped worldwide.
Qty 42 b/w Photographs of Wartime bomb damage to locos and infrastructure. Some have the official Southern Railway General Managers Office, Waterloo stamp on rear along with the details. Includes Tunbridge Wells Loco Shed November 20th 1940. Portsmouth Harbour Station January 1st 1941, Malden Manor damage to line November 23rd 1940, Nine Elms Loco Shed September 30th 1940 etc. Some locos obviously took direct hits, Schools Class CLIFTON was wrecked and one photograph even shows a close-up of the well twisted nameplate lying on the floor.
Outstanding Military Cross group court mounted as worn to 25035034 Sgt Trevor (Speedie) Coult Royal Irish Regt - Military Cross (25035034 Cpl T R Coult R. Irish 2006), CSM QE2 for Northern Ireland (25035034 RGR T R Coult R. Irish), Iraq Medal 2004 with 19 Mar to 28 Apr 2003 clasp (25035034 RGR T R Coult R. Irish), Operational Service Medal 2000 with Afghanistan clasp (25035034 Cpl T R Coult R. Irish), NATO Services Medal with ISAF clasp, 2002 Golden Jubilee Medal, 2012 Diamond Jubilee Medal, Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (silver hallmarked) (25035034 Cpl T R Coult R. Irish), and Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 2011 (25035034 Sgt T R Coult 1.R. Irish). Plus two loose Rosettes. Served 1994 - Feb 2015, Cyprus, NI, Canada, Oman, Brunei, Kenya, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Germany, Iraq, Afghanistan, 10 operational tours, over 100 engagements, in 2006 Cpl Coult was involved in Operation Mountain Thurst, on July 16th 200 British Paratroopers were airlifted to take the town (Sangin) and lift the siege, part of the operation was a handpicked platoon from the 1st Bn R.Irish Regt. The lot also includes his Citation 6th November 2005, congratulatory letters from Major R E R Morphew 2006, and Major General G R Coward OBE Commander Joint Helicopter Command, from Peter D. Robinson MP MLA East Belfast, Lieut C Clark RN Equerry to The Duke of York, from Brigadier R L Scott-Bowden MBE ADC (Director of Infantry), from Lieut General J N R Houghton CBE Chief of Joint Operations, and from Colonel W M Campbell OBE Regimental Colonel The Royal Irish Regiment. A photo of Sgt Coult meeting President Bush at the White House (signed by Bush), plus a photo of Bush having just given Sgt Coult the Seal of the President of the United States Medallion on 17 March 2008 (St Patrick's Day) (this also with lot). 3x photos of The Queen presenting Sgt Coult the Military Cross. Plus several photos, his original Map that he carried near the Iraq/Kuwait boarder, two original Diaries kept by Coult for Afghanistan 2008 and Helmand. End of Emergency Tour/Attachment/Detachment Report Mar 06 to Oct 06 Operation Herrick 4. Five large scrapbooks of newspaper cutting kept by his family. Plus Trevor Coult's book 'First into Sangin' published by Xlibris "A very real and gutsy military memoir from a modern day British hero..has to be read" Bob Shepherd. His original manuscript, case for the MC, and his Uniform. His Citation Reads as follows.. Lance Corporal Coult has been employed as a Team Commander in the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment throughout his Iraq tour. He was a member of the UK Protection Force based in Baghdad, providing security for and escorting the Senior British Military Representatives - Iraq and Senior UK Service personnel. At the time of his tour, Baghdad was the scene for very numerous lethal insurgent attacks against Coalition Forces on a daily basis. On the 6th November 2005 Lance Corporal Coult was a member of an escort task, travelling along Route IRISH form Baghdad International Airport to the Green Zone, assessed to be the most dangerous road in the world. The task consisted of 3 Snatch Land Rovers providing protection for 2 heavy logistic vehicles. Lance Corporal Coult was top cover sentry in the rear vehicle, a role he was conducting for the first time. Approaching Check Point 540 the lead Snatch stopped due to a suspicious vehicle parked at the road side. With a specific and substantial threat form suicide vehicle bomb explosive devices, the top cover sentries in the lead Snatch tried to move the suspicious vehicle, but instead it moved towards the convoy. With a clear and unambiguous immediate threat to life, three warning shots were fired. Despite this activity Lance Cpl Coult steadfastly observed his arcs, not being drawn to the activity at the front of the convoy. With all attention focussed to the front, 3 gunmen opened fire from a flank with extensive automatic gunfire aimed at the stationary vehicles. Lance Cpl Coult immediately realised the complex and dual nature of this lethal ambush. He scanned his arcs and quickly identified the gunmen. Amidst considerable incoming small arms fire, with tracer striking the ground beside the logistic vehicles, he calmly controlled the other top cover sentries, gave precise target information over his personal radio, returned fire and controlled the movement of his vehicle. His accurate and effective fire suppressed the gunmen and enabled the 2 logistic vehicles to extract from the killing zone, thereby undoubtedly saving the lives of the logistic vehicle crews. Lance Corporal Coult’s Snatch remained in the killing zone covering the extraction of the other vehicles, one of which stalled. He ordered his vehicle to be driven alongside the stalled vehicle attracting considerable additional incoming fire. This selfless act saved the stalled vehicle from being immobilised and the crew from becoming casualties. Throughout this complex and well prepared insurgent ambush, Lance Cpl Coult returned proportional, justified and accurate fire, remaining totally focussed, and acted in a considerable, professional and courageous manner. Lance Corporal Coult’s actions undoubtedly save the lives of the logistic soldiers. On his first day as top cover in Baghdad, he showed outstanding judgement, bravery and restraint in returning fire against the enemy. His life saving actions, personal and tactical control, with total disregard to his own safety, are an indictment of the highest qualities of a British JNCO in the face of the enemy and are richly deserving of official recognition'. An excellent lot worthy of inspection.
RAF Air Ministry items, inc Aircraft compass type 06 x2, a pocket watch, booklets, indicators, fuse boxes, bomb sight, a 1944 thermos, a type 4 remote contractor (24 volts), switch box, MK IV steering control, electrical control type 35 no.8, fuel meter receiver and many more interesting items (Buyer Collects)
WEST COAST - Another smashing selection of West Coast punk, with 8 collectible 7" singles in this lot. Artists/titles are The Weirdos (x3)- We Got The Neutron Bomb (Dangerhouse original SP-1063), Destroy All Music (black labels) and It Means Nothing, Eddie And The Subtitles - Fuck You Eddie!, Middle Class - Scavenged Luxury, Vox Pop - cab Driver/Just Like Your Mom, X - Delta 88 (2004 issue, recordings from 1977) and Chromes - Firebomb. Condition is generally Ex to Ex+.
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