Large Glass Chandelier Murano Italy First Half of 1900s

Fuller's Spiral Slide Rule

Fuller's cylindrical slide rule. It consists of an outer wooden cylinder that slides up and down and rotates, covered with paper marked with a graduated spiral logarithmic scale; inside is a longer wooden cylinder, also covered with paper marked with decimal tables. A brass index is screwed to the top of the neck, a second, longer brass index is screwed to the mahogany base and marked with a scale. The outer sliding cylinder is marked near the top: “FULLERS SPIRAL SLIDE RULE”; at the bottom it's marked: “ENTD. STATS. HALL / STANLEY, Maker, LONDON". The upper part of the long brass index is engraved: 1791 (/) 1903, for which it can be assumed (as for another similar specimen, preserved at the National Museum of American History) that the first is the serial number, while the second the year of completion. George Fuller, professor of civil engineering at Queen's University in Belfast, Ireland, patented this instrument in 1878; the Stanley firm produced about 14,000 Fuller spiral slide rules in nearly a hundred years.

“Richer à Paris” 1806

Gilded brass semi-circular protractor signed and dated "Richer à Paris/1806" that refears to Jean-Francois Richer.

19th Century / 1801 - 1900, 17th Century / 1601 - 1700

Brass and steel iron scale with spring system; it comes with 3 sets of cup weights; one consisting of six elements, two with houses (the outermost weight in the form of a case with a lid) and with six and five weights respectively. The latter, which is older than the rest of the lot and dates back to the 17th century, is stamped with a chalice on the outer part, while each of the inner weights has a triangle within which a six-pointed star is inscribed.

"Franciscu"

Gilded brass leveling square signed "Franciscu".

"Canivet a Paris"

Level and square set with golden brass wire, signed “Canivet a Paris”. On the instrument there are also the inscriptions “6 p de France / Nelle Mesure”.

"Butterfield a Paris"

Leveller set square with plumb line, in gilded brass, signed “Butterfield a Paris”; there also is the inscription "pouces de Roy". Michael Butterfield (1635-1724) was an English watchmaker who moved to Paris around 1663, where he worked at the royal court and was appointed engineer by Louis XIV. He opened a shop of precision instruments, and specialized, in particular, in the production of sundials. Among his main customers is the Tsar Peter the Great, who also visited the workshop in 1717.