Scientific Instrument Society 25th Anniversary Exhibition
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51 Trade Flyers
W. & S. Jones were a prominent London firm of the early 19th century who traded at the sign of Archimedes. These two advertising sheets are very similar, though they were produced by different London printers, one of them by W. Glendinning at 25, Hatton Garden and the other by G. Dillon nearby at 77, Hatton Garden.
The Jones partnership marketed the full contemporary range of scientific instruments, and one side of the leaflet outlines their products while particularly emphasising spectacles of various kinds, both in the text and the images flanking that of Archimedes at the top. The instrument listing includes in the second column “Large Orreries, and the New Portable one, as invented by W. Jones” and the sheets are displayed alongside a W. & S. Jones table orrery, with planetarium, tellurian and lunarium.
The reverse demonstrates the vigour and combativeness of these commercial instrument makers, who were not shy of fighting their corner against scientific gentlemen: “A Proof of the Fallacy of an asserted New Principle and Improvement in the Figures of Spectacle Glasses termed Periscopic Spectacles, by W.H. Wollaston; or, a Vindication of the Superiority of the Double Convex and Double Concave Forms hitherto adopted. By W. Jones, Optician, &c.”
Jones was here challenging a recognised intellectual and inventor and his text is laid out as a series of quotes from W (Wollaston) with rejoinders by J (Jones). At the bottom is a note that “A previous and admitted Refutation was published by W. Jones, in 1804”, with references to leading contemporary journals such as the Philosophical Magazine, Nicholson’s Journal and the Monthly Magazine.
S.J.
Collection: Stuart Talbot, Germany
Objects lent by Stuart Talbot, Germany:
02. Printed Price List Sheet by P. & J. Dollond, London, c. 1775