Wednesday 26 August 2009

More news from the nineteenth-century

Morning all. How about another instalment from the 1858 edition of the Times?

First up, a beautiful bit of name-dropping from the Crystal Palace Great Exhibition:

CRYSTAL PALACE–Ceramic Court.–Under the direction of Thomas Battam, Esq., F.S.A.– The EXHIBITION of ENAMELS, Porcelain, and Pottery, now contains examples from the collection of Her Majesty the Queen, the Duke of Devonshire, Earl Granville, Gen. the Hon E. Lygon, Baroness de Goldsmit, H. Danby Seymour, Esq., M. P., F. W. Fairholt, Esq., S. Addington, Esq., Dr. Sibson, F.R.S., J, Falcke, Esq., the Athenaeum, Stoke-upon-Trent, Messrs. Rittener and Saxby, Messrs. Hewitt, Madame Temple, &c., together with choice examples of the manufactures of Messrs. Minton, Copeland, Kerr and Burns. Ridgway and Co., Rose, Philips, &c., including the series of Ceramic works executed for the Art Union of London.

Health fads aren't restricted to our own times: the stupid and gullible rich have always been with us - no doubt Gillian McKeith and the Daily Mail would have given glowing endorsements for this detox treatment. The 'chronic diseases', I suspect, means syphilis.

DR. CAPLIN'S ELECTRO-CHYMICAL BATH ESTABLISHMENT, 9 York-place, Baker-street, Portman-square, for the extraction of mercury and other metallic or extraneous substances, and the treatment of chronic diseases. For the demonstration of this new system vide the second edition, price 1s., 8vo, of Dr. Caplin's Treatise on the Electro-Chymical Bath, and the Relation of Electricity to the Phenomena of Life, Health and Disease, Sold at the Authors Establishment.

Schoolboys have always lost their belongings:

MARGATE.–LOST, on board the Little Western, on Tuesday, July 27, a CARPET-BAG, containing
several articles of wearing apparel, belonging to a young gentleman on his way to school, and some
books with the name of "Herbert Radclyffe" in them. A REWARD will be given to any person returning
the bag to Mr. Dunn, packet-office, Margate.

That appalling vulture programme, Heir-hunters, has a long and dishonourable history too:

NEXT of KIN OFFICES, Doctors'-commons.–NEXT OF KIN WANTED, of many persons who died abroad,
for upwards of 80 years, leaving considerable property unclaimed, which may be recovered, and all
information obtained, through P. Mouillard and Co., Bell-yard, Doctors'-commons.

The world of commerce was bloody and unregulated - copyright was a relatively new idea and advertisers, then and now, were liars.

TO THE BOOKSELLING TRADE.–The COPYRIGHT of "NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND" reverted to Mr.
CHARLES READE on Monday last, Aug. 2, and is now his SOLE PROPERTY.–6, Bolton-row, Mayfair.

SEWING MACHINES.–Thomas v. Foxwell.– In consequence of the erroneous impression produced
by the advertisements which have been produced by Mr. Foxwell, Mr. THOMAS deems it necessary to
CAUTION the public that the verdict in the above action declared that Mr. Foxwell's machines
were an infringement upon his patent, and to state that there has been no decision that his patent is
void. The Court of Queen's Bench held the claim in Mr. Thomas's patent for the general arrangement
of his sewing machinery to be good, and the adverse decision referred to in Mr. Foxwell's advertisements
had reference to a subordinate claim only, which, with the permission of Her Majesty's Attorney-General,
has since been struck out of the specification. Proceedings will be taken against all parties continuing,
after this notice, to USE or SELL SEWING MACHINES made in violation of Mr. Thomas's patent, or
containing any material part of his invention.–Dated August 4.
WILSON and BRISTOWS, 1 Copthall-buildings,
Solicitors for Mr. Thomas.

Holidays and attraction tomorrow.

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