New This Week:

4.55   MOST IMPRESSIVE SCRIMSHAW SWIFT.  Certainly one of the best 19th century scrimshaw objects to come on the market in recent times.  This mid-1800’s mechanical masterpiece is a Yankee whaleman-made yarn winder known as a “swift.”  It is embodied in a complicated revolving double cage carved from sperm whale teeth with panbone stays, sea turtle inlays, sterling silver rivets and period, blue ribbons.  Of extraordinary form, this example has a massive sculpted whale ivory finial below which is a carved rectangular support with inlaid tortoise shell “windows.”  The turned ivory cage collars support a total of 72 whalebone stays, each finely secured with silver rivets, silver wire and thread.  The central shaft is sculpted from the marble-like dense bone of a sperm whale’s jaw known as “pan bone.”  Each of the delicate but durable stays is carved from the same material.  Below the bottom cage collar is a lovely turned “barrel stop” with a threaded whale ivory knob with cross hatching.  It rides upward on the shaft to secure the entire apparatus in its working position.  Below it, separated from the clamp, is an ornate reticulated whale tooth “washer.”  The base clamp is a truly exceptional example of the whaleman’s creativity and precision. It consists of a huge, single chunk of whale’s tooth inlaid with 15 “windows” of sea tortoise shell, matching the finial.  The reticulated whale ivory clamp at the bottom matches the washer.  It is threaded to provide a secure clamp with which to mount the swift onto a table or bread board.  The overall height is 20 inches and approximately 5 inches thick when closed.  It expands to about 15 inches in diameter in working condition.  Yet, it will extend to an amazing 30 inches overall. Condition is extraordinary in all respects.  There are absolutely no flaws!  7400

Not available or for sale in California.  Shipped from Massachusetts.

(See item 4.83)

8.68/19.89 YACHT WHEEL WITH IDENTIFIED MAKER. Very handsome turn-of-the-last century steering wheel from a major yacht. This classic 6 spoke helm bears the inlaid brass maker's plate reading "American Engineering Company, Phila. PA." It is beautifully constructed with a hefty laminated rim consisting of teak inlaid with two concentric rings of a lighter blonde wood, either birch or maple, interrupted at the each spoke with inlays of mahogany. The spokes and spindles are of nicely turned oak. The hub is of heavy solid brass with a key way corresponding to the king spoke identified by the maker's label. This substantial ship's wheel measures 41 inches from spoke to spoke, 31 inches across the outer rim and weighs a hefty 24 pounds. Excellent condition with the original old finish, showing goods signs of use at sea, but no abuse. 2100  

4.46   SCRIMSHAW BLOCK.  Most exceptional whaleman-made scrimshaw block constructed entirely of sperm whale tooth with baleen sheaves!  This impressive 19th century working example of the whaleman’s decorative art was probably never intended for actual use, but rather as a demonstration of the sailor’s prowess in constructing such a device.  It consists of a 3 sheave block with cheeks made of whale tooth ivory with the sheaves made of turned black whale baleen.  The 4 cheeks are riveted together with brass pins.  Then it was fitted in a seamanlike manner with a rope-strop binding with brass thimble eye for attachment.  Execution is of the highest order.  The weaving of the stropping is delicate and meticulous.  4 ¼ inches tall overall by 1 ¾ inches wide.  The block itself measures 2 ½ inches tall and slightly over 1 inch thick.  Excellent original condition in all respects showing good age and no damage.  A rarity exemplifying the ultimate in the whaleman’s scrimshaw skills.  A significant addition to even the most advanced whaling collection.  1295

11.76   SAILOR’s NEEDLE CASE.  Classic mid-19th century or earlier sail maker’s needle case made of two turned wooden tubes joined in the middle.  This fine example of working marlinspike seamanship has a meticulously finished macraméd surface done in tight Spanish hitching.  The tubular case closes with a tight press fit.  Of considerable note is the case contains several original sail canvas needles all varying in size, form and function.  The case measures 6 3/8 inches long by 1 3/8 inches in diameter.  The needles vary in length from 3 ¼ up to 4 ½ inches.  One is signed “THORNHILL” and another is marked “VVI.”  Overall condition is outstanding in all respects. A great example of 19th C. working sailor folk art from the great age of sail at a bargain price! 175

Such a needle case was not only a utilitarian item for effectively holding tools of the trade, but it also functioned as a demonstration of the sailor’s prowess in deck seamanship -- that being his ability to carve and decorate a personal tool in a seamanlike manner.  This was an essential step in his “coming through the ranks.”  It demonstrated his prowess in the foc’sle while gaining the acceptance of his shipmates.  In a real sense, it could be considered his apprentice application. 

16.42  PADLOCK.   Massive vintage padlock.  This industrial quality portable lock is made of solid brass with a thick steel shackle.  The side is engraved “Rama, Gupta & Co., ALIGARH.”  The key hole has a thick sliding cover marked “6 LEVER.”  Complete with its original skeleton key, the lock opens, closes and securely locks properly.  5 inches long, 3 inches wide by 1 5/8 inches thick and weighs an impressive 2 ½ pounds!  150

The R.N. Gupta Co., Ltd. was founded in India in 1948.  They were, and still are producers of heavy equipment, steel forging and general engineering.

16.12  RARE GERMAN TERRESTRIAL GLOBE.  An exceptional world globe by Germany’s preeminent 19th century cartographer Ludwig Heymann as indicated (in part) on the maker’s cartouche in the Pacific Ocean just above the Sandwich Islands,

“ERD-GLOBUS.
36 cent.
Durehgesehen von Dr Henry Lange.
BERLIN.
Ludwig. Jul. Heymann
Oceanographisch Artisctecehe Austalt”

This is a much larger than average library table globe with a circumference of 45 inches and a diameter of 14 ½ inches, made during the reign of the German Kaisers.  It stands an impressive 25 3/4 inches high overall with a base 10 3/4 inches in diameter having cleverly-inlaid brass tripodal inserts on the bottom to assure leveling.  By its geographical features this globe can be dated 1891 - 1893.   In the United States, the Dakotas were divided into North and South (1889), but the Matabele Empire, which existed until 1893, is still shown.  The identifying names of towns, cities, territories, rivers, mountains, countries and other geographical features are extremely detailed and much more finely depicted than virtually all other makers of the period.  Also included are many ocean trade routes with record passages.  In fact Heymann was noted for his superior attention to detail and was awarded many prizes at exhibitions in which he displayed his output.  This early globe is in original, unrestored condition.  It is mounted on its original large, decoratively-turned, very lovely hardwood stand, complete with functional compass.  It is mounted in a brass Meridian ring engraved in single degrees 0 – 90, marked by 10's.  At aged 125 years this globe is in a remarkable state of original preservation.  Colors are clear and bright and all of the literally thousands of the identifying inscriptions are very legible.  Nice expected age toning of the surfaces, but no damage.  This is really an outstanding bargain.  Research the Internet. 1295   

Ludwig Julius Heymann (1836-1899) began the production of globes in 1883.

AUTHENTIC LIGHTHOUSE. The ultimate! This was an exceptional opportunity to own a very historic relic of America’s rich maritime heritage embodied in the original lamp room from the famous Ballast Point Lighthouse, which served its sentinel duties in the channel of San Diego Bay from 1890 until 1960. This incredibly well-preserved piece of history was built according to specifications laid out by the U.S. Lighthouse Service in 1885. A copy of the original specifications are included as are much printed references and photographs. Erected in 1890, the 5th Order lighthouse was a significant aid to navigation in conjunction with the Point Loma Lighthouse (1850) poised at the entrance to San Diego Bay. Ballast Point Light was situated further inside the massive bay on a point which jutted into the seaway which posed a hazard to shipping. 135 years old! SOLD

HISTORY

On October 2, 1888, recognizing the need for a harbor light in the increasingly congested channel of San Diego Bay, Congress authorized $25,000 for the construction of a lighthouse to be built on Ballast Point. Fashioned in the late Victorian style, the entire structure took 3 months to build beginning in March 1890. The light was first lit on August 1st. It was a sister of the lights at San Luis Obispo and Table Bluff, south of Humboldt Bay. All were wood framed structures with attached living quarters. The ironwork for the lantern was forged in San Francisco and carried south to San Diego by ship. The French firm of Sautter, Lemmonier, & Cie. manufactured the Freznel lens for the Ballast Point Light in 1886. The fixed 5th Order lens was visible for a distance of at least 11 miles.

When California was still part of Mexico the peninsula jutting into San Diego Bay was known as Punta del los Guijarros or “Pebble Point.” For centuries cobblestones washed down by the San Diego River had been deposited on the point. When California gained statehood in 1850 the point was renamed Middle Ground Shoal. As time went on and merchant traffic in the harbor increased, many sailing ships found it convenient to load or discharge the stones as ballast. The practice continued and eventually the name “Ballast Point” stuck.

Accompanying the Ballast Point lighthouse was a huge 2,000 pound fog bell in a wooden tower. In 1928 it was supplanted by a single tone electric diaphone horn.

The first keeper of the light was John M. Nilsson, assigned duty on July 15, 1890. The second was Henry Hall, who took the job on December 1, 1892. Perhaps the most famous keeper was Irish-born David R. Splaine, a Civil War veteran and veteran lighthouse keeper, who assumed the post in 1894, having served at Point Conception, the Farallons and San Diego’s own Point Loma light from 1886-1889.

In 1913 the original old kerosene lamp was replaced with an acetylene burner. Acetylene gave way to electricity in 1928. In 1938 a filter was fitted inside the 5th Order Freznel lens giving the light a distinctive green hue for recognition. One of the last keepers of the light was Radford Franke who recalled receiving the order to “douse the light” upon the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

By early 1960 the light was deemed to be of no further service, so in June of that year the lantern room was removed to a salvage yard. The wooden tower and its brick and mortar foundation remained a couple of years later until they too were declared structurally unsafe and demolished. The bell tower continued to survive, mounted with a 375 mm high intensity lamp on its roof. However the value of maintaining any light on Ballast Point diminished with the installation of harbor entrance range lights. In the late 1960’s the bell and its tower were dismantled. The tower found its way to a private residence in Lakeside, California. The bell had a more circuitous later life. It was purchased from a San Diego area junk yard in 1969 for its scrap value of 5 cents per pound! The one ton bell remained on local private property until 1991, when it was put on loan to the San Diego Maritime Museum. In 1999 the bell was transported to the son of the original buyer, living in Colorado. Then in 2002, the bell finally found its way to the home of the owner’s granddaughter living in Vermont, where it rests to this day.

The story of the lantern’s later life is even more fascinating. The nation was just recovering from the Cuban Missile Crisis between JFK and Khrushchev, when in 1964 the Cuban government cut off the fresh water supply to the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay. By that time, an experimental desalinization plant had been in operation at Point Loma for 2 years. The Navy hastily ordered it to be disassembled and shipped through the Panama Canal to Cuba. A gentleman working as a crane operator during the process noted the shabby lantern room in a trash heap nearby. He inquired as to the fate of the relic and was told it was salvage. Asking if he could purchase it, the yard foreman told him he could “have it” if he would haul it away. With that, for the next 34 years the lantern room served as a gazebo in the backyard of the man’s residence in Bonita, California. It was purchased by the present owners in 1998, fully refurbished, and placed on public display in Old Twon, San Diego. In late 2025 it found its next enduring home on the shores of the Great Lakes in Wisconsin.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

F. Ross Holland, “The Old Point Loma Lighthouse,” 1978, Cabrillo Historical Association, San Diego, California

Jim Gibbs, “The Twilight of Lighthouses,” 1996, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen, PA.

Kin Fahlen and Karen Scanlon, “Lighthouse of San Diego,” 2008, Arcadia Publishing, San Francisco

Kraig Anderson, “Forgotten Ballast Point “Lighthouse” Seeks New Home,” article in “Lighthouse Digest,” East Machias, Maine, September – October 2011, Vol. XX, no. 5 pages 34 – 37.

“Mains’l Haul,” a periodic publication of the San Diego Maritime Association, Summer 1990, Vol. XXVI, No. 4, pp. 11-12.