Bidspirit auction | 19th Century W. & S.

19th Century W. & S. Jones Mahogany and Brass Double-Barrel Air Pump - A 19th-century English double-barrel vacuum air pump constructed from mahogany and brass. The instrument features a rectangular mahogany base supporting two vertical brass cylinders operated by a rack and pinion system. Two serrated racks protrude from the top of a mahogany housing, controlled by a side-mounted crank handle. A circular brass platform is mounted on a central pillar, designed to hold the glass bell jar for pneumatic experiments. The pump housing bears a rectangular label with black copperplate script reading ”W & S Jones, / N.30 Holborn / London”. The lower brass cross-member is engraved with a presentation inscription that reads ”Presented to the Royal Academy / by the Revd. William Ritchie, Rector”. The glass bell jar is fitted with a red stopper and a metal ring, and it bears a modern handwritten ink notation reading ”NOT SUITABLE / FOR USE / WITH PUMP”.