What the Doctor Ordered

A 19th Century doctor might be a little bemused if he hopped in a time machine and saw people in the 21st Century bidding so enthusiastically on the former tools of his trade. Yet such is the sheer beauty of many of these products, crafted in a time when things were obviously made to last, that their eventual collecting was surely bound to happen. Sometimes, quality is a little hard to resist!

On Saturday, June 18 Leland Little Auctions offers bidders a look into this bygone era when they hold their sale of Dr. & Mrs. John Gimeshs Medical Collection. 475 expertly curated lots are set to go under the hammer from a single-owner collection that includes a broad range of vintage medical related items, plus antique medical and surgical books. 

The contrast between medicine bottles of the past and present couldnt be more extreme, a point made obvious by Lot 1022 - a set of four apothecary bottles. Looking more like whiskey decanters than hospital fare, this set not only looks fantastic, but can be put to multiple uses in every room in the house.

Anyone having trouble disciplining their children should take a serious look at Lot 1245 - an exquisite mother-of-pearl dental instrument set. Just place the case in a high traffic area and start talking up a sudden interest in dentistry... and suddenly, those chores that were taking them forever will be a knock over with ease!

With its streamlined submarine shape and design of tiny leaves and flowers, its hard to believe Lot 1155 - a mid-19th Century English ironstone feeding bottle, was ever used for medical purposes. The catalog contains a host of these beautiful feeders, the perfect place to start a new collection of admirable objects.

Every well-ordered home needs a good leech jar, but in this modern age of medicine they seem increasing hard to find! Those with a penchant for old school, and by that we mean REALLY old school medicine, should circle Lot 1003 (left) - a porcelain leech jar, and Lot 1006 (right) - a stoneware version of the same.

Leyland Little Auction's  online auction sale of Dr. & Mrs. John Gimeshs Medical Collection is set down for Saturday, June 18 and contains 475 expertly curated lots. Look now at the full catalog.