"GILBERT NUCLEAR PHYSICS ATOMIC ENERGY LAB" BOXED 1951 SET.
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Winning Bid:
$12,650.00
(Includes 15% Buyer's Premium)
Bidding Ended:
Thursday, November 17, 2016 9:00:00 AM (20 Minute Clock Begins At Thursday, November 17, 2016 9:00:00 AM)
Item Description
16.75x25.5x4.75" deep paper-covered case contains A.C. Gilbert Co. set No. U-238 (a clever reference to Uranium-238, the most common isotope of uranium found in nature). This infamous lab's intention was to allow children to create and watch chemical reactions using radioactive material. The lab contains a cloud chamber that allowed the viewer to watch alpha particles travel at 12,000 miles per second, a spinthariscope (a device for observing individual nuclear disintegrations caused by the interaction of ionizing radiation w/a phosphor or scintillator) that showed the results of radioactive disintegration on a fluorescent screen and an electroscope that measured the radioactivity of different substances included in the set. Looked upon as being dangerous because of the radioactive material in the set, Gilbert claimed that none of the materials could conceivably prove dangerous. In addition to items mentioned above, lab also includes - Geiger-Mueller Counter, nuclear spheres, Alpha, Beta and Gamma radioactive sources, radioactive ores, three illustrated books - "Prospecting For Uranium, How Dagwood Splits The Atom" and "Gilbert Atomic Energy Instruction Book" - Deionizer, Dri Electric Power Pack and underside of lid features great illustration of boy using lab w/atomic imagery and content listing as well as promotional text including US Government's $10,000 reward for anyone finding uranium ore deposits. Lid shows some aging and scattered wear including inked names of children and color rubs on lid label. Case itself is Fine overall. Contents are complete and unused w/original packing material and show some scattered aging/dust soiling and are Fine-VF. Books/manuals show more moderate wear w/pinch creases to spines and are VG-Fine overall. Unlike other chemistry sets released by Gilbert, the U-238 Atomic Energy Lab never gained popularity and the toy was taken off shelves only a year later, selling only from 1950 and 1951. This later 1951 version is very rare (twice as rare as Gilbert's red set), being one of only two known examples. Barry Lutsky Collection.
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