Guide to the Papers of Otto Boettger

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MS 10590

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Collection Summary

Creator
Boettger, Otto
Title
Papers of Otto Boettger
Date Range
1886-1900
Collection Number
MS 10590
Extent
0.45 metres (1 medium folio box)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
Special Collections (Manuscripts)

Introduction

Content Description

The collection comprises two detailed manuscript ledgers from Otto Boettger's practice as an optician (1886-1894), together with one volume of approximately 275 bound invoices, chronologically arranged, covering importations for his extensive engineering, surveying, optical and scientific instruments business (1892-1900). It presents a collection of unique records documenting a specialised profession in colonial Australia. The first ledger (20 October 1886 -15 July 1892), contains 21 pages of index and 102 pages of the ledger proper. Each page is designed to record the details of nine patients and the last entry is numbered 916. The second ledger (16 July 1892- 19 December 1894), contains 39 pages of index and 298 pages of the ledger proper, with each page containing details of seven patients (approximately 2086 individual records). The ledgers contain the name of the patient, often the address, the date of the consultation, the referring doctor, the prescription for the lens for each eye, and more often than not, specific details of the spectacle lenses or frames e.g. pale blue periscopic lenses / gold frame / twisted curled sides; Gold Pince-nez, Canadian; pantoscopic frame; and extra small children's frame made to order.

Conditions Governing Access

Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn8612410).

Conditions Governing Use

Conditions for copying and publishing of this collection may apply, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn8612410).

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Otto Boettger, National Library of Australia, MS 10590, [class/series/file/item number(s)]'.

Item Descriptions

Class 1. Consignment received 2021, 1886-1900

The collection comprises two detailed manuscript ledgers from Otto Boettger's practice as an optician (1886-1894), together with one volume of approximately 275 bound invoices, chronologically arranged, covering importations for his extensive engineering, surveying, optical and scientific instruments business (1892-1900). It presents a collection of unique records documenting a specialised profession in colonial Australia. The first ledger (20 October 1886 -15 July 1892), contains 21 pages of index and 102 pages of the ledger proper. Each page is designed to record the details of nine patients and the last entry is numbered 916. The second ledger (16 July 1892- 19 December 1894), contains 39 pages of index and 298 pages of the ledger proper, with each page containing details of seven patients (approximately 2086 individual records). The ledgers contain the name of the patient, often the address, the date of the consultation, the referring doctor, the prescription for the lens for each eye, and more often than not, specific details of the spectacle lenses or frames e.g. pale blue periscopic lenses / gold frame / twisted curled sides; Gold Pince-nez, Canadian; pantoscopic frame; and extra small children's frame made to order.

Ledger - A, 1886-1892 (File 1) - Folio-Box 1

File contains 21 pages of index and 102 pages of the ledger proper. Each page is designed to record the details of nine patients. The last entry is numbered 916. The volume is dated between 20 October 1886 and 15 July 1892.

Ledger - B, 1892-1894 (File 2) - Folio-Box 1

File contains 39 pages of index, 298 pages of the ledger proper, with each page containing details of seven patients (approximately 2086 individual records). This volume commences on 16 July 1892, and the last page is reached on 19 December 1894.

Bound invoices, 1892-1900 (File 3) - Folio-Box 1

The invoices are chronologically arranged. File also includes a South Australia one penny stamp.


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