Hunting radioactive relics at an IACF Antiques Fair
The largest South of England fair had many spicy treasures to offer
For the uninitiated, IACF antique fairs can be overwhelming. Hundreds of sellers from across the UK – perhaps even from overseas – descend upon the English countryside to set up shop. No matter what you collect, you’ll likely find it. To my knowledge, I was probably the only nutter enthusiast looking for radioactive objects.
WW2 aircraft gauges
Nothing gets the heart bumping more than seeing boxes of aircraft gauges. All shapes and sizes and years, but buried within several radioactive gauges waiting to be found. The search was on – despite the huge collection, I decided to settle on two gauges on this occasion. Mostly, as for the safety conscious, they’re a complete pain to store – emitting large amounts of radon gas and penetrating gamma radiation.
What a stunning two-some, especially as the radium hadn’t yet burnt off the zinc sulfide glow. To think these gauges would have seen active service in WW2, and the pilots would have seen the same glow. It’s like history has come alive.
Pocket watches
For a while, I’ve been keeping my eyes open for an Ingersoll Radiolite pocket watch, knowing that they’re more common in the U.S. than the UK. So I was delighted to unearth an Ingersoll Triumph pocket watch, produced after WW2, from a factory in Wales. It’s in perfect condition, partly due to its original case, and despite being dated post-WW2, it uses enough radium to be a very spicy addition to my growing clock collection.
Other catch and releases
There were plenty of other items found on the day, but they didn’t make it back on this occasion. This included uranium glass (far too expensive), military compasses (I’m satisfied with my current collection), and a curious mantlepiece ornament that mounted a Spitfire aircraft gauge.
I was hoping to find two specific items, but unfortunately, I had no luck on this occasion. Ideally, a uranium-glazed ceramic, but these are extremely difficult to find in the UK and uranium-glazed tiles.
This certainly won’t be my last IACF Antique Fair, so if you’re a fan of antiques, check out their rolling events calendar by clicking here.