Savona Books specialises in Microscopy and Related Subjects. Three catalogues are issued annually containing approximately 1000 items covering over 50 subjects. We cater for all ages, amateur and professional. Prices range from 50p. to Ł500. We keep a “wants” list and do our best to find specific books for our customers. When a book is located a “quote” will be sent without obligation. Our catalogue is free and will be sent on request .

Why is Savona Books called Savona Books?

The 'Savona' was an ocean-going vessel, a sailing ship, in the 1890 's. There is not much detailed information concerning the sailing ship 'Savona', only word of mouth, handed down. Mrs. Krause has the original Shark Bell and Log Line from the ship. There was Bull's Horns at one time but Mrs Krause says they were thrown out at some time, as they were probably 'moth-eaten'. There are illustrations of sailing ships similar to the structure Savona would have been. Mrs Krauses' main interest was in sailing ships at one time though only the Ericson Fleet - the Flying P Line, of which the 'Herzogin Cecilie' was the most famous.

The Savona was a three-masted ship. The definition of 'a ship' of this period, is a vessel having three or more masts and fully square-rigged throughout. Each mast is composed of a lower-mast, topmast, topgallant-mast, and in most cases royal-mast. In all ships of the later period the top gallant and royal masts were in one single spar. Many of the clipper ships also carried skysail-masts above the royals. The illustration below shows a vessel with double topgallants and royals. The largest ship ever built was the five-master Preussen.

Below are some more details supplied by Mrs Krause;

"My Grandfather, Thomas Scott Cranston, came home to North Shields to marry my Grandmother, Annie Vairy, in the Sailing Ship "Savona". Bill had been to Savona in Italy before we were married. My life long hobby & love has always been the square rigged sailing ships. Bill had seen & photographed one of the few genuine ones left. Our first home was named Savona to try & keep her memory alive. We needed a name for our book business - it is easy & convenient for us to use.

Very little is known about Savona herself. She was a very ordinary three masted full rigged ship. Not a barque. She was certainly on the high seas in 1890.
All that is left of her is her log line & shark bell. The log is a 28 second turn. The bell used when conditions permitted to try for fresh fish. I can remember the Aberdeen Angus bull's horns from Savona in my Grandmother's house.
Savona had been carrying cattle to Australia. This great bull broke it's leg during heavy weather & had to be destroyed. The whole carcass by law was supposed to go over the side but Grandpa salvaged the massive horns. I badly wanted those horns but when I asked my Mother about them she said she thought they had been disposed of as the moth had got at the centre. Sure enough the horns were not to be found. None of the family knows what happened to Savona. It's quite possible that she was torpedoed during the first World War or wrecked - Grandpa was wrecked 5 times, once in a sailing ship. That is why only his last pay book exists."

The picture below is an image of the Savona which has been created by Klaus Kemp on a micro-slide with all the components being diatoms.