Dear Friends,
Our first sale of the year on Thursday 11th February approaches and I am pleased to announce that we have confirmed instructions to offer a Geneva Bible printed by Rouland Hall, Geneva, 1560, and including ‘The Whole Book Of Psalmes’, ‘printed by the printers to the Universitie of Cambridge’, 1634, within a 17th century binding and inscribed with family records from 1642. This is an important book and it’s worth at least reading Wikipedia to have its importance put into context (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Bible).
On the subject of BOOKS, in 2014-15 we were instructed to sell the Mayer library which we did in association with Bonhams. It was very successful, grossing well into six figures. There is one lot left and that we are including in the February sale, catalogued by the scholar John Collins thus:
MAYER (JACOB PETER)
Sociology of Film, FIRST EDITION, plates, tipped in a duplicated note by the author on the new edition of 1948 (2nd thought in Mayer’s hand), with an unbound bundle of proofs and some originals for the illustrations, cloth, repaired with tape, 1946–AUTY (RICHARD) Film in Focus, 1949–CARTER (S.B.) The Films, WEA, [c. 1945]; Film Quiz 500 Questions, Edinburgh, Albyn Press, [1945], last 3 in wrappers [none recorded on Copac], 8vo; and a substantial archive on film, from Mayer’s library (quantity)
Includes approximately 35 stills and lobby cards, 3 copies of a striking poster on red paper advertising a seminar on “Sociology of Film” (lead speaker JPM), designed by Judie Layton and Adrian Purkis, Harrow, 1971; correspondence with Rank and others; reviews; pamphlets and publicity material; and reports and completed questionnaires by children and adolescents. “We had distributed about 1,000 questionnaires in one of the Odeon Cinema Children’s Clubs out of which 85 were sent back completed. We also received some 30 essays from secondary school girls” (Sociology, p.58). The originals of most of these are in the collection and although a few are quoted in the printed text, much of very great interest is omitted.
PHOTOGRAPHS feature in this sale and one particularly fine album combines the good efforts during the Second World War in China of submariner Samuel Orme who took every opportunity to photograph shipping and had a great eye for local scenes including the Sino-Japanese War at Chinwangtao in the North, showing refugees and ruins. It also contains postcards and period reprints including grizzly executions. Along with the book are his four medals.
From another vendor are albums of photographs and postcards relating to Russia and the First World War, particularly shipping and soldiers. Another client has entered studio glamour photographs including of Jayne Mansfield. A card illustrating the Arsenal team for 1930 comes with a page of original team member autographs including Pat Beasley, David Pryde, Bernard Joy, Alf Kitchen, Leslie Compton, and Cliff Bastin. Another vendor who worked for the bus company that was employed by the England team in 1966 bought a special autograph book and with help from the driver got the full team’s autographs. We have that to sell too.
PICTURES include a particularly good group of 9 signed prints by William Russell Flint, including ‘Rosalba’, ‘La Voulte sur Rhone’, ‘Campo San Trovaso’, ‘Castanets’, ‘Giselle & Julietta’, ‘Secret Retreat’, ‘Retreat from the Sun’, ‘Awkward Encounter’ and ‘The Silver Mirror’. Other artists include Andy Warhol, Peter Brookes, Georges Damin, Jocelyn Galsworthy, Robin Toogood, Henry Wilkinson, C. Cooper, E. von Behling, Irene Kirkpatrick, Hutton Mitchell, John Burgess, J. Renshaw,T. Sinclair, J. Earp, J.W. Craddock, C.W. Oswald, C. Bousfield, Harold George, Natalie B. Hambleton, Herbert George, L. Lewis, Picasso, Arthur Suker, H. Bellamy, H.W. Hicks, Bertram Knight and A. de Koninck, and a good group of watercolours.
The SHELVES, as usual, strain under the weight of content of all sorts and PORCELAIN, POTTERY AND GLASS include a full dinner service of Crown Derby, a collection of modern Moorcroft, 25 pieces, a collection of Lladro, 17 Doulton figures, a Beswick collection, a Wedgwood Cavendish dinner and tea service, a 19th century sandwich set each of the 18 pieces painted with named scenes, Goebel figures, Clarice Cliff pieces, a Herend coffee service, an extensive collection of Swarovski crystal, blue and brown Denby, Sherratt & Simpson animal figures, a fantastic Coalport tea service model Y2665 of batwing design and rare mauve colour way, bronze figures of dogs, bulls and goats, good cut glass, a bronze of Orpheus signed Leslie Summers, a fine pair of Chinese blue and white baluster jars with covers. COLLECTABLES including post cards, stamp albums and first day covers, year stamp packs for 2007-12, a 925 silver ladies fountain pen by Montblanc, a rare and fine 19th century apothecary’s mahogany box with original fitments of bottles, scales, pestle and mortar, an early miniature sewing machine, an AC and DC Wattmeter 1969 in a bakelite case, geological specimens and fossils. Coins including a large collection of mint and boxed coins from The Royal Mint – over 50 items.
JEWELLERY including costume jewellery. Silver and plate. A large number of oriental rugs. Books. Records. COSTUME includes a wide selection of fur coats.
FURNITURE fills the room with a spectacular 1960s Danish dining suite in exotic hardwood including a set of 8 chairs very similar to the one in the December sale. A very large antique coffer and a large carved Burmese cabin trunk/linen box. Of exquisite quality, a large late Victorian mahogany sideboard the top carved with acons, oak leaves and branches of apples. We have an extensive good quality garden suite by Cannock Gates, a modern light oak dining suite with a large table and display sideboard, a bergere suite and two others in light leather, an old bentwood coat stand, a Georgian niche with barrel back.
ALSO A FANTASTIC EARLY 20TH CENTURY TALL CHAMPLEVE AND ONYX COLUMN AND ANOTHER SIMILAR
GENERAL EFFECTS include from an exclusive residence endless flat screen televisions including one by Pioneer (44″). We have hifis and a Yamaha sound bar. We have a large cream American fridge and other white goods, a set of car wheels, brand new flat pack furniture and much more. If you are a film set company you’ll love our 20 old crates full of period milk bottles!!
In fact there’s nothing not to love about this sale. All lots are photographed and the catalogue is available on our website from Sunday evening, 7th February.
There are slight changes in this sale. Having experienced light fingered hooligans who seem not to know about working for a living we will be showing during viewing the collectable items only by request across a barrier. It’s not ideal we know – but what are we to do?
Best wishes
Bainbridges
