Due to the gargantuan October sale which took twelve hours, we have ensured that this sale on the 11th November is considerably smaller.
We have received important instructions from a local family with connections to the Lake District. They are descendants of Dr Kendall, of Coniston, he was a physician and a friend to John Ruskin and W G Collingwood. We have letters from John Ruskin and we have paintings by W G Collingwood and the great Alfred Heaton Cooper. The letters from Ruskin to Kendall mostly relate to their shared interest in local geology. Their circle also included Kate Greenaway and we have two sketches by her and other drawings. One of the W G Collingwood watercolours shows John Ruskin looking out of the window of the famous turret room in his home looking over Coniston water.
The group of watercolours may number around 20 and form part of our 120 lot section of paintings and PICTURES which also include H.R. Wilkinson, W.T. Longmire, Rowland Langmaid, A.W. Williams, Elisabeth Louise Rose, J.U.L. Berger, W. Collingwood, J. Holden, Henry Silvester Stannard, W.H. Smith, Michael Blaker, M. Gimson, David Shepherd, Adrian Daintrey, P.I. de Loutherbourg, T.L. Rowbotham, Kenneth Newton, Alma Vorster, John Massey Wright, A. de Groote, Thomas J. Purchas, T.C. Leary, Auguste Renoir, Mercier, Storm Thorgerson, and Andy Warhol.
A most unusual item is a pair of folding directors’ chairs covered in paint and from the studio of John Vince, each is signed ‘to Brian Best Wishes John Virtue’. They come with a signed catalogue John Virtue New Small Paintings of The Thames 2005 and also a book, John Virtue by Michael Hue-Williams Fine Art London, with forwards by Frank Auerbach, December 1988 and Tessa Jackson January 1999, rare indeed.
Paintings are traditionally followed by MIRRORS and we have an interesting collection including three pairs, one with the rectangular plates framed in painted glass panels, another pair is large and gilt framed and the third pair are rectangular and in black shiny stepped frames. They are most effective. We also have two large rectangular mirrors, one of which is in a mirror frame, a Victorian gilded overmantel, a black painted rectangular mirror and two ornate mirrors with painted frames in the 19th century style.
The JEWELLERY section is very stylish. We have a large diamond pendant, a solitaire diamond ring, a diamond and sapphire bow brooch, old Continental pieces, a large old-cut diamond brooch with many carats, a fabulous champleve necklace, opal pieces including a large crescent brooch, good brooches and a selection of rings, bangles, necklaces including pearls, and quite a bit of it gold. This time the section follows on from the collectors shelves where we display this time some excellent costume jewellery and in big lots.
The COLLECTOR shelves also have an extensive collection of stamps and first day covers including a spectacular Windsor loose-leaf album for the ‘Stamps of Great Britain’ Vol.1, which covers from Queen Victoria to include two penny blacks and a 2d blue. The reality is that due to its comprehensiveness and quality we hope to exceed £1000.
Also from another collector we have seven albums of QEII and Queen Mother Royal Family, including many Benham, silk covers and a few coin covers, a vast quantity of Channel Island and Isle of Man First Day Covers in 23 albums, three albums of cricket first day covers, to include centenary tour, three albums of Rowland Hill stamps, and four albums of World Covers, three albums of WW2 stamp covers and Benham 350 Anniversary Civil War Covers, also two albums of tea and trade cards. Quality comes in the form of A Diamond Jubilee Naval Review album of HMS Teutonic which was an armed merchant cruiser and a White Star Royal Mail steamship, this book was produced to commemorate the Naval Review, Spithead, June 26, 1897 in commemoration of the 60th year of the reign of her Majesty Queen Victoria and includes a large number of sepia photographs in large format. Along with the album is a letter from the National Maritime Museum 1983 stating that ‘there is no copy of your book in our collections’. The section also includes a bronze house plate, old fishing reel, two old cut throat razors in their original leather case, stamped Fielder Sons, Southsea, a table lighter styled as a world globe, various wristwatches, pocket watches, a collection of Daguerreotypes with an early 20th century postcard of the fish market Lowestoft, a large group of period photographs of bull fighting with famous matadors, a draft hand-written copy of a film or play to do with bull fighting and a number of La Divisa bull fighting magazines from Club Taurino of London and Toros magazine of Spain. Also a large original poster dated 28th May 1966, Plaza De Toros De Madrid featuring the famous Antonio Bienvenida and Curro Romero. It’s large and dramatic.
We have five lots of EROTICA including Vols 1-4 of W Pawelec Special Collection each of 24 photo lithos, volumes 1-3 in original wrappings; vols 2,3,6,7 and 9 of Erotica magazine, each in original wrappings. Helmut Newton ’47 nudes’ and ‘white women’ ; a 1988 hardback edition of Eric Fischl, Sexuality in the Movies, Le Masochisme Au Cinema and Bebe the films of Brigitte Bardot by Tony Crawley, each in soft back and the Pirelli calender album in hardback along with six volumes of Playboy 1980-81; Allen Jones ‘Sheer Magic’, George Eiseler ‘From Naked to Nude’, French Eroticism ‘The Joy of Life’; Andrew Tilly, Erotic Drawings, Lewis and Leroi Las Berlas Del Amor, Les Sextraordinaries Aventures de Zizi de Panpan by Lauzier and Les Filles Du Crazy, edition Love Me Tender, produced for Le Club Du Livre Secret and a box of novels and reference books including Eros Revived, the Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio, Love by Stendhal, Secrets D’Amour, etc.
Royal cypher labels are something you might not be aware of. In 1694 all legal documents attracted a charge and these labels were produced to show that payment, way before postage stamps. They were in use from 1702 to 1922. The comprehensive catalogue of labels is a rare item and we have one along with a lot of documents that have been properly catalogued by an enthusiast. It’s a very interesting lot.
A special item is a signed musical quotation from Madame Butterfly, in pencil, by Giacomo Puccini. On the 24th October 1905 a supper was given in honour of maestro Giovanni Puccini at the Savoy Hotel. This autograph, currently framed is said to be on the back of the dinner menu for that event, a copy of the front cover is also included within the frame. It was presented to Mrs Sybil Seligman who later became his life-long friend and companion, from there it passed down to his granddaughter Mrs T A B Melen.
SILVER AND PLATE is unusually thin on the ground, probably 35 lots but includes some smaller lots ripe for Christmas.
We have a number of Oriental CARPETS including a pair of Persian rugs.
We took instructions from a gentleman who had retired from the hardware business and we emptied the remaining stock of his small warehouse. If you need sandpaper, paint, wood glue, ceramic glue, paint cleaner, tools, hack saws, door numbers, oil cans, hard hats, sink plugs, sponges, working gloves, electrical sockets, draught excluders, and anything of that nature the chances are we have it here. It will be sold in large lots, its all very tidy and displayed in our Grosvenor Suite and ready to sell on.
Our hi-fi includes a large pair of Leake cabinet speakers, another large pair of Bang & Olufsen cabinet speakers and equipment by Sony, Onkyo, Denon, Pioneer, Yamaha, Rotell, Sherwood and Kenwood, including a Sony and an Ion deck.
Need a bath? A strange question I know but we have two baths in cast iron, one incorporating its own stand. Unused, they are both as new. Need a HenryXtra vacuum cleaner? We have one still in its original box along with a steam cleaning kit and an electric pruner by Florabest. Are you restoring a period property? We have a pair of large chromed towel rails from the 1930s.
The SHELVES are not as full as usual but include the traditional array of cut glass, figures including Hummel and Lladro, a large quantity of photograph frames, exotic porcelain and china, Royal Doulton Mickey Mouse Collection, Royal Doulton Winnie the Pooh Collection, table lamps and model weapons from martial arts films.
COSTUME AND TEXTILES has some spectacular vintage Terry de Havilland boots and Christian Louboutin shoes, vintage fashion including Luella Bartley, NAF NAF and MaxMara, furs including a full-length mink coat and also good vintage textiles.
If you are considering busking to pay for Christmas, then we have a Squier Strat by Fender in bright red and a Fairdough guitar, model Nightingale Electro, serial number 03718, apparently unplayed. Both guitars come with carry bags.
FURNITURE is thin on the ground, but what we have is choice. Amongst the antiques we have a superb William IV mahogany writing table that extends via draw-leaves to become a dining table. It is raised on tapering turned and fluted legs. A charming secretaire cabinet with gothic glazed doors, comes from the early part of the 19th century as does a bow-fronted chest. Coming more up to date, we have a teak extending dining table with very stylish chairs, a glamorous modern cupboard with faux leopard skin doors and highly lacquered in grey on a stand with chromed feet, a handsome French commode with gilt metal embellishments, marquetry decoration and marble top, and a Continental tall chest. Unusual in our saleroom is Southern German furniture so it’s a treat to have an 18th century parquetry bureau of bold serpentine outline. We have comfortable settees which are wisely with loose covers, buttoned armchairs, French broad-seated bergeres, and a large modern leather armchair with buttoned decoration.
If you want to look your best for Christmas we have a motorised treadmill by Fuel.
To brighten up Christmas we have two 1920s vintage Simplex military portable flood lights. For the garden, a lead flying Putti that is fighting a dolphin and, for the drawing room a pair of modern interlined curtains with 90 inch drop in plain cream fabric. What to buy for the man with everything? May we suggest a plastic full-size model telephone box! Yes, we have one!
Viewing will be Wednesday 10th 12-7pm by appointment and we will not be open to the public on sale day. Please wear a mask when you come to view.
Live bidding is online via UKAuctioneers and Saleroom. Our illustrated catalogue will be up on our website come Sunday evening, the 7th.
*** DO YOU HAVE ANY WINE, CHAMPAGNE WHISKY AND CIGARS TO SELL? OUR DECEMBER WINE SALE ON THE 16TH STILL HAS SPACE.
