Latest News Articles by Laura Chesters
BBC goes behind the scenes at Christie’s
16 November 2016Auction house Christie’s will take centre stage in a new BBC documentary this weekend. The company, which celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, is the subject of a two-part look behind the scenes at some of its biggest auctions.
Steve Cohen offloads his stake in Sotheby’s
15 November 2016US billionaire investor and art collector Steven Cohen has sold his stake in Sotheby’s by offloading his remaining one million shares.
New £10m Portobello market development revealed
15 November 2016A charity aiming to redevelop the vintage market end of London’s Portobello Road has revealed a new £10m scheme.
Picasso picked up near Plymouth goes to auction
14 November 2016Plymouth Auction Rooms made a surprise find on a recent visit to a remote Cornish cottage on the banks of the river Tamar. The auction firm was valuing a mixture of Cornish art and collectables at the address when it came across a Pablo Picasso vase.
Lord Harlech to sell family collection at Bonhams
14 November 2016The new Lord Harlech, music video-maker Jasset Ormsby Gore, is offering 400 items at auction from his family estate.
Comedian Vic Reeves' artworks to be auctioned in Kent
11 November 2016TV star Vic Reeves may be best known for his zany comedy double act with Bob Mortimer, but he is also said to be an accomplished artist, counting Damien Hirst as a fan.
London’s gallery districts Mayfair and St James’s get special planning protection
10 November 2016The historic art and antiques districts of Mayfair and St James’s last night received designated protection by Westminster City Council planners as part of a new policy for central London.
Mason museum buys rare glass painting of Grand Master
09 November 2016The Library and Museum of Freemasonry in London has revealed the latest addition to its collection.
Dealers Philip Mould and Simon Phillips weigh into St James's planning row
09 November 2016Dealers Philip Mould and Simon Phillips have intervened in the fight to save Jermyn Street's tapestry gallery and archive in St James's.
Call for bids for Regency-period stonework
08 November 2016A Regency-style façade from Cirencester that has been in storage for a decade will be up for sale in Guildford later this month.
London dealers plan pressure group to protect St James’s
08 November 2016Gallery owners in the St James’s area of London are to form a pressure group in the hope of preserving the area as an art and antiques hub.
Digital technology drives younger dealers and the art market in China
07 November 2016The younger generation in China is fuelling the art market and the trade must embrace digital technology to compete, according to a panel of Asian art experts.
Kindertransport hero Sir Nicholas Winton's treasures sold at auction
07 November 2016The inscribed personal bible of Sir Nicholas Winton drew fervent bidding at auction last week in Oxfordshire.
JK Rowling's hand-written and personalised 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' comes to auction
05 November 2016The publisher of JK Rowling's Harry Potter books is to auction his copy of 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' at Sotheby’s next month.
New auction firm sets up in Maidenhead
04 November 2016A new auction business is to open in the Berkshire town of Maidenhead with a debut sale planned for January 21.
Historians should value the art market, says Chinese art expert
03 November 2016Art historians should embrace the trade and understand the value of the art market, argues a programme director at Christie’s Education.
Fears mount over US ‘collectables’ law
03 November 2016A little-publicised California law aimed at protecting buyers of sports memorabilia is threatening to impact the wider art and antiques sector.
The impact of new law on Californian book fairs
02 November 2016A new law that demands that owners of ‘collectables’ provide a certificate of authenticity when selling items could be a threat to antique fairs held in the state.
Rare Rolex takes £140,000 at auction
02 November 2016A Rolex watch that was bought in 1966 for £69.10 has sold at auction for £140,000. The rare Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner stainless steel model is highly desired by collectors due to its 3-6-9 Explorer dial.
BBC show calls for total UK ban on ivory trade - drawing instant response from trade
01 November 2016A BBC documentary investigating the illegal ivory trade, hosted by celebrity chef and campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, has called for a complete ban on the buying and selling of ivory regardless of age.