Latest News Articles by Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Brahms manuscript radiates pure energy to excite bidders
24 July 2026An 1860s musical manuscript by German composer Johannes Brahms (1833-97), entirely in his hand, came for sale at Lion Heart Autographs (22% buyer’s premium).
EH Shepard with wind in his sails not Winnie
24 July 2026While Winnie-the-Pooh works by the renowned illustrator generate most demand, others for Grahame books are also very desirable
Wedgwood kingfisher catches the eye
17 July 2026Made c.1880, this Wedgwood majolica model of a kingfisher is a ‘rara avis’, with only a handful known.
Cabinet has the touch of Belchier
17 July 2026A recent sale at Andrew Jones Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) in Los Angeles included a textbook George II parcel gilt and black japanned bureau cabinet.
Portrait with Revolutionary appeal
17 July 2026A portrait of Hannah Rhea Caldwell (1767-1825) by artist Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828) was among the standout lots in a three-day late June sale at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries (25% buyer’s premium).
Circus posters: Roll up, roll up to ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’
17 July 2026Freedom Auction Company (25% buyer’s premium) in Sarasota, Florida, conducts regular sales of circus memorabilia.
Imperial Glass Factory decanter set displays tsar’s symbol
17 July 2026For centuries, the Imperial Glass Factory at St Petersburg catered to Russian royalty, producing top-of-the-line glass wares that were good enough to feature in their daughters’ dowries.
Whitework panel hailed as one of the earliest ‘samplers’
17 July 2026Example dating to 1662 might have touted English master craftswoman’s skills
Chinese exports with US values
10 July 2026Cross collecting helps plate from Washington’s Order of the Cincinatti service to take a six-figure price
Bing steam loco branded for the British market satisfies the sales pitch
10 July 2026Bertoia Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) did not hold back when discussing a Bing gauge 4 live steam toy locomotive with tender.
Indian royal marriage miniature painting sleeper emerges from gallery curator’s estate
10 July 2026Before the start of a recent sale at Quinn’s Auction Galleries (27% buyer’s premium), staff members of the Falls Church, Virginia, auction house speculated on which lot would outsell the rest.
First of six auctions from same source offers Meissen
10 July 2026A sale of Meissen at Revere Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) held in St Paul, Minnesota, included some prized pieces.
Printing plates provide ‘closer connection’ to artists
03 July 2026Original copper printing plates for works by famous artists do not appear often at auction, and rarely does a private collection come for sale.
Surreal successes in the US
03 July 2026When a Philadelphia family consigned Europa, a 1927 painting by Czech Modernist Josef Šíma (1891-1971), to Freeman’s (28/21% buyer’s premium) last year, it prompted scholars and art historians to do a double take.
Word is out as collectors target radio treasure trove
03 July 2026The treasures presented on Day One of the auction of the estate of Dr Goodman Basil Espy III (1935-2024) at Ahlers & Ogletree (24% buyer’s premium) in Atlanta included a trove of 37 vintage radios.
Perfume bottles bring aroma therapy
03 July 2026The 18th annual sale presented by Perfume Bottles Auction (20/25% buyer’s premium) took place on May 2. The online auction, conducted in New York by Ken Leach, served as the finale of the 2026 convention of the International Perfume Bottle Association (IFBA).
Leech jars provide a healthy showing at auction
03 July 2026New England Auctions – Fred Giampietro (26% buyer’s premium) of Branford, Connecticut, continues to win big with leech jars from the collection of the late Dr Jerry Phelps (1935-2025), an anesthesiologist from Kentucky.
Zsolnay owl vase glaze dazes eager bidders
19 June 2026A triple-faced owl vase by the Zsolnay factory hammered for $9000 (£6610) at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries (25% buyer’s premium).
Indian Katar dagger packs punch at $70,000 hammer price
19 June 2026A steel Katar dagger, made in the Tanjore region of India in the 17th or 18th century, hammered way above hopes at Ripley Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) in Indianapolis.
Montague Dawson breezes in for watercolour record
19 June 2026A Montague Dawson (1890-1973) watercolour, 'With the Wind', hammered for $44,000 (£32,700) at New Orleans Auction Galleries (25% buyer’s premium) against a guide of $3000-5000.