Latest News Articles by Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Sex sells: The Pearl erotic magazine
07 July 2025The notorious Victorian-era erotic magazine 'The Pearl' (subtitled 'Journal of Facetiae and Voluptuous Reading') was published by William Lazenby in London between July 1879 and December 1880.
Ornithologist provenance trumps pope, cardinal and king owners
07 July 2025Watercolour can be traced back to nobleman and antiquary who commissioned the illustrator Leonardi
Lalique fox mascot with ‘many imperfections’ still takes $27,000 at US auction
07 July 2025One of the rarest of all of the 31 car mascots made by Lalique from 1925-31 came up for auction at Jeffrey Evans & Associates (25% buyer’s premium) in Mount Crawford, Virginia.
Fleming signature boosts rare copy of Bond
07 July 2025The presence of the author’s signature dramatically enhanced the value of a copy of Ian Fleming’s (1908-64) first collection of James Bond short stories 'For Your Eyes Only' offered at an auction at University Archives (25% buyer’s premium).
Woolf takes bidders to the lighthouse
07 July 2025Swann Auction Galleries (25% buyer’s premium) recorded head-turning sales during its series of New York sales in May.
Works of Confucius with French royal twist
07 July 2025A foundation document of Western sinology appeared at Freeman’s Hindman (28% buyer’s premium) in Chicago.
Landseer view of a loch without animal life brightens US auction
07 July 2025British artist famed for The Monarch of the Glen also painted landscapes for his own pleasure
The ‘Mignon’ who eventually married Rodin
16 June 2025A bronze cast of the Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) bust 'Mignon' hammered for $97,500 (£73,350) at Black Rock Galleries in Fairfield, Connecticut.
Oh dear, I missed a couple of ‘0’s: musical box sings at US auction
16 June 2025Lynbrook, New York auctioneer Phil Weiss of Weiss Auctions (18% buyer’s premium) admitted to a minor slip when cataloguing a silver gilt and enamel singing bird music box.
Ruhlmann chandelier caught the attention at a French fishing club
16 June 2025A chandelier that Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann (1879-1933) made for a French fishing club hammered for $90,000 (£67,240) at Wright (27% buyer’s premium) in Chicago.
Watchmaker Patek Philippe and jeweller Tiffany collaborated on timepieces
16 June 2025The Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe and American jeweller Tiffany & Co recognised the merits of a union of luxury brands in the mid 19th century.
Life’s rich tapestries: French silk and wool examples outperform estimates
16 June 2025French silk and wool Coriolanus scenes go well over predictions in US auction
May Morris embroidery auctioned in Chicago covers the wishes of a diehard Anglophile
16 June 2025When a c.1890 May Morris for Morris & Co embroidery came up for sale at Toomey & Co (27% buyer’s premium), the timing was less than perfect for the midwestern lady who was destined to become its new owner.
Ox netsuke pulls in the bidders
16 June 2025An ivory netsuke described as ‘after Tomotada of Kyoto’ hammered for Can$42,000 (£22,840) against an estimate of Can$1200-1800 at Harrington’s (25% buyer’s premium) in Ontario.
Vendor very much smiling at that price
16 June 2025In the early to mid-1930s, the German company Saalheimer & Strauss produced four versions of tin litho banks with an image of Mickey Mouse on them.