Latest News Articles by Tom Derbyshire
Operation Chariot medal group charges in to auction
05 May 2025Operation Chariot on March 28, 1942, was one of the most daring British commando raids of the Second World War, aimed at destroying the heavily fortified dry dock at St Nazaire used by the German battleship Tirpitz.
Arms and armour specialist David Williams joins Olympia Auctions
28 April 2025Veteran antique arms and armour specialist David Williams is joining the Olympia Auctions team as senior consultant.
Prisoners-of-war portrait bid to 80 times estimate
28 April 2025Best known for his fairly routine genre portraits of German peasants and ordinary folk, Thomas Baumgartner (1892-1962) also produced an intriguing series of paintings depicting soldiers from the First World War.
Dandelion depiction attributed to Beatrix Potter shoots to £2600
28 April 2025A watercolour of a dandelion attributed to Beatrix Potter estimated at £200-300 ended up selling at a hammer price of £2600.
Antarctic artefacts in demand at two recent auctions
28 April 2025A letter from Robert Falcon Scott – aka Scott of the Antarctic – came up for sale at Canterbury Auction Galleries (20% buyer’s premium) on April 11-14.
Ithell Colquhoun firmly in the market spotlight
21 April 2025Seven works by Ithell Colquhoun (1906-88) lead Bonhams’ inaugural British Surrealism sale running until May 1.
Rolex flew round the world worn by pioneering pilot Sheila Scott
21 April 2025A Rolex GMT-Master ‘Pepsi’ stainless steel automatic dual time wristwatch first worn by Sheila Scott OBE (1922-88) on her recordbreaking solo flight around the world is coming to auction.
Velvet Underground: Rare picture sleeve provides 'Holy Grail moment' for collectors
15 April 2025“A Holy Grail moment for collectors worldwide” was the promise from Merseyside auction house Omega (29/35% buyer’s premium inc VAT) when a scarce picture sleeve came for sale.
Lowry’s Going to the Mill goes to auction 99 years after purchase
14 April 2025An early work by LS Lowry (1887-1976) first sold to the literary editor of The Manchester Guardian for £10 in 1926 and kept by his family is now estimated at £700,000-£1m in a May 1-2 auction.
Set your stall out for doll collectors
14 April 2025The pages of ATG have included many antiques stalls over the years but not many that measure just over 2ft long.
Rolex worn by first British pilot to fly solo round the world comes to the rostrum
14 April 2025A Rolex GMT-Master 'Pepsi' stainless steel automatic dual time wristwatch first worn by Sheila Scott OBE (1922-88) on her record-breaking solo flight around the world is coming to auction.
Early glimpse of glittering talents such as Bawden and Ravilious
14 April 2025Paul Nash, looking back at the 1924-25 period when he taught design at the Royal College of Art, said: “I was fortunate in being there during an outbreak of talent and can remember at least eight men and women who have made names for themselves since then in a variety of different directions.”
Modern furniture made with the Niemeyer touch
14 April 2025As with Pierre Jeanneret and his vision for Chandigarh in India, Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012) is famous for his involvement in the city of Brasilia as chief architect.
Saint Bride shines as Louise Jopling returns to the limelight
09 April 2025A striking picture by one of the most prominent but then forgotten British female artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries appeared at a Cheshire auction.
Sword was presented to one of just three Jewish winners of the VC in Second World War
07 April 2025A sword presented to one of only three Jewish winners of the Victoria Cross in the Second World War has sold for a hammer price of £7200 at Plymouth saleroom Eldreds (20% buyer’s premium).
Summer fair will showcase the brilliant Bugattis
05 April 2025Treasure House Fair will stage what it is billing as “the most important UK exhibition on the Bugatti family in almost half a century” this summer. Sculpture, decorative arts and cars by four generations of the virtuoso creators will go on view during the London art fair at Royal Hospital Chelsea from June 26 to July 1.