Collectables

Turned down by several publishers, Beatrix Potter shouldered the expense of privately printing The Tale of Peter Rabbit with Strangeways Printers in December 1901.

Tommy nearly made the supreme sacrifice to support the Allied cause in the Second World War.

When bad weather made the Upton Park pitch unfit for play on Saturday, January 17, 1959, it must have seemed fairly unremarkable.

An atypical entry to the March 4-9 sale at the Harwich antiquities specialist TimeLine is this gold medal struck in Philadelphia following the sinking of American steamship Casper, on December 23, 1928.

Edward Curtis is famed for his photographs documenting the disappearing world of Native Americans

Two excellent examples of the highest British awards for courage are coming up in the same London auction on March 11.

A British airborne forces smock offered in the C&T (22% buyer’s premium) February 12-13 auction told its own tale thanks to a remarkable discovery concealed within.

A rare visitor to the auction room came in the form of this pocket-sized Victorian sand picture book.

Lieutenant General John Burgoyne (1722-92) was put in command of the British forces in Canada in 1777 after outlining the shortcomings of his own commanding officer.

Although much less well known than many ‘last stands’, medals for the Wilson’s Patrol in 1893 are prized by collectors

Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-71) began to develop the very first mystery clocks in c.1830.

A first edition copy of a book documenting the sinking of a ship by a sperm whale in 1820 went under the hammer at Potter & Potter (25% buyer’s premium).

John Smart (1838-99) was one of the first artists to focus on golf courses themselves rather than the actual players.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish books and works on paper sales

Victorian arts journal was first to be illustrated with a photograph to promote Fox Talbot book