Collectables

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.

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

A gentleman (Dukatenscheißer) with his trousers pulled down excreting a gilt metal coin from his bottom or a composition nodder of a grotesque women beating a child might not be for everyone.

Candy and Andy were just like any other children in the late 1960s, except that they lived with two pandas called Mr and Mrs Bearanda and owned a Mini called Stripey.

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