Collectables

A lavishly produced 'Souvenir...' book published in 1899 to benefit a Charing Cross Hospital bazaar held at the Royal Albert Hall included contributions from distinguished writers, painters and composers, along with their photographic portraits.

Sold for £420 in an August 24-25 sale held by Keys (17.5% buyer’s premium) was a 1939 first of Maurice Gorham’s 'The Local', with its 15 coloured litho illustrations by Edward Ardizzone.

A cavalry guidon (pennant) from the late 18th century is always likely to be rare – and rarer still if it is painted rather than embroidered.

Two slightly different versions of Fortunino Matania’s (1881-1963) desirable Southport Lido poster topped a July 7 online auction at Onslows (20% buyer’s premium) of Dorset.

Just the two outer panels of what had once been a six-part world map remained in a cartographic lot offered at Christie’s (25/20/12% buyer’s premium).

Last offered at auction at Sotheby’s (25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) in 1971, a pair of EH Shepard’s original ink drawings for Winnie-the-Pooh returned to their rooms to sell at £55,000.

Medal groups awarded to two members of the same family on offer at auction are not unknown but three together is definitely unusual.

An early 19th century card game in its original wooden box but lacking some of the mostly bright cards – there are 24 top, 24 middle and 28 bottom sections in the box – is for sale from Michael Moon’s Bookshop in Whitehaven in Cumbria for £595 at the York book fair.

A blaze which tore through Norwich Central Library one August morning in 1994 destroyed thousands of historic documents and more than 100,000 books.

More than 100 lots of robots and space toys feature in Morphy Auctions’ 1700-lot toy and doll sale to be held on September 16-17 in Denver, Pennsylvania.

Pieces with a maritime slant proved popular at the sale at Cowes held by HRD Auction Rooms (15% buyer’s premium) on August 3 during the yacht-fest that is Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight.

Three names prized by collectors helped this 19th century German train set, pictured, to top the 330 lots of toys and railwayana offered at the David Duggleby (20% buyer’s premium) sale at Scarborough on August 12.

Militaria has the advantage of a wide price range for items. A photograph sold in Cirencester on July 7 was a good example of ‘more affordable’ levels.

Eight fine bindings are the focus of this report, which draws mainly on sales held in the UK and US in the summer months – but also includes one to come in the new season sales.

Music, in printed editions rather than autograph scores, played a significant part in raising a premium-inclusive €1.65m (£1.45m) for the third portion of the Pierre Bergé library to come to auction.