West Midlands

The artist Alfred W Hallett (1914-86) is mostly known for his portraits, landscapes and flower paintings made in India from 1938 onwards.

A bronze by Antoine Barye dating from 1860 was among the stand-out sales at the recent staging of Classic Antique Fairs.

Kosuge (Kosuge Toy Industrial Co Ltd), with the trademark KSG in a diamond, was Matsuzo Kosuge.

This splendid image depicts Horace Brown, a former president of the Piscatorial Society.

What to buy the auctioneer who has it all?

The Ledbury Collective in the so-named design quarter in the attractive Herefordshire town was opened last year by Sarah Baldwin.

A remarkable assortment of jewellery is on offer at this spring’s Classic Antique Fairs.

Dominating the skyline in the Staffordshire city of Lichfield is the only medieval cathedral in the UK with three spires.

A first edition, first impression of The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien is a valuable proposition even without its dustjacket.

This British Aero Lubricants AMG No 1 motor oil can estimated at £100-150 sold instead via thesaleroom.com for a £1700 hammer price.

First introduced by British Railways in 1962-64 and withdrawn between 1973-77, the short-lived Class 52 diesel hydraulic locomotive has gained something of a cult status among enthusiasts.

It has been estimated there are between 500 and 1000 different types of marble-in-neck mineral water bottles based on the famous 1872 patent by Hiram Codd.

The Wurlitzer Company was founded in the US in 1856 and the Centennial 2000 jukebox model was created to commemorate the centenary anniversary.

A recent sale at Halls (24% buyer’s premium) in Shrewsbury included an exceptional Swiss music box: a Sublime Harmony orchestral music box by George Baker & Co, Geneva.

Liner china – ceramics associated with shipping lines and the golden age of maritime travel – can occasionally throw up surprising results.

A portrait of a mystery soldier identified by a dealer has sold to a private collector.

Cotswolds dealer Paul Shutler has sold a pair of EW Godwin-designed andirons to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

A portrait of John Roper, 1st Baron Teynham (d.1618), has been united with his descendants following our article on the rediscovered picture (ATG No 2720).