West Midlands

The Wimshurst influence machine, an electrostatic generator capable of creating high voltages, was developed between 1880-83 by British inventor James Wimshurst (1832-1903).

A very early railway guide, still in the original decorative boards, was a rare and unusual lot in a recent held by Mullock’s (20% buyer’s premium).

The minaudière, a case for storing several personal items in a small space, first appeared during the 1930s.

There was no shortage of desirable names among the 1370-lot Fine & Decorative three-day sale at Kingham & Orme (23% buyer’s premium), such as Charles Ashbee, Omar Ramsden, Lalique, Christopher Dresser and William de Morgan.

Bosleys has launched a new format for its auctions, including a move from Marlow to Staffordshire.

The best-seller lists these days will always include a good number of explosive memoirs written by special forces veterans and their heroic stories usually also mean high interest at auction.

It was scenes of pleasure boats at Lytham St Anne’s on the Lancashire coast like the one shown below that Lowry’s mother supposedly favoured over her son’s darker industrial scenes.

This mid-19th century oil of a bare-knuckle prize fight is thought to depict a famous bout between Victorian boxers William Perry (1819-88) and Tom Sayers (1826-65).

Not all the posters making four figures at auction fall into the usual Star Wars/James Bond/Hammer/early horror bracket.

Moseley Antiques Emporium south of Birmingham city centre is closing after more than 25 years in business.

As announced in ATG No 2428, Continuity Fairs has taken over the Bingley Hall Antiques Fair, which had been held by IACF at the Staffordshire County Showground from mid-2018 to December 2019.

Caughley Porcelain was founded in Shropshire (at Broseley) so it is hardly surprising that local saleroom Halls has been offering its fair share of consignments from this 18th century factory whose wares rivalled those of the Staffordshire potteries and Worcester in particular.

Despite or perhaps because of their macabre nature, antique medical instruments have a strong following, both among practitioners and general buyers.

Dealers have their favoured pitches at B2B’s Malvern Flea & Collectors Fair, as ATG discovers

Bingley Hall Antiques Fair at the Staffordshire County Showground will be managed by Continuity Fairs which has taken over the running of it from IACF.

This 19th century half-length portrait right depicts the Anglo-Irish soldier and politician William Carr Beresford (1768-1854) who fought alongside The Duke of Wellington.