UK

On a single day in 1919 the Imperial German Navy achieved the impressive feat of sinking 52 vessels. Unfortunately, they were its own ships.

A Grand Tour portrait that came to auction directly from the family of the sitter was among the most contested lots at Bonhams’ (27.5%/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) Old Master Paintings sale on July 7.

While Christie’s had by far the top-selling Old Master drawing of the latest series (the £7.5m Leonardo da Vinci drawing of the head of a bear - see ATG No 2501), a good number of other works on paper generated better competition although sold for understandably lower prices.

An update from Jeremy Carson, organiser of PBFA’s Brighton Book Fair which will run at Brighton Racecourse (assuming it is not being used as a vaccination centre then…) on Saturday, October 30 – the first in Brighton for more than 20 years.

B2B Events has confirmed that its antiques, vintage and collectors’ fairs held in Edinburgh at the Royal Highland Centre will not be running this year.

Edition marked the first time a person of African descent had work published

The Beccles Antiques Market held at its new riverside quay location by the River Waveney in the Suffolk town is now fully booked, with 100-plus stallholders for its second market here on Sunday, August 22.

A small fragment of a significant airship comes up for auction at Spicers in Old Goole, East Yorkshire, to mark a tragic centenary.

Illustrated with 76 hand-coloured flags, a 1794 Signal Book for the Ships of the Line sold to an online bidder for £11,000 in a Shrewsbury sale.

Dramatically lit above a Windsor armchair, 'Up and Across' by St Ives artist Trevor Bell (1930-2017) is a dynamic work of abstracted shapes in fiery red, browns and gold.

Richard Whittle founded Whittle Antik in Oxfordshire earlier this year and offers a range of objects from 18th century oak to naïve folk art, Mid-century furniture, taxidermy and Contemporary art.

The Galloways were a distinguished Victorian military family, as a number of items sold at Bishop & Miller (22% buyer’s premium) revealed.

Cheffins’ auction in Cambridge on August 26 includes a silver presentation salver given to Air Vice Marshal James Edgar ‘Johnnie’ Johnson (1915-2001), the highest-scoring Western Allied pilot against the Luftwaffe and the RAF’s officially recognised top-scoring fighter pilot of the Second World War.

An intriguing condition report that mentions ‘water and smoke damage’ gives a clue as to what happened to this battered copy of the Encyclopedia Britannia sold in a Charles Miller (24% buyer’s premium) auction.

After a difficult period because of the pandemic, the latest round of Old Master sales in London returned to some kind of normality.

In reply to Victor Burness, ex- Portobello dealer (‘…tat is hiding the arcades’, Letters, ATG No 2503).

A new high for a British army Victoria Cross as 'exceptional’ example also sets a house record for a medal at Dix Noonan Webb

Acquired six months ago from Caroline Penman by the online selling platform 2Covet, the long-established and highly regarded 'Chelsea Antiques Fair' returns to its spiritual home of Chelsea Town Hall next month for its 70th edition.

Medals awarded to a recipient who served in three very collectable units sold for £14,000 at British Bespoke Auctions (22/15/12.5% buyer’s premium).

This first-hand document recording one of the most significant naval events of the Second World War was offered at Catherine Southon (20% buyer’s premium) in Surrey this summer.