UK

More indoor antiques and collectables fairs have been called off as coronavirus cases rise again and restrictions increase.

Separated for many years, portraits of two brothers by WBE Ranken (1881-1941) came up at auction at different London salerooms last week. The fact that they emerged on the market simultaneously was seemingly pure coincidence.

Edward Bawden (1903-89) was one of a number of artists invited to submit designs ahead of Britain’s changeover to decimal coinage. Designs were invited for six coins: the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p pieces.

London dealer Jack Webb, who died last year aged 94, was known for the variety of unusual pieces at his Camden Passage shop, but the D-Day veteran’s personal enthusiasm was for militaria.

Until the process of independence began (starting with Ghana in 1957), photography in West Africa had been mainly a bureaucratic tool and was viewed with suspicion.

August is traditionally a busy month for Edinburgh saleroom Lyon & Turnbull (25/20% buyer’s premium) and this year was no exception – despite the exceptional circumstances.

Richard Luck owns and runs Coach House Antiques at 17 George Street, Hastings, with his wife Cheryl. After 30 years of trading from number 42 on the street, they moved down the road to number 17 earlier this year.

Backing up his upbeat view of the future for salerooms (ATG No 2444) veteran auctioneer Chris Ewbank enjoyed a 99% success rate at the latest outing for his Sports & Entertainment specialist department.

Early work by the Plymouth artist portrays himself alongside German alchemist

Future president’s 'How to Get Rich' is a curious feature of a bumper summer sales week

ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from September 29-October 10, 2020.

The term ‘works on paper’ encompasses a diverse range of media from the drawings that offer a glimpse into an artist’s creative process to prints, posters, ephemera and documents. Pictured here is a section of items available to buy from dealers or bid for at auction.

Modern and contemporary gallery recalls the faces and the artists of fabled Soho drinking den

As heroic a defence against the odds as Rorke’s Drift, and certainly more important, the twin battles of Imphal and Kohima are much less well known.

Just occasionally it doesn’t always pay to catalogue with great depth.