UK

The United Kingdom accounts for more than one fifth of the global art market sales and is the second biggest art market after the US.

Through auctioneers, dealers, fairs and markets - and a burgeoning online sector - buyers, collectors and sellers of art and antiques can easily access a vibrant network of intermediaries and events around the country. The UK's museums also house a wealth of impressive collections

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Bone model Victory and striking oil painting sail to success

30 October 2023

Originally Roman, Portchester Castle near Portsmouth was first used to house captured enemy soldiers in 1665, when England was at war with the Netherlands.

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Cape features more than 300 thank-yous for nurse Carey

30 October 2023

The front page of ATG No 2558 featured a Second World War nurse’s cape decorated with an array of cloth regimental badges that sold at Essex auction house Sworders in August last year.

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Man of letters: correspondence from famous figures

30 October 2023

A collection of correspondence penned by leading figures of the 20th century to an Oxford academic raised more than £20,000 for charity at Chiswick Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) on October 10.

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From Newark to the world: latest IACF event attracts global appeal

30 October 2023

International buyers were out in force among the buyers at the busy IACF two-day event

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The Polish eagle has landed in badge form

30 October 2023

Among recent paratrooper items that impressed at auction, this Polish badge with combat wreath doubled the top estimate at Bosleys to take £4000 from a UK online private buyer.

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Maritime specialist Miller waves goodbye to Fulham and moves to… Fulham

30 October 2023

It is a big move for auctioneer Charles Miller. Well, big in terms of his new premises being larger and taller. Not so big in terms of huge distance, however.

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Grab an almost half Nelson

30 October 2023

Cheffins of Cambridge is offering a marble bust of Lord Nelson, after Franz Thaller (1759-1817) and Matthias Ranson (fl. c.1800).

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‘Shell head’ helped to keep the Free French fighting

30 October 2023

One of the best performers against estimate at Tennants’ (24% buyer’s premium) Militaria & Ethnographica sale on September 20 was a fascinating collection of photographs and ephemera relating to a French Second World War hero.

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Ace result for Great War hero pilot

30 October 2023

The ‘fine and scarce’ 1918 Sopwith Camel fighter ace’s Distinguished Flying Cross and bar awarded to Captain Solomon Clifford Joseph (previewed in ATG No 2613) sold within estimate for £20,000 in Mayfair.

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Robert Kime: ‘Great assembler of beautiful things’

30 October 2023

Pictures were a prominent part of the Robert Kime (1946-2022) aesthetic.

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John Gould second edition served as fresh helping

30 October 2023

Follow-up edition of a classic avian work was more or less a new publication thanks to extra research

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Doll defender of Guernsey sells at 10 times estimate

30 October 2023

An intriguing painted wooden British soldier doll sold for more than 10 times the top estimate when it was offered at Guernsey auction house Martel Maides (24% buyer’s premium).

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Bob heads off to war

30 October 2023

A never-before-seen photo of soldiers leaving Ulster to fight in the First World War and a serviceman’s diary from the trenches have been uncovered.

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Aussie uniform heads back Down Under

30 October 2023

Although Gallipoli in the Great War became a defining moment in Australian nationhood and identity, the second Boer War from 1899-1902 featured the first-large scale involvement of troops from Down Under.

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A week to remember: a trio of antiques festivals by BADA, CADA and Cooper Events

30 October 2023

Annual events held by trade associations CADA and BADA overlap to offer plenty of choice

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Midcentury Modern fair looks back over the past 20 years

30 October 2023

Business partners look back at how their events and the market have evolved since their fairs launched.

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How nostalgia fuels toy collecting

30 October 2023

The growth in toys and collectables is related to the age of buyers and the items they remember from their own childhood, auction houses say.

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Summer shines in Northern Antiques Fair's autumn run

30 October 2023

Among the sales at the recent Northern Antiques Fair was a painting by Lucy Harwood (1873-1972) offered on the stand of first time exhibitor Bink Fine Art. The decorative oil, Summer, sold for a price in the region of £4000-5000.

Antique and vintage street market expands into Surrey

30 October 2023

Jackie Edwards of ACVR Events increased her tally of antique and vintage street markets in southern England earlier this year, launching in Kingston and Cranleigh, both in Surrey.

Tapestry

Fundraising boost to save Henry VIII’s lost tapestry

28 October 2023

A previously lost tapestry, commissioned by Henry VIII during the turmoil of the English Reformation, is a step closer to returning to the UK.

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