Latest News Articles by Tom Derbyshire
Aquitania luxury liner lots steam into sale to satisfy a US buyer
17 June 2024At the same time as a naval arms race was taking place in the years just before the First World War another maritime competition developed in the shape of liners.
Archibald Knox silver vases are among five lots to watch this week
10 June 2024With estimates from £425, here are five previews of items coming up at auction this week
Get the siege mentality with unusual banknotes on offer
10 June 2024“Siege notes are a niche but popular subsidiary of military banknote collecting,” says Andrew Pattison, head of the Banknotes Department at Noonans (24% buyer’s premium).
Darwin as depicted by the ‘father of art photography’
10 June 2024An autographed photograph of Charles Darwin (1809-82) described as “very scarce” by Hansons (26.5% buyer’s premium) sold for £8500.
Portrait of doomed naval commander makes second highest auction price for Oswald Birley
06 June 2024Just three crew members survived out of 1418 after HMS Hood was sunk on May 24, 1941, after a ferocious and brief exchange of gunfire with German battleship Bismarck.
Italian micromosaic table is among five lots to watch this week
03 June 2024With estimates from £250, here are five previews of items coming up at auction this week
Map was ground-breaking in its day
03 June 2024Recognised as the ‘Father of Geology’, in 1815 William Smith was the first to map the geology of England and Wales, with part of southern Scotland.
Wedgwood teapot is among five lots to watch
27 May 2024With estimates from £300, here are five previews of items coming up at auction this week
Vendor chuffed as collection of British Railways photos pulls into Tennants
27 May 2024'Large and comprehensive' was the apt description used by Tennants (24% buyer’s premium) for a collection of British Railways photographs and slides offered on April 3.
Displays stand out at auction even without a toy
27 May 2024The importance of an original box in good condition to the value of a toy is well known. But what about a display without any toy in sight, box or no box?
Ready to fight factory fires
27 May 2024This Huntley & Palmers factory fire service helmet with white metal mounts and H&P monogram was the highlight of a collection offered at Kent saleroom Bentley’s (20% buyer’s premium) on May 15.
Arnhem hero was a lifesaver
27 May 2024Medal group sold for £43,000 at a Devon sale recognised the bravery of a medic who cared for others
Doctor’s atlas proved just the remedy for a changing world
27 May 2024A world atlas produced by a Dublin-born man who is considered the first US commercial publisher made its way to the Irish capital to be sold at auction house Adam’s (25% buyer’s premium).
French Revolutionary bonnet is among five lots to watch
20 May 2024With estimates from £400, here are five previews of items coming up at auction this week
Fixture list lined up two sports auctions in Glasgow
20 May 2024News that Celtic and Rangers no longer automatically qualify for the Champions League next season put a bit of a dampener on Scottish football.
Batty cricket idea ended up full of holes
20 May 2024Sports stars are always looking for small incremental improvements in performance that can prove crucial to the result.