Collectables

Our regular listing of UK and Irish books and works on paper auctions

Whereas deltiologists’ celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the British postcard may have been curtailed by Covid lockdown in 2020, no such restrictions encumber the opportunity for philatelists to mark the 100th anniversary of the British commemorative stamp this year.

A number of strong performers stood out in a variety of individual pieces offered in Bamfords’ (24.75% buyer’s premium) large four-day auction

The Ivoire Clermont-Ferrand auction house in France has organised themed sales based around the famous Michelin Guide for 25 years with its specialist Pierre Gabriel Gonzalès.

Near-complete version of a work on a grandiose scale that caused its author’s ruin comes to Chicago saleroom

Ada Augusta Lovelace (1815-52), the only daughter of Lord Byron, is today justly celebrated as a mathematician and computer pioneer.

Postcard collecting offers a wide variety of entry points and can provide insight into social and postal history

Most Tudor and Stuart embroidered bindings that have survived from the 16th and 17th century cover Bibles, prayerbooks, and other devotional texts.

The McClure Arctic Expedition of 1850 was one of the Franklin rescue missions but ended up with the ironic fate of getting trapped themselves.

The final tranche of items from the Tony Chapman collection of pewter offered at Bishop & Miller of Stowmarket on June 19 included this capacious Victorian lidded jug once owned by Charles Dickens (1812-70).

Buyers respond well to stand-alone auction of hardstone animal carvings held in London

The list of Polar exploration ships once lost but now rediscovered grew in number recently when it was announced the Quest had been located.

The last Jean-Jacques Rousseau herbarium in private hands came for sale at Ader in Paris on June 17.

It is safe to say that nowadays the image of a smoking dog would find little favour with animal rights activists or for that matter with the current (for now) UK Prime Minister.

You can find stalls selling postcards at many fairs and markets, as well as a range of dedicated fairs.