Museums and Institutions

A local community charity on the Isle of Man, the Knockaloe Trust, keeps alive the memory of the German internees housed there in the First World War and aids research.

Two pieces by ‘Glasgow Four’ artists Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) and Frances Macdonald McNair (1873-1921) topped Lyon & Turnbull’s Decorative Arts: Design since 1860 auction on November 2-3.

The last known drawn self-portrait of Modern British artist Stanley Spencer (1891-1959) has been acquired by the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham.

Turin dealership Caretto & Occhinegro Gallery has sold a previously unpublished oil by Jan Matsys (c.1510-75) to the Abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice.

At a recent PBFA fair, dealer John Underwood sold a collection of albums of mosses compiled by the naturalist Frederick DuCane Godman (1834-1919) to Horsham Museum & Art Gallery.

Pre-emption, the right of a French museum or institution to step in at the fall of the gavel to claim a lot at auctions staged in France for purchase at the hammer price, is a common occurence in such sales.

MADAM – With visitor numbers growing steadily, above expectations despite the pandemic, and a successful reopening under its belt, The Bowes Museum is now looking for new trustees to help reshape it, to ensure its continued success.

Among the contents of the home of the late Dame Elisabeth Frink (1930-93) and later her son, Lin Jammet (1958-2017), offered at auction last week, was the sculptor’s Royal Academy diploma.

A vast collection of Victorian kitchen antiques formed by a dealer from Kent has found a new home in North Yorkshire.

MADAM – Many of your readers will already have heard the news that the National Trust is going through a consultation process and will make up to 1200 redundancies as it expects to lose up to £200m this year.