Colchester

A group of four pictures on offer in an Essex auction came from a vendor whose grandmother was part of the Fitzrovian set - the Bohemian group of artists and intellectuals centred around Charlotte Street in London, just north of Soho, in the 1920s-50s.

In the summer of 1976, the British artist Sargy Mann (1937-2015) experienced a burst of creativity.

The general theory goes that traditional portraits of white men are difficult to sell unless they are by a major artist or depict a notable sitter.

The naturalistic landscapes and moody urban scenes of Algernon Cecil Newton (1880-1968) have provided a boon to both London and regional salerooms for well over a decade now.

A couple of prints by leading names from the early 20th century drew attention at recent regional sales despite some notable condition issues.

Lot offers US editions of two science-fiction and fantasy classics by the US writer

Thought by the auction house to be an early copy, a letter that details the horrors of the ‘Black Hole of Calcutta’ in 1756 was sold for £2900.

A few copies have made a little more, but the example of the original, 1826, folio edition of Jacob George Strutt’s 'Sylva Britannica, or Portraits of Forest Trees…' included in a November 8 sale at Reeman Dansie (20% buyer’s premium) sold for £3500 (guide £600-800).

Estimated at £600-800, a 1777 first in marbled board covers of John Chapman and Peter Andre’s 'Map of the County of Essex from an Actual Survey' was sold for what would appear to be an auction record.

An album of 19 carte de visite portrait photographs of Charles Darwin is offered in Reeman Dansie’s Fine Art auction on November 8-9.

Returning to auction for the second time in a year, this still-life by Mary Fedden (1915- 2012) fetched £15,500 at Reeman Dansie (20% buyer’s premium).

Works offered in Essex saleroom belonged to ‘capable, colourful and forceful’ professor

Spirit of Ecstasy has adorned the bonnet of every Rolls-Royce motor car since February 6, 1911.

Toadstones are understood to be the button-like palatal teeth of lepidotes, an extinct genus of ray finned fish from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

A sale of royal memorabilia at Colchester saleroom Reeman Dansie (20% buyer’s premium) on February 15 included items from the estate of Miss Beryl Poignand (1887-1965), governess and confidante to HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.

The V&A loses out in £23,000 bidding battle for Prince Albert’s drawings of the diamond and sapphire coronet he designed for Queen Victoria.

A New and Correct Plan of the Cities of London, Westminster and Borough of Southwark sold at Reeman Dansie (20% buyer’s premium) of Colchester was offered on behalf of an un-named charity.

While Georgian spectacles are relatively common at auction, 17th century examples are a rarer beast.