Surrey

There is some discolouring and it appears to have spent some considerable time folded up, but this early 19th century vellum document signed “Bonaparte” as Premier Consul was sold for £3000.

Trebling its high estimate in a sale in Surrey was a large, in fact elephant folio-sized Atlas Royal… from c.1733

A cache of material from descendants of the Starbuck family, a Quaker whaling family influential in both the abolitionist movement and the founding of Nantucket as a whaling centre, was the highlight of Catherine Southon’s sale on February 8.

A group of watercolours from the collection of the renowned botanist, entomologist William Curtis (1746-99), drew attention in a Surrey sale.

Two organisers whose London events are on hold also run fairs outside the capital that are booming

The visit of ‘Revolutionary Wars’ hero Gilbert du Motler, the Marquis of Lafayette, to the US in 1824 spawned a large number of commemoratives.

Top price at the Ewbank’s (25% buyer’s premium) poster auction on January 6 came for a design that was a work of art in itself.

Jackie Edwards of ACVR Events has added yet more brocantes and vintage street markets to the nine she already runs across southern England which start up again in March.

The Birmingham silversmithing firm of Hukin & Heath received the approval of the progressive (if slightly pompous) writers of The Furniture Gazette when it signed a big name to produce some of its designs in 1878.

‘Zero profit’ but event got through Covid and has 220 stands at the next event

Edward Cruttenden of Sunbury Antiques is looking forward to November 20 and the last monthly antiques and interiors fair of the year he runs at Sandown Park Racecourse, near Esher.

Highest price in five years is achieved for Manchester School and Staithes Group artist

The big attraction in a job lot estimated at £60-100 that went on to sell for £14,000 in a September 23 sale held by Ewbank’s (25% buyer’s premium) was a copy of Britannia: or, a Chorographical Description…, Dr Edmund Gibson’s 1695, updated and English language version of a well-known earlier work.

A couple of ballet-related lots danced away for high prices over the summer.

“Parker has created the first regular frames auction with a dedicated catalogue in more than 10 years. It is great to see.”

An early 19th century child’s mosaic alphabet, c.1820, is estimated at £100- 200 at Catherine Southon’s auction at Farleigh Court on November 16.

Chelsea event plans on hold for now but organiser is upbeat about Surrey fair and brocante.

What is likely to be very good news for Edward Cruttenden of Sunbury Antiques and his antiques markets at Kempton Park Racecourse is a film studio invasion at local Shepperton Studios, owned by the Pinewood Group.

Buyers, including film set producers, had plenty of choice at Kempton Park antiques fair.