Latest News Articles by Laura Chesters

Dali's Mae West lip

Salvador Dalí artworks from West Dean House to go to auction

18 October 2016

A sofa in the form of Mae West’s lips and a lobster telephone are among the surrealist lots from West Dean House to go to auction in December.

Mel Draisey

Musician in plea for stolen violin

18 October 2016

A London-based musician’s equipment, including an antique violin, has been stolen and she is calling on the trade to help her find it.

Gordon Watson

Gordon Watson sells personal collection at auction

17 October 2016

Art and antiques dealer Gordon Watson sold part of his collection at auction last week, raising £842,939, including premium.

Furniture restorer fights landlord’s development plans

17 October 2016

A north London independent antique restorer is trying to prevent his landlord from redeveloping his shop.

Photograph of Wilbur and Orville Wright

Hand-written speeches by John F Kennedy and Theodore Roosevelt go to auction

15 October 2016

A hand-written and autographed speech by President John F Kennedy is among the lots from Malcolm S Forbes’ estate to be sold at auction next week.

Christie’s Beijing

Christie’s opens new site in Beijing

14 October 2016

Christie’s has opened its third premises in China with a new space in Beijing.

Girl with balloon

Banksy sells out at Forum Auctions

14 October 2016

Forum Auctions’ white-glove Banksy sale made more than £600,000 and set 15 records this week.

Mandarin Oriental hotel

Pelmets, plinths and pedestals: fixtures from top London hotel go to auction

13 October 2016

Fancy a piece of the opulent Mandarin Oriental hotel in your own living room?

Lepape's 1927 Vogue cover 'Le Miroir

Still in Vogue: 1920s magazine cover makes $50,000 at auction in New York

13 October 2016

An original 1920s Vogue cover by French illustrator Georges Lepape broke the auction record for the artist last month.

Stephan Ludwig

Forum Auctions formalises Italian operations

12 October 2016

Forum Auctions has formalised its deal with book dealer Filippo Rotundo’s Phiobiblon Gallery and will hold Forum branded auctions in Italy later this month.

Philip Mould

Philip Mould reveals his worst ever deal

12 October 2016

London dealer Philip Mould has revealed his “first and most stupid deal” and his regret at missing out on buying a drawing by David Hockney.

Hermès bag

Hermès Birkin: still the handbag of choice at auction

12 October 2016

The original ‘It’ bag, a Hermès Birkin, has proved yet again that it remains the world’s most desirable bag after setting an auction record for Fellows Auctioneers this week.

antique coloured diamond necklace

Russian diamond necklaces with Imperial connections given $10m pitch

11 October 2016

Two Russian diamond necklaces, with links to Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in Geneva next month with a $10m estimate.

Leakey collection

Out of Africa to Cotswolds sale – Leakey collection heads to auction

11 October 2016

African artefacts, jewellery and fossils from a family collection linked to the celebrated palaeoanthropologists, the late Louis and Mary Leakey, are to be sold later this month at The Cotswold Auction Company.

“Ill-conceived and badly managed” – new Stanley Gibbons boss savages old regime

11 October 2016

The new management of Stanley Gibbons has launched a scathing attack on the way the firm had been run after the collectables and auction group posted losses of £29m.

The Jam memorabilia

Paul Weller’s shoes among highlights of The Jam memorabilia auction

10 October 2016

Frontman Paul Weller’s shoes and bassist Bruce Foxton’s guitars were among 800 lots of The Jam memorabilia auctioned at the weekend.

Chinese musket

‘Supreme Grade, Number One’ – first firearm with Chinese Imperial marks comes to auction

10 October 2016

A musket made in the Chinese Imperial workshops, complete with marks, will become the first of its kind to be offered at auction next month.

Fine Art Group to launch lending arm

10 October 2016

Philip Hoffman’s Fine Art Group are to launch a new finance company targeting artworks valued between $250,000 and $20m.

Lucy McKenzie’s Olga Korbut

‘Frieze Week’ evening sale at Christie’s tops expectations

07 October 2016

Christie’s post-war and Contemporary art evening auction posted a strong performance last night with international bidders visiting London during Frieze week helping to bump up the results.

Mallett's Pall Mall home

Maddox Street premises to close as Dreweatts & Bloomsbury join Mallett under one roof

07 October 2016

Auction group Dreweatts & Bloomsbury will close their Maddox Street premises next year to focus on a new London location in Pall Mall.