Latest News Articles by Laura Chesters
Government issues export bar for Charles Dickens’ table in hope of finding UK buyer
28 July 2018A table used by novelist Charles Dickens is at risk of being exported from the UK unless a buyer can be found to match the asking price of £67,600.
US rare book dealer charged in alleged $8m rare books theft from Carnegie Library
26 July 2018A US book dealer has resigned from The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) following charges being made against him in connection with the theft of $8m of books from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
Persian sculpture seized from London dealer in New York to be returned to Iran
25 July 2018A Persian limestone relief sculpture is to be returned to Iran, a New York court has ruled.
Christie’s half-year results boosted by “historic” Rockefeller sale
24 July 2018The stand-out Rockefeller sale at Christie’s in New York helped the auction house to post first half sales growth of 26% to almost £3bn.
Fellows hires jewellery specialist for London office
23 July 2018Fellows Auctioneers is continuing its growth in London with the hiring of a jewellery specialist.
Market confidence as regional firms invest in expansion
23 July 2018Auction houses in Bristol, Staffordshire and Norfolk have chosen to invest in new premises this year. Suggesting continued confidence in the regional auction market, Bristol Auction Rooms, Potteries Auctions and TW Gaze are planning to open new salerooms by the autumn.
Disputed Antiques Roadshow Elgar score could be given to British Library
23 July 2018A dispute over the ownership of a score by Sir Edward Elgar involving the BBC and the former Conservative MP David Mellor could lead to the manuscript being given to the British Library.
Baptista opens in Grays Antique Centre
23 July 2018Portuguese silver and jewellery dealer J Baptista is to expand into London by opening a stand in Grays Antique Centre.
Ivory: Lords speak out against ‘kafkaesque’ registration rules
23 July 2018The so-called de minimis rule – the requirement to register items containing less than 10% of ivory prior to sale – has been criticised in the House of Lords as the ivory bill continues its progress through parliament.
Personal effects of former King Edward VIII and wife Wallis Simpson head to auction
19 July 2018A watch, writing set and magnifying glass belonging to the controversial couple the Duke and Duchess of Windsor - the former King Edward VIII and wife Wallis Simpson - will be offered at auction this weekend.
Ivory bill's "kafkaesque process of registration" criticised in House of Lords
18 July 2018Members of the House of Lords have called for amendments to the bill to ban the trade in objects made of or containing ivory.
Blockchain could be “subtle botox” for the art market but not a “facelift”
17 July 2018Blockchain for the art world is a big opportunity but caution is needed. That was the verdict from Christie’s Art + Tech Summit.
Staffordshire auction house expands in the Potteries
17 July 2018Staffordshire’s Potteries Auctions is expanding with a second saleroom to increase its auction frequency to two a month.
Sales growth buoyant for top auction houses for first half of 2018
17 July 2018Global auction sales at Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips jumped 21.6% in the first half of 2018, according to the latest report by ArtTactic.
Wiltshire sale will be heaven for helixophiles
16 July 2018A collection of more than 400 corkscrews assembled over 40 years by an “old-school connoisseur” is to be auctioned at Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes.
Rediscovered Lucian Freud and Cedric Morris Suffolk landscapes sell at Essex auction
11 July 2018A rediscovered landscape attributed to Lucian Freud, found under another painting, has sold at a top-estimate £30,000 at the Sworders saleroom.
Winnie-the-Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood makes auction record at Sotheby’s
11 July 2018The original drawing of the map of Winnie-the-Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood by EH Shepard has been sold for a hammer price of £350,000, setting an auction record for a book illustration.
Former foreign secretary and Christie’s chairman Lord Carrington dies aged 99
10 July 2018The former Christie’s chairman and the last surviving member of Sir Winston Churchill's post-war government, Lord Carrington, has died aged 99.
Calls for Elgar score to be returned after Antiques Roadshow appearance
10 July 2018The Elgar Foundation is calling for the return of a draft score of the Enigma Variations by Sir Edward Elgar shown on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.
Prince Harry buys first edition Winnie the Pooh christening gift from book dealer
10 July 2018Prince Harry has bought a first edition Winnie the Pooh from antiquarian book dealer Peter Harrington for his nephew Louis.