Latest News Articles by Tom Derbyshire
Machine guns gain dedicated units
19 November 2018As soon as the devastating power of machine guns in the First World War became clear, the British Army abandoned its earlier policy of attaching a section of just two guns to each infantry battalion or cavalry regiment.
Engineer works out how to keep a torpedo straight
19 November 2018It was a British engineer, Robert Whitehead (1823-1905) – working in Austria at the instigation of the Austrian Navy – who developed the first self-propelled torpedo in the 1850s.
First World War Armistice centenary: We will remember them
19 November 2018The centenary of the Armistice has been marked by the appearance of some poignant lots at auction revealing the human cost.
First World War veteran was also Polar explorer
19 November 2018The ‘heroic age’ of Polar Exploration coincided with the First World War. Shackleton’s perilous 1914-17 expedition was conducted against the backdrop of war in the northern hemisphere, while other earlier Polar explorers found themselves caught up in the conflict.
War’s human cost after the battle ends
19 November 2018The vast human toll of the First World War did not end with the Armistice. On New Year’s Eve 2018 Oberleutnant Friedrich Ritter Von Röth committed suicide at the age of 25, as a result of being shattered at Germany’s defeat.
Neil Armstrong moon landing memorabilia up at auction in Dallas
10 November 2018In 1903 the Wright Brothers put into the air the first successful aeroplane. Sixty-six years later Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon – carrying with his mission a piece of the propeller and section of the wing fabric from that pioneering aircraft.
Original comic artwork from the fantastic Bob Monkhouse Archive comes to auction
08 November 2018Bob Monkhouse was loved as one of the best comedians and presenters of his generation but few people know about the huge respect he is also held in by comic collectors.
Former Manchester United chairman Harold Hardman’s Olympic gold medal sells in Oxford
05 November 2018Harold Hardman’s journey from amateur footballer and solicitor to chairman of Manchester United in the era of the Busby Babes is a fascinating story in itself. But a medal coming up for auction in Oxford adds even more appeal.
Olympic football gold medal from 1908 won by later Manchester United chairman in Busby Babes era comes up at auction
27 October 2018Harold Hardman’s journey from amateur footballer and solicitor to chairman of Manchester United in the era of the Busby Babes is a fascinating story in itself. But a medal coming up for auction in Oxford on November 14 adds even more appeal.
Five unusual militaria lots coming up at auction
25 October 2018Focus on five militaria items ranging from a ship's bell marking a pioneering aircraft launch to a grasshopper brooch left as a memento for loved ones.
Letters from Japan by 'father of studio pottery' Bernard Leach sell at Somerset auction to a Surrey museum
18 October 2018An archive of letters by leading studio pottery maker Bernard Leach (1887-1979) has been bought at auction by a museum which holds the largest collection of his material in the country.
Boris Karloff The Mummy 1932 film poster could set world auction record in Sotheby's online sale
16 October 2018A film poster tagline of ‘Pratt the uncanny in The Mummy’ wouldn’t have been anywhere near as scary as ‘Karloff the uncanny in The Mummy’.
Cambridge saleroom Cheffins says strong prices have inspired a specialist jewellery, silver and watches biannual auction
16 October 2018Strong prices at auction for jewellery, silver and watches have tempted Cambridge saleroom Cheffins to launch a specialist sale dedicated to such items.
Five musical options in tune at auctions in the UK and US
15 October 2018Five auctions coming up featuring lots on a musical theme.
Antique arms fairs combine at Olympia
15 October 2018The next Antique Arms Fair at Olympia in west London will incorporate another key London collecting event, the long-running Park Lane Arms Fair.
Eyes right for two striking photographs by Cameron and McCurry on offer in American auction
10 October 2018If eyes really are the windows into the soul then two photographs taken nearly 120 years apart give the viewer plenty to ponder.
Female art designers in focus as London travel posters come up for auction in New York
04 October 2018If you enjoy ‘spot the difference’ competitions, a pair of British travel posters coming up at auction in the US will be of immediate interest.
Bernie Taupin property auction reflects successful Elton John songwriting partnership
03 October 2018For a man who left school at 15 to start work as a farm labourer and an apprentice printer for a local newspaper in Lincolnshire, Bernie Taupin certainly made the most of his future career.
Pick of the week: Heavyweight paperweight price at auction in Wales
17 September 2018It was of early manufacture, looked beautiful and the condition was very good – but auctioneer Ben Rogers Jones admits to still being mystified as to why a paperweight sold for such a hefty price at his Cardiff saleroom.
Dealers take up arms in London for Olympia fair
17 September 2018A Maori quarterstaff and an Indian suit of armour are among the diverse highlights being shown at the next Antiques Arms Fair taking place at the Pillar Hall, Olympia.