Newbury

Thomas Sandby’s (1721-98) architectural drawings are significant part of the artist’s oeuvre.

Dreweatts offers a private collection of work by Gerald Benney, perhaps the key figure in the revival of British silversmithing in post-war Britain.

The tills are ringing once more at Dreweatts (25% buyer’s premium). Under the ownership of the Gurr Johns group, the Newbury firm sold by Stanley Gibbons for £1.25m in 2017 has received a welcome shot in the arm.

The term ‘Grand Tour picture’ is somewhat amorphous. It is mostly used to refer to 18th century and 19th century works purchased by wealthy young gentleman on their travels around Europe, particularly in Italy, as they ‘completed’ their education.

A group of 39 lots at Dreweatts’ latest Old Master, British and European Art sale on May 26 came from a descendant of the artist John Anster Fitzgerald (1832-1906).

Copies of royal portraits from across the centuries are something that always seems to catch the eye when you flick through (or scroll through) the reams of pictures listed in auction catalogues.

Chinese emperors certainly got the message when it came to artistic advances

This 2ft (60cm) tianqiuping or ‘heavenly globe vase’ is seemingly the only one known with this decoration.

Dreweatts’ May 18 sale of Chinese ceramics and works of art includes a 42-piece Chinese export part service which has been in the same family since purchase in c.1755.

Dreweatts’ (25% buyer’s premium) Modern & Contemporary Art sale on March 16 was led by some distance by the rare lead Mother and Child sculpture by Henry Moore (1898-1986) which was bid to £320,000 (see News, ATG No 2535).

It was supposedly as a result of a bet whether it was possible to make a camera that could fit into a cigarette packet that Noel Pemberton Billing (1881-1948) began work on a miniature, collapsible camera that would accept 35mm film.

China trade wares attract significant bidding at Dreweatts

The sale of Photographica & Cameras at Special Auction Services in Newbury on April 26 features this complete set of 'Tour Of The World' stereoviews by the Keystone View Company of Meadville, Pennsylvania.

Provenance adds cachet to a varied selection offered in regional sale after London first dibs

Henry William Dee, the son of Soho silversmith Thomas William Dee (c.1792- 1869), made a speciality of producing silver novelties for Garrard, Leuchars & Son and Asprey’s and other retail goldsmiths. There was real genius here and the patterns for many were patented.

For many years the largest city outside London, Norwich had its own silver assay office during three periods from 1565-1702.

Silver was the major strength of a recent two-day sale at Dreweatts (25% buyers’ premium). All bar one of the 549 lots got away to a hammer total tipping the £1m mark.

Former champion jockey Joe Mercer 1934-2021) was a keen buyer of racing memorabilia.

A rare large-scale Erzgebirge mid-19th century painted wooden market was one of the stand-out lots of the largest-ever Toys, Dolls, Dolls’ Houses and Teddy Bears sale to be staged by Special Auction Services (20% buyer’s premium) in Newbury.