The Darwin autographed manuscript auctioned at Sotheby's New York.
Darwin autograph manuscript sells
“The most significant Darwin autograph manuscript to come to auction” – according to Sotheby’s – sold at its online Age of Wonder sale on December 9.
Written and signed by Charles Darwin (1809-82) it includes an excerpt from On the Origin of Species.
Darwin wrote the page in autumn of 1865, four years after the publication of the third edition of Origin of Species, in response to a request for a sample of his handwriting.
Against an estimate of $600,000-800,000, it was hammered down at $700,000 (£564,000) or $882,000 including premium.
Shipping sails back to Dyrham Park
A view of the port of Bridgetown, Barbados with extensive shipping has been bought by The National Trust.
This picture, A view of the port of Bridgetown, Barbados with extensive shipping, by an unknown artist has been bought by the National Trust and will return to Dyrham Park in south Gloucestershire. The painting is thought to have originally been acquired by former Dyrham resident and colonial official William Blathwayt (1649-1717) when he was Auditor General of Plantation Revenues.
The oil on canvas was acquired from a private family with support from the Arts Counci l England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, Art Fund, a National Trust fund set up by the late Hon Simon Sainsbury, and a private donation.
Over the next two years the trust will research the painting before it undergoes conservation at its Royal Oak Conservation Studio at Knole, Kent.
Antiques watches stolen from shop
An antiques shop in Lewes, East Sussex, suffered a burglary of £17,000 worth of antique watches.
Police were called to Cliffe Antiques Centre on Cliffe High Street at around 3.25am on December 4.
Sussex Police said a 57-yearold man from Lewes was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary and has been bailed until March 4. Anyone with information should contact Sussex Police, quoting serial number 165 of 4/12.
Millar painting taken in burglary
Up the Hill Backwards by Alexander Millar has been stolen from a Cheshire home.
The trade is asked to look out for a stolen picture by Scottish artist Alexander Millar.
The 5 x 6ft (1.8 x 1.5m) oil on canvas titled Up the Hill Backwards was taken from a home in Cheshire sometime between November 13-15, when offenders broke into an address in Goostrey.
Anyone with information should contact Cheshire Constabulary quoting crime reference number IML-1413341 (or crime/occurrence number 22000837834).
Clay joins up with Catherine Southon
Victoria Clay has joined Catherine Southon Auctioneers.
Victoria Clay, previously at Olympia Auctions, has joined Catherine Southon Auctioneers as a junior cataloguer and valuer primarily concentrating on pictures and jewellery.
Nobel Prize medal on offer in Mayfair
Archer Martin’s Nobel prize medal for chemistry which he was awarded in 1952 – guide £100,000-150,000 at Noonans.
A group of medals awarded to the late biochemist Archer Martin (1910-2002) will be offered by Noonans.
Among the lots is Martin’s Nobel Prize medal for chemistry which he was awarded in 1952 for the invention of partition chromatography with Richard Synge. Their discovery had farreaching implications for analytical chemistry.
The medal will be offered at Noonans’ Coins and Historical Medals sale on February 2, 2023 with an estimate of £100,000-150,000.
The collection of medals, also including Martin’s 1960 CBE and a 1972 Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, are being sold by Martin’s family.
Mitchells appoints Millard to board
Auction house Mitchells of Cockermouth has appointed a new board member. Merseyside farmer Rachael Millard will become the first woman to be a non-executive director at the firm in its 150-year history.
Most read
The most viewed stories for week December 8-14 on antiquestradegazette.com
1 Art & Antiques for Everyone fair cancelled for 2023
2 Pick of the week: Gem supplied to Catherine II was found in a biscuit tine
3 Judgments made on London dealers in two separate court cases
4 Folk art pictures star in our latest pick of six auction highlights
5 Dramatic contest for emperor’s head at Sotheby’s auction
In Numbers
128
The number of years since the Adrian Van Sinderen Constitution – an original copy of the US Constitution named after its longtime owner – last appeared at auction. Last week Sotheby’s unexpectedly postponed its sale “to provide interested institutional parties with additional time to pursue fundraising efforts for a possible acquisition”. A new sale date will be announced later. See Books for more details.
