Latest News Articles by Tom Derbyshire
‘Unique’ Emile Gallé lamp sells to Florida museum at $260,000
04 November 2016The Modernism Museum Mount Dora in Florida is the proud new owner of a possibly unique Emile Gallé Allium floor lamp which sold for a hammer price of $260,000 (£167,740) or $310,000 including premium.
New auction highs for ‘castle-top’ card cases at Salisbury saleroom
03 November 2016Smashing an auction record is one thing – doing it several times in the same sale is another.
Nelson portrait with Emma Hamilton connection at Charles Miller auction
01 November 2016An antique’s appearance in an exhibition in a gallery or museum can help boost auction value in several ways. One factor after the show is adding to the provenance: this item was so important it was selected for a landmark display on the artist or designer.
First World War Red Baron victim's aircraft fabric on auction in Bristol
31 October 2016Manfred von Richthofen aka the Red Baron is one of those historical figures with a high fascination value, meaning high demand for relics.
The Irish 20p coin from 1985 which could be worth £7000-8000
25 October 2016It is not always the most obviously valuable coins that make the most at auction. Or even the ones with the highest original value. A humble Irish 20p dating from the relatively recent year of 1985 is a good case in point.
Medals results tempt fresh vendors to try their luck
20 September 2016A good sale not only means a welcome bulge in the company wallet but also the tantalising prospect of more consignments to come.
Archive of Great War nurse brings £11,200 at Derbyshire auction
02 September 2016An archive telling the poignant story of one of the 300 nurses who lost their lives during the First World War sold for £11,200 at Hansons of Etwall latest sale.
Clocks by Big Ben and royal clockmaker on sale at Chiswick Auctions
30 August 2016London Bridge is falling down, goes the song. A bit further upstream, it turns out that the Houses of Parliament are actually doing the falling down.
Canterbury Cathedral Great South Window stonework up for auction
16 August 2016It is not every day you get the chance to own a unique, original piece of the oldest church in England still in use. If that is your desire, on September 24 your prayers will be answered.
Early Earth aka Black Sabbath memorabilia coming up at Sheffield auction
13 August 2016Ozzy Osbourne is famous for not only fronting the trailblazing heavy metal band Black Sabbath but also drink and drugs and wild antics such as biting the head off a bat on stage.
Usain Bolt Olympic 2012 stadium track section to be sold at Graham Budd auction
10 August 2016The Olympic Games produce magical memories and high achievement and few competitors have created so many memories and achieved as much as Usain Bolt.
Brian 'Braaq' Shields painting coming up at Lindsay Burns auction
06 August 2016Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In which case, LS Lowry must be one of the most ‘flattered’ artists around.
Screen collage by Joe Orton's lover and killer Kenneth Halliwell at auction
04 August 2016August 9, 1967. That was the day when Kenneth Halliwell killed his lover Joe Orton using a hammer. Nine blows to the head. Halliwell then committed suicide.
Golf gold medal from 1904 St Louis Olympic Games tees off at Christie's auction
03 August 2016When American amateur golfer Robert E Hunter won a gold medal at the 1904 Olympics he could not have ever envisaged that the next chance to compete in the Games would be 2016.
Golden Age of Polar exploration inspires at Bonhams exhibition and DNW auction
02 August 2016The Golden Age of Polar exploration is a constant source of fascination. Essentially, this period is the first three decades of the 20th century, when names such as Shackleton, Scott, Amundsen and Peary came to fame.
Appeal launched to save the Wold Newton Roman coin hoard for public collections
30 July 2016How much would 700 chickens, 2000 of the finest fish or 11,000 pints of beer cost you these days? A hoard of 1857 Roman coins discovered in the north of England would buy any of those options.
Peter Wilson tribal art auctions show African influence on Pablo Picasso and Cubism
29 July 2016Pablo Picasso is revered as a key pioneer of Cubism, the radical approach to representing reality that he spearheaded with Georges Braque in the early 1900s. As with so many art movements, its roots extend further back, however.
1933 AC Ace close coupled fixed head coupe barn find sells at auction for £19,000
28 July 2016Flat tyres and a thick film of dust, dirt and grime. Last on the road in the 1960s. It doesn’t exactly scream ‘buy me’. Especially for a £19,000 hammer price. Not to mention the fact that it’s going to cost you many thousands more to restore.
Paper peepshows from Gestetner collection given to the V&A
28 July 2016Without computers, virtual reality was a very different concept 200 years ago. Clever use of optics and illusion was the key, as a paper peepshow collection given to London’s Victoria and Albert Museums demonstrates beautifully.
Memento mori jewellery deadly serious at auction
27 July 2016A skull and crossbones ring or a skeleton on a chain are now likely to be seen hanging from a Goth looking like they have just stepped out of a Tim Burton film or heading for the biannual Whitby music fest.