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The Ultimate Corkscrew Book by Donald A Bull

- Raymond Chandler on the English US: IN MY LAST American round-up, I reported on the sale at Swanns of an early printing of the Treaty of Paris that had been owned by the Reverend Samuel Cooper of Boston, a now largely forgotten but once key political and spiritual figure in the War of Independence.

UK: P&O’s announcement that they are refocusing their business immediately put the future of the antiques fairs organised by P&O Events in jeopardy, although Hugh Scrimgeour, chairman of Earls Court Olympia, feels strongly that they will continue.

Musical Instruments UK: NO fewer than four sales of musical instruments took place in London between March 15 and 17: at Phillips, Sotheby’s, Bonhams and Christie’s South Kensington (all 15/10 per cent buyer’s premium). Over 1000 lots went under the hammer in all with over £2.3m netted between the four rooms.

NOT a week goes by without yet another development in the fast-moving world of digital auctions.

US: A ‘FINE & RARE’ sale held by Pacific Book Auctions on February 25 saw strong bidding for botanical plate collections, with a very rare first edition of Description des plantes nouvelles et peu connues, cultivés dans le jardin de J.M.Cels selling at $22,500 (£13,390).

UK: AT this 595 lot sale the highest price came for the first lot of the day – a 19th century mahogany crossbanded longcase clock with a swan neck pediment, moonphase and painted dial signed Milner, Wigan.