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Click here to subscribeBernard Leach (1897-1978): A Stoneware Jar and Cover, tenmoku glaze with sloping facetted sides, St Ives seal and BL and St Ives, seals obscured by glaze, 27cm diameter, 28cm high See illustration With photograph inscribed on reverse in print and black ink "I, David Leach, confirm that the item illustrated overleaf was made and/or decorated by Bernard Leach, (signed) David Leach (printed) David Leach, Lot 253
BAXTER (Richard) A Petition for Peace: with the Reformation of the Liturgy, London 1661, small 4to, slight cropping, part in black letter; A Saint or a Brute, London: by R.W. for Francis Tyton 1662, small 4to, age-staining, upper board detached; [BOREMAN (Robert)] Autokatakritos or Hypocrisie Unvail'd and Jesuitisme Unmaskt, in a Letter to Mr R.Baxter, London: for R.Royston 1662, small 4to, later half bound; Sacrilegious Desertion of the Holy Ministery Rebuked, 1672, 12mo, bound with The Agreement of divers Ministers of Christ in the County of Worcester.., 2nd edition 1656, somewhat time worn and stained, second title page with tear and loss to part of title, ownership signature of [Rev] Thomas Jackson, damaged later calf; A Discourse of the Nature, Ends and Difference of the Two Covenants, London: by J.Darby for Richard Chiswell 1673, small 8vo, errata corrected by hand, adverts at end, some leaves a little cropped at head, provenance: the library of the Rev Thomas Jackson with Wesleyan Theological Institution/James Heald bookplate, damaged rebacked calf; Stubbes, Baxter, Burgess, et al. Miscellaneous Addresses and Sermons, 1617-1678, portrait frontispiece of Stubbes and his Sayings heavily cropped (first item), cropping also to Perkins' Foundation of Christian Religion (1617), later worn green calf, aeg (6) Provenance: Wesley House Library, Cambridge
Thetis Blacker 1927-2006, British, 'Sparrow in the eye of the Simurgh', batik painting, PROVENANCE; This item does not form part of the Estate of Thetis Blacker and is included by permission of the beneficiaries having been purchased from Thetis Blacker some years ago by the vendors h: 15.50 x w: 20 in.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO - 1935 Silver Jubilee 2c to 24c each with 'Extra Flagstaff' var (SG 239a/42a) tied to Government House Trinidad envelope by Port of Spain cdss and addressed to Sir C. Hollis (Sir Alfred Claud Hollis, the then Governor), 2c and 3c stamps with a few small rust spots nevertheless a remarkable item
‘With the ensign at half-mast, and the Union Jack as a pall, the funeral procession, attended by all but four very bad cases, started at nine o’clock, and the burial service being read, the remains were consigned to their last icy resting place in this world. Improvising a crude cross, formed with a boat’s oar and a spare sledge-batten, it was placed at the head of the grave, with the following inscription: ‘Beneath this cross lie buried the remains of Geo. Porter, R.M.A., who died on June 8th 1876. Thy will be done. ‘Of all the melancholy and mournful duties I have ever had to perform, this has been the saddest. A death in a small party like ours, and under the present circumstances, is a most distressing event, and is keenly felt by all. During the service all were more or less affected, and many to tears.’ Commander A. H. Markham’s Northern Sledge Party Journal refers. A rare and emotive Arctic 1875-76 Medal awarded to Gunner G. Porter, Royal Marine Artillery, a member of Markham’s Northern Sledge Party whose sacrifice was commemorated by the naming of ‘Porter Bay ‘on the northern coast of Ellesmere Island Arctic Medal 1875-76 (G. Porter, Gnr., R.M.A., H.M.S. Alert), edge bruising, very fine £5000-6000 Ex J. B. Hayward (Gazette No. 7, June 1976, Item 198); of four casualties from the 1875-76 Expedition, the Arctic Medals of two of them reside in public institutions. George Porter enlisted in the Royal Marine Artillery in Birmingham in September 1866, aged 18 years, giving his trade as varnisher. Having then collected one Good Conduct Badge, he committed a spate of misdemeanours in the period 1869-74, ranging from absence without leave to the loss of a ‘rammer overboard through carelessness at gun drill’, the cost of which latter implement was deducted from his wages. Then in April 1875, he joined the Alert, under Captain George Nares, in which ship, in the following month, he sailed for the unknown ‘High Arctic ‘, where, in company with the Discovery, Nares was to explore North-West Greenland and the northern regions of Ellesmere Island. For his own part, Porter was one of just seven R.M.A. men employed on the expedition, and indeed one of only 13 such servicemen who qualified for either of the Arctic Medals issued in the 19th century. And in common with his R.M.A. predecessors from the Franklin Search Expeditions, Porter was tasked with handling cannisters of gunpowder to blast frozen obstructions, and in creating ‘ice docks’ for the ships' winter quarters, the latter work again entailing the use of gunpowder, and of giant ice saws. Another duty he shared with his predecessors was that of officers’ servant, in Porter’s case to Lieutenant Pelham Aldrich, who, in his journal entry of 8 August 1875, observed: ‘My servant Porter is a character. He has just been telling me of a dinner he has had of the heart of a Walrus, which he captured this morning. I expressed a hope he would not be ill after it - "That is if it is good to eat" says he, alluding to a remark he had made about it being better than some sheep's liver we had the other morning! - and then he finished up with "I eat a tidy lot of it Sir" - "this 'Eart was ate too Sir" - I am to have some this morning though somewhat doubtful in the subject it is nevertheless a good thing to find out what we can actually devour with infinity in case of future requirements.’ By late August, the ships had reached Discovery Harbour, on the northern side of Lady Franklin Bay, Ellesmere Island, the site chosen for Discovery’s winter quarters. The Alert, meanwhile, continued up Robeson Channel to Floeberg Beach, to 82¼ 82'N - the highest latitude reached by any ship up to that time - and established her winter quarters on 1 September. Shortly afterwards, Autumn sledge parties established depots northward at Cape Joseph Henry for extended journeys the following spring, but at this stage, at least, Porter would appear to have been spared such challenging work - and the accompanying threat of snowblindness, frostbite, blistering of the skin and extreme thirst caused by inhaling cold, dry air and exhaling moisture. Instead, happily, he added a second Good Conduct Badge to his accolades on New Year’s Day 1876. Markham’s Northern Sledging Party In the Spring, three major sledging parties - two from Alert and one from Discovery - set out to explore toward the North Pole and along the north coasts of Ellesmere Island and Greenland, the journey ahead being likened by one Arctic officer to far worse than going into action - in fact he had never ‘seen such labour, and such misery after. No amount of money is an equivalent .. Men require much more heart and stamina to undertake an extended travelling party than to go into action. The travellers have their enemy chilling them to the very heart, and paralyzing their very limbs; the others the very contrary.’ And so it was, on 3 April, that Lieutenant Aldrich's Western Sledge Party and Commander Albert H. Markham's Northern Sledge Party left the ship, along with supporting sledges. Markham's party comprised H.M. Sledges Support, Marco Polo (with a boat) and Victoria (with another boat and Porter), the object of the journey being to attain the highest northern latitude possible, and to determine to possibility of a more fully equipped party reaching the North Pole. The departure was poignantly described by Markham: ‘At eleven o'clock, everything being in readiness for a start, all hands assembled on the floe, and prayers were read by [Reverend] Pullen. The hymn, "[Praise] God, From Whom All Blessings Flow," was then sung, after which the order was given to "fall in," and amidst the hearty cheers of those few who were left behind, the sledging parties moved off. The captain and officers accompanied us for a short distance, when, wishing us God-speed, they turned to go back. This was a signal for three cheers from the travellers, after which they settled down to their work, and the march was steadily commenced.’ Shortly after leaving the Alert, Markham noted a temperature of 33¼ below zero and described the travelling as ‘by no means good, snow deep, and the sledges dragging very heavily’, the former factor ‘rendering the task of writing up our journals when we halted extremely unpleasant and painful’: on the second day the temperature plummeted to 45¼ below zero. And by 10 April, after marching nine to ten hours every day, Markham wrote, ‘We experienced heavy work in cutting a road [with pick axe and shovel] through the line of shore hummocks that gird the coast, and did not succeed in reaching the depot [at Cape Joseph Henry] until eleven o'clock.’ Here the Northern Sledge Party collected provisions for 63 days. The next morning was thick and foggy, to which was added a heavy snow fall. The supporting sledges returned to the ship, and the two extended parties pressed onward: the Northern Sledge Party leaving terra firma and pushing straight out onto the rugged polar pack, while the Western Sledge Party continued exploration of Ellesmere's coast to the westward. Markham's sledges Marco Polo, Victoria and Support weighed a total of 6,079 lbs. - 15 men were dragging a staggering 405 lbs. per man - which offers some appreciation of the effort it took to get through the snow and over hummocks of ice as high as 20-30 feet. No surprises then that Markham observed, ‘The men appear a good deal done up.’ On 14 April, one of them complained of a ‘pain in his ankle and knee, both of which exhibited slight symptoms of puffiness’, and two days later he was unable to walk and was obliged to be put on a sledge, adding to the burden of his comrades. The temperature was 30¼ below zero and ‘all unanimously came to the conclusion that it was the most wretched and miserable Easter Sunday that any one of us has ever passed’: doubtless this was especially true for George Porter, who began complaining of stiff knees, which were
The uniquely dated ‘Discovery Investigations ‘Polar Medal in bronze awarded to Netman D. Kennedy, late Pilotage Service and afterwards Royal Navy: as a result of the hardships endured by such men - Kennedy spent six seasons in Antarctica - the international whale conservation programme was set in motion Polar Medal 1904, G.VI.R., bronze, 1 clasp, Antarctic 1929-34 (Duncan Kennedy), in its case of issue, extremely fine £2800-3200 Ex J. B. Hayward (Gazette No. 2, July 1974, Item No. 283). Duncan Kennedy, who was born in Greenock, Scotland in January 1888, served in the Pilotage Service in the Great War and was awarded the British War and Mercantile Marine War Medals. Previous to joining the Royal Research Ship Discovery II in 1929, he was a fisherman, so it seems natural that he was rated as a Netman - a Petty Officer responsible for operating the various-sized nets used to collect marine specimens - and having served through six Antarctic seasons aboard the Discovery II, he became one of just two Netman awarded the Polar Medal in bronze - and the only man to receive the clasp dated 1929-34. Kennedy and the Antarctic 1929-34 ‘Discovery Investigations ‘As early as 1917, it was recognized that whales were in danger of being hunted to extinction, as a result of which a British Government inter-departmental committee was set up to review the excesses of the whaling industry which then flourished in the Antarctic. However, it was not until 1923 that a committee with the required finances and authority was established to make ‘a serious attempt to place the whaling industry on a scientific basis’. The depletion of whale stocks could be avoided only by controlling the whaling industry, but effective control could not be planned for a painfully simple reason: not enough was known about the habits of whales, their distribution and migration, or of their main food - the shrimp known as krill. Kennedy thus became part of this historic scientific programme that spanned over a quarter of a century. Initially, Scott's old ship, the Discovery, was purchased by the newly named ‘Discovery Committee ‘. Then, in 1926, the steam vessel William Scoresby was added to the initiative, and was tasked with general oceanographic work, commercial scale trawling and whale marking experiments. However, later still, it was decided to build a new steel ship to carry out the indefinite and ambitious series of ‘Discovery Investigations ‘that beckoned, the Discovery II being the result. And in order to meet unknown conditions, her construction required careful planning and much original thought, in addition to the provision of an array of expensive scientific and other research equipment - given the international financial crisis of the early 1930s, evidence indeed of the vital importance of the project. In December 1929, as Discovery II stood ready at London's St. Katherine's Dock, she received a visit from the King of Norway, who possessed a keen knowledge of everything to do with whaling, while her actual departure for her three-year odyssey was captured by a reporter for the Oxford Mail: ‘Hundreds of People gathered to witness the departure of the vessel and after two hours' skilful manÏuvring she was steered into the Thames, where much larger crowds were watching. As the ship glided from her berth girls crowded to the windows of the factories overlooking the dock and waved good-bye to the crew. One very pretty girl, more daring than the rest, climbed out on to a ledge and shouted "A Merry Christmas next week," and the sailors responded with a cheer.’ At 234 feet long, and displacing 2,100 tons, Discovery II was only a fraction of the size of the 10-12,000 ton whaling factory ships active in Antarctic waters. Yet she was the largest research ship ever to explore the Southern Ocean and both the scientists and crew had to take time to get used to a new ship under conditions of intense cold, storm and pack ice. In addition, working the instruments and winches required constant practice, and the surveys, biological collections and hydrographic work were more comprehensive that ever before attempted in southern waters. Kennedy's nets were used for collecting sea plants and animals and were of several different sizes and mesh. The mouth of one tow net was the size of a dinner plate, while another was believed to be the largest in the world, so big that a man could stand upright inside it. Indeed long hours were dedicated to the raising and lowering of such nets in all variety of weather and seas - hard and frequently painful labour on the part of Kennedy, given the prevailing climate and temperatures. Just such conditions that turned Discovery II into a Christmas tree by a combination of gale and freezing seas that sprayed the ship's deck, bulwarks and upper works, thickly encrusting them with ice. Torches of burning waste and paraffin were sometimes necessary to thaw the blocks and sheaves over which ran the wires used to lower nets and instruments into the sea. Under such difficult conditions, a sense of humour was a valuable asset and greatly appreciated by all, and Kennedy’s ways of speech certainly played their part in keeping his fellow crew amused, or certainly according to the expedition’s official photographer, Alfred Saunders, who noted: ‘He had a persistent but unwitting habit of mispronouncing names. One of his jobs was to look after chemical and other scientific stores in the hold. To him sulphuric acid became 'sulfricated acid', hydrochloric acid became 'hydraulic acid', and formalin became 'formamint'. Once when he met a sailor who had had a violent fall on deck still walking about, he said that he thought he had 'discolated' his leg.’ In the present context it is impossible to do justice to the many achievements and adventures of Discovery II and those who served aboard her, but the drama of one particular incident during the ship's second commission (1931-33) deserves the spotlight, for she became the fourth vessel to circumnavigate Antarctica - and the first to accomplish this feat in winter. In January 1932, Discovery II was on her first voyage deep into the Weddell Sea, the first steel ship to penetrate those waters, when, near the position Shackleton had first met ice back in 1916, she became entrapped, her hull and rudder sustaining damage, including a leak in her starboard fuel tank. At one point, on 26 January, her captain wrote, ‘Scientific staff and all spare hands employed this day poling ice floes clear of rudder and propeller’, and it was only with great difficultly that the ship was extricated from her perilous situation. In spite of such danger, the surroundings never failed to make a marked impression on the senses, one crewman recalling that it was ‘impossible to describe the stillness and the quietness in the Antarctic, not a sound to be heard.’ Another notable chapter in Discovery II’s Antarctic sojourn occurred during her third commission (1933-35), when she was able to lend vital assistance to Admiral Byrd's Second Antarctic Expedition. For, on 5 February 1934, the latter was faced with a severe crisis, his only doctor being taken ill with high blood pressure, a condition that necessitated his return home on the support ship Jacob Ruppert, leaving only a medical student with the expedition. Byrd, who could not even consider keeping 95 men in the Antarctic without a doctor, later wrote, ‘I determined then to get a doctor, or else cancel the expedition.’ The previous month, he had been surprised to hear Discovery II's radio operator tapping out morse messages on the airwaves - not that far from each other, the expeditions exchanged greetings. So he now sent a radiogram to the captain of Discovery II, then at Auckland replenishing her supplies, requesting assistance, as a direct result of which Dr. Louis Potaka, a New Zealander, sailed on the ship to rendezvous with Byrd's Bear of Oa
A set of three Deruta maiolica drug jars, circa 1600 each of baluster form with loop handle and spout, decorated with a polychrome garland of fruit and foliage framing a yellow circle with the letters 'S' and 'M' either side of the handle and a blue painted band labelled with the contents and the handle painted with an angel, 'SV LVPOLORV', 'OL ROSAT COMP' and 'MIV CITONI' (damages) (3) 23cm high For a similar example, see 'V & A Italian Maiolica' by Bernard Rackham, 2nd edition, 1977 published by HMSO, pp351 item no. 1046.
A silver sauceboat by Walker & Hall, Sheffield 1928; a silver toast rack by E.Viner, Sheffield 1931, a silver oval fluted dish by Deakin & Deakin, Chester, date letter rubbed, a late Victorian silver belt buckle by William Comyns, London 1895, two button hooks, a manicure item, and plated goods comprising a hot water jug, a teapot, a cigarette box, a muffin dish, sugar tongs, fish knives and forks, weighable silver approximately 303g (9.75 oz) in total
LNER steel 6' rule housed in a wooden box clearly stamped "LNER Whessoe Lane - Darlington". An unusual item not seen before. Whessoe Road is the site of the original Stockton & Darlington Works that transferred from Shildon to Whessoe Road in 1863 by which time the S&D had merged with the North Eastern Railway.
Large cast model of LMS locomotive 6220 CORONATION on original wooden plinth. Believed to be one of just a few made for the LMS Directors to commemorate the visit of LMS Pacific 'Coronation' to America in 1939 (actually 6229 Duchess Of Hamilton in disguise) for the World Fair. An extremely rare item, whether any others survived is not known. Painted in original colours of maroon and straw.
Southern Railway framed and glazed notice re Special Instructions at WADEBRIDGE EAST BOX. A stunning item that lists all the regulations pertaining to this box as far as single line working between Wadebridge East and Wadebridge West, Electric Train tablet regulations between Wadebridge East , St. Kew Highway and Boscarne Junction and also every Shunting and Platform Bell Codes for Wadebridge. Measures 16" x 12½", dated December 1931, Waterloo Station. A wonderful reminder of the one of the most evocative names of the former LSWR North Cornish lines.
Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway, Grimsby Docks Metropolitan Police Whistle complete with chain. A magnificent and very scarce item, beautifully engraved 'M.S.& L.Ry Grimsby Docks 7'. Also bears the makers name 'J. Hudson & Co 131 Barr Street, Birmingham. Research shows that only 20 policemen were employed by this company at Grimsby Docks and this is the only whistle of this nature to have survived. A unique opportunity for the whistle collector.
LNER A4 brass three-tone chime Whistle carried by A4 Pacific 4-6-2 Locomotive LORD FARINGDON. Built at Doncaster Works No. 1877 in July 1938 and originally named PEREGRINE. Renamed LORD FARINGDON in March 1948. Renumbered LNER 34 in November 1946 and became BR 60034 in March 1948. A Kings Cross engine until October 1963 when it was transferred to St Margarets Edinburgh for a brief spell, ending up at Ferryhill, Aberdeen from where withdrawal took place in August 1966. Cut up by Hughes, Bolckow at Blyth. Measures 13” x 5” and is mounted on a wooden plinth. A wonderful item in lovely condition.
GWR Sleeping Cars Towel Bag. Fine linen measuring 12" x 8", this delightful item bears the following inscription: "The enclosed towel is issued for the convenience of the passenger, with the compliments of the Great Western railway Company. The company respectfully request that the passenger will kindly replace it in the bag provided and leave it on the rack of the compartment on completion of the journey". Excellent condition and of considerable scarcity.
GWR Menu from the Torbay Express dated December 18th 1930. Typical, triple fold, six pages with the addition of the festive, holly border and having the 4/- Luncheon Menu on the cover. Also the list of hotels and the conductors name "F. Wray". Inside is the system Map with distances from Paddington to places of interest. Back covers advertise the Fishguard Bay Hotel with image and a page of special events for 'your Christmas Holiday' and also the Wine List. Some staining but a lovely item from 'Torquay Car (1)'
Lancashire & Yorkshire and London & North Western Joint Railways EPNS Wine Cooler manufactured by Gibson & Co Ltd., Belfast. A quite superb item standing 4½" tall with a saucer-like base 5¾" diameter and a cylindrical holder 4¼" diameter. The joint companies initials are engraved within the shipping garter on the side. Excellent, undamaged condition apart from some of the plating has lifted inside where, no doubt, many bottles of fine wine once sat.
Brass Single Line Tablet GLENFINNAN to ARISAIG number 25. A stunning item from a stunning location between Fort William and Mallaig. Scene of one of the most famous viaducts in railway history and in modern days, of the most famous 'schoolboy wizard' known, Harry Potter. Excellent condition.
British Railways Midland Region First Aid Cupboard. Standing 5' 1" high, 2' 2" wide and 13" deep, this most unusual wooden item has a fitted interior, a pull down working surface and separate partitions for equipment; almost a portable medical centre! Some hinges marked 'BR'. Contains a splint stamped 'Loco Le'ster' indicating that it was probably used at Leicester MPD. Comes complete with an original LMS Blanket.
A full-size silver plated replica of the Football Association Challenge Cup Trophy, the two-handled cup & cover realistically modelled and inscribed, fitted to ebonised plinths, with F.A. Cup ribbons, a superb display item, height 69cm., 27 1/4in.; sold with a custom-built portable and lockable wooden cabinet
An Evans of High Wycombe Limited black vinyl tub chair selected by The Council of Industrial design for the Design Centre, London. NB. This item of furniture is offered for sale as a work of art. It may not comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) Safety Regulations 1988 and for this reason, it should not be used in a private dwelling
Eero Saarinen for Arkana. A set of four tulip side chairs and another together with a single pedestal table with circular top. NB. This item of furniture is offered for sale as a work of art. It may not comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) Safety Regulations 1988 and for this reason, it should not be used in a private dwelling
Eero Sarrinen for Arkana. A set of four tulip pedestal armchairs with black vinyl seats, model no 116. NB. This item of furniture is offered for sale as a work of art. It may not comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) Safety Regulations 1988 and for this reason, it should not be used in a private dwelling
Eero Sarrinen for Arkana. A set of four tulip pedestal armchairs with black vinyl seats, model no 116. NB. This item of furniture is offered for sale as a work of art. It may not comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) Safety Regulations 1988 and for this reason, it should not be used in a private dwelling
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