Padrayla Holdsworth July/August 01
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POUNDWISE Padrayla Holdsworth answers readers’ letters July/August 01 Dear P.H. the major London salerooms will I have recently spent hours trying to do. Let us know how you get on. identify the Doulton bird figure illustrated Editor. in the enclosed photograph, which appears to be an example of Model No. 429 or HN Dear P.H. 854. The former is imprinted on the base, I watched a programme on television about no reference to the latter. I purchased it lost gardens, and the garden they were recently from an antique dealer, after his working on belonged to the Fox family. I house clearance. have got a milk jug, a cup, two saucers and In the ‘Charlton Price Guide to Doulton two small plates that belonged to the Fox Animals’ this Model No. 429 is described as family. The wares show a picture of a small ‘rare’ without a price guide, but my bird house and the words ‘The Homestead of the differs in several ways. As shown in the Fox family at Hydesville N.Y.’‘The Scene of photograph, the colour of my bird is a the Rochester Knockings’ ‘3rd March 1848’ beautiful pearl, mottled with pinks and ‘Jubilee 1898’. What can you tell me about blues on a pale green flower holder and is 6” these? in height. The reference book on the other Yours F.S. Manchester hand describes the figure as green and yellow and 4” high. I enclose a subscriber Dear F.S. valuation request sheet, in The garden you refer to is Glendurgan anticipation of your assistance. Garden on the Helford Estuary near Yours sincerely, D.W. Halifax Falmouth in Cornwall. Created by the Fox family in the 1820s, it is not far from the Dear D.W. famous Lost Garden of Heligan. No. 429 HN 854, the 4” high budgerigar Your items are in no way connected with this, was produced between 1924 and 1936. Yours but for all that, they are of great interest in Initially this bird did not get off the ground for is an unrecorded example and may have been themselves. In 1848 modern spiritualism Doulton, but now the sky’s the limit! a pilot piece. The photograph of your bird began when two girls, Margaret (aged 8) and has been shown to animal/bird specialists at a Katherine Fox, (aged 6) of Hydesville near Doulton fair and they had never seen one Rochester, in New York State claimed to be before. Such a very rare piece will excite able to receive messages from the ghost of a collectors, who would be likely to pay at least murdered peddler. Apparently he was able to the high hundreds, if not into four figures to reply to their questions by knocking a become its owner. This only goes to show number of times to indicate either ‘yes’ or that the real bargains are to be found from ‘no’. The two girls toured across the United dealers rather than salerooms! States spreading their ‘Spiritualist’ message, Thanks to Alan Blakeman of BBR Auctions and many others soon jumped on the same for help with this query. BBR Auctions, bandwagon. Mediums sprung up all over, Elsecar Heritage Centre, Nr Barnsley, South attracting large audiences. Yorks. Tel: 01226 745 156. Forty years later, Margaret Fox Kane, by Yours P.H. then the wife of an eminent arctic explorer, announced that it had all been an invention. Dear P.H. Initially the girls had tied an apple to a string Mr P.B. of Isleworth owns this small oil I have a small 7.5” x 9.5” oil on canvas, of a and made it bump along the floor, in order to painting of a jockey mounting a racehorse. jockey just about to get on a race horse, frighten their mother. Nobody suspected that The painting is signed J Dalby. The gold two little girls could invent such an elaborate gilt frame is 13” x 15”. fraud. Later, through training and muscular With all my thanks. development, the girls were able to produce P.B. Isleworth, Middx peculiar rapping and knocks which fooled everybody. Dear P.B. Your items date from ten years after the John Dalby (fl. 1826 - 1853) painted hunting exposure, but from a time when spiritualism and racing scenes and his works have was big business on both sides of the Atlantic. recently fetched in the £1,500 to £20,000+ They may have been produced as a type of range. It could be a work by the artist himself souvenir of the Rochester area. I have every or of the period but not all his work or even a reason to believe they are quite rare, and forgery. We don't know enough here to would be of interest to Americans, while judge. You should take the painting to a meaning very little to people in this country. Could it be by John Dalby ? specialist fine art valuer in your area. Any of Yours P.H. Dear P.H. wish to have it revalued with a view to About 35 years ago I purchased a dark grey selling it and would be grateful if you could metal ‘medal’ 2.5” in diameter from a junk send me details of someone who can help. shop. On one side it is inscribed around a Many thanks. bust - Arthur Duke of Wellington. Centre Yours sincerely, J.T. Woodbridge on the other side it states, ‘born May 7th 1769 died 14th Sept 1852’ - surrounded by Dear J.T. flags and what looks like a large bird on an I would say that the valuation you were given urn. And around the edge - ‘both as soldier is still appropriate as an insurance valuation. and statesman he earned the title of Father This means that a normal retail value, and a of His Country’. Can you please tell me likely auction estimate will be lower than what this medal commemorates? this. I notice the appraisal did not make Yours truly, T.W. Selby, Yorkshire reference to the mark, which is that for the Qianlong period (1736 - 1795). Nineteenth Dear T.W. century snuff bottles of this type often bear The commemorative medallion was produced this earlier mark. Your snuff bottle would be in 1852 to mark the death of the Duke of suitable for inclusion in a specialist sale of Wellington. Silver examples were produced Chinese works of art. With this in mind, you as well. Thanks to Colin Spink for help with could contact a local representative from one this query. Colin Spink, Antique & Collectors of the major auction houses. (Details have A visually attractive Thornton Pickard Centre, 35 St. Nicholas Cliff, Scarborough, been given). camera like that belonging to M.W of Bristol. North Yorks YOII 2ES. Tel: 01723 365221. Yours P.H. Photo courtesy of The Landbee Collection. email: [email protected] Yours P.H. Dear P.H. I should be grateful if you could explain Dear P.H. an ‘extra’ mark on a silver vesta case I have an old Thornton Pickard ‘Imperial’ which I have just bought. It is marked for Triple Extension camera that used to belong Chester 1919. On the opposite side on the to my father. It’s beautifully made of lip is a small stamp mark like an polished mahogany and brass and has four imperfect asterix. Do you have any infor- boxes for the photographic plates. Do you mation on the maker, whose mark is J & R know who might be interested in a camera C (although the C is rather worn and of this type or of any collectors club that could be another letter). could help me? Yours sincerely, S.P. Oldham I also have a collection of his old 16mm cine camera stuff - two cameras, a projector etc Dear S.P. and equipment for viewing and splicing and I am sorry, but after considerable research I editing bits of film. Any ideas if anybody have drawn a blank on your query about collects this stuff? Sorry to bother you but vesta case marks. I shall however continue I’d be grateful for any advice or guidance. to make enquiries, and if successful, will let Thanks, M.W. Bristol you know. Maybe a reader can cast some light on this. Dear M.W. Yours P.H. The appropriate collectors club is: Photographic Collectors Club of Great Dear P.H. Britain, 1b Church Street Industrial Estate, I have some prints of ‘Snaffles’ and would Haydon Bridge, Northumberland NE47 6JG. like to find a book that covers a wide range Tel/Fax: 01434 688 129. of the work that he did, with photographs. www.lightwave.demon.co/uk/pccgb If the book should be out of print, maybe The following are specialist dealers: Vintage you could advise somebody that could Cameras Limited of 256 Kirkdale, London help. Nineteenth century Chinese porcelain snuff SE26 4NL. Tel: 0208 778 5416. Betty and Many thanks. bottle 2.25” high, which J.T. of Woodbridge Les Owen, (The Landbee Collection). Tel: Yours sincerely, E.M. Rainham, Kent would like to sell. 01744 754747. Email [email protected] Dear E.M. Most cine cameras and equipment are of little I think the book you are looking for is interest to collectors, for supply exceeds ‘Snaffles On Racing And Point-To-Pointing’ demand. However some types are of value. by John Welcome & Rupert Collens, There will be interest in your Thornton published by Lambourn Press, in London, Pickard. Of course its visual appeal helps. 1988. Yours P.H.