Antique desks to yield more secrets with the help of Paul Martin

Paul Martin, the popular presenter of BBC’s Flog It!, has announced he is to make further DVDs after the success of his first (more…)

Antique marquetry furniture to go under the hammer as Congreve dynasty comes to an end

Waterford is best known for its crystal glass; however, it’s also the location of Ireland’s famous Mount Congreve estate, where antique marquetry furniture and other effects are expected to raise in excess of £2.5m when they go under the hammer in May.

Mount Congreve is best known for its world famous gardens, the only part open to the public. Built in 1760 for the influential Congreve family, the house was passed on by successive inheritance through the male line of the family, until this abruptly came to an end with the death of Ambrose Congreve in 2011. The estate was left to the Irish State, and while the gardens are to remain open to the public, the antique cabinets, Victorian dining chairs and other treasures are to be sold at two auctions, being held by Christie’s of London and Mealy’s of Waterford on 23rd May and 10th July respectively.

The collection at Mount Congreve has evolved over generations, with each male heir placing his own unique stamp on it. The late Ambrose Congreve favoured French antique marquetry furniture, with one of the highlights being a pair of ormolu-mounted Louis XV Baumhauer encoignures, estimated at £120,000 – £180,000. A pair of George III Matthew and Ince giltwood side tables have an estimate of £200,000 – £300,000 each, while an estimate of £25,000 has been placed on a cylinder-type antique desk.

As Cumbrian auctioneers will tell you, provenance is everything, and many pieces originated from illustrious collections such as that of the Rothschilds. However, auctions incur hefty commission fees, which would not apply were the Congreve antique desks sold to a Preston antique dealer.

Antique desk has the advantage at Wimbledon

Antiques Roadshow visited the Wimbledon All England Lawn Tennis Club on 1st April, but the undersized antique desk brought along for evaluation was certainly no April Fool’s joke. It turned out to be a rare Italian piece worth around £1,500. (more…)

Did antique desk give young Dickens Great Expectations?

A retired writer has spent thousands of pounds travelling the globe, to discover if an antique desk he owns was once used by Charles Dickens as a schoolboy.

February 7th was the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth. On that day, the Daily Mail website published a story to intrigue readers from Cornwall to Cumbria (more…)

A tale of three antique desks

Three antique desks that were once used by Charles Dickens have been in the news recently (more…)

What the Dickens? Philadelphia refuses to loan antique desk to British museum

When a London museum representative visited Philadelphia’s Free Library recently, he thought they would be glad to loan their antique desk, which was once owned by Charles Dickens, even bearing his initials. (more…)

Antique desk made by 1851 Great Exhibition winner has a flying start

A Shropshire saleroom is to auction an antique mahogany pedestal desk made by the grandfather of the founder of the Sopwith Aviation Company. Thomas Sopwith, the maker, is also responsible for a unique desk with a single locking device, which won an award at the 1851 Great Exhibition – meaning the hammer price for this antique desk may go far higher than its upper estimate of £1500.

In rural areas like Cumbria and the Ribble Valley, antique desks of this quality don’t often come up at auction – but when they do, they are eagerly snapped up by dealers, who often have a great deal of work to do before they can be sold on to the public. While a 150-year old antique desk may seem like a bargain, it could have been heavily used during (more…)

How old is that antique mahogany pedestal desk?

In Lancashire, antique desks come in all shapes and sizes, from elegant portable writing slopes to massive victorian oak partners desks of the kind used in 19th century banks and boardrooms. Antique desks are extremely popular right now and knowing what to look out for is essential for choosing the perfect style for you. (more…)

Are Victorian oak partners desks finally realising their worth?

After suffering a large decline over the last few years, prices are finally levelling off for English “brown” furniture such as Victorian dining chairs and Antique Mahogany Pedestal Desks. (more…)

Make your antique oak partners desk a cultural icon

From antique cabinets to Victorian dining chairs , Lancashire’s historic houses are hotbeds of culture and history. However, a new government report reveals that many treasures in Britain’s stately homes and museums are only there because of regulations controlling their export – while many more priceless cultural icons end up abroad. (more…)