57 Polar provenance proves priceless


When artefacts from these expeditions turn up at auction, there is always a great deal of interest and the stories behind them are equally as fascinating. For example, after the loss of Sir William Franklin’s Expedition to find the North- west passage in 1845 aboard HMS Terror and HMS Erebus, several expeditions were sent to discover their fate. One such expedition was that of Sir Edward Belcher’s of 1852/3/4 on which Admiral George Richards KCB, Commander of HMS As- sistance was a member. His personal sledge flag was used on this and subsequent expeditions in 1875 and, when offered at auction at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood, achieved £7,000. Even something as mundane as a dinner plate or a tea cup and saucer can become significant when its history and provenance is revealed. Polar expeditions often took spe- cially made dinner and tea services like the 1875 expedition plate shown here. The Admiralty-led expedition, which also included the Discovery, was an attempt to reach the Pole by way of Smith’s Sound. In spite of a near disas- ter owing to inap- propriate clothing, equipment and both crews suffer- ing from scurvy, the expedition did on


T


May 12 1876 achieve the most Northerly


he fascination with Polar exploration has been a century’s long tale of the toughness and resilience of the men who undertook feats of huge bravery.


Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood Okehampton Street, Exeter. EX4 1DU Tel: 01392 413100 www.bhandl.co.uk


recorded latitude. This provenance helped it achieve £750 at auction. Likewise the Doulton Burslem porcelain cup and saucer for the British Antarctic Expedition 1901-1904 organ- ised by the Royal Society and the Royal Geographic Society was famous for including both Scott and Shackleton. A diary entry for 8th September 1901 rues the fact that the wardroom china was being used in base camp and ‘the breakages con- tinue in vast quantities in our pantry and only eight teacups are left’. Great provenance again which helped it achieve £4,000 at auction. As the world grows smaller thanks to digital technology and GPS it seems that there is less opportunity to venture into the unknown. Howev- er, looking at the crew aboard RYS Terra-Nova in this photograph by expedition photographer Herbert Ponting (1870-1935) struggling in a gale to sail to the Antarctic even before setting out to trek to the South Pole (sold for £5,100), it perhaps gives one a sense of adventure and wonder of the expedition itself. Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood are


inviting entries for their forthcoming Maritime auction, to be held on Wednesday 14th


August 2019.


For further details please call Brian Goodison-Blanks on 01392 413100


ANTIQUES & JEWELLERY VALUATION DAYS


Tuesday 2nd July Tuesday 3rd September Harbour House The Promenade Kingsbridge 10.00am - 1.00pm


All enquiries please call 01392 413100


A Cartier 18ct. gold ‘novelty’ duck brooch Sold for £17,000


St. Edmund’s Court, Okehampton Street, Exeter. EX4 1DU T: 01392 413100 W: www.bhandl.co.uk


E: enquiries@bhandl.co.uk


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