Paper Collectables – Toovey’s Blog

The Ron Elam Collection of Local Yesterdays

The Ron Elam Collection of postcards is to go under the gavel at Toovey’s Sussex rooms on Wednesday 13th November 2024.

A photographic postcard of Moore’s “Presto” Motor Works in Croydon

A photographic postcard of Spooners Laundry vehicles off Wandsworth Common

“It’s by far the best collection of London postcards I have seen to date” said specialist postcard auctioneer and valuer Nick Toovey, who continued “it’s like a pictorial A-Z of central and south London. It not only offers a breadth of different views but also some quality postcards that will be hard to find again”.

A photographic postcard titled ‘The Ha’penny Bumper, St James’s Rd, Old Kent Rd’

A photographic postcard of a train in a street in Deptford

This remarkable collection was amassed by Wandsworth-based local historian Ron Elam. For several decades (from the early 1980s until 2012) he had a stall every Saturday on Bellevue Road, Wandsworth Common trading as Local Yesterdays. There, passers-by could browse his postcard collection. Ron sold framed photographic prints which were created from the original postcards.

A photographic postcard titled ‘Balham Station’

A photographic postcard titled ‘Entrance to Chelsea Football Ground’

Local Wandsworth resident, Caroline, remembers “Ron was on his stall whatever the weather. I remember him once being there when it was snowing! I would often stop, have a chat and look at the postcards. I enjoyed imagining how the area would have looked in times gone by.”

A photographic postcard titled ‘Petrol Pumps at Work, Head Quarters L.F.B.’

A photographic postcard of the demolition of the North Tower at the Crystal Palace

These snapshots of an era in time make topographical postcards so appealing for the collector. The window into the past shows how life was different in the city over 100 years ago. Trams and horses and carts join charabancs and buses in the hustle and bustle of the capital. Scenes that have changed dramatically are very apparent throughout the collection, but are contrasted by views that reassuringly don’t differ very much despite the passing of time and advancements in technology.

A photographic postcard of the junction of Harrow Road and Hazel Road, Kensal Green

A photographic postcard titled ‘New Cross Gate’

The collection spans over 100 albums and is generally organised by area, which is how the collection will be offered at the specialist auction. The strength of the collection lies in the Boroughs of Wandsworth and Lambeth, but covers all other parts of London and even other parts of the UK.

A photographic postcard titled ‘Alleyan Road, Dulwich’

A photographic titled ‘Lyndhurst Road in War Time’

“It has been fantastic having the opportunity to catalogue the collection and see so many different views of London in the past. I can’t wait to wield my gavel and see what they make on the 13th” said Nick.

The catalogue will be online at www.tooveys.com from Saturday 2nd November.

A photographic postcard of Titus Ward & Co shopfront in Battersea

A photographic postcard titled ‘Clapham Junction’

Early Motoring Celebrated by The Tim Harding Collection

Jill Scott’s no.84 Riley at Brooklands in 1930

I am excited that Toovey’s are offering the second and final part of The Tim Harding Collection of Motoring Photographs at auction on Wednesday 15th November 2023.

The collection was amassed over a lifetime of collecting by the late Tim Harding – a motoring historian who had an encyclopaedic knowledge of early vehicle marques.

The collection comprises photographs in all formats from full plate to ‘box brownie’. There are over 20,000 images recording the very earliest days of motoring to the early post-war era. Most are loose but some are framed and mounted, and there are also ‘family albums’ compiled in period.

A number were taken at Brooklands, the country’s first purpose-built race track. It was constructed on the 330 estate of Hugh and Ethel Locke King at Weybridge. Work began on the famous Brooklands race track with its high speed banking in 1906. It opened on June 17th 1907.

The ‘Double Twelve’ race came about because 24 hour racing was prohibited due to noise restrictions at Brooklands. As a result the event was divided into two daylight sessions and the cars were locked up overnight.

During the summer of 1930 the Double Twelve Race at Brooklands was won by Barnato and Clement in a 6 1/2 litre Bentley with Davis and Dunfee taking second in a similar car. 3rd place went to C. R. Whitcroft and H. C. Hamilton in a privately entered Brooklands Riley. They covered 1,629.08 miles at an average speed of 69.96mph to win their class. The no.84 Riley illustrated in the photograph was driven by Mrs E. M. Scott and the man who would become her second husband, Ernest Mortimer Thomas. They finished 6^th. Jill Scott, as she was known, was popular in racing circles and drove at Brooklands between 1928 and 1932. She was the first woman to complete a lap of Brooklands at an average of 120mph.

An Atalanta crossing the finishing line at the Lewes Speed Trials, Sussex

Brooklands was the only race track in the country and with the renewed interest in motor racing after the First World War local speed events were organised by small clubs. Amongst these was The Lewes Speed Trials. Just ten years after its first trials in 1924 it had grown into an important event attracting many of the top drivers of the period including Malcolm Campbell, Archie Frazer-Nash and Dick Seaman. The Atalanta crossing the finish line at Lewes evokes the heyday of this remarkable event.

The Tim Harding Collection auction catalogue will be online at tooveys.com from Saturday 5th November 2023.

Feed the Guns!

It’s not always the most expensive lots that capture the attention of our valuation team here at Toovey’s. Such was the case when specialist Nicholas Toovey discovered a fascinating view in amongst a group of London postcards.

“At first I thought it had been put in the wrong collection” said Nicholas, who continued “the uncaptioned view would look more at home with similar unidentified views of Continental Europe, perhaps Belgium or France, that was until I turned it over!” Fortunately at some time in its history a helpful owner had identified the scene in pencil on the reverse – surprisingly this postcard actually depicts Trafalgar Square in London!

A curious scene unfamiliar to most, the ruined church tower covers the statue of General Gordon and the fountain has become part of a destroyed farm house, there is even a windmill. On closer inspection the people milling around are not soldiers but people walking around soaking in the atmosphere of this highly imaginative fund raising event. As they walked around the artificial trenches, visitors were invited to place money inside howitzers and a military truck, or purchase certificates from the modified breech of a captured German gun, thus giving the campaign the name ‘Feed the Guns Week’. Held in October 1918, this transformation in London was the main focus of a nationwide campaign to sell war bonds during the First World War. These efforts raised over £31 million nationwide with captured guns making appearances all round the country.

The postcard, Lot 3128, will be offered individually on the 11th August 2015 with an estimate of £25-35 in Toovey’s Auction of Paper Collectables. Despite its modest estimate, this postcard provides a fascinating glimpse into the past and is sure to delight a collector in the near future.

The Art Nouveau Postcards of Alphonse Mucha

‘Juin’ from the set of twelve postcards ‘Le Mois’ depicting the months of the year — ‘Juin’ from the set of twelve postcards ‘Le Mois’ depicting the months

The artist Alphonse Mucha has been described as ‘monumental figure’ in the Art Nouveau Movement. His postcards are rare and highly sought after.

Art Nouveau was a reaction to academic art of the 19th century schools of Realism and Impressionism. It often combined forms and structures inspired by nature with curved lines.

Toovey’s postcard and paper collectables specialist, Nicholas Toovey, comments “Throughout my career the postcards which have delivered the highest sums of money at auction have been postcards of Titanic interest, those relating to the Suffragettes and the Art Nouveau movement.”

Alphonse Mucha, postcard, after a design for the Societe de Bienfaisance Austro-Hongroise

I ask Nicholas about the collection of Mucha postcards already entered by a Sussex collector into his next specialist sale to be held on 11th August 2015. He replies “Alponse Mucha has always been prized by collectors for his artistic expression of the Art Nouveau. In my opinion he is the very best of the Art Nouveau artists.” Influenced by his relationship with Sarah Bernhardt, the leading actress of the Belle Epoch in 1870s France, Mucha produced posters, advertisements and menus in Paris. With the exception of ‘Le Mois’ and some other seasonal designs, his postcards are generally small images of large posters or cover designs. Rich in the symbolism of nature they idealize the female form. The fluidity of the arabesques of their hair and the foliage still engage the senses of the viewer today.

My eye is taken by a postcard of a lady in a white dress, her arms are outstretched and she is seated in a throne-like chair beneath a crescent design. Nicholas explains that this postcard is a copy of a design for the Societe de Bienfaisance Austro-Hongroise which Mucha produced in 1898. He says “This card is very rare. It’s estimated that there are only between thirty-one and seventy-five examples in the world.” The palette is subdued, almost faded, which is typical of Mucha’s work. These particular postcards are chromolithographically printed, a form of colour printing developed in the 19th century.

The series ‘Le Mois’ is the most famous of the sets from the Paris publisher, F. Champenois, who issued most of Mucha’s graphic works. The twelve ‘Le Mois’ postcards have titles reflecting the months of the year, seen here is the card for June. Each provides a romantic Art Nouveau depiction of a young woman emblematic of the season.

‘The Lady in a Pink Dress’, a menu card distributed by Moet & Chandon

Strict postal regulations at this date meant that you could only write the address and fix the stamp on the back of the card. Therefore, space was left for your message on the front. Nicholas explains that, although not detrimental to the value, a premium is always paid for them in such wonderful unused condition as seen in this example. Postcards by Mucha in this condition can achieve over £100 for a single card. But they still represent exceptional value to the collector seeking a period example of Mucha’s work.

In 1900 F. Champenois published a set of ten menu cards after watercolour designs by Mucha. These were distributed by, and bear the name of, the famous champagne house Moet & Chandon. The design allows space to write your menu framed by ‘The Lady in a Pink Dress’ who holds a vine.

Toovey’s next specialist sale of Postcards and Paper Collectables will be held on Tuesday 11th August 2015 and entries are still being accepted. Toovey’s postcard and paper collectables specialist, Nicholas Toovey, is always pleased to offer advice whether you are interested in selling or acquiring postcards in this buoyant market. He is a member of the Postcard Traders Association and can be contacted on 01903 891955 or via auctions@tooveys.com.

Revd. Rupert Toovey. Originally published on 10th June 2015 in the West Sussex Gazette.

Maiden Voyage for Titanic Letter at Toovey’s Auction

RMS Titanic off Cowes ©Toovey's — Postcard of RMS Titanic passing SY Alberta off Cowes

Original Titanic Letter at Toovey's Auction ©Toovey's — Titanic letter to be offered at Toovey's

The ill-fated maiden voyage of RMS Titanic is one of the most famous marine disasters of all time and needs little introduction. The sinking of the White Star Line ship on 15th April 1912, after colliding with an iceberg, was made ever-more memorable with the 1997 award-winning movie by James Cameron.

Titanic in Dock at Southampton ©Toovey's — Postcard of RMS Titanic in Dock at Southampton

A previously unrecorded and unpublished letter, to be offered in Toovey’s forthcoming auction of Paper Collectables, was written on board Titanic by the wealthy American heiress Georgette Alexandra Madill, later Mattei. It details that the 1st class passenger had arrived at Southampton at 11.30am and, after exploring the ship, had set sail at noon. It also states: ‘The “Oceanic” & “New York” were moored beyond us and just after we had left the dock the “New York” broke her cables & drifted into our stern – it was most exciting!’ This lesser-known incident was very nearly a serious accident, caused by the huge displacement of water that Titanic generated. The two smaller ships were lifted by the huge bulge of water, which dropped into a trough; SS City of New York’s cables could not take this sudden strain and snapped. New York drifted towards Titanic and it is reported that a collision was only a few feet away, but a nearby tugboat helped take New York out of the path of Titanic. Madill shared a cabin with her cousin, Miss Elisabeth Walton Allen, and was travelling with her mother, Mrs Elisabeth Walton Robin, and her maid, Miss Emilie Kreuchen. All four survived the disaster, being rescued in Lifeboat 2.

The 3-side letter, dated April 10 1912, is on RMS Titanic headed paper and was presumably sent to the recipient, Doris, from either of the stops at Cherbourg or Queenstown. It carries a £2000-4000 pre-sale estimate and will go under the gavel at Toovey’s on 24th February 2015. The letter was discovered by Toovey’s during a valuation for probate at a local property. The deceased’s family were completely unaware of the letter’s existence and have no knowledge of how the recipient, the deceased’s mother, had come to know Miss Madill.

Also included in the auction are a group of postcards featuring RMS Titanic, consigned by other vendors. They include a detailed photographic view of the ship moored at Southampton, a view of Titanic passing the sailing yacht Alberta off Cowes, written on the reverse by the yacht’s owner, and scenes relating to the unveiling of the Titanic Memorial in Portsmouth.

Postcard of the Unveiling of the Titanic Memorial ©Toovey's — Postcard of the Unveiling of the Titanic Memorial