World War Two photo archive and pistols go under hammer at Shrewsbury auction
A collection of 30 flintlock pistols from the 18th and 19th centuries and a fascinating archive of more than 1,500 Second World War press photographs will be going up for auction in Shropshire later this year.
Letters from a press-ganged Irish American sailor are also among the early consignments to the next militaria auction at Shrewsbury-based Halls Fine Art on August 21.
Entries for the auction are being accepted until July 12 and Halls Fine Art’s militaria and medals specialist Caroline Dennard will be holding free valuation days by appointment at the company’s Battlefield headquarters on April 25 and June 21 from 10am to 4pm.
The single-owner collection of pistols, which has been consigned by a Shropshire vendor, carries at estimate of £6,000 to £8,000.
This collection includes a rare English flintlock three-barrelled, tap action travelling pistol made in around 1790 by London gunmaker Twigg, which is valued at up to £1,500.
The auction will also include the first part of a fascinating archive of Second World War press photography from a Shropshire vendor, which is expected to fetch around £4,000. The archive was originally based in the West Midland.
Based on her experience of selling smaller similar collections, Caroline believes the archive could make “considerably more” at auction.
“The archive has been arranged thematically, depicting all three branches of the British military alongside overseas Allied and Axis powers and daily life during the war,” she explained. “It even includes the Nuremburg trials of Nazy war criminals in 1945-’46.”
An example from the archive is ‘Second World War recruitment and Home Front Mobilisation, which includes around 48 black and white photographs by Topical, Wide World and other similar Press Agencies.
There are also three bomb shelter illustrations and a related letter regarding the Birmingham Estate Developers' Scheme for 3,000 shelters. Subjects include Trench Digging in London parks, Commandant Allen enrolling women in the Women's Auxiliary Service, A.R.P Activity on Hackney Downs and Hampstead Heath, sandbags being taken into the Air Ministry Building.
There is also a photo of Miss Kershaw with poster designer James Davies - Barbara Kershaw was chosen as the poster girl for the A.R.P, following earlier controversy regarding whether the head used on the poster issued by the WVS was that of a British girl.
Other photographs show gas mask distribution in Fulham, a United 'Save Peace' Demonstration in Trafalgar Square, recruits signing up for the AFS, kissing goodbye at the barracks and interesting London views.
Certain to attract the interest from collectors is a small private collection of naval documents from a Hampshire vendor, which extends to 15 lots and is valued at around £900.
This collection includes an interesting group of letters from an Irish American merchant sailor, Hugh McKibbin, who was press-ganged by the Royal Navy in Hispaniola in 1794 and tried to desert once.
The letters include 18 to his uncle and 12 various responses between 1791 and 1800. McKibbin eventually accepted the position of master’s mate reluctantly and served with the Royal Navy until 1800 when he is thought to have returned to Philadelphia, where his family had made a home.
