An account of a day’s imaging, including some of the most interesting pictures.
INTRODUCTION
This post is about the imaging I have done at James and Sons today. In total I have produced 180 images today (no, I am not going to share them all!), using the scanner for the coin lots and the camera for the rest.
THE BULK JOB – THE FIRST TRANCHE OF COINS FOR THE AUGUST SALE
The coins I imaged today were lots 1-50 in the August auction, except that lot 3 was missing. Images of both faces of each coin were required, which meant two sets of scans, and then some editorial work, resulting in three images for each lot. Here to further explain the process is lot 1…
The image that becomes 1-a in the images folder1-bThe two images joined together (1 in the main image folder.
I scan these many lots at a time at very high resolution (600 dpi), the exact number of lots depending on the size of the coins, and on the number of coins that make up the lots. The 49 coin lots I scanned today were achieved in four tranches (i.e eight scans in total). Here some of the more interesting specimens…
Lot 5
Lot 6
Lot 10
Lot 13
Lot 17
Lot 23
Lot 25
Lot 31
Lot 38
Lot 45
Lot 48
Lot 50 – last of today’s tranche of coins
RECORDS FOR EBAY
There were some interesting items here. In total there were 11 separate items, all boxed sets of multiple records, and I offer you a selection of images…
Unlike a couple of others that I imaged today this is not a duplicate – it is a different recording of La Boheme to the one that I imaged on Tuesday.
THE FINAL SESSION – MILITARIA
Having finished the records it was time to image some items of militaria. This once again required the camera. Here are are a few highlights to conclude this post…
I have lots of new pictures, relating to the James and Sons’ August sale (Wednesday 31st). Today’s imaging has involved two types of item…
MILITARIA
You will notice that one item that has been included with militaria is actually not so, but most of these items do count as militaria…
Lot 197Lot 198Lot 199Lot 200Close-ups of both sides of the medallionEven closer-up of the ‘heads’ sideEven-closer up of the ‘tails side’The non-military item.close-up of the heads sideclose-upf of the tails side.Lot 202The cover of lot 202Lot 203close-up of the medal faceseven closer-up of the obverseeven closer-up of the reverse
Now it is time to move on to the other auction items I had to image…
EPHEMERA/ BOOKS
This section starts with lot 361, which can be thought of as an anatomisation of a rolls-royce…
The rest of the items were not quite this impressive, but there were a few other good moments…
Lot 362362-a – this mag still has it’s fold out poster (highly unusual)366366-a (again still has it’s fold out poster)Lot 372 – a box full of old calendars – I chose to showcase this one.From the very early history of cricketEngland recorded an innings victory in this match, Arthur Shrewsbury battimg six hours for a then Englan d record score of 164The Gabba over 60 years ago.Lot 376 – a scrapbook featuring cars376-a377377-aLot 551 – a remarkable album551-b551-g
EBAY IMAGES
In addition to the auction lots I had to image a few records for sale on ebay (the pictures I have included were only some of the records I imaged).
An account, with lots of pictures, of the main thrust of todat at James and Sons.
INTRODUCTION
The catalogue for James and Sons July auction (27th, Maids Head Hotel, Norwich) went to the printers today. This post is devoted to the images that will be appearing on the covers (outside and inside) of the catalogue.
THE FRONT COVER IMAGE
Lot 151 was, as expected, the front cover image, and it went through several takes…
The original main image for lot 151The first cover imageThe second cover image cropped but not editedThe edited version of the cover image
THE OUTSIDE BACK COVER – COINS
All of the coin lots had already been imaged, but for the sake of uniformity of appearance I was asked to provide new images for nine of the selected coins…
THE INSIDE COVERS
While I had already done some of the images used for the inside covers, most were of new items that I had to image from scratch, which came in two categories…
RECORDS
This is now the third sale at which we have had significant quantites of records, and here they are in tiled mosaic form…
The pick of the above images were used to fill one whole page of the catalogue (this part of the process is not generally part of my job, although I am well capable of it – it merely entails creating a table in word with the appropriate numbers of rows and columns and inserting the images), while on the other inside cover as well as some other lots filling spaces left over were all of the following…
HATS AND HELMETS
Not every image below was used, exceptions will be noted in the captions…
This image was not used because having been adamant that he wanted straight on images of all these items the auctioneer then decided that this one could be best presented at an angle.The image that does feature in the catalogue
This image does not feature as it is a close up of some very impressive decoration.
After my last post was pure text I suppose you c ould describes this one as compensating for the photographic deficit!
INTRODUCTION
As well as items that feature in James and Sons July Auction I have some pictures taken in my own time to share.
AUCTION LOTS
The images here are some of those I have produced since Thursday…
Now for some…
NON-AUCTION PICS
SNAILS
These snails were brought out by early monring rain yesterday.
Moving on to a rather more garecful creature beginning with s…
SWALLOW
These three pictures all come from the same original shot, edited differently. Swallows like flying low over the Nar outfall, although they still fly very fast, hence this being my first successful shot of one.
A MIXED BAG TO FINISH
The first of five pictures from the Five Greatest Warriors (Matthew Reilly) to appear here – this is Genghis Khan’s shield, depiciting the six temple shrines wherein a pillar has to be placed – by the time West gains possession of this item two of the pillars have been successfully placed.Descriptions of all six vertices in the Word of Thoth, a language comprehensible only to the Siwan oracles
The first of two decorative plates in the window of the Salvation Army shop.
An account of a vote, a bus journey anbd a day at work.
INTRODUCTION
I am going to cover today’s events in chronological order…
THE VOTE
The easy way to make sure that you get something done is to do it early. Therefore I set off early from my flat so as to call in at the polling station before heading to catch my bus. My vote duly cast (Remain just in case anyone did not already know my intentions) I had more time than I needed to get to the bus station so I walked by a scenic route bagging a few photos along the way…
The polling station, with a couple of voters on their way in.
HEADING TO WORK
The bus arrived in good time, and the journey went without a hitch, helped along from my perspective by the non-stop action taking place in “The Great Zoo of China” (I borrowed the hardback earlier, see here for more details).
Just over two full pages which give an idea as to just how things are going to go horrifically wrong!
WORK
Not many photos from today as not much stuff was actually ready to be imaged, so I brought the database up to date. Here are images of the few lots that were ready for me…
Some of the highlights from the early lots in the July auction, and a few good links.
INTRODUCTION
Although the links I shall be sharing have nothing in common with the main part of this post, which is about the start of imaging for James and Sons July auction, there are not enough of them to justify a post all to themselves, so I am tacking them on.
THURSDAY: COINS
On Thursday the imaging I was doing was all of coin lots…
Lot 60, the lowest numbered lot that I imaged on Thursday (I scanned these lots at high resolution, a number of lots at a time – scan each face, and bolt together to make the main image……while keeping the individual images to enable viewers to see them in closer focus.
These ‘cartwheel pennies’ were produced only in 1797, because it was discovered that the amount of copper in them was worth more than the face value of the coin. They were therefore removed from circulation, which had the effect of causing a coin shortage.
FRIDAY
Yesterday’s imaging was more varied, featuring a few more coin lots, toys and some militaria…
This is lot 151, and will start the militaria section – the four sets of medals that I arrnaged around the commemorative plaque were awarded to four brothers who served together.The first of five close-ups of parts of the whole.
LINKS
First of all, a link to an excellent in=depth piece about the murder of Jo Cox, written by kittysjones.
Yesterday was James and Sons’ May auction, at Fakenham Racecourse, and today we had a badge sale at our shop in Fakenham.
WEDNESDAY
Our main auction was blighted by problems with the internet connection at the venue. Eventually we relocated the auction itself to Cool Roxy, the owners and trainers bar, while leaving the stock in the Prince of Wales Suite. This left us way behind schedule. Nevertheless, the sale was very successful, with five pieces of postcard artwork accompanied by sample postcards by a man called Twelvetrees selling phenomenally well, some old vinyl records selling well (a Black Sabbath recording went for £340), and many other items faring well. Among the lesser lights a book of photographs from King’s Lynn’s past went for just £4 (it goes well with my substantial digital archive of pictures from King’s Lynn’s present thank you), while a Cornwall Polytechnic Society medallion featuring a bust of James Watt (he after whom the unit of power is named, and who along with his distant predecessor Heron of Alexandria, his closer predecessor Thomas Newcomen and his near contemporary Richard Trevithick played a key role in the development of the steam engine, the first power source for locomotives) went for £11. In amongst all this I had to get images of the reverse sides of the some of the badges being sold today to resolve queries.
Overall, the early problems not withstanding it was a successful day, and here are some photos…
These helmet plates all did well
The model aerolplane was another success
The model soldiers (of which we had vast numbers in various lots) also went down well.
These mounted soldiers were one lot
The Twelvetrees artwork and sample postcards referred to in the text.
This map piqued my interest but was beyond my means.
This barometer has seen almost as many auctions as I have, but this time it found a buyer.
Had this been being sold individually instead of as part of a much larger lot I would have been interested.
A plastic case full of fishing flies, of which this is just a sample, sold.
The medallion referred to in the text.
TODAY
Today’s sale proceeded smoothly. Although no huge prices were recorded a number of items did better than expected. Overall therefore I think we can say it was a successful week, although very draining (especially yesterday).
Details of four significant press releases that I have put out recently.
INTRODUCTION
This post covers one particular qaspect of my work at James and Sons. Everything yousee has gone out between Thursday of last week and this morning.
PRESS RELEASES
I am sharing four of these with you:
MILITARY BADGE AUCTION ALERT
This one is about our upcoming auctions on Wednesday and Thursday, the first of which contains a few military badges, including both of those used in the image, and the second of which, taking place at our own premises, is a pure badge auction. I will provide the images, a jpg of the full document and a link to the original word document:
For various reasons instead of a dedicated auction devoted entirely to fund-raising we are incorporating the Great Centenary Charity Auction within our own programme, with lots in June and November being sold for fund-raising purposes. I have put out two press releases thus far about this:
WHERE MILITARIA AND SCOUTING COMBINE
The first press release focuses on a collection of medals and paperwork relating to Jack Cornwell, who at the battle of Jutland became the youngest person ever to win the VC. He was also a boy scout, giving an extra connection. I have a jpg of the press release, the press release itself and all the images I took of the various items:
The second Great Centenary Charity Auction press release is about an oil painting of the Poppies at the Tower by one of the two artists who created the real thing…
An account of James and Sons April auction, a plug for a petition to honour the Hillsborough campaigners and some photographs.
INTRODUCTION
The day before yesterday, at the Maids Head Hotel in Norwich, James and Sons had their April auction. Overall, the auction was a great success. Although the number of internet bidders did not equal that for the March auction, there were 180 internet bidders, and this was a one day sale whereas March had been a two day affair. I will also be sharing some other stuff, including photos, at the end of this piece.
GETTING THERE
My travel expenses have recently gone down, due to the introduction of an all-day ticket which covers travel on any Norfolk route save the Coast Hopper and costs £5.50. This did mean that I could not get to a Norwich auction as early as if I were to use the X1 route (run by a different bus company, therefore ipso facto not covered) but it was still a seriously early start, as I had to be on the first bus of the morning, at 6:10AM to arrive early enough to do everything that I had to do for the running of the auction. The run to Norwich was thankfully, save for the inevitable bottleneck near Hellesdon Hospital, a very clear one, and the bus arrived exactly on schedule.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE AUCTION
As I have indicated, this auction was a very successful one. The principal highlights according to my method of evaluating these things were in ascending lot number order:
Lot 78, a collection of British banknotes in a tin, valued at £30-40, sold for £65
Lot 87, a Lebanese 1 Livre note with a lilac overprint, valued at £25-30, sold for £45
Lot 232, an R101 Royal Airship Works cloth cap badge, estimated at £75-85 and sold for an eye-popping £170.
Lot 263, an Imperial German WI Zeppelin commemorative badge, estimated at £55-60, sold for £120
Lot 268, a British WWII Commandos Middle East cap badge (brass), estimated at £20-25, sold for £48
Lot 270, a WWI aerial flechette dart as dropped on enemy soldiers, estimated at £15-20, sold for £42
Lot 680, a postcard of the 1906 New Zealand rugby team, estimated at £10-20, sold for £45
Lot 714, a Victorian scrapbook assembled by Harriett Riches of Trunch, estimated at £40-50, sold for £90
Lot 715, a Victorian/ Edwardian scrapbook, estimated at £30-40, sold for £90 to the the same person who bought lot 714.
Here is a ’tiled mosaic’ of images of these lots – to see an image at full size click on it:
Lot 78
Lot 232
Lot 263
Lot 268
Lot 270
Lot 680
The main image of 714
714-a
714-b
714-c
715
PHOTOGRAPHER SNAPS UP THREE BARGAIN BASEMENT BUYS
I had contrived to arrange my breaks from computer work to coincide with periods when lots of interest to me were going under the hammer. The first such lot was number 460:
Don’s mugshot on one half of the stamps, him playing the pull shot (his trademark, and a shot about which he wrote a short piece which features in many a cricket anthology).
This was knocked down to me for £7, and better was to come near the end of the auction…
Lot 711 was a 1904 Erie Railway pass, for which a single bid of £8 sufficed:
The front of the pass.The back of the pass.Both sides of the pass.
Construction started on this railroad in 1835, and the first run along the full length of the route, from Piermont, New York to Dunkirk, New York took place in 1851. More information about this railroad can be found here. Below is a route map:
Lot 717, a print of old London Bridge based on the earliest known drawing of that structure, which is in the Pepys collection, attracted no interest from anyone save me, and was knocked down for £5:
A CALL TO HONOUR THE
HILLSBOROUGH CAMPAIGNERS
27 years ago 96 people lost their lives at Hillsborough football ground. Through most of this period people seeking justice for the dead faced a media and governments that were almost uniformly hostile to them, while the police force involved consistently refused to accept responsibility for the disaster. At long last, after a full inquiry and inquest into the deaths it has been established that these 96 people were unlawfully killed and that blame for their deaths lies squarely with the police. Just this morning I found out about a petition on38 Degrees to honour the campaigners who have fought so hard for this outcome. They are far more worthy of being honoured than many who have already been honoured (As a resident of King’s Lynn I think of Sir Henry Bellingham MP, apparently knighted for the great feat of having attended the same school as the prime minister, albeit at a different time). If you share my view…
Does this look like the start of a public footpath to you? It is, and you are looking at one reason why the developer who perpetrated this (with whose name I shall not sully this blog) are personae non grata in King’s Lynn
My contribution to this document was to scan the postcard that appears on the front cover.This is the only example of this particular £2 coin that I have thus far seen. I approve of commemorating Darwin, but not necessarily of the chosen picture (a Galapagos tortoise, or finch, or a map of the Galapagos islands would have been my choice).
Yesterday and today were both work days for me, and I stayed overnight in Norwich as I was attending an evening meeting in that fine city. I will not be covering said meeting in this post as I plan to write about it and about tomorrow’s protest against the possible closure of the Fermoy Unit in detail in another post. All my images today are presented as ’tiled mosaics’ – to view an individual image at full size click on it.
THURSDAY
Thursday was all imaging for the May auction. I finished the militaria imaging before moving on to some other stuff. Here a few highlights from these lots…
After the militaria I dealt with the coin lots that were unsuitable for being scanned…
These last two lots (three images each) are ex-coins that have been turned into jewellery.
There was then a mixture of items to finish the day…
Lot 275
Lot 392
Lot 397 – an item of local interest.
FRIDAY
Some of the last lots in theApril auction(this Wednesday in Norwich) were located, and there was some interesting stuff for the May auction to image as well. I start with some of those April lots…
This scrapbook is lot 714 – it has some Norfolk interest because the girl who assembled it back in the Victorian age lived in Trunch.
Lot 730 – four very miniature books in a plastic case
Lot 726 (two images for this one)
Lot 717 – an interesting old picture. One of Susanna Gregory’s Chaloner novels features London Bridge, and Edward Marston’s Elizabethan book-holder Nick Bracewell almost certainly finds himself on this birdge at some stage in his adventures.
Lot 725
Now for some of the lots for the May auction that I imaged today…
aspiblog 