These days there is a definite tendency to over-use adjectives such as ‘extraordinary’ and ‘inspirational’ but when these words are applied to the achievements of Margarete Steiff, founder of the world famous Steiff company, their use is amply justified. In the nineteenth century, to be female was almost as great […]
The Chad Valley Company was one of the most successful and best-loved of all English soft toy manufacturers and although it ceased trading in 1978, the memory of its golden years lives on. Today, Chad Valley teddies and other animals are highly popular with collectors for a variety of reasons. […]
Considered as one of the greatest fashion designers of the 20th Century, Yves Saint Laurent, sadly passed away from a brain tumour in June of 2008. The last of the traditional Parisian courtiers he was not only a celebrated fashion designer but also an artist whose legacy will live on […]
From the late 19th Century through to World War 1, the German factory, Wurttembergische Mettalwaren Fabrik (more commonly known as WMF) was one of the most prolific in producing stylish, evocative and elegant designs in commercial continental pewter and silver plate metal ware.
Following on from the very successful Franklin White Art sale at Unique Auctions in September 2012, the remainder of the collection including paintings and the Franklin White book collection are to be auctioned at Unique Auctions on the 10th June 2014. The Franklin White Collection is coming to Unique Auctions, […]
When considering the work of Ettore Sottsass, the greatest Italian designer of the first half century, you have to understand the meaning of his work as well as the design concept.
The latest Batman release from Sideshow Collectibles and Hot Toys is the Batman Sixth Scale Collectible Figure from the 1960s live action television series. The collectible figure is newly developed and highly detailed, specially crafted based on the image of Adam West as the iconic character Batman, featuring a screen-accurate […]
The glass of Emile Galle is attracting increasing attention among collectors, not only for its inherent beauty and refinement, but also because every piece, so far as we know, has that favourite feature of the collector, a signature.
Although Doulton Lambeth boasted many talented designers, there is one that invariably springs to mind when it comes to impressive imaginative sculpture. George Tinworth had an ability to turn his hand from humorous comical mice (click for more on the Tinworth mice) through to impressive biblical scenes. A skilled sculptor, […]
Optical toys such as kaleidoscopes have been popular for decades: children still play with stereoscopes which have been popular since the time of Queen Victoria, while projectors, toy cameras and many other optical novelties are all manufactured today.
