Books and Manuscripts
Chairman Richard Bearne organises three book sales each year and these generate
considerable interest and excellent prices. Examples offered range from the finest
antiquarian books to 20th century works by Beatrix Potter and Agatha Christie.
We recently offered a set of 1st editions of Jane Austen's major novels, which reached
£44,000. The collection was an unexpected find from a property in North Somerset.
The various film and television adaptions of Austen's novels have increased interest
in an already vibrant market for her work.
The Books and Manuscripts Deparment at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood also handles
photographs. The firm's first major sale of photograpy was held (by Bearne's) in
May 2000 and consisted of the hugely important discovery of the Craven Photographic
Collection, comprising photographs by William, 2nd Earl of Craven (1809-1866) and
his contemporaries. This sale made a record-breaking £1.4 million, a reflection
of the rapidly growing interest in photography as an artistic medium of importance
and merit.
Our May 2001 photography sale continued this success, making £1.14 million (excluding
premium), and set a new British record for a single photographic album with £500,000
being paid for the Craven Memorial Album.
With the growth of this particular area of the market, there is real potential for
major discoveries. Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood has - and continues to develop
- a very comprehensive worldwide database of serious collectors of photography.
