W G Grace knocks bidders for six

CRICKETING legends bowled over bidders when they went under the hammer at Moore Allen & Innocent’s Sporting Sale at Cirencester on Friday, February 1.

The 36 prints represented an almost complete collection of The Empire’s Cricketers, published by the Fine Art Society of New Bond Street, London in 1905 and together achieved £1,000 after being purchased by four different bidders.

The collection had been split as closely as possible into their original 10 sets. Hitting a six on the day was the lot containing a portrait of W G Grace, the godfather of English cricket, which achieved £160.

The two lots containing the rarest of the prints -  Jimmy Iremonger, the Nottinghamshire all-rounder who was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1903 and also played football for Nottingham Forest and England, and Victor Trumper, still considered today to be one of the best batsmen Australia produced – each made £100.

The highest-achieving single lot was a mounted trout, which achieved £620. Auctioneer Chris Surfleet said: “It had everything going for it – it was Victorian, it was big and it was caught locally.”

The trout was stuffed and mounted in a naturalistic setting. The display case was inscribed ‘Brown Trout 10lb 3oz caught by A M Cummings, Upper Thames, 15 June 1891.’

Meanwhile, two Snaffles prints romped home, each achieving £540. The first, entitled If There is Paradise on Earth, featured two huntsmen chasing their quarry. The second, The Worst View in Europe, featured jockey Arthur Nightingall on the winner of the 1901 Grand National approaching Becher’s Brook, all the other riders having fallen.

Both featured the pencil signature of the artist early 20th century Charles Johnson Payne, better known as Snaffles, and each print came with an embossed watermark in the form of a bit, a sign of authenticity to collectors.

Surprise of the day was reserved for a set of wooden toys, which achieved £500 against an estimate of £150 to £200.

The 1930s chromolithograph-decorated cut-outs depicted a hunt in the manner of the famous children’s illustrator Mabel Lucie Atwell and featured seven huntsmen and women, two of whom were children, and six hounds.

The next general and antiques sale will be held at Cirencester on Friday, February 15. For more information about buying or selling antiques look on this website or call 01285 646050.

Prints of Jimmy Iremonger and Victor Trumper from The Empire’s Cricketers
‘Brown Trout 10lb 3oz caught by A M Cummings, Upper Thames, 15 June 1891.’	"If There is Paradise on Earth" after Snaffles
A set of hunting toys