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Nautical Stock Archive - Page 1
These are some of the SOLD items that have been listed on our website
There are a maximum of 20 items on each page - our most recent sale is listed first - this is now quite a large reference record.
If you have a specific interest, use our keyword search to search the entire stock database.
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 | USS Maine Commemorative Quadruple Plate Dish - Manufactured by Poole Silver Co of Taunton Mass, we believe this little dish was made to honour the sinking and loss of the USS Maine (ACR-1) in Havana Harbour (Harbor) in February 1898 and so contributing to the outbreak of the Spanish–American War. The press soon got on the bandwagon and came up with the phrase "Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain! and this became a rallying cry for action. The cause of the explosion proved contentious but it served as a catalyst that accelerated the events leading up to the war with Spain.
The dish is made of Quadruple Plate which was a high quality silver plating and whilst it did not mean the plating was carried out four times it meant four times as much pure silver was used, compared with standard plating. The maker, Poole Silver Company was based in Taunton, Massachusetts, established in 1892 and were an early manufacturer of silver products made with electroplating techniques; they were taken over in 1971 by Towle Silversmiths. Our dish is named on the inside base to 'U. S. Baltic Ship' and below, whilst slightly worn, is the legend 'Sunk in Havana Harbor'. Below this is an image of the 'Maine' in relief, followed by the ships name in stylised form. Whilst not dated seeing the vessel sank on 15th February 1898 it must have been made during or after 1898 to commemorate this loss, when 260 members of her crew, three quarters of her total strength, were killed in the explosion on that fateful day. The underside of the base carries the makers marks as detailed above and in addition the number 518. We stand to be corrected but we speculate this could be the manufacturers catalogue number for this piece.
The dish measures 6.5" diameter (17 cm) and stands 2" high (5 cm), sitting on four ornate feet. The plating shows some wear, as to be expected after over 100 years and a slight bump to the edge around the 9 o'clock position but generally remains in very good display condition. How this item turned up along with a collection of British of Royal Navy related items at auction in Exeter, Devon we will never know but it almost certainly has a story to tell. Seeing this commemorates a pivotal piece of US Naval and national history we feel it is time to repatriate the dish over the pond. As with all out stock more detailed images are available and we are happy to provide a delivered price on request.
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| Pitch Pine Folding Yacht Table - Like the mahogany ships table we have also listed for sale today we have owned and used this table ourselves for close on 30 years but a new design scheme forces us to reluctantly offer for rehome. Whilst its origins are unknown it was purchased by us in the port town of Falmouth, Cornwall back in c.1990. It probably originally served on a yacht or launch where space below decks was at a premium. Our picture shows the top in the extended position and this gives a surface area of 32" x23.5" (82 cm x 60 cm); when the top leaves are closed the top dimensions reduce to a modest 32" x 11.75" (82 cm x 30 cm). It stands 24.75" high (60 cm) in the opened position.
Manufactured from a varnished pitch pine in sound condition but with marks and scuffs commensurate with use and the nautical origins are endorsed by six solid brass hinges. Sometimes on these table the legs also fold in to aid storage when not in use; this clearly was the case with this one but the legs were in the locked position when we purchased and we have left it as such although the original hinge mechanism is still in place but now non-functioning. We have found it a fine and practical piece of nautical furniture to own and whilst for sale a collectable we see no reason, if you should require a table for use on your classic boat, why it should not again go back to sea.
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| Siebe Gorman Admiralty Issue Diving Torch NSN-6230.99-520-1611 - Siebe Gorman & Co Ltd, arguably they most famous name in diving, have manufactured hand-held battery powered submarine electric torches for divers and the British Ministry of Defence since the 1920's. We have sold countless examples over the years but these have been exclusively the type most commonly found, normally with a chrome leather wrist-strap which is sewn on, with a bulls eye lens and four metal 'prongs' to protect the glass lens.
On this occasion we have been fortunate to secure a much rarer variant torch with 'Slide switch'. These were manufactured by Siebe Gorman between 1967-1969 and weigh in at a hefty 1.8 kilos or 4 lbs without batteries fitted. Made from high quality brass with an electroplated (either chrome or nickel) finish for added protection against corrosion. Our torch carries much of the original silvered exterior coating but it does show wear in the places you would expect, commensurate with service use. It is clearly stamped with the all important makers name Siebe Gorman and below the NATO stock number NSN-6230.99-520-1611 and below it is dated 1968. As all serious torch collectors will know the 5th & 6th paired numbers of the N-S-N sequence (called the 2-digit NCB) refers to the country of manufacture. For the UK the number, as here, is 99.
This torch supersedes the previous design and improves on it. A large separate 'O'-ring seals the lens housing; the batteries are isolated in a grey painted and non-conductive inner metal tube, and is complete with a conical compression spring at the end of the battery housing to lock three 'D-size', 1.5 volt dry cell batteries in place. These would give a maximum burn time of 1 to 2 hours. The torch is not fitted with batteries and we can't warrant if it is still in working order so for sale purely as a collectable. The rugged, simple construction of all Siebe Gorman Military issue torches enables them to operate within the depth parameters of most normal Royal Navy diving limits and is safe to operate down to 80 meters. Unlike on later torches it does not carry a wrist strap but there is a lanyard hole on the curved metal end plate which is stamped on this torch with an 'X' which we speculate is a Royal Navy quality acceptance mark. The torch measures 11" long (28 cm) and the diameter of the lens end is 3.25" (8.5 cm) It weights a hefty 4.0lbs without batteries (1.8 kilos)
As with all our stock feel free to drop us a mail and request further photographs so you can check out the detail and specification.
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| HMS Nelson Copper Tray - HMS Nelson was a Battleship of 33,500 tons launched in 1925, serving throughout WWII with distinction and won Battle Honours for MALTA CONVOYS 1941-42, NORTH AFRICA 1942 -43, MEDITERRANEAN 1943, SICILY 1943 -,SALERNO 1943, NORMANDY 1944. Having survived that lot she was finally broken up in 1949. These little trays were offered for sale onboard via the NAAFI shop to serving crew members and were mainly bought as gift for friends and relations back home. This came in with a small collection and are all period items and would make a great gift for anyone with an association with this fine ship. This example carries a stamped 'HMS Nelson' ships badge to the centre of the tray. Measures 3" diameter (7.4 cm)
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| HMS Galatea Copper Ashtray - HMS Galatea was a Cruiser launched in 1934 and weighed 5,220 tons and served with distinction in WWII. Her luck however ran out on 14th December 1942 when she was sunk by torpedoes from U-557 off Alexandrea. Sadly Captain Sim, 22 of his Officers and 447 Ratings were killed. These little trays were offered for sale onboard via the NAAFI shop to serving crew members and were mainly bought as gift for friends and relations back home. This and the rest of the small collection we are listing today are all of the period and would make a great gift for anyone with an association with this fine ship. Measures 4.25" diameter (11.0 cm)
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| Royal Navy Napkin Rings - A set of 7 matching napkin or serviette rings, manufactured by George Walker of Sheffield, a business established in Sheffield in 1845. He was joined by Henry Hall and in 1853 to form Walker & Hall. In 1963 they amalgamated into The British Silverware Ltd. together with Mappin & Webb and Elkington & Co. Our rings carry the company logo of W & H set into a pennant and in addition they are all marked KF18008 and are are dated either 1956 or 1957 together with a broad arrow military property mark. George Walker also manufactured napkin rings for the RAF but in this instance with the decorative naval design to the rims we feel almost certainly these were destined for their Lords at the Admiralty 60 odd years ago. Another desirable feature is four of the seven rings carry additional marks '26', '3', 'K5', K69' which we presume would have identified the original owner. The other three are 'Plain Janes' -or is that another expression in our PC world we are no longer supposed to use? I use it anyway, with apologies to any 'Jane's' reading this listing and I hope you know where we are coming from!
These are quality rings and the plating is all absolutely sound and whilst they would sit happily in a nautical or Royal Naval collection we see no reason why they should not continue to serve in their intended role for those special Mess Nights you may hold either ashore or afloat! Each measures 1.75" internal diameter (4.5 cm)
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| Junghan's Radio Room Clock WWII - Another interesting ships clock we are listing today. This pattern was in use from 1939-1945 and served with both Kriegsmarine and Civilian vessels of the period. We have also seen similar examples issued to and used by the Bundeswehr post WWII but our understanding is these tended to be chrome plated whilst this example carries a brass case. We have found an identical example detailed in Ziggy Wesolowdki's excellent reference book on Military Timepieces and also in volume 3 of the book 'Kriegsmarine Uniforms and Traditions'.
Whilst we have not looked inside the case we are told the movement is a Junghan's W146. The silvered dial is not in the best condition but we can decipher the Junghan's star logo below the 12 o'clock position. In addition we can just make out the remains of the green and red diagonal radio silence bars that would have originally have run in the vertical and horizontal positions signifying 3 minute zones when the radio operator would have observed radio silence in case any May Day calls were being broadcasted. The numerals have also become worn and have been touched in by a previous owner. We can find no evidence of a Kriegsmaine property mark being added and whilst this may have been rubbed out we believe this clock was issued to a Civilian vessel in which case this would have been omitted.
When purchased the seller made no mention of any provenance with this clock. However on close inspection we discovered scratched on the back some old and quite crude letter reading 'Franken'. Whilst our research has located a U boat commander, Wilhelm Franken of U- 565 we believe it more likely this clock served on an auxiliary ship of the Kriegsmarine known as a Troßschiffverb. Since Germany in WWII did not have any overseas bases, naval operations in the North Atlantic required supply ships and tankers called "Troßschiffe". In addition to using former civilian tankers five supply ships, the Dithmarschen class, were built to service warships with fuel, ammunition, general supplies and spare parts. The 'Franken' was one of these and was commissioned in March 1943 and operated in the Baltic Sea, where it supplied the Prinz Eugen and other smaller ships of the German Navy in the last months of the war. She was blown apart and sunk near Hela in April 1945 by the Russian Airforce.
If our clock served on the 'Franken' it had clearly been removed, perhaps for repair, before she was lost. Certainly the age and model of this timepiece all lines up exactly although we have found the same specification also being used in the radio room of U boats, as confirmed by that on the U- 995 which still exists. Whatever the provenance it is a fine and increasingly scarce example of the type that could perhaps be improved if a donor dial could be located or the existing one tidied up a little. It is ticking away happily in our office but as we have no idea when the movement was last checked a service would probably not go amiss. As with all our stock more detailed pictures are available on request. Measured on the back plate the diameter is 7.9" (20.0 cm) and is 3.4" deep (8.5 cm). The brass case has three strong brass lugs for bulkhead mounting.
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| Kriegsmarine Protractor - A very large instrument manufactured by Dennert & Pape of Hamburg-Altona and also stamped with a waffenampt and the code M 1V/1. Constructed from hardwood (possibly beach) with a scale from zero to 180 degrees on the curved section and 0-50 cm along the base. In generally very good issued condition with minor expansion in the timber at the joints. We would assume the instrument would have been used either at H. Q. for training purposes in the classroom or possibly for a crew briefing prior to an operation. We have only ever seen one other example and would represent an unusual addition to the specialist Kriegsmarine, Nautical or instrument collection. 19.75"x20.5"x10.75" (50 cm x 27 cm)
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| HMS Emperor of India Trench art Tray - Emperor of India was a dreadnought battleship of the Iron Duke Class built at Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness. She weighed in at 30,000 tons and was 622' l from stem to stern. She was intended to be called HMS Delhi but it is reported the change was to honour HM King George V who was 'King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India'. Launched in November 1913 HMS Emperor of India joined the 4th Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet, based at Scapa Flow. She took part in numerous sorties into the northern North Sea to enforce the blockade of Germany but missed the Battle of Jutland as she was in for a refit. Post war she was sent to lend support to the White Russians and Allies in the Russian Civil War which had by mid-1919 reached the shores of the Black Sea. HMS Emperor of India was finally paid off in Portsmouth in January, 1931. The ship provided one final service to the Navy by serving as a gunnery target, along with HMS Marlborough. The tests included firing destroyer armament at the upper works at close range to test their effectiveness in a simulated night engagement and she finally sank off Owers Bank.
This brass tray appears to be of trench art rather than commercial origins but beautifully crafted. It is engraved with a Kings Crown with the cypher GRI below. Then enclosed withing a circular device is the legend 'Light, life and Glory' and withing two fish, one with scales and one without and to the centre is a swastika device. This is known as a right-handed swastika, which in Hindi, stands for wisdom, luck and riches. It was only when the Nazi's adopted it in 1933 that the swastika took on a completely different and more sinister meaning.
The final photograph attached shows the ships diving party with an identical plaque to the centre. The tray measures 5.75" diameter (15 cm) and would make an ideal gift for the Royal Navy collector in your life.
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| Barker's of Kensington Ships Clock - Barkers of Kensington was a department store in Kensington High Street, London. It was started by John Barker and James Whitehead, later Lord Mayor of London, in 1870. It was sold to House of Fraser in 1957 and was closed in 2006. This fine brass cased clock was clearly made for Barker's and marketed by them, probably in the 1930's.
It features a 7 day movement and the standard advance and retard lever mounted at the 12 O'clock position. The silvered dial is generally very good good with just the odd age related mark ; it is 6 1/2" diameter (16 cm) and it the timepiece is 3.5" deep (9 cm) measured from the bulkhead mounting plate. It features a heavy cast brass bezel ring with black painted steel hour and minute hands with a smaller seconds subsidiary dial above. A label to the back of the case indicates it was last serviced in 2010 ; whilst we have not checked the movement it has been running perfectly in the time it has been with us but the new owner may wish to have it oiled and checked.
A fine quality clock from a famous London retailer that would be happy to either go back to sea or to make a real statement on your kitchen or bathroom wall!
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| HMS Raleigh Copper Ashtray - Six Royal Navy ships have carried the name HMS Raleigh and of course the current shore station at Torpoint. It is our feeling this tray relates to the Cruiser launched in 1919 and which was subsequently run aground in thick fog off the cost of Labrador in 1922 and was lost together with 11 of her crew. Her Master was subsequently charged with negligence. It may of course relate to the shore station but we believe the Cruiser mentioned is the more likely candidate. These little trays were offered for sale onboard via the NAAFI shop to serving crew members and were mainly bought as gift for friends and relations back home. This and the rest of the small collection we are listing today are all of the period and would make a great gift for anyone with an association with this fine ship. This example carries an applied brass badge featuring the 'HMS Raleigh' ships crest. Measures 3 1/2" diameter (9.0 cm)
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| HMS Exeter Copper Ashtray - HMS Exeter was a Cruiser launched in 1929 and weighed 8,390 tons and served with distinction in WWII. She famously took part in 'The Battle of the River Plate' but her luck ran out in 1942 when she was sunk by Japanese dive bombers off Java in 'The Battle of the Java Sea' with the sad loss of 50 crew; a further 150 subsequently lost their lives as Japanese POW's. These little trays were offered for sale onboard via the NAAFI shop to serving crew members and were mainly bought as gift for friends and relations back home. This and the rest of the small collection we are listing today are all of the period and would make a great gift for anyone with an association with this fine ship. This example, as well as carrying an embossed 'HMS Exeter' badge, is also stamped in fine script on the reverse'Made in England'. Measures 3.65" diameter (9.4 cm)
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| SS Arcadia Ship's Helm Ashtray - Made from cast aluminium with P&O pennant badge to centre. The Arcadia was built for P&O in 1954 and sailed on the Australian run, being scraped in Sydney in 1979. This ashtray would have been sold on board as a souvenir of the trip. In good condition. Measures 6" (16 cm) diameter.
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| HMS Devonshire Ships Badge - No less than eight ships of the Royal Navy have carried the name HMS Devonshire, the first a 3rd rate sailing vessel of 80 guns that was launched in 1710 and the most recent a Destroyer that served from 1962 until 1978. She was then offered for sale to Egypt but the deal never went through and she finally met her end as a target during testing of the Sea Eagle cruise missile in the English channel in 1984. This badge is likely to relate to the final ship of the line mentioned above.
Of standard form, this example is made from cast alloy with a gold painted rope surround and surmounted by a Royal Naval crown and the ships name below. The crest itself features a red painted rampant lion set against a silver background. The paintwork remains strong with minor age related wear. The back carries a brass hanging device for wall display. Measures 7" diameter (18 cm) excluding crown.
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| HMS Nelson Copper Ashtray - HMS Nelson was a Battleship of 33,500 tons launched in 1925, serving throughout WWII with distinction and won Battle Honours for MALTA CONVOYS 1941-42, NORTH AFRICA 1942 -43, MEDITERRANEAN 1943, SICILY 1943 -,SALERNO 1943, NORMANDY 1944. Having survived that lot she was finally broken up in 1949. These little trays were offered for sale onboard via the NAAFI shop to serving crew members and were mainly bought as gift for friends and relations back home. This and the rest of the small collection we are listing today are all of the period and would make a great gift for anyone with an association with this fine ship. This example carries a stamped 'HMS Neson' ships badge to the centre of the copper tray. Measures 3" diameter (7.4 cm)
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| HMS Seagull Niehuis & Van Den Berg's Shipyard Rotterdam Copper Tray - HMS Seagull was a Halcyon-class minesweeper, completed on 30 March 1938. and the first Royal Navy ship to be built entirely without rivets. She was adopted by the civil community of Christchurch, Hampshire after a successful Warship Week National Savings campaign in February 1942. During the Second World War she won Battle Honours for the Artic Convoys in 1942 and helped escort 21 Arctic convoys. Subsequently she won further Battle Honours for Normandy in 1944 when she participated in Operation Neptune. After VE Day HMS Seagull was deployed on mine clearance duties in the North Sea and Channel areas but in August 1945 she was allocated for conversion to a Survey Ship and Paid-off from the Royal Navy.
HMS SEAGULL was taken to Niehuis & Van Den Berg's Shipyard Rotterdam (which is still in business) for the conversion to her new role and two months later went to Chatham for completion of this work, including the installation of specialist hydrographic equipment in HM Dockyard and on completion in April 1946 the ship recommissioned for surveying duties. From June onwards she carried out surveys in Home Waters until again paid-off and reduced to Reserve Status in March 1951. In the sequence of images attached here the final shot shows a period image of HMS Seagull as a minesweeper and below how she looked after conversion to a survey ship proably taken in 1946. In he4r final season Seagull was employed in the Bristol Channel, mainly sweeping for wrecks. She was laid-up at Devonport and towed to Leith in 1955 for used as a Drill Ship for the RNVR Division. She was finally sold to BISCO for breaking-up by Demelweek and Redding at Plymouth and taken in tow from Leith on 1st May 1956 for her final voyage.
Our copper ashtray remains in fine original condition as shown and was clearly made by Niehuis & Van Den Berg's Shipyard and is engraved with the company name, HMS Seagull, 1- VIII and 8-X1 and 1945 so the exact dates when the conversion work in Holland took place. We can only assume this was presented to the ships company when the conversion work was completed; her Commander in September '45 was Lt. Cdr. Colin Courtenay Lowry. We purchased ithis item in Devon so it may have been recovered from the ship when she was broken up in Plymouth 64 years ago. This would make a unique present for the nautical collector in your life or a perfect gift for if you happen to have family who served on HMS Seagull! Measures 6.25" diameter (15.5 cm)
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| HMS Nelson Copper Ashtray - HMS Nelson was a Battleship of 33,500 tons launched in 1925, serving throughout WWII with distinction and won Battle Honours for MALTA CONVOYS 1941-42, NORTH AFRICA 1942 -43, MEDITERRANEAN 1943, SICILY 1943 -,SALERNO 1943, NORMANDY 1944. Having survived that lot she was finally broken up in 1949. These little trays were offered for sale onboard via the NAAFI shop to serving crew members and were mainly bought as gift for friends and relations back home. This and the rest of the small collection we are listing today are all of the period and would make a great gift for anyone with an association with this fine ship. This example carries a stamped 'HMS Neson' ships badge to the centre of the copper tray. Measures 3" diameter (7.4 cm)
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| Royal Navy Ditty Box and WWII Medal Group - We always try and buy good Royal Navy Ditty boxes when they turn up but in the main their provenance has been lost down the years. If we are lucky it may have a brass name plate fitted and occasionally they come with some of their original contents ; this example is one of those.
This Ditty Box is to standard form and size and made from pine which has been lightly waxed. Inside the pen tray remains in place but the letter bars in the lid were missing so we have replaced these and it would be hard to tell these were not the issue items. To the front panel evidence exists to show where an original name plaque was mounted, just below the key hole. It would seem this was replaced by a custom made silvered example mounted in a recessed slot in the front top of the lid ; this is named to A. L. Clarke. The key was missing when purchased, as are the lock clasp locating lugs on the inside lid. We suspect this was removed when the key was lost and the lugs cut to gain access, as often seems to have happened with these items. The brass lock is still fitted although in a locked position. We have added a period key which fits the lock but does not operate it but is fine for display purposes.
Inside the box is lightly stained and shows signs of use with minor repairs to the rear of the lid. What lifts this example well above the norm is that the box contains the original owners World War 11 medal grouping. These are mounted as worn with pin attachment to the medal bar and are made up of the 1939-45 Star, the Atlantic Star which was awarded to all Royal Navy and Merchant Navy Personnel for 6 months service afloat between 1939-45 in Atlantic, Russian or home waters. The Rosette indicates the recipient was subsequently awarded the France and Germany Star for service in these areas between 6 June 1944 and 8 May 1945. This is also accompanied by the 1939-45 War Medal. These are all as usual unnamed and as issued.
What brings the grouping to life is A. L. Clarke clearly also served in the Special Constabulary and was awarded the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal. This was awarded to all ranks who served at least 50 duties in wartime or 9 years service in peacetime. This medal is engraved to Arthur L. Clarke so ties in nicely with the ditty box plaque and confirms the two items belong together and we believe this is how they should remain. We don't have any other history on Clarke other than the grouping was purchased near Bristol in South West England and we speculate the family may have had West Country origins. It may well be possible with the little information that is known the trace the service history of Mr Clarke but we will leave this pleasure to a future owner although if any armchair detectives can add anything here we would be delighted to add additional details to our listing. We understand Ditty Boxes were technically withdrawn as an issue item in 1938 and replaced by a small brown suitcase so it could be Clarke joined up before WWII seeing had a prewar Ditty Box despite being technically withdrawn he continued to use it during his wartime service. Box measures 12" x 8"x 6" (30.5 cm x 20.5 cm x 15 cm) Like all items listed on our site a full range of detailed photographs are available on request.
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| Presentation Hip Flask HMS Nile 1945 - A WWII period Royal Navy hip flask fitted with a secured cap to prevent accidental loss on land or at sea! HMS Nile was a 'Stone Frigate' shore base opened in April 1939 and paid off in June 1946 and located at Ras el Tin Point, Alexandria, Egypt and had a large number of personnel on the books, mainly those based in the Eastern Mediterranean. Research indicates Nile was amongst other things a location for Special Forces Ops and in addition we found RAF Aboukir is listed as 'HMS Nile II', based at the old Airport near Alexandria and was used by both the RAF and the Fleet Air Arm.
The flask is of the curved design to fit comfortably in a hip pocket and is made from brass with a silver plated finish. Engraved to the front is 'From F. M. O. Staff HMS Nile 1945'. Sadly no history came with the flask and we can only speculate on the meaning of 'F. M. O. ' but at a guess perhaps 'Fleet Maintenance Officer', 'Fleet Medical Officer' or even 'Fleet Mail Office'! If any visitors to the site can enlighten us on this we will update our listing. We presume it was given to a member of staff as a leaving present back in '45. Generally in good used condition, with a couple of little bumps to front and small wear to plate on base but otherwise we believe good for original purpose. The presentation engraving aside the flask carries no other makers or other marks. This would make a unique Christmas present for anyone who had relations serving with 'HMS Nile ' back in WWII and certainly not an item to be found elsewhere on the web! Measures 5" x3.5" (13 cm x 9.5 cm).
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| The Maritime Paintings of John Chancellor - Regarded by many as one of the finest marine artists of the 20th century, Chancellor was born in Portugal in 1925. He always had an interest in the sea having sailed many differing vessels and navigated waters from Trinidad to the Medway and was firstly a sailor who later in life became a superb artist. He eventually settled with his family in Brixham, Devon in 1963 and spent 2 years trawling, which led to early works, when commissioned to paint trawler portraits by their skippers. Steadily he began to take his painting more seriously, encouraged by the great enthusiasm and guidance of Austin Hawkins, who had a gallery in the town and Chancellor began producing works that exhibited his huge potential as a serious professional artist. His paintings go beyond aesthetically pleasing, well-executed marine scenes; they are often definitive, historically accurate representations of actual events, completed in painstaking detail. His research would take him to museums, the hydrographic office and public records to ensure that every last detail is accurate. Sadly John's life was cut short on 9th April 1984, aged just 59, having painted professionally for only 13 years, during which time his complete output numbered fewer than 150 works. Only three exhibitions (in 1973, 1976 and 1981) were ever staged and all three were a sell out - the first with everything sold in less than an hour! An indication of his standing in art circles was confirmed when an original artwork sold by Bonhams in 2008 for £38,400!
This finely illustrated book dates to 1984, but Chancellor sadly died shortly after proof checking, so he never lived to see his work published. The book contains 19 sumptuous paintings, portraying sailing ships and the sea in all its moods. They are accompanied by text, sketches and enlarged details which highlight Chancellor's workmanship. This hardback copy appears to be first edition dated 1984 and its original published price was £40 and is complete with dust jacket that a previous owner has covered for added protection. The image on the front depicts HMS Beagle in the Galapagos, whilst the back cover shows some amazing detail from the same painting. 80 pages in total are filled with informative text, full colour paintings, sketches and enlarged details which highlight Chancellor's workmanship. This is very much a coffee table sized book at 14.5" x 11.5" (37 cm x 29 cm) Whilst clearly second hand it remains in really excellent condition and on offer 36 years later at a significant discount on the published price!
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