I've been back down to Yorkshire last weekend to a specialist textiles, dolls and teddies sale. Once again, like my previous post about the specialist sales at this acution house, there were some fabulous items. The dolls house room below was perfect in tiny detail ..............
And the German shop with all it's biscuit boxes and, counter display and drawers.
One of the highlights of the sale were two Chinese garment lots...
This one must have been a huge surprise for the seller as the auction house estimated the lot at £120 - £180.................after much phone and internet bidding it eventually sold for £8,800!
And this one ....
I bought some lace (not in these price ranges I have to say), white linens and some Durham and patchwork quilts.
This box will need lots of sorting through and untangling!
These are two of the quilts - the flash on the photo has made the pink quilt look faded but in fact it is is great condition with lovely wholecloth hand stitched design
And finally, I didn't buy this lot but it is an interesting item...........
This is a White Cotton Night Shirt and Long Johns Belonging to the Blackburn Giant Frederick Kempster.
Frederick John Kempster was born in Bayswater London in 1889. At his peak he was said to have reached 8ft 4.5" tall and weighed 27 stone. Aged 10 Frederick's father died leaving his mother to care for him and his six siblings. Unfortunately his growth caused problems at home and he was put into care at Barnardo's, from here he was sent to Canada for a chance of a better life. It was during these five years that he experienced weakness of the legs and unusual growth. On his return to England and by June 1911 he realised he could make a living by joining Astely & Co's American Circus. He travelled with them from Bath to Wiltshire, France, Belgium and Germany. Frederick was unable to sign up when The First World War broke out, as he was seen a as an 'easy target'. Instead he toured Europe with the circus, was captured in Germany and taken as a prisoner of war. After his release and suffering from malnutrition he returned to Wiltshire to convalesce with his sister who ran The Barge Inn at Seend Cleeve. Frederick went on one final tour around the North of England, and whilst in Blackburn he contracted pneumonia, was hospitalised and never recovered. He died at the age of 29 years on the 15th April 1918. The Long Johns were found in the 70's whilst clearing the property of his uncle Tom Cook, whose mother owned the Nags Head in Blackburn. The shirt chest size is 62", the arms are 29" and the inside leg measurement is 37"! They sold for £550 - I wonder who bought them?
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