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Elisabetta Sirani

The Legacy of Elisabetta Sirani: Art, Fame, and Mystery

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This week’s female artist is the fascinating Elisabetta Sirani (1638-1665).

She was born in Bologna on January 8th 1638 to Margherita and Giovanni Andrea Sirani. Fortunately for her, her father Gian’Andrea Sirani was a favourite pupil of Guido Reni and took over his practice as teacher and master in the first Life School in Bologna. Naturally, Elisabetta studied under her father and, therefore, absorbed the technique of Guido. She also studied the paintings of other great Bolognese baroque painters such as Annibale Carracci, Simone Cantarini and Carlo Cignani. She was well educated, liked music and was familiar with the Bible, lives of the Saints and classical mythology, all of which provided subject matter for her paintings.

By 1654, when she was only 16, she took over the running of her father’s workshop, as Giovanni Andrea had become incapacitated by Gout. I am not sure why Gout was so prevalent in previous centuries and caused so much trouble. Joseph Banks in the late 18th Century, for example, would take to a wheelchair for several months at a time. Enough on Gout!

Elisabetta Sirani Timoclea killing the Captain of Alexander the Great
Elisabetta Sirani – Self Portrait

From this moment on, Elisabetta, the eldest of four children became the family’s main breadwinner by a combination of income from her portraits and other commissions and tuition fees. She had more than a dozen pupils and set up the first lay, as opposed to convent, school for women artists. She was also a prolific painter, as well as celebrated teacher. She produced over 200 paintings, 13 altarpieces, 15 etchings and hundreds of drawings. In fact, she was so prolific that many people accused her of using pupils to paint the pictures, which was, after all, standard studio practice. However, Elisabetta tended to sign her pictures and in order to rebuke the accusations that she did not paint them herself, invited her accusers on May 13th 1664 to her studio to watch her paint a portrait in a single sitting!

She became a celebrity and anyone of status visiting Bologna would ask to be invited to her studio to watch her at work. Her clientele was made up of Kings, Princes, Dukes, Cardinals, rich merchants and the church, not only from Bologna but across Europe. All of this is surprising, as she was dead by the age of 27. The cause of her death is the subject of mystery and speculation. Some say she was poisoned by a jealous maid, others that she developed ulcers because of her excessive workload.

Elisabetta Sirani – Madonna and Child
Portia wounding her thigh

In any event, the city of Bologna went into mourning at her death and she was given a most elaborate funeral. A massive catafalque was created with a life size sculpture of Elisabetta inside it. There was music composed in her honour by the most famous musicians in Bologna and orations and poems written in honour of the “Lamented Paintbrush”. She was buried in the Basilica of San Domenico in Bologna, in the same tomb as Guido Reni, who had been her father’s tutor.

A word on the Catafalque (temple of honour)

What we are looking at is a design for the catafalque by Matteo Borboni (c.1610-1667) who oversaw the decorations for her funeral. The finished monument was made of wood painted to look like marble and the life-size statue of Elisabetta at her easel was made of wax. This gives you some idea of the scale of the temple and the high regard in which Elisabetta “Gem of Italy” was held.

If you are lucky enough to own one of her paintings, make sure it is properly insured. An average Madonna and Child is worth between £50,000 and £80,000. The top price at auction is $505,000 for “Portia wounding her thigh”, sold at Sotheby’s New York in 2008.

A drawing of Elisabetta’s Catafalque by Matteo Barboni (1610-1667)
Sothebys Pop Culture Auction September 2024

Sotheby’s Pop Culture Sale: A Star-Studded Auction from Music to Film

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During September, Sotheby’s London held their inaugural ‘Popular Culture’ sale.

The market for memorabilia has been a focus for international auction houses in recent years. Sotheby’s historically was one of the first major players in memorabilia but chose to move away from the field in the early 2000s. Recently, with several highly successful sales internationally and after the unprecedented interest generated by last year’s Freddie Mercury auction, Sotheby’s announced in early 2024 the introduction of their European Popular Culture department.

This first online auction contained 65 lots from across the spectrum of music, television, and film memorabilia. The exhibition preview drew over 1,000 visitors making it clear the appeal of Pop Culture for potential buyers.

The earliest pieces were early 1960s Beatles related memorabilia – while the most modern was a costume from the yet to be release Gladiator II.

One of the most eye-catching pieces was a CyberMaster helmet worn in the 2022 series of Doctor Who! (Lot 61). The CyberMaster’s are villainous characters with a design reminiscent of the iconic Cybermen – instantly recognisable to Sci-Fi fans. The lot had been donated by the BBC to the auction and was one of several items sold to benefit the Film + Television Charity, who support those who working behind the scenes in the industry. The combination of a charitable cause and striking headwear led to the lot exceeding its estimate of £4,000 – 6,000 – fetching £9,600 (inc. BP).

Sotheby’s London, Popular Culture, August/September 2024, Lot 62, Gladiator II: A Screen-used Hero Costume for the Rhino-Riding Gladiator ‘Glyceo’, Paramount Pictures, 2024, £9,600
Sotheby’s London, Popular Culture, August/September 2024, Lot 61, Doctor Who: A CyberMaster Helmet, BBC Studios, 2022, £9,600

Other lots sold on behalf of the Film + Television Charity were the (aforementioned) complete costume used in the highly anticipated Gladiator II (Lot 62). The movie is due for release in November 2024 – the costume providing a sneak preview into production quality and characters. It is rare for a complete outfit to appear at auction prior to the film’s premiere. The costume has been visible in the trailer and will feature as uniform of a gladiator ‘Glyceo’ who can be seen riding a rhinoceros into an arena prior to battle. This lot was an opportunity to acquire a piece from a future classic. Against the estimate of £5,000 – 8,000 it achieved a total of £9,600 (inc. BP).

Vinyl proved popular with collectors during sale – and indicated the ongoing strength of this market.

Lot 28 was an example of a collectable sought by Beatles and vinyl aficionados alike – a sealed 1st state copy of the controversial ‘Yesterday And Today’ LP.  This version of the album has a sleeve dubbed the ‘Butcher Cover’. It was one of the most shocking images of The Beatles and the era. Released by Capitol Records in Canada and the USA in 1966 the cover photograph for ‘Yesterday and Today’ was taken by Robert Whitaker (1939-2011).

Lot 33 was a Steinway grand piano, manufactured in 1972 and purchased by EMI for use at their Abbey Road Studios in 1973. The piano, which was installed in Studio 3, was in constant use from 1973 to 2016. The quality of the piano, appreciate by those recording on it.

The Steinway Model A was used on recordings of notable artists including Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Amy Winehouse, Paul McCartney, Kanye West and Lady Gaga amongst others. Pieces used at Abbey Road seldom appear at auction and garner high prices. The estimate of £150,000 – 200,000 proved accurate with the eventual total cost being £192,000.

Queen collectables have been a growth area over the past decade. Lot 39 was a Jean Paul Gautier designed leather jacket. The garment was worn by Freddie Mercury during his final stage singing performance, in April 1988. This jacket had been gifted by Freddie to a close friend, she had subsequently donated it to charity and the provenance stated it had benefited the Angles Aids Orphanage in 2001. Here against the estimate of £20,000 – 30,000 it sold for £72,000.

Lot 37 was a good set of four autographed promotional photographs of the band. Despite the estimate of £6,000 – 8,000 they sold for £22,800. Meanwhile, lot 34 was a varied collection 325 polaroid photographs of stars, obtained during the 1970s – 1980s. The collection not only included the members of Queen, but also The Rolling Stones, The Eurythmics, Status Quo, Bee Gees, Run D.M.C but actors and sports stars such as Muhammed Ali, Michael Caine, and Ben Kingsley. This unique archive sold for £108,000 (*est. £20,000 – 30,000).

Two important musical instruments achieved the highest prices of the auction.

Lot 33, Abbey Road Studios, A Steinway Model A Grand Piano Housed And Used In Studio 3, 1973-2016, £192,000

The image, depicts The Beatles in white lab coats, surrounded by decapitated dolls and butchered meat. It was created as a black humoured, surrealist breakaway from the usual images of the group and apparently inspired by Whitaker’s own reflections on Beatlemania.

So shocking was the image to audiences it was swiftly withdrawn and recalled. To save costs, many of the ‘Butcher Cover’ sleeves were overlayed with a new photograph of the band, known by collectors as the ‘Trunk Cover’ – a rather vanilla image of The Beatles surrounding a steamer trunk.

Sotheby’s London, Popular Culture, August/September 2024, Lot 28, The Beatles: A Rare ‘Yesterday And Today’, First State Sealed Mono Alan Livingston Copy, 1966, £48,000

Lot 36 was a rare, limited edition 7” blue vinyl copy of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody / I’m In Love With My Car’. Only two hundred pressings of this blue vinyl were produced by EMI. They were created as gifts for the attendees of a dinner held at Selfridges in July 1978. Despite Queen not attending the event, they were presented with framed copies – Freddie’s own (numbered 2) appearing in last year’s Freddie Mercury auction and selling for £69,850.

The copy for offered here, numbered 108, was presented to a typist secretary who worked at EMI’s Hayes offices. Included with the lot, were a further gift from the dinner two ‘EMI Records’ branded wine glasses – the lot far exceeded the pre-sale estimate of £5,000 – 7,000 eventually reaching £18,000.

Lot 36, Queen: A Rare Blue Vinyl Pressing Of The Single ‘Bohemian Rhapsody / I’m In Love With My Car’, 1978, £18,000

The version of the LP available here was a rare unopened and sealed copy of the ‘Butcher Cover’ record. The lot had been part of the collection of the former President of Capitol Records. This piece had been intended to be returned to the factory and pasted over, with the ‘Trunk Cover’ image. Instead, it was taken home by the record companies President, and subsequently forgotten – only to be discovered years later, alongside thirteen other LP’s (four stereo and ten mono).

The pre-sale guide of £40,000 – 60,000 reflected the scarcity of the piece, eventually selling for £48,000 (inc. BP).

Timing can be everything with auctions – three guitars contained within the sale had important Oasis provenance. Their sale was announced coincidentally as Oasis revealed their reformation and 2025 reunion tour.

Sotheby’s London, Popular Culture, August/September 2024, Lot 43, Oasis: An Epiphone Les Paul Standard Electric Guitar, Owned & Used By Noel Gallagher, £132,000
Sotheby’s London, Popular Culture, August/September 2024, Lot 44, Oasis: An Epiphone EA-250 Electric Guitar, Owned & Stage-Played By Noel Gallagher, £48,000
Sotheby’s London, Popular Culture, August/September 2024, Lot 45, Oasis/Johnny Marr: A Gibson Flying V Electric Guitar Formerly Owned By Johnny Marr, Used By Noel Gallagher, £36,000

All these instruments had previously belonged to or been used by Oasis’s, legendary founder, songwriter, and guitarist Noel Gallagher. The most important of these was lot 43 an Epiphone Les Paul Standard – immediately recognisable to fans and a seminal instrument for the group. The guitar was key in the band’s early history (1993/4) when Noel Gallagher owned only a small number of guitars (just two guitars and a bass being available the group). Noel played it on stage, on television, as well as during the recording of the music video for the record breaking single ‘Supersonic’.

With a pre-sale estimate of £60,000 – 80,000 it achieved the second highest price of the auction at £132,000.

The other two instruments offered by Sotheby’s included Lot 44 an Epiphone EA-250, previously owned by Noel Gallagher and again featured on the sleeve of the ‘Supersonic’ single. It was notably played during an early television performance in July 1994. Here, the cherry redburst finished guitar sold for £48,000 (est. £20,000 – £30,000).

Lot 45 had a dual Smiths / Oasis provenance. The 1980 Gibson Flying V was acquired by The Smith’s iconic guitarist and songwriter, Johnny Marr in 1989. Marr loaned it to Noel Gallagher – who subsequently used it on the 1994 recording of Oasis’s debut album ‘Definitely Maybe’. This guitar, a baton in British and Manchester music history sold for £36,000 (est. £20,000 – 30,000).

Overall, the sale achieved a total of just under £1 million.

Watches in the Movies

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Thirty years ago, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. The art of film making in the early 1990s meant that story telling ranked far higher above the constant worry that film makers these days have that a prop might have been out of place, or even worse out of period.

My first experience of this was very early on in life (clearly, I was destined to be picky). It was after watching the fantastic film Backbeat about Liverpool’s finest export during the early Hamburg days. Now whilst the script may have embellished a few historical truths, what was clearly incorrect was some of the equipment used by The Beatles during the film – and if I at 12 years old could tell that some of the microphones were from the 1980s, well I am pretty sure that some other people could too, but – these were those halcyon days before the internet – where once ignorance was bliss, now there would be threads appearing and probable apologies by the directors.

So, in 2023, details count more than ever, and in recent years there has been a concerted effort to make sure that nobody can pick up on the little things that the average movie goer would never actually pick up on, but somebody would notice…. probably on the internet.

In the recent Oppenheimer film, we saw what can only be described visual love affair between Christopher Nolan and Hamilton watches, all historically accurate pieces for the film and when worn in chronological order by (the soon to be Oscar winning) Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, and Matt Damon. Nolan is a particular chap, and in this case, it has worked incredibly well – at the point of writing this, he has been rumoured to be talking with the Broccoli family – and I for one would love to see what he does with the Bond watch, especially after the last 20 years of pretty much the same Omega Seamaster.

Going back a little bit, let’s look at a few watches that got it totally 100% right before the time of internet forums and continuity enthusiasts….

First of all, if any watch defines the understated magnificence of a military piece, it’s the classic that is the Porsche Design Orfina Chronograph. As timeless as Tom Cruise’s face appears to be, it was one of the stars of the 1986 film Top Gun, and again was used in the visually incredible 2022 Maverick incarnation. As a true aerophile and pilot, Cruise will have made sure that the PVD coated watch was totally correct, and it was – and still looks amazing to this day.

Panerai are one of those brands that you love or cannot stand… and for those of you that have met me, you will know that I have a small collection of the oversized military based watches, that do get worn regularly – as far as utility watches go, they don’t get much simpler. Daylight was one of the first major times that one of the watches appeared on the silver screen with no less than Sylvester Stallone appearing alongside the PAM5218-201/A as pretty much co-stars in the film.

Panerai up until 1993 had not actually been available to the public, so this outing was really one of the first times the brand had been given major exposure, and subsequently went on to be a mainstay of the oversized watch world.

watches in the movies - Daylight

What is clear, as has been indicated by such modern films as Oppenheimer, and even the Barbie film (check out Ryan Gosling’s TAG Heuer collection) is that the watch world care about details, and because of that, film makers are paying more attention….

watches in the movies - oppenheimer

Sir Roger Moore

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The Personal Collection – Auction Review

For the art world, autumn brings a new season of exciting and ‘must view’ auctions. Last week Bonhams, London held one of the most electrifying – ‘Sir Roger Moore – The Personal Collection’.

Sir Roger Moore (1927 – 2017), was one of the most recognisable and treasured actors of his generation. He was widely adored by fans for his appearances as James Bond, as well as Simon Templar in The Saint and Lord Brett Sinclair in The Persuaders! to name a few.

The James Bond film ‘Octopussy’ (1983) starring Sir Roger Moore captures a fictional auction, with competitive bidding in a crowded saleroom (on that occasion for a “Faberge egg”). This scene could almost have been replicated on the sale day at Bonhams busy New Bond Street galleries.

The ‘white glove’ sale included over 220 lots, which took over nine hours to sell. The collection, which was being offered on behalf of the late star’s family, unsurprisingly garnered widespread presale interest from the media, enthusiasts, and collectors alike.

Much of the sale focused on Sir Roger Moore’s acting career, with scripts, awards and costumes all going under the hammer. Many lots related directly to James Bond, which is one of the strongest areas in film memorabilia collecting. Fittingly, this year marks 50 years since the actor’s first appearance in the role. Sir Roger was enormously influential as a taste maker in gentlemen’s fashion. Therefore, clothing, accessories and timepieces were some of the lots ‘to watch’. Antiques and art from the stars collection indicated his taste as a collector.

Early in the auction, various desk accessories, pens and stationery were offered produced by the likes of Montblanc, Cartier, and Gucci. Lot 3 was one such lot, an ‘RM’ monogrammed Gucci address and notebook – despite the original pages having been replaced with facsimiles (and the numbers having been removed) it offered a glimpse into Sir Roger’s showbusiness circle, including details for figures such as Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Kirk Douglas, HRH Princess Margaret, Paul McCartney, and Sidney Poitier. Estimated at £1,000 – 1,500 it achieved £6,400 (inc BP). Perhaps more surprising was the price achieved for Lot 6 a Morocco leather monogrammed stationery rack. The lot which included Sir Roger Moore letterheaded notepaper was estimated at £80 – 120. The final total sales price was £8,960 ( inc BP).

Sir Roger was an avid backgammon player and as James Bond notably competed on screen against villain Kamal Khan in a key scene of the movie Octopussy. The market for backgammon is currently particularly strong – the buzz during the viewing indicated the two lots of cased backgammon sets (Lot 10 and Lot 11) would far exceed their estimates.

Lot 10 was a personalised set embossed with the actor’s name. The footnote for the lot credited this example as having been used on the set of James Bond by Sir Roger to play against producer ‘Cubby’ Broccoli. The pre-sale estimate of £300 – 500 indicated the value of the set rather than the interesting provenance, it eventually sold for £15,360 (inc. B.P). The second of the sets Lot 11 was a more modest travelling willow basket example, estimated at £100 – 150, despite the estimate it fetched £10,880 (inc. BP).

In the world of James Bond poster collecting, examples printed in Australia are amongst the most affordable. However, for those included in such a collection this trend, would be tested. Four of the Lots (36, 42, 64 and 164) were Australian daybill posters for the films The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For You Eyes Only and A View To A Kill. Having each been signed by Sir Roger, they were offered with the same estimate of £500 – 700 each, a combined total presale low estimate of £2,000. Their eventual combined total was £46,720 inc BP. Having achieved individually £8,960; £10,240; £14,080 and £13,440 inc BP.

The James Bond franchise provided many modern-day collectors with their first glimpse into the world of luxury watches. Therefore, some of the most sought pieces in the collection were James Bond related watches. The highest price of the entire auction was achieved by Lot 92 a cased presentation set of twenty 007 watches produced by Swatch. Manufactured in 2002 to celebrate the James Bond film anniversary these sets typically fetch at auction between £4,000 – 6,000. This example however had been personally dedicated to Mr. Roger Moore. It had been estimated at £10,000 – 15,000 and sold for £76,660 (inc. BP).

Omega is a brand with a strong connection with James Bond. Lot 158 was an Omega Seamaster bracelet watch, produced in 2012 as a Limited Edition to celebrate ’50 Years of 007’. The clasp bore the inscription ‘To Roger love from Michael and Barbara’, which although not mentioned in the catalogue, may have indicated that the piece was a gift from Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Sold with the accompany box, card and instructions it achieved £57,550 (inc BP, estimate £20,000 – 30,000). The following item Lot 159 was also an Omega wristwatch this time a Speedmaster Automatic MK40 triple calendar chronograph, inscribed ‘Roger Moore’ and dated November 1996. It was offered with presentation box and original warranty – despite an estimate of £5,000 – 7,000 it sold for a total of £61,360.

Sir Roger Moore was known particularly for his impeccable sartorial choices. For the style aficionados the auction included many of his suits, jackets, ties, and cufflinks. Highlights from the sale had even been previewed on Saville Row, with Gieves & Hawkes. Sir Roger had a close association with the designer and tailor Doug Hayward and several pieces designed by him went under the hammer. Foremost amongst them was Lot 170, a double-breasted dinner suit made for Sir Roger’s role in A View To A Kill and worn at the Royal premiere of the film in 1985. The fully labelled costume, the ultimate in James Bond style, sold within estimate at £25,600 (estimate £20,000 – 30,000). To compliment this outfit Lot 178 estimated at £400 – 600 was two black silk bow ties, including one by Turnbull & Asser. They sold for £6,144 (inc BP).

Lot 80 was a collection of twelve ties including five designed by Hayward, with others by Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren. The collection sold for a little over a thousand pounds each, with a selling price of £12,160 (estimate £400 – 600).

Roger Moore was well-known for his association with skiing, emphasised by his stunning downhill scenes featured in the James Bond films. However, many of these snowbound acrobatics were performed by a stunt double. According to an interview given by his son Geoffrey Moore prior to the auction, Roger Moore’s film contract did not allow him to ski. In fact, Sir Roger apparently did not take up skiing until preparing for filming of A View To A Kill in 1985. Afterwards Sir Roger was passionate about the sport.

One of the most desirable pieces in the auction was Lot 166 a white ski suit by Bogner purchased for, and identical to that, worn by Sir Roger in the pre-title sequence of A View To A Kill. Such instantly recognisable film costume is rare on the open market. It was sold within the estimate of £15,000 – 25,000, with the total sales price £28,160.

Towards the latter portion of the sale six lots of personally owned skis were included. The top Lot here was 219 a pair of Kästle skis bearing Roger Moore’s printed signature, offered together with a pair of Interport poles. Against an estimate of £800 – 1,200 they sold for £4,864 (inc. BP).

Amongst the awards the ‘star’ lot was saved until last. Lot 224 being the presentation plaque given to Sir Roger Moore to commemorate the placement of his Star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame. His ‘Star’ was unveiled three days prior to his 80th birthday on the 11th of October 2007. The commemorative piece was estimated at £10,000 – 15,000 and was offered almost 9.5 hours after the sale had commenced at almost 10:30pm. The final lot was eventually sold to a room bidder for a hammer price of £19,000 (£24,430 inc BP).

The final sale total reached just over £1.1 million against a pre-sale high estimate of around £415,000.

Posters, Film Ephemera and Comics

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For those of you that have read my previous article on collectible comics you may ask the question, Why combine an article on posters, film ephemera and include comics as well?

Well, the simple answer is that comics now are just as much a part of film ephemera as posters, as one can see when Marvel release a new film from their vast range of available titles, the value of the comic that it is based on soars through the roof!

Look at titles such as Captain America – in April of 2022 the first of the series in a CGC graded 9.4 condition sold for $3.1 million, which even five years ago would have been unthinkable.

What is key to a comic book though, as well as a good title is of course the condition. If there are any marks, stains, tiny rips or even folds, it can wipe tens of thousands of dollars from the books value. Even since my last article on comic books, this has become even more paramount to achieving the ultra-high prices we have seen in the past few years. The way that collectors are now amassing their collections is that it has to be the very best, and if something better comes along – then they need to own it. This has fuelled the market in the last few years with some comics coming out of the woodwork, along with some well known examples.

The film poster market is something that anyone can get excited about – if you have a favourite film, it is very likely that they promoted it with a campaign of posters and as such, it is just as likely that you can source one in 2023. There are a few guidelines for poster that generally include only buying originals and for films that have attained either classic or cult status. So when looking to purchase be sure of authenticity and origin – for example posters in different languages can prove to be worth a lot less money than the native tongue, as seen in items from James Bond films. But in rarer forms, it can be worth even more, seen in the illustrated example of Casablanca from 1942. The film poster market is a tightrope so advice should always be sought out.

Film ephemera has again rocketed, with specific auction houses now specialising on huge sales from major Hollywood studios and collectors. That means you can buy anything from Harrison Ford’s infamous fedora hat (if you have the $300,000 that it recently achieved) to a helmet from a Stormtrooper, from the iconic Star Wars film series.

What has recently come to my attention after looking at quite a few collections over the last few years is actually…Pokemon cards.

This global phenomenon started back in 1996, when Pokemon was released as a trading card game, Pokemon – actually an abbreviated phrase meaning “Pocket monsters”. It quickly became a massive success with over 50 billion cards in circulation, which is a monumental figure. In recent years due to major celebrity endorsement, these items have sold on the secondary market for figures that could never have ever been imagined, as some of the rarest cards trading for over $1,000,000. With mythical collections being kept quiet and never discussed, it’s certainly going to be one of the hobbies and collectible items that stays with us for a long time.

So, should you wish to either buy up some old memories, or maybe invest in some new ones, the market for comic books, film ephemera and even Pokemon cards are clearly satisfying on many levels within the industry!

Film Posters

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With the Sotheby’s James Bond Poster sale on 5th of November this year, and a huge collection going under the hammer on the same day at Prop Store the market for movie posters has never been stronger, but is it the artwork, the iconic characters, or in fact the memories surrounding the time of their release that fans are buying into?

Dr No movie poster

Dr No movie poster, 1962

One of the highlights at the Sotheby’s sale is of course the original Bond film; “Dr No”- it’s 1962 production created one of the most valuable and recognisable franchises of all time and is still referred to as one of the best of the films ever released – the much delayed latest offering may give it a run for its money, but it’s doubtful. With a top estimate of £25,000 the UK issued poster outshines its American counterpart not only in value, but in style – these posters were designed to bring attention to the masses and of course the ever suave Connery holding a smoking pistol surrounded by scantily clad young ladies certainly did just that.

Away from the Bond sale, Prop Store has some iconic moments in film history all through the sale – “Jaws” from 1975 must be one of the most recognised film posters of all time, with the lone swimmer in the targets of the elusive shark ready to pounce, it instantly brings the legendary theme by John Williams to mind and probably helped to terrify a generation of beach swimmers for years to come, surprisingly with a low estimate of only a few hundred pounds, it seems good value to me.

Jaws movie poster

Jaws movie poster, 1975

So why has the humble poster become so valuable? The truth is that it’s simplicity and infinitely researched creation is designed to appeal to so many people that having the images of a promotional studio item is very appealing – one could argue (and many probably will) that an original film poster could be as important a piece of art socially as many of the wonderful pieces of top tier art that we see every year, just less exclusive.

So what poster would I have on my walls? Well, unfortunately for my wallet – Prop Store happens to have an original poster from “Raiders of The Lost Ark” the first in the fantastic trio of 1980s adventure classics (note purposeful non inclusion of the 2008 effort) and with a lead character so important to the era, one forgets that Indiana Jones wasn’t even part of the title for the first film.

Raiders of the Lost Ark Movie Poster

Raiders of the Lost Ark movie poster

An antiquity searching, Nazi killing, mid 20th century archaeologist with a battle cry of “It belongs in a museum!” Seems an unlikely hero, but for a young history obsessed schoolboy in Gloucestershire “Indie” quickly became my idol, and whilst my searches have never quite matched his, I would like to think there is still time….