13th Aug, 2025 10:00
Antiques & Fine Art
*Gill Parker (b. 1957) bronze - cowboy and rider
*Gill Parker (b. 1957) bronze - cowboy and rider, signed and dated 1985, 42cm long, wooden plinth
Collection of Dr D G Hessayon (1928-2025)
Collection of Dr D G Hessayon (1928-2025) the World’s best selling Horticultural writer, featured in our forthcoming August Fine Art Sale.
David Hessayon grew up in Salford and studied botany at Leeds University. He worked in journalism and research before obtaining a doctorate in soil ecology. In 1955, he accepted a position as chief scientist with Pan Britannica Industries Ltd (PBI), becoming chairman in 1972. It was whilst working for PBI that David formulated the idea for his "Expert" guides to gardening.
His guides were an instant success and over the following five decades over 20 titles were published, translations were made in 22 languages and the ‘Expert’ guides topped best selling lists; he was cited in the Guinness Book of Records as being Britain’s top selling non-fiction author of the 1990s. Accolades followed with The Royal Horticultural Society’s Veitch Memorial Medal in 1992 for contribution to the advancement and improvement of the science and practice of horticulture and in 1993 he received the first-ever Lifetime Achievement award at the British Book Awards. He was awarded three honorary doctorates and in 2007 the O.B.E. for services to gardening and charity. Dr D G Hessayon is acknowledged globally as the best selling horticultural writer of all time.
Away from publishing, David was married to the novelist Joan Hessayson and had two daughters, in retirement he settled in a beautiful Georgian villa, set in landscaped gardens, in the heart of Essex. He collected widely, including shells, fossils, coins, Native American and shipwreck artifacts, many of which he documented with a scientist’s eye for detail. Our forthcoming Fine Art sale on the 12th and 13th of August features a diverse collection of items from his beautiful country house, amongst them is lot 663, Transactions of the Royal Horticultural Society of London, a rare set including the scarce 1812 first publication from the Society, estimated at £700-1000. Lot 666 a group of fine specimen fish fossils is estimated at £200-300 and is one of several fossil lots from his collection. Further items from his Estate will be offered in later sales.
£500 - £700
Buyer's premium: 30%; Cars & Motorcycles: 12%
Droit de suite may apply to this lot
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Absentee Bidding
For clients unable or not wishing to attend our sale we are happy to accept absentee bids. Absentee bids can either be left in person with our office team, phoned or emailed to us. We simply require lot numbers and descriptions and the maximum bid which you wish to leave. Absentee bids are then transferred to our auction pages and the auctioneer will bid on your behalf. If the lot can be purchased at a lower price than your maximum bid our auctioneers will always endeavour to work in your interest to purchase the lot for you as cheaply as other bids will allow. If the same bid is left by two people on a lot we will precedence to the bidder who leaves the bid first.
We are happy to provide condition reports for online and absentee bidders and to supply additional photographs on any lot. We ask that condition report requests are submitted at least 24 hours prior to the sale. (Whilst every care is taken to give an accurate condition report, we accept no responsibility for any omissions or errors in our reports. It is the buyer’s responsibility to view the lots and satisfy themselves as to their condition.)
Telephone Bidding
We are happy to accept phone bids for our Fine Art and Collectors’ sales. Phone bids may be arranged in person with our office team, by phone or by email. We simply require the lot number and details of the lots which you wish to bid on and contact phone number / numbers. Our phone bidders will call in advance of your chosen lot / lots and bid on your behalf during the sale.
Telephone bids must be booked by 4pm the day before the sale but can be arranged earlier, we have limited lines and certain lots can be over-subscribed for phone bidding, in such instances we conduct a first come, first served basis and we encourage clients to book well in advance or risk being disappointed.
Auction: Antiques & Fine Art, 13th Aug, 2025
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Viewing
Friday 8th August 1pm - 5pm
Saturday 9th August 9am - 1pm
Monday 11th August 9am - 6pm
Mornings of sale from 9am
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