Churchill's stetson, keysto Titanic up for sale
On the face of it they may have little in common: from Napoleon's wallet to Queen Victoria's wedding cake, and John Lennon's cuff links to Field Marshall Montgomery's pink pyjamas. But one of the finest collections of eccentric memorabilia from the world of politics, pop, royalty, sport and British history is to be sold at auction after being amassed by one man.David Gainsborough Roberts, 72, began collecting at nine after an elderly aunt gave him a fragment of HMS Victory.Since then he has spent decades building a collection of trinkets from the most fascinating parts of world history - from Captain Scott's final Antarctic mission to Lord Lucan's robes.The resulting treasures will be sold at Christie's, London, next month after Roberts declared he wished the fruits of his lifelong hobby to go to new owners who would cherish them.Lots will be sold at an estimate of £300 (about R5,500) upwards, with auctioneers saying they would be "accessible" to all.Right: a wine-pouring machine Around 70 items will make up the bulk of Christie's annual Out of the Ordinary sale.They include a set of keys from the Titanic, once owned by the ship's lamp trimmer, a pair of knickers worn by Queen Victoria and earrings given to Wallis Simpson by the Duke of Windsor.Sir Winston Churchill's stetson, given to him in Calgary in 1929, is for sale at an estimate of £4,000 to £6,000.Outfits worn by Lawrence of Arabia are also for sale, with a wallet thought to have been owned by Napoleon on offer for £2,000 to £3,000 and the 1st Duke of Wellington's spectacles for £1,000 to £1,500.Other items in the eclectic auction offered by other vendors include Baroness Thatcher's Jaguar. It will be the first car of its kind to be sold by the UK's Department of Transport, giving admirers of the former prime minister an insight into her life.Charlie Chaplin's violin is also for sale.Nic McElhatton, chairman of Christie's South Kensington, said: "To have a collection of memorabilia and ephemera with such a span, all the way from Lennon to Churchill, is extraordinary."..
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