AA Auctions

Pot Lid:   'FREDK WHEELER, GUILDFORD'

Description:  A very rare and sought after pot lid from this historic town in Surrey featuring a fabulous and incredibly detailed pictorial of the famous protruding clock outside the town hall* in Guildford's high street. Exceptional quality print. Fancy border. You'll struggle to find a better overall example

*The old town hall (or Guildhall as it is now better known) was initially used as a courtroom and built c1550. The projecting clock, erected at that time, was presented to the council by London clockmaker John Aylward in return for being allowed to trade in the borough. 

Frederick Wheeler took over the business from his mother in the 1870's and continued trading from the 129 High Street address

** One of several superb lids from various significant pot lid collections, all to be spread over successive auctions **

Invaluable help and extra information has been provided to these pot lid listings by the authors of the fabulous book: 'Historical Guide to Advertising Pot Lids' by Houghton, Layden & Taylor - Thoroughly recommended at just £70 (softback).  

Era:  c1880-90's

Diameter:    75mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):    Very good   Generally very good with just a smallish (4mm x 15mm) chip on the inside of the back rim (all but hidden from side view anyway), a very small (2mm x 3mm) wafer thin flake on the side rim at the back and a very hard to spot tiny (2mm) scratch near the 'T' of Nut (barely visible) and is otherwise excellent (nb the tiny brown dot on the rim edge is just a rust spot)

Grade:  8.7         Estimate:  £800-1k+     Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:   'DELICATELY SCENTED, RUSSIAN BEARS GREASE'

Description:  A striking early bears grease lid featuring a dark standing bear carrying a sash. Lovely smaller 3" size. Attractive fancy border. Decent print. Always very popular due to the sheer size of the bear (and the fact that it possibly bears more of a resemblance to a tail-less rat than a bear)

Era:  c1860-70's

Diameter:  73mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Repaired   Has had restoration to the back to a high standard (so good that it is nigh on impossible to tell the extent of the original damage) and apart from a tiny (2mm) spot of repair on the outside edge of the rim (at 2 o'clock) and a spot of white paint of a similar size near the 'A' of Russian (that looks like it was just to mask an in-manufacture tiny glaze blow hole as there is another near one of the bear's rear feet) and is otherwise very good 

Grade:  Ungraded   Estimate:   £60-80   Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   'LARBALESTIER, SOUTHAMPTON'

Description:  A striking and exceptionally rare offering of a particularly early bears grease lid from this port city in Hampshire featuring a dark very well detailed standing bear in its natural habitat. Elaborate border. Exquisite quality print. The smaller of two examples, both exceedingly rare (possibly only one or two examples recorded per size and one selling for £5k several years back). Provincial bears grease pot lids are particularly scarse and this is one of the finest, don't miss it!!

See p178/9 Historical guide to Advertising Pot Lids where it reports that Henry William Larbalestier retired in 1861 and died in 1870 and had premises at 3 High Street and 49 Above Bar in Southampton and that there was a long line of Larbalestiers tobacconists in the town

Era:  c1860-70

Diameter:  66mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Very good   Just has an old and very small (2mm x 4mm) pretty insignificant flake on the underside of the outer rim (which is not seen at all on the face), an equally insignificant tiny (1-2mm) wafer thin flake on the back rim edge, a very small (2mm x 3mm) old wafer-thin flake on the inside of the back rim (so once again not seen at all on display) and a series of two pinprick fleabites also on the back rim edge but as can be seen in the photos, nothing at all to detract when on display and any 'damages' being very minor indeed (most barely worth mentioning apart from 100% accuracy of description) - Has cleaned up better since the group photo   

Grade:  8.8     Estimate:   £3-3.5k+      Reserve:    N/R

Pot Lid:   'HAWKES & WALLINGTON, BIRMINGHAM'

Description:  Another exceptionally rare and particularly early regional bears grease lid, this time a partnership variation from this large West Midland city and featuring a dark well detailed standing bear with chains (not dissimilar to the familiar Atkinson's bear). Fancy border. Interesting mention of 'Opposite the Hen & Chickens Hotel'. Several variations of the B. Hawke's bear lid are recorded but this seems to be the only in joint names (this being the actual lid pictured in the pot lid book). Another rare opportunity! 

See p641 (#31)  Historical Guide to Advertising Pot Lids where it is reported that during the mid-1840's Hawkes formed a partnership with George Wallington (see page 647) which only lasted until 1851

Era:  mid-1840's-1851

Diameter:  68mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Fair/Good   Just has some old chippings/chips on a section of about 45mm of the back rim edge (with an arched hairline bruise above that doesn't go all the way to the inside of the rim), a smallish (4mm x 13mm) chip on the inside of the back rim (which is mostly hidden from side view and not seen on display), a very small patch of rust crazing on the side wall, some other light crazing on another part of the side wall and the odd very minor tiny fleabite on the back rim edge too. As can be seen in the photos these do little if anything to detract when on display     

Grade:  6.7     Estimate:   £1.2-1.5k+    Reserve:   £1.2k

Pot Lid:   'SWALLOW, PETERBOROUGH'

Description:  A particularly striking and exceptionally rare shaving cream lid from this city in Cambridgeshire featuring the early Gothic west front of Peterborough cathedral. Double-line border. Detailed print. This is the actual lid featured on p54 of the pot lid book. Only a handful of these lids recorded

See also p55 Historical Guide to Advertising Pot Lids where it gives further details of Arthur Swallow whose premises at 10 Narrow Bridge Street would have had a clear view of the cathedral  

Era:  c1880-90's

Diameter:  89mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Excellent   Superb condition with just a totally insignificant tiny flake on the very back of the rim which looks very likely to have been caused in-manufacture anyway as it's exactly where one of the stilt marks are and is otherwise mint      

Grade:  9.7     Estimate:   £1.5-2k+     Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:    WHITAKER & GROSSMITH

Description:  Another interesting bears grease lid, this time from this chemist in London featuring a standing bear. This being the scarce 'Whitaker & Grossmith' version without the 'Silk City' London address. Good quality print. Fancy border

Era:  c1870-80's

Diameter:  78mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Fair/Good  Just has a small (4mm x 7mm) chip on the outer edge of the face (at 7 o'clock) which is easily repairable as it doesn't touch the border and is otherwise excellent

Grade:    6.9       Estimate:   £60-80     Reserve:    N/R

Pot Lid:   'DANIEL MELIA'

Description:  A classic lid featuring an attractive girl with long wavy hair and an alluring smile (no doubt attributable to using this brand of toothpaste). Decent quality print. Scarce

Daniel Melia built a chain of successful grocery outlets in a number towns in the north-west and midlands. This is why this tooth paste pot lid does not feature any locations as it was possible to sell it from all the company’s outlets

Era:  c1880-1890's

Diameter:    76mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Repaired   Has been professionally repaired (to a very high standard indeed) to one section of the face only. The wording 'for preserving the teeth' has been repainted expertly due to some minor glaze issues and apart from a small area to the left of that the rest of the face (including the pictorial) is all as original and the rest of the lid is mint and as it was

Grade:  Ungraded   Estimate:   £80-100   Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   'HIGHLY PERFUMED BEARS GREASE'

Description:  Another striking and exceptionally rare early bears grease lid. This time a very large (4.25") example featuring a dark well detailed standing bear in its natural environment halding a banner in its mouth with 'Genuine' wording within. Excellent quality print (with just the odd very minor smudge/finger mark). Multiple fancy borders. Rarely seen for sale

Era:  c1860-70

Diameter:  107mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Very good   Just has a very small (12mm max) hard to spot hairline bruise on the rim edge which is almost impossible to see on face (only just visible by 1mm at 9 o'clock), some minor glaze rubbing/wear on about a quarter of the rim edge (from 1 o'clock to 4 o'clock) that does little if anything to detract (and one or two totally insignificant pinprick glaze rubs on the odd part of the rim that are hardly worth mentioning) and equally five very minor fleabites on the rim back edge (some no doubt in-manufacture when taken out of the kiln) that also in no way detract and is otherwise excellent      

Grade:  8.4     Estimate:   £1.8-2k+      Reserve:    £1.8k

Pot Lid:   'GENUINE BEARS GREASE'

Description:  Another scarce and early bears grease lid, this time featuring a dark seated bear in great detail in its natural surroundings. Excellent print quality (with just a fold/thin smudge on the left side). Attractive fancy border.  

Era:  c1860-70's

Diameter:  67mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Repaired   Has had restoration to the back to a decent standard. It looks like it had a large (6cm) chunk off the back has been repaired and you can just make out an area between 8 and 9 o'clock on the very edge of the face where it has also been filled, but not touched up (nb some of the paint has been thickly applied and maybe better removed if so desired) 

Grade:  Ungraded   Estimate:   £60-80   Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   'HUMPHRY, DARTMOUTH'

Description:  A scarce tooth paste pot lid from this South Devon town featuring Dartmouth Castle and the 'Mouth of the English Rhine'. This being the slightly larger 'single town' variant. Wide fancy border. Excellent print quality

Era:  c1880-1890's

Diameter:  84mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):    Very good   Just has a smallish (4mm x 17mm) and totally insignificant chip on the inside of the back rim which has been filled at some time in the past is 99% hidden from side view anyway and not at all visible on display and is otherwise excellent 

Grade:   8.9       Estimate:   £100-150     Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:    GENUINE RUSSIAN BEARS GREASE

Description:  An appealing bears grease lid featuring a single dark bear looking quite fierce in its natural environment with a couple of trees and a mountain in the background. Excellent quality print. Unusual beaded and fancy border. 

Era:  c1870-1880's

Diameter:  78mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Fair   Has had a medium (11mm x 17mm) chip on the face edge at 6 o'clock filled and mostly repaired and is otherwise excellent with just a little crazing on the side wall

Grade:  5.0        Estimate:  £40-60         Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:   'Mc MASTER HODGSON'

Description:  A rare rectangular 'Areca Nut Tooth Paste' pot lid from these well documented chemists in Dublin. Great mosque/palace pictorial with usual palm trees etc. Good quality print. Fancy leafy border.  

Era:  c1880-1890's

Dimensions:   85mm long by 50mm wide

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Fair   Had a small corner section repaired to a high standard by Simon Bennett many years ago and is otherwise very good. See old (albeit blurred) before photo

Grade:  6.0      Estimate:   £80-100+     Reserve:     N/R

Pot Lid:   'W.H. KERR, LONDON'

Description:  Another striking and exceptionally rare pot lid, this time for 'Carnation Tooth Paste' and featuring a carnation pictorial cleverly placed to the left of the wording to great effect. Fancy border. Exquisite quality print (with just some of the overglaze colour worn away in parts). Once again only a handful of these stunning lids recorded

W.H. Kerr, Chemist - 9 New Bond Street, London 

Era:  c1880-90's

Diameter:  83mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Very good   Great overall condition with just a pretty insignificant small (4mm x 6mm) old dark chip on the inside of the back rim (all but hidden from side view and not at all visible on display) and a miniscule (<1mm) pinhead fleabite on the rear rim edge (barely visible) and is otherwise excellent (with just some tiny spots of minor stain/rust on the underside)       

Grade:  8.8     Estimate:   £1-1.2k+     Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   'MUNDAY, CARDIFF'

Description:  A very rare rectangular 'Orange Tooth Paste' pot lid from this large city in South Wales uniquely featuring a single orange on a branch as a pictorial. Excellent quality print. Interesting fan design on both bottom corners. Possibly the only lid that mentions 'orange' tooth paste (presumably relating to the colour and not the flavour)

Era:  c1880-1890's

Dimensions:   83mm long by 52mm wide

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Good   Has a smallish (4mm x 9mm) sliver on one of the end walls (and some rubbing/wear on the bottom corner below), a medium (5mm x 16mm) chip on the inside of the back rim (which is mostly hidden from side view and not at all on display), a couple of very faint minor hairlines on the back that just creep into the side walls but nowhere near the face and is otherwise excellent (has cleaned up very well since the group photo)

Grade:  7.8        Estimate:   £300-400     Reserve:    N/R

Pot Lid:   'ST PAUL'S'

Description:  An attractive tooth paste pot lid featuring a fabulous picture of the iconic St Paul's Cathedral in London. This being the Cherry T/P variant. Double line border. Decent quality print

Era:  c1880-1890's

Diameter:   69mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Fair/Good   Has some glaze wear/rubs on parts of the top rim edge, some similar also on the bottom rim edge along with a small (4mm) flake (also on the back rim edge) and a very shallow shallow small (4mm x 8mm) chip on the back rim itself and is otherwise OK 

Grade:  6.4         Estimate:   £30-50        Reserve:  N/R