AA Auctions

Pot Lid:   'B. HAWKES, BIRMINGHAM'

Description:  An early and extremely rare hair preparation pictorial pot lid from this West Midlands city featuring a well detailed beehive within a rose garden with several bees above. Great quality print. Fancy floral border (possibly the only example recorded)

The actual lid featured in the new pot lid book. 

** 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:  c1860-70's

Diameter:    70mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):    Repaired   Just has some surface paint on the rear (that has yellowed over time) which hides the extent of the original damage, but a couple of small bare areas have exposed some filler. It does look like a few large chunks off the back rim have been filled and painted over but it's very difficult to determine the full extent. Plus there is some light overall crazing and what looks like a very faint glaze line/hairline on the face (at around 1 o'clock) and a tiny very minor rub on the rim edge at 5 o'clock (hardly worth mentioning). As can be seen in the photos, looks great on display and definitely worthy of stripping the old paint and having a professional repair job done 

Grade:  Ungraded  Estimate:  £200-300+ Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:   'R. WOOD, WINDSOR'

Description:  A particularly striking and exceptionally rare 'Windsor Tooth Paste' lid from this world famous town, home of course to the Royal Family and featuring a detailed picture of the Henry VIII gateway as part of the famous castle. Excellent quality print. This is the actual lid featured on p36 of the pot lid book. Only a handful of these lids recorded. Don't miss it!

Era:  c1880-90's

Diameter:  75mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Very good   Great overall condition with just one or two minor flakes/chips on the very back of the rim (the biggest being just 3mm x 6mm) and the odd insignificant fleabite (also on the back rim) but as can be seen in the photos nothing at all untoward and certainly nothing to detract on display in any way (nb the two minscule pinprick sized marks on the rim edge at 5 o'clock look to be in manufacture and are so tiny and insignificant are hardly worth mentioning)     

Grade:  8.4       Estimate:   £1.5-2k        Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   'BIRMINGHAM HOUSEHOLD SUPPLY ASSOCIATION'

Description:  Another striking building pictorial lid, this time of a shop premises in Corporation Street, Birmingham. Excellent quality print (you can even see the people in period dress walking in front of the shop and the name across the top of the windows). Once again only a handful of these lids recorded. Retains some of the original gold band. Another one not to miss!

Era:  c1880-90's

Diameter:  88mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Very good   Great overall condition with just some fairly minor glaze rubbing/wear on some of the outside edge (in parts between 8 and 10 o'clock) you can only just spot a couple of very small areas on display (if you look very hard) but most are unseen and do little if anything at all to detract and the lid is otherwise excellent    

Grade:  8.5       Estimate:   £800-1k       Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   'JOHN A TOONE, BOURNEMOUTH'

Description:  Another striking and exceptionally rare building pictorial lid, this time featuring St Peter's Church in Bournemouth's town centre. Excellent quality print. Once again only a handful of these lids recorded. Don't miss it!

Era:  c1880-90's

Diameter:  74mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Excellent   Superb condition with just a very minor and faint hairline bruise on the back rim edge (hardly noticeable) which has a very small and almost impossible to spot hairline/glaze-line running just 10mm on the inside edge of the back rim (only really visible with a magnifying glass and mentioned purely for 100% accuracy of description) and is otherwise mint     

Grade:  9.2     Estimate:   £1.2-1.5k      Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   'H.C. BAILDON & SON, EDINBURGH'

Description:  A large and fabulous 'Fragrant Cherry Tooth Paste' pot lid from this Scottish capital featuring a great pictorial of Scott's Monument in the centre. Very detailed print (with just the odd very minor smudge towards the edge). Original gold band still intact. Guaranteed original (from a top pot lid collection). Rarely seen in such great condition.

The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott and is the second largest monument to a writer in the world. It stands in Princes Street Gardens (not far from Baildon's premises in Princes Street)

Era:   c1880-1900's

Diameter:   81mm 

Condition (please see detailed photos):  Excellent   Superb undamaged mint condition with just the odd very subtle fine glaze crazing and subtle rust spots in places (barely visible and hardly worth mentioning).

Grade:  9.5      Estimate:  £200-300       Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   'YARDLEY & STATHAM'

Description:  An extremely rare very small (2.25") and particularly early 'Genuine Circassian Cream' pot lid featuring a portrait picture of a young lady with curls. Detailed print. Fancy border. Another significant offering (see BBR 171 for full report on this lid)

Charles Yardley & William Statham (wholesale & export perfumers). 7 Vine Street, London

Era:  c1846-51 (when partnership was dissolved after Statham was declared bankrupt)

Diameter:    56mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Fair   Has a large (5mm x 20mm) chunk off the back rim, another smaller one (4mm x 16mm) and some other chips/chippings all around back rim too along with the odd totally insignificant very small hairline. Luckily though, the only damage to the face is a pretty minor tiny (2mm) flake on the rim edge at 7 o'clock (barely visible on display) and the odd tiny faint spot of rust. Could be repaired but with the face being relatively undamaged is hardly worth it

Grade:   4.0     Estimate:   £600-800+    Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:     'THOMPSON, BIRMINGHAM'

Description:  An attractive and rare cherry tooth paste pot lid unusually from this large West Midlands city that features a bunch of cherries and could easily be mistaken for the more familiar Saunder's, Liverpool example. 'CT' entwined initials to right and left surmounted by 'Sparkbrook' & 'Sparkhill' both inner city districts in Birmingham. Excellent quality print. 

Era:    c1890-1900's

Diameter:    74mm  

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Mint   Superb undamaged mint condition with just a very small spot of rust stain on the side wall (very minor indeed)

Grade:  9.8      Estimate:   £200-300      Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:     'JAMES SHOOLBRED & CO, LONDON'

Description:  An appealing cherry tooth paste lid featuring a fabulous (albeit small) picture of Shoolbred's shop front in Tottenham Court Road, London. Appealing overall design. Superb quality print. Scarce

Era:  c1880-90's

Diameter:   82mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):    Very good   Just has a very small (2mm x 3mm) flake on the underside of the back rim, a very light superficial scratch on the side wall and a tiny (2mm) in-manufacture split on the underside of the outer rim (hardly visible and barely worth mentioning) and is otherwise excellent

Grade:  9.0     Estimate:   £300-400       Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid/Base printed:   'SKELTON'S IMPERIAL SHAVING CREAM'

Description:  A very striking shaving cream pot lid using an intaglio design to great effect. Plume of feathers tm. Great quality print (part print on side wall too). See lot #9 for later version

Era:  c1880-90's

Diameter:   72mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Good/Very good   Just has a small (2mm x 8mm) minor sliver on the very back rim edge, two tiny (1-2mm) fleabites also on the rear rim edge (barely visible) and a very small (2mm) fleabite flake on the top rim edge at 6 o'clock) 

Grade:  8.0         Estimate:  £60-80         Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:   'JOHN WALSH, SHEFFIELD'

Description:  A very appealing small building pictorial lid from this South Yorkshire chemist featuring a sprawling factory scene (which presumably was Walsh's own manufacturing premises) Good quality print (with just the odd tiny transfer rub/miss in places). 

Era:  c1880-90

Diameter:    73mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Good/Very good   Just a small (3mm x 8mm) flake on the very back rim and a small (2mm) fleabite flake on the back rim edge and is otherwise excellent with just the odd rub also on the back rim edge   

Grade:   8.0     Estimate:   £150-200+    Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid/Base printed:   'JOHN BELL & CROYDEN LTD'

Description:  An appealing large (3.5") pot lid and base combination with the lid from this London retailer featuring a fabulous large picture of their shop front in Wigmore Street, West London. Excellent print quality. Scarce large size. Rare to see both lid and base together (see lot #15 for smaller variant of lid) 

Era:  c1912+ (from when this partnership was registered as a Ltd Co)

Dimensions:  Lid: 89mm diameter / Base & lid: 67mm tall  

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  LID:  Very good   Just has some subtle pitting on the edge of the face (at 10 o'clock) which is barely noticeable and the odd spot of glaze rub/wear on the underside, but nothing to detarct when on display /  BASE:  (looks to be the original and has a very slight wobble) Good  Just a small (4mm x 9mm) flake/chip on the top part of the outer rim which isn't seen at all on display

Grade:  8.5 (lid) / 8.9 (base)  Estimate:  £80-100    Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:   'ST PAUL'S BRAND'

Description:  A very attractive Areca Nut Tooth Paste pot lid featuring a fabulous picture of the iconic St Paul's Cathedral in London. Excellent quality print. Double line border. (see lot #14 for Cherry T/P variant)

Era:  c1880-1890's

Diameter:   78mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Very good/Excellent   Just a very small (9mm) and insignificant hairline bruise on the underside of the outer rim edge and is otherwise mint

Grade:  9.0       Estimate:   £60-80+       Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:   'J.R.KIRK, LOW HARROGATE'

Description:  A desirable and classic rectangular pot lid featuring a fabulous picture of a Victorian bristle tooth brush and from this famous spa town in North Yorkshire. Superb quality print. Great overall design. Scarce to see in such great condition

Era:  c1890-1900's

Dimensions:    93mm long and 60mm wide

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Excellent/Near mint   Superb undamaged condition with just some subtle glaze crazing (mainly on the sides) and a tiny glaze rub on one of the back corners Barely visible and hardly worth mentioning) and is otherwise mint

Grade:  9.7    Estimate:   £200-300+     Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   'ST PAUL'S BRAND'

Description:  Another attractive pot lid featuring a fabulous picture of the iconic St Paul's Cathedral in London, thia time the Cherry Tooth Paste variant. Great quality print (with just the odd subtle line where the print was misaligned and a smudge spot near the rim edge). Single line and beaded border. (see lot #1 for Areca Nut Tooth Paste variant)

Era:  c1880-1890's

Diameter:   79mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Excellent   Just a very small (2mm x 4mm) and insignificant fleabite flake on the underside edge of the back rim and is otherwise excellent

Grade:  9.3       Estimate:   £60-80+       Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:     'JOHN BELL & CROYDEN LTD'

Description:   An appealing medium sized 'Pure Cold Cream of Roses' pot lid from this London retailer featuring a large picture of their shop front in Wigmore Street, West London. Great print quality (with just some in-manufacture glaze miss on the front). Elaborate overall design. (see lot #11 for larger variant with base)

Era:  c1912+ (from when this partnership was registered as a Ltd Co)

Diameter:    73mm  

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Good/Very good  Just a tiny flake/fleabite on the very back of the rim (that looks like it is in-manufacture anyway as it partly glazed over), the in-manufacture glaze-miss as mentioned above, some light wear on parts the outside edge and a very subtle hairline bruise on the back rim 

Grade:  8.0       Estimate:   £60-80        Reserve:    N/R