A collapsible silk top hat - perfect for a Victorian night at the opera, or a 20th century magic trick - comes for sale on July 20.
Our Homes & Interiors sale on Tuesday 20 July includes the novelty hat, made by Gibus of 10 Chandles Street, Trafalgar Square alongside a presentation wand given to a member of the Magic Circle with a guide of £80-120.
Antoine Gibus was a Parisian hatmaker who, during the early 19th century, had solved a problem with which wearers of the top hat were well acquainted. Rather than seek a place to hang one’s silk topper, he created a hat, using a system of steel springs, that could be collapsed flat!
The wand, with silver mounts and a presentation inscription to John Holt, Esq M.M.C. 1963 has a terminal enamelled with the signs of the zodiac. It comes in a silk lined case for John Finches, London.
We are proud to feature some excellent plywood furniture in our 27 January Design auction, by designers including Alvar Aalto, Gerald Summers and Saburo Inui.
11 December 2025
We are delighted to be partnering with The Georgian Group for a special fundraising auction to be held in January 2026. Together, we are helping to safeguard Britain's Georgian treasures for generations to come.
11 December 2025
A signed Churchill letter to R.A. Butler and a photograph taken the day before his resignation as prime minister headline a group of historically rich political lots in Sworders’ Open House sale from 9–15 December.
9 December 2025