A fairly unassuming playbill bought in an Epping charity shop for £5 sold for £4,750 in our auction of Fine Interiors on Wednesday 30 June after it was discovered to be a rare theatrical advertisement printed on the H.M.S Resolute during its Arctic expedition in the 1850s.
The unnamed buyer took a liking to the framed piece after seeing another shopper inspect it and put it down again. Thinking that the silk looked to have some age and intrigued by its charm, they conducted some research of their own and found a similar example had sold at Christie’s in 2004 for over £2,000. Excited by its prospects, they brought it in to us and entered it for sale in our June Fine Interiors auction.
The playbill, advertising performances of ‘The Taming the Shrew’ and ‘The Two Bonnycastles’, is a fascinating insight into the lives of the ship's crew. To alleviate their boredom during the winter months berthed at Dealy Island off the south shore of Melville Island, Canada, the men would put on performances complete with costumes and advertising playbills such as this one. After the 1853 season advertised on this playbill, the HMS Resolute became stuck in ice and had to be abandoned, later to be found by American whalers and sailed back to Britain to be presented to Queen Victoria in 1856. As a gesture of thanks, timbers from the ship were gifted to US President, Rutherford B Hayes in 1880, who used them to make the Resolute Desk which is still located in the White House's Oval Office today.
After significant interest from the UK and America, a successful UK trade buyer secured the lot for £4,750 including fees.
"It's remarkable what still turns up in Charity shops. They really would be better taking professional advice before selling their art and antiques. However, this was a great find for our vendor who knew we have a good track record selling items from the so-called Heroic Age of Polar exploration," said Sworders Chairman Guy Schooling.
In our upcoming Fine Interiors auction on 9–10 December 2025, two lots offer more than fine craftsmanship and design — they carry the weight of imperial history. One piece was acquired from Provender House, the Kent home of Princess Olga Andreevna Romanoff, and the other holds a curious clue to its past, bearing a connection to the Russian Imperial family.
23 October 2025
Murano’s centuries-old glassmaking tradition meets 20th-century design in this spotlight on Paolo Venini and his iconic Inciso vases.
23 October 2025
Known for creating timeless spaces through layers of colour, texture and pattern, interior designer Georgie Wykeham delves into the catalogue of our latest Design auction. Georgie has carefully selected her favourite lots from the 21 October sale, and shares insights into her design philosophy and inspiration.
16 October 2025