Bulletin No.69 - Green for Go!

 

Welcome to the ASJ Summer Bulletin 2025.

Second World War artist and onetime camouflage expert Stephen Bone heads the cast in our latest offering with a rarely recorded view of a heavy bomber airfield under construction in the summer months of 1942. Of good size, it is a fascinating contemporary work that artfully documents the myriad of activity essential to the expansion of RAF’s efforts in carrying the fight to the enemy at a relatively low point in the war for Allied fortunes. 

Relic of the Battle of the River Plate - Graf Spee, 1940

In a first for us at the Armoury, we have turned up a superbly tactile relic of the 1939 Battle of the River Plate that reminds us of the British intelligence operation to secure the wreckage of the Graf Spee for analysis of its advanced radar and weapons systems - aka ‘Case 6160’.

A Pair of Second World War Churchill & Roosevelt Toby Jugs, 1941

Churchill, FDR and the Atlantic Charter of 1941 are also worth a mention not merely as a timely reminder of the high-principled aims thereof, but also as a rare opportunity to snaffle up the Eric Olsen’s art deco inspired bar top water jugs in one fell swoop.   

Original Cover Artwork for Fleetway's Battle Picture Library, 1960's

The WW2 theme continues in a very different way with some punchy 1960s cover artwork of the type that was designed to convey to post-war kids the kind of experiences their fathers and uncles might have known. In other areas of interest, there are some excellent royal presentation items, including cufflinks and stickpins from across the twentieth century, as well as two rare examples of the type of stationery related goods that put London silversmith and luxury goods purveyor Sampson Mordan firmly on the map. As ever there are plenty of new additions to the website so do click below. 

Edwardian Sentry Box Inkwells, Sampson Morgan, 1907

All the best for the summer weeks ahead,

James, Toby & George