Churchill's hat, Siegfried Farnon's brass plaque, and
a painting of himself as Prince Albert on horseback: Fascinating mementoes of
actor Robert Hardy's life are revealed as his estate goes up for sale
The contents of the estate of British acting royalty,
the late Robert Hardy, have gone up for sale
They include mementos from legendary actor's most well
known theatre, film and TV roles during his career
Hardy, who starred as Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter
films, kept hold of the items until his death last year
There's 150 lots, which also features paintings,
furniture and glassware, with an estimated value of £50,000
By ANTHONY
JOSEPH FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED:
12:50, 6 March 2018 | UPDATED: 16:06, 6 March 2018
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5468081/Robert-Hardys-estate-goes-sale.html
The
contents of the estate of British acting royalty, the late Robert Hardy, have
gone up for sale.
They
include mementos from the legendary actor's most well known theatre, film and
TV roles during his 60 year career.
Hardy, who
starred as Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter films, kept hold of the items
until his death, aged 91, in August last year.
In total,
there are 150 lots in the sale, which also features his paintings, furniture
and glassware, with an estimated value of £50,000.
The
contents of the estate of British acting royalty, the late Robert Hardy
(pictured in Harry Potter as Cornelius Fudge), have gone up for sale +13
The
contents of the estate of British acting royalty, the late Robert Hardy
(pictured in Harry Potter as Cornelius Fudge), have gone up for sale
The
original brass name plaque which was attached to to railings outside the
fictional vets on the series All Creatures Great and Small. Estimated
£700-£1,000
Hardy
played eccentric veterinary surgeon Siegfried Farnon in the popular BBC family
show All Creatures Great and Small which ran from 1978 to 1990.
His
character's name plaque which was attached to the fictional veterinary practice
Skeldale House is tipped to sell for £1,000.
After he
delivered a BAFTA-winning performance as Winston Churchill in the 1981 ITV
drama series Churchill: The Wilderness Years, a close family member of the
former prime minister gave him his cream stetson hat marked with the initials
'WSC'.
The hat,
which Hardy often wore at special events and lectures, is expected to fetch
£5,000.
A navy and
white spotted bow tie formerly owned and worn by Churchill has an estimate of
£600.
A replica
28ins sword Hardy wielded as Henry V in the 1960 TV drama series An Age Of
Kings which he starred in alongside Sir Sean Connery and Dame Judi Dench is
tipped to sell for £600.
His
appearance in the drama sparked an interest in medieval military history and he
enjoyed a second career as a historian and expert on the longbow.
He
published two books on the subject and was one of the experts consulted during
the raising of Henry VIII's flagship, Mary Rose. Nine of his longbows feature
in the sale which are each valued at £400.
A portrait
of his great-great grandfather Robert Hardy, dating from 1780, is expected to
fetch £1,500. His imposing 8ft by 9ft George III mahogany bookcase is valued at
£3,000.
Some of the
contents of Hardy's estate were previously sold in 2015 and following his death
auctioneer Dominic Winter have been entrusted with a second sale.
Colin
Meays, specialist at Dominic Winter, of Cirencester, Gloucs, said: 'It has been
fascinating to be able to see the personal collection of such a well-known
figure, and obtain a glimpse into his family's interesting and historical past.
The sale
features mementos from the legendary actor's most well known theatre, film and
TV roles during his 60 year career. Hardy, who starred as Cornelius Fudge in
the Harry Potter films, kept hold of the items until his death aged 91 in
August last year
'Robert was
so much more than just an actor, he had many interests and talents, and this
comes across in the items being offered for sale.
'When the
items are offered for sale next week, fans will have the opportunity to be
future custodians of some of Robert Hardy's varied collection.
'He was an
extremely popular and well-loved figure in both the acting, archery and
medieval military history worlds.
'In 2015
Robert moved house and a successful sale was held which included books,
furniture, paintings and theatre memorabilia.
'The actor
was a true gentleman of the old school, and it was a pleasure to deal with him
during the process of putting together the sale.
'It is with
sadness that we now offer a second sale of items which belonged to Robert, a
sale that has come about as a result of his death in August last year.
'Items of
personal importance have been retained by the family and the decision to part
with the various items in the auction has not been taken lightly by them. We
are honoured to be entrusted with the sale a second time.'
The auction
takes place on Thursday.
In 2015:
Veteran actor Robert Hardy is selling his
enormous collection of antiques in a £100,000 auction after deciding to
downsize his home.
By HUGO GYE
FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED:
15:16 BST, 14 April 2015 | UPDATED: 15:30 BST, 14 April 2015
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3038468/Actor-Robert-Hardy-sells-antique-collection.html
The star,
known for appearing in All Creatures Great and Small and playing Winston
Churchill several times, is auctioning off more than 200 items he has collected
over his career.
Mr Hardy,
89, is a keen military historian who studied English with J.R.R. Tolkien and is
now an expert on the medieval longbow.
One of the
most unusual items featured in the auction of his possessions is a hand-painted
limewood diorama depicted the progress of the Battle of Agincourt in 3D.
The piece
was created by artist L.M. Rendall in the 1960s after being commissioned by Mr
Hardy himself, and has an estimate of £4,000 to £6,000.
There is
also a longbow made from yew with a mother-of-pearl handle, as well as a
portrait of Mr Hardy holding the bow, which is set to sell for up to £2,000.
The actor
is also selling paintings, furniture, swords, flintlock rifles, silverware and
a fine collection of crystal chandeliers.
Dozens of
books, some dating back to the 17th century, are included in the auction which
is set to take place this Saturday.
A total of
238 lots are being sold by Dominic Winter auctioneers at its saleroom in South
Cerney, Gloucestershire.
Mr Hardy,
who lives in the Cotswolds, said that he was sad to sell his collection.
'Downsizing
and losing a great part of a treasured library makes for sadness,' he said.
'Entrusting
it all to Dominic Winter and Co has taken away much of the pain, and through
them I wish anyone who comes to possess anything that was mine as much joy and
pleasure as it has given me through the years.'
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