HAND-DRAWN caricatures and photographs signed by 1930s cricketing legends feature in an autograph book going to a local auction.
The album also features a plethora of signed drawings and photos, notes, letters and newspaper cuttings featuring personalities of the era including Sir Malcolm Campbell, Gracie Fields and John Wayne.
The collection goes under the hammer with Richard Winterton Auctioneers on 26th.
Ephemera specialist Robert French said:
“This wonderful album has such a wide-ranging degree of subjects and is of great historical interest.”
Drawn and compiled by Birmingham man Reginald Sheffield, the album comes to auction from a relation of an army friend to whom the album had been passed.
Auctioneers were especially knocked for six by signed caricatures and photographs of cricketing legends Sir Donald Bradman, Jack Hobbs, Herbert Sutcliffe, Wally Hammond, Dennis Compton, Bill Bowes and around 40 other sports aces, as well as some notes from Lords Cricket Ground.
Mr French said:
“Sir Donald George Bradman is widely regarded as the greatest batsman of all time.
“In 1948 at The Oval, his test average stood at 101.39, requiring four runs to reach 7,000 test runs and maintain an average of 100 in his final test innings.
“Bradman had a guard of honour when he went out to the wicket, but the greatest batsman in cricket history was dismissed for a duck and the ground fell silent.
“His test average ended at 99.94.”
Auctioneers anticipate the album fetching between £400 and £600.
The full catalogue can be viewed online.
