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Mousehole painting found in charity shop sells for thousands
Summary
A painting of Mousehole by George Hammond Steel donated to an RSPCA shop in Royal Wootton Bassett sold for £3,900 at a RWB Auctions sale on January 14. It had been estimated at £600–£800.
Content
An oil painting of Mousehole harbour by George Hammond Steel that was donated to an RSPCA shop on the High Street in Royal Wootton Bassett sold at auction for £3,900. Shop staff identified the work as a quality piece and brought it to auctioneer and valuer Gordon Brockman shortly before Christmas. The painting was offered in RWB Auctions' Antiques and Interiors sale on January 14 and attracted strong online and telephone bidding. George Hammond Steel (1900–1960) was a British painter and stained-glass designer known for impasto views of Cornish towns and Derbyshire landscapes.
Known details:
- The painting was donated to the RSPCA shop on the High Street, Royal Wootton Bassett.
- Staff took the work to auctioneer Gordon Brockman, who assessed it ahead of the sale.
- It was initially estimated at £600–£800 and sold for a hammer price of £3,900 on January 14.
- The buyer was reported as a private collector in Nottinghamshire.
- The oil view shows Mousehole at low tide, signed by Hammond Steel in the lower right-hand corner.
- RWB Auctions offers no-fee consignment for registered charities and provides free valuation advice to charity shops.
Summary:
The sale generated proceeds for the RSPCA and was noted by the auction house as an example of how donated items can realise higher returns when identified and marketed through specialist channels. Undetermined at this time.
