8 genuinely historic objects you can buy at auction

From 100 year old pants, to the keys for a sunken ship

Ministry of Information’s ‘Keep calm and carry on’ has become the defining – and often overused – symbol of the British stiff upper lip. While the message has now been spread onto pretty much every piece of tourists tat imaginable, owning one of the original 1939 lithograph prints will set you aside from the crowds.

The HMS Titanic may very well be at the bottom of the North Atlantic, but this lot will give you the run of the ship. Originally owned by Samuel Ernest Hemming, the lamp trimmer on board who personally helped passengers into lifeboats right up until the ship finally sunk. They also come with copies of letters including Hemming’s account of the disaster.

Robert Falcon Scott led the Terra Nova British Antarctic Expedition, in 1910 with the aim of securing the South Pole for the British Government. Racing a competing Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen, on 17th January 1912, the Terra Nova expedition finally reached the South Pole only to find Amundsen’s marker flags and tent. Compounding his failure, Scott and all of his team actually perished during his return voyage. A brown leather explorers case with straps for belt mounting, includes a silver-plate mounted glass spirit bottle and an aluminium spirit stove case.

Sir Charles Spencer is the ultimate comedy film icon, still immediately recognisable almost anywhere on the planet, but you probably know him better by his stage name: Charlie Chaplin. This violin was not only owned by Chaplin, it is also believed to be the one he played in ‘The Vagabond’ one of his most famous roles.

At a reception hosted by Republic Pictures, Soho Square, in February 1951, John Wayne was in conversation with the vendor of this hat. Over the course of their conversation, the former owner said to John Wayne that they liked his hat, to which he replied “you like it, you can have it” and placed it on their head without hesitation. If you too would like to own the defining item of cowboy western clothing, no better man could have worn it before you than John Wayne.

Arthur Russell met TE Lawrence (of Arabia), while sharing a barracks hut with him in Bovington Camp, Dorset in 1923. One of two robes that Lawrence gave to Russell’s mother, telling her to “cut them up and make dresses out of them”, luckily Russell saved this one from her scissors and now you have the chance to own one of the most romantic gentlemen ever’s robes.

In its own right this former Government Car Service armoured Jaguar XJ is a steal at an estimated £25,000. But knowing that it was assigned to Baroness Thatcher, Britain’s first female PM, makes it even more impressive. With a V8 petrol engine, 6 speed automatic transmission, and liquid silver paint, this is a automotive legend. With added armoured enhancements including: a titanium roof, ballistic steel armouring, under-floor Kevlar protection, bullet-resistant borosilicate glazing, and tyres with run flat capability, this Jaguar is almost as tough as the Iron Lady herself.

It might seem a little unhygienic to buy a 100 year old pair of pants, but the former owner of this pair of late 19th century split drawers give them a rather more regal provenance. Once belonging to Queen Victoria, this is a rare chance to own the most powerful woman of her time’s undergarments – when well displayed they will certainly make for an interesting talking point.

The “Out of the Ordinary” auction will take place at Christies, South Kensington, on 14th September 2016.

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