$2,800
Estimate: $600 - $800
The Collection of Amb. & Mrs. Alexander Weddell - The Virginia House Museum
Auction: April 10, 2019 11:00:00 AM EDT
Provenance: The Collection of the Tower of London.
Acquired from the above, 1927.
The Collection of Ambassador and Mrs. Alexander Weddell, Richmond, Virginia.
Deaccessioned by The Virginia House Museum to benefit future preservation, acquisitions, and care of collections.
This group of halberds, and likely the breastplate in lot 10, were acquired from a surplus sale at the Tower of London in 1927. Much like their discovery of the sale of The Priory, the Weddells were already in England when they came across the sale notice. As Alexander recalled:
"In the summer of 1927 [we] were in England and motored down to Surrey to spend the day with old friends--Lord and Lady Gladstone. At luncheon the host remarked casually that in his 'Times' of that morning was an advertisement of a sale at the Tower of 'surplus arsenal equipment,' which doubtless meant a lot of old armor; that if, by chance, his guests were interested--He hardly finished his sentence, for with just the time for decent good-byes, [we] 'lit out' at Tam o' Shanter speed for London and the Tower! Alas! Not much was left. However, a few troopers' helmets of the type described effective against saber-cuts but not against thrusts; several parade halberds or partisans; also breast and back plates; and a 'battered morion piece'; were secured."