Since early childhood I’ve spent much of my spare time buying, researching and selling antiques, operating on a limited budget and frequenting local auctions and charity shops. As a result, I have a house full of stuff, and a lot of stories about remarkable objects bought and sold – sometimes with extraordinary and spectacular success in the saleroom.
Random Treasure is my first book. It was published in September 2017 by The Book Guild Ltd. Here’s a link to the publisher’s website.
I hope you enjoy your visit.
“The best antique book I have read, every dealer collector should read it”
“I have just finished your book, and can truthfully say I have never got more enjoyment from a printed text. It was gripping from beginning to end, and absolutely fascinating”
“Roger Stewart writes beautifully, with humour and insight . . . Even if you don’t have a particular interest in collecting, this book is well-written, funny and informative. A great read – highly recommended”
“His writing is charming and funny. I’d say the only thing that would be better than reading Random Treasurewould be to walk along with the author as he hunts for treasures in his favorite shops and auction houses. Or to see his latest finds in person and to hear their histories . . .”
My self-imposed task in this piece is to establish a connection between a Lounge Lizard called Captain Jefferson Davis Cohn (born 1881) and a Cat called Selima (died 1747). Warning: the connection is rather tenuous. Regular readers of this blog already know about Captain Cohn (see here and here). He was, among many other things, … More Lounge Lizard: Chapter 3
In my last blog piece I introduced readers to Jefferson Davis Cohn, colourful character, lounge lizard, charmer, wealthy businessman, horse breeder and man-about-town. I hoped you were interested in hearing about this rather overlooked figure who operated just off the centre of high society in the 1920s and 1930s, but I might have detected just … More Lounge Lizard: Chapter 2
I’ve been blogging recently about the contents of an old leather suitcase which belonged to a very wealthy gentleman from the West of Scotland. Fitted out as a top-quality travelling dressing case, it was stored unopened for 80 or 90 years and has only very recently come to light. It contained all kinds of interesting … More Lounge Lizard: Chapter 1
