John Axford
After graduating from Leeds University John Axford worked for Phillips Auctioneers in London before joining Woolley and Wallis in 1993 to become head of the Ceramics, Glass and Oriental departments.
John was the first recipient of the Antiques Trade Gazette Ivor Turnball Memorial prize in 1997 for achieving the highest marks in the country for professional qualification exams. He writes and lectures on ceramics and oriental art, is a consultant to Miller’s Antiques Price Guide and has been a member of the BBC Antiques Roadshow team since 2000.
He discovered the first Limehouse figure in 2005, and discovered and identified The Alexander Vase, a 14th century Yuan dynasty Chinese vase which subsequently fetched £2,600,000 – the most expensive lot ever sold in Britain outside London.
Contact Details
Telephone: +44 (0) 1722 424506
Fax: +44 (0) 1722 424508
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Alex Butcher
Alexis Butcher began his auctioneering career as a cataloguer and silver valuer at Phillips Auctioneers in London where he worked from 1987 to 1997. From there he was appointed Head of Christie’s Silver Department in South Kensington.
He joined Woolley and Wallis in 2000 to head up a highly successful Silver and Jewellery department.
Contact Details
Telephone: +44 (0) 1722 424501
Fax: +44 (0) 1722 424508
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Jo Butler
Jo graduated from Southampton Solent Univeristy in 2005 with a BA (Hons) in Antiques History and Collecting. Jo started in the picture department in 2007 as an assistant and is helping Victor Fauvelle to present the picture sales.
Contact Details
Telephone: 01722 424503
Fax: 01722 424508
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Jonathan Edwards FGAA
Jonathan Edwards, head of the jewellery department, has been involved in the jewellery auction industry for almost thirty years. After a short service commission in the Army he lived in Australia for 15 years and returned to England in 1990 to live in Salisbury.
Jonathan joined Woolley and Wallis in 2003.
Contact Details
Telephone: +44 (0) 1722 424504
Fax: +44 (0) 1722 424508
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Victor Fauvelle
Victor has been a picture specialist for 15 years. He joined Woolley and Wallis in 2007 as head of the Pictures Department after working in Sotheby's for 10 years, specialising in valuations for clients with large and varied high-value collections. Victor has a wide knowledge of the picture market and is particularly interested in 20th century and contemporary art.
Contact Details
Telephone: +44 (0) 1722 424503
Fax: +44 (0) 1722 424508
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Lucy Grazier
After gaining a degree at Southampton in Fine Arts Valuation, Lucy joined Woolley and Wallis in 2000 as a valuer and auctioneer, running the General Sales for four and a half years. She has worked in the silver department since January 2005.
Contact Details
Telephone: +44 (0) 1722 424530
Fax: +44 (0) 1722 424508
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Will Hobbs
Will’s very first job on leaving school was as a porter at Woolley and Wallis, later progressing to cataloguer working in all the different departments. After graduating from Southampton University Will returned to Woolley and Wallis to work in the Furniture and Silver departments.
Contact Details
Telephone: +44 (0) 1722 339752
Fax: +44 (0) 1722 424508
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Shoshana Hobbs FGA
Shoshana joined Woolley & Wallis in 1996 after completing a Fine Arts Valuation degree. During the next four years Shoshana organised the fortnightly General Sales, alongside assisting in the Jewellery and Valuation department. In 2001 she became a Fellow of the Gemmological Association and joined the Silver and Jewellery department full time. Due to family commitments Shoshana now works with Jonathan on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Contact Details
Telephone: +44 (0) 1722 424504
Fax: +44 (0) 1722 424508
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Michael Jeffery
Michael graduated from Warwick University and after ten years at Christie’s, joined Woolley and Wallis in 2003. Michael has organised specialist sales of British Decorative Arts, Studio Pottery, Arts and Crafts, 20th Century lustrewares, the Arts of the Aesthetic Movement, Dan Dare, and Guinness Advertising Wares. In 2005, Michael organised the first specialist auction of The Martin Brothers Potters.
Michael is a member of the Decorative Arts Society. He has had numerous articles and reviews published and was the author of Arts and Crafts Style.
Contact Details
Telephone: +44 (0) 1722 424505
Fax: +44 (0) 1722 424508
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Liz Merry
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Books
(Head of Department)
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Liz Merry’s love of books began as a child, when she spent long periods confined to bed and read voraciously to pass the time. After gaining her degree, she learned the book trade at Bernard Quaritch, the London firm of antiquarian booksellers, before working for Christie’s in Europe and London. For ten years she was an independent consultant before joining Phillips as director of the Book Department in 1990, returning to freelancing in 2002. She has undertaken valuation work for the National Heritage Lottery Fund. Her favourite areas include books on natural history and herbals, and she is also a keen plantswoman and walker.
Liz usually comes in on a Monday or Tuesday at the beginning of the month. For an appointment to see her please ring 01722 424510.
Contact Details
Telephone: 01722 424510
Fax: +44 (0) 1722 323929
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Clare Playle
Clare graduated from Southampton Solent University in 2007 with a first class honours degree in Fine Art Valuation, having also twice been the recipient of the Christopher Weston bursary award. She joined Woolley and Wallis on graduation and works alongside John Axford cataloguing European ceramics and glass.
Contact Details
Telephone: +44 (0)1722 424506
Fax: +44 (0)1722 424508
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Mark Richards
Mark read History of Art and Italian at Leicester University and went on to do an Erasmus scholarship at Tor Vergata and La Sapienza universities in Rome. After working at the Tate Gallery in London, Mark joined Woolley and Wallis in 2000 and after working in both Ceramics and Furniture now specialises in Furniture and Works of Art.
Contact Details
Telephone: +44 (0) 1722 411854
Fax: +44 (0) 1722 424508
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Paul Viney
Paul Viney is Chairman and Managing Director of Woolley and Wallis.
Paul began his career at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford then worked for the National Trust at Waddesden Manor, the former Rothschild home near Aylesbury. He then joined Phillips Auctioneers where he was Vice-President in New York for three years and European Director from 1986-92.
He is well known to Radio Two listeners for his annual Children-in-Need auctions with Terry Wogan and has been appearing on The Antiques Roadshow since 1992.
Contact Details
Telephone: +44 (0) 1722 424502
Fax: +44 (0) 1722 323929
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