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THE HARVEY'S WINE MUSEUM SALE
OCTOBER 1ST & 2ND 2003
BONHAMS, NEW BOND STREET, LONDON
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The contents of the famous Harvey's wine museum in Bristol were sold at Bonhams in London at the beginning of October in a two day sale.  There were a large number of antique wine bottles, bin labels, decanter labels, corkscrews and a collection of antique wine glasses including the "Russel Amen" glass.  There was also an interesting selection of wine related items including 2 life sized dummies and a copy of the proclamation by the King concerning wine licences, dated 1662.

John Harvey joined the existing wine merchants William Perry in 1822 and became a partner in the 1840's.  The Dynasty of Harvey's was founded in 1871 when the company changed it's name to John Harvey & Sons. In 1960 the Denmark Street site had become too small for the company and the site was turned into a restaurant and museum.  The entire contents of the museum have now been dispersed.

2 seventeenth century dated sack bottles.  Two of the early lots to be sold.

A sale of this magnitude was quite an event. 

There were 64 lots of black glass bottles covering most collecting areas from shaft and globes through to late mould blown cylinders.  Some of the bottles were badly damaged but that in no way detracted from their great historical importance. 

Together with the many English bottles were two painted Dutch bottles, one carrying a painting dedicated to Admiral Lord Nelson. There were also several other continental bottles including a "boot" bottle and a very large case bottle.

2 Dutch bottles
Left is decorated with a painting of one of Lord Nelson's battles
Right is decorated with a country scene with a windmill

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