Specialist Valuer Andy Bowden delves into the story behind Lot 644, a collection of approximately 50 photos from the Imperial War Museum Archives of Colonel T E Lawrence, who most of you will better know as Lawrence of Arabia.
“Born in Tremadog in Wales in 1888, he studied history at Jesus College in Oxford. After his studies, he became an archaeologist working in the Middle East and Levant. Due to his knowledge of the area, he enlisted in the British Army and served in Cairo in 1914. His role was to gain intelligence against the Turks. A couple of years later, he was posted to Hejaz, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, working with the Hashemite forces; this campaign secured him lasting fame in British popular legend.
“His diplomatic and military skills were second to none, and during this time, he built a bond with Emir Feisal and other leaders, which, in turn, convinced Arab leaders to support Britain. Lawrence stayed with Feisal for two years and helped him lead the Arabs north from Hejaz to Syria. Lawrence believed that it would form the foundations of an independent Arab State after the First World War. The effort of Feisal and Lawrence was very successful. Aqaba fell to the Arabs in July 1917, and following this, Tafileh, in January 1918, routed the Turkish forces.
“In the early 1920s, Lawrence wanted to withdraw from public life after serving briefly as Winston Churchill’s advisor.
“Later, in 1926, he published a book called The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, a highly regarded account of the Arab Revolt. He died following a motorcycle crash in 1935. His legacy lived on with one of the most acclaimed films of 1962, Lawrence of Arabia, with Lawrence played by Peter O’Toole and Feisal by Sir Alec Guiness.
“The pictures forming part of this lot date from the late 1910s into the early 1920s. They show many scenes in the Middle East, pictures of Feisal and other dignatories and include Lawrence in his iconic robes.
“This lot provided a fascinating insight into the life of one of Britain’s most celebrated military personnel.”
Hammer Price £3,350 plus buyer premium.
Other highlights from the auction follow below.
POSTCARDS, BARROW IN FURNESS, WALNEY ISLAND ETC MANY EARLY SANKEY'S EVII ERA APX 90 CARDS
CIGARETTE CARDS, MOSTLY ASIAN OVERSEAS ISSUES BY SETS AND ODDS
SIERRA LEONE 1933 GV CENTENARY OF ABOLITION OF SLAVERY & WILBERFORCE FULL SET OF 13 M/MINT
SG KING GEORGE VI STAMP ALBUM WITH LARGE MOSTLY MINT COLLECTION FROM COMMONWEALTH
