The Philip Clarkson Collection

Philip, known to us as Phil, passed away in February of this year, aged 76. He was well known in the Northwest of England, being a regular attendee at auctions and fairs.  

Born in Rotherham in 1949 he grew up in a post war society of expanding popular culture and Avant Garde design which influenced both his career and his passion for collecting.  

A regular at Byrne’s in Chester, auctioneer Adrian Byrne was actually a student of Phil’s at Chester Art College in the early 1980s, where Phil taught Graphic Design and Photography and inspired many a student. Indeed, Phil was instrumental in Adrian’s career choice, setting him up with an interview at Sotheby’s in Booth Mansion, Chester, and thereby setting in motion Adrian’s successful career path. 

Just prior to their acquisition by Rogers Jones, Byrne’s were honoured to be asked by Phil’s family to conduct the auction of his collection, which has been both fascinating and challenging to catalogue.  

The exterior view of Longwood, on Wirral, his home of many years, gave a glimpse of Phil’s eclectic taste, the house adorned with advertising signs and the garden artistically arranged with brightly coloured garden statuary in the Italianate style of Portmeirion, a place he loved to visit. 

But this did not prepare the visitor for the quantity and variety of items contained within the relatively modest house itself, where there was barely room to move. His collection stretches to over 1000 lots comprising many thousands of individual items and the range is quite extraordinary.  His interests were many and varied and included music and cinema, photography, graphic design, popular culture, and the natural world. It’s no surprise therefore that his collection includes over 700 items of Poole Pottery, as well as other iconic 20th Century items in ceramic, furniture and art and including travel, advertising, railwayana, guitars, memorabilia, taxidermy, sculpture and garden statuary. 

The two-day auction, under the Rogers Jones banner, takes place on 15th and 16th September, with viewing from 11th-14th. Jo Boucher, consultant for Rogers Jones and director of Byrne’s, says it’s fitting that this extraordinary sale will be the last at Pullman House, home of Byrne’s, Chester, since 2003, prior to the move as part of Rogers Jones to a new purpose designed saleroom a stone’s throw from the current site.  

The Philip Clarkson Collection (Part I): Monday 15th September, 10:00am  

The Philip Clarkson Collection (Part II): Tuesday 16th September, 10:00am