The fourth auction offering items from the massive Peter Hansen Prestige Collection of British Comics & Artwork takes place this week (Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th July) at Anderson & Garland.
Following the success and public interest generated by the Premiere Auction at Anderson House and two subsequent sales at Excalibur Auctions, and astonishing final sales figures for some items, The Peter Hansen Prestige Collection Part Four offers an incredible array of items from a private collection that was the largest and most comprehensive review of British comics, comic artwork and related ephemera in the world.
Highlights include original artwork by Dudley D. Watkins, Roy Wilson, Don Lawrence, Frank Bellamy, Angus McKie, Graham Coton, Bill Ritchie, Martin Asbury and Denis Gifford; key comics; pre-war rarities; special issues; posters; books; and comic-related collectables – many from the Fleetway/IPC Publishers Archive.
It’s impossible to detail such a huge catalogue of amazing artwork and comics – so we’ve picked out just ten for you to savour. Head to the Anderson & Garland web site here for the full catalogue
The auction also includes a few items unsold in previous auctions, such as Angus McKie’s background art for an aborted Dan Dare TV series.
• The Peter Hansen Prestige Collection of British Comics & Artwork – Part 4 | Lot: 1 to 243 – 8th July 2026 from 10.00; Lot: 244 to 474 – 9th Jul, 2026 from 10.00 | Catalogue: Download PDF catalogue
Head downthetubes for…
Regular downthetubes readers will recall we interviewed Peter back in 2019, his collection amassed since he was a child in his home town of Byker in the North East.
He has generously loaned artworks to many exhibitions down the years, including to The Lightbox in Wokingham for their British comics exhibition co-curated by Paul Gravett with Hamish McGillivray, and exhibitions at Seven Stories.
Some of his collection was sold to the Cartoon Museum in an effort to preserve part of it for the nation.
• A Comics Collection for the Nation: An Interview with Peter Hansen
Peter Hansen grew up in Byker, Newcastle, in the 1950s and started collecting comics as a young lad, spending his pocket money on titles like The Beezer and The Topper. What began as a childhood hobby turned into a lifelong passion. Over the years, even after moving to Canada and building a successful career as an engineer and later an environmental business owner, he kept collecting. His archive now holds over 40,000 comics, 20,000 pieces of original artwork, nearly 900 bound publisher volumes and loads of memorabilia, covering the golden age of British comics and beyond. It includes rare first issues, publisher records and pay books showing who created what, making it a proper treasure trove for anyone studying comics or British popular culture.
Hansen believes comics are an important part of social history, reflecting attitudes to class, race, politics and everyday life. Shocked by the break-up of Denis Gifford’s archive after his death, he became determined to build and protect a national collection that would be saved for the public. He loaned material to exhibitions and worked with museums and universities to try, sadly unsuccessfully, to secure a permanent home for his collection, ideally in the North of England, so it could be preserved intact and enjoyed by future generations.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Art and Illustration, Auctions, British Comics, Comic Art, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds
Related Articles
-
Captain Britain First Issue original art by Larry Lieber set for Heritage Auctions sale
-
Next Peter Hansen Collection Auction offers a huge range of Vintage Toys and other collectables – and more comic goodies
-
2000AD art a highlight of upcoming Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s auction, Marvel UK rarities, too
-
Beano No. 1 soars to bids of £7000 and counting in latest ComPal auction, plus original art too
Leave a Reply