“Dan Dare” art by Frank Hampson and more feature in Woolley & Wallis Auction today

By John Freeman on October 19, 2023

Leading auction house Woolley & Wallis Auctions is selling a number of “Dan Dare” artworks credited to the character’s creator, Frank Hampson, today, on the second day of its major “Design” auction.

The sale covers all aspects of 20th Century Design, and highlights include a group of Dan Dare original artworks by Frank Hampson, consigned by his family, most framed after previously being exhibited.

The three early original artworks are estimated to sell for between £1500 – £2000 and the series of lots start here the auction house site and here on The-Saleroom with Lot 322.

If you’re able to bid through the auction site itself, you may incur less fees. The sign up page is here.

Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future, art by Frank Hampson (1918-1985). Gouache on board original front cover artwork for Dan Dare in the Eagle Volume 1 episode 33, published 1950. Framed 47 x 36cm Provenance: Frank Hampson, thence by descent. Exhibited Frank Hampson The Man Who Drew Dan Dare, The Atkinson, Southport, Centenary exhibition September 2018-March 2019 — *Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future, framed art by Frank Hampson (1918-1985). Gouache on board original front cover artwork for Dan Dare in the Eagle Volume 1 episode 33, published 1950* | *Auction details | Sold for £950*

Frank Hampson (1918-1985) Treens, sheet 2 a bromide design sheet for the Treens from Dan Dare in the Eagle, framed, facsimile signed bottom left, 44.5 x 23cm (image) Provenance Frank Hampson, thence by descent. Exhibited Frank Hampson The Man Who Drew Dan Dare, The Atkinson, Southport, Centenary exhibition September 2018-March 2019. Catalogue notes This sheet was designed by the artist for reference use in the studio, to enable the artists to remain consistent when drawing details of the characters and machines used in the stories. — Bromide design sheet of the Treens. This sheet was designed by the artist for reference use in the studio, to enable the artists to remain consistent when drawing details of the characters and machines used in the stories. Signed by Frank Hampson, expected to sell for between £200 – £300 | Auction details | Unsold

Frank Hampson (1918-1985) Voyage to Venus (2/23/1) gouache on board original front cover artwork for Dan Dare in the Eagle volume 2 episode 23, published in 1951, framed numbered 2/23/1 bottom right, 42 x 32.5cm (image) Provenance Frank Hampson, thence by descent. Exhibited Frank Hampson The Man Who Drew Dan Dare, The Atkinson, Southport, Centenary exhibition September 2018-March 2019. Catalogue notes The Voyage to Venus story begins to draw to a conclusion as the combined UN invasion force launch a pre-emptive attack on the Treens - using low-level technology - in 1996. — *The opening page of “Voyage to Venus” for Eagle volume 2 episode 23, published in 1951, art by Frank Hampson* | *Auction Details | Sold for £750*

Frank Hampson (1918-1985) The Voyage to Venus (1/33/2) gouache on board original artwork for Dan Dare in the Eagle, published 1950, signed by the artist bottom panel, numbered 1/33/2 bottom right, 53 x 39cm (image) Provenance Frank Hampson, thence by descent. — *A page from the “Dan Dare” story “Voyage to Venus”, published in Eagle in 1950. Art by Frank Hampson* | *Auction Details | Sold for £800*

Frank Hampson (1918-1985) Pilot of the Future (1/27/1) gouache on board original artwork for Dan Dare in the Eagle, numbered 1/27/1 bottom right, 47 x 36.5cm (image) Provenance Frank Hampson, thence by descent. — *A page from the “Dan Dare” story “Voyage to Venus”, published in Eagle in 1950. Art by Frank Hampson* | *Auction Details | Sold for £750*

Other lots for sale today include art by David Hockney, Sir Grayson Perry and Julian Opie, film posters, some Beatles memorabilia, and more.

*A Flash Gordon poster, from the estate of film director Mike Hodges, who directed the 1980s feature film; and Beatles “Screamers”, designed and printed by Gordon Currie*

Beatles Pin Up Screamers designed and printed by Gordon Currie, in black and orange, comprising a poster of John, Paul, George and Ringo, in slip cover, annotated in ink to Richard with regards Gordon Currie — *A Flash Gordon poster, from the estate of film director Mike Hodges, who directed the 1980s feature film; and Beatles “Screamers”, designed and printed by Gordon Currie*

The auction is being held today at the Woolley and Wallis Salisbury sale room at 51-61 Castle Street, Salisbury, SP1 3SU. Check out details here on the Woolley and Wallis website, head here to bid on their website (registration required), or head to The-Saleroom to register to bid.

Described by the Antiques Trade Gazette as “arguably the most exciting provincial saleroom in the country”, Woolley and Wallis has lived up to that title in recent years with a string of record-breaking sales and notable prices. As the leading regional auctioneer in the UK Woolley and Wallis, who were founded in 1884, hold around thirty specialist sales a year spread between nine departments headed up by leading experts in their field.

• Check out the full Woolley and Wallis “Design” auction and bid here on the auction house website (registration required)

• Check out the full Woolley and Wallis “Design” auction here on The-Saleroom

With thanks to Richard Sheaf for the heads up via his Boys Adventure Comics Blog

This item was updated on Friday 20th October to add the final sale prices of sold items

About the Author
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John Freeman

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.