Miners' lamp collection goes under hammer

4 hours ago

Catherine LeeNorth East and Cumbria

News image — Collectors from around the world would visit Bob Batey (left) to share finds and seek advice

Bob Batey Estate Two men sitting side by side on a sofa, from a photo dating from the 1970s or 80s. The man on the left, Bob Batey, is middle aged, with brown hair and beard, peppered with grey. He is wearing a light blue shirt and pale blue jeans and is holding a brass miners lamp. The other man has short dark hair and is wearing a dark purple jumper with patterned banding in lighter purple and blue, and dark trousers. He is also holding a miners lamp. The sofa is upholstered in floral fabric, with pale striped wallpaper in the background. — Collectors from around the world would visit Bob Batey (left) to share finds and seek advice

An extensive collection of miners' lamps, collected by one man over his lifetime, is going under the hammer.

Bob Batey's interest in the lamps was sparked at the age of 21 when his father-in-law gave him his, and he went on to become an avid collector, restorer and researcher, building a network of fellow enthusiasts that stretched across the world.

His family said he was writing a book when he died and would have loved the thought of the lamps finding new homes with people who cared about them as much as he did.

The auction is being held at Anderson & Garland in Newcastle on 17 September, with viewings held on 14 and 15.

Batey was born and brought up in Dunston and visited Marley Hill pit, where his father-in-law had worked, regularly.

There he gathered stories and first-hand accounts from the miners and built his specialist knowledge of miners' lamps.

He travelled internationally, was well-known on the collectors' fair and antique shop circuit, and also carried out regular research at Beamish Museum, which later borrowed a number of his lamps to display at the opening of their drift mine.

Anderson & Garland Three miners' lamps. They are made of brass, steel and glass with a metal netted funnel. — Some of the lamps are expected to sell for hundreds of pounds

Anderson & Garland auctioneer Tom Robson said: "Bob Batey's collection is a wonderful thing to bring to auction because it isn't just a set of objects, it's the record of his life's passion.

"Every lamp in this sale has a story behind it, and in many cases Bob knew that story better than anyone else.

"We're seeing real interest already from collectors both here in the North East and internationally, which is exactly the kind of reach this collection deserves."

Anderson & Garland A collection of dozens of parts of old miners lamps. The separate metal bases, and tops are clustered around glass middle parts. — Collections of lamp parts are also up for grabs

A spokesperson for the Batey family said: "Dad loved nothing more than finding a lamp that had seen better days and bringing it back to life, spending hours buffing and polishing until it shone again.

"He built friendships with collectors all over the world, people would call or visit from the USA, Australia, Germany and France, just to share a find or ask his advice.

"He was working on a book about it all when he passed, and there are still reams of his notes to go through.

"We're proud to see his collection go to auction, and we know he'd have loved the thought of these lamps finding new homes with people who care about them as much as he did."