LONDON.- An iconic Golden Ticket and Wonka Bar from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the
Chocolate Factory fetched £15,808 when it was sold by Catherine Southon Auctioneers and Valuers today (Wednesday, July 17, 2019) at Farleigh Court Golf Club, Selsdon in Surrey. It was bought by a bidder on the internet and was expected to fetch £8,000 - £12,000.

The Golden Ticket and Wonka Bar were formerly the property of actress Julie Dawn Cole, who played Veruca Salt in the famous 1971 film staring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The gold-coloured foiled printed ticket reads 'WONKA'S GOLDEN TICKET/GREETINGS TO YOU, THE LUCKY FINDER OF THIS GOLDEN TICKET, FROM MR. WILLY WONKA...'. It had scalloped detail to the edge, while the Wonka 'chocolate' bar was constructed of board with coloured paper surrounds; and had an outer foil wrapper.

The Ticket and Wonka Bar, measuring 9.5 x 19cm and 9 x 16cm respectively, were given to Lindy Sellers, who was a good friend of the actress. It came with a note of authentication.

Elsewhere in the sale, Scandinavian furniture sold extremely well with a small private collection of six lots by Danish designers selling for over £8,512 with highlights being a set of five oak wishbone dining chairs by Hans Wegner (1914-2007) circa 1960 for Carl Hansen & Son selling for £2,432 [lot 10], while a Jorgen Baekmark for FDB Mobler oak lounge chair, circa 1963, realised £1,155 [lot 11]. Jewellery was very strong overall and a Belle Époque pale tourmaline and rose diamond set brooch/pendant sold for £3,891 [lot 436].

From the Collection of Christian Barman (1898-1980), the Press Officer for London Transport between 1935-63; an oil on board of Kensington Palace by British artist Elwin Hawthorne (1905-54) sold for £3,162 – 10 times its presale low estimate [lot 75] and by South London-born artist Ada “Betty” Swanwick RA (1915-89) inscribed ‘Ella and Mimi’: A series of fifteen hand finished linocut printed illustrations for a presumed unpublished novelette circa 1950 depicting two young girls enjoying themselves outside in summer, swimming, walking a dachshund, dancing under a water fountain, playing badminton, crabbing etc. These sold for £2,918 [lot 79].

A private collection of portrait miniatures also sold very well.

Following that sale, Catherine Southon commented: “I was delighted with the results from today’s auction - the packed saleroom saw bidders fighting over some interesting lots and some excellent prices were achieved especially for pictures, jewellery and contemporary furniture.”