24/03/2026
The Sir Barnes Wallis collection goes under the hammer at .auctioneers tomorrow (Wednesday 25 March).
I was thrilled to catalogue the paintings for this sale, including this magnificent oil on canvas by Alfred Egerton Cooper, 'The Firth of Forth with the British Fleet from HMA No. 9 Airship'. Wallis worked as an assistant on No. 9 and was a close friend of Cooper, making this a particularly significant work. It likely predates the aerial works of the Carline brothers by a year or so. Additionally, this painting can be seen on the wall of Wallis' office in The Dam Busters film.
I’d like to think I was the right man for the job - having an interest in aviation and attending the same school as Wallis. Although my career plan seems to have gone wrong somewhere along the way...