Hutchings of Aberystwyth
Cases Sold at Auction from The Richard Pratley Collection – February 2023
Hutchings of Aberystwyth
Hutchings of Aberystwyth – In 2023 Duke’s Auctioneers in the UK auctioned The Richard Pratley collection of Naturalia and Taxidermy which held many examples of the work of Hutchings of Aberystwyth as well as from Rowland Ward and Peter Spicer.
Richard Pratley (1952-2021) was an antiques dealer and collector of Victorian taxidermy. His parents had a renowned china and crockery shop in The Shambles in Worcester that had been there since 1880. Richard had an area at the back of the shop dedicated to “taxidermy and other treasures”. The local community remember the shop fondly but above all they talk about the terror of going in there and accidentally breaking things and of the stern warnings that the Pratley’s gave out to children! The shop closed finally in 2012.
According to an article in The Field in 1990 as well as being a collector of Hutchings of Aberystwyth, Peter Spicer and Rowland Ward, Richard Pratley had the finest collection of stuffed fish in Britain, mostly by the fabled John Cooper of London.
He appears to have been known amongst the dealers and taxidermy collector community in Britain but died in 2021 after which his collection was auctioned by Duke’s. Fellow natural history enthusiasts say that Richard used to go to the auctions at Sotheby’s and Christies in London looking for special treasures.
The knowledge he possessed from a lifetime of collecting has now vanished like a rushing river that’s in a hurry to get to the sea. Just like the river water, the precious knowledge can never be recalled.
A photo of Pratley’s shop in The Shambles in Worcester.
Photo credit: Sandra Murray
An article from The Field July 1990 with Richard Pratley
Gallery - The Richard Pratley Collection
A fox with baby rabbits by Hutchings of Aberystwyth
Sold at auction in 2023
Photo: Duke’s of Dorchester
A terrier by by Hutchings of Aberystwyth
Sold at auction 2023
Photo: Duke’s Dorchester
A Hare by by Hutchings of Aberystwyth
Sold at auction 2023
Photo credit: Duke’s Dorchester
A case of Heron, Lapwing and Sparrowhawk by by Hutchings of Aberystwyth
Sold at auction 2023
Photo credit: Duke’s Dorchester
Swan and Moorhens by by Hutchings of Aberystwyth
Sold at auction 2023
Photo credit: Duke’s Dorchester
A pair of Polecats by by Hutchings of Aberystwyth
Sold at auction 2023
Photo credit: Duke’s Dorchester
Badger by by Hutchings of Aberystwyth
Sold at auction in 2023
Photo credit: Duke’s Dorchester
Two beautiful Eurasian Teal by by Hutchings of Aberystwyth
Sold at auction in 2023
Photo credit: Duke’s Dorchester
Hutchings or Jeffries?
I particularly liked this male otter with his kill of trout, and it was described in the 2023 auction at Duke’s of Dorchester as being by by Hutchings of Aberystwyth and I managed to buy it for my own collection.
Although this case is gilded it does not have the Hutchings case signature block feet (nor a label, which is not unusual for Hutchings because they did not label most of their work). It has wide dark painted back boards. Since it is known that the earlier Hutchings cases did not have block feet, or glass sides, I don’t think this case is actually a Hutchings after all.
My colleague Simon Rumble (British Taxidermy) expertly advises me it’s actually more likely to be by Jeffries of Carmarthen. It is known that Jeffries cases look very similar to by Hutchings of Aberystwyth (possibly the Hutchings style was deliberately copied, according to Christopher Frost 1897). This matters not – and even though the otter does have a penny-sized historic moth damage in one place on the fur, it isn’t obvious and the case is very attractive and I love it.
Photo: Duke’s Dorchester
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About The Curator
Dorne Lovegrove is a curator, researcher, and digital publisher specialising in the heritage of Victorian taxidermy.
Her work sits at the intersection of natural history, Victorian culture, and the richly textured interiors of the 19th century.
Through narrative scholarship, Dorne brings forgotten and unknown stories to light and invites readers into a world where history, artistry, and quiet drama converge.
