British Minister's Private Dispatch Box
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British Minister's Despatch Box: belonging to Sir Anthony Bevir (private secretary to Winston Churchill 1940-45 & 1951-55 and permanent secretary to Clement Attlee 1947), manufactured in pine by John Peck & Son for His Majesty's Stationery Office, sheathed in black leather with royal cypher in gilt, (30.5 x 46 x 15 cm). The black leather covering, rather than the usual red, indicates the box was likely used in a private capacity by Bevir, probably for carrying papers between London and his private residence at Melcomb House (Co.Mayo, Ireland). In well-travelled, distressed condition. Rare survivor. [Sir Anthony Bevir KCVO, CBE (1895-1977) and his wife Lady Noel Sidney Browne were close friends of Winston & Clementine Churchill who regularly corresponded and exchanged Christmas cards (see following lot). On Sir Anthony's death, Lady Noel settled in Australia.]
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- Distressed - Usually applied to describe the condition of an item of furniture, and means that the object is extremely worn and is verging on being unsuitable for its intended use, without some restoration or repairs being undertaken.
Furniture can also be artificially distressed, by deliberate infliction of superficial damage to make it appear old. Artificial distressing can be done with the object of deceiving a purchaser, where the object is being passed off as "of the period", or can be done for aesthetic reasons so that a new object is made to appear as though it has been in use.
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