26 November 2024
Lyon & Turnbull
The first half of the 20th century brought two world wars that reshaped every aspect of life in Britain. Yet even in the most uncertain times, Lyon & Turnbull’s salerooms remained open.
From WWI through to WWII, the firm continued to provide a sense of continuity for Edinburgh’s citizens, a place where homes were furnished, estates settled, and the business of everyday life carried on.
When Britain declared war on Germany in August 1914, Lyon & Turnbull was already an established name in Scottish auctioneering. Many of the firm’s younger staff enlisted, answering the national call to arms, and the loss was felt deeply.
Yet the auctions went on. The war created disruption in supply chains, and auctions became a vital way to obtain everything from household furniture to practical goods. For families uprooted by loss, sales of estates and belongings were often handled through the saleroom, with professionalism and discretion.
The interwar years saw the firm flourish despite economic turbulence. In the 1930s, adverts in The Scotsman listed up to twenty auctions a week, from “useful” household goods to “superior” furnishings and antiques. Auctions were democratic places: dealers, professionals, and families all rubbed shoulders in the saleroom. This steady presence prepared the ground for the challenges to come in 1939.
When the world was once again at war, Lyon & Turnbull adapted to the pressures of rationing and uncertainty. Sales continued, often with a more practical tone: household effects, bankrupt stock, and utilitarian goods filled the catalogues.
Some remarkable items still crossed the block, from early ornithological works by John Gould to Jacobite relics and silver. These auctions provided collectors and dealers a rare chance to buy at a time when luxury was scarce.
Perhaps most remarkable of all, the auctions offered a sense of normalcy. At a time when Edinburgh was under blackout orders and air raid sirens punctuated daily life, the auction room remained a familiar place, buzzing with the rhythm of bidding.
For many, the fact that auctions continued through both wars offered a small but important sense of stability. The auction rooms were more than a marketplace; they were a familiar place where people could carry on with the routines of daily life, even in unsettled times.
[1900 - 1950]
