A Remarkable Family Discovery

A Remarkable Family Discovery: Rare Victorian Camera Sells for £18,000 at Churchill Auctions

A camera hidden away for almost 30 years achieves an extraordinary result, with proceeds helping to support local wildlife conservation.

An exceptionally rare Victorian stereoscopic camera, discovered among a lifetime’s collection of family possessions in an Oxfordshire loft, has sold for an astonishing £18,000 at Churchill Auctions in Thame, with the proceeds destined to support the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT).

The remarkable discovery was made by Martin Buckland of Abingdon, who had decided it was finally time to sort through the treasured possessions of his late father, a talented commercial artist, keen naturalist and enthusiastic collector.

What began as a practical exercise in clearing the family loft would ultimately uncover an extraordinary piece of photographic history, and provide an unexpected windfall for a charity close to the family’s heart.

A Lifetime of Collecting

Martin’s father, born in 1907, developed an appreciation for the natural world from an early age. During the First World War, he spent time in Dorchester, Dorset, where his own father, an NSPCC Inspector, was helping to ensure that London evacuees were properly accommodated.

While there, he became particularly friendly with the son of the gamekeeper at the extensive Herringstone Estate, an experience that helped nurture his lifelong love of the countryside.

“My Dad taught me a lot about nature, which is how I gained the name ‘Nature Boy’ when I was at primary school,” Martin recalls.

His father’s interests extended well beyond the natural world. A passionate railway enthusiast and gifted artist, he passed on many of his interests to his son.

Having demonstrated considerable artistic talent, he was accepted into the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art, although family finances prevented him from taking up the opportunity. Instead, he attended the equally respected Camberwell School of Art before embarking on a successful career as a commercial artist.

He subsequently joined Stephen’s Advertising Service in London’s New Bond Street, eventually rising to the position of Studio Manager by 1939.

It was during these years that Martin believes his father began visiting London’s specialist camera shops, possibly including the London Camera Exchange, acquiring early photographic equipment that caught his interest.

“He was a great collector, and again I follow in his footsteps,” Martin explains.

After 37 years with Stephen’s, his father retired from advertising and, combining business with another lifelong passion, went on to own and operate a fishing tackle shop in Weymouth.

Following his death in 1996, Martin carefully packed away his father’s possessions from the family bungalow in Uplyme, near Lyme Regis, transferring them to the loft of his own home in Abingdon. There they remained, largely undisturbed, for almost three decades.

An Extraordinary Find in the Loft

In September 2026, Martin began sorting through the accumulated family treasures, identifying items suitable for sale at auction. Among the collection were several vintage cameras. 

One of the very last items to be uncovered was the very rare Powell Stereoscopic Camera.

The camera was an exceptionally rare Powell Stereoscopic Binocular Camera, manufactured by the celebrated London optical and photographic instrument makers Horne & Thornthwaite of Newgate Street, with its design registered on 27 December 1858.

Dating from the earliest years of stereoscopic photography, the camera represented a remarkable survivor from the Victorian age of photographic innovation.

An £18,000 Surprise

The camera was offered for sale at Churchill Auctions on Monday 5 October 2026.

Martin had intended to follow the auction online but was called away to assist with an archaeological excavation east of Oxford, missing the moment his father’s remarkable camera went under the hammer.

Returning home tired that evening, he briefly checked the auction results and was delighted to discover that one of his father’s fishing reels had achieved £1,000.

It was only later, after a rest and his evening meal, that he looked more closely at the remaining results.

“To say I was surprised at the hammer price of £18,000 for the stereo camera would be an understatement of some magnitude,” Martin recalls.

For Churchill Auctions, the result was a wonderful example of why careful research, specialist knowledge and effective marketing are so important when handling unusual and historically significant objects.

But the story did not end with the hammer falling.

A Wonderful Result for Local Wildlife

Martin and his wife Janet have supported the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) for many years, sharing a deep appreciation for the countryside and the importance of protecting local wildlife.

Having decided to sell his father’s collection, Martin had already made the generous decision to donate the proceeds to the Trust and with Gift Aid, the potential charitable benefit was brought to approximately £22,500.

Churchill Auctions are delighted to support the initiative by reducing its seller’s charges, helping to maximise the funds raised for the charity.

A Legacy That Lives On

For Martin, the sale represents something far more meaningful than an unexpected financial return.

It is a fitting tribute to a father whose curiosity, appreciation of craftsmanship and lifelong love of nature helped shape his son’s own interests.

A camera purchased, perhaps for just a few pounds in a London shop during the 1930s, had been carefully preserved for generations before finding its way into the hands of a new collector.

More importantly, its remarkable value will now help support the very countryside that meant so much to its original owner.

“So, well done Dad. He knew a good buy when he saw one. I expect he only paid a few pounds for it back in the 1930s, and he would be delighted to know that it will support the countryside which he so loved,” says Martin.

For Churchill Auctions, it has been a privilege to play a part in such an extraordinary story, bringing together an important piece of photographic history, a family’s treasured memories and a wonderful charitable cause.

And Martin has one final piece of advice for anyone contemplating a long-overdue clear-out:

“Never throw any old bit of stuff away until you have checked what it might be worth.”

A sentiment with which the team at Churchill Auctions wholeheartedly agrees.