With the launch of the second edition Salvo Pocket Guide, reminding us that Salvo began as a print directory and SalvoNEWS as a printed magazine. I thought it might be fun to look back at some old issues.
 
Image one shows SalvoNEWS reporting, '2.2m see BBC Two's Reclaimers.'
'It is not the first TV programme to feature home and garden salvage and antiques ..... but it is the first that features stores of people and objects going from dismantling, through restoration and sale, to placement in a new location by the customer.' This successful format has now been repeated in other television shows about salvage and antiques.
 
Salvo founder, Thornton Kay was asked to advise and many Salvo Code member dealers featured in the programmes. The image above shows dealers past and present including some still trading: John Rawlinson, Original Architectural Antiques, Anthony Reeve LASSCO Three Pigeons, Sam Coster, Mongers, Nadine and Jason Davies of Architectural Forum.
 
The following few images show a selection of letters sent in by readers. At the time SalvoNEWS and its letters were a mix of both serious and more light hearted amusing comment. However the sense of humour and irony used then may not be considered PC today? The first letter image records an account of a dream, 'Or was it a nightmare?' about a Salvo convivial from the late (and greatly missed), Peter Watson of Cox's Architectural. The next image shows a letter from a reader based in New Hampshire, USA asking for the Salvo Fair date to be moved so it no longer conflicted with their 4th July holiday. And another 'tongue in cheek' letter entitled, 'Deluded Cynic' commented that Tim Fitzhighham's Channel-crossing attempt in a bath had not been a 'publicity stunt' on behalf of, traditional sanitary ware manufacturer, Thomas Crapper & Co. Tim had in fact approached them. Unfortunately Tim while rowing from Britain to France had encountered bad weather and been 'thrown around by gigantic waves, just prior to capsizing.' However his 'eccentric rowing caper' had still raised over ten thousand pounds for charity and he still wanted to make another attempt. Well done Tim and Crapper & Co. for supporting a charitable cause. Unfortunately no one writes letters anymore so consequently SalvoNEWS no longer receives letters from dealers or subscribers.
 
However Salvo Code member dealers did contribute stories then and continue to do so. Image five shows a SalvoNEWS story about a Robert Adam chimneypiece by Anthony Reeve from LASSCO Three Pigeons in Oxfordshire, UK. 'This mid-Georgian chimneypiece is one of LASSCO's most important discoveries in recent years. Its significance forgotten. It was discovered in the cellars of a house owned by a major London institution and was subsequently identified as a lost fireplace from one of Robert Adam's most accomplished interiors - Lansdowne House.'
 
Although Thornton Kay edited and wrote most of the stories in those early days of the SalvoNEWS print magazines, sometimes delivered with a pinch of irony or satirical humour. The range of topics included factual salvage or reuse information, auctions, demolitions, theft alerts, trade obituaries, eco-news, letters about the trade to the UK government/European Commission together with drawings and cartoons. Spot the then current UK prime minister in the 1993 carton shown above. Advertising revenue came mainly from the architectural salvage and antique trade and a few theft alerts placed by local police constabularies.
 
The last few images show a selection of the above including the television debut of James Ryland, who initiated the sales of Garden Statuary at Sotheby's. James went onto start Summers Place Auctions with Rupert van der Werff, which became one of the early Salvo Code members. In fact, James had been part of the original Salvo Code member steering consultation group before it was set up in 1995.
 
Another image shows the 1993 Christmas edition with an image of a Glasgow demolition in a Christmas bauble. The building depicted was 'a classically carved sandstone office building was going last week in the centre of Glasgow at the junction of Jamaica Street and Broomielaw. It is one of three Victorian buildings to get the chop. Next door is The Colosseum, a neo-mannerist French Empire number, and next door to that, one of Glasgow's unique Iron Buildings .... ' At the time there was still hope that some of the buildings stunning carved detail and curved sashes would be saved but this would have meant using hand demolition? Salvo Code member reclamation dealers, Retrouvius, then based in Glasgow, had managed to rescue 'four small cast iron columns to date.'
 
SalvoNEWS can now be viewed online. See the link below.