Rare Banksy collection to go under the hammer

Anderson & Garland director Fred Wyrley-Birch with the Banksy works

A rare collection of work by street artist Banksy will go under the hammer in Newcastle.

Birthday cards, flyers and a shop sign hand-painted by the elusive artist before he became famous are being auctioned by Anderson & Garland on Wednesday.

Seller Emma Houghton, who knew Banksy before his fame, said sharing her personal collection meant others got to see the "charming and sentimental side" of the artist.

Banksy's Holywell Row Happy Choppers piece, which was rescued from the side of an office building after it was painted over, is among the 11 lots on sale.

Happy Choppers is a Banksy series that depicts military helicopters adorned with pink bows.

The Holywell Row take was considered a security risk by the owner of the office building it was left on, who had it painted over before selling the building "without mention of its existence".

The anonymous vendor said he learned of the artwork by chance after purchasing the building.

He said: "We were astounded to discover that our newly purchased office building was the canvas for an artwork of this significance.

"Banksy is a real icon of our time, his art is so important to preserve for future generations."

The Happy Choppers piece, which was removed from the wall in sections and preserved, is expected to sell for between £500,000 and £800,000 when it is auctioned this week.

A birthday card Banksy reportedly sent to a friend

Emma Houghton was reportedly a friend and collaborator of the artist throughout the 1990s.

Her collection of his early works has been on display as part of a wider Art of Banksy exhibition, and will be auctioned for the first time.

She said: "To watch Banksy’s career grow meteorically from its roots to become this national treasure has been incredible – not least due to the privately-held knowledge of these works existence."

Fred Wryley-Birch, director at Anderson & Garland, said: "This is a rare chance to acquire artefacts demonstrating the development of Banksy style, including possibly the first use of his tag.”

The art collection can be viewed at the auction house on Saturday and Monday, ahead of Wednesday's auction.