A personal collection belonging to Reverend Simon Stephens, a Royal Navy Chaplain and later Anglican Chaplain in Moscow. The lot comprises a variety of naval and ecclesiastical memorabilia. Naval items include a monochrome group portrait of 705 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) aircrew, including Revd Stephens, in front of a helicopter; two framed ship portraits of Leander-class frigates HMS Galatea (inscribed Persian Gulf Patrol 1982–1983) and HMS Aurora (inscribed Far East Deployment 1983–1984); a calligraphic Naval Prayer decorated with the crest of RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk) dated 1984–1986; a group photograph of officers in white mess dress at a formal dinner, bearing numerous handwritten tributes to Stephens from fellow officers; and a colour portrait of the subject in a flight suit and clerical collar.
Ecclesiastical and civil items include a large, ornate Russian Patriarchal Gramota featuring Orthodox iconography and gold borders, naming Simon Stephens as Chaplain of St Andrew’s Anglican Church in Moscow, dated July 2014 and bearing the signature and seal of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Rus’; a framed history of the Great Seal of the United States with a handwritten dedication to Stephens for his service to bereaved parents; a framed photograph of Stephens with HRH The Princess Royal; and a framed caricature of Stephens in clerical dress holding a pint, signed by Paynter.
Fine art items include a pair of 19th-century engravings after T. Allom entitled The Hoe & Citadel, Plymouth and The Barbican, Pool, &c. Plymouth, both bearing Foxsmith Galleries Certificates of Authenticity on the reverse. Also included is a small hand-coloured engraving of Lambeth Palace with a presentation label on the reverse from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, commemorating his visit to Russia in 2003, signed Rowan Cantuar.
Condition report:
The collection is in good estate condition overall. The frames show light wear and minor scuffing consistent with age and previous display. Some documents and antique prints exhibit minor age-related toning to the paper. The handwritten inscriptions on the mess dinner photograph and the US Great Seal document remain clear and legible.
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