Eclectic mix at collectibles auction

MICHAEL PARSONS

Whyte's auction of collectibles next Saturday includes vintage film and travel posters, advertising memorabilia, militaria, coins and banknotes.

Among the vintage travel posters is a 1932 example from the Great Northern Railway, designed by Margaret Horder, promoting the Great Northern Hotel, Bundoran, for golf, fishing, sea-bathing and tennis (€300-€500).

A vintage advertisement from Cork depicts strongman Eugene Landow lifting a horse with the slogan "Murphy's Stout Gives Strength" (€500-€700).

A selection of film posters includes Sally's Irish Rogue starring Julie Harris – the first film made at Ardmore Studios in Bray – a 1958 production, based on the play The New Gossoon by George Shiels (€200-€300).

Some truly eclectic lots include a “Pilgrim’s Staff” – useful for the Camino – described as “an early 19th century Continental carved walking stick” (€250-€350); a mid-19th-century army surgeon’s campaign instrument box, containing ebony handled surgical instruments and tools (€700-€1,000); and, a collection of 84 metal and enamel Butlin’s Ireland badges – from the former holiday camp at Mosney, Co Meath, which closed in 1995 (€1,500-€2,000).

An album of first World War photographs taken by a Maj HW Weldon of the Prince of Wales Leinster Regiment, “in the neighbourhood of Armentières in May & June 1915”, and photographs of his “passage to India in 1922” is €800-€1,000 .

Photograph album

A photograph album of a trip to South America by a German family aboard the ill-fated ship Cap Arcona in 1938 includes 230 photographs/images of the ship itself, on-board activities, views from the ship and on land in Brazil, Uruguay, Cape Verde (€300-€500). The album is described as "a unique and important visual record of the travels of this luxury liner just seven years before it was sunk by the Royal Navy in 1945 with the loss of 5,000 lives, mostly prisoners from concentration camps who were being moved from eastern Germany".

There's an estimate of €1,000-€1,500 on a set of 19th-century medals awarded to the Royal Navy's Wexford-born Joseph Randall including an Arctic Medal for his services aboard HMS Herald during the search for Franklin's lost expedition. Interest in this lot will likely be heightened following an announcement this week by Canada's prime minister that a shipwreck found off King William Island is either the HMS Erebus or HMS Terror – which were last seen in 1845 when the British arctic explorer Sir John Franklin and 128 hand-picked officers and men vanished on an expedition to find the Northwest Passage.

A vast array of militaria is certainly eclectic – ranging from an early 19th-century Samoan war club (€200-€300), described as “a highly evolved weapon developed by a society with no knowledge of metal”; to a German second World War U-Boat badge (€200-€300).

A hoard of old £5, £1 and 10 shilling notes, found recently in an office clearance, with a total face value of £1,200, is estimated at €6,000-€7,000.

Auctioneer Ian Whyte said "the lucky finder was going to change the notes for euro at the Central Bank until a friend advised" consigning them to auction.

Whyte’s The Eclectic Collector auction takes place in The Freemasons Hall at 17 Molesworth Street on Saturday (September 20th) at 11am.

Viewing of the 800 lots begins at Whyte’s, 38 Molesworth Street, on Wednesday (September 18th) from 10am.