The top selling item at Julien’s Auctions All Beatles sale in Hollywood on April 10 was Paul McCartney’s handwritten lyrics to “Hey Jude”. These sold for an astounding $910,000 over an original estimate of $160,000-$180,000. A vintage Ludwig brand bass drumhead bearing The Beatles logo used at the Cow Palace Arena in San Francisco on August 19, 1964 made $200,000, four times over its original estimate of $50,000. Originally scheduled for the Hard Rock Cafe in New York the sale moved entirely online for a global audience of registered bidders. The spectacular results demonstrate that an online platform in times of lockdown works.
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for April 9, 2020)
THIS large Irish silver salver by Thomas Walker, Dublin comes up at Sotheby’s New York Style Online, silver furniture and ceramics sale which runs until April 22. Dated 1747 the arms are those of St. Leger with Deane in pretense for St. Leger Aldworth M.P. He assumed the name St. Leger on inheriting the estates of his maternal ancestors and in 1776 became Baron Doneraile of Doneraile. It is estimated at $15,000-20,000.
The original stage from the first Beatles performance at Lathom Hall in Liverpool on May 14, 1960 for one night only as The Silver Beats (their original band name) comes up at Julien’s live online auction in Hollywood on April 10. The auction will take place on the 50th anniversary of the bands break up. The group, whose name became The Silver Beetles and then finally as The Beatles, would play at Lathom Hall on ten more occasions. The final performance there was on February 25, 1961, George Harrison’s 18th Birthday. Nearly 250 Beatles items featuring some never-before-seen memorabilia, guitars and instruments, autographed items, rare vinyl and collectibles will come under the hammer. Other highlights include Paul McCartney’s handwritten lyrics for “Hey Jude”, a Spalding baseball signed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr from The Beatles final U.S. concert in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “BAGISM” drawing, featured in the couple’s 1969 Bed in Peace documentary as part of their demonstration against the Vietnam War, a pair of vintage camel beige wide-cut corduroy trousers worn by John Lennon on the Magical Mystery Tour in the 1960s and a pen on paper caricature drawing of a three legged pirate created by John Lennon for his 1963 book, In His Own Write.
UPDATE: Hey Jude Lyrics sold for $910,000: BAGISM drawing made $93,750.
The Liverpool stage where The Beatles performed first ($10,000-20,000). THIS SOLD FOR $25,600
Bob Marley’s last ever outdoor concert was at Dalymount Park in Dublin in 1980. An original poster for that event is included in Aidan Foley’s live internet auction of 283 lots on Monday April 13. The poster for an afternoon in the park on Sunday, July 6 of that year lists Bob Marley and The Wailers with special guests The Average White Band. Lot 102 is estimated at 1,000-1,200 on Easy Live Auctions.
Marley’s last concert was at the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in September 1980. He had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 1977 and at this stage it had spread to his brain. He died in May 1981.
This pair of c1835 Irish William IV giltwood caned armchairs in the manner of James Del Vecchio come up at Sotheby’s online sale of silver, furniture and ceramics this month. The auction runs at Sotheby’s in New York from April 10-22 and among the lots are some silver and antique furniture from Ireland.
Del Vecchio was a firm of carvers and gilders, looking glass sellers and manufacturers of composition ornament active in Dublin from 1797 to c.1860. The firm was run by Giacomo (James) Del Vecchio and his son James Jr, immigrants from Moltrasio on Lake Como in Northern Italy. They formed part of the thriving furniture trade in early 19th-century Dublin along with Mack Williams and Gibton, Robert Strahan, George Gillington and Joshua Kearney. James Del Vecchio Sr. later established an outpost of the family firm in New York. The chairs are estimated at $6,000-10,000.
This pair of Italian silver plated pheasants is the first lot in Hegarty’s timed online only auction which runs on easyliveauction.com until 8 pm on Sunday April 5. There are 80 lots of art, antiques furniture, collectibles and jewellery at reasonable estimates. The timed sale at Easy Live auctions will be operated through a bidding page as distinct from a live online sale. Bidders need to register in advance. The Bandon auctioneers say that lots won’t be dispatched until after current restrictions around movement have been lifted. The table decoration pheasants are estimated at just €40-80.
UPDATE: THEY SOLD FOR €195 AT HAMMER IN AN AUCTION THAT WAS AN OVERALL SUCCESS.
A collection of Irish Music posters from the personal library of Lyric FM DJ Lorcan Murray is to be included in Aidan Foley’s two day live internet sale from Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare on April 13 and 14. They will come up on day one of the sale along with a large collection of rare vinyl records, musical instruments and collectible musical ephemera.
The sale on April 14 will feature 40 lots of rugs including Persian handwoven carpets and runners, 60 lots of Irish art from artists including Arthur Maderson, Markey Robinson, John Butler Yeats and Annie Robinson, 100 lots of antique furniture and collectibles and 50 lots of jewellery and silver. Around 300 lots will come under the hammer on each day. The catalogue is under preparation and online bidding will be through Easy Live Auctions.
Property from the estate of Doris Day will be sold online by Julien’s Auctions in Hollywood on April 4 and 5. Here is a video preview with Martin Nolan from Doris Day’s home in Carmel by the sea. There will be no public exhibition but the sale will be on julienslive.com
UPDATE: The sale smashed the top estimate of $600,000 and brought in just over $3 million.
Auctioneers Herman and Wilkinson, based in Rathmines in Dublin, will continue with weekly household auctions using their timed online platform. A fully illustrated catalogue becomes available at 3:00 pm every Wednesday, and bidding commences at that point. Bidding will close at one minute intervals per lot from noon each Thursday. Weekly auction feature entire house contents sold in individual and group lots, including sitting room, dining room and bedroom furnishings, mirrors, works of art, ornaments, collectibles and garden tools. Around 2,000 items in 600 – 800 lots are sold.
The sale of the private collection of Tim O’Mahony in Kilkenny at Sheppards on March 24 is accessible online. Absentee bidding is available, along with telephone bids. This is an auction of 592 lots of decorative arts, paintings and fine furniture. There is everything from malachite postal scales, a shagreen compact and Mughal School miniatures to an 18th century mahogany snap top table, a 19th century specimen table, Staffordshire ware, antique Irish glass and an Iznik octagonal centrepiece.
This silver gilt Viennese enamelled cup is estimated at 300-500. UPDATE: THIS MADE 400 AT HAMMER
