Sydney Rare Book Auctions

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On offer are 551 catalogues from Lawson auctioneers spanning 1887-1959. From the Lawson archives, most catalogues have prices realised and handwritten notes for the auctioneer. Additional materials handwritten on the catalogue or extra paper. There is also correspondence and notes pertaining to a sale or vendor, proof copies and drafts with proof images from photographic studios around Sydney. 

Founded in 1884, the auction house catalogues provide a social and cultural history of Australian life, showing buildings and their contents, people and their processions, trends in furniture, art and household appointments. These catalogues also provide an important documentation of provenance for art objects and furniture. 

Many sales were for grand houses of the rich and famous: politician, Henry Parkes (1815–1896), Samuel Hordern(1849–1909) from Anthony Hordern and Sons, Marcus Clark of the Marcus Clark and Company, John Thomas Toohey (1839-1903) of the Toohey’s brewery, Arnold Resch of the Resch’s brewery, Newspaper man, John Norton (1858–1916), Publisher of Art in Australia, Bertram Stevens (1889-1973),  Pioneer of the Australian film industry, Charles Cozens Spencer (1874- 1930) and William Hardy Wilson (1881–1955). These often documented the reason for why the sales occurred:  death, moving overseas or bankruptcy.  

Many of these sales are for the contents of grand houses which are now listed in the Historic Heritage Trust, while some have since been torn down. Mostly in the Eastern and Western suburbs of Sydney and also across country New South Wales. 

12 noon Sunday 17th November

This upcoming auction of materials from the estate of Ion Idriess includes a wide range of materials, ranging from original manuscript books to letters and ephemera. It represents a unique opportunity for collectors of Ion Idriess – and Australian literature more generally – to acquire original manuscript and archival materials by (and related to) this iconic Australian author.

Some highlights include letters relating to gold mining leases at Ophir, with discussion of ancient megafauna bones (Lot 58). Letters to and from miners across Australia feature prominently in this outstanding auction.

Also upcoming in this auction is an uncorrected proof copy of Idriess’ book on fighting in New Guinea titled Trapping the Jap, from the Second World War Guerilla series (Lot 67).

Of special interest is correspondence to Idriess from other veterans of Gallipoli and the Middle Eastern campaigns during the First World War. Following the success of The Desert Column, veterans from across Australia and the British Empire wrote to Idriess to relate their personal experiences. See, for example, lot numbers 78, 84 and 91.

Collectors of First World War material will also be intrigued by a small manuscript note by Idriess, recounting his experience aboard a transport vessel in the Dardanelles during the First World War. Idriess writes that he was badly wounded in one leg and suffering greatly. This scrap almost certainly dates from late May 1915 when Idriess was wounded at Gallipoli (Lot 116).

Much of the appeal of the Idriess archive is the preservation of unusual and idiosyncratic correspondence. One good instance of this is a letter from an American serviceman in New Guinea during the Second World War. This soldier writes to know the opinion of Idriess on the existence of mental telepathy amongst the Torres Strait Islanders (Lot 114). Curiously enough, Idriess was a believer in telepathic communication amongst the indigenous peoples of Torres Strait and Northern Australia.

We invite you to peruse this remarkable selection offered by Sydney Rare Book Auctions. The range and breadth of material offered is remarkable indeed.