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.