Antarctic heat at Leski’s March auctions |
 Lot 481  Lot 498  Lot 500  Lot 505  Lot 514  Lot 518 Event Calendar Please check our auction calendar for the latest auction dates. |
The two day sale at Charles Leski Auctions in Melbourne on March 28th & 29th produced some remarkable results.
Several world-record prices were achieved. The sales covered many collecting fields but it was Antarctic-related
material which generated the most heat, with room buyers competing with absentee and phone bidders from all over the world.
Perhaps it’s the fact that the heroic (and foolish) exploits of the great expeditions are now a century old or maybe it’s the growing popularity of Antarctic travel but there is no doubt about the passion and interest of modern collectors. The letters, documents, postcards and photographs which survive from Scott, Shackleton, Mawson and their contemporaries are now prized reminders of these larger-than-life characters and their amazing experiences as they fought their way to the South Pole. The first day of the sale saw a collection of philatelic pieces offered for sale. Special postcards, envelopes posted en-route or from the Antarctic, letters written by the Expeditioners, even advertisements for post-Expedition lectures, all found new homes and were keenly contested. Lot 481, a delightful “Wrench Links of Empire” postcard depicting Commander Scott and his ship, the “Discovery”, estimated at $300, brought $920 (all prices shown include buyer’s premium). This card was sent from Newfoundland on the first leg of the journey South. Lot 498, a “Canterbury Times” issued postcard showing “Emperor Penguins”, estimated at $150, brought $370. Lot 500, a collection of 12 different postcards issued by The Weekly Press in Christchurch, was estimated at $800 and brought $2760. Lot 505, a letter and the original envelope written by the Meteorologist on the 1908 Shackleton Expedition was estimated to bring $2000 but was strongly contested and finished at $6600. An illustrated leaflet produced by the New Zealand Times newspaper (Lot 514) titled “Souvenir of the Nimrod after a thrilling Expedition” was estimated at $200 and brought $750. Lot 518, a letter and envelope written in January 1911 by Dr Atkinson, the ship’s surgeon on-board Scott’s ship the “Terra Nova” was estimated at $1000 and was finally hammered-down at $6325. The second day of the sale saw a collection of original photographs taken by Frank Hurley, the official photographer on the Shackleton Expedition. The collection, dating from the early 1920s had been presented by Hurley himself to Archdeacon John Bidwell of Sydney. The images are very well known and have been much reproduced but original prints are scarce and rarely come onto the market. The section, comprising 30 photographs, all approximately 19x16cm, started quietly, while bidders were testing each other, but soon ignited and left some very surprised and disappointed “potential” buyers with their wallets still full. Some of the notable images and prices include Lot 1306, “Captain Frank Hurley, Taking a cinema at the bows of the Endurance” (brought $4300), Lot 1307, “The Endurance. Midwinter” ($2990), Lot 1309, “A spectre ship…” ($23,000), Lot 1311, “The driving floe…split the rudder and tore out the rudder-post and stern-post” ($8340) and Lot 1316, “The crystal canoe” ($2185).
All 1420 lots from the two-day sale can still be viewed on our website: Auction 284 - Stamps & Postal History Auction 285 - Sports & General Memorabilia For the auction 284,285 results, please check here. The latest Leski catalogues are: Auction 288, General Memorabilia (May 3rd) featuring a collection of Ansett, Qantas, TAA and related aviation material. The range of travel posters is remarkable and includes a magnificent example of the 1934-35 MacRobertson Air Race poster by the celebrated Percy Trompf. On May 5th, bids for Auction 287, Postal Bid Sale will close, and later in May we will be offering one of our regular philatelic auctions. This time the catalogue will feature an important range of early Queensland postal history, an interesting collection of airmail envelopes illustrating the World War Two period, rarities from the rest of the world and several large collections and accumulations. |
