CHURCHILL AUCTION

Southland Times, Issue 24883, 24 October 1942, Page 4

CHURCHILL AUCTION

Gift From Invercargill Tops Sale

Top price in the Churchill Auction held at Dunedin this week was obtained for a gift from Invercargill. This was an album of autographs of- famous people presented by Mr A. Robertson, Spey Street, and it brought £25. The album, which was bought on behalf of the Otago University Library, contains autographs of Queen Victoria and of her uncle, King George IV, and of famous politicians, authors, poets, journalists, artists, actors, scientists, soldiers and religious leaders. There are 96 separate autographs in the album, and it has an index prepared by Mr Robertson.

The city librarian, Mr H. B. Farnall, who was responsible for collecting gifts for the auction in Invercargill, attended the two days’ sale in Dunedin. He bought a number of books for the Invercargill Public Library. Mr Farnall said yesterday that he was naturally very pleased that Mr Robertson’s gift had brought the highest price at the auction. Two other gifts from Mr Robertson, a document in vellum dated 1572, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, brought £l/5/- and a Teniers’ etching £2/2/-. Mr Farnall said that while fairly good prices were obtained for some of the books, others had sold cheaply. First editions of Dickens and Kipling had been bought at low prices. A copy of Kirk’s “Flora of New Zealand” made 30/-, and D’Alberti’s “New Guinea” in two volumes made 15/-. Both these works were presented by Mr and Mrs Black, Tweed street'. A Maori axe found on the Wyndham ridges 40 years ago and presented by Mrs F. Milne, Wyndham, was bought on behalf of the Otago Museum for £l. Mr Farnall said that the axe was not of greenstone as had at first been thought. Mr Farnall has a copy of the catalogue for the Churchill Auction to be held in Auckland next Tuesday, and anyone interested may consult it at the library.