Cricketing museum items go under the hammer
Author: Richard Brewster | Posted: 28th August, 2018
A plethora of sporting memorabilia items that have never before been auctioned will be up for grabs when Leski Auctions holds its Celebration of Cricket! Sale from 3pm Sunday September 2 at 727-729 High Street, Armadale.
The auction follows the recent closure of New South Wales’ Central Coast Cricket Museum involving items on display for many years.
Other highlights include the collections of both a Melbourne and Sydney gentleman, along with various vendor items – again some of which have never before been auctioned.
Some of the more sensational lots include Ben Barnett’s autograph book featuring the work of Arthur Mailey.
This is an autograph book titled “Australian Cricket Tour – England 1934” on the first page, followed by 18 full-page illustrations of team members and officials in the touring party.
Each is initialled “A.M.” or signed “Arthur Mailey” and contains original signatures of the cricketers involved.
The Distinguished Visitors Book (blue leather with gilt embossing), intermittently maintained from 1953-1984, from the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, Yorkshire is another strong attraction.
An attractive display of the 1934 Australian tour to the United Kingdom – further entitled “The eighteenth Australian team and the first to tour England following the notorious ‘Bodyline’ series” – incorporates an official team photograph fully signed in ink in the lower margin.
A full size bat supported by a metal wall bracket is the feature of the Cricket Club Bar hanging sign from the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne, while probably the highest estimate lot ($40,000-$60,000) is Australian cricketing icon Sir Donald Bradman’s correspondence to Nigel Ward who lived in Norfolk, England.
During the early 1990s, Ward was conducting personal research into Bradman’s history and the archive comprises 49 hand and type written letters from the Australian legend (who retired in 1948 with a 99.94 Test batting average) dating from July 1990 to February 1999.
A late 19th century Royal Bonn cricket-themed beer stein with pewter lid, featuring Franz Anton Mehlem in vibrant colours, should attract strong buyer attention, while many auction goers will not be able to go past the original painting of late 19th century English cricket captain Dr W.G. Grace, signed “Payne” in the lower corner.
An Archie Jackson Stuart Surridge match-used bat, carrying his signature and brand above the words “AUSTN XI”, should be another popular auction item.
Scottish-born Jackson played eight Test matches for Australia between 1929 and 1931 as a specialist batsman.
He debuted at age 19 against England and in the first inning scored 164 to become the youngest player to score a Test century. Sadly, he died from tuberculosis at only 23 years old.
