IRISH PUB MEMORABILIA AND COLLECTIBLES SALE HIGHLIGHTS
Some fantastically rare and highly collectible items are set to appear in our Irish Pub Memorabilia and Collectibles Auction taking place live online next Wednesday August 12th.
Every time we host a sale, we are faced with the same predicament; choosing highlights. How do we go about choosing some lots over others? The truth is that we quite like all the lots we take in for sale at our auctions. You wouldn’t find them in our catalogue otherwise. It’s business, but it’s passion also.
Below, we’ve cherry-picked 10 of our highlights for the upcoming sale. It is by no means an exhaustive list, nay, just a sample of some of the lots we think are going to cause a stir at next weeks memorabilia and collectible extravaganza…
The Thomas Street Distillery that produced George Roe Whiskey closed its doors in 1923 making this bottle just about a century old. This bottle seems to have been produced for export to the United States, where authentic Irish whiskey was very popular. Although the George Roe brand has recently been revamped and relaunched, whiskies bearing the Roe name from this period are some of the rarest in the world and are increasingly being sought out, not just by collectors, but by publicans and distilleries seeking to compose impressive collections of the “Golden Age” of Irish whiskey. This lot is certainly the star of this sale and comes with an impressive estimate of €6000-€12000.
Players Cigarettes released these figurines in the 1950s and they were a very familiar sight in Irish pubs for many years. These days, no such whimsical advertising would be allowed, and these pieces have become a rare and highly sought-after collectors item. Lot 391 features a Galway hurler and a Roscommon footballer perched side by side on a plinth bearing the slogan “On All Grounds – Players Please” and goes to auction with an estimate of €400-€800 and a lot of interest already!
Lot 261 is a fantastically rare item of automobilia. Shell is one of the most collectible of brands and this lot is sure to whet the appetites of collectors far and wide. Manufactured by Webb’s Crystal Glass Ltd of London for Shell Ireland Ltd, it is extremely uncommon to find these pieces in such pristine condition, with the white milk glass vulnerable to damage. This one features immaculate red paint lettering and retains the original cast iron mounting ring. It goes to sale with an estimate of €500-€800.
Items of tobacciana are very collectible worldwide with thanks, in part, to the introduction of heavy restrictions on advertising and display of tobacco products. There are very few of these cabinets in circulation today, not least in the incredible condition that this one has reached us in. Featuring a reverse glass pediment and four sliding rich wooden drawers, this fantastic piece of Irish tobacianna goes to sale with an estimate of €2500-€4500.
It’s difficult to find anyone with comprehensive information on J. Vint & Son, such is the rarity of items relating to this elusive Irish Whiskey. This glass advertisement depicts a right jolly old fellow brandishing a bottle of the liquor and is inscribed by W. Brownlie of Glasgow. An advertisement of this calibre bearing the Vint name has yet to be seen at auction and this incredibly rare piece is garnering huge interest from bidders, earning it an estimate of €1200-€1800.
There’s little in this sale that evokes the fun Irish spirit more than this rare 1960s Guinness advertisement. This mischievous-faced leprechaun comes with a vehicle roof mount, to add to its quirkiness, so he can be paraded atop a car. Believed to have been produced by Guinness to advertise the black stuff to patrons overseas, he proudly wields a symbolic harp and an imported bottle of St. James’ Gates finest stout. Going to auction with an estimate of €400-€800, this lot is going to be of great interest to Guinness Collectors worldwide.
Deep vertical ridges, crosscut underneath give these holophane light shades a fantastic prismatic light effect. These lights were incredibly popular for industrial use in the 20th century thanks to their amazing ability to capture and disperse light. Now, they are experiencing a resurgence as homeowners seek to recreate that industrial feel without compromising on taste and an appreciation for the superior manufacture of these antique shades grows. This set of five beautiful shades is estimated at €800-€1200.
Perfectly weathered, lot 327 is a rare early 20th Century Irish Copper Whiskey Still. It is an icon of the Golden Years of Irish whiskey and would look spectacular as a decorative addition to a bar or distillery, nodding to the past and to a distinctively Irish product made in the traditional way. The still goes to auction with an estimate of €1000-€1500.
Craven A Cigarettes began using their famous slogan ‘For Your Throats Sake’ back in the 1930s. They also purported to “prevent sore throats”. They were, for all the world to see, the “healthy” choice for the refined cigarette smoker. Aside from the obvious collectability of antique cigarette advertisements, Craven A conjures a little more excitement than most because of the now apparent comical absurdity in their claims. Adverts for this brand are highly collectible and items of this standard and in this condition don’t often leave their collectors collection. This piece comes with an estimate of €500-€800.
One of the rarest Whiskey Advertising Mirrors we have ever sold at Victor Mee Auctions, lot 348 is by Persse’s Limited. The Nun’s Island distillery founded by Burton Persse thrived for more than 60 years and eventually closed down in 1908 with surviving bottles and related advertising few and far between and housed now primarily only in museums and private collections. This exceptional piece of historical advertising is gathering huge momentum of interest and will go under the hammer with a well-deserved estimate of €6000-€12000.
The Irish Pub Memorabilia and Collectibles Sale will take place online on Wednesday August 12th from 2pm.
View the full catalogue now at www.victormeeauctions.ie
