Strong Results for Quality Irish Art at Whyte’s November 25th RDS Sale
‘It was a night for the master artists of Irish art at our auction on Monday with top results for Paul Henry, John Lavery, Walter Osborne, Mainie Jellett and Daniel O’Neill’. – Whytes Press Release.
Once again proof that if the quality is there the price will be right and more signs that the price for Irish Art is on the increase again. The top price was paid for a superb work by Paul Henry (see below) and another painting by Daniel O’Neill – ‘Two Women by the Sea’ – considerably exceeded expectations. A selection of watercolours from William Percy French also drew strong bidding and his work is now approaching the outer limit for the more modest collector – this one anyway!
Full results/unsold lots etc. click here: 
Past Perfect – The Vintage Fashion & Décor Fair Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire – Sunday 10th November, 2013
Past Perfect – The Vintage Fashion & Décor Fair
Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire
From: 11.30am – 6.30pm
Unique vintage fashion and precious jewels from the golden age of glamour will be displayed alongside stylish retro décor, vintage radios and classic memorabilia at The Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire on Sunday 10th November.
More than fifty specialist traders from across Ireland will showcase the golden age of fashion, beauty and home décor all under one roof. From the inexpensive to the mildly extravagant, this show is a must for anyone who is inspired by the superb style of the last century, from Downton Abbey to Mad Men. The Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio will display a selection of fully functioning vintage radios and gramophones, providing the soundtrack for a memorable day out, with original vinyl recordings played live on vintage record players, while a selection of vinyl and vintage radios will even be on sale inside the fair.
The variety and large number of stalls means you can find the dress, the jewellery, the hat, the tableware, and even the music, to recreate your own past-perfect style, the only Fair in the country where you can do this. Perfectionists who want to avoid a retro fashion faux-pas can consult Joyce of JCH Hairstyling and Amanda of Ruby Garnet Makeup, a dedicated team of hair and makeup artists, who will be on hand to complete any look with era appropriate hair and makeup.
With Best Dressed competitions and lots of prizes, this event is an opportunity to dress to impress, or just chill over cocktails and admire the fashion parade while listening to great retro sounds.
Doors open from 11.30am – 6.30pm and admission is just €6.00 or €5.00 if you print-out and bring the voucher below.
Full details are available on: www.VintageIreland.eu .
For further details please contact: Joan Murray on (087) 267 0607
Email vintageireland@gmail.com
Dublin City Book Fair – Tara Towers Hotel – Sunday 27th October, 2013
Dublin City Book Fair,
Tara Towers Hotel, Merrion Road, Dublin.4.
http://www.dublincitybookfair.com/
Next sale: Sunday 27th October, 2013
From: 11.00am – 5.00pm
Further information: BOOK FAIR
The National Antique & Fine Art Fair – Limerick – Saturday 2nd/Sunday 3rd November, 2013
The National Antique & Art Fair
(Hibernian Antique & Art Fairs)
The South Court Hotel, Raheen Roundabout, Raheen, Limerick
On: Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd November, 2013
Limerick will be the place to be if you want to be part of the biggest gathering of Antique & Art dealers anywhere in Ireland – and we mean bigger than any other Fair in Ireland! No matter what your interest there will be something for you at the Fair. Antique Furniture, Irish Art, Jewellery & Silver, Porcelain & China, Books, Coins & Banknotes, Clocks, Vintage Fashion & Accessories – you name it and it will be here. Up to 100 Dealers from all over Ireland will be selling their wares to the public over the two days.
Full list of exhibitors here: EXHIBITORS
There has never been a better time to collect or invest in Antiques & Art. You cannot fail to pick up a bargain no matter what your interest may be.
From: 11.00am – 6.00pm daily
Admission: Adults €3.50 – children FREE.
*Or just €5 (for two adults + their children) if you print out and bring the voucher below.
Further information: Hibernian Antique Fairs – Robin O’Donnell (087) 693 3602
or email: robinodon@gmail.com
Directions click here: South Court Hotel
Purcell’s (Birr) Auction has plenty of interest for enamel sign collectors!
70+ Lots of quality vintage enamel signs are included in Purcell’s (Birr) sale of Antiques & Collectables tomorrow Saturday 12th October. Some real gems here including several rare, double sided, AA signs (see below) and prices are now very competitive. For years the best of these signs were beyond the means of many private collectors and found their way into Irish theme pubs, but with changing tastes, and the decline of the pub trade, many items are now back on the market and at realistic prices.
In Victorian times the use of sheet steel coated in vitreous enamel became popular for advertising signs. It retained its bright colours for far longer than either paint or print. The heyday of the enamel sign was not long (1880/1910) and some place the start of their decline from popularity at the about the time that the railways stopped expanding. It seems that a more general downturn in the use of enamel signs began in the 1920’s with the Depression. Then in the Second World War the use of steel for advertising purposes was prohibited and many existing signs were recycled in the scrap metal drive.
After the War fashions changed more rapidly than in the past, as did prices, so there was little point in such hard wearing signs whose message and price would inevitably be out of date long before the sign wore out. Indeed, such was the durability of the signs that many still turn up today in good condition after more than fifty years in use as a shed roof or some similar function.
The advertising is from an era before the product got lost in the message! Simple slogans such as ‘Guinness is good for you’ or ‘Brooke Bond Tea’ (illustrated here) with little else added were the norm.
Catalogue pages for advertising signs: 
Full catalogue here:
48th Irish Antique Dealers Association Annual Fair
The 48th Irish Antique Dealers Association Annual Fair
At the Royal Dublin Society (RDS), Ballsbridge, Dublin .4.
From:
Friday 27th – Sunday 29th September, 2013
Opening times:
Friday 27th September from 11.00am – 9.00pm
Saturday 28th September from 11.00am – 7.00pm
Sunday 29th September from 11.00am – 6.00pm
Further information: http://www.iada.ie/
Strong results at Whyte’s Sale of History, Literature & Collectables
Contrary to my expectations it wasn’t Lot. 253. The 1913 Lockout Proclamation that stole the show at Whyte’s sale last Saturday but rather a small, rather grubby banknote which carried a pre-sale estimate of €4,000-6,000 and which sold for an incredible €14,000. The description of it in Whyte’s catalogue pulls no punches – ‘about fine, one inch tear at top left of centre, half inch tear lower left of centre, edge tears, overall toned, some stains, brittle’.
Lot .701. Currency Commission Consolidated Banknote ‘Ploughman’ Northern Bank Ten Pounds, 6-5-29
NOTE: 01 0T 007335. Signed Knox. Only 8,000 believed to have been issued – the scarcest of the Ploughman series. About fine, one inch tear at top left of centre, half inch tear lower left of centre, edge tears, overall toned, some stains, brittle. A much better example than that illustrated in Paper Money of Ireland by Blake & Calloway. An exceedingly rare and desirable banknote. Estimate: €4000-6000. Sold for €14,000
Catalogue with full list of prices realised here: 
Collect Ireland 