Gibson's sale of the late Bob Munro’s maritime collection, sells 94% by number and 258% by value.

By Richard Brewster, on 11-Nov-2020

Gibson’s Auctions is delighted with the results of its Australian, Maritime & Exploration sale on Sunday November 8 when 75 per cent of items sold realising 138 per cent of catalogue estimate value. Even more telling was the fact that 94 per cent of the late Bob Munro’s maritime collection, which comprised the auction’s first 217 lots, realising 258 per cent of the estimated value – a positive portend for his forthcoming warehouse online auction on Sunday November 22.

Lieutenant Henry Bowers black and white photo entitled The Polar Party on the Trail of British explorer Robert Scott’s 1912 ill-fated expedition to the South Pole (above) achieved equal top price at Gibson’s Auctions Australian, Maritime & Exploration sale on Sunday November 8.

Lieutenant Henry Bowers black and white photo entitled The Polar Party on the Trail of British explorer Robert Scott’s 1912 ill-fated expedition to the South Pole (above) achieved equal top price at Gibson’s Auctions Australian, Maritime & Exploration sale on Sunday November 8.

Two items shared top billing – Lieutenant Henry Bowers black and white photo entitled The Polar Party on the Trail of British explorer Robert Scott’s 1912 ill-fated expedition to the South Pole (Lot 315 ) and a circa 1900 Royal Worcester porcelain part tea set of Marian Ellis Rowan Australian flower series (lot 460). Each brought $6100 including buyer’s premium, respectively twice and four times the catalogue’s top estimate.

Even more astounding was Esther Paterson’s (1892-1971) painting On the Pier (lot 186) which was listed at $150-$250 but, as the result of spirited bidding, brought $5368.

A pair of Classical Portraits from the European School (lot 143 – estimate $400-$600) was another outstanding effort at $5124.

However, a painting depicting the most infamous moment in naval history – Lieutenant William Bligh being cast adrift by his mutinous crew (Lot 357 ) – returned only the same result against a $6000-$8000 estimate.

The Charles Bryant (1883-1937) painting of British World War I battle cruiser HMS Hood, (lot 37) sunk in May 1941 by the German battleship Bismarck, was another great effort for the Bob Munro estate – changing hands for $4880 against a $2000-$4000 estimate – while a  copper and brass diving helmet (Lot 349 ) doubled its catalogue estimate at $4636.

Another Bob Munro collection painting – M. McCleary Mathews Tugs at Williamstown Pier (lot 86) – also proved popular as it sold for $4392 against a modest $120-$180 estimate as did Will Ashton’s (1881-1963) painting Loading the Ship (lot 148).

In 10th place was one of antiquarian bookseller Kay Craddock’s circa 1920 bookends pair by Valeria Correll which sold for $3904.

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About The Author

Richard Brewster has been writing about the antiques and art auction industry for almost 20 years, first in a regular weekly column for Fairfax's The Age newspaper and also in more recent times for his own website Australian Auction Review. With 45 years experience as a journalist and public relations consultant, in 1990 Richard established his own business Brewster & Associates in Melbourne, handling a wide range of clients in the building, financial, antiques and art auction industries.