A FAMOUS AUCTION ROOM.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2489, 12 July 1909, Page 2

A FAMOUS AUCTION ROOM.

For gone rations the famous Saturday afternoon sales at “Christie’s” have been almost a national institution. During a period of over one hundred and forty years the fashionable world of London has gathered at the sale rooms, through which some of the most highly valued art treasures have passed. History has been made, the map of Fur ope has changed, wars and rumors of wars have startled the nations, but every Saturday afternoon a gathering of art lovers has assembled to forget the outside world for a while. Here have been seen all the famous men of the times, the dandies in their day, fastidious, perhaps knowing that regular attendance at “Christie’s” gave them a reputation for “culture”; politicians, artists, poets, princes from all lands, millionaires from America—all have known the Saturday sales, since the day when Lord Chesterfield drove to one in a state coach drawn by six horses, and set the fashiop. Some have watched their own treasures, maybe heirlooms which only grim necessity could have made them sell, pass from their possession for ever in these rooms. That is the tragic side of life, as seen at a great sale. During the French Revolution many emigrant nobles saw their family treasures fought over by English bidders in these rooms. What a tale the famous rostrum could tell about those Saturday gatherings! But at last a change nas been made. After this month the famous sales are to take place on Friday. Spring and the motfcr-car have combined to allure the fashionable world away from London at the end of the week, so one more conservative institution becomes modified and changed. The experiment was first made last year, and having proved successful is to be tried against this spring. Humorous stories are sometimes told about the bidders at “Christie’s.” It is said that some women cannot resist the excitement of making bids when they have not the least desire to purchase the picture or object of art in question. It is whispered, indeed, that some will sit trembling with fear until they have been out-bid, when they draw a happy sigh of relief. They have no object in view except the enjoyment of a strange excitement, and doubtless occasionally pay heavily for their amusement when they find themselves the unwilling owners of objects they did not want. Of course most of the people to be seen .at any of the important sales are well acquainted with the general customs, but occasionally the proeedings are varied by amusing incident. It is said, for instance, that on one occasion a well-known but not too wealthy person went to one of the sales to buy a wedding present. le was both pleased and excited when a beautiful silver vase was knocked down U him for the absurdly small sum of thirty shillings, and was inclined to flatter himself that he had obtained the best bargain of his life until he made the discovery that the bidding had represented so many shillings per ounce. When he considered the appalling weight of that vase and knew that he had offered to pay £1 10s for every ounce of its bulk the smiles left his face startling suddenness. Volumes might, of course, be written about the pictures and articles of art that have been sold in the famous rooms. Perhaps the most sensational sale that ever took place, from the mere money standpoint, was that of the Hamilton Pal,aee collection. Chi that occasion the auctioneer was engaged for seventeen days before the entire collection had been sold, and at the end of the sale a sum of £397,562 had been realised. Other great sales were those of the Magniac collection in 1892, when £103,040 was realised; the Manley Hall collection, which brought £150,000; and the Lyne Stephens collection, which was sold for £117,440. Among the great pictures sold in recent times in this art market of the world may he mentioned Gainsborough’s “Maria Walpole,” which was knocked down at £12,705; Raeburn’s portrait of his wife, £8,700; Turner’s “Rape <\f Europa,” £6720; and Ruben’s ‘Madonna and Child with St. John,” £7439. There are romances also of pictures that have been picked up for very small sums, and when sent to "Christie’s” have brought small fortunes to the lucky owners. “The Stanhope Children" was one of these lucky finds. One man became possessed of it for the sum of twenty-eight guineas, and sold it at “Christie’s” for £4600. Another bought Hoppner’s portrait of Lady Waldegrave for twenty-three 'guineas, and when it was offered at “Christie’s” obtained six thousand guineas for it.

Queen Alexandra is taking a deep personal interest in the welfare of the people on her estate at Sandringham. Following her project of operating a farm dairy for the benefit of her agricultural tenants, she has opened a school of needlework for girls and one of carpentry for boys. The Queen’s model dairy long lias been a great success and, it has paid well. In addition to making profit from the farm, the Queen in the course of two years has trained a number of young women to take complete charge of a dairy farm and there are applications always on hand for the Queen’s own dairy maids. The Queen’s new venture has already met with success, from the paying point of \gew. The girls turned out from her needlework school are finding excellent positions among the nobility, in many parts of the country. Several have gone ipto business for themselves, and 1 are holding their own even against the fierce competition in this line in London.