CONSTANCE WILDE'S OPERA GLASSES, A GIFT FROM FRANK HARRIS.

 Aluminium and faux tortoise shell opera glasses
inscribed

"A memento to  Constance from Frank on his first literary publication 1893"

These came from the estate of the daughter of Sir William Taylor, British Surgeon General along with correspondence from Aubrey Beardsley to Lady Louisa,  Duchess of  Devonshire.

3 SILVER AGRICULTURAL MEDALS AWARDED TO SIR HEATON RHODES

 3 SILVER AGRICULTURAL MEDALS AWARDED TO SIR HEATON RHODES

sold thanks Christchurch

Robert Heaton Rhodes was born in New Zealand on 27 February 1861 at Purau, a farming locality on the shore of Lyttelton Harbour.
Heaton Rhodes moved to Christchurch with his parents in 1866, where his father built a large house, Elmwood, on Papanui Road. He attended Mrs Alabaster's school in Cranmer Square.. He was then sent to England About 1880 Rhodes entered Brasenose College in the University of Oxford. Completing his MA in 1887, he was called to the Bar of the Inner Temple, London, but in 1888 returned to New Zealand, where he was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court in Christchurch.
His father's death in 1884 made him an exceptionally wealthy young man, enabling him to give up the law and adopt a new career as a farmer and country gentleman.
From about 1893 Rhodes bought farmland near Taitapu, nine miles south of Christchurch; the farm eventually comprised some 5,000 acres. Rhodes commissioned Frederick Strouts, architect of his new house at Elmwood (the previous one burned down in 1882), to design a grand country house. The result, completed in 1895, was a three-storeyed 40-room timber and slate house, Otahuna.
Otahuna soon became a popular venue for the garden parties of Canterbury's social élite, and for polo matches, in which Rhodes was a keen and expert participant. But his main preoccupation for the next decade was the design and planting of a large garden.
Heaton Rhodes took a close personal interest in this remarkable garden, and from his intimate knowledge of its shrubs and flowers he became an expert horticulturist, much in demand as a judge at flower shows in Canterbury. He was elected president of the Canterbury Horticultural Society in 1903, and held this post for the next 53 years. Otahuna soon became famous for its fields of daffodils, and on open days between 1928 and 1954 thousands of people visited. Surplus bulbs were donated to the Christchurch Hospital and the Government Domain (later the Botanic Gardens), forming the nucleus of the daffodil beds which now line the Avon River.
Rhodes was highly respected as a model farmer, and was elected president of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association for 1896. In 1898 he established the first herd of Norfolk red poll cattle in New Zealand, and championed the merits of this breed so well that he became the first president of the New Zealand Red Poll Cattle Breeders' Association in 1921. Otahuna was also noted for its fine flocks of English Leicester and Corriedale sheep,



In 1920 Rhodes was appointed minister of defence. He was instrumental in helping to establish what became the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Rhodes was also appointed commissioner of state forests in 1922. In these years the foundations were laid for New Zealand's future exotic timber industry.
Rhodes obviously enjoyed the role of benevolent country squire. Each year on prize-giving day he sent buckets of cherries to Tai Tapu School, and on Christmas Day he visited all of his employees on the Otahuna estate, with a leg of lamb for the wives, cash for the men and sweets for the children. Otahuna was the venue for one of Canterbury's first demonstrations of aerial top-dressing
Few New Zealanders have achieved such prominence or popularity, received such high honours, or been more sincerely admired and respected in their own lifetime than Heaton Rhodes. Blessed with intelligence, talent, good looks and wealth, he made the most of his advantages. He excelled at many things, and is remembered in Canterbury as the province's outstanding public figure of this century. Bishop Warren's tribute referred to 'a quality of gentleness and quiet charm,' coupled with friendliness and helpfulness which endeared him to many. Daffodils still bloom at Otahuna, and the house itself remains his most tangible monument.

DE BEER PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM ALGIERS CA 1920

 De Beer Photograph Album Ca 1920


Esmond de Beer and his sisters, Mary and Dora, never married. After their parents died (Emily in 1930, Isidore in 1934) they lived together in London. The sisters had previously travelled between London, Europe and New Zealand. They enjoyed the outdoors. Dora was a mountaineer who made many climbs in the Southern Alps, the Swiss Alps and, in 1938, Yunan, China. Esmond and Mary were pedestrians - indefatigable walkers and trampers. All three regularly holidayed on the Hebridean island of Raasay.
The de Beers were among the most important benefactors of Dunedin’s cultural institutions. Esmond wrote, ‘My sisters and I have always thought of Dunedin as our ‘‘home’’, our essential background, and have wanted to do what we could towards the furtherance of its learning and culture’. All three were collectors: Esmond’s rare books were a scholar’s tool; Dora had a passion for rugs and textiles, often gathered on her travels; Mary loved poetry; all appreciated the visual arts. Many gifts to institutions were in the name of all three.

TINY TIM AND OTHERS FROM LEGENDS BAR, ROCKMANS REGENCY MELBOURNE

Rockmans was the place to stay in Melbourne, from Dylan to the Stones, These photos are all personally  signed and framed. They used to hang in the "Legends Bar at the Rockmans Regency
I also have Helen Reddy,  Jose Felliciano, and Don Mclean

NOEL COWARD, AUTOGRAPHED BY PRINCE CHARLES

for more information
portobello@woosh.co.nz

WINDSOR STYLE, SIGNED BY PRINCE CHARLES

for more information
portobello@woosh.co.nz

A LOCK OF HAIR FROM THE HEAD OF NAPOLEON WITH PROVENANCE

A lock of hair shaved from the head of Napoleon by Jean Abram Novarre on May 6, 1821, the day after his death
contained in a piece of paper bearing the inscription
"Lock of hair cut off the Emperor Napoleons head after his death at St Helena and given to Mrs Grimstone by Mons,r Novarre June 20th 1823"
Obtained from a direct descendant of Mrs Grimstone
Close examination of the hair reveals it has been cut with a razor and its color and type is the same as other authenticated "Novarre" examples ie very fine and soft auburn in colour.the paper is also of the period.

JEAN ABRAM NOVARRE (1790 - 1849)
Loyal servant of Napoleon 1st
Originally from Riex, Jean Abram Novarre entered the service of the Emperor Napoleon
Bonaparte in 1809 and obtained the post of valet.
In 1814, he stood sword in hand between the hostile populace and Napoleon as he was about to sail for the island of Elba. He accompanied the Emperor on his exile to the island of St-Helena and was present at his death.
Napoleon left Novarre 125,000 francs in his will and asked him to convey his saddles and shotguns to his son.
Novarre is known to have shaved Napoleons head after his death prior to a cast of his head being taken to produce his death mask.
It is known that Novarre was still in posession of some of Napoleons hair as late as 1838
The “ Novarre” lock: cut on.
The lock was sent by Noverraz on September 8, 1838 (and postmarked on the 9th) to a
person named Mons-Riss, who lived in Saint-Gall, Switzerland.
“It is,” wrote Noverraz, “a great pleasure today, Monsieur Mons, to send you some hairs of the Emperor Napoleon which I took from his head after his death. That was May the 6 th, 1821.”

SCRIMSHAW BULLOCK HORN, GUSTAV VON TEMPSKY

Scrimshaw bullock horn by Gustav von Tempsky, Prussian born artist, adventurer and soldier - Gustavus Von Tempsky. Von Tempsky is an iconic figure from the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s and was the leader of a company of Forest Rangers - an elite unit of bush fighters. He was killed during a battle in Taranaki against the Maori leader Titokowaru.
Similar examples are held in the Te Awamutu Museum, Waikato Museum and the Dargaville Museum
for more information
portobello@woosh.co.nz

PAIR SHIP PORTRAITS BY REGINALD MATTHEWS. CONVICTED MURDERER

A pair of unusual ship portraits by Reg Mathews who shot an killed a man in Timaru in 1920 and also shot a policeman in Lyttleton while trying to make good his escape. Both are extensively inscribed on the reverse.He was found guilty but his death sentence was commuted on the grounds of insanity.He spent the rest of his life in various mental institutions.They are painted in lampblack, laundry blue and milk of magnesia. He notes one one painting,"painted under difficult conditions by an ex member of the vessels crew" A news paper clipping on the reverse states that" he spent 60 years behind locked doors, 45 of those in solitary confinement".

ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR PORTRAIT BY SIR LESLIE WARD (SPY)

ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR PORTRAIT BY SIR LESLIE WARD CA1878 "SPY" CARICTATURIST OF VANITY FAIR FAME, OF AUGUSTAS CHARLES HOBART-HAMPDEN, BETTER KNOWN AS "HOBART PASHA"

Augustus Charles Hobart

HOBART, Augustus Charles (HOBART PASHA), Turkish naval officer, born in Waltham-on-the-Welds, Leicestershire, England, 1 April, 1822; died in Milan, 19 June, 1886. He was the third son of the Earl of Buckinghamshire. He entered the British navy in 1836, during the Crimean war commanded the " Driver" in the Baltic, and was commended for his gallantry at the capture of Bomarsund and the attack on Abo. After the war he retired on half-pay, and during the civil war in the United States was in command of a blockade-runner, the "Don," which cruised along the coast of North Carolina, and endeavored to keep up maritime communication with the southern states. He was, perhaps, the most daring and successful of the English blockade-runners. In 1867 he offered his services to the sultan, who gave him command of the fleet operating against Crete. For this his name was stricken from the British naval list, but, at the instance of Lord Derby, he was, in 1874, restored to his former rank of captain on the retired list.When the war between Russia and Turkey began, in 1877, Admiral Hobart was placed in command of the Turkish fleet in the Black sea, and formally withdrew from the British service. On 8 January, 1881, the sultan raised him to the rank of "Mushir," and Marshal of the Empire, an honor never before conferred on a Christian. He wrote "Sketches from My Life" (New York, 1887).
Edited Appletons Encyclopedia, Copyright © 2001 Virtualology^T

SWANSEA PLATE, CA 1814-1824 FROM SERVICE OF SAMUEL ROGERS ESQ., (the poet)

Provenance Samuel Rogers, London;
His deceased sale, London, Christie's, 28 April – 20 May 1856
from a local collection



Samuel Rogers was born in 1763, the son of a London banker. He entered the family business when still young, but not long after his father's death in 1793 he retired with a comfortable income and devoted himself to literary and artistic pursuits.In 1803 Rogers moved to 22 St James’s Place. His poetry enjoyed a popularity during his lifetime which has since been eclipsed by the works of the literary giants with whom he associated; he is chiefly remembered now for his breakfast parties and as the butt of Byron's satire. To Rogers's breakfasts were invited many of the wits and chief literary figures of the day,including Byron, Lamb, Wordsworth, Scott, Shelley, Coleridge among others,
Rogers lived in the house for over fifty years and died there in December 1855.His collection, which consisted of ancient and modern pictures, drawings, engravings, coins, objets d'art and photographs (including one of his house), his library, plate and furniture were sold in 1856 by Messrs. Christie and Manson. The sale lasted for twenty-two days and realized over £45,000. This plate was purchased with others at this important sale.

Old collectors label, also marked "SWANSEA' in red and pattern #257