Item #110290 Selected Pictures from the Hickson-Adams Collection. [Together with] Further Selected Pictures from the Hickson-Adams Collection [cover titles]. Art Auction Catalogues.

[Art Auction Catalogues]

Selected Pictures from the Hickson-Adams Collection. [Together with] Further Selected Pictures from the Hickson-Adams Collection [cover titles]

Adelaide, Theodore Bruce & Co. Limited, Auctioneers, in association with Mr Stefan Heysen, 1951 and 1952.

Octavo, two volumes, 24 and 28 pages.

Textured wrappers (the first a little rubbed at the extremities); overall, in excellent condition.

The auctions of items from the estate of William Herbert Hickson-Adams took place on 27 November 1951, and 27-28 May 1952. The first volume, with 290 lots, is copiously annotated in pencil with prices realised, and in many instances, the name of the purchaser. The second volume, with 358 lots, is unfortunately unmarked, but it does contain a number of informative newspaper cuttings relating to the sale. The State Library of South Australia holds an interesting archive relating to Hickson-Adams (PRG400). From this we have gleaned that he was born at suburban Alberton in 1895, and died at Victor Harbor in September 1951, but for many years he ran Centennial Galleries in Brisbane (1927-1946). In 1949 he relocated to Victor Harbor, where 'in 1950 he opened the Flinders Gallery, converted from a building known as the old customs house, and exhibited works from his own extensive collection'. Art auction historians may be interested to learn that the SLSA has a copy of the catalogue for the second auction 'annotated with amounts of bids, names of bidders and the price range in which paintings were originally acquired'.