Next Saturday sees a typically fascinating sale of eclectic material being offered by Whyte's in the company's premises on Marlborough Street, Dublin 1.
One lot, however, stands out in terms of the price likely to be achieved: number 236 is a copy of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic published by the Irish Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army acting as the Provisional Government of the Republic on Easter Monday, 24th April 1916.
In 1986 John O'Connor, in his The Story of the 1916 Proclamation, argued that there are 17 examples of this document extant, of which six are in public institutions, including Dail Eireann and the National Museum and at least two in British Government archives. Even if more than that number still exist, original copies of the proclamation - complete with typographical errors and poor quality paper - are extremely rare.
This one, despite evidence of wear and tear such as some mud stains and signs of folding, is therefore still expected to sell for £20,000£25,000. Equally interesting, if less highly valued, is lot 238: an original photograph showing a man fixing the Proclamation of the Irish Republic to a barred gate, believed to have been taken in Cork during the funeral of Terence McSwiney on November 1st 1920. A date, visible in reverse at the top of the print, reads 9-11-20, suggesting the picture was developed just over a week after the funeral. The picture carries a pre-sale estimate of £200-£250.
The following lot, 239, is also connected with the Easter Rising, being a collection of newspapers covering the event and its aftermath. Among those included are the Evening Herald of May 3rd 1916, the first issue to appear after the rising, as well as subsequent issues of this paper and the Irish Independent covering the executions of those involved in the uprising; the collection is valued at £100-£150. Lot 267 is a collection of Sinn Fein handbills and flyers in an album documenting the concerns of Republicans during the War of Independence and the Civil War (£450£500) while lot 268 is a collection of photographs taken during the latter struggle, seemingly assembled by a young officer in the National Army. Among the pictures are shots of the fire at the GPO rotunda, Michael Collins at Griffith's funeral and images of Collins' own funeral along with a series of signatures of important army personnel such as Generals Mulcahy, O'Duffy and Guilfoyle (£2,000£2,500). Naturally, the sale contains much material other than that specifically relating to military matters. Lot 394, for example, features a number of theatre and music programmes, including one from Dublin's Theatre Royal in 1903 for a royal command performance with an insert stating the event had been cancelled "by order of His Majesty owing to the death of His Holiness Pope Leo XIII" (£60-£80).
Lot 122 is an autograph book from the 1940s and 1950s including signatures from such entertainment luminaries as Hilton Edwards, Micheal MacLiammoir, Count John McCormack, Margaret Burke-Sheridan, Laurence Olivier and Leslie Howard (£30-£40). The sale begins at 1 p.m.
