"Straight forward dealing, everything of the best and at the lowest price at which it can be consistently sold," was the motto of Hayes , Conyngham & Robinson, the Irish pharmacy firm established in 1897. The Shiell family took it on in the 1970s, when it was in dire financial straits, but they turned it around and eventually sold it to Boots for in excess of £13 million (€15.6m) back in 1998.
When the firm, which was one of Ireland’s most prominent and long-standing pharmacy chains, sold, a centenary of shop fittings and products went into long-term storage with apothecary items from some of the 30 locations around the country.
Now these long-term storage units have been opened, and their contents will be auctioned by Victor Mee in-a three day sale commencing this Monday, March 14th. All proceeds from the sale of the pharmacies contents will be donated to Barnardos, the children's charity that helps the lives of vulnerable children.
“Antique chemist wares have become increasingly popular among buyers who appreciate nostalgia and history,” says Victor Mee on the upcoming sale. Old apothecary cabinets offer not just a sense of curiosity on account of their once mysterious contents, but also for their superb craftsmanship.
Shop counters
With this appreciation, items such as these are holding their own in salerooms, and old ceramic jars and glass bottles are being repurposed as tea caddies or vases. Highlights of the sale include two shop counters: lot 662 is an early 20th century mahogany chemist counter (€1,000-€2,000) as is lot 663, which also has a bank of 50 drawers (€1,500-€3,000); lot 665, also from the 20th century, is a unit with lots of storage and a centre glazed door gilded with “Prescriptions” (€1,500-€2,500). Also in there are old cash registers and more interior shop fittings with a host of glass chemist bottles and jars – some of which are poison bottles (lot 141, €50-€100).
The top lot is a mahogany shop back with 84 labelled drawers over opening shelving and central mirror, which could be just the ticket for an architect or designer (€15,000-€20,000).
In addition to the pieces from Hayes, Conyngham & Robinson, the catalogue also lists a good collection of pub memorabilia, with a Kirker and Greer advertising mirror from the Connswater Distillery in Belfast. The firm that closed its doors in 1929 is a key feature in the sale, alongside a highly collectable Mitchell’s Old Irish Whisky advertising mirror.
Those with a penchant for collecting whiskey may have interest in some of the rare Irish offerings: lot 776 is an 18-year-old distilled George Roe listed at €1,000-€2,000, while a bottle of Cork Distillers Midleton Finest 15-year-old (label 437) is seeking €600-€1,200.
As an indication of how interesting Irish auctions can be, the sale also has a full life size model of a skeleton for €1,800-€2,500. victormeeauctions.ie
