Recently, a lady rang Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants about several artworks that she had purchased from a garage sale some 13 years ago in Killara – for the princely sum of $ 50. However, when David Hulme started to ask the owner if she could decipher some of the signatures on the paintings, it started to get interesting.
The works had been stored away and as the lady was due to move house, the works just seemed to add more inconvenience to the whole moving process. So she decided to dispose of the works and “take them to Vinnies, perhaps”.
Fortunately, her daughter had seen an advertisement and suggested to contact Banziger Hulme Fine Art first.
David Hulme said: “ Clearly, the lady had never heard of any of the artists’ names she was reading out to me: Lionel Lindsay, Herbert Gallop, Sydney Ure Smith, James R. Jackson, Arthur Burgess and Emmanuel Phillips Fox among many others. Of course I was delighted to inform the owner that they would be of good value.” He added: “This was a lucky purchase to begin with and even better luck in finding an art broker who was able to assist her with independent advice on how to make the most of the situation”.
Of the 22 works, the most valuable is a Lake Scene by Emmanuel Phillips Fox, with an estimate of $ 7,000 – $ 10,000.
The whole collection will be offered at the Bonhams and Goodman Affordable Art Sale on Tuesday, 8 May, from 1 pm, at 409 George Street, Waterloo.