: - A rare Lillian Westcott Hale pencil drawing attracted attention
from dealers and collectors from all over the country this past
Thursday, July 31, at John McInnis Auctioneers. The piece was
offered during a two-session sale featuring more than 1,000 lots
of estate fresh merchandise.
The rare and extremely well executed drawing had been found in a
closet in a North Shore home and, ironically, according to
McInnis, it was left behind after another auction company had
been through the home. Apparently, neither the owner nor the
other auctioneer had any idea of its value.
The drawing was admired by nearly everyone in the gallery and
several were on hand to compete for the lot. With the lot ready
to cross the auction block, every available telephone line in the
gallery plus every cellular phone that McInnis could get his
hands on were readied. Bidding on the lot opened at $10,000 from
a gentleman in the rear of the hall and it was immediately hit at
$15,000 by a phone bidder. Bids bounced back and forth between
several telephones and the bidder in the gallery in $5,000
increments to the $75,000 mark, where the lot momentarily
stalled. A new bidder in the rear of the gallery hit the lot at
$80,000 and the quick paced action resumed with the lots
ultimately selling at $161,000, including premium, to the bidder
in the rear of the gallery.
A complete review of the sale will appear in a future issue.
