– 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.