An incredibly rare book collection, owned by a Nelson family for more than five decades, will go under the hammer this weekend.
Owned by John and Cynthia Savage, the collection features a huge number of New Zealand history books and artwork, including many on Maori history.
The collection will be auctioned off in over 600 lots, the majority for books but others for samplers and artwork.
Warwick Savage, owner of Lipscombe Auction House which will be handling the auction, says the collection is attracting interest from around New Zealand. “You just don’t see collections like this, especially in Nelson. These kind of collections usually go to big auction houses.”
Among the titles of books are: Games and pastime of the Maori; A folio of Watercolours by Charles Heaphy; The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand, and the rather long title An Album of the Weapons, Tools, Ornaments, Articles of Dress etc., of the Natives of the Pacific islands, Part 1.
The collection also features several stunning pieces of Nelson history, including a book titled Gully’s New Zealand Scenery, which features water colour paintings by Nelson artist and Nelson College teacher John Gully. The book was published in 1877.
Another book, the New Zealand Settlers Guide, was given to British settlers, giving them an idea of what life was like in New Zealand in the middle of the 19th century.
On Nelson, the book says “Nelson is the northern province of the middle island… and like Wellington is prone to earthquakes. The town of Nelson in 1848 contained 263 houses, the rest of the province 342.”
Warwick says it’s an honour to auction off such a collection.
“It’s regarding as an extremely significant collection and this is the pickings of it. It’s exciting for us and exciting for Nelson because it gives people here the first opportunity to get a look at the books.”
John was well-known in the region as a school teacher and later principal of Enner Glynn school.
The home of the Savages was sold earlier this month at auction for $1.43 million. It was on land originally owned by Captain Arthur Wakefield. The Savages had owned the home for more than 50 years.
For more information on the auction visit www.lipscombeauctionhouse.co.nz. Viewing is open at Lipscombes all week with the auction beginning at 10am on Saturday, November 5.
Another 2000 books from the collection will be for sale on Sunday, from 10am.
A glimpse of Nelson in 1854 from the book, New Zealand Settlers Guide that is one of the books up for auction in Nelson this Saturday:
• Nelson had 345 houses, with 680 in the rest of the province.
• There were four breweries in Nelson
• A candle manufactory
• Five flour mills
• Three coal mines
• A copper mine
• Europeans owned 19 vessels, Maori owned 24
• Bread cost 4 shillings per pound
• Average wages for a female in Nelson 25 pound
• Average wages for a man in Nelson was 50 pound
