Summary

This catalogue details the sale of Sir Walter Baldwin Spencer's Art Collection following his retirement as emeritus professor from the University of Melbourne in 1919.

A foreword written by H. Desbrowe-Annear is printed on the first page of the catalogue, commencing with the paragraph, "The Sale of the Baldwin Spencer Collection may be said to mark the end of the first half century of true Australian Art, and is of especial value because it is the first occasion upon which the public can obtain examples that have stood the test of careful selection by one whose recognition helped to discover the isolated genius of the few men whose names will be engraved for all time on the Foundations of Art in Australia."

Some of the art works collected by Baldwin Spencer and included in the catalogue were produced by Arthur Streeton, Norman Lindsay, George Lambert, Hugh Ramsay, David Davies, Jesse J. Hilder, John Ford Paterson, Hans Heysen, E.P. Fox, W. Beckwith McInnes, E. Gruner, Frederick McCubbin, B.E. Minns, Walter H. Withers, Charles Wheeler, Harley Griffiths, Thea Proctor, Florence Rodway and Cumbrae Stewart.

The front cover of the catalogue is printed with a design created by W. Beckwith McInnes.

Production of the catalogue was limited to 350 copies of which 300 were for sale to the public.

Included in the front of the catalogue on a separate sheet of paper is a memorandum written by the auctioneer advising the amount realised by the sale, three works by Thea Proctor "Fair," Phil May "Captain Wallington" and Harley Griffiths "Rose" did not sell, and drawings by George Lambert were withdrawn from sale.

Physical Description

Catalogue of 32 pages plus a number of additional printed plates inserted throughout. The additional plates depict 21 artworks and a 17th century oak table, printed in colour and black and white. The cover is printed in three colours, black, red and yellow, with a design created by W. Beckwith McInnes.

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