Davies photo album for sale at Sotheby's

[ecb]

http://www.sothebys.com/en/catalogues/ecatalogue.html/2012/english-literature-history-childrens-books-and-illustrations#/r=/en/ecat.fhtml.L12404.html+r.m=/en/ecat.lot.L12404.html/121/

a description from The Times

Images of J. M. Barrie and the young brothers who inspired the story of Peter Pan have surfaced for the first time. The album of photographs was thought lost until it appeared in an auction catalogue.

More than 40 of the 150 photos were taken by the Scottish novelist, a friend of the family, and the entire archive represents the only known record of the early years of the Llewelyn Davies boys -- Peter, George, Jack, Michael and Nico.

The games that Barrie played with the brothers were behind Barrie's most famous creation.

The album was compiled in secret by Margaret Ruthven, the wife of Peter Llewelyn Davies and one of the famed society Ruthven twins of the 1920s.

It was believed that the album had been lost within the family, but it has been placed for auction by a private owner and is expected to fetch up to Pounds 18,000 at a Sotheby's history and literature sale in London on July 10.

The pictures which show up in the preview appear to be duplicates of ones in the collection on this website, but there may be some others.

an article from the Daily Mail with some other pictures

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2164380/Meet-real-Peter-Pan-Long-lost-photo-album-shows-snaps-author-J-M-Barrie-boys-inspired-classic-novel.html

[GOSH]

Here is a fantastic opportunity to view the photo album in the UK before it gets snapped up by a collector - and potentially taken overseas! If you are interested, Sotheby's are holding viewing days at their auction rooms in New Bond Street, London, on Friday 6 (between 9am-4.30pm), Sunday 8 (12-5pm) and Monday 9 July (9am-4.30pm).

[Robert Greenham]

Does anyone know the result of this auction, please?

[GOSH]

All I know is that the album sold for over £35,000, but it was a telephone Bid and the bidder's name wasn't revealed at the time of the sale. Perhaps Andrew will be able to find out more at some point?

[GOSH]

I've now heard that the album was bought by the Beinecke Library at Yale - quite fitting, since they hold the largest collection of Barrie archives. Good to know it will be well looked after and also available to view by the public (even if by appointment only), and not locked away in a private collection.

[Crocodile]

This is fascinating to learn!  I wonder whether it was really lost and turned up or whether it was hidden for a time?

I spent years trying to locate the photo album of a local family because they lived in a historic home which fascinated me.  I now have some hope that their album, said to have gone to a family member who did not know where it was, may also turn up!

[Brutus]

It is believed the album got given away or sold after Rivvy's death in his care home and it ended up with a local second hand bookseller. It is possible that the staff just assumed it was just an ordinary old photo album, not realising who the people in the photographs were. The second hand bookseller knew what he had, though.  At least it's been found again and is now in good hands.

[andrew]

The album was indeed sold at Sothebys in 2012 – but not before I managed to scan it.  I’m now uploading the whole album to the database, at a much higher resolution than earlier scans. Just search for “long lost” and click “scans” from the results...

[Nicholas]

Thanks a lot Andrew.  What a beautiful family they were.