DUBLIN.- Travel is a theme which runs through the sale and there are examples of the gear brought with explorers, sailors, soldiers and medics when they travelled in the age of sail, such as a military surgeon's case of instruments, including some blood curdling amputation saws (lot 10, €700-€1,000). These brass bound mahogany cases, outfitted to the requirements of the individual officer, were supplied by specialist campaign cabinet-makers. Comfort as well as function was catered for, as is obvious from the high-quality gentleman's dressing chest (lot 7, €500-€700) a near-complete example, fitted out with silver mounted jars and accessories to bring the comfort and elegance of home to some far-flung corner of the Empire.

The souvenirs, mementoes and awards travellers returned home with are fascinating too. A Maori paddle (lot 18, €700-€1,000) the blade split from the bough of a tree and shaped with stone tools, is in the same form as since the dawn of time. The Samoan war club (lot 639, €200-300) is a highly evolved weapon developed by a society with no knowledge of metal.

It is tempting to imagine a sailor or soldier thinking of home in a quiet moment, while using the tip of a knife to carve “Eire 1798” onto the ivory tusk (lot 2, €100-€150). More skilful carving was required to make the four models of sailing ships also in the sale (lots 58-61, estimates range from €150-€300).

The concertina is an instrument associated with seafaring but in the mid-19th century it was also considered suitable for polite ladies. The example featured in the auction by William Scales, (lot 19, €250-€350) self-professed 'Professor of Concertinas', 46, Grafton Street, Dublin, was probably made for the latter market. The fine, scrolling fretwork and delicate paper bellows were unlikely to have withstood life below decks. A rare example c.1850, in its original mahogany case by a well regarded Dublin maker.

One wonders whether Joseph Randell from Wexford had ever heard of Sevestapol when he joined the navy in 1842, let alone imagined going there; or if he imagined he would sail into the Arctic on board H.M.S. Herald in search of Franklin's lost expedition. His medals, framed with his portrait (lot 578, €1,000-€1,500) tell us he served in both places and rose through the ranks from Able Seaman to Captain's Coxwain in the process. A well presented and interesting lot.

POSTERS
Travel posters, designed to tempt visitors to Ireland and to coax the Irish abroad, offer collectors an opportunity to invest in work by famous artists and designers for quite modest sums. Paul Henry (lot 123, €300-€500) and Guus Melai (lot 125, €200-€300) produced the images at the centre of the two most striking Irish travel posters in the Eclectic Collector Auction.

The success of Whytes’ May 31 Movie Posters Auction attracted a number of collections of classic movie posters to the market. The iconic James Bond ‘Goldfinger’ poster (lot 190, €2,000-€3,000) is the highlight of over 100 lots of British quad posters, featuring Carry On movies to classic horror.

MILITARIA
William Carmichael, from Skerries was active in the fight for Irish independence. He became an officer in the Free State Army in 1922 and was later called up in the Emergency. He rose to the rank of Captain, so far, no different from hundreds of others. However Carmichael was something of a hoarder and he kept his old uniform, badges, documents and insignia, in his army foot locker. The result is a lot we have called “an Irish Soldiers Life”. Briefly it includes: War of Independence and Emergency medals, sword, uniform jacket, peaked officer's cap, side cap, Sam Browne belts with holsters; leather gaiters; neck-ties and balaclava helmets. Also cap badges, rank badges, shoulder flashes and buttons; together with archive material including correspondence relating to application for a Military Service Pension, original photographs and extensive material relating to army life, (lot 573, €3,000-5,000). The fascinating collection of one Irish soldier.

PHOTOGRAPHS
There is a wealth of photographic material in the Eclectic Collector auction. This includes the personal photograph album of Irishman, Major H.W. Weldon (lot 612, €800-€1,000) Adjutant, Prince of Wales’ Leinster Regiment, who brought his camera to France in 1915 and recorded life in the trenches “in the neighbourhood of Armentieres”.

Postcards from the trenches are a recurring feature of many of the albums and collections offered in this sale.

With all the recent commemorations of World War I little has been made of the German soldiers who also underwent the horrors of trench warfare. Whyte’s offer in this sale a large collection of hundreds of German military medals from both World Wars. The First World War medals range from a First Class Iron Cross (lot 675, €100-€120) to an Order of the Zahringer Lion Knights Cross (lot 689, €300-€400). The 1939-1945 period features over one hundred medals and badge awards including U-Boat Badge (lot 741, €100-€150), Luftwaffe Bomber Clasp (lot 750, €180-€220) and War Order of The German Cross (lot 756, €1,000-€1,200).

MEDALS FOR ROYALTY, REBELS, CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS
While we are used to seeing collections of military and sporting medals at auction, commemorative medals were being collected when Aristotle was a boy. This auction includes medals commemorating the 1755 Louth Election – a bitter contest amongst local land owners to secure the votes of the few dozen electors, (lot 522, €300-€500), Royal Visits to Ireland in 1821, 1868 and 1900 (lot 525, only €100-€120 for 6 medals), and 1828-1829 Repeal of The Sacramental Test and Catholic Emancipation medals, one showing the Dublin-born Duke of Wellington, who as Prime Minister, steered O’Connell’s bills through the Houses of Parliament (lot 527, €100-€150)

The Protestant Ascendancy features in the York Club Dublin medal featuring the Duke of York and his speech against Catholic Emancipation (lot 536, €100-€150). A major rarity is a silver medal issued in 1851 to the Deputy Master of The Achill Island Orange Lodge, a reminder of the evangelical Protestant mission to the island in the first half of the 19th century. (lot 534, €200-€300).

Educational medals include a collection for Ennis School 1815 to 1820 (lot 539 €100-€150). There are also many attractive agricultural prize medals from the mid 19th century to the early 20th century which range in value from €20 each upwards (lots 547-553).

HAPPY MEMORIES MAKE MONEY
A real piece of 1950s childhood nostalgia is a collection of Butlin’s Mosney badges 1949-1967. The collection comprises 84 different metal badges issued at the holiday centre. (lot 566, €1,500-€2,000). Another nostalgic trip can be found in the old albums of picture postcards – a collection of 165 early 1960s postcards includes cars in Grafton Street and a “ballroom of romance” at Bundoran (lot 104, €150-€200)

AUTOGRAPHS
In the 1950s a young boy from Skibbereen decided to collect autographs and he set about writing to the people whose signature he wanted. A few replied with refusals but the vast majority obliged with their signatures. From the Duke & Duchess of Windsor (lot 269, €800 – €1,000) to Boris Pasternak (lot 265, €1,000-€1,500) and including a who’s who of British WWII military leaders, the collection captures the preoccupations of the age.

SPORTING MEMORABILIA
Cycling memorabilia is a popular collecting area and Stephen Roche’s 1981 Paris-Nice leader’s white jersey (lot 301, €250-350), was worn during his first European Tour Victory. One of the highlights of the sporting memorabilia section of Whyte’s auction has to be Eric Cantona's spare Manchester United jersey from the F.A. Cup Final v Liverpool in 1996 when he scored the game's only goal (lot 324, €3,000-€5,000) the jersey is signed by Cantona and Alex Ferguson.

Denis Irwin and Paul McGrath, both Irish International and Manchester United players, were honoured with testimonial matches at the end of their careers. The jersey Paul McGrath wore in his 1998 testimonial and signed by his team (lot 307, €400-600) and the 17 individually signed match jerseys worn by the Manchester United players who played in Denis Irwin’s testimonial (lot 308, €3,000-€5,000) are other soccer highlights among the sporting collectibles.

OLD MONEY MAKES NEW MONEY
An old hoard of James II “gunmoney”hidden by a soldier fleeing from William’s army in 1690 was found at Lisrathine in County Tipperary in 1936. In 1690 it amounted to about £6 face value. In Whyte’s auction it is expected to fetch €3,000-€4,000 (lot 365). “Gunmoney” was so called as it was made from melted brass cannon, candlesticks and other objects to pay James’ soldiers.

A £5 banknote, with a picture of a ploughman, issued by the Northern Bank in 1933 for use in the Irish Free State is valued at €1,500-€1,800 (lot 441) . A hoard of old £1, £5 and ten shilling notes, found recently in an old office, and with a total face value of £1,200, is expected to bring €6,000 to €7,000 to the lucky finder who was going to change the notes for euro at the Central Bank until a friend advised on checking them out..

VIEWING
Viewing for this auction will be at Whyte’s Galleries, 38 Molesworth Street from Wednesday - Friday, 17 – 19 September, 10am to 5pm daily. The auction will take place in the same venue on Saturday 20 September at 11am and will be broadcast live at www.whytes.ie