DUBLIN.- No-one could have guessed in the 1970s, when Gwenda Evans bought a learner’s classical guitar for her son David, that it was the beginning of one of the most successful guitar careers in history. He later joined a band called U2, became The Edge and progressed onto Gibson and Fender guitars, while his first one was left behind at his mother’s house. Around 1980, when a teaching colleague of Gwenda’s in Scoil Íosa, Malahide, mentioned that she needed a guitar, as she was beginning lessons, Gwenda offered to sell her The Edge’s old one for the price she had bought it. The lessons were abandoned in time but years later the new owner met The Edge who signed the guitar.

It is a piece of Irish rock history and will be offered in Whytes Rock, Pop and Movies Auction on 28th March 2015, lot 172, estimate: €3,000 - €5,000.

The King’s humble beginnings
In 1955 Sun Records released Elvis Presley’s first three singles, “That's All Right”, “Mystery Train” and “Baby Let's Play House”. The first pressings were done on a press in Memphis which had a minor fault that left three circular impressions on the centre of the single, under the label. These have become known to collectors as the ‘Delta’ marks and singles bearing them are highly sought after. All three recordings feature in Whytes Music and Movies Auction, the earliest and rarest of the three is Lot 120 “That’s All Right” which is estimated at €700-€1,000, the other two, lots 118 and 119 are each estimated at €300-€400.

Janis Martin was an artist RCA promoted for two years (1956-58) as "The Female Elvis Presley". She had one chart single in that period, "Will You, Willyum" peaking at number 35. To boost her profile, a bright spark in RCA (Elvis’ label since November 1955) decided to release a record featuring Elvis and her. The record was pressed in Johannesburg and featured alternating Elvis/Janis tracks. The Elvis tracks are "Baby Let's Play House", "You're A Heartbreaker", "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone", and "Milkcow Blues Boogie". Janis' contributions were "Ooby-Dooby", "Let's Elope Baby", "One More Year To Go", and "Barefoot Baby". When Colonel Parker, Elvis’ manager, found out about the scheme he insisted on the record being recalled. As a consequence it is now a rare item indeed. The example here [lot 117], estimate €500-€700.

Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy
Phil Lynott was Ireland’s first rock star. His stage presence and swagger are legendary and the songs he left behind are familiar to any one who grew up in Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s and most who followed after. His talents as a songwriter, singer, musician and performer with Thin Lizzy were snuffed out in an all-too-familiar way but his fans, in Ireland and abroad, are still devotedly loyal, as evidenced by the continuing popularity of the annual Vibe for Philo.

Success was slow in coming and Thin Lizzy’s first single “The Farmer” was pressed in a run of only 500 copies. Sadly, even this was to prove ambitious as only 283 copies sold, and the rest were recalled. It is now among the most sought after Irish singles for collectors. Lot 145, The Farmer, estimate €2,000-€3,000.

Thin Lizzy’s collaboration with artist Jim Fitzpatrick led to some wonderful album covers. Lot 146, “Vagabonds of the Western World” (1973) is signed by both Phil Lynott and Jim Fitzpatrick as well as band members Derek Bell and Brian Downey. Estimate €300-€500.

Whytes Music and Movies Auction includes a large collection of rare and scarce Thin Lizzy and Phil Lynott vinyl records, some signed. Estimates range from €100 to €3,000.

Louis Walsh’s Gold and Platinum Discs to be sold for charity
Louis Walsh has donated 39 of the awards to Our Lady’s Hospice and they will be sold in Whytes Rock, Pop and Movies Auction on 15th March 2015. The music manager’s two largest selling acts Boyzone and Westlife accounted for the sale of more than 45 million records worldwide between them. His collection of gold and platinum awards illustrates the global nature of the success, for instance, Westlife’s album ‘Westlife’ was the largest selling album of all time in Indonesia when it went 20 x Platinum in November 2000! The collection also includes awards for ticket sales to concerts in Lansdowne Road and the Odyssey Arena. Estimates range €80 - €300

The auction also includes commemorative discs awarded for recordings by Bruce Springsteen [lot 134], Johnny Cash [lot 70], Christy Moore [lots 99-101], Ke$ha [lot 94], Anastacia [lot 3] and many more with the proceeds being donated to Childline.

Pink Floyd, The Wall
From the mid-1970s political cartoonist Gerald Scarfe became an increasingly close collaborator with Pink Floyd, and particularly Roger Waters. In 1982 he contributed the artwork and animation, totalling fifteen minutes of elaborate sequences, to the film version of The Wall. Two animation cells by Scarfe from The Wall, “The Red-Faced Judge” [lot 103, estimate €1,000-€1,500] and “Flowers Making Love” [lot 104, estimate €1,000-€1,500] as well as a watercolour depicting characters from the film [lot 105, estimate €3,000-€5,000] are included in the sale.

MOVIE POSTERS
Our cinema posters auction opens with posters evoking some of the most important moments in popular culture in the 20th century. Elvis in Jailhouse Rock [lot 193, estimate €300-€500], The Beatles in Help! [lot 201, estimate €1,500-€2,000] and, more infamously, the Rolling Stones in Gimme Shelter [lot 204, estimate €800-€1,200] each represent a defining moment in the development of Rock and Roll.

The rest of the auction is all about the cinema with epics like Lawrence Of Arabia [lot 279], estimate €1,200-1,500, which in 1962 launched the career of the recently deceased Irish-born Peter O’Toole, as well as that of Omar Sharif, who went on to make another epic in 1965, Doctor Zhivago [lot 320], expected to make €200 to €300.

Bridge on the River Kwai was the most successful British movie of its day at the Oscars, taking seven awards. Lot 276 is a rare pre-Oscars edition of the poster with a banner pasted to it referring to the Oscars, which is estimated at €400-€600.

Few actors of eighty years ago command the loyalty of fans today but Humphrey Bogart is one such. The auction includes posters for African Queen [lot 298, estimate €400-€600], Sahara [lot 274, estimate €300-€400], The Wagons Roll at Night [lot 302, estimate €250-€350] and Deadline [lot 307, estimate 200-300].

JAMES BOND
James Bond posters are among the most sought after ant there is a terrific range to chose from in this auction including, Dr. No [lot 367, estimate €1,000-€1,500], Thunderball [lot 371, estimate €2,000-€3,000], Goldfinger [lot 370, estimate €1,500-€2,000], From Russia With Love [lot 369, estimate €400-600], You Only Live Twice [lot 369, estimate €400-€600] The Man With the Golden Gun [lot 376, estimate €300-€500]

HITCHCOCK
Alfred Hitchcock movies were promoted in some highly innovative ways. The poster for Psycho [lot 347, estimate €1,200-€1,800] had an image of Hitchcock warning prospective cinema goers that they would not “be admitted to the theatre after the start of each performance”. It is a very rare poster.

So who is going to buy all these quite large – 30 by 40 inches – posters? Apart from specialists who collect them like stamps or coins, many will buy for sentimental reasons – a memory of their first date, a childhood memento, or simply their all-time favourite movie. Some movie buffs will go for a film that is critically acclaimed and art lovers will choose posters for their aesthetic attribute; a well designed original poster can be as attractive on a wall as an oil painting, and one or two hung in a home are attractive conversation pieces. Posters have proved to be a good investment too, with prices tripling in the last 10 to 15 years.

CARRY ON MOVIES
Carry On movies may never have swept the Oscars but they were hugely popular and the posters are very collectible. Whytes Auction includes a great range including Carry On Sergeant (1958); Carry On Teacher (1959), Carry on Constable (1960), Carry On Jack (1963), Carry On Cleo (1964), Carry on Spying, Carry on Cowboy (1965), Carry On Up the Khyber (1968), Carry On Camping (1969), Carry on Henry (1971), Carry On At Your Convenience (1971), Carry on Matron (1972), Carry on Girls (1973), Carry On Behind (1975). Lots 461-479, estimates range €100-€500.