The first was a collection of 54 vintage analogue prints focusing on the 1981 Springbok Rugby Tour of New Zealand, (Auction No. 12) a series of Rugby matches that split the nation into “them” and “us” camps
The Springbok Rugby Tour was a watershed moment in New Zealand social history and the collection of photographs reflected the deep divisions that occurred during the Rugby Tour.
The cover image of a young Maori boy in a crash helmet, lot 17, by now 82 year old photographer Ans Westra was sold subject to vendor approval for $2,250. It carried a presale estimate of between $3,000 - $5,000, although 7 lots by the photographer had been withdrawn due to copyright issues.
Top price for the Springbok Tour images in auction No. 12 was a photograph by Kapil Arn of property tycoon Bob Jones making an ''obscene gesture'' to anti-tour protesters (lot 12-26) which sold for $5,100 against a presale estimate of $800 - $1,200.
Most of the photographs that were sold on the night went for less than $1,000.
Auction No 13 which followed immediately, was of 121 photographs and prints, with the top price in the sale going to lot 34, a fine Marti Friedlander portrait of the artist Ralph Hotere in the early 1980's which brought $4,750.
A a poignant study of a mother and child from the Washday at the Pah series, lot 63, also by Ans Westra sold subject to vendor approval for $4,000, short of the lower estimate by $1,000
Anne Noble's black and white tone poem of rippled bed sheets, lot 41, [JF1] [JF2] sold just over the top end estimate of $3,200
John Johns iconic photograph of a Burnt Corsican pine, lot 64, first exhibited at the Rotorua Art Gallery and later included in the Pacific Parallels exhibition that toured major galleries in the U.S.A. sold well for $3,000 eclipsing the top end estimate by $500.
The late Peter Peryer's work always seem to attract strong bidding and two key works were no exception lot 39 and lot 53 both selling just on lower estimate at $2,500 each
Frank Hofmann's 1965 portrait study of a young Kiri Te Kanawa, lot 89 sold subject to vendor approval for $2,600.
The cover photo, an exhibition poster image for Robin Morrison's landmark photo series book and exhibition The South Island of New Zealand from the Road was the top price for a coloured photograph. This original Cibachrome print of the marriage of a pink and grey caravan and crib on the Otago Peninsula, lot 72, sold well at $3,400.
The postscript to the sale was that the next morning, readers of the online edition of the New Zealand Herald would have first become aware of a number of disputes over ownership and copyright of the Springbok Rugby Tour photographs, when they saw the article headlined Leading photographers challenge Springbok tour pictures auction.
The article is here: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12219071
All prices shown are hammer in $NZ.
