It is when the ordinary do extraordinary things that we sit up and take notice. This is the case of Ian Vivian, an everyday, knockabout bloke who had one great passion: the Carlton Football Club. The club is believed to have started sometime between 1860 and 1864, although it adopted the Victorian rules in 1866.
Vivian’s infatuation went way beyond the contemporary competition, evidenced by the earliest lot in this remarkable collection of 179 lots, the largest ever assembled in private hands. Included is lot (355): the 1875 Carlton Membership Season ticket, covered in navy and olive leather (pre-sale estimate $4,000-$5,000).
The lots cover the breadth of Carlton’s history with some extremely rare offerings such as a 1908 Victorian Football League premiership cap awarded to William (Billy) Payne. This was the third grand final that he played with Carlton (the others were in 1906 and 1907). Lot 389 has a pre-sale estimate of $5,000-$7,500).
The final lot (534) is a potpourri of Carlton memorabilia, including a full size ‘Blues-Match 11’ ball signed by club greats including Peter Jones, Wayne Harmes and Alex Marcou , a CFC ceramic football-shaped port bottle on a ceramic stand, and a 1970 Club Christmas card with artwork by WEG. (Pre-sale estimate $200-$300).
The auction will be held on 22 September from 12.00pm at Leski Auctions in High St, Armadale.
“These are all affordable lots, giving Carlton enthusiasts and others an opportunity to purchase an important slice of the Club’s history,” says Charles Leski of Leski Auctions. “This is a collection that reflects a lifetime’s dedication to a football club with a proud, if at times conflicted history. “It is timely that this unique collection is being offered for sale with Carlton reaching the finals for the first time since 2013. At that time it was catapulted into finals contention because of the supplement saga that forced Essendon’s removal from the final eight. It was a hollow victory, whereas 2023 is truly deserved.”
Lot 515 (rare 1970 Carlton Premiership Medal designed by Andor Meszaros) has a pre-sale estimate of $2,000 – $3,000.
Link: https://auctions.leski.com.au/images/lot/4496/449615_l.jpg?1689829806
