COLLECTION OF RORY GALLAGHER EXHIBITED TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME AHEAD OF AUCTION AT BONHAMS LONDON
A Martin D-35 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar, 1968. Estimate: £30,000 - 40,000.
London – The collection of esteemed Irish musician and songwriter Rory Gallagher (1948-1995) comes to auction on 17 October at Bonhams and the whole collection will be on view to the public for the first time ever from 12-17 October at Bonhams New BondStreet, London. Offered directly from the Gallagher family, the sale will consist of guitars, amps and accessories from Rory Gallagher’s life and career.
“Rory Gallagher was one of the most revered guitarists of all time and he was a true inspiration to many. This sale offers fans a chance to own a piece of Rory’s incredible legacy. We are also proud to present the whole collection together for the first time in history in an exhibition that’s free and open to all.”
Opening times for the exhibition: 12-13 October 11:00 - 15:00, 14 -16 October 09:00 - 17:00, and 17 October 09:00 - 11:00. No ticket is required.
A Gretsch Chet Atkins PX6121 Electric Guitar, 1959, Estimates £15,000 - 18,000
The Rory Gallagher Online auction of accessories, comprising 90 lots, will run from 7-18 October on bonhams.com.
“After nearly thirty years since my brother Rory’s passing, I now believe it’s time for other people to cherish Rory’s ‘orphaned’ 1961 Fender Stratocaster and the rest of his incredible instrument collection. Since 1995, I have always felt that there was a mission to be fulfilled to cement Rory’s legacy and widen the knowledge of his music. So, in what is one of the most difficult and sensitive decisions to reach, I have decided to release of his instruments for sale, so that these emblems of his legacy can be enjoyed by others.”
Leading the sale will be Rory Gallagher's legendary 1961 Fender Stratocaster, which has an estimate of £700,000 - 1,000,000. Rory Gallagher bought the guitar for £100 on credit from the owner of Crowley’s Music Store in Cork, Ireland in 1963. It became synonymous with Gallagher, and its wear and worn finish have made it one of the world’s most instantly recognizable electric guitars. It has featured in a number of landmark exhibitions, appeared on the cover of countless guitar magazines, and has been played by the likes of Johnny Marr and Joe Bonamassa.
Other highlights of the collection include:
A Fender Telecaster Electric Guitar, 1966. Estimate: £120,000 - 150,000.
A Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar, Known As Rory's 'Backup Strat', 1958. Estimate: £100,000 - 150,000.
A Fender Esquire Electric Guitar, 1959. Estimate: £80,000 - 120,000.
• A Martin Mandolin, 1942. Estimate: £10,000 - 15,000.
A Vox AC30 Top Boost Amplifier, 1960s. Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000.
A Gretsch Corvette Electric Guitar, 1963. Estimate: £12,000 - 15,000.
A Gibson Les Paul Junior Electric Guitar, 1958. Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000.
A National Triolian Resonator Guitar, 1930. Estimate: £25,000 - 35,000.
An Airline 'J.B. Hutto' Style Electric Guitar, 1965. Estimate: £12,000 - 15,000.
The sale will also feature a Chris Eccleshall Telecaster-Style Electric Guitar,1980s. Estimate: £4,000-5,000. This guitar was a gift from a fan to Rory. Rory used it on the track Continental Op, from the 1987 Defender album. A proportion of the proceeds from the sale of this guitar will be donated equally to the mental health charities, Mind and ICAP, by the Gallagher family in memory of John 'Jay Jay' Joyce, a dedicated Rory fan, who recently passed away.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Gallagher family for choosing to donate the proceeds from one of Rory Gallagher’s guitars to Mind, especially given its sentimental value. Right now, Mind needs generous donations like this more than ever. Sadly, we are in the middle of a mental health crisis and so many people are still urgently waiting for support and not getting the help they need. The money raised through this auction will help us to keep our vital services running, including Mind’s helplines and our online peer support community Side by Side, ensuring that we can be there for the people who need us.”
The Iconic 1961 Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar, Serial no. 64351 stamped on neckplate, guitar (98cm) long Estimates £700,000 - 1,000,000
The sale will also include a Fender Player Stratocaster HSS Electric Guitar, donated by Fender to benefit The Music Venue Trust, a charity selected by the Gallagher family, dedicated to protecting, securing, and improving grassroots music venues across the UK. The guitar has been signed by a number of musicians who site Rory Gallagher as an influence, including David Gilmour, Johnny Marr, Ed O’Brien, Nile Rodgers, and James Bay, among others.
The sale comes as a new boxset, Rory Gallagher ‘The BBC Collection’, the definitive collection of Rory Gallagher’s recorded performances at the BBC, is set to be released on 11 October. The 20 disc set celebrates the importance of Rory Gallagher, possibly the most recorded musician of the 1970s by the BBC. The set was amassed from the BBC archives and Rory Gallagher’s own transcription discs and off-air cassette recordings, with over three quarters of the audio recordings never having been officially released before. More information can be found HERE.
“He was not just a local hero. Rory was way too talented for that. He was one of the all-time great blues rock guitarists, with an aggressive yet lyrical touch that made the instrument burn under his fingers. He wrote songs that expressed his wonder and mystery at the world, and he sang them with growling power.”
Read the full article HERE: Bonhams Magazine | Guitar Hero
Sale: The Rory Gallagher Collection
Location: New Bond Street, LondonDate: Thursday 17 October 2024
About The Bonhams Network
Bonhams is a global network of auction houses, with the largest number of international salerooms, offering the widest range of collecting categories and selling at all price points. Bonhams is recognised for its bespoke service, and a dedication to local market relationships, enhanced by a global platform. With 14 salerooms, Bonhams presents over 1,000 sales annually, across more than 60 specialist categories, including fine art, collectables, luxury, wine & spirits, and collector cars.
Founded in 1793, Bonhams has representatives in more than 30 countries and operates flagship salerooms in London, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. In 2022, Bonhams added four international auction houses to its network: Bukowskis, Stockholm; Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen; Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris and Brussels; and Skinner, Massachusetts. The success of Bonhams’ global strategy is a result of recognising the shift in growing intercontinental buying and increased digital engagement. More information HERE
In 2023, Bonhams achieved 14% growth with $1.14 billion in turnover. Recent important auctions and landmark single-owner collections, include the white glove sales of Sir Michael Caine: The Personal Collection, Alain Delon: Sixty Years of Passion; Sir Roger Moore: The Personal Collection; Personal Property of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and The Robert & Jean-Pierre Rousset Collection of Asian Art: A Century of Collecting. Other notable single-owner sales included The Estate of Barbara Walters: American Icon; The Alan and Simone Hartman Collection; The Crown Auction: Props and Costumes and The Claude de Marteau Collection.
Top lots for 2023 include 1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta, Sold at Quail Lodge, US for US$30,255,000. Tipu Sultan’s Bedchamber Sword (sold in London for £14m – a world record for both an Islamic and an Indian object); Paul Signac (1863-1935), Sisteron, 1902. Sold for US$8,580,000 (estimate US$4-6 million), and Claude Monet (1840-1926), La Seine près de Giverny, 1888. Sold for US$6,352,500 (estimate US$4-6m), both from the Alan and Simone Hartman Collection; A Gilt Copper Alloy figure of Virupaksha, Central Tibet, Densatil Monastery, Early 15th century. Sold for HK$37.9m (£4,060,326) in Hong Kong. Yoshitomo Nara (born 1959) Three Stars. Sold for HK$36,754,000 (£3,930,914, also in Hong Kong
For more information about this auction and others featured By Bonhams, please visit their site. Bonhams can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Pinterest.
