Vintage car, banknotes and pocket watches: lifetime collection of Guinnes Overseas boss to be auctioned
The collection of Arthur Livingstone (93), a polymath and former head of Guinness Overseas, is to be auctioned by Niall Mullen at Gormley's Auctions.
A native of Coolaney in Co Sligo, Mr Livingstone has spent a life interested in the nature of mechanical objects and amassed a fascinating collection of curiosities as well as the knowledge to maintain them.
As a youngster, he repaired a long-defunct grandmother clock in his family home, making the cords needed for repair out of hemp.
He became renowned for his skill throughout the community, with neighbours bringing broken objects such as gramophones to the house for him to fix when he was on school leave.
A local schoolteacher recognised his talent, and encouraged his parents to pursue his education.
He developed a love of languages, picking up 14 and developing fluency in eight of them.
Among his collection of 80 pocket watches is a Charles Oudin Eleve De Brevete solid silver pocket watch, valued between €1,000 and €2,000.
The auction also features a large collection of unusual vintage scientific equipment, several antique guns including a boxed pair of duelling pistols, a lifetime of atlases and informational books, more than 300 walking sticks, and the furniture from Mr Livingstone's home, Cuiltybar House in Coolaney.
Among his collection of bank notes are three mint condition first issue Lady Lavery notes, signed and dated from 1928, which have increased from their initial values substantially, with the £1 valued between €400-€800, and the £10 valued from €600-€1,000.
Among the vintage and antique vehicles in the collection are a Briggs & Stratton Swift Flyer, a motorised cycle car from the early 20th century, valued at €5,000-€10,000, a cherry-red 1984 Citroen 2CV 6 Special with a starting bid of €8,000, and a rare right-hand drive Bronze 1971 Citroen DS21, valued between €40,000 and €45,000.
Mr Livingstone spent all his life working for Guinness Brewery, becoming managing director of Guinness Overseas when the company expanded aboad in the 60s.
This brought Arthur and his wife Zoe to Nigeria in the early 1960s, and later to Malaysia in the 60s and 70s.
Later again, he was asked to develop the Caribbean market and they lived for a number of years in Jamaica and Brazil.
Being the compulsive collector of curiosities and artefacts wherever he went, his collection is a reflection of a long and interesting life.
The collection is available for viewing at Cuiltybar House until Tuesday June 17. The online sale will run from 5.30pm, June 17 and 18, online only.
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