Milking popularity of lost shots
At the same sale, another O’Callaghan print, Coffee Lounge, sold for $2440 IBP, as did The Block Arcade. The whole sale, Leonard Joel managing director John Albrecht says, went ‘‘gangbusters’’.
His prediction is these photos – reprinted in limited numbers from the original negatives – will at least double in value over the next decade.
Forty years after they were taken, the works of Angus O’Callaghan are very much in demand, yet he wasn’t a professional photographer. He was a school teacher. In 1969 he bought two Yashicaflex medium-format cameras and spent three years anonymously documenting the city he loved. He wandered at random and took snaps of whatever interested him.
‘‘When I took the photographs, my purpose was to become a professional photographer,’’ he says. ‘‘When that didn’t happen, I gave up that idea and went back to teaching.’’ His plan was to produce a book, but a publishing deal fell through. He filed the negatives in a shoebox, where they remained for more than 40 years. His second wife found them while unpacking a tea chest when they moved house.
O’Callaghan, now 91, says he had forgotten about them.
Their spectacular success on the secondary art market is a unique phenomenon not even the Leonard Joel art experts can quite explain.
Nor can O’Callaghan, although he’s happy to have finally been ‘‘discovered’’.
Demand has spread largely during the past five years by word of mouth, as has interest in photographic prints in general, especially those taken in Melbourne in the 1950s to 1970s. This niche market was revealed in 2012 after Leonard Joel held the third of their specialty Photographic Auctions on July 22.
The saleroom was packed with young punters, who knew exactly what they wanted and were willing to pay well above estimates. They returned in force in May this year for the Angus O’Callaghan stand-alone sale, where three times the estimate was the norm for the top lots.
Photography was also included in Leonard Joel’s art sale in June but prices were well down on May. This is something John Albrecht attributes to the 60 lots of photography being included among more traditional paintings.
The best price paid was the $610 IBP for a stylish work by Melbourne fashion photographer Bruno Benini showing Helen Homewood on the steps of Parliament House.
In July, 2012, a Benini print entitled Hot Soup 1957 sold for $1500. Another, Eastern Markets, sold for $1850.
What sells and what doesn’t in this fickle market is fascinating to observe.
A 1930s nude study by Max Dupain – estimated at $3000-$5000 – failed to find a buyer this June. This is the same Dupain who was flavour of the month 10 years ago.
An iconic 1967 image by Wolfgang Sievers, titled The Gears: Gears for Mining Industry, generated interest on the night but as of last week, no definite buyer.
It’s Melbourne milk bars the young connoisseur wants these days.
This image – one of a series of five prints from the original negatives in ‘‘supersize’’ (160 centimetres x 160 centimetres) format – is one of three Angus O’Callaghan photos to be included as part of Leonard Joels’ Modern and Traditional Auction this Sunday at 12 Smith Street, Collingwood, at 11am. This new auction concept is curated by artist David Bromley, a fan of O’Callaghan’s work. If the large-scale prints sell – estimates are $4000-$6000 – they will set price records for the schoolteacher who gave up his dream of being a photographer 40 years ago.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Recent Leonard Joel sales have seen Angus O'Callaghan prints sell strongly — for example a Melbourne milk bar photo sold for $2,920 (including buyer's premium, IBP) and prints titled Coffee Lounge and The Block Arcade each sold for $2,440 IBP.
The article credits a mix of factors: the negatives were reprinted in limited numbers from originals, the works were rediscovered after decades, and word-of-mouth interest in Melbourne photography from the 1950s–1970s grew over the past five years. Leonard Joel’s specialty auctions and younger buyers prepared to pay above estimates have also driven demand.
The article highlights potential upside but also volatility. Leonard Joel’s managing director predicts some O'Callaghan photos could at least double in value over a decade, yet other outcomes show risk — some lots failed to sell or fetched lower prices when mixed into general art sales.
O'Callaghan had filed the negatives in a shoebox after a failed publishing deal. His second wife found them while unpacking a tea chest when they moved house, leading to their reissue and later auction success.
Auction context matters: standalone photographic auctions and specialty sales (like the Angus O'Callaghan sale) attracted enthusiastic crowds and prices well above estimates, while photographs included among traditional paintings in a mixed sale saw lower prices.
Leonard Joel offered ‘supersize’ prints (160 cm x 160 cm) made from original negatives. Estimates for three large O'Callaghan prints in an upcoming sale were $4,000–$6,000 each — prices that would set new records for the schoolteacher-turned-photographic discovery if achieved.
Results have varied: Melbourne fashion photographer Bruno Benini had prints sell for $610 IBP in one June sale (with earlier Benini prints achieving $1,500 and $1,850 in 2012), while a 1930s Max Dupain nude estimated at $3,000–$5,000 failed to find a buyer, and a Wolfgang Sievers 1967 image attracted interest but had no definite buyer.
Based on the article, investors should look for provenance (original negatives, limited reprints), edition size, format/scale (large prints can attract premium), and auction context (specialist photographic sales may outperform mixed sales). Also be aware the niche market can be fickle — some works soar while others fail to sell.
Call 1300 880 160
Start a chat
Schedule a call
