Many of us find it hard to move with the times but life was no different more than a century ago with the emergence of that newfangled thing called a motor car.
The year 1886 is regarded as the birth year of the modern car when German inventor Karl Benz patented his Benz Patent-Motorwagen.
Consequently, you would have thought that by 1912 the underlings at Rolls-Royce in Derby would have thought it wise to ensure a vehicle was sent to pick up directors of the famous motor company – not horses.
Fascinating Rolls-Royce memorabilia, up for sale with Hansons Auctioneers on October 15, includes a note from 1912 berating a decision to send horse-drawn transport to collect company chiefs including managing director Claude Johnson – a man described as the hyphen in Rolls-Royce.
The memo states, ‘The Chairman and two other directors came in a cab drawn by a horse. They could not understand, being directors of a motor car company, why they had to go back in a horse drawn vehicle. I advised you early in the week to send a car for Mr Johnson…I was blamed for your department’s neglect’.
When Royce fell ill and took his design staff home in 1908, and after the death of Rolls in July 1910, it was Johnson who was responsible for keeping the business running until his death in April 1926.
The memo is part of a rich, century-old archive of Rolls-Royce memorabilia, gathered by a former Derby employee of the company and forgotten for decades.
It is being sold to raise money for Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre thanks to a generous gesture by its owners. They had been unaware of its importance as they had not delved into its contents for 20 years. It has sparked major interest ahead of its sale with several bids already in and has an estimate of £500-£800.
The Derby owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I came across it when I was fetching the Christmas tree down from the loft last year. I had never really looked at the items before. The papers and photos belonged to my father and were inherited by my brother, who also worked for Rolls-Royce. I lost my brother in 1997 and we had to clear his house hurriedly. The items had simply been tucked away.”
Jim Spencer, head of the Library and Works on Paper Department at Hansons Auctioneers, said: “That memo really made me smile. Though cars were becoming more widely used by the early 20th century, horse-drawn transport was still common. I think this is an example of the modern age colliding with the old. The change instigated by the arrival of the car was enormous, not dissimilar, perhaps, to the impact of computers, the internet and smart phones today.”
The Rolls-Royce memorabilia also includes a signed photo of Henry Royce dating back to 1925; private inter-departmental correspondence from the 1910s and a picture of Rolls-Royce pioneer Eric Platford.
“I think my father knew Eric Platford very well and it could be that he gave these items to him,” said the vendor. Platford was employed by Henry Royce and assisted in the construction of Royce’s first car.
In addition, there are images of a car on a race track, aeroplanes, including Vickers Transatlantic Machine, factories and works, autographs for English aviation pioneer Sir Alan Cobham and a typewritten proof of The Life of Sir Henry Royce by Max Pemberton.
Mr Spencer said: “The vendor’s father was born in Markeaton Street, Derby, in 1895 and worked at Rolls-Royce from 1917 to 1960, latterly as a staff supervisor. With Derby’s incredible Rolls-Royce heritage, many people in the area may well be keen to own this archive. It perhaps deserves to be in a Rolls-Royce museum or transport museum.”
The vendor said: “I would certainly like to see this material go to a museum and raise as much money as possible for Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, which helps deserving children enjoy a special break by the seaside at Skegness. I know the chairman of the charity, Bill Tomlinson, and it seemed a good idea to use memorabilia that celebrates Derby’s industrial heritage to help a very special charity.”
The Rolls-Royce archive, lot 4285, will be sold on October 15 in Hansons’ Gentleman’s Library Auction which is being held at Bishton Hall, Wolseley Bridge, Staffordshire, ST17 0XN. It’s part of Hansons’ Autumn Fine Art and Jewellery Auction which also includes the sale of the contents of Bishton Hall and an Attic sale. The entire event runs from October 10-16 at Bishton Hall. For viewing times and to view the catalogue, visit www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk. To find out more about the Rolls-Royce archive, email [email protected]. You can also bid live at www.the-saleroom.com.
