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• Auction House:
  Bay East Auctions
• Sale Name:
  The Art & Book Sale
• Sale Date:
  27 May 2012 ~ 2pm
• Lot #:
  429
• Lot Description:
  A Collection of Bound Volumes
  Containing Photographs and Documents Relating to the Construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. presentation copies from Dr J. J. C. Bradfield to his secretary, Kathleen M. Butler, in recognition of her extraordinary contribution to the project. Provenance: Kathleen M. Butler (later Mrs Maurice Hagarty), Secretary to Dr J. J. C. Bradfield Thence by Descent Private Collection, Queensland As well as providing a much needed link between central Sydney and the North Shore, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is a landmark (in both senses of the word) in industrial design, which along with its much later counterpart, the Opera House, now serves as the framing device for Sydney's famous Circular Quay. Quite simply, it is difficult to imagine Sydney without it. Although finished during the Depression, during which time it was referred to as 'the iron lung' because it provided much needed employment, planning began much earlier, with J. J. C. Bradfield (often referred to as the 'father' of the bridge) being appointed Chief Engineer of Sydney Harbour Bridge and Metropolitan Railway Construction in 1912. After the hiatus of WWI and a lengthy tender process, the British firm of Dorman Long and Co was awarded the contract in 1924 and Bradfield oversaw the project during the eight years of its construction. While the name Bradfield is familiar to many people (if only from the Bradfield Highway as the approach to the bridge is called), the name of his secretary, Kathleen M. Butler (or Mrs Maurice Hagarty, as she was later known), is not. Kathleen Butler was the first officer employed after Bradfield took up his 1912 appointment and she was closely involved with the project throughout. Her contribution did not go unrecognised at the time, as demonstrated by Bradfield's gift to her of these some thirty volumes documenting the progress of the bridge from the earliest reports to its completion. Kathleen Butler appeared not infrequently in the newspapers and magazines of the day. In The Sydney Mail of November 1922, she is pictured alongside three others, with the caption 'The Minister for Works and the Officers directly associated with him in the Passing of the Bill' to sanction work on the bridge. Although the caption modestly identifies her as 'clerk to Mr Bradfield', she was instrumental in many steps of the project, including preparing the Report on Tenders. On the final page of this document, Bradfield formally records his 'appreciation of the work undertaken by Miss K. M. Butler in preparation of this report, who has dealt with all confidential matters in connection with the tenders.' A more personal expression of thanks can be found in the form of a hand written note dated 1923 in the front of the Contract for the Construction of a Cantilever Bridge or an Arch Bridge across Sydney Harbour included in the collection, which reads, 'With compliments and thanks for the valued assistance given by you in the preparation of this specification; the arrangement and indexing of which you were solely responsible for.' The figure of Kathleen Butler also features frequently in the four volumes of annotated photographs regarding the bridge (three being entitled Main Bridge and one entitled Northern Approach), which form part of this collection. In one such photograph she stands at the entrance of a tunnel heading under Bank Street, dwarfed by the sheer scale of the rock face behind her. In these photographs, Kathleen Butler provides a very human reference point for the large scale works taking place around her. However, despite her diminutive stature, she is conspicuous by the fact that apart from the crowd scenes, she is the only woman to be seen. This fascinating collection not only documents the construction of a Sydney icon, but also provides insights into the life of this remarkable individual. It is indeed fitting that it should be presented to the market in 2012, the year in which the Sydney Harbour Bridge celebrates its 80th anniversary. Other items of note in this collection include: a leather bound copy of the Report of the Royal Commission on Communication Between Sydney and North Sydney, with appendices, fold-out maps and plans (1909); Report on the Royal Commission for the Improvement of Sydney and its Suburbs with appendices, fold-out maps and plans (1909) in like binding; Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works Report Relating to the Proposed Bridge to Connect Sydney and North Sydney (1913) also in like binding; a leather bound copy of The Linking of Sydney and North Sydney (1913); two copies of Report on the Proposed Electric Railways for the City of Sydney by J. J. C Bradfield (1916), one bound in leather and one in cloth; a leather bound volume by J. J. C. Bradfield entitled The Sydney Harbour Bridge (1921), including tipped in plates and photographs; a leather bound volume entitled Sydney Harbour Bridge Specification dated 1921,with dedication from Bradfield to Miss Butler and including fold-out maps and plans; th
• Estimate:
  A$0 - 0
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Books & Manuscripts

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.