Sid Broadway soon established a reputation for quality Georgian and Regency furniture, and women’s art and this was boosted, when in 1960 he moved his business next to Henry Buck’s at Equitable Place in the city. In the early 1980s Sid and his partner Patrick Burke moved Adam Galleries to the first floor of the Australian Natives Association building in Elizabeth Street.
In 1987, Sid invited Noël to join them, and when Sid Broadway died, Patrick took over. Upon Patrick's retirement, Noël assumed the business mantle and in 1994 moved to her present location in Queen Street.
Fine wine, fine art and fine antiques have always been a healthy mix for Noël Stott.
Her love affair with art was boosted in the late 1960s when she majored in graphics at RMIT before heading to Camden Art School in England to further her training, then returning to complete a fine arts honours degree at the University of Melbourne.
Her love of wine grew from 1974 when she married surgeon Wayne Stott who turned around and established Melbourne’s closest winery Wildwood Fine Wines at Oaklands near Sunbury – where they raised four sons.
As a result of her retirement, E.J. Ainger Pty Ltd has been commissioned to auction the contents of Adam Galleries on site from noon on Sunday, August 1.
One of the business aspects Noël has supported is the gallery’s affinity for quality women’s art and, in selling to buyers throughout Australia, has built an enviable national reputation. This has been enhanced by her standing as a valuer for the State Library and National Gallery of Victoria and, over the years, she has attracted quality items from many private vendors and estates.
“A good example is a Northcote woman who had a treasure trove of Impressionist art,” she said. “However, there is no doubt that elderly people in particular trust the name Adam Galleries.”
Because of her valuer’s position, Noël has often identified clever art forgeries and even gave a series of lectures entitled “Is That Thake a Fake?” on the subject.
“One of my more interesting cases was an originally unsigned Arthur Streeton that somehow ended up with his signature,” she said.
Befitting the mixed nature of the business , the sale includes 203 works of art, and 124 of furniture and decorative arts.
The auction will feature several works by famous artists including David Boyd’s Europa and Little Girl Pointing 1970 (Lot 256 ), and Ellioth Gruner’s Farmyard (Lot 209 ). Other works include Arthur Streeton’s Hillside Olinda (Lot 39 ) and The Hay Barges (Lot 213 ), Janet Cumbrae Stewart’s Angelique (Lot 85 ) and Jesse Traill’s Spring Hyde Park London 1910 (Lot 212 ).
The 1881 oil Off The Track (Lot 187 ) by early colonial artist Henry James Johnstone was purchased at the Art Gallery of NSW’s only ever sale. Other paintings include John Passmore’s Australia Sussex Landscape (Lot 255 ) that featured in the New McCulloch’s Encyclopedia of Australian Art.
Furniture includes a George III faded mahogany reading table (Lot 279 ) and an 18th century oak chest with a slide, on which gentlemen of the day placed their wigs (Lot 45 ).
For Australiana collectors, there are six ceramic works by recently deceased Australian artist, Klytie Pate.
Unfortunately E. J. Ainger do not include estimates in their catalogues.
