by Mayukh Ghosh
1979.
One gloomy evening a rather distraught John Arlott rings David Frith.
“Could you let me have a spare copy of your Ashes pictorial history?”
This happens moments after a large van takes most of his cricket collection to the next owner, a certain Tony Winder.
Arlott took no time to regret selling his collection.
“This is what makes it all so horrible. I know I couldn't face looking at all those empty shelves. Also, as long as I'm writing I'll need them for reference (quite apart from the sentimentality). So at least I've sorted out the priorities: the memorabilia would go before the books (or most of them). I hardly need that vast index now since I'm not running a magazine and searching for pictures each month.”
David Frith told me a few months ago and then, weeks later, he had made up his mind.
“I finally managed to overcome the barrier to disposing of my massive cricket collection. The tediously recurring (but understandable) question "What's going to happen to all this?" eventually got the better of me. No grandchildren. No choice but to dispose of a collection that has grown over seventy years.
It's some comfort that I compiled the mammoth David Frith Archive several years back and have crucially maintained an Addenda ever since. I can at least look at that heavy book and feel some satisfaction that this is a sort of 'memorial' to the lifetime devotion of collecting.
Going back 30 years or so, there were several auction houses dealing in cricket, and I bid at most of them. This and calling in at bookshops all over the country in the good old days resulted in a steady flow of purchases. And way back there was Leslie Gutteridge in that wonderful old cricket bookshop in London, as well as visits to the legendary Joe Goldman. Old Joe (wounded at Passchendaele) enjoyed bartering, and I obtained some great rarities from him.
I've tried hard to get as many of the six thousand books signed as possible. The sale will see some of the great rarities on offer. There remains a library of over 5000 books, many of them signed. They can be disposed of some other day. I just couldn't live with a library stripped of its contents. Could you?”
1948.
It all began that year.
“There was a flicker during 1948, when I first watched cricket on television: we didn't have one then but a mate of mine had wealthier parents and they boasted a b/w TV: about 12 inches from corner to corner. Watched a small bit of the 1948 series, though it was seeing that newspaper in 1948, by Rayners Lane station, (England 52 all out) that started me thinking. We were all Denis Comptons in our street cricket. The sweep was just about the only shot any of us had. The cinema newsreel promoted that special shot of Denis's….
“I really got into cricket during the 1950-51 Ashes series, going to the SCG for the first glimpse, getting autographs, . . . . and finding Mr Oldfield!”
The 1930 blazer of Bert Oldfield. That marked the beginning of what would eventually become the most impressive cricket collection in private hands.
Over the next seventy-odd years he went on collecting anything and everything remotely connected to the game.
In the Archive there are 139 separate categories, including 71 covering the printed word alone!
Victor Trumper’s watch.
Neville Cardus’ passport.
Bats used by the likes of JT Brown, Archie Jackson and R.E. Foster.
The Don’s gloves.
Ross Gregory’s sweaters and his wartime diary.
Tom Richardson’s cap.
The unique copy of ’10 for 66 And All That’ with Mailey’s drawings (acquired after a memorable bidding war with a leading bookdealer who is still active).
And the Scores & Biographies signed by Fred Lillywhite and Arthur Haygarth (why the MCC let that go will never be understood….).
And plenty more…..
The big task, once he decided that they were to go, was to find out the right person to do the job.
Over the last thirty years Tim Knight has made a tremendous impact as a cricket auctioneer and he was the obvious choice.
Were there other alternatives?
“For years I've tried to interest certain institutions, to buy the lot and establish a cricket study centre. No use. Lord's are a dead loss.
“Melbourne CC are keen but I doubt I could have done a deal with them. Distance is one problem, though I'm expecting them to bid for the 1862 photographs, which are the earliest of an international cricket match!
“Trent Bridge library was fine while Peter Wynne-Thomas presided over it, but I can't be certain that it would be as secure as anywhere else.
“County cricket clubs are the last place one would consider. Their holdings aren't all that safe, and some of the people who guard over them have been unable to prevent theft.
“The only solution, it seemed to me, was to go about it this way.”
Hours of work has gone into this.
“I certainly decided what to sell and what reserves would apply. Where there was a difference of opinion we settled it like gentlemen.”
Three sales this year will include the ‘David Frith collection’.
And perhaps more next year.
When asked about the expectations from the sale, Frith kept things simple: “Despite all the distractions all around us I'm sure the cricket world will focus on this event. An enormous amount of time and energy have gone into this event so far. It will certainly be a severe test of everyone's stamina and concentration.
“One potential bidder for the photographs won't be there of course: Roger Mann. So, I hope the Getty mob have some competition for the team pictures etc. And I hope no-one tries to organise a 'ring'!”
Finally, a piece of advice to all young collectors: “Guess my advice to young collectors would be to make sure you have someone to pass it on to. I think you'll discover that many of the major cricket collectors over the years had either no children or no grandchildren. Strange.”
And then, he adds: “I'm still not sure whether I should advise youngsters Never be a collector!”
The first instalment of the sale will be on March 18th and 19th. The catalogue is available here: https://catalogue.knights.co.uk/