The Old Tom Morris Photograph Collection, an important archive of early golfing photographs which were originally the personal property of 'The Father

The Old Tom Morris Photograph Collection, an important archive of early golfing photographs which were originally the personal property of 'The Father of Golf' Old Tom Morris (1821-1908), Thomas Mitchell Morris was the golfing pioneer who established the reputation of St Andrews as the home of the modern game of golf in Scotland and around the world. As well as winning the Open Championship on four occasions in the 1860s, Old Tom was a visionary course designer and green keeper and an expert club maker, PLEASE NOTE THAT ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL INFORMATION REGARDING THESE PHOTOGRAPHS IS PRINTED IN THE AUCTION CATALOGUE AND CAN BE READ ONLINE BY VISITING THE AUCTION HOUSE'S WEBSITE www.grahambuddauctions.co.uk the lot comprising: 1). The earliest known photograph of Tom Morris circa early/mid 1850s, a small 2 1/4 by 1 3/4 photograph in a gilt frame creating an oval head & shoulders portrait, mounted inside a larger modern frame with a reproduction photographic portrait of Morris, the original of which is slightly later in date than this example 2). An extremely rare and early photograph of Old Tom Morris and a golfing group on St Andrews Links circa 1855, attributed to the photographer Thomas Rodger of St Andrews, the historic image portraying from left-to-right, an unknown caddie, Tom Morris, Matthew Gorm (caddie), Mr Robert Cathcart, Old Daw Anderson (caddie), unknown figure, Jaime Anderson (child and future Open Champion), Allan Roberston, Mr Wallace and seen about to drive R&A Member Mr Hay Wemyss, photographer unknown, 5 1/4 by 7 3/4in., in a modern frame 3). A photographic group of early golf professionals including Tom Morris at St Andrews circa 1855, photograph unknown, possibly Thomas Rodger, 5 by 7 1/2in., has been rebacked on card, in a modern frame,(Left to right) James Wilson, unknown caddie. Bob Andrews, clubmaker,(addressing ball), Willie Dunn, Willie Park Snr, Allan Robertson (following through with club), Daw Anderson, Tom Morris and Bob Kirk. It is understood that this particular photograph was exhibited in 1970 as part of an historic golf display in the Tom Morris Golf Shop in St Andrews, opposite the Old Course 18th green. 4). A photographic group of early St Andrews golfers including Tom Morris circa 1855, from left-to-right, James O. Fairlie's son, General Sir Hope Grant, the General's son and Tom Morris standing behind Colonel James Olgilvy Fairlie of Coodham, (addressing the ball), possibly taken at the Ayrshire Estate of J.O. Fairlie at Coodham 5 by 5 1/2in., in a modern frame 5). A photographic group of golfers including Tom Morris, pose outside the then single storey R&A Clubhouse on the occasion of the Grand National Tournament, 29th July 1857, possibly by Thomas Rodger, in a modern frame with an oval shaped mount, 7 by 9 1/4in. A National Golf Club foursome competition, known as the 'Grand National Tournament', was played on 29 July, 1857 in St Andrews. The brainchild of Major James Ogilvy Fairlie of Coodham, joint founder of Prestwick GC in 1851, it was the first attempt at organising a tournament open to all Scottish Golf Clubs with Musselburgh, North Berwick, Perth, Carnoustie, St Andrews and Leven Golf Clubs all taking part (along with Blackheath in London) with each one sending their best pairs. Montrose, Bruntsfield, Dirleton Castle, Innerleven, Panmure and the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers were also invited but did not take part. Watched by large crowds, the R&A were beaten in the final by Blackheath represented by George Glennie and Lieut. John Stewart. 6). A photograph portraying the scene around the home green at St Andrews in the Grand National Tournament of 1858 with Robert Chambers putting out to win the silver plate, 4 3/4 by 7 1/2in., rebacked on card, damage top, centre right, in a modern frame. It is understood that this particular photograph was exhibited in 1970 as part of an historic golf display in the Tom Morris Golf Shop in St Andrews, opposite the Old Course 18th green. The Grand National Tournament was held at St Andrews for the second consecutive year for top Scottish (amateur) golfers. Evolving from the doubles tournament of the previous year to a singles championship, Robert Chambers Jnr. of Bruntsfield defeated Alex Wallace to become the first recognised Scottish Amateur Champion. (7, 8 & 9). A group of three photographic gravures by J. K. Home Crawford of Portobello portraying Tom Morris and other early professional golfers competing in the Grand Golf Tournament on Leith Links 14th May 1867, the first on the links with Tom Morris seen addressing the ball, the image 6 by 9in., in a modern frame, photographer's stamp not visible under the modern mounting, the second with a group posed on the steps of the clubhouse, 5 1/2 by 9 1/4in., unframed, on original card mount with photographer's stamp, the third with a group gathering on a pathway, 5 1/2 by 9 1/4in., unframed, on original card mount with photographer's stamp. All three photographs have legends identifying the golfers. The photograph with the fuller group featuring 22 golfers are as depicted left-to-right T. HUNTER, J. HUTCHISON, WILLIAM. PARK, D. PARK, ROBERT FERGUSON, BOB KIRK, GEORGE PATTERSON, WILLIE DUNN, Jno. CAMPBELL, TOM MORRIS Jnr., T. BROWN, JAMES ANDERSON, GEORGE MORRIS, W. DOW, A. GREIG, A. STRATH, BOB ANDREWS, TOM MORRIS, ALEXANDER BROWN, WILLIAM McDONALD, ROBERT DOW & JAMIE DUNN, The other two photographs feature 11 of the golfers who, helpfully, in both images have assumed the identical standing order, from left-to-right the golfers are A. STRATH, D. PARK, BOB KIRK, JAMES ANDERSON, JAMIE DUNN, WLLIAM DOW, WILLIE DUNN, A. GREIG, TOM MORRIS Snr., TOM MORRIS Jnr. & GEORGE MORRIS 10). A studio portrait of Young Tom Morris circa 1874, a cabinet card, embossed stamp for by Thomas Rodger, St Mary's Studio, St Andrews, in a modern frame with anti UV reflective double-sided glass 11). A studio portrait of Old Tom & Young Tom Morris circa 1875, a cabinet card, embossed stamp of the photographer Thomas Rodger of St Andrews, in a modern frame with UV reflective glass. This image is believed to have been taken in the final year of Young Tom's life. He died on Christmas Day 1875, aged just 24. Thomas Rodger of St Andrews: 12). A photographic portrait of Tom Morris wearing a deerstalker hat circa 1880s, photographer unknown but possibly Allan Macfie, 8 1/2 by 6 1/2in., laid down on card 13). A photograph of Tom Morris holding an iron and standing next to the R&A Clubhouse circa 1880s, 8 by 5 1/2in. laid down on card, subject 'Tom Morris' identified in pencil, photographer unknown, the reverse side of the card is pasted with an artist drawn print of Gullane Links 14). A photograph of Old Tom Morris lining up a putt circa 1884, 6 1/2 by 4 3/4in., attributed to the photographer James Valentine of Dundee, Morris is seen on or just off the first green on the Old Course at St Andrews, mounted on decorative card with each sharp corner cut away. This is reputedly one of Morris's a personal favourite photographs. 15). A photograph portraying the St Andrews Golf Club team 1886, 4 1/2 by 7in., damaged top-left, mounted Eric D. Clark in his book 'The 150 Years - A History of the St. Andrews Golf Club - 1843 to 1993' identifies this group to be the team who played a match v Leven in 1886. 16). Tom Morris and a group of early golf professionals, Troon Tournament, 1887, a cabinet card, photographer unknown. Photographed on the steps of the original Troon (later Royal Troon) Golf Club. Tom Morris (standing centre) surrounded by professional golfers including past and future Open champions, Jack Simpson, (1884) Bob Martin (1876 & 1885) Bob Ferguson (1880-81-82) William Park Jnr. (1887-1889) Jamie Anderson (1877-78-79) David Brown (1886) Plus JOF Morris, Ben Sayers, Davie Grant, James Mair, Willie Campbell. Douglas McEwen, Archie Simpson, Jack Ferguson, Peter Fernie, Jack Kirkaldy, and Dr Hitchet, Secretary of Troon. 17). A photographic group of early golfers gathered for the first professional tournament at Lytham in 1890 with Tom Morris seated centre, 7 3/4 by 9 1/2in, in original frame. There is a list identifying all the golfers but it is hidden beneath the mount. The typed list reads (Back row left to right) George Lowe, Alex Herd, Jack Morris, Willie Campbell, Hugh Kirkaldy. (Front row_l-r) Willie Park Jnr, Andrew Kirkaldy, Tom Morris, Willie Fernie and Archie Simpson. 18). A portrait of Old Tom Morris by the photographer and first British Amateur Championship winner Allan Macfie circa 1891, inscribed in the hand of Allan Macfie to the mount TOM MORRIS, CHAMPION GOLFER, 1861, 62, 64 & 67, PHOTO BY A.J.MACFIE, AMATEUR CHAMPION 1885, a head & shoulders studio portrait reputedly commissioned by friends and admirers of Morris in celebration of his 70th birthday on 16th June 1891, in a modern frame under UV reflective glass. familiar and much reproduced image, but this is Macfie's original photograph. It is remembered as having hung above Morris's fireplace at his golf shop at 6 Pilmour Links for many years. In 1885 the Royal Liverpool Golf Club organised a Grand Tournament for amateurs which became, in 1886 llan MacFie and The Amateur Championship. total of 44 players from 12 clubs entered the first championship. The format was match play, with the ruling that if two players tied they would both advance to the following round and play one another again. There were three semi-finalists, John Ball, Horace Hutchinson and Allan MacFie. After a bye to the final, MacFie beat Hutchinson 7&6 to become the first winner. 19). A photograph of Tom Morris refereeing the famous match between Ben Sayers and David Grant versus Andrew & Hugh Kirkaldy at St Andrews in 1891, 4 3/4 by 9 3/4in., double mounted frame, extensive annotations to the reverse in ink. The first leg of the match was at Sayers & Grant's home course at North Berwick and was refereed by Peter Brodie, the return leg was at the Kirkaldy brothers home course of St Andrews. Against the odd the North Berwick pairing won so many holes at their course as to completely demoralise their opponents. The match ended 12 up with 11 to play. It is reported that during the match Sayers and Hugh Kirkaldy had a violent altercation on a green as to whether a weed picked up by Sayers off the line of a long putt was growing, as the St. Andrews men asserted, or was lying on the ground when lifted according to the North Berwick golfer's account. 20). A photograph of Tom Morris with a group of golfers and young caddies at a North Park Meeting in June 1894 with the mount annotated in the hand of the future British Prime Minister Arthur Balfour, gifted to Morris, the lower mount signed and inscribed NORTH PARK MEETING, JUNE 1894, FROM A BALFOUR, photograph by R Whitehead, 46 Broadway, Kettering, 7 1/2 by 9 1/4in., in a modern frame. Not long after this group photo was taken in June 1894 Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, later Prime Minister of Great Britain, played himself into office as captain of the Royal & Ancient, St Andrews Balfour at the Autumn Meeting at St Andrews. Old Tom Morris is known to have officiated as official starter and would have teed the ball up for him. Arthur James Balfour (1848-1930) was a British politician and as The Earl of Balfour succeeded his uncle Lord Salisbury as British Prime Minister in 1902. An avid player Balfour learned golf from Tom Dunn and did much to raise the prestige of golf in Britain around the turn of the century. He was a frequent visitor to both St Andrews and North Berwick where his regular caddy 'Big Crawford' flew the Scottish flag when A. J. Balfour was playing. A golf club named North Park is unknown, and was almost certainly a course referred to by its location rather than its formal title. 21). Large Tom Morris photograph on the first tee at St Andrews in the Open Championship of 1895, photograph by James Valentine, Andrew 'Andra' Kirkaldy teeing off watched by Tom Morris (second left), joined on the tee by Ben Sayers (left of Kirkaldy) and Archie Simpson (second left), in worn condition with repairs, 15 1/2 by 20 1/2in. This was the first British Open at St. Andrews to be contested over two days with 36 holes on each day. Previous Opens at St. Andrews were one-day, 36-hole tournaments. J.H. Taylor retained his British Open title beating Sandy Herd in second place by four-strokes to become the first English professional to win at The Home of Golf. Scot Sandy Herd held a 5-stroke lead over Taylor at the end of Day 1 (36 holes). In the second round, Herd carded 77 and Taylor 78; those were the first sub-80 rounds recorded in a British Open at St. Andrews. In the third round, Taylor shaved two strokes off Herd's lead, which left Taylor three behind starting the final round. But in strong wind and rain, Taylor shot another 78 in the final round, the best score of the final 18 by four strokes, to pass by Herd and claim the Trophy. It is understood that this particular photograph was exhibited in 1970 as part of an historic golf display in the Tom Morris Golf Shop in St Andrews, opposite the Old Course 18th green. 22). A photograph of Tom Morris watching Archie Simpson drive off at the Musselburgh Tournament 5th June 1896, by John Patrick & Son, Edinburgh, titled in the plate, 5 1/4 by 8in., mounted on an album page, in a modern double glazed frame, visible to the reverse are four smaller images including thumbnail photos of Old Tom and also his son J O.F. Morris 23). A large photograph portraying the St Andrews Golf Club v Forfarshire teams at Monifieth in 1897 winning the match by 29 holes, 11 1/2 by 14 1/2 laid down on a card mount with manuscript legend, overall 19 by 24in. The St Andrews Golf Club was formed on 29th September 1843 with an original membership of eleven. Tom Morris joined shortly after together with his employer Allan Robertson. Both are recorded as having organised the members odds or handicaps. As a matter of fact Tom Morris met his end at the St Andrews Golf Club, falling down the cellar steps of its clubhouse in 1908. Eric D. Clark's book 'The 150 Years - A History of the St. Andrews Golf Club - 1843 to 1993' reproduces an extensive report on this match in 1897. 24). Two photographs of Tom Morris possibly playing his final round of golf at St Andrews in October 1898, one framed, one unframed and mounted on card, the image 8 1/2 by 6in., the unframed example with manuscript annotation the reverse of the card, TO MR TOM MORRIS, St ANDREWS, SCOTLAND, OCTOBER 1898; the other photograph 5 1/4 by 7 1/2in. portraying Morris and others on the final green, in a modern frame 25). A photograph of F.G. Tait watched by Tom Morris as Official Starter in the 1899 R&A Medal, with Edward Blackwell waiting to play, 8 by 6in., laid down on card. One of the last photographs of the leading amateur golfer Lieutenant F.G. Tait who was tragically killed in the Boer War. In this photograph, he is seen teeing up during his last year of life with Old Tom Morris standing to his right and with Edward Blackwell, another top amateur, to his left. 26). A group of five Tom-Morris owned photographs, a) Tom Morris standing near the first green at St Andrews with one unnamed other, by an unknown photographer circa 1880s, 4 by 6in.; b) carte-de-visite of a young man believed to be Old Tom's third son James Ogilvy Fairlie Morris,annotated with the initials J.O.F. in ink to the reverse, published by John Penny, Duke Street, Huntly, circa 1870s; c) carte-de-visite of Archibald William Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton, 1st Earl of Winton (1812-1861), identified to the front, the Earl of Eglinton provided much of the finance for the first Open Championship at Prestwick in 1860 and is believed to have been instrumental in bringing Morris to Prestwick as Keeper of the Green in the late 1850s; d) carte-de-visite of two (thus far) unidentified children smartly dressed and holding golf clubs, studio portrait published by T. Rodger, St Andrews; e) photograph of a group of admirers posing with Tom Morris on the first tee at St Andrews circa 1880s, 7 by 9in. Provenance for The Old Tom Morris Photograph Collection: Originally from the Willie Auchterlonie Collection. Willie Auchterlonie of St Andrews was the 1893 Open Champion, long time Honorary Professional to the R&A, and a close friend of the Morris family. As Morris was described as the 'Father of Golf', the Auchterlonie family can be described as the 'Curators of St Andrews Golf.' Auchterlonie was gifted these photographs and other keepsakes by the Morris family after the death of Old Tom in 1908. Auchterlonie's collection of golf memorabilia was housed for many years in the D & W Auchterlonie Golf Workshop/Saleroom in Albany Place, St Andrews, before being moved to the family's club-making workshop in Union Street, St Andrews.