Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction February 2024
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/21/2024
Highly prized and coveted amongst collectors and historians, the work of longtime Montreal Canadiens photographer, David Bier, spans nearly half a century in length and is considered to be some the best there is to offer from an era where he would capture images of some the greatest names to ever pull on the uniform of Les Canadiens de Montreal including Richard, Beliveau, Lach, Plante, Blake and others along with players and figures from other teams and sports. One of the first to take action shots during games and regarded for lifting photojournalism from the “dark ages”, Bier began working Habs games as a freelancer in the 1940s and would go on to become a Forum fixture for 45 years, capturing tens of thousands of black-and-white and colour stills of 20 Stanley Cup champion teams.
Proudly presented here, is this collection of Montreal Canadiens David Bier negatives that totals twenty-four (24) and features 1950s/1960s large team photo negatives as well as negatives of star players such as Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau as well as over two hundred (200+) prints. Starting with the large Canadiens team photo negatives, measuring out to an average size of 8" x 10", included are the years 1953-54, 1955-56 (x2 - different poses), 1957-58 and 1962-63 (x2 - different poses) while rounding out the group of oversized offerings is also an early-1950s Valleyfield Braves team photo negative that includes then head coach, Toe Blake. Also including a trio of 4" x 5" team photo negatives, represented in these are the Canadiens players from 1973-74, 1977-78 and 1984-85. Rounding out the included negatives, examples picturing Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau are present, as are interior and exterior shots of the Montreal Forum after the 1968 renovations, a Canadiens dressing room shot from circa 1983 and various images of Canadiens players, including a Dec 1966 image of Richard, Elmer Lach and Blake.
For the rest of the collection, included are over 200 modern prints, with many made of images taken by Bier. Including large team photos from 1915-16 (x2), 1957-58, 1965-66 and 1966-67, a group of 30+ 8" x 10" team photos featuring clubs such as the Canadiens, NHL Oldtimers, NHL All-Stars and Montreal Royals (hockey) are included, as is a group of 20+ smaller ones that average out to about 4" x 6" in size a sport many of the same images as their larger counterparts. Rounding out the group, approximately 125 8' x 10" images featuring the Bier embossed stamp are accounted for including a group of team photos (approximately 20) featuring the Canadians, Brooklyn Dodgers, NHL Old-Timers and Montreal Juniors of the QMJHL while the rest capture the imagery of players and staff such as Maurice Richard, Jacques Plante, Jean Beliveau, Ken Dryden, Guy Lafleur, Dick Irvin, Frank Selke, Toe Blake, Boom Boom Geoffrion and many others as well as events such as Stanley Cup celebrations and parades, contract signings, political visits, milestone moments and more. Of note, all the prints, even those that are embossed with the Bier stamp, are modern prints and not vintage though a couple of small vintage pictures of Jean Beliveau are present and accounted for as we all as a couple of Bier himself from the late-1980s. Lastly, is a group of photos picturing opera singer Luciano Pavarotti and other misc things. All the negatives and prints appear to be in good to excellent condition, largely showing light handling wear along with some edge and corner imperfections on the prints. Additionally, everything comes in a simple black photo case that shows light wear from age and use but remains fully functional and measures approx. 12" x 14" x 9" with an "Ansco" badge over the front.
By clicking this button, you will IMMEDIATELY bid the amount selected.
By clicking this button, you will submit this amount as your MAXIMUM (absentee) bid. The auction software will place bids on your behalf up to this amount only as it is bid against competitively by other bidder(s).