JEWELLERY, DECORATIVE & FINE ARTS AUCTION Tuesday, 18 April 2023 - 10:00 AM start

An Auckland New Zealand tramway related heroic silver presentation fob medallion,

Lot Details

presentation engraved 'FROM THE AVONDALE SCHOOL CHILDREN. TO MOTORMAN BACH FOR SAVING LIFE 1904', the front engraved with a tramcar. Suspended from a fob chain. Note: The 'sensational incident' is recorded in both the NZ Herald on the 24th of November 1904 pg.4 and in the book 'The End Of The Penny Section' 1973 by Graham Stewart pg.132, stating that: 'In Khyber Pass Road one evening two small children ran on to the line in front of a car driven by Motorman Bach, who rang the gong and applied the emergency brake. But the children made no effort to get out of the way until the car was almost on them. When the little boy stepped out of harm's way. The other child, a little girl named Peek, did not move. Certain death was averted by the motorman, who leaned forward over the dashboard and grasped the child by the hair'. A copy of the book is available with this lot.