‘Priceless Eskimo art finds home a price at auction’ By Paul Dalby, Star staff writer The Toronto Star Friday, February 24th, 1978 Three months ago, Bill Eccles died at the age of 63 in the role he has cast for himself – eccentric recluse art dealer with few friends and no family. But Eccless of Toronto, left behind one momento that has made him more famous in death than in life. It’s Canada’s most valuable collection of Eskimo art. Last night the priceless collection, all of it original and most never seen in public, went under the auctioneer’s gavel in Toronto in the country’s first major auction of Eskimo Art. More than 300 people jammed the Queen St. E. auction rooms of Waddington’s in the first of two four-hour selling marathons, and splashed $102 – 375 on 200 sculptures and prints. Tonight another 200 items come up for sale and auction officials predict the entire 1,000-pieve collection could bring in $500,000. Much of that money could end up in the government purse via the Public Trustee, because Eccles left no will and does not appear to have any relatives, It’s a strange irony for a man who intensely disliked authority, especially government. “He was well liked by the Eskimos because he was such an open, outspoken man,” said Professor George Swinton, a close friend. “For the same reasons, white men didn’t trust him.” Swinton, author of several works on Eskimo art, said Eccles was a pioneer
of the Innuit arts and crafts in southern Canada. Eccles was supposed to sell everything he bought through his Eskimo arts stores in the Royal York hotel. But he often liked sculptures so much that he kept them himself. He remained an enima to everyone, even Swinton. “I knew nothing about his background or even where he was born. The truth was, he didn’t trust anybody.” It was Swinton who badgered Eccles into lending out some of his best Eskimo works to national galleries across Canada. The most famous was Manno’s bear looking at his reflection in letting ice. Last night it was the star of the auction, selling for $7,000. Eccles bought it for $125 in 1962. Earlier, a carved whalebone figure of a polar bear by qaunaq Palluq changed hands for $4,500. No item went for less than $100. Foreign interest in the Eccles collection has been intense all week. A leading British gallery is placing bids by telephone and a U.S. gallery has flown 15 of its clients here by chartered jet. Waddington’s consultant Bob Russell said last night most of the pieces had been snapped up by Canadians “but some items have been bought by U.S. collectors.” Waddington’s hired extra security men to guard the collection and installed closed-circuit TV in the auction rooms so the overflow crowds could see the action.