Here is a great story by Tim Hume from yesterday's Sunday Star Times. In my line of work I have heard of instances where family's medals and related war memorabilia were thrown out in estate clearances. In recent years our military history has become more important to us, now seen for the important social history of the time and in wonderment at the huge affect these wars had on everyone, not just those fighting in the trenches. The anger at the theft of the medals from Waiouru Museum and the mass influx of the young New Zealanders to Gallipoli on Anzac Day is a clue to this and it is also reflected in the marketplace. War artist's such as Peter McIntyre, A.A. Deans and Horace Moore-Jones have seen a renewed interest at auction and in print. A small version of the most famous image from Gallipoli - 'Simpson and His Donkey' by Horace Moore-Jones (illustrated above) sold at Webb's in April 2008 for $110,000. A larger version is on permanent view at the Auckland Museum.
