Memories of a “big Quinquin”. Ten years after his death, the socialist Pierre Mauroy is still a star in Lille, the city, of which he was the emblematic mayor between 1973 and 2001. The nostalgic can gather at his grave, stroll in the street renamed in his name or pose in front of the stadium that bears his surname. They can also, this Wednesday and Thursday, afford an object that belonged to the predecessor of Martine Aubry, former prime minister of François Mitterrand. Hundreds of souvenirs are indeed offered for auction by the firm of auctioneer Xavier Wattebled.
In four decades of political career, from his beginnings as municipal councilor of Cachan, in 1965, to the end of his mandate as president of the urban community of Lille, in 2008, he had time to accumulate souvenirs, Pierre Mauroy. His wife, Gilberte, was no exception. Ten years after his death and one year after that of his wife, 321 lots are put up for auction. Personality gifts, more personal objects, there is something for everyone. Jewelry, watches, decorative objects, furniture and, above all, works by more or less well-known and more or less local artists.
A second sale scheduled for the next day
During this Wednesday’s sale, we notably saw a Mont Blanc pen at 700 euros, an Omega gold watch at 1,310 euros, a print by Robert Combas at 1,600 euros, a watercolor by Hassan El Glaoui at 9,200 euros… D Moreover, for art lovers, there was an embarrassment of choice at prices that were often very low. Roger Frezin, Dodeigne, Jef Aerosol, Geneviève Claisse, Patrick Bougelet. Dozens of prints, oils, lithographs that sometimes struggle to find buyers.
Also on offer, designer furniture, such as this lamp by Guillaume Piechaud estimated at between 40 and 60 euros, or this daybed by André Simard who has lived well, estimated at 300 euros. Lots of travel objects from all over the world, collections of old coins and, more unusual, a superb and imposing slot machine from 1978 estimated at 800 euros.
The manna is so big that the sale is going over two days. Thursday, the theme will be more oriented books. A lot of 14 books on Russia, the memoirs of the Duke of Guise, books on François Mitterrand, 35 books on regionalism, political essays… We also discover in the sale catalog that Pierre Mauroy was a fan of philately and that he had carefully kept three front pages of La Voix du Nord dated 2 and 3 December 1990 for the digging of the Channel Tunnel.