The items associated with Cornwall's centuries-old fishing tradition of salt pilchard production include two 37 ft pilchard presses, an 1874 net making machine as well as barrels, boxes, nets, pulleys and stencils.
Nick and Marie Therese Howell, owners of the Newlyn Pilchard Works, said no one had expressed interest in the collection locally.
However, the couple said they was pleased to donate the collection to Eyemouth Museum where it will be reconditioned and assembled to make a working display of Cornish salt pilchard production and net making.
Other Cornish non-production artifacts are being sold by David Lay's auctioneers in Penzance.
These include one of the last remaining sets of 1926 mottled brown Cornish Lugger sails, a complete fisherman's work outfit from 1917, a tar bucket, pilchard shovel, tar and long handled brushes, cane fish baskets and a net barrow, carved with "PZ 806", complete with cotton nets and mooring stones, and a 1930's fisherman's account books.
David Lay auctioneer said while the artifacts were not of extreme value they were extremely interesting.
"The evocative smell of tar fills the sale room bringing you back to the days of sail fishing and it is wonderful," he said.
The sale proceeds of the items, currently on display at Penlee Museum, will pay for new tables and chairs in the Newlyn branch of the Royal national Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen.
The proceeds from the sale of the net barrow will be given to Penlee House museum.
Salt pilchards have been exported from Cornwall since 1555 and their trade was a major income to the Cornish economy, with the best year, 1871, seeing over 16,000 tonnes processed.
In the factories final year of operation, in 2005, around 18 tonnes of pilchards were salted and pressed and sold to the same Italian family that have been buying from Cornwall for the past 100 years.
The sale at David Lay's auctioneers at Lansdowne Place, Penzance, is being held on February 26 and 27.
For information phone 01736 361414.
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