Antique brief: Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness portrait

A marble portrait by John Foley (1818-1874) of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, third son of Arthur Guinness and Ann Lee, comes up at Adam’s Country House Collections sale at Slane Castle on tomorrow and Monday and is estimated at €20,000-€30,000.

Benjamin Guinness joined the brewery at the age of 16 and was in sole control by 1858.

He was an exemplary employer and modernised the plant. By creating a system of commission agents his porter, the famous “Dublin black stuff” became a household name, world-wide and the Guinness family became immensely rich.