William Ockleford[1] Oldman (24 August 1879 – 30 June 1949) was a British collector and dealer of ethnographic art and European arms and armour.
Oldman purchased collections from various sources including items that were considered surplus from many small British museums.
He produced a series of auction catalogues between 1901 and 1913 that were well illustrated with photographs and remain an important reference for collectors, subject experts and museums to this day.
The photographs of the interior of his house at this time show rooms packed with weapons, carvings, textiles, and weaving squeezed into every available space.
[12] On 13 August 1948 Oldman sold his private collection of Oceanic material to the New Zealand Government for some 44,000 pounds sterling.