Jeffrey S. Evans’ Four-Day Event— Americana Sizzles In Southern Summer Heat
Fine Art On Day One Of Kaminski Auction Drives Summer Sale
Purely Shaker: Willis Henry Auction Totals
$300,000
Fine Art Takes Center Stage At Helmuth Stone
A Flask, Flatware & Fine Art Favored At Eldred’s
White Glove Sondheim Sale Totals $1.5 Million For Doyle
Hirschl & Adler Galleries— The Art Of Trains: Highlights From The Peter & Christine Mosse Collection Of Railroad Art
Morphy & Lebel Back In The Saddle For 34th Old West Auction
Estates & Private American Collections— Material Culture Rolls Up Fine Textile Arts
Heritage Space Auction Rockets To $1.7 Million
Early Telephones Among The Stars At White’s Auction
Book Reviews
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Wenzel Ulrik Tornoe Danish, 1844-1907 Oil on Canvas Ca. 1885, H 59” W 81”
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973) Lithographs, "Picasso Lithographe” 4 Volumes
John Sloan (American, 1871-1951) Etching, 1911, "The Picture Buyer"
Anton Hans Karlinsky (Austrian, 1872-1945) Oil on Canvas, "Mother And Child"
Lydia Field Emmet (American, 1866-1952) Oil on Canvas 1904, "Lowrie Sage"
Presidential Document Signed by Abraham Lincoln & Edwin Stanton, Ca. 1864
Gabriel Ponzanelli (Italy/Mexico, 1942-2019) Bronze Sculpture "Reclining Female Nude"
Nien (France) Art Glass Cameo Desk Lamp, Ca. 1940
Louis XVI Style Carved Walnut with Gilt Settee, & Open Arm Chairs, Circa 19th Century
Paoletti Impronte (Rome, Italy) Grand Tour Intaglios, Plaster Medallions, 12 Volumes, Circa. 1840, 369 pcs
Four Lots of Hand Constructed Brass Model Submarines Ca. Mid 20th Century
Royal Crown Derby (English) Bone China Partial Dinner Service, 62 Pieces “Asian Rose Pattern”
Jane Kamensky
As the home of the author of the Declaration of Independence and in its own right a World Heritage Site, historic house and plantation, museum, research institute, presidential library and private nonprofit organization, Monticello will be familiar to most if not all readers. In October 2023, Monticello announced it had appointed historian Jane Kamensky as its new president. The long-time academic is considered by some to be a dynamic appointment, not only for Monticello but for the museum community, so Antiques and The Arts Weekly leapt at the chance to speak to her. Despite a rigorous schedule following her mid-January start, she was kind enough to share her reasons for the move and what her immediate and long-term priorities for the institution were.
You come to Monticello from an academic background, most recently as a Harvard history professor and the Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation director of the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at the Radcliffe Institute, after a twodecade tenure at Brandeis University, and a stint at Brown University. What was the allure of Monticello that drew you away from academia?
I had a very fortunate career in higher education and was privileged to teach — and learn from — innumerable bright, committed young people. In my classroom, especially when teaching the history of the American Revolution, I encountered a hunger for civic engagement among my students, many of whom did site-based capstone projects for the course. I came to Monticello because I, too, feel that hunger: for public-facing history that probes our past and connects our foundations to our present and future. The nation’s semi-quincentennial, in 2026, offers an ideal moment to feed that yearning. Monticello welcomes hundreds of thousands of guests each year to this beautiful mountaintop. We can help to set the national table, for a Jeffersonian “feast of reason” as we explore complex history with a passionate — and divided — public.
As you’ve settled in, can you describe your transition from an academic to the hands-on administrator of a well-known historic site?
Monticello is a research-driven institution. Our staff is filled with scholars who study history, architecture, art and material culture, horticulture, descendant community engagement, the science of interpretation and much more. In many ways, these avenues of our work resemble university depart-
ments, with world-class professionals engaged in the work of discovery. But here, much of that work has clear and pressing application: to serve our diverse visitors. To put this succinctly: I’m still in the archive — Monticello is an archive. But now I have a much more immediate sense of the audience. Glimpsing hundreds of guests through my office windows each day, talking to visitors on the bus and learning from our guides about the questions people bring to their tours helps focus the mind!
What’s been your primary agenda for your first few months at Monticello?
In many ways, I’ve gone back to school. We employ some 380 people, and several dozen more
volunteer their time. I’ve focused on learning the art and science of what our folks do, where they do it and what they need to do it even better. That means seeing Jefferson’s house through the lens of curation and restoration. It means walking the landscape — we preserve nearly 3,000 of Jefferson’s 5,000 acres — with archaeologists, historians and members of the descendant community. It means meeting with our teams of scholars and taking stock of their successes as we devise future priorities. Together with our staff, we’re engaging key stakeholders around the region and the country as we anticipate what’s possible for 2026 and beyond.
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NEW YORK CITY –– The 93rd Rare Posters Auction from Poster Auctions International (PAI) on Thursday, July 11, features rare and iconic images from a century of poster design. The collection includes Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modern and contemporary lithographs as well as decorative panels, maquettes and original works.
All 410 lots are on view to the public through July 10. The auction will be conducted live in PAI’s gallery at 26 West 17th Street, as well as online at posterauctions.com, beginning promptly at 11 am Eastern time.
Jack Rennert, president of Poster Auctions International, said, “I am delighted with the collection being offered at auction this July, and I believe that our clients will be equally excited about this choice selection. The sale includes numerous rare and never-before-seen works, plus iconic designs that have been beloved for over a century.”
The auction will begin with 13 designs for Levi’s jeans by Ida van Bladel at the Young and Rubicam agency in Belgium. Ranging from the iconic “bare butt” image to playful riffs on art history, these images are sure to excite fashions buffs (estimates range from $1,200 to $2,500).
Next, 21 historic and modern aviation posters will be auctioned. Offerings include the rare 1909 Une Semaine d’Aviation / Denhaut by an anonymous artist ($6/8,000), Boris Artzybasheff’s 1949 Pan Am / Bermuda ($4/5,000) and several playful designs for Pan Am and Air France follow.
Also, 18 designs for bicycles will be auctioned. Highlights include William H. Bradley’s 1896 Victor Bicycles / Overman Wheel Co. ($17/20,000), Francisco Tamagno’s Terrot & Co / Dijon ($2/2,500) and two images by O’Galop for Michelin from 1912 and 1913 ($1,4/1,700). For automobile buffs, 20 significant posters will be available. Notable lots include Clarence Coles Phillips’ 1912 Flanders Colonial Electric ($3/4,000), Pieter Vanderhem’s circa 1920 Spyker-Auto’s ($5/6,000) and Robert Falcucci’s 1932 Monaco Grand Prix ($17/20,000).
A total of 34 war and propaganda posters will be auctioned from World War I, World War II and beyond. Noted lots include Charles Livingston James Montgomery Flagg’s 1945 Buy Extra Bonds / Jap… You’re Next! ($1,4/1,700), Bull’s 1917 Army Air Service ($1,7/2,000), Jean Carlu’s 1942 Production ($1,4/1,700), four images from 1967 by Tomi Ungerer ($1/1,700) and several fascinating anti-Bolshevik designs.
Another featured collection comprises 14 lots from James McMullan, most of which were created for theatrical performances at Lincoln Center. Each of the posters is hand-signed, and several lots include the preparatory maquette as well (estimates ranging $1,2/3,000).
This auction includes several notable artist collections, such as the 30 works available from the original master of advertising, Leonetto Cappiello. Some of his most delightful images will be available, such as his 1901 La Caisse Simon / Huîtres Exquises ($10/12,000), the rare three-sheet format of his 1905 Fleur des Neiges / Biscuits Pernot ($6/8,000), his 1902 Pur Champagne / Damery-
Epernay ($4/5,000), the 1919 Crème de Luzy ($5/6,000) and two original drawings of dancers from 1928 ($3,5/4,000).
As always, there will be a selection of works from Alphonse Mucha. Top works include his 1899 Plume et Primevère ($17/20,000), the 1902 Cycles Perfecta ($30/40,000), the Étoile Polaire and Claire de Lune panels from this series The Stars ($8/10,000 and $7/9,000), his 1899 Moët & Chandon / Crémant Imperial ($17/20,000) and his 1902 Precious Stones / La Topaze ($17/20,000).
Another star of the Belle Époque, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, will have 19 works at auction, including his 1899 Jane Avril ($50/60,000), his 1895 L’Estampe Originale ($70/90,000), the 1897 Partie de Campagne ($70/90,000), and the 1896 The Chap Book ($30/40,000).
Further turn-of-the-century highlights in this sale include the hand-signed proof of Pierre Bonnard’s 1896 Salon des Cent ($12/15,000), Henri Gabriel Ibels’ 1897 Pierrefort / Affiches Artistiques ($10/12,000), Johann G. van Caspel’s 1899 De Hollandsche Revue ($17/20,000), Privat Livemont’s 1896 Absinthe Robette ($17/20,000), Edward Penfield’s 1896 Western Lawn Tennis Tournament ($8/10,000), Walter Schnackenberg’s 1912 Odeon Casino ($25/30,000) and his Deutsches Theater ($8/10,000) and Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen’s 1899 Motocycles Comiot ($25/30,000).
Plenty of Art Deco posters will be offered as well. Highlights include Chesley Bonestell’s 1930 New York Central Building ($6/8,000), Roger Broders’ 1930 Chamonix Mt Blanc / Sports d’Hiver ($7/9,000) and Emil Cardinaux’s 1920 Palace Hotel / St Moritz ($12/15,000). For information, www.posterauctions.com or 212-787-4000.
Yvonne Wells’ Stitched Stories Explored In Hartford
HARTFORD, CONN. — The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art’s newest spotlight exhibition, “Yvonne Wells: Stitched Stories” runs until August 11.
Alabamian fiber artist Yvonne Wells (b 1939) embraces a style that uniquely melds traditional geometric quilt patterns with bold imagery. In 1984, Wells began creating story quilts to visually address religious, historical and sociopolitical concerns, as seen in “The Great American Pastime: The Negro Baseball League.”
On loan from the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, this work commemorates the organization that paved the way for Black and Latin American men to play professional baseball.
Over the course of 30 years, approximately 3,400 players competed in the historic Negro Baseball League until Jackie Robinson broke the color line in 1947.
The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is at 600 Main Street. For more information, www.thewadsworth.org or 860-278-2670.
Leonetto Cappiello,
•ALL BETTER ART, especially CONTEMPORARY ART: incl. any BASQUIAT, WARHOL, HURST, etc.
•ALL BETTER WATCHES
BULLION and FRANKLIN MINT ITEMS •ANYTHING BY TIFFANY
•ALL STERLING SILVER & JUDAICA
•ALL ENTERTAINMENT MEMORABILIA
•ANY BETTER AUTOGRAPHS, LETTERS DOCUMENTS •THE RARER AND
La Caisse Simon / Huîtres Exquises, 1901 ($10/12,000).
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, L’Estampe Originale, 1895 ($70/90,000).
RSL To Sell Haradin Collection Of American Toys & Banks
The top lot of the sale may well turn out to be this very rare pedestal version of J&E Stevens’ (Cromwell, Conn.) Jonah and the Whale cast iron mechanical bank. Its provenance includes the collection of Edwin F. Mosler Jr (1919-1982, president and CEO of Mosler Safe Co.). One of the finest of few known examples ($175/225,000).
mid-1870s ($35/45,000).
The rarest and most important of all cast iron horse-drawn toys, this virtually-mint circa 1910 Hubley (Lancaster, Penn.) Royal Circus Revolving Monkey Cage is the nicer of only two known examples of its type. Acquired at Bertoia’s March 19-21, 2009, auction of the Donald Kaufman collection ($70/90,000).
WHITEHOUSE STATION,
N.J. — On Saturday, August 3, at RSL Auction’s gallery, the Haradin family will bid farewell to a 149-piece legacy collection of American toys and banks that literally has no rival. Richly historical and boasting one magnificent rarity after another, the fabled archive spans multiple generations of a clan whose roots are deeply embedded in two communities: their native Pittsburgh and the borderless realm of antique toy and bank collecting.
As each extraordinary piece passes into the hands of its new owner and begins the next phase of its journey, it will do so with gilt-edged provenance as its traveling companion. And thanks to the Haradins’ unwavering emphasis on rarity and condition, buyers will have the assurance of knowing they have acquired the crème de la crème of toys and banks from a collection whose contents literally cannot be upgraded. That task was already taken care of during the Haradin family’s halfcentury of astute stewardship.
The Haradin family collection began with Dr Anthony “Tony”
Of unknown manufacture, the circa 1880s cast-iron Yankee Schoolmaster, also known as The Alphabet Man, was acquired by the Haradins at Noel Barrett’s 1991 auction of the Tom Anderson collection. Fewer than 10 of these toys are known to exist ($35/75,000).
Haradin (1937-2016) and his wife, Roberta Haradin. A prominent oncologist and hematologist, Tony accrued many honors and distinctions during his decades of selfless service to the people of Pittsburgh. He was an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh for more than 45 years and served on the staff of several Pittsburgh hospitals, including St Clair Hospital, where he was chief of hematology/oncology until 2013. One year prior to his retirement, he received the firstever St Clair’s Physician Recognition Award.
On weekends, Tony and Roberta could be found side by side, gleefully scavenging for art, antiques and midcentury furniture at local flea markets and auctions. It was a pastime that developed organically. In their son Ray Haradin’s words, “They were partners in life and in collecting, but neither of them came from a family that collected or had an involvement in the arts. My father’s father was a steelworker and my mother’s father was a plumber.”
Most who are reading this article would know Ray or, at the very least, know of him. He has worn many hats in the antique toy and bank world. He’s one of the co-founders of RSL Auction Company, along with Steven and Leon Weiss. Prior to RSL’s launch, Ray established several other very successful businesses, including Toys of Yesteryear and Old Toy Soldier Auctions USA. He also brought new energy and cohesion to the toy soldier marketplace with his acquisition of Old Toy Soldier – The Journal for Collectors, a popular quarterly magazine now in its 47th year of publication.
While the Haradin family collection has never been publicly exhibited, Ray and his wife, Nancy, have always taken utmost pride in welcoming friends and members of the
Mid-1880s Kyser & Rex (Philadelphia) Merry-GoRound cast iron mechanical bank. Provenance: Gertrude Hegarty collection. One of the finest known examples of its type ($120/150,000).
Antique Toy Collectors of America, the Mechanical Bank Collectors of America and Still Bank Collectors Club of America to their home to view the heirloom toys. But because the Haradins were always buyers and almost never sellers, their blue-chip holdings were assumed to be “off limits” to others. No collector ever thought they would have the opportunity to buy a single piece from the fabulous Haradin assemblage, which includes such treasures as a flawless Jonah and the Whale on Pedestal mechanical bank (ex Edwin Mosler), an absolutely perfect Clown, Harlequin & Columbine bank (ex L.C. Hegarty); and the incomparable “Charles” Hose Reel Carriage (ex Bernard Barenholtz), which was once offered for sale with a world-record asking price of $1 million.
The Haradin family collection and the back stories of many of its exquisite holdings are held by current custodian Ray Haradin, whose knowledge of the 50-year archive is nothing short of encyclopedic. Both in tandem with his father and later on his own, Ray made it his mission to research and dig up the obscure details and provenance of nearly every piece they owned.
The auction of the Haradin family collection of American toys and banks will be conducted on Saturday, August 3, at RSL Auction Company’s gallery at 295 US Highway 22 East, Suite 204 West, starting at 10 am Eastern time. All forms of remote bidding will be available, including absentee, by phone, fax or live online through LiveAuctioneers or RSL’s own platform (via BidSpirit). Preview is August 2 from 8 am to 5 pm; August 3 from 8 to 10 am, or by appointment.
For additional information, www.rslauctionco.com, 908-8234049, 412-343-8733, 212-7290011 or 917-991-7352.
A Once-In-A-Lifetime Auction, August 3
celebrated Charles Hose Reel Carriage ($125/175,000) and its companion Hook and Ladder Wagon ($35/45,000) are considered two of the most important and significant of all American tin toys.
The Haradin family today: Ray Haradin (forefront) backed by (L to R): his nephew Taj, brother David, wife Nancy, mother Roberta, and sister-in-law Leslie.
Important “Antelope” tin hose reel made by either George Brown or Merriam Mfg., Connecticut,
BEDFORD, N.Y. — More than 500 lots of fine art, decorative arts, furniture, silver and jewelry sourced from local estates will cross the block at Butterscotch Auction on July 21.
Leading the sale is a gilt bronze spiral-form abstract sculpture by Italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro (b 1926). Titled “Torre e Spirale” [Tower and Spiral], Studio I, the 1985 work is 17 inches high ($25/35,000). In 2021 the gallery sold another work by the artist — a 22-inch pyramidshaped sculpture that hammered down at $55,000 against a $30/40,000 estimate.
Two other abstract works of particular note include a depiction of a seated female delineated in the palette-knife impasto of Kim Heung Sou (South Korean, 1919-2014), oil on canvas, 36 by 29 inches ($10/15,000) and an oil on canvas titled “Message Archaic” by Israeli artist Moshe Elazar Castel (1909-1991), 32 by 39¼ inches ($8/12,000).
Among the plethora of paintings, prints and sculpture that will be up for grabs is a figural landscape work by American artist Lilla Cabot Perry (18481933) titled “The Golfer.”
Depicting a kimono-garbed female golfer shielding her eyes from the summer sun, the 32-by-25-inch oil is estimated at $7/9,000.
Several hundred lots of furniture and decorative arts are led by an important American tall case clock by the seminal Boston clockmaker and entrepreneur Aaron Willard (17571844). The 96-inch clock features an inlaid mahogany case with a fretwork crest and a well-preserved, painted face
People
Pomodoro & More At Butterscotch
1807, when the Bents’ shop was located at 26 Orange Street, the example at Butterscotch has a nameboard that features a well-painted floral scroll, which may be the work of famed Boston ornamental painter John Ritto Penniman (1782-1841). Both Penniman and cabinetmaker Thomas Seymour are known to have worked on cases for the Bent brothers’ pianos, of which there are only four other examples known. The Butterscotch example has an estimate of $4/6,000 and may very well be of institutional interest.
Eighteenth and early Nineteenth Century English and Continental furniture sourced from an important Bedford home; and several fine Caucasian carpets and rugs from a historic Stonington, Conn., residence.
with Roman numeral chapter ring ($18/24,000).
Another rare and rather interesting piece of Boston furniture is an early American pianoforte by the brothers William & Adam Bent, the first piano makers of Boston proper. The brothers were former apprentices of the first Massachusetts piano maker, Benjamin Crehore (1765-1831) of Milton, and went into business for themselves at 90 Newbury Street in 1798. Dating to 1800-
Of Windsor Subject Of New Historical Society Exhibition
WINDSOR, CONN. — Windsor’s people make it the great town that it is! For nearly two centuries, people have been taking photographs of each other to mark special occasions or to capture a moment or a face or a formal family portrait. Now on view at the Windsor Historical Society is “People of Windsor,” a new exhibit that features the rich history, character and diversity of our great town. “People of Windsor” is part of the Windsor History Inclusion Project, funded in part by a grant from the Town of Windsor’s Community and Neighborhood Enhancement program.
“People of Windsor” features photos from the last 100 years of the town’s life, from early school classes and personali-
ties to more contemporary events like the election of its first Black mayor. The exhibit also showcases images from the society’s giant Windsor map. Almost 900 residents lent their images to this pictorial representation of the down’s diversity and geography, and each is included in this exhibition! The giant map itself will be on display at Windsor Public Library during the month of July to help mark the opening of this exhibit, and those interested in adding their likeness to the map can do so at the library during July.
Windsor Historical Society, founded in 1921, is at 96 Palisado Avenue (Route 159).
For additional information, www.windsorhistoricalsociety. org or 860-688-3813.
More than 100 lots of silver and jewelry will be on offer, led by a pair of diamond studs of very fine quality.
Accompanied by a GIA report that states that each stone weighs 1.5 carats, is F color and VS2 clarity, the earrings are expected to sell somewhere between $24/30,000.
Among the many and various sundries included in the sale is a single-owner collection of fine bindings from a Wayne, Penn., home; Chinese porcelain and works of art dating back to the Kangxi period;
The live auction will commence at 10:30 am Eastern
time, with bidding by phone, absentee and online via the gallery’s website, www.butterscotchauction.com, LiveAuctioneers and Invaluable. A limited preview of select items will take place at 608 Old Post Road on Saturday, July 20, 11 am to 5 pm. For information, 914-764-4609.
The Art Of Trains: Highlights From The Peter & Christine Mosse Collection Of Railroad Art
NEW YORK CITY & MADISON, WIS. — In conjunction with the Center for Railroad Photography & Art (CRP&A) in Madison, Hirschl & Adler presents “The Art of Trains,” an exhibition of highlights from the collection of Peter and Christine Mosse. This is the first exhibition of railroad art in New York City in more than 50 years, and very likely the first exhibition of such works from a single private collection.
In April 2023, Peter Mosse, who serves on the board of the CRP&A, promised the collection of North American, British, and international railroad paintings, watercolors and drawings to the center. In celebration of this gift, the curators at Hirschl & Adler selected 22 representative works from the Mosses’ comprehensive collection to feature in its summer exhibition.
Mosse grew up in London in the late 1940s and early 1950s, for a while close to Victoria Station. As a teen he, like many English boys of that era, was enthralled by the power and personalities of the more than 20,000 steam locomotives inherited by British Railways when the rail network was nationalized in 1948. Mosse began collecting
railroad paper — public and employee timetables — and as British Railways’ steam locomotives were scrapped, builder’s plates and, occasionally, highly collectible nameplates.
In his student years at Oxford, Mosse grew fascinated with electro-mechanical signaling equipment, which was fast becoming obsolete in the face of line closures and rail network consolidation. His unique collection even caught the eye of the BBC, which produced a human-interest news segment for television that aired in 1968.
When Mosse relocated to New York in 1977, his railroad collection switched tracks to focus on pictures. He credits the switch to a serendipitous happenstance when he spied a portrait of a steam locomotive from the Edwardian era in the window of an antiques shop on Madison Avenue. This first acquisition set the stage: over the next 40 years the Mosses sought out paintings, watercolors and drawings from all corners of the globe to create a collection of remarkable diversity — historical, geographical, stylistic and subject. Today, their collection numbers around 250 works of art.
The exhibition draws on the Mosse Collection’s diversity.
In addition to the “expected” images of railroading in Great Britain, the United States and Canada, the exhibition features works from France, Russia, Haiti and China. In fact, one of the most impressive paintings in the show is “Polishing” (1984), a large canvas by Zhongli Gong, a Chinese artist who worked in the Xi’an office of China Railways. The nearly 5-by-4-foot canvas, depicts a “wiper” cleaning the red driving wheel of a highstepping steam locomotive. Mosse developed close personal relationships with several artists whose works are part of “The Art of Trains” and, in three instances, commissioned paintings from them. One such example is “Lostwithiel Crossing Signal Box” by the renowned British railroad artist Terrence Cuneo. Mosse’s youthful fascination with mechanical railroad signaling technology led him, in the late 1980s, to commission a scene that documented this fast-disappearing side of railway operations in the face of modernization and centralized rail traffic control. Cuneo, who had painted a signalman at work for a popular poster published by British Railways in 1947, had not revisited the subject in more than four decades, but agreed to accept Mosse’s commission. Many of the works in “The Art of Trains” have equally engaging stories, which not only add texture and context but also offer a rare inside look to the methodology and drive of the dedicated art collector. Visitors to the exhibition will marvel at the broad scope of railroad imagery and how the lure and history of the rails captured the imaginations of a diverse group of artists and a truly remarkable collector.
“The Art of Trains” runs through August 23 at Hirschl & Adler.
Hirschl & Adler is on the 9th floor of The Fuller Building, 41 East 57th Street, at Madison Avenue. For additional information, 212-535-8810 or www.hirschlandadler.com.
“Choctaw Railroad Certificate (The Choctaw Route)” from the series “A Choctaw Story of Land and Blood” by Karen Clarkson (Choctaw, b 1951), circa 2017, watercolor and gouache on enlarged print of a stock certificate, 11 by 17 inches (sheet).
“Times Square” by Roger Watt (British Canadian, b 1947), 2013, graphite on paper, 10½ by 16½ inches.
“Dutton Viaduct over the River Weaver” by Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait (British American, 1819-1905), 1849, oil on canvas, 24 by 34 inches.
“When Winter Comes” by Walter Greene (American, 18701956), 1925, oil on canvas, 24 by 30 inches.
“Sugar Cane Train” by Gerard Fortune (Haitian, 1925-2019), circa 1970s, oil on plywood, 23½ by 23½ inches.
“Train Station” by Valery Sekret (Russian, b 1950), 2007, oil on canvas, 18¼ by 22½ inches.
“Lostwithiel Crossing Signal Box” by Terence Cuneo (British, 1907-1996), 1990, oil on canvas, 24 by 30 inches.
Eastern Tennessee Visual Arts On Longtime View In Knoxville
KNOXVILLE, TENN. — On long-term view at the Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA), “Higher Ground: A Century of the Visual Arts in East Tennessee” traces the evolution of artistic activity in Knoxville and its Appalachian environs from roughly the 1860s to the 1980s. Many of the featured artists spent their entire lives and careers in the area, while some moved away to follow their creative ambitions. Others came from outside the region, attracted by its natural beauty. Together, these artists’ works form the basis of a visual arts tradition that is both compelling and largely unheralded.
“Higher Ground,” the KMA’s flagship permanent exhibition celebrating the richness and diversity of East Tennessee’s visual culture, was reimagined in the museum’s newly renovated entrance level galleries in the fall of 2023. The exhibition and accompanying 300page catalog are organized into broad thematic sections that follow the period of Knoxville’s development into a vital commercial and cultural hub, from the emergence of the first professional arts community to the establishment of the area’s first major arts institutions.
The section “Grand Ambitions: Forging an Arts Community” addresses the early formative period of a community of professional artists and their dialogue with contempo-
rary currents of American art in the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries.
This section is built around pioneering Impressionist Catherine Wiley, who trained in the Northeast and returned to Knoxville to encourage the development of a true artistic community along with Lloyd Branson and Hugh Tyler and helped organize some of the first large art exhibitions in the South.
“Shaping a Regional Identity: Mountain Vistas and Urban Life” includes visual representations of a complex and changing region by homegrown and visiting artists over the course of the Twentieth Century.
Henri Cartier-Bresson and Danny Lyon document the hardscrabble reality of industrial Knoxville’s working class, echoing the photographs of Lewis Wickes Hine and Charles E. Krutch that were commissioned by the Tennessee Valley Authority and that record new land-management efforts in rural East Tennessee. In stark contrast are the majestic landscape paintings and photographs by an array of artists, including Ansel Adams, Rudolph Ingerle and Charles C. Krutch, lured by the beauty of the nearby Great Smoky Mountains.
The physical and conceptual center of “Higher Ground,” “Bleauford and Joseph Delaney: Expatriate Masters” celebrates the achievements of
the immensely talented brothers who left their Knoxville hometown and eventually earned national and international acclaim for their work. Thanks to the depth and richness of the KMA’s holdings by Beauford Delaney, arguably the most important artist East Tennessee ever produced, visitors can assess a broad segment of the painter’s evolution, with particular emphasis given to the ethereal abstract paintings of his fertile Paris years of the 1950s and 1960s — works once described by his protégé James Baldwin as evidence of the painter’s “metamorphosis into freedom.” Joseph Del-
aney’s inventive compositions vividly capture the turbulent character of modern life in a manner that also conveys in bold terms his passion for the physical act of painting. Balancing elements of descriptive realism and gestural abstraction, Joseph effectively conveys a vibrant modern world in transition while representing an unvarnished record of his energetic painterly process.
In “The Knoxville 7,” the adventurous works produced by a group of progressive artists united by their common interest in cultivating modernism in East Tennessee during the 1950s and 1960s are cele-
brated. C. Kermit “Buck” Ewing (1910-1976), arrived from Pittsburgh to head the University of Tennessee’s new art department. Ewing recruited a group of progressive younger artists — initially Carl Sublett (1919-2008), Walter Hollis “Holly” Stevens (1927-1980) and Robert Birdwell (1924-2016) — each of whom experimented with contemporary modes, and produced what are likely the first abstract art works in East Tennessee. They eventually became known as “The Knoxville 7” with the recruitment of like-minded artists Joanna Higgs [later Ross] (b 1934), Richard Clarke (1923-1997) and sculptor Philip Nichols (1931-2019).
“Bessie Harvey,” chronologically the latest section, is dedicated to the self-taught visionary artist based in Alcoa, who achieved widespread national recognition for her spiritually charged creations at the end of her life, late in the Twentieth Century. Bessie Harvey (19291994) used little more than roots, sticks, shells and paint to assemble a diverse cast of spirited figures — biblical characters, African ancestors, mythological creatures — infused with uplifting messages of human perseverance and divine compassion.
The Knoxville Museum of Art is at 1050 World’s Fair Park Drive. For information, 865525-6101 or www.knoxart.org.
James Cameron (Scotland, 1816-1882, California), “Belle Isle from Lyons View,” 1859, oil on canvas, 30 by 42 inches. Knoxville Museum of Art, 2013.
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It’s no secret that Monticello and Jefferson played a role in the history of slavery in the United States, and recent endeavors — an exhibition on Sally Hemings, rebuilding a slave cabin and workshops where enslaved people labored and hosting reunions for Jefferson’s Black descendants — have been an attempt to talk more openly about the issue. What has been the reception to these and is the conversation still ongoing?
Monticello was at once a laboratory for Jefferson’s world-historical experiment in self-government and a plantation that enslaved more than a hundred men, women and children at any given time. For more than 30 years, Monticello has undertaken the work of publicly interpreting what a landmark exhibition here called “the paradox of liberty.” We were one of the first public history sites in the United States to embrace that complexity, to interpret it for our visitors, and to help chart a course for our peers as well. Monticello is a place that does hard things well, at a time when so many institutions in American life do easy things badly.
The conversation around slavery is important, ongoing and indeed expanding; recently, the Mellon Foundation awarded our Getting Word African American
Oral History Project a four-year grant of $3.5 million.
The grant, made under the auspices of the foundation’s Monuments Project, has allowed Getting Word director Andrew Davenport to expand his team to collect more oral histories, to further engage the descendant community, and to create a digital archive of slavery at Monticello that will make more of our documentation freely accessible around the world.
Because of the soaring promise of Jefferson’s Declaration, the paradox of slavery and liberty in our founding crystalizes at Monticello. The engagement of a passionate and variegated descendant community shows that slavery wasn’t the totality of anybody’s story — including Jefferson’s. We’re a profound site of American history, which means we’re a site of Black history, and Black achievement. It stirs me when my colleague Gayle Jessup White, the author of Reclamation and a Hemings descendant, says, with obvious pride, “Welcome to Monticello, my ancestral home.”
Monticello’s story is so much more compelling and complex than just its involvement with slavery. Can you discuss some of the recent or ongoing initiatives?
In our work around the history of slavery as in everything else, Monticello is a place that embraces the both/and of American life. Jefferson’s biography teaches us that patriotism in a republic requires a cleareyed reckoning with the past.
Guest surveys tell us a lot about what our visitors want
more of and Jefferson’s political career looms large. As we plan for 2026, we’re exploring a new tour dedicated to the origins of American partisanship and the ways Jefferson transcended partisan divisions, especially in his long relationship with John Adams. We’re also focused on access, broadly defined. That means making sure the mountaintop pathways better serve all visitors. It means expanding our onsite and virtual programs for educators and students. And it means hitting the road, as we take our content and approach into the community and around the country.
As a historian, are there avenues of research at Monticello that haven’t been fully tapped that you’d like to see pursued, or that staff there are proposing?
My colleagues and I are thinking a lot about how to better integrate the various strands of our research enterprise, which include a vibrant fellowship program, ongoing discoveries in Monticello collections of art and artifacts, the Getting Word oral history enterprise, to our pace-setting strength in the academic discipline of public history interpretation and much more. There are so many avenues of curiosity-driven work here, and so many different kinds of discovery. Connecting them to each other, and to the experience of our visitors, is a priority across the foundation.
In 2026, will Monticello celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence? Can you share some details of what plans are afoot?
We mark two major anniversaries in 2026: the 250th anniversary of Jefferson’s Declaration, and the 200th anniversary of his death exactly 50 years later, on July 4, 1826. We’re refreshing our Declaration gallery and thinking a lot about the world the Declaration set in motion. And we’re partnering with other presidential sites, museums and civil society organizations, as well as with the state and national 250th commissions, to get the word out.
My fondest hope for 2026 is that Monticello will serve as a beacon to guide the ongoing journey of American constitutional democracy, by sharing the history of Jefferson and all who lived and labored in this place, and by leveraging Jefferson’s example to teach the skills of civil disagreement that allow us to move forward as one people.
[Editor’s note: For more information on Kamensky and Monticello’s ongoing and planned initiatives, see www.monticello.org/research-education/blog/roundabout-with-jane-kamensky/?utm_source=ET&utm_ medium=email&utm_term=&utm_ content=janekbut&utm_campaign=jane100)]
Online Auction Of Rare Estate Collections At Bodnar’s July 10
MONMOUTH JUNCTION, N.J. — An online auction is set to showcase a diverse array of rare estate collections at Bodnar’s Auction Sales on July 10, featuring coveted items such as A Griswold cast iron, primitives, shortwave radios, vintage advertising memorabilia and a complete collection of every issue of Playboy magazine ever published.
The history of Griswold cast iron dates back to the late Nineteenth Century, when the Griswold Manufacturing Company revolutionized the cookware industry with its high-quality cast iron products. Known for their exceptional craftsmanship and durability, Griswold pieces have become highly sought-after by collectors worldwide. This sale will feature more than 75 pieces with many rare pans.
As for Playboy magazine, it has been an iconic cultural phenomenon since its inception in 1953. Founded by Hugh Hefner, Playboy has featured groundbreaking articles, interviews with notable figures and, of course, its famous centerfolds. Owning a complete collection of Playboy magazines offers a rare glimpse into the evolution of popular culture over the decades. You can bid on this first issue featuring Marilyn Monroe to the last issue in 2019.
A single-owner collection of shortwave radio items will also be offered. Shortwave radio, a remarkable technology that has captivated audiences around the globe, has a rich and storied history. Developed in the early Twentieth Century, shortwave radio revolutionized longdistance communication by enabling transmissions to travel vast distances using high-frequency radio waves. During the early days of
shortwave radio, it quickly became a vital tool for international broadcasting, allowing nations to share news, music, culture and information across borders. Shortwave radio played a crucial role during times of war and conflict, serving as a lifeline for communication and diplomacy. This collection was taken from a home where the collector was using the equipment for the past 50 years.
The online auction will kick off with all items starting at just $10, and there are no reserves set, providing an exciting opportunity for bidders to acquire these unique treasures.
The auction starts at 11 am on July 10, and prebids are now available at www.bodnarsauction.com
shine, moving indoors in the event of inclement weather. The Barnes Foundation is at 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. For additional information, www.barnesfoundation. org or 215-278-7000. The Barnes Announces Seventh Annual Barnes On The Block With Mural Arts Philadelphia On July 14
PHILADELPHIA — The Barnes Foundation announces the seventh annual Barnes on the Block, in collaboration with Mural Arts Philadelphia, on Sunday, July 14, noon to 5 pm. Barnes on the Block with Mural Arts Philadelphia is presented by PNC Arts Alive.
Taking place on the grounds of the Barnes Foundation, Barnes on the Block is a free block party that encourages neighbors to connect through various forms of creativity. The popular event features a variety of food trucks and the Barnes on the Block Beer Garden by Constellation Culinary Group, plus entertainment and activities for guests of all ages, including family-friendly art making, live music and dance performances. Throughout the day, guests can enjoy live painting led by Mural Arts Philadelphia; a pop-up ceramics studio with The Clay Studio’s Claymobile; DJ sets by Ben Arsenal and DJ Giz; and a celebration of hip-hop through dance with TAMEARTZ.
Guests can also have a personalized poem written by Marshall James Kavanaugh, make their own identity symbol with Cesar Viveros and Lemus, create a collage with Collage Philadelphia and more.
“In its seventh year, Barnes on the Block has become a fixture on Philly’s summer calendar, and we’re excited to partner with Mural Arts Philadelphia once again to bring the community together for a day of artful fun for the whole family,” says James Claiborne, deputy director for community engagement. “This year’s event is a true represen-
tation of the vibrancy of the city’s creative community, featuring a stellar lineup of Philadelphia artists, makers and performers, along with delicious food and beverages from local vendors.”
“As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, we are excited to once again collaborate with the Barnes Foundation for Barnes on the Block,” says Jane Golden, executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia.
“This family-oriented celebration of art and music will not only be fun but also highlight the power of art to unite our community. We hope people from every part of the city join us on this special day!"
During Barnes on the Block, guests also enjoy free admission to the first floor of the Barnes collection; the exhibition “Matisse & Renoir: New Encounters at the Barnes,” featuring a selection of renowned canvases from its modern European art collection; and “Visions,” an exhibition of original artwork created by participants in Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Guild program; and artists at the SCI Phoenix, southeast Pennsylvania’s maximum-security prison for men, on view in the firstfloor classroom of the collection gallery.
Registration is required for collection and exhibition access, and capacity is limited. Free tickets for timed admission will be available online beginning at 10 am on Thursday, July 11. Additional information will be available on the website.
Please note: Barnes on the Block will take place rain or
Notable Prices Recently Achieved At Various Auction Houses
Across The Block
SJ Auctioneers Goes Global With Online Father’s Day Auction
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — An online-only Father’s Day auction featuring 150 lots of décor items, vintage trains and toys, sterling silver, estate jewelry and more was conducted on June 16 by SJ Auctioneers. Internet bidding was via LiveAuctioneers.com.
Notable was a Buccellati sterling silver and parcel-gilt Millennium Globe, a limited edition, which came with its original box. It sold for $4,160. The piece featured an olive tree that enfolds a handcrafted silver globe bearing parcel-gilt continents, the idea being that it protects earth’s seven billion inhabitants. It was crowned by a gilt gold dove, the contemporary symbol of peace, and was securely rooted in an ironstone base. The Millennium Globe is a unique collector’s item, limited to only 500 signed and numbered pieces. This particular Millennium Globe was numbered 005/500. For information, www.sjauctioneers.com or 646450-7553.
Gorham
All prices include buyer’s premium.
‘Lake Project 16’ By David Maisel Takes Cautionary Look At The World We Inhabit BERKELEY, CALIF. — The collection of John Peter Grossmann (1947-2018) was one of two collections spotlighted in PBA Galleries’ fine photography sale on June 13. Grossmann was the owner and principal of an architecture firm operating in the Bay Area since the 1980s. The sale disgorged David Maisel’s 2003 C-print from Grossmann’s collection, “Lake Project 16,” illustrative of the foreword passage by Robert A. Sobieszek in Nazraeli Press’ The Lake Project by David Maisel: “The traces and marks of human culture are present no matter how far the reaches, how stratospheric the heights or how abysmal the depths. The dystopian has replaced the pastoral, and the dystopian has its own subjective beauty.” The print sold for $7,500. For information, 415-989-2665 or www.pbagalleries.com.
Final ‘Underworld Crime’ Issue Shoots To Top At Bruneau CRANSTON, R.I. — Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers conducted its Comics, Sports, TCG & Toy auction on June 15, realizing $235,769 with a sellthrough rate of 98 percent. Of the 580 lots offered, issue seven of Fawcett Publications’ Underworld Crime from September of 1953 led the sale. The lot received a Certified Guaranty Company (CGC) Universal rating of 4.5 with offwhite/white pages. Issue seven was the last within the series, and this example came in a CGC case measuring 13 by 8 inches. It sold to a long-time client of the firm, a collector and dealer from Portland, Ore., for $3,960. For information, 401-533-9980 or www. bruneauandco.com.
Sterling Silver Plates Load Up At Sloans & Kenyon CHEVY CHASE, MD. — Eighteen Gorham sterling silver plates constituted the Big Door Prize in Sloans & Kenyon’s May 23 sale. The plates carried a relief border with floral and shell motif. They were monogrammed on reverse “F.G.M.” on each 9¼-inch diameter plate and went out at $6,900. For information, 301634-2330 or www. sloansandkenyon.com.
McInnis Bidders Flock To Chelsea Bird Dinner Set
AMESBURY, MASS. — On June 23, John McInnis Auctioneers conducted an online-only auction assembled from several North Shore and Cape Ann, Mass., estates. With more than 680 lots of fine art, Oriental rugs, maritime antiques, glass, sports memorabilia and furniture, the sale attracted a diverse bidding pool. The top lot of the sale, an extensive set of Chelsea Birds plates by Mottahedeh, found a buyer at $2,424. The set’s more than 80 pieces — which included 10-inch plates, 8-inch plates, bowls, cups and saucers, serving dishes, pitchers and vases — were all adorned with the Williamsburg revival Chelsea Bird pattern after James Giles. For information, www.mcinnisauctions.com or 978-388-0400.
Salvador Dali Society Portrait Sets West Coast Dali Record
OAKLAND, CALIF. — The 282 lots of fine art featured in Clars’ June 20 Important Summer Fine Art sale featured works by many blue-chip artists, but it was a portrait of Mrs Luther Greene (Bay Area native Ellen Chamberlain) that not only earned the highest price of the sale at $720,000 but was, according to auction house chief executive officer and president, Rick Unruh, the first time a significant Dali work had sold on the West Coast. Commissioned in 1941 and executed in 1942, the 24-by-20-inch oil on canvas had extensive exhibition and publication history and had remained in the Greene family until being consigned to Clars. Unruh confirmed the buyer was a private collector on the East Coast. For information, 888-339-7600 or www.clars.com.
Norwegian Dragestil Viking Revival Mirror Is Fairest At Brunk ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Brunk Auctions’ approximately 200-lot British & Continental Auction on June 26 was led by a group of seven Dragestil Viking Revival yellow gold dresser implements by silversmith Henrik Moller (18581937) that had been auctioned previously by Brunk in 2018 and was divided into three lots. A 22K hand mirror, depicting interlaced strapwork designs with dragons, monsters, figures, birds and animals, achieved the sale’s highest price of $36,900, exceeding the lot’s $20/30,000 estimate. A Norwegian buyer, bidding online, won the mirror and the other two lots of dresser implements. For information, 828-254-6846 or www.brunkauctions.com.
Freedom Bidders Hit Babe Ruth Card Out Of The Park SARASOTA, FLA. — A rare-to-find autographed Babe Ruth baseball card, certified by PSA/DNA to be in Mint 9 condition, brought $20,000 in Freedom Auction Company’s June 22 Americana Collection sale. The card had been discovered in a vintage album assembled by Jimmy Young of Canisteo, N.Y., in 1947-48. The 12-yearold Young sent cards to players and asked for their autographs. The buyer of the card was a private collector in the United States who was a previous Freedom bidder. It was the top lot of 1,105 offered. For information, 941-725-2166 or www.freedomauctions.com.
Painting Leads Gutjahr Collection At Tom Hall SCHNECKSVILLE, PENN. — On June 24, Tom Hall Auctions presented Elizabeth Gutjahr’s Timeless Collection, featuring items from Gutjahr’s Old China Shop and her Clifton, N.J., home. The 233 lots included art glass by L.C. Tiffany, Daum Nancy and other makers; porcelain; Tiffany & Co., sterling silver; paintings and other decorative arts. Earning the highest price was a John Angus (Flemish,1821-1874) painting of a man, woman and young child at home. The work was signed and framed in an ornate gilt frame that was plaqued and measured 20 by 18½ inches. Despite some minor losses to the frame, bidders pushed the painting to $1,093. For information, www.tomhallauctions.com or 610-799-0808.
Flemish
‘The Warm Cloak Of Culture’ At Bert Gallery Examines The Providence School
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Since its founding in 1985, Bert Gallery has exhibited, researched and written on the distinct art culture that resonated in Providence in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Century, leading to recognition in the national American art scene.
Bert Gallery has looked regionally to rediscover what has been lost, forgotten or suppressed in the construction of American art history. “The Warm Cloak of Culture: The Providence School 1850 –1950,” an in-person exhibition opens July 11 and runs to July 27 with gallery hours of Thursday – Saturday from 11 am – 4 pm and by appointment.
Over the decades, Providence was home to several innovative and resourceful artists and collectors. The industrial and manufacturing businesses leaned heavily on artistic
trades attracting a diversified multicultural workforce. In the 1880s, the wealth generated in Providence was invested into the foundation of a rich cultural capital city and the coterie of artists became the city’s creative engine. The Providence School of artists contributed to the regional American art scene. Many were innovators and advocates in the national arena of American art. This exhibit examines artists who shaped the cultural scene. Since the 1830s artists set up studios in Providence; entrepreneurs founded galleries: Vose Gallery in 1842 and Bert Gallery, 1985; collectors acquired paintings and philanthropists established cultural institutions at the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence Art Club, Handicraft Club and the Providence Athenaeum.
Walter Francis Brown (18531929), “Drying Sails.”
This exhibition explores Nineteenth Century artists such as Sydney R. Burleigh (1853-1931) a watercolorist and Arts and Crafts “kinder child,” builder of the National Historic Landmark Fleur-deLys Studios, Charles Walter Stetson (1858-1911) a sensational colorist painter, founder of the Providence Art Club & Art Workers Guild and Walter Francis Brown (1853-1929) a native Rhode Island artist who exhibited in four Paris Salons, illustrated for Mark Twain and settled in the Palazzo da Mula Morosini on the Grand Canal in Venice to paint the magical city. Twentieth Century artists Maxwell Mays (1918-2009), a documenter of the historical Rhode Island scene, and Stowell Sherman (1886-1973), who
Historical Society Celebrates Acquisition Of An Important Work By Renowned
American Impressionist John Henry Twachtman
GREENWICH, CONN. — On June 26, Greenwich Historical Society celebrated the acquisition of an important work of art by American Impressionist painter John Henry Twachtman (1853-1902), a central figure of the Cos Cob Art Colony, at a reception to honor the donors who made the purchase possible.
Twachtman’s “Front Porch” (painted circa 1896-99) is a vibrant depiction of the south entrance of Twachtman’s house on Round Hill Road in Greenwich, Conn., where he lived with his family beginning in 1889. The canvas features a sun-dappled view of the house’s Neoclassical-inspired portico and front porch balustrade, architectural elements added by the artist in 1895.
“We are grateful to the generous donors who enabled us to purchase the painting in honor of art historian and long-serving Greenwich Historical Society Trustee Dr Susan G. Larkin,” says historical society executive director and chief executive officer Debra Mecky. “A distinguished scholar and curator, Dr Larkin has made indelible contributions to public knowledge and appreciation of the Cos Cob Art Colony and its artists.”
Mecky acknowledged the donors who include Sally and Larry Lawrence, Mary Ellen LeBien, Isabel and Peter L. Malkin, John E. Nelson, David and Lindsay Ormsby, Lucy and Lawrence Ricciardi, Davidde and Ronald Strackbein, Reba and Dave Williams, Lily Downing and David Yudain. Donor John Nelson currently resides in Twachtman’s former home on Round Hill Road.
by 16 inches.
The Greenwich Historical Society is at 47 Strickland Road. For information, 203-869-6899 or www.greenwichhistory.org.
New Episode Of Plant People Explores Threats Invasive Plants Pose To Native Habitats, What People Can Do To Protect Local Ecosystems
NEW YORK CITY — From knotweed in the northeastern United States to kudzu in the South and cheatgrass in the West, invasive plants threaten to overwhelm native plants and habitats. Evelyn Beaury, PhD, an expert on invasive plants, is the most recent guest on Plant People, a new podcast from the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) and nonprofit public media organization PRX exploring the connections between people and plants. In “Green Invaders,” she and host Jennifer Bernstein, chief executive
officer and the William C. Steere Sr president of the New York Botanical Garden, look at the state of invasive plant species in the United States, the greatest threats they pose to the wellbeing of native ecosystems and how changing climates and land-use patterns can expedite the spread of invasive species. They also discuss the ways in which people who are not plant specialists can make a difference in protecting their local ecosystems.
Plant People, cited by Apple Podcasts on its “New and Note-
dabbled in social realism, round out the show. Bert Gallery is at 24 Bridge Street. For more information, www.bertgallerynow.com or 401-751-2628.
worthy” and “Top Science” podcast lists as well as a “New and Noteworthy” podcast on National Public Radio’s app, features lively stories and conversations with scientists, gardeners, artists, explorers and more, about the many links between plants and people and how both need each other to thrive.
A new 30-minute episode of Plant People is available every two weeks.
New York Botanical Garden is at 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx. For information, 718220-6504 or www.nybg.org.
“Front Porch” by John Henry Twachtman (1853-1902), circa 1896-99, oil on canvas. 20
At Turner Auctions + Appraisals
Carmel Estate Delivers Diverse Artworks, Decorative Arts & More
SAN FRANCISCO — Turner
Auctions + Appraisals will present a Carmel Estate Auction on Saturday, July 13, at 10:30 am PDT. The online sale features a diverse and eclectic array of artworks, decorative arts, militaria, sterling and silver items, pens, furniture, Native American pottery, Asian items and more, primarily from the Nineteenth–Twenty-First Centuries. Most are from a single estate in Carmel, Calif.; other collections
and estates from California are also represented in the auction. Among the artworks are oil and watercolor paintings, etchings, woodblocks, lithographs, prints, architectural plates, Eastern European icons and sculptures. Noted artists include Ira Yeager, Leroy Neiman, Michael Stidham, Yoshiko Yamamoto, Patrick (Hinds) Swazo, Dino Paravano, Kent Ullberg and Keith Christie. Decorative arts come from several traditions and cultures: from the United States are Charles Lotton and Van Briggle vases, plus an extensive selection of Native American pottery and sand paintings from the Navajo, Hopi, Santa Clara, Zuni and Jemez. From China are dishes, bowls, vases, carved coral figures, snuff bottles, scroll paintings and a Miao headdress. From Japan are Imari platters, a kimono, enamel vases, dolls and figures, boxes, screens, prayer beads, a 1920s coronation costume, cal-
PAINTINGS WANTED
ligraphy, blue and white porcelain and more. There are also several groupings of Asian ceramics.
Ballpoint and fountain pens come from Parker, Waterman, Tiffany, Cartier and Cross. Sterling and silver items include a tea set, figures, flatware, tableware and serving ware from France, Germany, England and Russia. There is a diverse selection of militaria: US Navy commissions, collections of commendation medals and navy cap ship ribbons, dress swords, a World War II bicorn hat and naval dress set, several books and antique armor. Among the furniture lots are small tables, chairs, wooden chests, clocks and boxes. Rounding out the sale are candlesticks and candelabra, an English/ Australian pub sign, duck decoys, large fish replicas, painted masks and an antique carousel horse.
Below are some highlights of the online sale (see auction information and lot details in the online catalog). Sale items are available for preview and bidding now.
Artist: Michael Stidham (b 1935), “Four Permit Fish in Shallows,” signed lower left, oil on canvas, 24 by 36 inches ($3/5,000)
Artist: Keith Christie (19352017), “Break Away” (cowboy and bull), signed and dated in sculpture, 1987, bronze sculpture mounted on revolving wood stand, total height with stand 14 inches. Together with Jumping Cholla: Genesis of a Bronze Sculpture by Keith Christie. Flagstaff: Northland Press, 1981, paperback ($800-$1,200).
Artist: LeRoy Neiman (19212012), “Silverdome Super Bowl,” 1982 (49ers-Bengals), signed in pencil lower right, numbered in pencil lower left: 24/300, serigraph, 29½ by 39¾ inches ($800-$1,200).
Pair of gilt-bronze angel candelabra, the candelabra formed of angels standing on balltopped plinths, each with five candleholders, 28 by 12 by 12 inches ($600/800).
A Japanese gold crane motif ceremonial kimono, Twentieth Century, court-length ceremonial/wedding cream silk kimono with gilt trim and embroidery of cranes, borders and brocade applique, red silk lining with a padded hem; with a wood display bar. ($500/700).
English/Australian pub sign, “The Sailor King,” late Nineteenth/early Twentieth Century, single-sided pub sign, Shel-
drick’s Family Ales & Spirits painted on wood panels, depicting King William IV on a ship with British flag and cannon, a masted ship in the background; 41¾ by 35½ inches ($400/600). Japanese naval officer’s dagger, late Nineteenth/first quarter Twentieth Century, dagger with gilt-brass hardware and a pebble-painted metal scabbard; the grip of faux shagreen with a cherry blossom Menuki, the flower repeated on the pommel and scabbard, blade approximately 8¼ inches, overall length 16-5/8 inches ($300/500). Russian silver bear figurine. early Twentieth Century, the bear lying down, his head resting on his paws, his eyes inset glass/stones, Russian marks on base, 84 standard silver ($200/400).
Carousel horse, late Nineteenth/early Twentieth Century, gray running horse with open mouth and flying tail, a red saddle and colorfully painted decorative blanket; about 30 inches high by 48 inches long by 10 inches wide ($2/3,000).
Turner + Turner Auctions & Appraisals is at 461 Littlefield Avenue. For more information, www.turnerauctionsonline.com or 415-964-5250.
Iconic ‘Bean’ Sculpture Reopens After Nearly A Year Of Construction
CHICAGO (AP) — One of Chicago’s most popular tourist attractions known as “The Bean” reopened to the public Sunday, June 23, after nearly a year of renovations and construction.
Construction started in August last year and fencing around the iconic sculpture limited closeup access to visitors. The work on the plaza surrounding the sculpture included new stairs, accessible ramps and a waterproofing system, according to the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
The bean-shaped sculpture by artist Anish Kapoor is formally known as “Cloud Gate” and weighs 110 tons (99.8 metric tons).
It’s a busy tourist hub near Michigan Avenue, particularly for selfies with its reflective
surface inspired by liquid mercury. Views of skyscrapers and crowds are reflected on the Millenium Park sculpture. “Visitors can once again have
full access to Chicago’s iconic ‘Cloud Gate’ by Anish Kapoor,” city officials said in a Sunday statement. “Come back and get your #selfie!”
Visitors take photos of the “Cloud Gate” sculpture, also known as the “bean,” at Millenium Park, Sunday, June 23, 2024. “Cloud Gate” reopened to the public after several months of renovation (Anthony Vazquez / Chicago Sun-Times via AP).
Molly Luce, Harvest, oil on canvas, 30 x
SJ Auctioneers’ Online-Only
Auction To Be Presented July 21
Black Americana, Collectibles, Décor & Silverware
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — A 235piece sterling silver flatware service by Georg Jensen in the Bernadotte pattern, a signed Daum (France) crystal art glass bouquet of roses, a large sterling silver cup by Cartier in the original box and many examples of Black Americana are just some of the items bidders will find in SJ Auctioneers’ online-only auction slated for Sunday, July 21.
The 225-lot Black Americana, collectibles, décor and silverware auction will start promptly at 6 pm Eastern time, with internet bidding offered exclusively through LiveAuctioneers.com.
Other items expected to do well include a circa 1850-90 Gorham mixed metals Y50 sterling silver and copper jardiniere vase with applied 3D strawberry plant and spider ($1,5/2,500); two metallic chess sets with storage cases (each $250/350); and a pair of Spanish silver heron crane bird figurines, 7 inches tall, 850 silver ($750-$1,200).
The artists, designers and silversmiths will include names such as Cartier, Georg Jensen, Daum, Tiffany & Company, Frontenac, Royal Danish, Bvlgari, Porter Blanchard, Mayauel Ward, Marx, Herend, Gorham, Mulholland Brothers, Reed and Barton and many others. Not many of the Black Americana pieces are identified by maker, but all are rare and highly collectible.
The 235-piece Georg Jensen sterling flatware service for eight includes 16 serving utensils and comes in a threetiered chest and soft storage box ($20/24,000). The bottom of the Daum signed crystal art glass bouquet of roses is just over 7 inches tall, has no cracks or repairs and is signed “Daum France” on the bottom ($900-$1,500). The Cartier sterling silver cup in the original box is in like-new shape and is inscribed, “J.B.H.” ($300/450).
Sterling silver flatware services are enormously popular because of their beauty, historical significance and high
silver content in troy ounces. SJ Auctioneers has offered many such services in past auctions and this one will be no exception. A few examples are as follows:
A 103-piece Frontenac sterling silver flatware service with a repair to one gumbo soup spoon, otherwise in very crisp original condition. No monogram ($6,5/8,000).
A 140-piece Royal Danish sterling silver flatware service for 12, a dinner size with fish set. The chest in the catalog photo for display purposes only ($6,5/8,000).
A 116-piece Georg Jensen sterling silver flatware service for 12 in the Cactus pattern, with serving utensils. Chest in the catalog photo not included ($11,9/12,000).
A six-piece Tiffany & Co. sterling silver tea and coffee service in the Hampton pattern from 1912 in the Art Deco style, with an elegant, geometric design, weighing 126.8 troy ounces ($6,9/9,500).
A Porter Blanchard sterling silver coffee service, having an 11-inch diameter tray with wooden handles, weighing 40 troy ounces ($2,4/2,800).
Other sterling silver offerings from Tiffany & Co. include a porringer bowl dish (23245) with the original box ($300/450); a large, 10-inchtall water pitcher, weighing 31.38 troy ounces ($1,6/2,000); and, in the jewelry category, an Elsa Peretti cord heart with diamond pendant necklace, 18 inches long, weighing 5.3 grams and featuring one single round brilliant diamond of approximately .04 carats ($300/450).
Black Americana will be plentiful, with attractive estimates in the $50-$150 range.
These will include a cast iron Uncle Sam figure, 11 inches tall; a 1920s nodder bobble head, 4¼ inches tall; a Diaper Dan Syroco wood type thermometer, 5 inches tall; and a Shearwater porcelain tiger, 5¾ inches tall.
Other offerings will include a pair of Sophia-Ann porcelain babies on a wood swing, one holding a bottle; a green glass cereal jar with Aunt Jemima logo; an Aunt Jemima porcelain figurine, 5 inches tall; a cast iron baby bank with Japanese hand-painted wooden décor; and a framed advertisement for Uncle Kola’s Yams.
Pieces from Africa will feature a visually arresting mask, 4¼ inches tall ($50-$500); a carved tribal woman ebony wood sculpture, about 7 inches tall ($150/250); and carved wood tribal figurines, one 11¼ inches tall and the other 13 ¼ inches tall (each $90-$150).
Toys will feature a tin windup The Magic Barn and Tractor with the original box ($180/360); a 1952 Marx Roy Rogers Rodeo Ranch playset ($150/350); a Yonezawa (Japan) tin toy airplane model of a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet with original box ($500-$1,000); and a 1961 set of 34 Disney Marx Fairykins with the original box ($300/750). For information, 646-450-7553 or www.sjauctioneers.com.
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — This spring, the Harvard Art Museums will present LaToya M. Hobbs’ woodcut series “Carving Out Time,” a suite of five monumental and deeply personal prints through July 21. The Harvard Art Museums are just steps away from Harvard Square. For more information, www.harvardartmuseums.org 617-496-5331.
Open by appointment most anytime! New Website Coming! antiquesatwintergardenfarm.com ~ Watch for photos! For now please BE AWARE that the Barn will be open on the following dates prior to and during the three Brim eld Flea Markets. BUY HERE for Brim eld.
Jeffrey S. Evans’ Four-Day Event—
Americana Sizzles In Southern Summer Heat
A Virginia private collector came to the sale and went home with its top lot, this Rockingham County Shenandoah Valley of Virginia salt-glaze decorated stoneware covered sugar bowl made by Andrew Coffman with unusual button-top finial. A recent discovery, it brought $34,800 and was underbid by an online private collector ($10/20,000).
A private Virginia collector prevailed to win for $22,800 this late Eighteenth Century Tidewater Virginia Chippendale walnut bottle case or cellaret that had provenance and publishing history with Colonial Williamsburg ($8/12,000).
Previously auctioned at Sotheby’s New York on September 13, 2006, this oil on panel portrait of a gentleman was attributed to Gilbert Stuart (American, 1755-1828), circa 1810, 34¼ by 30¼ inches in a period and possibly gilt gesso frame, more than quintupled its high estimate and sold to the trade for $10,800 ($1/2,000).
Auction Action In Mount Crawford, Va.
Capping a 600-lot selection of Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century American glass on the first day was this colorless candlestick with stopper, made by Boston & Sandwich Glass Co., circa 1825-35, that stood 5¼ inches tall. It was published in two reference books and, according to the catalog, is the only published example of a candlestick of this form. Previously in the collections of the Bennington Museum and Mrs William Whitmer Jr, it sold to a phone bidding private collector, underbid by an absentee bidder, for $15,999 ($2/3,000).
Review by Madelia Hickman Ring, Editor
This portrait of Harriet Smith was attributed to Henry Benbridge, circa 1772, 36¼ by 31 inches in possibly its original frame, with an unbroken history to a wealthy and influential South Carolina family. A trade buyer, bidding on the phone, took it for $13,200 ($20/30,000).
Securing a third-place finish at $20,400 and a new home with an online private collector was this Federal inlaid mahogany valuables box, Baltimore or Annapolis, circa 1795, that stood 10-5/8 inches tall and measured 14-1/8 inches wide ($8/12,000).
MOUNT CRAWFORD, VA.
—
Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates welcomed summer with four sales — June 19-22 — in which the house presented 2,201 lots of Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century glass, lighting silver, textiles, ceramics, Americana and the collection of Katharine “Kitty Sue” Pease. More than 97 percent of the lots gaveled down successfully and Will Kimbrough, the firm’s auctioneer, vice president and department head for Americana and fine art, was tired but happy to talk to Antiques and The Arts Weekly following the marathon event.
“It was a very good sale and we’re feeling good. It was very strong and exceeded our expectations, with many more pleasant surprises than disappointments. The Kitty Pease collection was very well received, as was the Julia Roe spatterware collection that followed it, which went through the roof with prices being very, very strong.”
Many of the sale’s highest prices were realized on the fourth and last day, in a 565-lot session. The largest price of the entire event — $34,800 — was realized by one of the smallest single objects on offer, a 5½-inch-tall covered salt-glazedecorated stoneware sugar bowl stamped “A. Coffman / Rockigham (sic) Va.,” that had descended in the family that acquired it from potter Andrew Coffman (1795-1853). Coffman worked in eastern Rockingham County from 1840 to 1853 and the bowl is one of just three signed examples known, though it varied from the other two in both form and decoration.
Kimbrough shared that the bowl had been recently discovered as part of an estate sale box lot that sold for just $46; he also confirmed it was purchased by a Virginia private collector,
This folk art portrait of Mary C. Barnes by John James Trumbull Arnold, was done in oil on canvas in 1856 and measured 36 by 24¼ inches. Will Kimbrough noted it received a lot of attention prior the sale and sold to an important MidAtlantic collector for $15,600 ($8/12,000).
bidding in the room, who prevailed against another private collector bidding online.
Topping off at $22,800, a Chippendale walnut bottle case or cellaret from the Tidewater area of Virginia was the secondplace finisher. Made in two pieces — a hinged-top divided box on a stand fitted with mixing slide and two short drawers — the piece retained an old surface and original brass pulls and hinges. Provenance to both Carter’s Grove Plantation and Colonial Williamsburg undoubtedly contributed to interest in the handsome piece, which was also published in Ronald L. Hurst and Jonathan Prown’s Southern Furniture, 1680-1820 (1997). Kimbrough said it sold to a private collector from Virginia who was bidding online.
“Very fine” was how the catalog described a Federal inlaid mahogany valuables box, made in Baltimore or Annapolis, Md., circa 1795, that sold to an online bidder for the sale’s third-highest price of $20,400.
A folk art portrait of Mary C. Barnes (b 1844, Somerset County, Penn.) by John James Trumbull Arnold (American, 1812-1865) that descended in the family of the sitter is one of a group of known works by the itinerant artist who worked in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. According to the catalog, it was “a classic work by Arnold employing minimal decoration to the background while including carefully selected objects within the composition in an effort to emphasize certain features of the subject, notably the face and hands.” Bidders agreed and it exceeded expectations with a $15,600 result.
Among other fine art highlights on the fourth day, an oil
Exhibiting 24 different birds, this 23-inch-tall carved and painted folk art bird tree, made in the Twenty-First Century by Frank Finney, was described as “an outstanding example” and achieved $14,760 from a folk art collector in New England who was bidding on the phone ($10/15,000).
Photos Courtesy Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates
With descent in the Bird family of Highland County, Va., this 2-gallon stoneware pitcher, made circa 1838-63 in Henrico County, Va., by Stephen B. Sweeney (17991862) was published in the 2013 edition of Ceramics in America and sold for $8,400 to a local Virginia private collector who bid from the saleroom ($2/3,000).
on canvas portrait of Harriet Smith (b 1770, Charleston, S.C.) was important for several reasons. It was attributed to Henry Benbridge (American, 1743-1812), was housed in what was likely its original mahogany and cypress pine frame possibly made by the Charleston cabinetmaker, Thomas Elfe, and related to an example published by Carolyn J. Weekley in Painters and Paintings in the Early American South (Colonial Williamsburg, 2013). The sitter was the granddaughter of Landgrave Thomas Smith II (1670-1738), a wealthy and influential Lowcountry landowner, who served for several terms in the South Carolina Colonial Assembly. The catalog noted the portraits presence on the market, “completely fresh and unrecorded, represents an exceedingly rare opportunity to acquire an outstanding example of pre-Revolutionary Southern portraiture by a highly desirable hand.” It sold slightly below expectations to a phone bidding trade buyer for $13,200. While freshness to market often drives bidding, there were other lots where prior auction history was a factor. Such was the case with a carved and inlaid walnut desk and bookcase, attributed to John Shearer (Virginia / West Virginia, active 1790-1820) that had been sold by Sotheby’s New York twice: the first time on July 1, 1983, the second time on June 17, 1999. Now identified as an “important newly identified masterwork in Southern decorative arts,” it relates to the only other known Shearerassociated desk and bookcase, now in the collection of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA). Selling for $14,400, it will be staying in Virginia with a private collector.
The third day of the auction comprised nearly 550 lots, of which 350 were from the estate collection of Los Angeles Americana collector Katherine “Kitty Sue” Pease. Her collection was assembled primarily in the 1970s and 80s, when she would travel to the East Coast in search of Americana and folk art. Several of the highest-sell-
This desk and bookcase was profusely carved with patriotic elements around 1864 by John Almon Hobart and was part of the single-owner collection of Katherine Pease. Will Kimbrough said several Hobart family members were interested in it and it nearly tripled its low estimate when a Midwestern private collector, underbid by a Hobart descendant, bought it for $8,750 ($3/5,000).
ing lots in the sale came from her collection, which was led at $19,200 by an 81-inch-tall American folk art carved and painted tobacconist or cigar store trade figure of a man wearing eagle headdress and wolf robe. Other carved figures were in the Pease collection, including an American or British carved and painted nautical figure or figurehead of a woman in a Classical-style gown that tripled its high estimate to finish at $15,300.
A vibrant Pennsylvania Schwenkfelder folk art frakturstyle drawing cataloged as “important” featured a row of houses under a floral garland with two distelfinks or lovebirds in the upper corner; the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center in Pennsburg, Penn., won it for $18,000. More fine art highlights from the Pease collection would certainly include a late Nineteenth or early Twentieth Century American school folk art portrait of a black cat with a mouse in its mouth. The mouser more than doubled its high estimate and was acquired by a New England folk art collector for $12,300.
The furniture category of the Pease collection was substantial with more than 100 lots; it reached its apex at $8,750 for an impressive patriotic carved walnut secretary desk and bookcase made circa 1864 by John Almon Hobart (Maine / Illinois, 1841-1918). An inscription on the back said, “—70 years old -- / 1934 / Belonged / to Maj T.J. Hobart / 44 Ills Reg / Carved by John Almon Clar Hobart / Given Almon A Clarke / For Clifford D. Clarke / and Children.” Bidders liked the decorative elements that included lyre carving, horses, shields, an eagle, a cannon and three rifles, a stag and Dutchstyle windmill and cottage scene; a Midwest private collector had the winning bid.
Though his Pennsylvania
This carved and inlaid walnut desk and bookcase, attributed to John Shearer, circa 1800, presented collectors with “a rare opportunity to acquire an important piece of Southern backcountry furniture crafted by an iconic Southern cabinetmaker.” It earned $14,400 from a Virginia private collector bidding online ($10/15,000).
German-style carvings are not old, Capeville, Va., carver Frank Finney (b 1947) has developed a strong following among Americana collectors. One of his bird trees, featuring 24 different birds and standing 23 inches tall overall, that came from a Capeville, Va., private collection, landed at $14,760. A folk art collector from New England prevailed over their competition.
After the auction, company president and principal auctioneer Jeffrey S. Evans commented, “This sale generated robust interest across the board, from bidders near and far. The caliber of the material offered across multiple categories was very appealing to a broad swath of collectors. The overall excitement and strong sales results reflect the freshness and high quality of the merchandise offered. Furthermore, the Pease Collection was a hit and drew in large numbers of new customers for us.”
From the Pease collection, this late Nineteenth or early Twentieth Century folk portrait of a black cat with mouse was executed in oil on canvas affixed to a yellow pine stretcher that was probably original. Signed “D. Morgan” and measuring 20 by 16½ inches framed, it charmed bidders to $12,300 ($3/5,000).
This Pennsylvania Schwenkfelder folk art fraktur-style drawing, circa 1845, watercolor on paper, measuring 10 by 14½ in a modern frame, achieved second place of the Pease collection and a fifth-place finish overall at $18,000, from the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center, which Will Kimbrough said was “really excited to get it” ($10/15,000).
Leading the second day of sales with a $11,400 result was this silk and wool on linen “Philadelphia Presentation” needlework sampler, worked in 1832 by Matilda B. Graves. The 17¾-by-13¾-inch framed example had provenance to the Roanoke, Va., estate of Lee W. Winborne, Bob Beard Antiques, Ken Farmer Auctions and the Radford, Va., estate of Captain John G. Osbourne (1851-1938) ($2/3,000).
Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates will sell Americana on August 22-24 and fine and decorative arts, October 17-19. The next Premier Americana auction is scheduled for November 21-23 and will include between 200 and 250 lots from a Washington, DC, folk art collection. Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.jeffreysevans.com or 540434-3939.
Leading the Pease collection with a $19,200 result was this carved and paint decorated trade figure that dated to the late Nineteenth Century. A trade buyer, bidding from the floor, prevailed ($8/12,000).
Standing 60 inches tall and dating to the Nineteenth Century, this American or British carved and painted nautical figure or figurehead earned $15,300 from a private collector who was making their first purchase from Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates ($3/5,000).
Morphy & Lebel Back In The Saddle For 34th Old West Auction
This Edward H. Bohlin silver- and gold-mounted parade saddle set with breast collar, bridle and overlaid curb bit, made for Justin W. Dart Sr (1907-1984), adorned with Disney and Western motifs, was bid well beyond its $125/175,000 estimate range to become the highest-achieving lot of the auction at $307,500.
was run up to $27,060 ($6/8,000).
Auction Action In Santa Fe, N.M.
SANTA FE, N.M. — In conjunction with the weekend-long Brian Lebel’s Old West Show June 21-23, Morphy Auctions partnered with Lebel to conduct the 34th Annual Brian Lebel’s Old West Auction on Saturday, June 22. The 439-lot auction included categories such as Western fine art, cowboy antiques, firearms, jewelry, advertising, photography and Native American objects. Leading up to the auction, Lebel shared that the event may be “one of the most exciting sales we’ve had in more than 34 years.” At the sale’s close, it looked like he made good on that promise. In total, the auction realized more than $2.2 million and had a 91 percent sellthrough rate.
Following the sale, Dan Morphy, president of Morphy Auctions, shared, “We had an incredible Old West Show leading up to the Saturday night auction in Santa Fe. The auction preview gave us all a great chance to interact and catch up with our onsite bidders and clients. We had a full auction room as the auction got started and there
was spirited bidding even into the late evening. We want to thank all of our dealers, bidders and consignors for an exciting three days in historic Santa Fe.”
Consignments from two of the country’s most notable Western and cowboy collections were positioned to be in the winner’s circle: the George Pitman (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) collection of Edward H. Bohlin productions and the Ron and Linda Gillett collection, which is known for its spurs, bits and chaps.
Hailing from the Pitman collection, a Bohlin saddle soared past its high estimate of $175,000 to achieve the highest price of the day — $307,500. The saddle, a special-order Ed Bohlin parade saddle, was made for Justin W. Dart Sr (1907-1984), political kingmaker and honoree of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Built with a Miles City tree, this San Gabriel style saddle was fully customized for Dart with silver and gold conchos having various Western icons, including some images that were personal to him and a silver twisted rope edge. Most notably were the silver swell
Review by Carly Timpson, Assistant Editor
Photos Courtesy Morphy Auctions
This Colt Single Action Army revolver with pearl grip was one of 10 in a shipment of weapons to the Dalton gang in 1892. Measuring 5½ inches long, it was sold with a wealth of information and documents and was bid to $233,700 ($200/300,000).
Hollywood cowboy Ray “Crash” Corrigan’s screen-worn Edward H. Bohlin gun rig with two custom-engraved Colt single-action Army revolvers (dated 1904 and 1909), sterling silver and gold on leather, with custom Bohlin silver grips, from the Pitman collection, found a buyer at $20,910 ($20/30,000).
These double-mounted spurs by Qualey Bros., of Grangeville, Idaho, silver overlay and mountings, made $25,830 ($10/15,000).
caps, each adorned with a gold Cowboy Mickey Mouse twirling a lasso. Further adding to the uniqueness was the gold signature of Walt Disney beneath the iconic character. These elements have been subject to much speculation over the years, with many wondering how Bohlin was able to replicate the trademarked images, though some have concluded that Dart and Disney ran in the same social circles in California.
With more than a century of documentation certifying the lot’s history, the second-highest achieving lot presented less speculation, but similar collecting allure. Making $233,700 was a Colt .45 Single Action Army revolver that was part of a legendary 10-gun shipment sent to the infamous Old West outlaws, the Dalton Gang (active 1890–1892). The auction catalog wrote that the gun was sold “with an accompanying plethora of documents, affidavits, articles, factory letter” and provenance history. These records showed that the weapon was one of 10 nearly identical revolvers ordered for the gang and shipped on August 18, 1892. The ownership of this gun — engraved by Colt’s Cuno A. Helfrich (active 1871-1921), finished in blue and fitted with two-piece pearl grips — was attributed to either Bob or Emmett Dalton.
Another California parade saddle from the Pitman collection, this one by Bohlin’s rival, Frank Coenen, exceeded its $120,000 high estimate to earn $153,750. The two-tone brown leather was artfully engraved with floral designs and heavily adorned with silver mountings and gold details. As described in the catalog, “the cantle and front swells, horn and gullet were fully covered in silver, the skirts and rear jockey were decorated with ornate sterling plates enhanced with raised stylized scrollwork, plus figures including a ‘Let ‘er Buck’ cowboy, longhorn and multiple gold horseheads.” Additionally, the saddle included a two-tone wool corona, silvered serape, “massive” breast collar and matching bridle. Paired with the saddle was its Equestrian blue ribbon won at the 1997 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. In similar form with a silvered serape was a Bohlin Diamond Supreme-style parade saddle with matching breast collar and bridle, also from the Pitman collection. The model debuted in Bohlin’s 1951 catalog, but this one was entirely custom-made for Dominic Bressi (1903-1977), a road contractor from San Luis Obispo, Calif. The black, floralcarved saddle was heavily adorned with diamond and halfdiamond Bohlin-made conchos and featured three-dimensional rodeo scenes on the skirt and breast collar. The silver diamond
covered tapaderos were monogrammed “B” in gold and the
This fully mounted pair of 1880s-90s California spurs by Jose Tapia (1831-1902); silver, iron and leather; was pulled to $34,440 ($10/15,000).
“The Camp Visitor” by Frank Hoffman (1888-1958), oil on canvas, 37¼ by 50¾ inches framed, made $18,450 ($25/35,000).
“Taking A Closer Look” by Fred Fellows (b 1934), 1981, oil on canvas panel, 40 by 58 inches framed,
A New Haven Arms Model 1860 Henry lever action rifle, manufactured in 1864, engraved by Samuel J. Hoggson, serial number 7627, topped off at $29,520 ($45/65,000).
untitled
realized $18,450 ($15/25,000).
back of the cantle had a nameplate with Bressi’s initials in gold as well. James H. Nottage pictured this example in his 1996 book, Saddle Maker to the Stars, The Leather and Silver Art of Edward H. Bohlin (Autry Museum of Western Heritage & University of Washington Press). It rode off to its new home for $92,250.
The Gillett collection was led by a pair of Jesus Tapia (Los Angeles) spurs, made circa 191520. The spurs were inclusive of all of the maker’s distinctive signature elements, including engraving, filigreed silver inlays, stylized rooster head, 14-point iron rowels, flat silver inlay flower stationary buttons and two-piece floral carved leathers. In very fine original condition, bidders kicked the pair past its $40,000 high estimate to finish at $67,650.
Other spurs from the collection included a pair by Jose Tapia, Jesus’ father. These California spurs, made circa 1880-90s, showed strong Spanish Colonial and Mexican influence, which was characteristic of the maker’s early works. With Tapia’s distinctive floral engraved leather straps, inlaid buttons and fanciful iron work, the pair also featured partial birds head drop shanks, oversized 12-point rowels and iron jingle-bobs. While this was an authentic early pair, the straps had contemporary domed and scalloped Tapia-style conchos added. Still, bids ran the pair more than double its high estimate to ultimately cross the block at $34,440.
At $29,520 was a circa 1900 pair of Juan Francisco Echavarria (San Jose, Calif.) spurs. Fully mounted with the maker’s signature engraved silver, the pair had a target-pattern heel band front and double crescent moon off-side. The two-piece carved leathers were original and had Garcia-style period domed conchos. The 12-point silver inlaid spoke rowels were affixed to stylized shanks with engraved buttons. The catalog boasted: “This is arguably the best pair of Echavarria spurs that have come to market in many years. Excellent condition.”
The Gillett collection also
of
These Jesus Tapia (1856-1931) inlaid, Los Angeles, spurs with stylized rooster-head shanks, circa 1915-20; silver, iron and leather; pushed estimates to achieve $67,650 ($30/40,000).
offered a pair of double-mounted spurs by Qualey Bros. (Grangeville, Idaho) which made $25,830. Notable details include a silver three-piece buckle on the engraved leather straps, silver overlaid shield and dome mountings on the band and the Qualey Bros., trademark splitend shank with a 48-point rowel. The pair was pictured in The Spur: History, Art, Culture, Function by David R. Stoecklein (Stoecklein Publishing, 2003).
While the Gillett collection is best known for and represented by its spurs, some other highlights of the collection included a Civil War-era New Haven Arms Model 1860 Henry lever action rifle. Manufactured in 1864, the .44 caliber gun’s brass frame was detailed with typical Germanic bank note scrolls, including leaves, fruit and, on one side, a dog, done by engraver Samuel J. Hoggson. With a rare deluxe grain walnut stock and 24-inch barrel with a chocolate-brown patina, the Henry brought $29,520. Examples of this model can be seen in The Henry Rifle by Les Quick (Graphic Publishers, 2008) and the first edition of The Winchester Book by George Madis (Art and Reference House, 1977).
Also leaving the Gillett collection was a Wyoming Penitentia-
“Posse” by Frank C. McCarthy (1924-2002), 1975, oil on board, 34¼ by 28¼ inches framed, brought $22,140 ($20/30,000).
These Juan Francisco Echavarria spurs, circa 1900, San Jose, silver and leather, brought $29,520 ($20/30,000).
ry (Rawlins, Wyo.) calfskin and horsehair bridle that had hitched horsehair panels with colorful diamond patterns on the browband and cheekpieces and was likely related to a circa 1928 example by inmate Herbert Brink. A central leather faceplate in the shape of a heart was a sweet touch, and throughout the bridle were intricate knots and loops and colored tassels. It was complete with a unique half-breed bit, in heavy iron, cut with the letters “SP” on either side, possibly referring to “State Penitentiary.” Bidding led the distinctive Western bridle to $25,830.
The fine art category was led by an oil on canvas panel by Cowboy Artists of America member, Fred Fellows. “Taking A Closer Look,” done in 1981, depicted three cowboys on horseback with the primary figure successfully roping one of the cattle in the field. Framed with a title plaque, the painting was bid well past its $8,000 high estimate to be claimed at $27,060.
Frank C. McCarthy’s “Posse,”
Leaving the Gillett collection was a pair of studded “No. 4200” exhibition chaps by R.T. Frazier, Pueblo, Colo., circa 1911, with Canon City, Colorado State Penitentiary buckle and silver studs and conchos, realizing $19,680 ($10/15,000).
Edward H. Bohlin’s Diamond Supreme silver-mounted parade saddle set with breast collar, bridle and matching silver serape; custom made for Dominic Bressi (1903-1977); earned $92,250 ($80/120,000).
depicting several men on horseback riding down a rocky path toward a stream, found a buyer within estimate at $22,140. McCarthy was also a member of Cowboy Artists of America and has had his work exhibited at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and the Western Heritage Center (Billings, Mont.) and had a retrospective at the Gilcrease Museum (Tulsa, Okla.). The oil on board work was housed in a wood frame with a title plaque.
Two paintings crossed the block for $18,450 each. One was an untitled half portrait of a Native American on horseback by Mark Maggiori and the other was Frank Hoffman’s “The Camp Visitor.” Maggiori’s acrylic on canvas work showed the subject seated on a white horse facing left and against a solid turquoise background. “The
This Wyoming Penitentiary bridle, Rawlins, Wyo., which appeared to be related to a circa 1928 example by inmate Herbert Brink, calfskin and horsehair with iron half breed bit, 26 inches long, was led to $25,830 ($7/10,000).
Camp Visitor,” an oil on canvas work showing a curious young bear standing and facing a crouched Native, who calmly holds an arrow toward the cub. The signed work had provenance to the Robert B. Pamplin Jr International Collection of Art and History. Remarking on the weekend’s success, Lebel commented, “We were thrilled with both the auction prices, some of which set records, and the many positive comments from the show’s dealers, who made a point of telling us, almost unanimously, how excited they were with their own results.” The next Old West show and auction will be January 24-25 in Las Vegas.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.morphyauctions.com or 877-968-8880.
A California parade saddle with matching bridle and breast collar by Frank Coenen; leather, silver and two-tone wool; achieved $153,750 ($80/120,000). Attached to it was the Equestrian blue ribbon won at the 1997 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade.
This
acrylic on canvas painting
a Native American on horseback by Mark Maggiori (b 1977), 14¾ by 17½ inches framed,
Fine Art Takes Center Stage At Helmuth Stone
SARASOTA, FLA. — Helmuth Stone Gallery’s Fine Art & Antique auction, conducted on June 16, consisted of 357 lots of
The sale’s top lot was an original illustration for a Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz (American, 1922-2000), January 1989, ink on paper, 21¼ by 28¾ inches framed; it achieved $27,300 ($20/30,000).
Auction Action In Sarasota, Fla.
paintings, drawings, porcelain,
“Ornithology” by Henry S. Marks (British, 1829-1898), Nineteenth Century, oil on canvas laid on board, 44 by 36 inches framed, made $7,812 ($10/20,000).
A monumental painting after “The Drunken Silenus” by Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577-1640), oil on relined canvas, 82 by 82 inches, sold to an institution for $18,750 ($10/20,000).
Exceeding its estimates to achieve $7,187 was “Trois Arches” by Alexander Calder (American, 1898-1976), 1974, color lithograph, 29-5/8 by 43¼ inches ($1/2,000).
This abstract oil by Kristján Davídsson (Icelandic, 1917-2013), crossed the block for $3,125 ($2,4/4,800).
“L’Babit
Asian art, sculpture, frames, ethnographic and Indigenous art and artifacts, comics and furniture. Owner Austin Helmuth shared, “It was a good sale, the higher-end things did well as we expected. We always get good visibility for those, and we were pleased overall. Also, we had some good attention on American artworks — they did well.”
In total, the sale realized $200,000 and had a handful of post-auction sales.
Earning the top spot in the sale was an original ink on paper Peanuts illustration by Charles M. Schulz. Dated January 29, 1989, the winter comic strip featured Snoopy and Lucy ice skating on a pond, then Snoopy returning home to be with Charlie Brown and Sally. The illustration, which was housed behind glass in a 21¼-by-28¾-inch frame, had provenance to the corporate collection of Zenith Insurance based in Sarasota. After a competitive bout of bidding, the Peanuts strip was claimed, within estimate, by a Connecticut collector for $27,300.
An unattributed copy of Peter Paul Rubens’ “The Drunken Silenus,” which was deaccessioned from the Polasek Museum in Winter Park, Fla., after being acquired by sculptor Albin Polasek (Czech/American, 18791965) who obtained the work in Italy. The monumental square canvas depicting the stumbling Greek god was nearly 7 feet high and sold to a museum for $18,750.
Worked in his own vibrant impressionistic style known as Simbaresco, Nicola Simbari’s 1988 oil painting “Scalea” depicts a woman descending an outdoor staircase with a large succulent plant in the foreground. With provenance to the Wally Findlay Galleries, proceeds from the sale of the painting are benefitting the Florida Studio Theatre and its mission as a local performing arts venue.
At $18,125, a collector in Chicago won the blue seaside scene.
Henry S. Marks’ Nineteenth Century oil on canvas of two
ornithologists seated at a table examining an egg, which appears to be that of a penguin. One of the male figures holds the egg while the other leans in, holding spectacles to observe the specimen. Signed to the lower right of the canvas, the work had a gallery label from Haynes Fine Art of Broadway, England, affixed to the reverse. “Ornithology” will be heading back to the United Kingdom for $7,812.
Won by a phone bidder for $7,187 was a bold 1974 lithograph by Alexander Calder. The unframed print, titled “Trois Arches,” had red, blue and black boomerang-shaped arches with two small primarily red circles secondary. The 29-5/8-by-43¼inch color sheet was pencil signed and numbered on the front and titled on the reverse.
From a Greenwich Village, N.Y., collection was “L’Babit Blanc (The White Robe)” by Charles Levier. Featuring a somber-looking seated male figure in white dress with a tri-cornered hat and ruffled collar, the cubist painting was signed at the lower left, titled verso and housed in a reproduction period wood frame. An online bidder claimed the Levier for $4,687. A signed — though indistinguishably — Nineteenth Century Hudson River School landscape painting made $4,875 and will be joining a private collection in New York. The landscape showed a tree-lined body of water with a small boat rowing in the early morning mist. An abstract oil painting by Icelandic artist Kristján Davídsson featuring dark swirling brush strokes on a solid white background brought $3,125. Signed “K. Davídsson” to the lower left, the work was housed in a wood frame.
Prices include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. On August 4, Helmuth Stone will be auctioning the collection of the former vice president of Procter and Gamble, Lou Pritchett. For more information, www.helmuthstone.com or 941260-9703.
on canvas, 13 by 21 inches, exceeded expectations and earned $4,875 ($300/600).
This Nineteenth Century Hudson River School landscape painting, signed lower left (indistinguishably), oil
“Scalea” by Nicola Simbari (Italian, 1927-2012), 1988, oil on canvas, 61 by 68 inches framed, brought $18,125 ($12/20,000).
Blanc (The White Robe)” by Charles Levier (French, 1920-2003), oil on canvas, 38 by 32 inches framed, brought $4,687 ($3,5/5,000).
Review by Carly Timpson, Assistant Editor Photos Courtesy Helmuth Stone
Figural Candelabras, Salvador Dali & Jewelry Headline Michaan’s Sale
ALAMEDA, CALIF. — Michaan’s gallery auction on Friday, July 19, features important pieces from the furniture and decorations department, works from important artists brought by the fine art department and a collection of well-regarded pieces from the jewelry department. The auction is led by a pair of candelabras in the rococo style by French sculptor Claude Michel, a portfolio of woodcuts by the preeminent Surrealist Salvador Dali and an impressive Rolex watch in black and gold.
The furniture and decorations department highlights a piece of interior design in the rococo style, a Clodion pair of figural candelabras ($12/18,000). These pieces by the Eighteenth Century French sculptor are examples of his skillful rendering of form. Also, a Louis XVI-style commode, after Riesener ($7/12,000), features a marble top, wood decorated with marquetry and gilt bronze mounts throughout. Next, Michaan’s will offer an important piece of diving history, the complete Siebe Gorman diving suit ($4/6,000) from the British company. The department will be offering a modern leather and chrome sofa and chair set ($4/6,000) by Afta and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, as well as a Louis XIV-style walnut armoire ($2,5/3,500), partly originating in the late Seventeenth or early Eighteenth Century.
The fine art department is headlined by the sale of an expansive body of work by the Surrealist artist Salvador Dali. Signed Salvador Dali, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” ($5/7,000) is a portfolio of 12 original woodcuts and etchings in a gilt-lettered cloth chemise within a beige cloth clamshell featuring spine gilt lettering, with a bone and morocco clasp. Also on offer from the department is Theodore Wores’ “Orchard,” oil ($4/6,000), a work highlighting the pink blossoms of a California orchard. These works will be offered alongside John Lennon, “Bag One” ($3/5,000) a lot that also includes two later lithographs by the artist, and two prints, Emmy Lou Packard, “Logging in Mendicino,” linocut ($2,5/3,000), and
Robert Motherwell, “Black Rumble,” lithograph ($1/2,000), among other works.
The jewelry department highlights several outstanding pieces in this month’s sale, leading with a Rolex GMT Master Ref. No. 16753 ($5/7,000) in black and gold, a piece borne out of Rolex’s midcentury collaboration with Pan American Airlines. Also on the block are an unmounted diamond ($4/6,000); a sapphire, 18K yellow gold bracelet ($2/3,000); and a diamond, platinum tennis bracelet ($1,5/2,500). Finally, rounding out the section will be two unique items, a 14K yellow gold herringbone link necklace ($1,2/1,600) and a Georgian paste stomacher ($500/700).
The silver and objects de vertu department has a robust selection, including a Gorham Etruscan pattern sterling flatware service ($3/5,000), a full collection of silver flatware from one of America’s most reputed manufacturers of sterling silver. Next, the International Royal Danish sterling silver flatware set ($3/5,000) is another example of fine metal design and will be offered alongside a Reed & Barton Sterling Francis I pattern flatware set ($2,5/3,000). Finally, the department will offer a Gorham La Scala sterling flatware set ($2/2,500) and an International sterling silver flatware service ($2/2,500).
The Asian art department will be offering sculpture, furniture and painted works, in addition to textiles and jade. The department is leading with a monumental Chinese carved and lacquered Buddha statue ($2/3,000). Following this work is a Tibetan thangka of Ushnishavijaya White Tara ($2/3,000), possibly dating to the Eighteenth Century. Next, a Chinese carved jade rhyton vase ($1,5/2,500) will be offered in addition to a pair of Chinese rosewood armchairs ($1,8/2,000) and a Chinese carved jadeite and jade figure
UNC Condition ($1,2/1,300), featuring the Mexican snake and eagle emblem, and six unique lots of US silver rounds (20) one ounce each ($600/700).
of a longevity god ($1,5/2,500). Finally, the department will offer a set of four Chinese silk paintings ($1/1,500), a Chinese ge-type crackle cream glaze tea bowl ($800-$1,200) and a Chinese Ming-style bronze seated Buddha ($800$1,200).
The stamps, coins and ephemera department has a selection on offer, highlighted by a US 2017 American Liberty gold one ounce proof coin ($1,9/2,250), winner of the Best Gold Coin in Krause Publications’ 2019 “Coin of the Year Awards.” Next is a Mexico 1959 20 pesos gold coin
The department will conclude its offerings with a Mexico 1959 10 pesos gold coin UNC Condition ($500/600) and a 1909 France 20 francs gold coin UNC Condition ($500/600).
Finally, the rugs, carpets and textiles department is featuring a Native American Navajo Ganado wool rug ($2/3,000), an example of the unique Navajo weaving technique. Also on offer, are a Persian Carpet ($800-$1,200) and a Kashan-style carpet ($1,5/2,500), among others.
Preview is Sunday, July 14, 10 am to 5 pm; Thursday, July 18, 10 am to 5 pm; Friday, July
19; 9 am to end of auction. The July Annex auction is Monday, July 15, 9 am; Tuesday, July 16, 9 am; and Wednesday, July 17, 9 am. Michaan’s Auctions is at 2701 Monarch Street. For information, www.michaans. com or 510-227-2505.
West Hartford Marketplace
Thurs & Fri: 10am To 6pm Saturday: 9am To 6pm Sunday: 10am To 4pm Fresh & New! Multi-Vendor, Indoor Space Antiques, Books, Collectibles, Vintage & More! 25 Talcott Rd., West Hartford, CT VENDORS: 860-214-9568
Fine Art On Day One Of Kaminski Auction Drives Summer Sale
Auction Action In Beverly, Mass.
BEVERLY, MASS. — A diverse showcase of valuable items from various consigners awaited bidders when the gavel fell at Kaminski's estates auction on June 15-16, but it was fine art on day one that drove the overall sale. It was then that an oil on canvas painting by Emil Carlsen (American, 1848-1932), “Still Life with Bottle and Tureen,” circa 1889, sold for a twice-high-estimate of $12,500. Signed lower left, the 29-by-36-inch work depicting said vessels on a table surrounded by fruit is registered with the Emil Carlsen archives and came from the corporate collection of Roman Bronze Works.
The two-day sale also dispersed an extensive collection of Chinese scrolls, paintings and porcelains
from various collectors, as well as a selection of estate jewelry and a single-owner collection of baseball and sports memorabilia.
Colin Campbell Cooper (18561937), an American impressionist painter who favored architectural subjects, painted Notre Dame limned with snow. “Notre Dame,” oil on canvas, signed lower right and measuring 21¼ by 25½ inches came from a Beacon Hill, Mass., estate and finished at $3,500.
A summertime vibe, however, was evinced by Lois Mailou Jones’ (American, 1905-1998), Martha’s Vineyard beach scene, “Lobsterville Beach,” which depicted a popular spot in Aquinnah where visitors can fish, quietly relax or bird watch with two miles of
shoreline to walk. Also fetching $3,500, the oil on artist board, signed lower right, came from a Westbury, N.Y., collection and measured 9 by 18 inches.
An Edward Hopper (American, 1882-1967) reminiscence in ink on paper took the form of the Nyack Marina gas dock, where the artist worked as a teenager. “Esso,” signed lower right and measuring 7½ by 5 inches, sold for $3,250. The consignor had originally purchased the work at Guild Hall in East Hampton, N.Y. The Westbury collection contributed a summer forest scene by Nell Blair Walden Blaine (American, 1922-1996). The oil on board took $3,125. It was signed lower left, dated “'63” and measured 16 by 24 inches. Blaine was
An Acton, Mass., collection contributed this 14K gold pocket watch by J.E. Caldwell, Philadelphia, selling for $3,500.
Juan Luna y Novicio’s pencil on paper portrait of a classical male bust earned $2,750. It was signed lower right and dated 1882.
A curious pair of Nineteenth Century French bronze ormolu shackled figures from an old Massachusetts family estate went out for $1,375.
Standout jewelry pieces included a 14K yellow gold bead necklace, approximately 14 inches long, that crossed the block at $875.
Lois Mailou Jones’ Martha’s Vineyard beach scene “Lobsterville Beach” depicted a popular quiet spot in Aquinnah. The oil on artist board, signed lower right, came from a Westbury, N.Y., collection and brought $3,500.
As a teenager, Edward Hopper worked at the Nyack Marina gas dock. He depicted that memory with “Esso,” an ink on paper, signed lower right, which sold for $3,250.
Sports memorabilia enthusiasts chased a 1951 Yankees World Series champions teamsigned baseball to $5,000.
The top lot in the sale was Emil Carlsen’s oil on canvas, “Still Life with Bottle and Tureen,” circa 1889, which sold for $12,500.
An Eighteenth/Nineteenth Century dragon-phoenix-carved Chinese export swordfish rostrum or bill, 35 inches long, sold for $813.
Review by W.A. Demers, Senior Editor Photos Courtesy Kaminski Auctions
an American landscape painter, expressionist and watercolorist from Richmond, Va.
Putting pencil to paper, Juan Luna y Novicio (Filipino, 18571899) created a portrait of a classical male bust that realized $2,750. It was signed lower right, dated “1882,” measured 24 by 18 inches and also came from the Westbury collection.
American sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was represented in the sale by a study for “Jean d’Aire” from “The Burghers of Calais,” which garnered $2,500. The figure was signed “A. Rodin” on the base and had an Alexis Rudier Fondeur Paris foundry mark on the back of the base. Standing 18-1/8 inches high, it came from a Newburyport, Mass., collection.
The same amount was posted for an Eighteenth/Nineteenth Century Venetian/Southern Spanish carved mirror. It featured a crest with a carved eagle on a globe that was mounted to an equally robustly-carved pier table. Its overall dimensions were 92 by 40 by 15 inches and it came from a southern Connecticut collection.
Sports memorabilia enthusiasts chased a 1951 Yankees World Series champions baseball, signed by Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto and others, 26 signatures in all. The late Leo Paksarian of Franklin, Mass., gave the ball to his daughter Maureen Assencoa of Ashland, Mass.; it was graded Excellent-Mint+ 6.5 and popped up to reach $5,000.
On day two, a large lot of sterling silver flatware held bidder interest, achieving $2,125. The set included napkin rings, mini spoons, souvenir spoons, serving pieces and weighed approximately 81.9 troy ounces; it came from an Acton, Mass., collection. Another silver lot from the same collection was a Gorham sterling silver Fairfax pattern flatware service for 12 that set the table at $2,875. Monogrammed, in a case, its weight was approximately 135.1 troy ounces.
The Acton collection also contributed the sale’s timepieces highlight, a 14K gold pocket watch by J.E. Caldwell, Philadelphia, selling at $2,125.
Fetching $1,250 was an 18K yellow gold lady’s Roamer wristwatch, a brand of high-quality Swiss watches by the company founded by Fritz Meyer (18591926). With a length of 7 inches and weight of approximately 35 grams, the timepiece was noted to be running at the time of inventory. It came from a Boston estate.
An 18K yellow gold and turquoise three-piece suite — brooch and a pair of ear clips — was missing three turquoise beads but that did not deter bidders from taking it to $1,375.
Other standout pieces in the jewelry category included a 14K yellow gold bead necklace, having approximately 7-9mm beads and measuring approximately 14 inches long. From the Acton collection, it crossed the block at $875.
A curious pair of Nineteenth Century French bronze ormolu shackled figures from an old Massachusetts family estate could not break the bonds of the
$2/4,000 estimate, going out for just $1,375.
Notable Chinese pieces up for auction on day two included a bronze bodhisattva Guanyin, from the Tang dynasty (CE 618907) or Song dynasty (CE 9601280), with a baby Buddha in her hand. Seated on a fish, the 7-by5-inch figure was inscribed on the back: “Respect adult like Guanyin.” From a Fairfield, Conn., it made $875.
An Eighteenth/Nineteenth Century finely dragon-phoenixcarved Chinese export swordfish rostrum or bill, 35 inches long, came from a private collection in Marblehead, Mass., and sold for $813.
Prices given include the buyer’s premium as stated by the auction house. The next sale is July 20-21. For information, 978-927-2223 or www.kaminskiauctions.com.
An 18K yellow gold and turquoise three-piece suite — brooch and ear clips — was missing three turquoise beads but that did not deter bidders from taking it to $1,375.
A large lot of sterling silver flatware held bidder interest on day two, achieving $2,125. The set included napkin rings, mini spoons, souvenir spoons, serving pieces and weighed approximately 81.9 troy ounces.
Sculptor Auguste Rodin’s study for “Jean d’Aire” from “The Burghers of Calais,” elicited $2,500.
Fetching $2,500, this Eighteenth/Nineteenth Century Venetian/Southern Spanish carved mirror featured a carved crest with an eagle on a globe and was mounted to a carved pier table.
This 18K yellow gold lady’s Swiss Roamer wristwatch traveled to $1,250.
A Gorham sterling silver Fairfax pattern flatware service for 12 from an Acton, Mass., collection changed hands at $2,875.
A summer forest scene by American landscape painter Nell Blair Walden Blaine, an oil on board, was signed lower left, dated “‘63” and went out at $3,125.
An American impressionist painter who favored architectural subjects, Colin Campbell Cooper painted Notre Dame limned with snow. The oil on canvas came from a Beacon Hill, Mass., estate and realized $3,500.
This bronze bodhisattva Guanyin with a baby Buddha in her hand was seated on a fish and dated to the Tang or Song dynasty. The 7-by-5-inch figure from Fairfield, Conn., made $875.
Heritage Space Auction Rockets To $1.7 Million
Fragments from the Wright Flyer are rare and bring high prices when they come up. This 30-by-7mm spruce sliver from the Flyer’s propellor that had belonged to Neil Armstrong achieved the top price of the sale, $150,000 from a US buyer.
This ¾-inch square scrap of muslin from a larger section of the Wright Flyer’s wing had provenance to Lester Gardner and Otto Kallir, both aviation historians. The tiny remnant was the first lot of the sale and achieved $20,000.
Auction Action In Dallas
Riding to a second-place finish at $100,000 was this 1¼-inch-square scrap of muslin from one of the Wright Flyer’s wings that had province to Neil Armstrong.
Gene Cernan, mission commander for Apollo 17, who once wrote about this intact lunar surface flight plan from the last Apollo mission, “This historic flight plan has been a treasured part of my personal space collection since 1972 and serves as a reminder to me of those final historic footprints that I placed on the Moon for all mankind!” Bidders agreed about its importance, taking it to $71,875.
DALLAS — Heritage Auctions, a market-maker in the field of space collectibles since 2007, conducted its Space Exploration Signature Auction in two sessions: a live session with in-room bidding on June 14 followed by an onlineonly session on June 15. Nearly 700 lots were presented to competitors around the world and the auction achieved $1,695,154, well ahead of its estimate of nearly $1.1 million. Antiques and The Arts Weekly reached out to Brad Palmer, Heritage’s director of Space Exploration, for some insights on the current market as well as some of the sale’s top lots.
“It did really well and we’re pleased. Every auction we get quite a few new bidders and this sale was no exception; the category just keeps on growing. Around 2021, we started noticing more bidders buying important items, and we’re seeing a lot more bidders in their 20s, 30s and 40s, which is very encouraging. And, while the majority of things in our sales stay in the United States, we have several dozen international collectors who are big collectors.”
Palmer noted that items connected with astronauts of the Space Race — the international
rivalry in the 1950s, 60s and 70s between the US and the USSR to lead in space exploration — are increasingly harder to find and acquire, not least because most of the astronauts have died.
Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the surface of the moon during the July 1969 flight of Apollo 11, remains arguably the most desirable figure, whose provenance will significantly add value to anything. Since 2018, Heritage has been offering things from Armstrong’s family — more than $8 million to date — and the sale included a few that brought the highest prices in this auction.
Minute fragments of the Wright Flyer, Orville and Wilbur Wright’s single-place biplane that made history in 1903 when it made the first manned flight of an aircraft, were flown on the Apollo 11 mission and two of them — both authenticated and encapsulated in plastic by Collectibles Authentication Guaranty (CAG) — were in the sale and had been owned by Armstrong; the two finished in first and second place. A sliver of spruce from the Wright Flyer’s propeller flew to $150,000, followed at $100,000 by a 1¼-by-1¼-inch square sec-
Flown on the Apollo 11 command module Columbia and owned by Neil Armstrong, this 6-by-4-inch silk American flag flew to $57,500.
Fred Haise, Apollo 13 mission lunar module pilot, owned this Apollo 13 flown silver Robbins medallions, which brought $42,500 and the highest price for any Robbins medallion offered in the auction.
Fred Haise collected silver Robbins medallions from the six Apollo flights that preceded his flight on Apollo 13. This group earned $37,500.
Owned by Fred Haise and worn aboard the Apollo 13 recovery ship, USS Iwo Jima, to meet President Richard Nixon. Bidding for the much-photographed hat topped off at $10,625.
Review by Madelia Hickman Ring, Editor Photos Courtesy Heritage Auctions
Described in the catalog as “exceedingly rare, potentially one of a kind,” this Apollo 12-flown gold Snoopy pin, presented with a crew mission insignia patch to NASA Apollo program director Rocco Petrone, earned $18,750.
tion of muslin from one of the Flyer’s wings. Palmer confirmed both were purchased by different US buyers.
Another scrap of muslin — one ¾-inch square — that had been part of a larger section of the Wright Flyer’s wing fabric lacked Armstrong provenance but had been bequeathed by Orville Wright to aviation expert Lester Gardner, who then passed it to aviation history collector Otto Kallir. Kallir used the fabric to make a 1:42 model of the Wright Flyer, which sold at auction (Bonhams New York, December 5, 2018). When the model was damaged in shipping, CAG experts removed the fabric from the wings and divided the wing fabric into small pieces, which were
Buzz Aldrin, mission lunar module pilot for Apollo 11, had owned this mission flown silver Robbins medallion. It sold for $30,000.
then sold to collectors. The tiny remnant achieved $20,000.
Another Armstrong-owned treasure was a CAG certified 6-by-4-inch silk American flag that had also been flown on the Apollo command module, Columbia (July 16-24, 1969). A half-dozen phone bidders pursued it to $57,500.
Palmer had a few favorite lots in the sale that he shared with us. One of them was a seven-page lunar surface flight plan — flown on the Apollo 17 module (December 7-19, 1972) — that came from the personal collection of mission commander Gene Cernan. Palmer explained that flight plans were often sold off page by page but this example was intact and bore on the back a label certify-
ing it came from his collection. Interest from bidders was intense, with more than 12 phone bidders chasing it to a final bid of $71,875.
Another of Palmer’s favorite lots was an Apollo 12-flown gold Snoopy pin presented to Rocco Petrone, director of NASA’s Apollo program. While silver Snoopy pins are more common — the auction had one that brought $18,750 — gold Snoopy pins are much rarer and the one Petrone had owned was the only one Palmer and his team had ever seen. Mounted in a presentation plaque with a 4-inch crew mission insignia patch, the pin also finished at $18,750.
Nearly 50 lots had provenance or connection to Fred Haise (b
This philatelic cover with a 10-cent “First Man on the Moon” stamp attached was signed – probably a week prior to the April 11 launch by four members of the Apollo 13 crew: James Lovell, Ken Mattingly, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert, who replaced Mattingly right before the mission departed. An impressive 35 phone bidders were registered to compete for the lot, which closed at $18,750.
An exceptionally rare memento from Apollo 13 was this engraved silver spoon given by Fred Haise to his mother. A lucky bidder scooped it up for $18,750.
1933), the lunar module pilot of Apollo 13 (April 11-17, 1970).
Leading this group at $42,500 was an Apollo 13-flown silver Robbins medallion; it was followed at $37,500 by a selection of six silver space-flown examples, collected by Haise from Apollo missions 7 (October 11-22, 1968) through 12 (November 14-24, 1969).
Going for $18,750 was an Apollo 13-flown silver spoon that had been given by Haise to his mother after the mission’s dramatic flight and landing. It was mounted with a plaque inscribed “To Mother In Remembrance/ Of An
New Lyman Allyn Art Museum Exhibition Showcases Works By Imna Arroyo
NEW LONDON, CONN. —
The Lyman Allyn presents a special exhibition by Puerto Rican artist Imna Arroyo, which showcases works in various disciplines and mediums from her early years (19681980s) when she began to assert her uniquely expressive Afro-Caribbean agency, through her 2022 mixed-media
installation, “Eleggua,” dedicated to Yoruba Orisha Eshu/Elegguá, representing the crossroads of the world and the opening of the paths. “Opening Paths” is on view through September 22.
Arroyo’s art explores connections between the African continent and its diaspora in an ongoing endeavor to reclaim a
lost and scattered heritage.
“Opening Paths” reflects the artist’s connectedness to her Afro-Caribbean heritage, giving voice to the stories and rich traditions of her ancestors.
“It is my intent to create art that heals the deep-seated collective wounds of history, as well as to celebrate the vibrancy and relevance of a long denied ancestral legacy of selfexpression,” Arroyo says.
Born in Guayama, Puerto Rico, Arroyo studied at La Escuela de Artes Plasticas del Instituto de Cultura in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and earned a BFA from Pratt Institute and her MFA from Yale University.
Arroyo has earned numerous awards and grants, among them the title of Connecticut State University Professor in 2010 in recognition of her teaching, mentorship and nationally and internationally acclaimed artistic achievements and, in 2007, the honorary title of Chief Yeye Agboola of Ido Osun (Chief Mother of the Garden of Honor) in recognition of selfless service to enrich the Ido-Osun Kingdom. She received the 2012 Outstanding Latino Cultural
Award from the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education for artistic achievements that have contributed significantly to the understanding of Latino culture.
The artist has exhibited extensively throughout the United States, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama, Mexico and the Czech Republic. Her work can be found in numerous collections including the Museum of Modern Art Library/Franklin Furnace Artist Book Collection, Yale Art Gallery and Schomberg Center for Research and Black Culture.
The Lyman Allyn Art Museum is at 625 Williams Street. For information, 860-443-2545 or www.lymanallyn.org.
WANTED
Antiques of all kinds. Will buy for cash or will sell on consignment –no
B & S Auction Service Thomas Barrows P.O. Box 141 Portland, Conn. Tel 860-342-2540
Event I'm Sure You Won't Soon/ Forget- Flown To Moon On Apollo 13/ April 11-17, 1970.”
Heritage Auctions will host a Space Exploration Showcase auction on September 28 and a Space Exploration Signature auction on December 6. Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 214-528-3500 or www.ha.com.
White Glove Sondheim Sale Totals $1.5 Million For Doyle
NEW YORK CITY — On June 18, Doyle auction house conducted its sale of the Stephen Sondheim collection, which totaled more than $1.5 million. What the firm called a “land-
mark sale” sold all 454 lots offered — also known as a “white glove” sale — which hailed from Sondheim’s Manhattan townhouse and his country home in Roxbury,
Closing the lid at $70,350 was this Fabergé enameled silvergilt and wood covered box in the shape of a billiards table. Made between 1908 and 1917 by workmaster Karl Armfelt in St Petersburg, Russia, it measured 2 inches high, 4¾ inches wide and 7¾ inches long ($12/18,000).
This vocal score of the 1959 musical Gypsy, inscribed to Sondheim by his collaborator and fellow composer Jule Styne and still in its original wrappers, danced its way to $14,080. Styne’s inscription read, “Dec. 28 1989/Dear Steve- The collaboration at the start of our friendship. I love you very much forever. Jule” ($800-$1,200).
Measuring 21 inches high, 27 inches wide and 17¼ inches deep was this Victorian architectural inlaid mahogany tabletop cabinet, which was inset with numerous cartes de viste photographs. The cabinet’s hinged top was surmounted with turned finials above a case with a central drop panel, which opened to reveal an interior fitted with 10 drawers, nine short and one long. It closed its doors at $21,760 ($1,5/2,500).
Conn. Sondheim was a lyricist and composer for well-known Broadway productions such as West Side Story, Gypsy, Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods and many others. “It was an amazing experience, really attributed to the wonderfulness of Sondheim’s fans, who came out in droves for the auction,” Peter Costanzo, director of rare books, autographs and photographs for Doyle shared with Antiques and The Arts Weekly. More than 1,000 people drawn to the auction through the firm’s exhibition of the collection, another 1,000 registered bidders through various platforms and a packed house of around 200 people on the day of the sale. The audience mostly hailed from the United States, with a number of English fans throwing in their bids as well. “There was competitive bidding on all
Review
by
Kiersten Busch, Assistant Editor
Courtesy Doyle Auction House
Sondheim’s gold record for the soundtrack to West Side Story from circa 1961, measuring 22 by 18 inches, realized $44,800 against a $1/1,500 estimate.
This stack of Sondheim’s fine personalized stationery and a signed spiral notebook drew bidders in, writing off at $15,360. The lot contained 8½-by-11-inch letterhead and notecards that had “Stephen Sondheim” at the head, which were bound with a Crane’s bellyband, and a stack of mid-sized sheets with a “Turkey Farm” header, a nickname for Sondheim’s Roxbury, Conn., residence. The spiral notebook contained a small pencil notation reading “Sondheim/Apple Lane/ Roxbury” ($300/500).
lots, and we sold all of them. It was a remarkable feeling to be associated with such a powerful auction,” explained Costanzo. Leading the day was a Fabergé enameled silver-gilt and wood covered box in the form of a billiards table, which soared past its estimate of $12/18,000 to achieve $70,350. The Fabergé box was designed by workmaster Karl Armfelt in St Petersburg, Russia, around 1908-17. The hinged top of the box was enameled to simulate green baize, contained three enameled balls and opened to reveal a silver-lined compartment. It was previously exhibited at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York City from April 22 to May 21, 1983, and appeared in literature accompanying the exhibition. “This piece was very rare for Fabergé,” explained Costanzo, “it was considered a piece of Fabergé furniture even though it’s a miniature. It really spoke to Sondheim’s collecting taste; he loved moveable and transformable objects and furniture…he was a very inquisitive mind, and this piece reflected that.”
Closing out the top three bestselling lots of the sale were Sondheim’s gold Columbia Masterworks records for the West Side Story soundtrack and its Broadway cast recording, which realized $44,800 and $28,800 respectively. These were Sondheim’s first gold records, both awarded to him circa 1961, for sales of more than 1 million LP records for
each. The gold record for West Side Story’s soundtrack was mounted above printed text that read “To Stephen Sondheim/In Commemoration of Sales/Over One Million Dollars/ for the/Columbia Long Playing Record/West Side Story/Original Sound Track Recording”; the cast recording record displayed a similar message. More Broadway-related items included three manuscript musical quotations, two from Into the Woods and one from Passion. All three, written in different colored inks, were signed by Sondheim and measured 11 by 14 inches. The highest selling of the three, earning $25,600, was an Into the Woods quotation, which included the lyrics “Careful the things you say, Children will listen….” The other Into the Woods quotation went for $16,640 while Passion’s sold for $14,080.
Bidders were also interested in personal items of Sondheim’s, including two lots of assorted thesauruses and other books owned and used by the composer. Four volumes of Roget’s International Thesaurus found a new home for $25,600, far exceeding their $200/300 estimate. The set of four included a first and second printing from 1946, with an eighth printing from 1953 and a 19th printing from 1960. According to the auction catalog, Sondheim’s use of the 1946 editions was documented in a 2010 interview with Jeffrey Brown of
Auction Action In New York City
This 3½-by-8¼-inch printed check from Broadway Music Inc., was made out to Sondheim on December 12, 1948, in the amount of 74 cents. It was the first royalty check Sondheim ever received, for royalties on three songs in his original musical Phinney’s Rainbow. It made its way to a new home for $20,480 ($100/200).
These four editions of Roget’s International Thesaurus used by Sondheim closed for $25,600, more than 85 times their high estimate. Included in the lot were printings from 1946, 1953 and 1960 ($200/300).
Photos
These George III mahogany library stepsmorphose into a table measured 40 inches high, 25½ inches wide and 17 inches deep and sold for $12,800
Selling for $15,360 was this French brass orrery on a hexagonal mahogany pedestal base. The 51¾-inch piece was protected in an acrylic glass box ($5/8,000).
PBS, where it was noted, “’Sondheim writes lying down, better for a quick nap when things aren’t going well, he says. He uses an old rhyming dictionary and a 1946 edition of Roget’s Thesaurus.’” A group of 13 dictionaries, thesauruses and books on crossword puzzles went for the same price as the Roget’s lot, against a $400/600 estimate. “While the price for thesauruses may seem quite high, it’s something that really reflects Sondheim’s curiosity and inquisitiveness and was used in the writing of his musicals,” added Costanzo.
Another personal item of Sondheim’s, the first royalty check he received for a published song, garnered a lot of attention from bidders. The royalty check was from 1948, during which time Sondheim was attending Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. Broadcast Music Inc., which published three of Sondheim’s songs from his first musical, Phinney’s Rainbow, wrote the check, which was dated December 12, 1948. Made out in type on the 3½-by-8¼-inch sheet was “Stephen Sondheim/Care of Cap
This Regency era inlaid mahogany and partially ebonized secretary bookcase, 78½ inches high, 54½ inches wide, 20¾ inches deep, went for more than 12 times its high estimate at $12,160 ($700-$1,000).
This 11-by-14-inch musical quotation manuscript from Into the Woods penned in silver ink and signed “Stephen Sondheim” with a header noting “Moderato” sold for $25,600 ($800-$1,200).
These two volumes of poems by T.S. Eliot, annotated by Sondheim, and two works on the poet sold together for $12,160. The lot contained “Four Quartets” (New York, Harcourt Base, 1943), “Collected Poems 19091935” (New York, Harcourt Brace, circa 1948), “The Composition of Four Quartets” (first edition, 1978) and “T.S. Eliot / The Waste Land” (first edition) ($200/300).
and Bels (sic)/of Williams College/Williamstown, MASS;” it was also signed in ink by two representatives. “This was a very rare item for anyone to have,” said Costanzo, “Most very accomplished people don’t retain that kind of object. It reflected his valid younger days as a composer.” The check was seemingly never cashed, as there were no cancel marks on it. Although Sondheim’s first royalty payment was a modest 74 cents, at auction, the check went for $20,480.
The Sondheim collection also featured almost 200 lots of furniture and decorative art from the composer’s two homes, including a 21-inch-high Victorian architectural inlaid mahogany tabletop cabinet inset with cartes de viste photographs which crossed the block for $21,760, a French brass orrey on a hexagonal mahogany pedestal base earning $15,360, a mahogany George III set of library steps that metamorphosed into a table that realized $12,800, and a Regencyera inlaid mahogany and part-ebonized secretary bookcase selling for $12,160.
This handmade ceramic chess set with pieces based on characters from Sondheim’s musicals had 32 ceramic chess pieces in blue or pink and came with the black and white glazed chess board and a wooded storage box with “S. Sondheim” engraved on the lid. The pieces and board were in pristine condition, which encouraged bidders to push the set to $11,520 ($500/800).
These eight caricatures of Sondheim, comprising of original art and printed examples, ranged from small graphics to a 26-by-25-inch portrait. They were all framed and realized $12,800 ($800-$1,200).
A few interesting art pieces relating to Sondheim or his career earned enough attention from bidders to place in the top 20 lots. A three-dimensional caricature of Sweeney Todd characters Mrs Lovett and Sweeney Todd, signed “J. Tufaro ‘11” on the base, went home to its new owner for $15,360, above its high estimate of $12,000. For $12,800, eight caricatures of Sondheim, comprising of original and printed examples, crossed the block for just over estimate. The works ranged from a 26-by-25-inch portrait of Sondheim signed “Kraloff 2012” to a pen and ink caricature of Sondheim and Madonna by John Minnion for a circa 1990 edition of The New York Times Bidders strategically played against one another to push a handmade ceramic chess set to $11,520. It included 32 blue and pink pieces, which represented various characters from Sondheim’s musicals, including Sweeney Todd, Mrs Lovett, Robert from Company, Fosca from Passion and the Jets and Sharks from West Side Story The pieces and the ceramic
Signed “J. Tufaro ‘11” was this three-dimensional caricature of Sweeney Todd characters, which crossed the block for $15,360. The first painted character was the eponymous Sweeney Todd, standing with an open razor atop Mrs Lovett’s shop. The second depicted Mrs Lovett, making meat pies ($800-$1,200).
chess board, glazed in black and white, came in a lidded wooden box with a padded velvet-lined interior. It also included a sheet of paper identifying all of the characters represented on the chess pieces. Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For more information, www.doyle.com or 212427-2730.
This large portrait of Sondheim after the Al Hirschfield original was done in white acrylic paint on plexiglass, presented over a turquoisetinted foamcore panel. It depicted Sondheim writing at the piano, cigarette dangling from his lips. The painting measured 60 by 29½ inches framed and exchanged hands for $11,520 ($600/800).
INTERNATIONAL
Climate Protesters Arrested Over Spraying Orange Paint On Stonehenge Monument
By Brian Melley
LONDON (AP) — Two climate protesters who sprayed orange paint on the ancient Stonehenge monument in southern England were arrested Wednesday, June 19, after two bystanders appeared to intervene and stop them.
The latest act by Just Stop Oil was quickly condemned by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as a “disgraceful act of vandalism.” Labour leader Keir Starmer, his main opponent in the election next month, called the group “pathetic” and said the damage was “outrageous.”
The incident came just a day before thousands are expected to gather at the roughly 4,500-yearold stone circle to celebrate the summer solstice — the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
English Heritage, which man-
ages the site, said it was “extremely upsetting” and said curators were investigating the damage.
Just Stop Oil said the paint was made of cornstarch and would dissolve in the rain.
Video released by the group showed a man it identified as Rajan Naidu, 73, unleash a fog of orange from a fire extinguisherstyle paint sprayer at one of the vertical stones.
As voices can be heard yelling “Stop,” a person wearing a ballcap and raincoat ran up and grabbed Naidu’s arm and tried to pull him away from the monument. A man in a blue shirt joined in and wrestled the paint sprayer away.
The second protester, identified as Niamh Lynch, 21, managed to spray three stones before the first bystander in the hat stopped her.
Wiltshire Police said the pair were arrested on suspicion of
damaging one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Stonehenge was built on the flat lands of Salisbury Plain in stages starting 5,000 years ago, with the unique stone circle erected in the late Neolithic period about 2,500 BCE.
Just Stop Oil is one of many environmental groups around Europe that have received attention — and blowback — for disrupting sporting events, splashing paint and food on famous works of art and interrupting traffic to draw attention to global warming.
The group said it acted in response to the Labour Party’s recent election manifesto. Labour has said that if it wins the election on July 4, it would not issue further licenses for oil and gas explo-
FAMM, The First Private Museum In Europe
To Female Artists, Is Set To
MOUGINS, FRANCE — Female Artists of the Mougins Museum (FAMM) will unveil to the public from June 21 onwards, over a hundred works created by more than 80 female artists from around the world. The four floors of the former Mougins Museum of Classic Art (MACM), located in the heart of the historic village of Mougins since 2011, will now house a breathtaking array of A-plus artworks, including paintings, sculptures and photographs, by top women artists who have marked the major artistic movements from the Nineteenth Century to the present day.
Christian Levett, an art collector for nearly 30 years and recognized for his philanthropic commitments in the arts and other causes, is the originator of this ambitious project. The wider Levett Collection features an expanding array of more than 500 works by female artists, which will be showcased through regular rotations at the museum. FAMM will offer visitors an unprecedented museum experience in the south of France.
“Having collected art for a quarter of a century, my tastes have evolved so I think it's time for the museum to evolve, too. I am looking forward to opening our new museum FAMM,
ration. Just Stop Oil backs the moratorium but said it is not enough.
In a statement, the group said Labour, which is leading in polls and widely expected by pundits and politicians to lead the next government, needs to go further and sign a treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.
Dedicated
Open Its Doors In Mougins
which I am certain will quickly become a must-visit destination for art lovers, students, researchers and curators alike,” declared Levett.
Heading a collection of approximately 2,000 works, Levett has repeatedly demonstrated his desire to increase the visibility of female artists. Since March 2021, he organizes private tours of his Florence palazzo, entirely decorated with works by women, for groups of museum patrons, academics and collectors.
He has curated exhibitions and, in 2023, published the book Abstract Expressionists: The Women , giving a history of the often- overlooked women artists of this period, backed by his collection. The reopening of the Mougins Museum on June 21 as FAMM, enhances his advocacy for women in the arts. Among the great names in art history, FAMM will exhibit works by Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès, Blanche Hoschedé- Monet, Louise Nevelson, Barbara Hepworth, Frida Kahlo, Leonor Fini, Lee Krasner, Maria Helena Vieira Da Silva, Dorothea Tanning, Louise Bourgeois, Leonora Carrington, Elaine de Kooning, Lalan (Xie Jinglan), Joan Mitchell, Alma Thomas, Helen Frankenthaler, Niki de Saint-Phalle,
Howardena Pindell, Marina Abramović, Marlene Dumas, Nan Goldin, Carrie Mae Weems, Sarah Lucas, Shirin Neshat, Tracey Emin, Cecily Brown, Jenny Saville, Alice Neel, Elizabeth Colomba, as well as numerous works by top emerging female artists.
The origin of Levett’s collection dates back to the mid-1990s. Driven by his passion for art and history, he established the Museum of Classical Art in Mougins in 2011, famous for its juxtaposition of ancient artifacts and modern art. As he continuously enriched his collection, Levett became captivated by the museum-quality works created by women. Subsequently, he acquired numerous pieces created by both established and emerging female artists.
FAMM will play a key role in championing women artists alongside already established institutions such as the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, or the Frauenmuseum in Bonn, Germany. It is also important to highlight that the number of temporary exhibitions dedicated to these “forgotten” artists has rapidly increased in recent years in major museums worldwide: Musée d’Orsay, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de
“Continuing to burn coal, oil and gas will result in the death of millions,” the group said in a statement.
a
Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris, Centre Pompidou, Denver Art Museum, Royal Academy of London, Guggenheim Bilbao and many others. Among the many initiatives undertaken to address this topic, it is important to mention the numerous research projects, publications, conferences and podcasts, such as Katy Hessel’s The Great Women Artists , and organizations such as AWARE that greatly contribute to the dissemination of these studies and to creating an inclusive and diverse artistic landscape.
FAMM is at 32 Rue Commandeur. For information, www.famm.com/en-gb.
Rubens Sketch Restituted To German Castle
GOTHA, GERMANY — “Saint Gregory of Nazianzus,” an oil sketch by Peter Paul Rubens, is returning to Friedenstein Castle in Gotha, Germany, after its disappearance following World War II. This work, which was dated to 1621, along with four others like it, had been missing since the end of the war. The sketch of Saint Gregory was one of three paintings removed from the castle to keep them safe from the Red Army. Still, they were ultimately sold to Americans by a former German duchess who was related to British royalty. The other two
missing works were not guarded and were taken from the castle by the Red Army. These two were returned to East Germany in 1958 as part of a mass repatriation.
After making its way to America, “Saint Gregory of Nazianzus” was sold by E.&A. Silberman Galleries, New York City, to the Albright Gallery, Buffalo, N.Y. It was then passed down to the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, which has a focus on modern and contemporary art. As such, the museum moved to bring the work to auction through Christie’s,
though the auction house, which has experience returning works to Gotha, convinced the institution to sell it back. Tobias Pfeifer-Heike, director of Friedenstein Stiftung Gotha, the association in charge of the castle property, said that the association “aims to restore the historical integrity of the collection, especially with regard to this highlight, the set of five sketches by Rubens. I am delighted, therefore, that with ‘Saint Gregory of Nazianzus,’ one of the lost works has found its way back to Friedenstein.”
Compiled By Antiques and The Arts Weekly
Madelia Hickman Ring & Carly Timpson
In this handout photo, Just Stop Oil protesters sit after spraying an orange substance on Stonehenge, in Salisbury, England, Wednesday, June 19, 2024 (Just Stop Oil via AP).
Seventeenth Century oil painting depicting Saint Gregory of Nazianzus by Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 15771640). Photo courtesy Christie’s.
Museum of Latin American Art In Buenos Aires — John Baldessari: The End Of The Line
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — The Museum of Latin American Art in Buenos Aires (MALBA) has announced “John Baldessari: The End of The Line,” the first South American survey devoted to the pioneer of conceptual art. On view at MALBA from July 17 to October 30, the exhibition features a selection of 45 works, spanning paintings, photographs and installations drawn from the collection of Craig Robins — a friend, promoter, close interlocutor and one of the most important collectors of Baldessari’s work.
“John Baldessari: The End of the Line” reviews 50 years of the artist’s work organized in four thematic groupings by Karen Grimson, curator of the Craig Robins Collection. The exhibition highlights Baldessari’s foundational works from the 1960s-70s; the radical incineration of his own work; his serial approach to photography; and his ongoing exploration of the interplay between imagery and language, between the world of text and that of ideas.
John Baldessari (American, 1931-2020) started his artistic career in the field of painting, and in the mid-1960s he began to incorporate texts and photographs into his canvases, questioning the limits of painting,
By JaMey Keaten
and the authorial notion of the work of art. Starting in 1970, after cremating the paintings made between 1953 and 1966, he began to work in film, video, installation, and continued to develop his photographic practice, in works that explore the narrative connotations of images in tandem with the associative potential of language. Baldessari is recognized for his influence on generations of artists through decades of teaching at the California Institute of the Arts (Valencia, Calif.) and the University of California, Los Angeles.
In August 1974, the Centro de Arte y Comunicación (CAYC) organized Baldessari’s first exhibition in Argentina, presenting the artist’s book Throwing Three Balls in the Air to Get a Straight Line (Best of Thirty-Six Attempts) (1973). Fifty years later, the presentation of Craig Robins Collection at MALBA offers an integral perspective of the artist’s development, incorporating the original images from that book into the broader context of his exceptional career.
The exhibition begins with a cluster of foundational works that introduce the Baldessarian approach towards artistic conventions. “Clement Greenberg” (1966-68), the earliest piece in the show, serves as the conceptual anchor of this group, and is
part of the series of text canvases painted by a professional signmaker, by commission of the artist.
One of Baldessari’s favorite resources, the photographic camera was the medium through which he most frequently explored ideas of causality and repetition to debunk and transgress artistic mandates. For instance, in the photographic series “Aligning: Balls (Version A)” (1972), each image features a colored ball marking the midpoint of alignment with the next, creating a linear yet irregular sequence.
A visual collector, Baldessari amassed an extensive figurative atlas consisting of still photographs, film and newspaper clippings, screen captures and other reproductions, which he freely incorporated into his practice. In the 1980s, he began obscuring fragments, faces and other details of these appropriated images with multicolor circular stickers.
The final core of the exhibition presents works by Baldessari that reference a genealogy of art from which the artist draws. References to Francisco de Goya (“That Always Happens, Tetrad Series”) (1997, 1999), Marcel Duchamp (“Repositories”) (2002) and Fernando Pessoa, among others, delineate a constellation
of artists and poets whose exploration of image and word shapes the Baldessarian method, which oscillates between conceptualism and figuration. The section also includes works from the “Double Vision” (2011) series, where the juxtaposition of disparate images and captions prompts confusion.
Baldessari was born in National City, Calif., 11 miles from the United States-Mexico border. He began his artistic career in the field of painting after studying art in San Diego State College.
The Craig Robins Collection brings together a significant cluster of contemporary art and design, and includes works by the Latin American artists Guillermo Kuitca, Jorge Macchi, Jac Lierner, Tunga, Gabriel Orozco, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Jill Mulleady, among others. Located in Miami, in the southern United States, the collection is exhibited at Dacra’s offices in the Miami Design District, with annual thematic exhibitions. Dacra’s chief executive officer and real estate developer, Robins began collecting the work of John Baldessari in 1993, following his interest in the work of artists who had been students of Baldessari (David Salle and Mike Kelley, among others). In the next two decades, Robins acquired nearly 50 works by Baldessari, and developed a close friendship with the artist. In 2014, Baldessari created two public artworks, “Fun” (Parts 1, 2), commissioned by Robins for the Miami Design District. Following Baldessari’s death, Robins organized a posthumous exhibition in 2021 as a tribute, showcasing Baldessari’s sketches, projects, paintings, photographs, sculptures, and collages at Dacra’s offices.
The Museum of Latin American Art in Buenos Aires is at Avenue Presidente Figueroa Alcorta 3415. For more information, www.malba.org.ar/eng.
Swiss Museum Pulls Down Works By Artists Like Monet, Van Gogh As Origin Of Nazi-Looted Art Examined
GENEVA (AP) — A Swiss museum on Thursday, June 20, pulled down five paintings, including a van Gogh and a Monet, after the foundation that owns them called for a deeper look at their origins following new US guidelines on how to handle artworks once confiscated by the Nazis.
The Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection, which owns the works formerly shown at the Kunsthaus Zürich museum, said it was looking to reach a “fair and equitable solution” with the legal successors of the former owners, who were not identified.
The foundation’s board called
for a new assessment of the works under new “Best Practices” published by the US State Department in March on how to deal with Nazi-confiscated art, as an upgrade to principles adopted in 1998.
“This is an important step in implementing the new Best Practices, now endorsed by 24 countries, including Switzerland,” Stuart Eizenstat, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s special adviser on Holocaust issues and a key architect of the principles, said in an email.
The works include the oil paintings “Jardin de Monet à Giverny” by Claude Monet from 1895, and “Der alte Turm” by
Vincent van Gogh, of 1884. The other three are Nineteenth Century works by French painters Gustave Courbet, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Gauguin.
A sixth painting, Edouard Manet’s “La Sultane,” was also considered as “a case deserving particular attention,” the foundation said in a statement last Friday, June 14.
The foundation said it was ready to make a financial contribution to the estate of Max Silberberg, a German Jew and art collector who died with his wife at the Nazi death camp in Auschwitz, in connection with the Manet out of respect to his “tragic destiny.”
Bührle, a German-born industrialist and weapons manufacturer who became Swiss in the late 1930s, oversaw a company that supplied the Axis powers including Nazi Germany, the foundation said.
Its collection of 203 works, given as a permanent loan to the Zurich museum in October 2021, is “one of the world’s most important collections of Impressionism with world-famous works by Van Gogh, Renoir, Cézanne, Manet, etc.,” the foundation said.
It said it has no reason to believe that other works in the collection fall under the scope of the “best practices,” but it will assess any new findings from
previously undiscovered sources along with museum curators.
The foundation has issued a list of all 633 works that the industrialist acquired between 1936 and 1956, and says a review of the origins of those works was updated last year.
The five works were pulled down as part of a new assessment.
After World War II, Douglas Cooper, a British army officer and art connoisseur, was asked by the Allies to investigate the disappearance of thousands of artworks. In a report that was declassified in Washington in 1975, Cooper identified Bührle as the largest Swiss buyer of art taken by the Nazis.
Escher In The Palace Acquires Unique ‘White Cat’ And Discovers Text Written By M.C. Escher
THE HAGUE — Museum
Escher in The Palace in The Hague has acquired a unique work by Maurits Cornelis Escher (Netherlands, 18981972). When the “White Cat” woodcut counterproof arrived at the museum and was inspected, previously unknown handwritten text by Escher about the print was revealed under the mount.
Escher made this work when
he had just moved to Haarlem in 1919, to study at the School of Architecture and Decorative Arts. His landlady gave him a white cat as a pet. The animal became a favorite subject for Escher. He filled a sketchbook with drawings of the cat and depicted it in three woodcuts. Twice, the cat is featured as the main subject, while in the third she lies on the sitter’s lap. All three prints will be on display
at Escher in The Palace through September 15.
The fact that this version of “White Cat” is a counterproof is apparent from the monogram, which appears in mirror-image. At the start of his career, especially, Escher often experimented with counterproofs, which allowed him to make an impression of the image as he saw it.
In the text, Escher described in detail why he made this par-
ticular counterproof. Unfortunately, parts of the text had been cut away or erased. This probably happened decades ago when the work was framed, as the text must have been regarded as less important than the image. But Escher experts refused to admit defeat and set to work like true detectives. After thorough research, they managed to fill in parts of the missing text, to make it read-
able again. Unfortunately, however, one sentence had been erased so completely that it can no longer be reconstructed, so we can only guess what it might have said. The text will be on display in the exhibition, and members of the press may request a copy.
Museum Escher in The Palace is at Lange Voorhout 74. For additional information, www.escherinhetpaleis.nl.
Material Culture Rolls Up Fine Textile Arts
Auction Action In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — Material
Culture hosted two days of auctions devoted to fine textile arts and fine rugs, kilims and trappings on June 17-18. Day two saw the highest-priced item in the sale in the form of a fine South Coast tunic from the imperial Wari culture, 700900 CE, which sold for $15,000. It is not known who originally owned and wore the 3-foot-4inch-by-6-foot-2-inch garment, but the catalog noted these rare codified tunics were only worn by the elite members of society. The textile featured a wine-colored ground split by two prominent design stripes, each showing repeated serial images of twin interlocking stepped latch hooks — possibly a version of yin and yang — separated by a black line on the diagonal. Warrior head
profiles wearing simple caps show edthe essential Wari split eye, square nose and deep prominent mouth. These two motifs were shown in the same form in 80 boxes, while each side selvage featured the same ideas in the unique compressed Wari style. Catalog notes described it as “a tour de force of textile fabrication...[that] displays the wearer's exceptional nature to all who see it.”
Day one was led by an unusual Navajo weaving, which was possibly a double saddle, selling at $7,500. Crafted circa 1900, the 2-foot-11-inch-by-4foot-5-inch weaving was of wool pile, wool warp and wool weft. It was the Princeton, N.J. estate of Elizabeth and Richard Ettinghausen, he a German-American historian of Islamic art and chief curator of
Leading the second day, and the auction overall, was this fine South Coast tunic from the imperial Wari culture, 700-900 CE, which sold for $15,000. These rare codified tunics were only worn by the elite members of society.
A
Century
the Freer Gallery and his wife, an art historian. From the Ronnie New man collection, a pair of Nineteenth Century Shahsevan Khorjin Sumak bags, Transcau casus, attained $6,350. And, at $6,000, a central Anatolian woolen kilim from Turkey, early Nine teenth Century, was a rare example of a singleheaded zoomorphic fig ure. There are only three published examples, according to catalog notes.
Another day two heavy hitter was a Balandran alpaca poncho, Seven teenth or Eighteenth Century, which brought $12,700. Exceptionally large and in perfect con
Review by W.A. Demers, Senior Editor Photos Courtesy Material Culture
dition, this piece featured a two-color warp curvilinear snake-like patterned border and a two-color warp zigzag neck trim. Nine multicolored stripe bands were interspersed with 10 wide unicolor cochineal dyed bands. Four reverse spun stripes on each side were woven into the poncho to ward off evil spirits. The piece was featured in the 1978 exhibit, “Weaving Traditions,” at the Craft & Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles.
A turban from the Sihuas River Valley, South Coast, Sihuas Culture, 100-400 CE, wound up at $10,400. Considered the best of the wellknown textile crowns of the Sihuas people, it displayed what are referred to as repeated “spider”
A turban from the Sihuas River Valley, South Coast, Sihuas Culture, 100-400 CE, wound up at $10,400.
images separated by doubleheaded serpents. Catalog notes explain that those “spider” patterns are actually three yellow stylized shaman figures whose oversized arms, hands, feet and legs link heaven and earth. Their heads are depicted in three slightly different forms atop the rectangular bodies, and the loins below are always in close proximity to the stylized serpents. The torsos contain four-color concentric diamonds and have fourcolor power stripes emanating from their sides.
A Balandran alpaca poncho, Seventeenth or Eighteenth Century, brought $12,700. It was large and in perfect condition, featuring a two-color warp curvilinear snake-like patterned border and a two-color warp zigzag neck trim.
The Samoan ceremonial ‘le Toga — a finely woven mat that held the highest cultural value in the Samoan culture — was traditionally made only by women. Woven of thinly sliced leaves, the mats were not used for sitting. With dimensions of 4 feet 10 inches by 5 feet 6 inches, this mat fetched $6,250.
A central Anatolian woolen kilim from Turkey, early Nineteenth Century, made $6,000. It was a rare example of a single-headed zoomorphic figure, of which there are only three published examples, according to catalog notes.
Fetching $6,250 was a Samoan ceremonial ‘le Toga — a finely woven mat that held the highest cultural value in the Samoan culture. These were traditionally made only by women, forming an integral part of their role and identity within their community. Woven of thinly sliced leaves, they were never used as sitting mats. The mat measured 4 feet 10 inches by 5 feet 6 inches. Finally, a Nineteenth Century large Greek composite silk embroidery, 7 feet 4 inches by 8 feet 8 inches, made $6,175. Prices given include the buyer’s premium as stated by the auction house. For information, www.materialculture.com or 215-438-4700.
Day one was led by this unusual Navajo weaving, which was possibly a double saddle, selling at $7,500. Crafted circa 1900, the 2-foot-11-inch-by-4-foot-5inch weaving was from the Princeton, N.J., estate of Elizabeth and Richard Ettinghausen.
Nineteenth
large Greek composite silk embroidery made $6,175.
From the Ronnie Newman collection, a pair of Nineteenth Century Shahsevan Khorjin Sumak bags, Transcaucasus, attained $6,350.
Mary Cassatt
Philadelphia Museum of Art
BY KAY KOENINGER;
ALL
WORKS
OF ART BY
MARY CASSATT
PHILADELPHIA — Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) presents us with many anomalies. She was a major exception to her time and artistic milieu. She was a professional artist at a time when very few women (especially upperclass women) were able to do so. She was an American, but she spent most of her life in France and built her career there. Despite the challenges of gender and nationality, she was a full-fledged member of the Impressionists and showed in all their major exhibitions. She was extremely successful and exhibited regularly in both France and the United States and was also known as a shrewd appraiser of the art market and trusted advisor to important collectors. She confidently worked in different media and was especially known for her expertise in
printmaking, a technical medium considered, at the time, to be more “masculine” than either painting or pastel, her other favored materials. In the words of Laurel Garber, The Park Family assistant curator of prints and drawings at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and one of the curators of the museum’s new exhibition, “Mary Cassatt at Work,” the artist “…lived a life of compelling contrasts.”
But her subject matter, viewed from a Twenty-First Century viewpoint, does not seem to fit our ideas of exceptionalism. Women at the opera and women sewing. Children, more children and even babies. Women and children. Domestic interiors. No landscapes. What is going on here? Why would such an artist confine herself to these subjects?
“Mary Cassatt at Work,” on view until September 8, addresses this question in detail. The answer is found in the word “work.” The exhibition is a joint venture with the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, where it will travel after its showing in Philadelphia, and is drawn from the collections of both museums as well as collections from across the United States. It is the first Cassatt show in Philadelphia since 1985 and will be the first ever solo exhibition of Cassatt in San Francisco. For Garber, research for the show was enriched by 84 Cassatt works and a collection of Cassatt family letters at the host institution.
In the foreword to the lengthy exhibition catalog, Cassatt is quoted from one of her letters, when she exclaims, “Oh the dignity of work…” The catalog notes that Cas-
“Little Girl in a Blue Armchair,” 1877-78, oil on canvas, 35¼ by 51-1/8 inches. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC: Collection of Mr and Mrs Paul Mellon, 1983.1.18.
“A Goodnight Hug,” 1880, pastel on brown paper laid down on board, 16-9/16 by 24¾ inches.
“Mary Ellison Embroidering,” 1877, oil on canvas, 28¾ by 23 inches. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Gift of the children of Jean Thompson Thayer, 1986, 1986-108-1.
“Driving,” 1881, oil on canvas, 35-5/16 by 51-3/8 inches. Philadelphia Museum of Art: Purchased with the W.P. Wilstach Fund, W1921-1-1.
Mary Cassatt
satt mentioned work frequently in her correspondence and this focus, combined with her attention to the women of her time, holds a key to understanding her art. According to Garber, Cassatt’s art offers a unique perspective on “artistic labor, gendered work and the role of the artist.”
Cassatt rejected the Renaissance ideal of the artist as fueled only by inspiration and genius and distanced from physical labor. Instead, she saw herself as a worker, which can be seen as a modern idea. That classification for an artist, at least in the United States, did not become common until the 1930s. And even though Cassatt was from an upper-class background, her family disapproved of her art career and did not monetarily support any of the expenses related to her art making. Cassatt had to sell her art, as a worker, in order to support its production. She rebelled against the expectation that a “lady” artist must be an amateur. Her decision to become a professional artist against the wishes of her family and the expectations of her culture was a brave one.
Her upper-class background, even in the late Nineteenth Century, also dictated her social interactions. As an upper-class woman, Cassatt could not frequent Parisian bars and cafes, or freely stroll the streets, unlike the other male Impressionists. Approved public spaces for her included the opera, gardens and domestic interiors, all in the company of approved others, preferably family members. Women were the accepted subject unless men were from her family or their social circle. These environments dominate her art.
These two aspects of Cassatt’s life — her need to see her art as work in order to secure her place in a masculine world and the restrictions dictated by her class and gender — provide a new lens for the viewer.
“Mary Cassatt at Work” demonstrates that an important element of Cassatt’s figural work was her emphasis on hands in action. Because she saw herself as a worker, she was sensitive to other women as workers as well.
“The Bath,” 1890-91, color drypoint, aquatint and soft-ground etching from two plates, printed à la poupée, on ivory laid paper, plate 12-5/8 by 9¾ inches. Art Institute of Chicago, Mr and Mrs Martin A. Ryerson Collection, 1932.1287.
and
Strong hands, firmly gripping the child, are a hallmark of such paintings as “Maternal Caress” (1896). Cassatt’s depictions of “mothers and children” often did not include real mothers at all but paid models — women at work. The lack of sentimentality in these depictions are also tied to the modern idea that childcare is work. The physicality of childcare is also shown in Cassatt’s prints, such as her etching, “The Bath” (1890-91).
Cassatt’s depiction of childcare was so extensive that it also included breast feeding. Nursing was not a forbidden topic for other Impressionists, but they did not explore it with Cassatt’s frequency. One of her examples is “Nursing” (1890). In this etching, the artist uses a simple linear quality to depict the caregiver and the child. It is lacking sentimentality and without the romantic garden setting used by other Impressionists in their nursing depictions. The woman seems distant, or tired, pointing to the fact that she is probably a hired wet nurse. She is a worker.
Another aspect of “women’s work” for Cassatt were the fiber handicrafts. She often shows women crocheting, embroidering or even weaving. In the painting “Lydia Seated in the Garden with a Dog in Her Lap” (1878-79), despite the fact that her back is turned to us, the focal point of Cassatt’s sister’s hands shows that she is crocheting. Even though she is in the relaxing atmosphere of a blooming garden, she is actively engaged in a complex task. A more traditional frontal view of a woman engaged in textile art is seen in “Mary Ellison Embroidering” (1877).
Though Cassatt’s art usually depicts women active in their own “sphere,” one of her paintings shows a woman engaged in what was considered a male occupation. In “Driving” (1881), the woman is shown driving a carriage, the coachman relegated to the back. She expertly holds the reins and the whip and is intensely focused on the job at hand. The child is holding on to the side of the carriage to suggest that they are traveling at a fairly fast clip. Because of Cassatt’s highly productive and long career, she was able to explore technical innovations in media other than painting, and this aspect of her work is fully discussed in the exhibition catalog.
Her work in prints was central to her, and, in fact, she often would exhibit more prints than paintings during a year. Like most avant-garde artists of the time, Cassatt was drawn to the spontaneity of etching and its many
“The Visitor,” circa 1881, soft-ground, aquatint, etching, drypoint,
fabric texture, plate: 15-5/8 by 12-1/8 inches. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
“Woman at Her Toilette,” circa 1891, oil on canvas, approximately 30 by 25 inches. Private Collection.
“The Letter,” 1890-91, color drypoint and aquatint on laid paper, 13-9/16 by 8-15/16 inches. Private collection. Courtesy of Waqas Wajahat, New York.
“Woman in a Loge,” 1879, oil on canvas, 32 by 23-5/16 inches. Philadelphia Museum of Art: Bequest of Charlotte Dorrance Wright, 1978, 1978-1-5.
“Maternal Caress,” 1896, oil on canvas, 15 by 21¼ inches. Philadelphia Museum of Art: Bequest of Aaron E. Carpenter, 1970-75-2.
variations. She was not afraid to use a variety of etching techniques in one print. “The Visitor” (1881), combines soft ground aquatint, dry point, and etching to produce a showcase of texture and tone. The print also expertly explores the tension between flat and three-dimensional space.
Cassatt, more than any other Impressionist except for Degas, incorporated elements of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints into her printmaking oeuvre. In “The Letter” (1890-91), the composition includes Japanese-inspired pattern, cropping, strong diagonal lines and areas of flatness.
Cassatt’s print making interests also often informed her painting, although in more subtle ways. One of her most well-known works, “Little Girl in a Blue Armchair” (1877-78), is awash with pattern. For once a child is shown without a caregiver; the little girl, by herself, sprawls informally in a large armchair. The interplay of flat and dimensional space offers relief from the large areas of blue.
Another medium in which Cassatt distinguished herself was pastel. The catalog states how its quick application was perfect for capturing restless children. She used both textured paper and canvas coated with a variety of gritty primers. “In the Loge” (1879), captures Cassatt’s expertise in pastel and also shows her innovative use of gold paint. The large fan is an obvious nod to japonisme as well as divider between the public space of the theater and the privacy of the loge. In other pastels, such as “A Goodnight Hug” (1880), she expertly combined finished figures with a sketchy background.
In contrast to the public space of the theater, Cassatt also explored private domestic activities. “Woman at Her Toilette” (circa 1891), shows how the artist applied a sketch aesthetic to paint, as well as cropping and the combination of both overhead and profile perspectives. The work is devoid of the awkward poses and voyeuristic atmosphere of similar subjects by Degas.
The catalog and exhibition also explore in detail other aspects of Cassatt’s artistic and personal life, such as her technical innovations in painting, prints and pastels, including her deep knowledge of materials, her comfort with combining different media, and her dedication to working and reworking her images. Her mural work for the Women’s Building at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and her support of the women’s
“Family Group Reading,”
“In the Loge,” 1879, pastel with gold metallic paint on canvas. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs Sargent McKean, 1950-52-1.
suffrage movement are also highlighted.
“Mary Cassatt at Work” offers the viewer a unique perspective on one of the most important American artists of the last half of the Nineteenth Century. Many of us have shortchanged her as we focused on her subjects of children, babies and women in stereotypical settings. She was up to something deeper — a more accurate, non-
“Nursing,”
romanticized view of the world of women in her time. And as Cassatt saw herself as a worker, there was another crucial characteristic of the subjects she chose. They sold.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is at 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. For more information, 215-763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
“Repose,”
circa 1890, drypoint on laid paper, 9-3/16 by 6-9/16 inches. Marc Rosen and Susan Pinsky, Marc Rosen Fine Art, Ltd.
circa 1890, drypoint on laid paper, 9-7/8 by 7 inches. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Gift of Mrs Horace Binney Hare, 1956.1956-113-9.
1898, oil on canvas, 22-3/8 by 44-5/16 inches. Philadelphia Museum of Art: Gift of Mr and Mrs J. Watson Webb, 1942. 1942-102-1.
“Lydia Seated in the Garden with a Dog on Her Lap,” 1878-79, oil on canvas, 10¾ by 16 inches. Cathy Lasry, New York City.
Auction Action In Duxbury, Mass.
Purely Shaker: Willis Henry Auction Totals Almost $300,000
Selling for $42,500 and the highest price of the sale was this 130-page, leather bound, handwritten compendium of Shaker hymns, poems and musical notes, which had been gathered from various communities and dated to the early 1840s, the time of the Era of Manifestations.
DUXBURY, MASS. — Willis Henry, along with his wife Karel, conducted their first auction of Shaker material in 1982. Their auctions, with nothing but Shaker-made items, have taken place almost every year since. Willis said, “I think there have been about 40; I know we skipped a couple of years because we didn’t have enough material for a sale.” As a result of this long involvement with the community of Shaker collectors, he knows the material and the buyers. He has seen enough Shaker material to know the difference between good, better and best, and recognizes common items from those he hasn’t seen before. When he uses the word “rare” in a catalog description, which isn’t often, there’s a reason for it. Much of the material he offers for sale comes from
for
& Onsite
by
The sale included many labor-saving devic es, for which the Shakers are also known. This adjustable bottle filler, was designed to simplify filling pill bottles for their medicinal business and sold for $531.
collections assembled 40, 50 or 60 years ago. At that time, collectors and dealers were buying directly from the surviving Shakers and the Shaker communities, so the authenticity of the items was assured. His June 22 sale featured 186 lots, only six of which failed to sell, and totaled $295,568.
The top lot of the sale, earning $42,500 and well over its estimate, was a compendium of Shaker hymns, poems and musical notes and included “spirit drawings,” which had been gathered together from a number of Shaker communities, including Mount Lebanon (New Lebanon, N.Y.), Enfield (Enfield, N.H.) and Canterbury (Canterbury, N.H.), Union Village (Warren County, Ohio) and Whitewater (Harrison, Ohio) and others. Several of the original authors were identified and several had connections to Native Americans. All had been transcribed by the same hand, in blue ink on approximately 130 pages, between 1840 and 1845.
This time period was known as Era of Manifestations and the volume included songs that were spiritual messages from the deceased Mother Ann Lee, the founder of the Shaker movement, as well as from other early leaders of the church. The hymnal was bound in leathercovered boards with the name “DeWitt C. Brainard” in gilt lettering on the spine.
front page of The New York Times, May 12, 1897. The book was bought by dealer Drew Epstein, Swampscot, Mass., and will be for sale.
Brainard, who entered the church at the age of two, was a trustee and elder of the Mount Lebanon Shakers and the book is cataloged as from that community. His death was noted on the
The sale included numerous items made for use by the Shakers themselves, many of which demonstrated an attention to detail synonymous with Shaker design. This apple corer or slicer was one such object. Made of cherrywood, the underside was chamfered and all the screwheads were carefully aligned. It sold for $1,063.
It wasn’t a surprise that bidders actively competed for Shaker items in untouched, original, paint. A circa 1860 mustard-yellow-painted Shaker pail earned $16,250. It was initialed in black ink on the bottom, “E.J.N.,” for Sister Emma Jane Neale (1847-1943), who lived at Mount Lebanon for 88 years, became at the age of 35 a trustee in 1882 and who founded the cloak manufacturing business, E.J. Neale & Co. A chrome-yellow four-fingered oval box, slightly more than 8½ inches long, brought a little less: $15,000. Another oval box, slightly smaller, in old red paint, sold for $5,625. The four fingers on this box were unique in that they were shaped and unusually elongated; it also bore the $135 price tag of early Shaker dealers, Ed and Celeste Koster, Old Chatham, N.Y. Interest in original painted surfaces extended beyond oval boxes. A two-step stool made for Shaker sisters, in original yellow paint, earned $5,313. A tailoring counter measuring 67 inches long with four drawers featured old blue paint over chrome yellow paint and had a red-painted top, sold for $6,875. Two pieces of furniture with “Ministry blue” surfaces were sold; one was a circa 1840 twodrawer lift-top blanket chest that Henry had sold in 2007, which earned $4,688. The other was a small circa 1850 lift-top blanket box that made $4,375; it utilized a unique Shaker feature-attached cutout boards at each back foot to keep the chest from the wall. A work counter, measuring more than 9 feet long, with a yellow surface and a red interior behind sliding doors, reached $3,750. It was expected to bring more but its size may have been a deterrent to bidders.
The sale included numerous chairs and stands. A tall Har-
This yellow-painted step stool, probably made for Shaker sisters, sold for $5,313. It was marked in pencil under the first step, “D No 6,” which may have referred to the room it was used in.
Painted boxes and other woodenware drew competitive bidding. This iron-banded pail in original yellow paint sold for $16,250.
Made
use by the Shaker sisters, this cherrywood spool carrier held six spools of thread. With an original sur face, it sold for $2,375.
This maple cheese press, with original red paint, realized $313. It was made circa 184050 and stood 29 inches tall.
Review
Photos
Rick Russack, Contributing Editor Catalog Photos Courtesy Willis Henry Auctions
lot of
tinware, which sold for $563, included 18 pieces, many from the Canterbury and Enfield communities in New Hampshire.
vard (Mass.) rocking chair, circa 1840-50, had four ladders and was the most sought-after, finishing at $6,875. The rockers were attached with handforged nuts and bolts, it was made of cherrywood, had an old finish and tall finials. An elder’s tall rocking chair, circa 1840, from Mount Lebanon and retaining what appeared to be its original ash splint seat, earned $3,125. As Henry was selling a small child’s rocking chair, he commented that its shawl bar was an unusual feature on a child’s rocker. It was produced in the Mount Lebanon community, circa 1880, had the Mount Lebanon trademark and was also marked with the number “0”, indicating its small size; it sold for $1,625. There were several more chairs, as well as tables. A pine and maple table with a two-board top and breadboard ends and a single drawer, measuring more than 7 feet long, sold for $6,875. It was signed and dated on the underside “Feb 3rd 1822, E.W.” A simple turned-leg one-drawer table, probably from Canterbury, circa 1840, earned $5,938.
The sale also included numerous “gadgets” that the Shakers devised for use in everyday life and for use in the chores they needed in their various commercial enterprises. They preferred to make their own things, as much as possible rather than relying on buying things from the “outside world.” The attention to detail, for which the Shakers are famous and popular, is apparent in some of these
This maple tripod stand was probably made at Mount Lebanon, N.Y., circa 1850. It went out for $5,625.
everyday items.
One of these items, an apple corer or slicer demonstrated this attention to detail It measured 32 inches long, was made of cherrywood and had steel cutters to peel the apple while a turned handle was used to push the apple through the implement. The underside was chamfered for no discernable reason and the assembly was entirely screwed together. All the screw heads were uniform, with the screw slots facing the same way. The well-made piece sold for $1,063.
Another unusual item in the sale was a device made to simplify filling medicine bottles with pills. Made of maple, it had a turned, adjustable pole with threaded thumbscrews, a Shaker-made tin funnel and a turned finial for carrying; it brought $531. There was also an ash or hickory rolling pin, measuring just short of 4 feet wide, that was intended to be used by two Shaker sisters at the same time, which also sold for $531. A birch and maple turned armrest sold for $1,188; the auction catalog noted it was probably made for guests while watching Shakers dancing. A small cheese press brought $313 while a horseradish shredder sold for $375.
After the sale, Willis Henry said, “This was a really interesting sale. I especially liked the assortment of smaller items that they made for themselves. We had plenty of bidders and some of the things will be shipped to a buyer in
The sale included Shaker broadsides, books, catalogs and pamphlets. “Rules For Doing Good” and another small broadside promoting the pasturing of horses by the “North Family Shakers, Shaker Station, Conn.,” sold together for $313.
China. We ended up a bit under $300,000 which is about where I thought we’d be.”
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house.
For additional information, www.willishenryauctions.com or 781-834-7774.
The highest price of the several chairs in the sale was this tall, cherrywood rocking armchair from the Harvard, Mass., community. Bidders took it to $6,875.
The catalog noted that, according to The Shaker Chair by Charles R. Muller and Timothy D. Rieman (1984), “Only a small number of these chairs were made....” This rare Shaker child’s highchair finished at $1,625.
and
at the preview of their June 22 sale,
conducting
This four-fingered chrome-yellow painted oval box, with the price tag of one of the early Shaker dealers, Ed and Celeste Koster, sold for $15,000.
A blue-painted pine tailoring counter earned $6,875. It was more than 5½ feet long, was paneled on both ends and had two long drawers and two short ones.
This
Shaker
Pictured in June Sprigg’s book, Shaker Original Paints & Patinas (Allentown, Penn., 1987), this lidded storage box with original yellow stain and brass hinges sold for $11,875. It had been in the Sprigg and McCue collections.
Photographed
Karel
Willis Henry have been
Shaker Auctions since 1982.
Transitions
TSeattle University Receives
$300 Million Art Collection
SEATTLE, WASH. — Seattle University has received a $300 million art collection, the largest ever donated to a university in the United States, and another $25 million in seed funding to establish a new museum.
he MFA, Boston announced that Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund director and chief executive officer since 2015, intends to retire from the museum in August 2025, marking 10 years as director. Under his leadership, the MFA, which was founded in 1870, has introduced new initiatives, programs and partnerships to invite, welcome and engage diverse audiences and to build a more inclusive community of visitors, staff, volunteers and supporters. During his tenure Teitelbaum has focused on the future of museums, grounding the MFA as an institution that is resilient and agile in complex times.
The Grolier Club announced that Declan Kiely will be the new executive director of the club, leading America’s oldest and largest society for bibliophiles and enthusiasts in the graphic arts. Kiely will assume the role on July 22, supporting the club’s mission to celebrate the art and history of books and works on paper through its eminent research library, acclaimed exhibitions and publications and an extensive roster of programs for members and the public. Kiely has more than 20 years of experience at research libraries. Prior to joining the Grolier Club, he served as the New York Public Library’s director of special collections and exhibitions from 2017 to 2024.
FCollector Richard Hedreen donated the massive collection — with more than 200 works of art dating back to the 1400s — in honor of his late wife Elizabeth Ann Petri Hedreen, an alum of the Jesuit Catholic university. The campus, home to some 7,200 students, is just a short walk from downtown Seattle.
The donation is remarkable, not just because of its size, but because of how it was handled in comparison to other large collections. The Seattle Times noted. For example, collections by the likes of late Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen were sold through auction sales instead of remaining intact in the city where they lived.
“Betty and I always felt that we were custodians of the artworks we acquired, holding them in trust for a larger purpose,” Hedreen said in a statement. “The Jesuits place a special focus on the arts and humanities, including art history, and that has long been reflected in Seattle University’s Jesuit education and its connections to the Seattle arts community.”
Hedreen, a Seattle native, made his fortune after founding the general contracting company R.C. Hedreen Co., which was instrumental in developing hotels in the city. He met Betty Hedreen while she was a student and, together, the couple amassed a large collection of art ranging from the Old Masters to contemporary art.
The couple previously donated pieces from their collection to the Seattle Art Museum, where Betty Hedreen served on the board of trustees. Previous donations were also made to the National Gallery of Art and Seattle University, but Hedreen said in a statement that he wished to keep the remainder of the collection intact.
The collection contains significant paintings and sculptures from art history giants, including Titian, Jaco-
da Pontormo, Jan Lievens, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Luis Melendez, Thomas Gainsborough, Willem de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Indiana.
Additionally, the collection includes etchings by Lucian Freud, photographs by the likes of Berenice Abbott, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Irving Penn, Louis Stettner and Andy Warhol and six paintings by Cecily Brown.
“Since their earliest days, the Jesuits have recognized the visual arts as a powerful tool of communication and teaching, and the arts are an essential part of the holistic Jesuit model of higher education,” said Seattle University president Eduardo Peñalver. “Seattle University is honored to receive this transformational gift from the Hedreens, who have built one of the finest private art collections in the nation.”
Berkshire Museum To Break Ground This Fall On Comprehensive Renovation
ormer executive director of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh Patrick Moore has been named the director and culture lead of the Panarae Partnership Limited, a private equity and advisory firm that operates between the United Kingdom and the Middle East-North Africa region. He will act as the main point of interface between Panarae’s business side and its cultural investments, including advising on the forthcoming London edition of South by Southwest (SXSW), the celebrated festival of music, film, culture and technology originated in Austin, Texas. SXSW London will debut in early June 2025, with events and activations to be staged across a number of venues in the Shoreditch neighborhood of East London.
The Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences announced the appointment of Jaynelle Hazard as the new director and chief curator of the Georgetown University Art Galleries. “We are delighted that Ms Hazard will be joining us on the Hilltop,” said Ian Bourland, incoming chair of the department of art and art history. “She brings a deep knowledge of both the regional and global arts landscape, and an impressive record of fostering timely, impactful exhibitions. She arrives on campus at a moment when her vision will contribute in exciting ways to our collective conversations around contemporary culture and politics.” Georgetown University Art Galleries, which is housed with the College of Arts & Sciences, encompasses both the Maria & Alberto de la Cruz Art Gallery and the Lucille M. & Richard F.X. Spagnuolo Art Gallery.
PITTSFIELD, MASS. — Berkshire
Museum is set to move forward with a transformative renovation of its renowned Aquarium and the entirety of the main floor galleries beginning in October. It comes after unanimous approval by its board of trustees in April. This marks a significant milestone in the museum’s ongoing commitment to revitalizing its facilities to better serve the community and enhance visitor experiences.
“This major initiative will strengthen our community bonds and rekindle a deep appreciation for the heritage that defines Pittsfield and the Berkshires. Through these enhancements, we aim to create a dynamic cultural hub that cele-
brates our past and inspires future generations,” said Kimberley Bush Tomio, Berkshire Museum’s executive director.
“Our visitors from near and far have a deep love for our aquarium. We are thrilled to begin this construction which will move the aquarium to the main floor, not only doubling its square footage, but interweaving our “living exhibition” with updated gallery spaces that blend our vast collections of art, science and history pieces.”
The redevelopment initiative represents the culmination of the museum’s strategic vision to create a dynamic and immersive environment that celebrates the intersection of art, science and history. This
project is done in collaboration with Design Architect Yo-ichiro Hakomori of StudioHAU, based in Los Angeles, along with Architect of Record, Bradley Architects Inc., and Construction Manager at Risk, David J. Tierney Jr Inc, both based out of Pittsfield. The owner’s project manager for development and construction is Skanska, based out of New York City.
Visitors can anticipate a complete renovation of the first floor, with exhibitions that highlight the link between the human and natural worlds, fostering curiosity and exploration. Iconic facets of the museum such as “Berkshire Backyard,” which features a vast array of taxidermy, will be transformed into “Immersed in Nature,” which plans to combine elements of natural habitats with the diversity of wildlife alongside ecosystems, wall displays, projected landscapes and dioramas, intermixed with paintings, sculptures and various other objects from the museum’s collections.
The updated aquarium will become a centerpiece of the museum’s main floor. Through a thoughtful design and innovative presentation, the new aquarium will serve as an exciting educational resource, offering visitors of all ages the opportunity to engage with and learn about diverse aquatic and terrestrial species, including new species such as Moon jellyfish.
For information, www.berkshiremuseum.org/construction or 413443-7171.
po
Amy Sherald, “The Make Believer” (Monet’s Garden) (2016).
Courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth.
Richard and Betty Hedreen. Photo courtesy of Richard Hedreen.
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Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery Acquires Earliest Known First Lady Photo
NEW YORK CITY & WASHINGTON DC — The Smithsonian acquired, from Sotheby’s June 28 sale of Fine Books and Manuscripts, including Americana, a recently discovered daguerreotype of Dolley Madison — believed to be the earliest extant photographic portrait of a First Lady. A landmark in both photographic and American history, the daguerreotype was the subject of fierce competition in the auction, ultimately selling for some
10 times its estimate and becoming, at $456,000, the most valuable American daguerreotype ever sold at auction.
“The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery is delighted to have acquired this exceptional work on behalf of the nation. It will now be preserved in perpetuity for the public,” shared Ann Shumard, senior curator of photographs at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Among the most important
American photographic portraits to ever come to market, and one of very few surviving photographs of the woman who defined what it means to be the First Lady of the United States of America, the daguerreotype will now join the museum’s 1843 daguerreotype of John Quincy Adams by Philip Haas — the first known photograph of a US President — which was acquired by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery from Sotheby’s in 2017.
Every Thurs goldengavel.com Golden Gavel 48 Thru 31,July..antiqueamericanclocks.comAntique ..American Clocks 48 11, July auctionninja.com Legare Auctions...............48 11, July bodnarsauction.com Bodnar’s Auction 48
11, July brimfieldlive.com Brimfield Antique Show Auct 6C 11, July eldreds.com Eldred’s 6C
12, July Jewett City, CT Leone’s Auction 2 12, July merrillsauction.com Merrill’s 47
12, July South Glastonbury, CT...........Connecticut River Book 5C 13, July dlstraightauctioneers.com DL Straight 7C 13, July thoscornellauctions.com Thos Cornell Galleries............2 13, July turnerauctionsonline.com Turner Auctions 3C 13, July verobeachauction.com Vero Beach Auction 5C 17-26, July.........crockerfarm.com Crocker Farm 8C 18, July capsuleauctions.com Capsule Auctions................2 18, July newenglandauctions.com New England Auctions 4C 18, July opferauction.com Opfer Auction 46 18-19, July.............dumoart.com DuMouchelles 2C 20, July nadeausauction.com Nadeau’s Auction 45 21, July butterscotchauction.com Butterscotch Auctioneers 2 23, July auctionninja.com SJD Auctions 48 24, July litchfieldcountyauctions.com ..Litchfield County Auctions 2 26, July Jewett City, CT Leone’s Auction 2 27, July rolandauctions.com Roland Auctions.................2 27, July rolandauctions.com Roland Auctions...............13 28, July tremontauctions.com Tremont Auctions 48 23-24, Aug.. litchfieldcountyauctions.com...Litchfield County Auctions 2 8, Sept tremontauctions.com Tremont Auctions 48 12, Sept capsuleauctions.com Capsule Auctions................2
3-9, July....................Monson, MA 13 6, July Stormville, NY 2 9, July Brimfield, MA 2 9-14, July .................Monson, MA 13 11, July Sandwich, MA 7
11-14, July.................Atlanta, GA 5 14, July Milford, NH 3 20, July Westmoreland, NH................41 27-28, July ...............Chantilly, VA 11 28, July Milford, NH 3 4, Aug Milford, NH 3 24, Aug Westmoreland, NH................41 28,Aug-2,Sept .........Monson, MA 13 31, Aug-1, Sept.......Stormville, NY 2 3, Sept Brimfield, MA 2 14, Sept Westmoreland, NH................41 21-22, Sept Chantilly, VA 11 12-13, Oct Stormville, NY 2 2, Nov Stormville, NY 2 2-3, Nov Chantilly, VA 11
Sotheby’s Announces Paris HQ Relocation
PARIS — Sotheby’s has announced its forthcoming move to 83 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, in the heart of Paris’s art, fashion and luxury district. The relocation of its Parisian headquarters, which will take place in mid-October, marks a milestone in the positioning of Sotheby’s in France, and highlights the auction house’s commitment to Paris.
Spread across 3,300 square meters (10,826 square feet) on five floors, the new flagship Paris building is an even more effective tool at the service of the artworks and the display of prestigious collections. Sotheby’s new Parisian home will be open and convivial, offering an enhanced experience to clients.
A new must-see Parisian address, Sotheby’s will also be offering master classes, events, as well as elegant and welcoming relaxation and dining areas.
The opening of this new location is aligned with the company’s global strategy. It coincides with the imminent opening of Sotheby’s Hong Kong in July 2024 and precedes the 2025 move of Sotheby’s New York to the Breuer building, once home to the Whitney Museum of American Art. By choosing a landmark location in the beating heart of every city, Sotheby’s reinforces its role as a global player in the
worlds of art and luxury. Opening up to Paris and its vibrant cultural life, this new Sotheby’s site will become a cultural destination in its own right, offering a premium experience.
Mario Tavella, president, Sotheby’s France and chairman, Sotheby’s Europe, explains, “Sotheby's relocation to the historic 83 Faubourg Saint-Honoré, in the heart of Paris' gallery and luxury sectors, and previously home to the renowned Galerie BernheimJeune, underscores our commitment to France and highlights the growing importance of the French art and luxury markets to our company.”
Located on the corner of Avenue Matignon, the buildings that once housed the BernheimJeune gallery in 1925 have now been transformed into a Twenty-First Century urban cultural site dedicated to art and luxury with Sotheby’s pioneering character and dynamism resonating with the avant-gardism of Bernheim-Jeune. The faithful restoration of existing buildings, the conservation of preexisting Art Deco elements (wrought iron and curved glass external doors, railings, brass handrails, mirrors, mosaics, wood cladding and parquet flooring), and the commissioning of new monumental chandeliers of rare ele-
November Landscape Leads Neue’s June Auction
BEECHWOOD, OHIO — A wintry landscape by Ivan Federovich Choultse (Russian/ French, 1874-1913) titled “Soir de Novembre (November Evening)” was at the head of Neue Auctions’ June 29 “Oh, Lovely June!” auction. Earning $46,125 from a Latvian buyer against an estimate of $15/25,000, the
32-by-37½-inch framed oil on canvas had provenance to Wunderly Galleries, Pittsburgh, Penn., as well as Henry T. Bannon of Portsmouth, Ohio, and his Elyria, Ohio, descendants. An upcoming issue will feature more highlights from this 337lot sale, which was about 80 percent sold by lot.
E-Issues & Archives
Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances with the company that produced our e-issue, which are out of our control, our e-issues and archives are currently unavailable. We have
gance with subtle lighting effects, lend these spaces a patrimonial yet also innovative dimension. The architectural works have brought together a variety of artistic professions — from journeymen stonemasons to metalworkers, light designers and landscape architects — under the leadership of Architecturestudio, accustomed to this type of demanding renovation; and of Degaine, which took part in the restoration of the Hôtel de la Marine in Paris. For additional information, www.sothebys.com.
(Mount Crawford, Va.) Americana Sizzles In Southern Summer Heat At Jeffrey S.
(Sarasota,
(Beverly,
(Dallas)
(New
(Philadelphia)
(Duxbury,
created an ISSUU e-edition for our July 12 issue and are working to resolve this as quickly as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to have this rectified as soon as possible.
Corrections
In our June 14 review of Marier's Antique Flea Market (Palmer, Mass., May 9-13), we incorrectly noted Scott White was from Virginia; he is now based out of Harwich, Mass. In our June 28 coverage of the
Shoreline Antiques & Retro Market (Guilford, Conn., June 1-2), we incorrectly mentioned Carl J "Carmelo" Lana was from South Salem, Mass; he is in South Salem, N.Y. We regret the errors.
(Windsor, Conn.)
(Providence, R.I.)
Firefighting Photographs Bring The Heat To Eldred’s
EAST DENNIS, MASS. — On June 26, Eldred’s conducted an auction of books and historical ephemera. The 126-lot sale was led by a Nineteenth Century photographic trade album from the Chicago-based Fire Extinguisher Manufacturing Company. Inside the original cloth-covered album were 129 albumen or early silver bromide photographs and blueprints. Additionally, several photographs that did not fit in the album were included in a paper wrap. The auction catalog described the album as an “Exhaustive catalog documenting firefighting equipment used during the waning days of the horse-drawn fire truck era, with photographs of various fire pumps, hook and ladder trucks, fire extinguishers, fire grenades, water nozzles, etc., and two blueprints showing the inner workings of a carbonic acid chemical engine pump and extinguisher. Probably a unique prototype to hold all of the original photographs taken of the company’s inventory.” The album sold within estimate for $5,120 with buyer’s premium ($4/6,000). Further review of the auction will be in an upcoming issue.
Kainen Painting Tops Sloans & Kenyon June Estate Sale
CHEVY CHASE, MD. —
Leading Sloans & Kenyon’s June Estate Catalogue Auc-
tion on June 27 was “Argo,” an oil on canvas painting by American painter and print-
Work
maker Jacob Kainen (19092001). The sale comprised of a large single-owner collection offering myriad antiquities, ethnographica and artisan items, as well as paintings, sculpture, jewelry and furniture, among others. “Argo” was completed in 1991 and was signed on the lower righthand corner. The 50-by60-inch framed painting also had two gallery labels verso; one from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American Art, which was undated, and one from the Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., for the artist’s retrospective, which spanned from January 21 to March 27, 1994. It found a new home for $12,700, more than doubling its low estimate. Additional highlights from this auction will be featured in an upcoming issue.
By Twentieth Century Mexican Master Rodolfo Nieto Hits
High Estimate At Everard
SAVANNAH, GA. — Fine and decorative art objects from Southern residences and collections were offered during Everard’s June 25-27 spring auction. A 1961 oil on
Rare Frankenstein First Editions Are Crown Jewel Of Heritage’s Strutz Library Sale
canvas work by Rodolfo Nieto (Mexican/French, 1936-1985), titled “No. 114,” was offered with an estimate of $10/15,000. The one-owner painting with copy of the original bill of sale from Galerie de France, Paris, 1965, hit $16,250 with buyer’s premium. Nieto was a noted Mexican painter of the Oaxacan school. He was well received by his contemporaries in Paris, where he was exposed to the work of Edvard Munch and experimented in printmaking. He apprenticed under Diego Rivera and worked alongside his friend and artistic influence, Rufino Tamayo. Nieto grew to be regarded as a Twentieth Century Mexican master. Additional highlights from the three-day sale will be featured in a later review.
DALLAS — Heritage Auctions held part one of The William A. Strutz Library Rare Books Signature Auction on June 27, which realized $5,655,439, setting a few new records along the way. The white glove sale was led by the only privately owned copy of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus, in its original uncut pink boards, one of three known in existence. The other two reside in the Pforzheimer and Berg Collections at the New York Public Library. The 12mo first edition tomes, three in total, were watermarked “1816” and housed together in a full Morocco slipcase. Each volume contained half-titles and advertisements, as issued, and had printed spine labels. The provenance of the tomes began with Mrs G. Adams — her ownership inscription was located on the front pastedowns of volumes one and three and were dated August 20, 1818 — and ran through various other owners until they were purchased by Strutz in 1975 from George R. Minkoff, Inc., Great Barrington, Mass. The three volumes immediately skyrocketed from their asking price of $300,000 to reach $843,750. More highlights from this sale will be featured in a later issue.
Dabo Beach Scene Delights Clarke Bidders
LARCHMONT, N.Y. — Of the 617 lots Clarke Auction Gallery presented in its Design, Fine Art, Jewelry & Antique Estate Auction on June 30, it was an ethereal scene of two figures on a beach by American artist Leon Dabo (1868-1960) that was the top draw, earning $25,000, more
than doubling its $8/12,000 estimate. Titled “Pelleas and Melisande,” the 40 by 43¾-inch framed oil on canvas came to auction from a Purchase, N.Y., estate. Watch for a more extensive review of this sale, which was about 90 percent sold by lot, to appear in an upcoming issue.
‘Space Makers’ At Crystal Bridges Museum
BENTONVILLE, ARK. — “Space Makers: Indigenous Expression and a New American Art,” on view at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art through September 30, examines the midcentury American art movement known as the Indian Space Painters and the relationship between those painters, the Indigenous visual and material culture that inspired them, and the artists from the modern Native art movement who expanded upon such creative explorations through their own visual heritage.
Investigating these relationships for the first time, “Space Makers” reconfigures the history of American art and reveals its foundations in Indigenous space — aesthetically, geographically and sociopolitically. The free, focus exhibition features loans from the Charles and Valerie Diker collection, one of the nation’s preeminent collections of the underrecognized Indian Space Painting movement. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is at 600 Museum Way. For information, 479-3677500 or www.crystalbridges.org.
Emil Carlsen Landscape Brings
$30,000, Tops
Thomaston Place Sale
THOMASTON, MAINE — The three-day Summer Splendor auction at Thomaston Place Auction Gallery, June 28-30, included jewelry, paintings, American furniture, Brother Thomas pottery, Asian antiques, scrimshaw and much more, but it was an impressionist landscape, “Beechwoods,” by Soren Emil Carlsen (Danish American, 1853-1932) that led the sale, earning $30,000. It was followed closely by an 18K gold Tiffany & Co., goblet that topped off at $26,400. The sale featured more than 150 items from the Deer Isle, Maine, estate of singer/songwriter Dan Fogelberg, including numerous Native American objects. Ten items earned five figure prices, with active bidding in the gallery and on the phone lines.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium; a full report will follow.
Museum Of Arts & Design Exhibition Examines Craft's Collaborative Influences
NEW YORK CITY — Now on long-term view at the Museum of Arts & Design (MAD), “Craft Front & Center: Conversation Pieces” explores craft’s collaborative approach to learning and working by placing pioneering Twentieth Century craft artists into dialogue with Twenty-First Century artists who are rethinking craft techniques and materials. Showcasing MAD’s permanent collection, the exhibition brings together more than 60 historic, recently acquired, and commissioned works in a range of artistic media; most prominently, the central craft materials of ceramic, glass and fiber.
“While all art hinges on the exchange of ideas, craft-based art is particularly dependent on the relationships between artists,” said Alexandra Schwartz, MAD’s curator of Modern & Contemporary Art, Design & Craft. “Techniques such as weaving, blowing glass or throwing pots are skills that must be taught. As a result, artists who use craft techniques tend to be especially attuned to craft traditions — and invested in upending them.”
Three overlapping thematic sections illuminate how craft’s collaborative approach to learning and working informs creative practices. The “Teachers and Students” section presents works by artist educators alongside works by their pupils. Notable pedagogic relationships represented include California College of Arts and Crafts faculty Trude Guermonprez and her mentee Kay Sekimachi, University of California, Berkeley, faculty Paul Voulkos and students Jun Kaneko and Mary Ann Unger and Cranbrook Academy of Art’s Maija Grotell, who trained Toshiko Takaezu and Katherine Choy. The section also includes artists who studied together at the same academies and workshops, many of whom went on to work together and influence one another throughout their career, such as Bauhaus alumni Marguerite Friedländer-Wildenhain
Ancient Egyptian Bronze Sculpture Brings $40,625 At
Roland NY Auction
GLEN COVE, N.Y. — It was estimated $800-$1,200, but an ancient Egyptian bronze Thoth sculpture, possibly late to mid Ptolemaic period (305-30 BCE), rose to $40,625, including buyer’s premium, at Roland Auctions NY’s June 29 sale. Modeled as a pharaoh with headdress centered with a lunar disc, the figure had animal-head motifs to the shoulders and phallus. Overall it stood 10¼ inches. Among the ancient Egyptians’ many gods, Thoth, the patron of scribes, was believed to have invented writing and hieroglyphics, and having created languages for both humans and gods. Additional highlights will be discussed in a future review.
and Anni Albers.
The “Collaborations” section provides an expansive view of artistic partnerships. Founders of the artist collective AYDO Studio, A young Yu and Nicholas Oh create multimedia projects that explore their Korean American heritage and incorporate Korea’s craft traditions, often in audacious and unexpected ways. Designer Pedro Barrail worked with a team of Indigenous craftspeople in Paraguay to produce furniture that challenges perceived divisions between ancient craft techniques and contemporary design. Composing a stoneware portrait of her own mother inspired by a carved ivory likeness of a Sixteenth Century German aristocrat, artist Rachelle Dang forms a collaboration with the ivory’s unnamed artist.
The “Generational Dialogues” section examines how the creative resonances of the studio craft movement continue to influence artists and designers today. It includes experimental works of fiber art created by Sheila Hicks and Claire Zeisler and artists who continue to push the boundaries of the medium, such as Vadis Turner and Kira Dominguez Hultgren. To further explore the significance of dialogue among artists, MAD asked ceramic artists Marie Herwald Hermann and Anders Herwald Ruhwald, who share
a studio in Chicago, to collaboratively select works from the permanent collection to be shown alongside their own. Hermann’s works, created specifically for the exhibition, directly reference the works of Ruth Duckworth. Ruhwald apprenticed with Jun Kaneko and his works on view were influenced by his mentor.
“Craft Front & Center” has been made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Museum of Arts and Design together:
The Museum of Arts and Design is at 2 Columbus Circle. For additional information, www.madmuseum.org.
BENTONVILLE, ARK. — “Space Makers: Indigenous Expression and a New American Art,” on view at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art through September 30, examines the midcentury American art movement known as the Indian Space Painters and the relationship between those painters, the Indigenous visual and material culture that inspired them, and the artists from the modern Native art movement who expanded upon such creative explorations through their own visual heritage. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is at 600 Museum Way. For information, 479-367-7500 or www. crystalbridges.org.
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens Presents ‘Interventions: Ann Carrington’
NASHVILLE, TENN. — Cheekwood Estate & Gardens presents “Interventions: Ann Carrington,” on view through October 27. British artist Ann Carrington is well-known for working with discarded and found objects to create ornate sculptures and works of art. Her eccentric and elegant pieces breathe new life into otherwise mundane items such as knives, spoons, buttons, cans and coins by unraveling their associations and assigning new meaning as sculpture. Inspired by the gardens at Cheekwood and the Cheek family, Carrington’s installation includes 33 works throughout the period rooms. Her work has recently been exhibited at the Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny as part of the “Flowers Forever” exhibition, as well as at Kunsthalle Munich, one of Germany’s most prestigious exhibition houses.
Now in its third year, “Interventions” is an arts initiative to activate the historic period rooms. The series invites renowned artists from around the globe to imagine and implement a connection between their contemporary work and the Cheekwood Mansion. Cheekwood Estates & Gardens is at 1200 Forrest Park Drive. For information, 615-3568000 or www.cheekwood.org.
“Cora” by Ann Carrington (b 1962), 2023, silver, nickel and steel plated spoons. Photography provided by Ann Carrington Studio.
(Left) Claire Zeisler, “Red Wednesday,” 1967, Eva Hyed photo. (Right) Vadis Turner, “Red Relic Vessel,” 2022. Courtesy the artist and Sam Angel Photography.
Historic Homes & Properties
National Park Service Awards $3 Million To Preserve Historic Civil Rights Sites In Alabama
WASHINGTON, DC — The National Park Service (NPS) has announced it has awarded $3 million to preserve historic Civil Rights sites in Alabama.
Each year, US representative Terri Sewell, AL-07, leads the congressional effort to increase funding for the African American Civil Rights Grant Program to preserve America’s Civil Rights sites and Historic Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
“Each year, I am very proud to lead the effort in Congress to increase funding for the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund to ensure that Alabama’s rich Civil Rights history lives on for generations to come,” said Sewell. “We are thrilled that our efforts have once again paid off, with Alabama receiving more than $3 million to preserve sites associated with the Civil Rights Movement. Protecting and advancing our Civil Rights legacy will always be a top priority of mine. After all, those who don’t learn from our history are doomed to repeat it.”
NPS has awarded the following grants, which total $3,006,141, for historic sites in Alabama.
Auburn University received $750,000 to rehabilitate the Tankersley Rosenwald School in Hope Hull. The same amount – $750,000 –was awarded to the Lincolnite Club to make structural and masonry repairs to the Historic Lincoln Normal School Gymnasium in Marion. To replace mechanical systems at the Historic Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma, the Historic Tabernacle Baptist Church Legacy Foundation, Inc,, received $744,545. The Alabama Historical Commission was awarded $686,596 to rehabilitate the Historic Moore Building in Montgomery. The Alabama Historical Commission also received an additional $75,000 to support the Freedom Rides Museum Virtual Reality Experience in Montgomery.
“Our team is honored and thrilled to continue partnering with the Tankersley Community on the important preservation work of their Rosenwald School,” said Gorham Bird, assistant professor at Auburn University. “This funding will support the design and construction of the rehabilitation of the building for its future use as a community center. This project serves as a vehicle for university outreach, where faculty and students engage with communities across the state to provide preservation expertise for the preservation of this important artifact of African American Civil Rights history.”
“Heating and cooling a historic 102-year-old building has many challenges. We are so happy as we look forward to having consistent heating and cooling everywhere in all seasons,” said Dr Verdell Lett Dawson, board chair of the Historic Tabernacle Baptist Church Selma, AL Legacy Foundation, Inc. “This is a blessing as we continue to tell and preserve the
story of our historic church for all generations.”
“The Alabama Historical Commission is thrilled to receive this funding from the National Park Service and would like to thank Congresswoman Sewell for her efforts in advocating for the preservation of Civil Rights historic sites like the Freedom Rides Museum and the Moore Building,” said Lisa D. Jones, Alabama Historical Commission executive director and State Historic Preservation officer. “Her dedication to historic preservation continues to highlight the importance of preserving important stories in Alabama’s history and their impact on the nation.”
“This grant is a major step toward repurposing the gymnasium as a multi-purpose community center, highlighting our history and struggle to achieve voting and civil rights in Perry County, Alabama,” said Thomas Miree, a trustee of the Lincolnite Club.
The African American Civil Rights Grant Program helps document, interpret and preserve sites and stories related to the African American struggle to gain equal rights as citizens. Grants fund a broad range of planning, development and research projects for historic sites, including survey, inventory, documentation, interpretation, education, architectural services, historic structure reports, preservation plans and “bricks and mortar” repair.
Since its establishment in 1977, the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) has provided more than $2 billion in historic preservation grants to states, Tribes, local governments and nonprofit organizations. Administered by NPS, HPF funds are appropriated by Congress to support a variety of historic preservation projects to help preserve the nation’s cultural resources. For information about NPS historic preservation programs and grants, www.nps.gov/grants.
No Lie: Perfectly Preserved Centuries-Old Cherries Unearthed At George Washington’s Mount Vernon
b y m att H ew b a R akat
MOUNT VERNON, VA. (AP)
— George Washington never did cut down the cherry tree, despite the famous story to the contrary, but he did pack away quite a few bottles of the fruit at his Mount Vernon home.
Dozens of bottles of cherries and berries — impossibly preserved in storage pits uncovered from the cellar of his mansion on the banks of the Potomac River — were discovered during an archaeological dig connected to a restoration project.
Jason Boroughs, Mount Vernon’s principal archaeologist, said the discovery of so much perfectly preserved food from more than 250 years ago is essentially unprecedented.
“Finding what is essentially fresh fruit, 250 years later, is pretty spectacular,” Boroughs said in an interview. “All the
stars sort of have to align in the right manner for that to happen.”
Whole pieces of fruit, recognizable as cherries, were found in some of the bottles. Other bottles held what appear to be gooseberries or currants, though testing is underway to confirm that.
Mount Vernon is partnering with the US Department of Agriculture, which is conducting DNA testing on the fruit. They are also examining more than 50 cherry pits recovered from the bottles to see if any of them can be planted.
“It’s kind of a longshot,” said Benjamin Gutierrez, a USDA plant geneticist, of the chances of using a cherry pit to grow a tree. Seeds preserve best when they are dry, and most of the samples found at Mount Vernon were waterlogged. A couple of pits tested initially were not viable as seeds.
Still, he said the bottles are a remarkable find. In addition to DNA testing, he said chemical testing may be able to show if particular spices were used to preserve the fruits.
Records at Mount Vernon show that George and Martha Washington were fond of cherries, at least when mixed with brandy. Martha Washington’s recipe for a “cherry bounce” cocktail survives, and Washington wrote that he took a canteen of cherry bounce with him on a trip across the Alleghenies in 1784.
These cherries, though, were most likely bottled to be eaten simply as cherries, Boroughs said.
The quality of the preservation reflect a high caliber of work. Slaves ran the plantation’s kitchen. The kitchen was overseen by an enslaved woman named Doll, who came to Mount Vernon in 1758 with
Martha Washington, according to the estate.
“The enslaved folks who were taking care of the trees, picking the fruit, working in the kitchen, those would have been the folks that probably would have overseen and done this process,” Boroughs said.
“It’s a highly skilled process. Otherwise, they just wouldn’t have survived this way.”
The bottles were found only because Mount Vernon is doing a $40 million revitalization project of the mansion that they expect to be completed by the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026.
“When we do archaeology, it’s destructive,” Boroughs said. “So, unless we have a reason to disturb those resources, we tend not to.”
“In this case, because of these needed structural repairs to the mansion, the ground was going to be dis-
turbed. So, we looked there first,” he continued. “We didn’t expect to find all this.”
They know the bottles predate 1775 because that’s when an expansion of the mansion led to the area being covered over with a brick floor.
Mount Vernon announced back in April, at the start of its archaeological work, that it had found two bottles. As the dig continued, the number increased to 35 in six distinct storage pits. Six of the bottles were broken, with the other 29 intact. Twelve held cherries, 16 held the other berries believed to be currants and gooseberries, and one larger bottle held both cherries and other berries.
Boroughs believes they have now uncovered all the cherries and berries that survived.
“There is a lot of information that we’re excited to get from these bottles,” he said.
Compiled by madelia HiCkman Ring
Historic Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma. Photo courtesy National Park Service.
Tankersley Rosenwald School in Hope Hull. Photo courtesy Alabama Heritage.
Freedom Rides Museum in Montgomery. Photo courtesy of US Civil Rights Trail.
Historic Lincoln Normal School Gymnasium in Marion. Photo courtesy Historic Marker Database.
Historic Moore Building in Montgomery. Library of Congress photo.
Hasselblad Ballet by David Teran. Lutum Figuili, San Antonio, 2024, pp. 252, $85, hardcover.
Fine art photographer David Teran announces the release of his captivating analog photography book, Hasselblad Ballet, which is captivating audiences with its celebration of the grace and elegance inherent in ballerinas
At the core of this endeavor lies Teran’s unique approach to photography: Hasselblad Ballet is the marriage of analog technology with the grace and timeless beauty of ballet. The result is a quirky and whimsical product that yields results that make one’s heart sing. Utilizing the iconic Hasselblad 500C/M camera, Teran captures the essence of ballet in a manner that is both arresting and evocative. Each photograph is a testament to his dedication to analog craftsmanship, with every moment made permanent using a single roll of black and white film per photoshoot.
“I’m grateful for the interest in the Hasselblad Ballet project,” expressed Teran. “It’s truly an honor to witness people from around the world embracing and believing in this project, and now the accompanying book.”
This coffee table book features more than 150 extraordinary ballerinas, presenting ballet through a refreshingly unique and imaginative perspective Teran has collaborated with esteemed ballerinas, including cover girl Isabella Boylston, and principal dancers from renowned ballet companies such as the American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, Dutch National Ballet and others.
In pursuit of these images, Teran traversed an impressive 350,000 miles, visiting more than 50 cities and 19 countries over the course of the project. He meticulously crafted 3,360 images from 280 rolls of film, culminating in 250 final selections that pay homage to the artistry of analog photography and ballet alike, capturing the grace and
Book Reviews
elegance of ballerinas worldwide. The artistic direction of Hasselblad Ballet was guided by Sofiane Sylve, the artistic director of Ballet San Antonio, ensuring that the utmost reverence was given to the art form throughout this exceptional project.
For those seeking an even more immersive experience, the LimitedEdition Box Set is available for $250. This carefully curated set features the Hasselblad Ballet book, signed, along with a beautiful linen cloth clamshell box. It’s a true collector’s item for those who appreciate the finer aspects of artistic expression and is limited to 150 copies. Included is a traditional, handcrafted gelatin silver 8-by-10-inch contact sheet. This unique fiber paper sheet, personally created by Teran, carries the essence of the photographic process. What makes this contact sheet special is its origin; it is derived from the roll of film that captured Isabella Boylston, the cover ballerina herself, and principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre.
Damien Hirst, To Live Forever (For a While) by Ann Gallagher, Alma Montero, Christaine Druml and Kit Hammonds. Rizzoli Electa, New York, pp. 208, $60, hardcover. In conjunction with the museum-wide exhibition of the same name at Museo Jumex, Mexico City, Damien Hirst, To Live Forever (For a While) is an extraordinary volume celebrating Damien Hirst’s (British, b 1965) masterworks. With a central theme of death, this exhibition catalog features a comprehensive collection of Hirst’s most iconic pieces, carefully curated to provide visitors with a transformative artistic journey. From the awe-inspiring and iconic formaldehyde series, including the renowned shark piece, “Death Denied,” to the intricate and mesmerizing butterfly collages, each artwork showcases
The Toledo Museum Of Art Presents ‘In A New Light’
TOLDEO, OHIO — Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) presents “In a New Light: Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.”
Works from TMA’s collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art are on view in the SANAA-designed Glass Pavilion on the museum’s campus through June 29, 2025. Paintings, sculpture and decorative arts from the 1870s to the 1920s showcase the spectrum of artistic production in Europe and the United States as well as the importance of Japanese art for Western artists in this period. The late 1800s and early 1900s were a vibrant period of artistic inquiry and innovation.
A new generation of artists rejected tradition and depicted new subject matter in radically new ways. They sought to capture the transient nature of light and its effects on surfaces. Art was made in nature, and artists grappled with how it could reflect and represent nature. Thanks to the openness of SANAA’s glass architecture, with sight lines through layers of transparent walls, visitors can experience these artworks, which were shaped by light and nature, in an architectural setting itself shaped by light and nature for the first time.
Europe, the United States and Japan were deeply intercon-
Hirst’s unwavering ability to captivate audiences and stimulate contemplation.
This major exhibition of the works of Damien Hirst, held together with the artist’s studio, is the highlight of Museo Jumex’s 10th anniversary and the artist’s first major exhibition in Mexico City. Damien Hirst has described Mexico as a second home and has drawn inspiration from Mexican culture, such as the Day of the Dead, in many of his most iconic works. The exhibition features more than 50 works originating from more than 15 collections around the world.
Roy Lichtenstein edited by Gunhild Bauer and Klaus Albrecht Schröder. Prestel, Munich, June 2024, pp. 240, $60, hardcover.
This kaleidoscopic exhibition catalog celebrates Roy Lichtenstein’s (American, 1923-1997) multifaceted career — from his iconic achievements in the Pop Art movement and beyond.
Published to mark the centennial of Lichtenstein’s birth, this retrospective volume is brimming with brilliant reproductions that highlight the entirety of the artist’s oeuvre. It features the acclaimed works that helped establish 1960s Pop art — panels inspired by comic strips and advertising, which send up societal stereotypes. It looks at his pioneering use of painted benday dots and carefully drawn and in-filled brushstrokes, his interiors and landscapes, restagings of still lifes, his expansion into sculpture and ceramics and works that pay homage to famous artists such as Picasso, Monet and Van Gogh.
Throughout this magnificent catalog readers will come to appreciate not only Lichtenstein’s vibrant and dynamic use of color, line and texture, but also how his continuing confrontation with the visual language of popular culture and
nected in the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries. Many American artists traveled to Europe to study and work, and both American and European artists were deeply impressed and influenced by Japanese art. Accordingly, works by American artists and their European contemporaries appear with select Japanese works (prints, glass, ceramics and lacquer) to illustrate the deep resonance that these works had in Europe and North America.
TMA is at 2445 Monroe Street. For more information, www. toledomuseum.org or 419-2558000 .
consumerism continues to resonate today.
Mickalene Thomas: All About Love by Beverly Guy Sheftall, Kristian Conteras, Darnell L. Moore and Claudia Rankine. Distributed Art Publishers (DAP), New York, June 2024, pp. 224, $60, hardcover. Mickalene Thomas: All About Love is a major monograph chronicling Thomas’ vibrant, rhinestone-adorned paintings. New York-based artist Mickalene Thomas’ critically acclaimed and extensive body of work spans painting, collage, print, photography, video and immersive installations. With influences ranging from Nineteenth Century painting to popular culture, Thomas’ art articulates a complex and empowering vision of womanhood while expanding on and upending common definitions of beauty, sexuality, celebrity and politics. This major publication further affirms Thomas’ status as a key figure of contemporary art. It features notable works that are arranged in thematic chapters throughout the book.
The book also features an interview with the artist by Rachel Thomas and is followed by essays from Beverly GuySheftall, Darnell L. Moore, Claudia Rankine, Ed Schad, Renée Mussai and Christine Y. Kim, which cover her distinct visual vocabulary, drawing on themes of intergenerational female empowerment, autobiography, memory and tenets of Black feminist theory. In particular, they explore how Thomas subverts art history to reclaim the notions of repose, rest and leisure in works that celebrate self-expression and joy. For the artist, repose is a radical act, pointing to “what is able to happen once you have the agency.”
Mickalene Thomas (b 1971) is an international, award-winning, multidisciplinary artist whose work has yielded instantly recognizable and widely celebrated aesthetic languages within contemporary visual culture. She is known for her elaborate portraits of Black women composed of rhinestones, acrylic and enamel.
July 20, August 24, September 14, October 19, November 16
A Flask, Flatware & Fine Art Favored At Eldred’s
A Mintons pâte-sur-pâte gilt moon flask was the second-highest selling lot of session one, crossing the block for $6,400. Its four feet were also rimmed in gilt. The flask was signed “L. Solon 80” in white slip after its maker, Marc Louis Solon (French, 18351913) and measured 6 inches high ($300/500).
The front-runner for session two was this Handel table lamp from the first half of the Twentieth Century, which realized $4,480. The slag glass shade had nine panels with an overlaid design of daffodils along the lower edge. Standing 27½ inches high, its base and shade were both marked “Handel” ($1,5/2,000).
Selling above estimate to the trade for $4,480 was this mid-Twentieth Century sterling silver flatware set in the Lascala style made by Gorham, Providence, R.I. The set contained approximately 153 pieces and weighed approximately 158.6 troy ounces ($2,5/3,500).
Auction Action In East Dennis, Mass.
An etching from Louis Justin Laurent Icart’s (French/American, 1888-1950) “La Vide de Seins” series (1945) exchanged hands for $2,304, more than four times its high estimate. From Icart’s “late period,” it was an etching and aquatint on heavy cream wove paper, which measured 19 by 15 inches framed and was signed in pencil lower right ($300/500).
A Cubist still life by Mario Carreno (New York/Chile/Cuba, 1913-1999) crossed the block for $3,200 during session two, finding a new home with a Texas buyer. The oil on board was signed and dated “Carreno 47” lower left and measured 24 by 25 inches framed ($1/2,000).
EAST DENNIS, MASS. — Eldred’s auction gallery conducted a two-session Fine & Decorative Arts auction on June 13-14, offering more than 600 lots. In total, the sales collectively realized $257,000. “We were happy with the results and especially excited about the large number of buyers who were not only new to Eldred’s, but new to bidding at auction,” commented Cheryl Stewart, the head of marketing for Eldred’s. The sale saw 258 different buyers, with 377 registered phone, absentee and Eldreds.com online bidders, and an additional several hundred bidders via Invaluable and LiveAuctioneers.
Session one garnered the lot with the highest result for both days, a circa 1825 Baltimore coin silver six-piece tea service by American silversmith John Erwin. The set, consigned from a Cape Cod estate, contained two teapots, a hot water pot, a covered sugar bowl, a waste bowl and a creamer. All the pieces bore an oval medallion containing a three-letter script monogram identifying the maker. The set soared past its $3/4,000 estimate, selling to the trade for $10,240. The buyer was from the Baltimore, Md., area.
Also defying expectations during session one was a Mintons pâte-sur-pâte moon flask from the late Nineteenth Century, which sold to the trade for $6,400, almost 13 times its high estimate. The flask was gilt with cobalt blue and bleu-de-roi highlights on its shoulders. The scene on the front of the flask depicted Cupid sitting on the right side of a scale, the other side, holding a crown, grapes and scepters, balancing him out. The ground beneath the scene was olive green. Consigned from a Massachusetts estate, the flask was signed “L. Solon 80” in white slip, indicating it was the work of Marc Louis Solon (1835-1913). It was also impressed “Mintons” and “1303” on the base. “I think we were very pleased, though not terribly surprised, to see the Mintons moon flask perform so well,” explained Stewart. “The decoration was by Marc-Louis Salon, one of the leading pâte-sur-pâte ceramic artists, and his work commanded high prices in the late Victorian era. While extravagantly decorated porcelain may be less ‘in style’ than it has been in the past, there is always a strong market for the rarest and best examples.”
The highest-selling lot of session two was a Handel table lamp from the first half of the Twentieth Century. The lamp had a nine-panel slag glass shade with an overlaid design of daffodils along the lower edge. Both the base and shade were marked “Handel,” and it measured 27½ inches high. Its excellent condition encouraged bidders to push it to more than double its $1,5/2,000 estimate, topping off at $4,480. It found a new home with a private New England collector.
Selling to a private buyer for $2,304 was plate No. 7 from Louis Justin Laurent Icart’s (France/America, 1888-1950) “La Vide de Seins” series. Originating from a Cape Cod consignor, this plate was from a run of 196, and, according to the catalog, it was “from Icart’s late period.”
Eldred’s next sale will be its Summer Sale , on July 24-26; the ever-popular Marine sale is scheduled to take place August 8-9.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.eldreds.com or 508-385-3116.
This oak Globe-Wernicke Co., Ltd., barrister’s bookcase from Cincinnati, Ohio, sold for more than four times its high estimate. The 70-inch-high piece was split into five sections, with the uppermost displaying a leaded glass front, which “was a nice detail and seemed to really add to its appeal,” according to Cheryl Stewart. Some minor surface wear and refinishing did not deter bidders from pushing it to $2,816. A Florida buyer had the winning bid ($400/600).
“Lystfiskere (Angler)” by Niels Frederick Schiottz-Jensen (Danish, 1855-1941), 1894, oil on canvas, 35 by 50 inches framed, signed and titled on label verso was pushed by bidders to $4,480, against a $700-$1,000 estimate.
Leading both days of the sale was this Baltimore coin silver six-piece tea service, which altogether weighed approximately 140 troy ounces. The tallest piece of the circa 1825 set was 10½ inches high. The lot sold for $10,240, more than double its high estimate ($3/4,000).
DEADLINE / PUBLICATION SCHEDULE BELOW
Early Telephones Among The Stars At White’s Auction
Auction Action In Middleborough, Mass.
Finishing at $11,430 and the top price of the day was this long-distance wall set transmitter that consisted of a japanned metal case with nickel-plated cap and arm; was labeled an American Bell telephone with patent dates of 1878-1886.
Polychrome scrimshaw walrus tusks in the manner of Nathaniel Finney performed well, this one going to $8,540. It was 21 inches long, signed N.S. Finney S.F. Cal. 1872, and was decorated with an oval portrait of Abraham Lincoln, a polychrome Lady Liberty with an additional engraved portrait of William Sherman and more.
MIDDLEBOROUGH, MASS.
— Whites’ Auction has been making a market in early telephones and communications items and that was again the case on June 23, when what is known as a long-distance wall set transmitter went to the top of the sale, finishing at $11,430. Consisting of a japanned metal case with nickel-plated cap and arm, this American Bell telephone, with patent dates of 18781886, truly was your grandfather’s (or great-grandfather’s) telephone. It also featured a hard rubber mouthpiece, measured 11½ inches long by 6½
Catalog notes provided some history behind this rare Charles Williams walnut telephone with exposed bell that crossed the block at $6,983.
20½-inch-long
inches wide and weighed 6 pounds. A gentleman on the floor bidding for his client prevailed. There were many other early telephones and related parts, totaling $98,803, according to Katherine Black, coowner of the firm. John White, her husband and co-owner, said the sale totaled $299,500 with a 98 percent sell-through rate and participation by bidders from nine countries.
Also rare was a Blake transmitter with a wooden case. Patent dates on the side were from 1876 and 1877. According to the Science Museum Group, the Blake transmitter was the first successful telephone microphone. Its inventor was Francis Blake (18501913) of Massachusetts. It used a platinum contact with a button of carbon to transmit speech and was found to be more sensitive than earlier transmitter designs used in telephones. The device in this
This late Nineteenth Century rare early Bell Telephone transmitter surpassed its $500-$1,000 estimate to take $7,620. With a wooden case, it bore patent dates “March 7, ‘76” and “January 30, ‘77.”
sale was estimated just $500$1,000 but ended up finding a buyer at $8,890.
Similarly estimated at $500$1,000, a rare early Bell Telephone transmitter took $7,620. Encased in wood, it bore patent dates of March 7, ‘76 and January 30, ‘77. The wooden case was stamped “BB” and “LG.”
Other early communications technology stars included a Phelps single crown telephone receiver, circa 1879-80, number 197, deemed in good condition with a hard rubber receiver. It easily surpassed its $500-$1,000 estimate to change hands at $6,983. And a rare Charles Williams walnut telephone with exposed bell also chimed to $6,983. Catalog notes gave a little history: “Charles Williams Jr was a manufacturer of electrical telegraph instruments at 109 Court Street in Boston. Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas A. Watson experimented with the telephone in Williams’ shop, and it was there that they first heard indistinct sounds transmitted on June 2, 1875. The first permanent residential telephone service in the world was installed at Charles Williams’ house in 1877, connecting Williams' home with his shop on Court Street in Boston.”
Technology and marine artistry were cheek by jowl among heavy hitters in this sale. Two polychrome scrimshaw walrus tusks in the manner of Nathaniel S. Finney (1813-1879) performed well, going to $8,540 each. One was
21 inches long and inscribed “N.S. Finney S.F. Cal. 1872.” It was decorated with an oval portrait of Abraham Lincoln, a polychrome Lady Liberty, an engraved portrait of William Sherman, a spread-winged eagle and shield, star and shield, a female holding a sword marked “Union” and an eagle on top of a shield. Nathaniel Finney was a native of Plymouth, Mass. His early life was spent whaling, then he moved to San Francisco and became a professional scrimshaw artist, doing most of his work on commission. Its mate was a 20½-inchlong scrimshaw walrus tusk, dated 1869, also signed “Finney.” It was decorated with an oval portrait of Ulysses S. Grant, a polychrome eagle, an engraved portrait of Winifred Scott, Lady Liberty, a pair of flags and an eagle with cannons.
There was a Finney tusk, 24½ inches long, dated 1875, which found a buyer at $7,320. An oval portrait of George Washington, a polychrome winged eagle and shield, a portrait of a Abraham Lincoln, Lady Liberty holding a flag, a portrait of Ulysses S. Grant, a spread-winged eagle and shield,a star and, finally, a shield.
Prices given include the buyer’s premium as stated by the auction house. The auction house is busy collecting items for its next sale, which will occur later this summer, date to be announced. For information, www.whitesauctions.com or 508-947-9281.
This Phelps single crown telephone receiver, circa 1879-1880, number 197, easily surpassed its
estimate to change hands at
A Nathaniel Finney tusk, 24½ inches long, dated 1875, found a buyer at $7,320.
This rare Blake transmitter with a wooden case bore patent dates on the side of 1876 and 1877. According to the Science Museum Group, the Blake transmitter was the first successful telephone microphone. The brainchild of inventor Francis Blake of Massachusetts, it was estimated just $500-$1,000 but ended up finding a buyer at $8,890.
$500-$1,000
$6,983.
This
scrimshaw walrus tusk, dated 1869 and signed Finney was decorated with an oval portrait of Ulysses Grant above a polychrome eagle and then above engraved portrait of Winifred Scott, then Lady Liberty, a pair of flags. then an eagle with cannons. It sold for $8,540.
Review by W.A. Demers, Senior Editor
Photos Courtesy White’s Auction
Art and works on paper to include Jamie Wyeth, Charles Warren Eaton, Hendricus Berin-Klene, Elihu Vedder, Minette Barton, Gustavo Novoa, Harald Sulius Niels Pryn, Angelo Asti, Maurice Brianchon, Jim Dine, Georges Rouault, Stuart Davis, etc.
Furnishings from: Eldred Wheeler, D.R. Dimes, Benchmade by Gregory Vasileff, David T. Smith, Stickley, Ethan Allen, Jim Rantala for Windsor Woodworks, Ralph Lauren, Cynthia B. Sawyer for Bloomingdales, Peter Kramer, Handel.
Period Furnishings to include George IV, George III Chippendale, Federal, Louis XVI, etc.
Guitar Collection to include 12 lots featuring 1968 Jose Ramirez III Class 1A classical Acoustic, 2016 Epiphone Masterbilt Deluxe Acoustic, Carbon Fiber Rain Song Acoustic, etc.
Decorative Accessories to include 30+ lots of silver, featuring Tiffany & Co., Gorham, S.Kirk & Sons, Maurice Guirault Riviere Bronze, Louis McClellan Potter Bronzes,
after William Rimmer Bronze, fountain pen collection, Life-size Yoda Replica, Lionel Trains, after François Xavier Lalanne Sheep, Papier-Mâché Jack-O-Lanterns, Grueby Pottery, Cartier, Steuben, Baccarat, Dresden, Mackenzie-Childs, Thomas Hoadley Porcelain, Lynn Chase Porcelain.
Carpets and Rugs to include: Farahan Sarouk, Heriz, Hamadan, Bidjar, Oushak.
Provenances:
Collection of Steven and Paula Schimmel Woodstock, Connecticut
Thomas F. Vanderbeck Revocable Trust Haddam, Connecticut
Estate of Michael and Elizabeth Ponak
Property of a New Jersey Private Collection
Gentlemen’s Estate
Watch Hill, Rhode Island
Kennedy Galleries, Inc. New York, New York
Designer warehouse furnishings from a well-known Greenwich, CT based interior designer
Baccarat 1 of 5 lots
Montegrappa “Dragon” inkwell, part of collection, 2 1/2” ht
Eldred Wheeler Secretary, 78 1/2” ht
Jose Ramirez Guitar, 1 of 12
Ralph Lauren 31” ht, top 38” x 84”
After William Rimmer Bronze 21” ht
Benchmade Jim Rantala
Minette Barton, o/c, 20x24 1/2”
Maurice Guiraud Riviere Bronze 15” Ht
Custom Gregory Vasileff Chest, ht 24”, top 22x50”
Gregory Vasileff 40” ht, top 19” x 38”
Stuart Davis 5 1/2” x 8 1/2”
Mackenzie Childs Collection, 21” ht
After Francois Xavier Lalanne Sheep 35” ht, 1 of 2
Cat & Skull Papier Mache Lanterns, 2 of 18
Eldred Wheeler Lowboy, Tiger Maple, 1 of 5 lots
Part of Pen Collection
Chesterfield Style Brown Leather Sofa 29” ht, 86” lg
Dimes 18” ht
Yamaha 50” ht
MODERN DESIGN & FINE ART AUCTION
FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2024
MERRILL’S AUCTION GALLERY
137 JAMES BROWN DRIVE, WILLISTON, VERMONT
Merrill’s Auctioneers and Appraisers is pleased to offer Mid-century furniture, accessories and fine art from several area homes including designer furniture by Harvey Probber, Milo Baughman, John Stuart, Paul McCobb, 20th c paintings by Allan Rohan Crite, Francis Colburn, Churchill Ettinger, Aiden Lassell Ripley, Dennis Sheehan. Prints by Henri Matisse, Salvador Dali, Sabra Field, Antonio Berni; Oriental Rugs; Musical instruments including a Gibson B25N guitar; Vintage stereo equipment; Designer clothing & accessories including Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton; Glass including a collection of syrup pitchers; China & porcelain including Shelley; Sterling silver; Fine estate jewelry, and accessories from area homes.
This sale features a remarkable find – a March, 1934 Boston “Late Afternoon” street scene oil on canvas by Allan Rohan Crite (1910-2007, a nearly matching painting is in the collection of the Boston Athenaeum). A collection of Sabra Field woodblock prints. A fine group of Stephen Huneck prints, furniture, & accessories. Counterpoint to the MCM in the sale are the contents of an old Winooski, VT estate descending from the owners of a turn-of-the-century pharmacy. Preview in person THURSDAY, July 11th from 1 to 6 pm, &
1.8 Ct. Brilliant Pear Diamond Ring
Chinese White Jade & Gold Pendant
Raymond Yard Diamond & Green Tourmaline Ring
Christina Naranjo Olla
Hermes A Toile Herbag
Henri Matisse (Fr. 1869-1954) Seated Dancer
Jane Gallatin Powers (Carmel CA. 1868-1944)
Sabra Field (VT. 1935-)
Stephen Huneck Rabbit Chair
Eyvind Earle (Am. 1916-2000) Autumn Shadows
Allan Rohan Crite (Am. 1910-2007) Late Afternoon
Aiden Ripley (Am. 1896-1969) From Dark Frigate
Stephen Huneck Owl Cabinet
Havey Probber Tufto Sectional Sofa Milo Baughman Model N Desk
Gibson B25N Acoustic Guitar
TIMED ONLINE COIN AUCTION
Auction starts to close Thursday, July 11 at 7 PM
Bidding online through Auction Ninja www.auctionninja.com/legare-auctions/sales/ details/coin-auction-7.html
Large collection American coins from the estate of a dealer/collector sold with no minimum, no reserve. Condition to be determined by the buyer. Preview available. Collection includes two silver capped bust half dollars, large selection of Morgan silver dollars, Peace dollars, Eisenhower dollars, Half dollars include Barber, Ben Franklin, many 1964 Kennedy halves and later, quarters include Barber, standing Liberty, many silver Washington quarters, boxed set States Quarter program, Dimes include seated Liberty, Barber dimes, large lots Mercury dimes, Roosevelt dimes, nickels include Liberty Head, large lots Buffalo nickels,
PREVIEW: By appointment only Monday July 8 and Tuesday July 9, 9am–3pm Please call or text for appointment 603-325-7270.
SHIPPING: Shipping available
PICK UP: Local pick up by appointment only, Saturday July 13, 9am-4pm, Sunday July 14, 10am-2pm, Monday July 15, 9am-4pm. Please call or text 603-325-7270 for appointment.
TERMS: Credit card, 15% Buyers Premium, No NH Sales Tax
Be aware timed bidding is extended for last minute competing bidders! www.legare-auctions.com Leo P. Legare, Auctioneer NH license #2529, MA #149 • 1306 Mammoth Rd, Pelham NH Office: 603-595-9625 • Cell: 603-325-7270
at the South
July 4th has come and gone. Hard to believe but sidewalk sales are offering summer clothing at a discount and Halloween candy is making an appearance. Here in South Glastonbury, we’re unpacking books and ephemera that will make you forget what time of year it may be.
Let’s start with history and a very scarce and desirable softcover volume entitled “Abby and Her Cows.” Written by Julia Smith and published in in 1877, this 1st edition is a collection of her letters to newspapers across the United States in protest of local authorities seizing her sister’s cows for failure to pay taxes. Not only are Julia’s letters a pleasure to read but the scorn heaped upon Glastonbury by editorial writers across the country is immensely entertaining.
Then again, perhaps, you would prefer an 1885 copy of Custer’s “Boots and Saddles,” Isaac Asimov’s (1966, signed) “The Roman Republic,” or Mahan’s (1890) “The Influence of Sea Power Upon History.” As always we’re rich in 1st edition fiction by Twain (1869) “The Innocents Abroad,” and (1892)
“The American Claimant,” Burgess’ (1983, signed) “The End of World News,” Hemingway’s (1932) “Death in the Afternoon,” Atwood’s (1996, signed) “Alias Grace,” Saul Bellow’s (1953, signed BOMC) “The Adventures of Augie March,” and Steinbeck’s (1952) “East of Eden” to name a few.
For art lovers there are several copies of Bruce Weber’s work and signed copies of the artistry of Eric Sloane. There are also copies of Leighton’s (1935, signed) “Four Hedges,” and (1944, signed) “Wood Engraving and Woodcuts.” Not to be ignored is Keith’s (1928) “Eastern Windows an Artist’s Notes of Travel,” and Hagreen (1975, signed) “Philip Hagreen The Artist and His Work.” Like autographs, then consider volumes signed by Bob Newhart, Pearl Buck and several by President Jimmy Carter. And then there is broadly termed the ephemera. There is the ceremonial sword, photo and citation of Col. Charles Perley Gray M.D. given as thanks for his lifesaving service during the Mexican Border War against Pancho Villa. Or a truly impressive Stereoscope with slides that I believe was used by an eye doctor, Esquire Vargas calendars for 1942, 1944 and 1946 and not to be omitted 15 Astronaut / NASA patches connected to Hamilton Standard maker of spacesuits.
For more information on this 6 pm, Friday, July 12th book auction to be held at the South Congregational Church, 949 Main Street, South Glastonbury, CT 06073 visit ctriverbookauction.com
Charles Schulz Letter
Roseville Topeo Vase
Weller Vase
Ann Carroll, Highwaymen
Mamie Deschillie Navajo Art
White House Cigar Humidor
Sam Newton, Highwaymen
Tiffany “Flemish” Flatware
Paul Jacoulet Woodblock
Harold Newton, Highwaymen
Vintage Sports Cards
Rookwood Vase
Charlie Willeto Navajo Carving
Chelsea Ship’s Bell Clock
OVER 350 AMAZING LOTS
THAT WILL MAKE YOU HAVE TO COME TO THE JULY BRIMFIELD!
Partial Listing — Many Unadvertised Lots!
True Antiques, Advertising, Signs, Clocks, Coin Op, Rare 3-Sided Fortune Teller Machine, Antique Football Machine, Toys, Fine Estate Jewelry including Several Giant Tray Lots of Sterling Silver Jewelry, Gold Jewelry, Costume Jewelry, Estate Furniture, Artwork, Paintings, Sculptures, Sterling Silver Flatware & Hollow Ware, Country Store, Art Deco, Antique Books, Folk Art, Decorator Interest, Generous Tray Lots & Much More!
We Have It All, Something for Everyone!
ONLY AT NEW ENGLAND’S
MOST EXCITING AUCTION ACTION™
Rain or Shine Under the Big Hospitality Tent. Absentee and Phone Bids accepted by calling 781-324-4400 up to 1 hour before the auction.
Free Auction Parking on Hertan’s Field Beginning at 4pm.
