Transportation and technology auction to be held at Owls Head

June 26, 2007

(OWLS HEAD, Maine) — More than 250 items -- including an early steam engine, neon automobile signs, ship models, and other significant 19th and 20th century transportation-related collectibles, artwork and ephemera -- will be up for sale at the Owls Head Transportation Museum’s Transportation & Technology Auction, Thursday, June 28. The auction will be held in the Museum’s State of Maine Wing, but bidders worldwide can also participate online via www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

"The breadth of this auction is significant," said the Museum’s Executive Director Charles Chiarchiaro. "There are steam engines and models that will appeal to a specific group of collectors. But we also have a 1930s pond yacht model, Edwardian-era brass automobile headlamps and original paintings and early posters that will appeal to a broader audience."

Significant among the ephemera is an incredible collection of rare 19th century lithographs depicting steam fire engines, locomotives, carriages and wagons. Also included in the sale are several lots from a collection of important Thomas A. Edison papers -- signed stock certificates, patents and photographs, etc. -- relating to his early work at his Menlo Park laboratory.

Early automobilia includes original bisque car models from the 1930s, metal signs, hood ornaments and circa 1905 brass radiators, as well as full-size, neon automobile dealer signs from Pontiac, Ford and Oldsmobile, among others. Several ship models — such as the historic passenger liner Titanic, the clipper ship Red Jacket, and J.P. Morgan's private steam yacht Corsair IV — are also included in the sale.

The entire catalog is available online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com, where absentee and live online bids are welcome. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Museum’s non-profit programs and services.