Space/NASA Memorabilia Highlights New Jersey Estate Sale at Bodnar’s Auctions Nov. 29
Nov. 8, 2007
You'll have to forgive Joe Bodnar when he says matter-of-factly that many of the lots in his Nov. 29 auction are simply out of this world. That's not a superlative. It's a fact. Memorabilia from the Willingboro estate of Abraham Schnapf, a real life, bonafide New Jersey rocket scientist who helped develop the first weather satellites launched into space will highlight the auction, as well as hundreds of high end collectibles – Boehm porcelain, Swarovski and Waterford crystal, Lalique and Baccarat, an extensive Lladro collection, Netsuke figurines, Hummels, Lenox, Royal Doulton and Limoge. Visit www.LiveAuctioneers.com to view the fully illustrated catalog and place Internet bids.
Schnapf held several patents for devices and equipment he designed during his year's working on weather satellites, and was honored by NASA with its Public Service award for his accomplishments and contributions to space technology. He was also accorded the RCA David Sarnoff Outstanding Achievement Award in Engineering and received a Certificate of Appreciation from the United States Commerce Department for his engineering and design work on weather satellites.
According to their son Bruce Schnapf, Mr. Schnapf and his wife Edna purchased most of the collectibles during their frequent travels across the country and around the world. Closer to home, they also met and became friends with Edward Marshall Boehm, whose rise to prominence as a sculptor of fine porcelain in nearby Trenton, N.J. paralleled Schnapf's success as a space pioneer. Their Boehm collection includes many of the early birds and flowers for which Boehm became best known.
Also included in the sale are hundreds of black and white photos of the earth taken from hundreds of miles aloft by the TIROS weather satellites, designed and refined by Abraham Schnapf and his colleagues at the RCA David Sarnoff research facility in Princeton. TIROS I was launched in April, 1960, followed in rapid succession by a series of other TIROS satellites over the next several years, each one more refined than its predecessor. The photographs, many of which are tagged with the logos of his employer and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, will appeal to niche collectors on several levels – memorabilia from the earliest days of space exploration, meteorology and satellite imaging.
By today's standards the first-generation images transmitted back to Earth from space were rudimentary, yet spectacular. However, the pioneering technology engineered by Schnapf and his team introduced meteorologists, television weathermen, pilots, ship captains and others in need of accurate weather information to a more precise and dependable means by which to anticipate weather and its impact. Today's forecasters owe a debt of gratitude to Schnapf and his colleagues for introducing an element of certainty to their inexact craft. "It was a different era, these were true pioneers and adventurers," said Bruce Schnapf. "The temperament and level of excitement among citizens concerning each space launch was extreme instead of 'ho hum, another shuttle launch' like it is today. Back then, it really was the Golden Era."
The sale will also include several desk top models of weather satellites Schnapf accumulated during his extraordinary career.Last month's 50th anniversary of the launch of the Sputnik spacecraft from the former Soviet Union has also renewed interest in space memorabilia.
In demand for his expertise, Schnapf's work took him and his wife Edna on trips around the world – China, Japan, Europe and across the United States – all of which helps to explain the extensive collection of porcelain, art, glassware and jewelry that was in their Willingboro, N.J. home. Their son said his father's ground breaking work opened many doors and opportunities for his parents during their travels, enabling them to meet the king of Spain, Russian cosmonauts and many of America's original Mercury astronauts.
Other collectibles to be sold include: The House of Erte, Cybis Figurines, Daum France, a Nao collection, a collection of Orrefors, David Winter house collection, a selection of Mikasa, Coalport figurines, Kosta Boda, Art Glass, paperweights and bronzes.There's also a collection of more than 500 owls including porcelain, ceramic and glass. Bruce Schnapf said his mother also had an extensive collection of fine and costume jewelry, with more than 600 lots of gold and sterling silver pieces to be sold.
Many of the items to be sold are souvenirs, mementoes of his parents' trips abroad, as well as keepsakes from specific events – the opera in Milan, trips to Copenhagen and Shanghai. "My parents were big supporters of the arts, museums and the theater," Bruce Schnapf said. "They were great travelers; we've looked at their slides and home movies, and although we didn't have the benefit of audio, we could still enjoy the images and watch their stories unfold," he added.
To preview and place bids on this extensive collection please visit www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
