Walter Emerson Baum painting highlights 900 lot auction at Cordier Antiques Fine Art Nov. 10-11

Oct. 26, 2007

CAMP HILL, Penn.—A large Walter Emerson Baum painting of “Easton” will headline Cordier Antiques & Fine Art’s Fall Auction Nov. 10 and 11. Estimated at $30,000 to $50,000, the 40” by 50” painting was exhibited at the 1934 Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art’s annual exhibition. Other auction highlights include a Lancaster County compass artist trinket box and a circa 1920 Folk Art carved clock by Frank Fahringer. Also to be included is a collection of Victorian glass from the Estate of Miriam Shirk, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The 900 plus lot sale will be offered for absentee and live Internet bidding at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Saturday’s sale includes numismatics featuring an AU55 1860 $3.00 gold piece followed by a wide selection of books, documents and autographs. Of note is a collection of documents and photographs from the Estate of James West Roosevelt, first cousin to Theodore Roosevelt, including a personal journal and an album of family photographs, both estimated at $400 to $600. A group of items relating to Septimus Tustin, including a Millard Filmore free frank and a presentation walking stick, will also be offered. Tustin was Chaplain to both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives circa 1840. Among the autographs to be sold are a James Wilson signed document estimated at $300 to $500, a Buffalo Bill Cody handwritten letter estimated at $700 to $1,500, and an Antarctic certificate signed by Richard Byrd estimated at $200 to $400.

Saturday’s military lots include a World War II Dilbert Navy Flyer mascot doll handmade by a female parachute rigger – the lot will also include her original rigging tools. World War I items include a trench art carved walking stick estimated at $500 to $700. Civil War era offerings include a William Mason Mod. 1863 rifle and a Standard Mod. 1850 sword. Following military will be a selection of antique toys featuring an unusual cast iron bell toy with two jesters.

The first day of the sale will also include fine jewelry and silver. Of note are a 5.04 ctw diamond bee pin, a 1.78 carat diamond ring and a Vacheron and Constantin enamel pendant watch. Silver includes a Poston sterling silver tea service estimated at $1,500 to $2,500, a Stieff repousse vase estimated at $600 to $800, and several flatware sets including Stieff Rose. Glass features over fifty pieces of Victorian art glass from the Estate of Miriam Shirk, a glass collector and dealer from Lancaster, who collected in the 60s and 70s. Shirk’s collection includes a Peachblow oil lamp on a Mappin & Webb silverplated pedestal base estimated at $300 to $600. Other art glass will include a Moser enameled iris vase estimated at $300 to $600. Several ecclesiastical pieces will be offered including a large 19th century polychromed bishop figure, illuminated manuscripts and an icon.

The second day of the sale will be highlighted by Americana, art and furniture. Featured will be a 19th century Lancaster compass artist trinket box estimated at a low $3,000 to $5,000. A circa 1920 Folk Art carved tall case clock with birds and scenes by Frank Fahringer (Pennsylvania, 1861-1944), estimated at $10,000 to $20,000, is expected to be one of the top lots of the day. The clock is one of six examples Fahringer made for his children. It descended to the consignor through Fahringer’s son.

Also included on Sunday will be a Sevres ormolu mounted vase (estimate $1,500 to $3,000) and a large pate sure pate vase (estimate $700 to $900). A grouping of Chinese Export will include a punch bowl and a hard to find set of six 18th century Fitzhugh plates. A circa 1900 Santo Domingo Pueblo olla and a circa 1898 Chippewa beaded bag will be among several lots of Native American items.

Over eighty pieces of fine art will be offered Sunday. Two paintings by New Hope Impressionist artist Walter Emerson Baum (1884-1956) will be sold including a large 40” by 50” landscape entitled “Easton” (estimate $30,000 to $50,000) that was exhibited at the 1934 exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. There will also be two paintings by well-known Pennsylvania wildlife artist Ned Smith (1919-1984) from Millersburg, Pennsylvania, including a watercolor on paper of a sparrow hawk that was featured on the cover of the June 1973 issue of the Pennsylvania Game News. Other paintings by well-known artists include a Camelia Whitehurst (Baltimore, 1871-1936) portrait of a child and a William Haskell Coffin (1878-1941) portrait of a girl with puppies that was the cover for Metropolitan magazine. A small watercolor by French artist Victor Hugo (1802-1885) will also be offered as will several Haitian pieces including a scene of a cockfight by Diecilius Vital (20th century). Prints will include a Picasso entitled “Le Crane de Chevre Sur Table” (36/150) estimated at $3,000 to $5,000.

A special holiday offering will be seven massive 7 foot by 11 foot store display paintings on velvet of Santa attributed to German born artist George Hinke (1883-1953). The paintings were purchased by the consignor from the Penn Traffic Department Store in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The store reportedly commissioned Hinke in the 1940’s to paint the scenes, which were based on the artist’s illustration paintings from the best-selling Ideal book “Jolly Old Santa Claus”. Each painting is estimated at $500 to $700.

The day will conclude with over one hundred lots of furniture, garden ornaments and rugs. Several lots of furniture from the Pennsylvania State Capitol will be offered including a large ten foot divan designed by J.M. Huston circa 1906 for the Senate Pro-Tem reception room. Other highlights in the area of furniture include a Pennsylvania arched door corner cupboard estimated at $4,000 to $6,000 and a mahogany Queen Anne dining table estimated at $3,000 to $6,000. A circa 1810 Philadelphia Classical carved card table and a circa 1820 Classical sofa with serpent carving are also among the highlights. Arts & Crafts pieces include an L&JG Stickley bookcase. Mid-century Modern is represented by a Mies Van Der Rohe Barcelona chair estimated at $1,500 to $3,000. Garden ornaments, including urns and a lawn jockey, will feature a large 19th century cast iron lion signed “W.W. Jennings, Harrisburg”. William W. Jennings was the founder of the Franklin Iron Works in Harrisburg circa 1859. Persian rugs will finish up the sale and will feature an impressive 16 foot by 26 foot palace size Sarouk (estimate $8,000 to $12,000).

To preview the fully illustrated catalog or place absentee or live Internet bids visit www.LiveAuctioneers.com.