Fortunino Matania (1881-1963) created the poster ‘Southport for a Holiday in Wintertime’ circa 1938. The 40 3/4-inch by 42 1/2-inch poster has a £6,000-£8,000 ($9,000-$13,200 estimate). Image courtesy of Onslows Auctioneers.
DORSET, England – Thirteen travel posters featuring the greatest ocean liners ever to ply the Atlantic will be included in Onslows’ Internet auction of vintage posters on Nov. 12. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
The small collection was purchased unknowingly for a few pounds from a house clearance in Northern Ireland. The posters are of famous White Star Liners including the Titanic’s sister ship the Olympic.
The posters can be accurately dated to certainly post 1912 and the sinking of the Titanic because of the additional lifeboats shown on each ship. They most likely date from around 1919 when the Atlantic passenger routes were reopened at the end of World War I.
The finest poster of the group is by Montague B. Black showing the Olympic, which is estimated to sell for £2,500-£3,000 ($4,100-$4,950).
Another is Montague B. Black’s White Star Dominion Line to Canada. After the war there was a campaign to attract people to Canada to homestead.
The collection is likely to bring the lucky vendor a windfall of £15,000 ($25,000).
The posters where discovered in original as-found condition. They had been rolled for many years and considering their age are in remarkably good condition, said an Onslows representative. The auction company has had the posters backed on linen and any small tears and damage restored.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet during the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
The Titanic’s sister ship, the RMS Olympic, is featured on this Montague B. Black poster for White Star Line. This original poster was printed by the Liverpool Printing & Stationary Co. circa 1920. It measures 41 by 25 1/4 inches. It has a £2,500-£3,000 ($4,100-$4950) estimate. Image courtesy of Onslows Auctioneers. The Liverpool Printing & Stationary Co. printed this poster of the RMS Olympic circa 1920. It measures 40 3/4 inches by 25 1/2 inches. It has a £1,400-£1,600 ($2,300-$2,650) estimate. Image courtesy of Onslows Auctioneers. Anon White Star Line’s fleet is featured on this post-World War I poster. It is 40 1/2 inches by 25 1/4 inches and has a £1,300-£1,700 ($2,150-$2,800) estimate. Image courtesy of Onslows Auctioneers. Liverpool illustrator and painter Montague B. Black (b.1889) did this poster for White Star-Dominion Line to Canada circa 1920. It measures 40 3/4 inches by 25 1/4 inches. The estimate is £600-£800 ($1,000-$1,300). Image courtesy of Onslows Auctioneers.
One of two original marine oil paintings by Thomas Buttersworth (British, 1768-1842). They sold for a combined $33,925.WAYNE, Pa. – A pair of marine oil paintings by the noted British artist Thomas Buttersworth (1768-1842) sold for a combined $33,925 at a multi-estate sale held Oct. 21 by Gordon S. Converse & Co. The paintings were the top achievers in a two-session sale that featured around 275 lots of fine art, period American furniture, ceramic objects, decorative accessories, vintage clocks and more. LiveAuctioneers.com provided the Internet live bidding.
The Buttersworth oils included Glasgow & Cutter Scout, the top earner at $19,550, and Glasgow & Albion, which finished at $14,375. Glasgow refers to the H.M. Frigate Glasgow, a 50-gun warship. The Albion was a 74-gun second ship. Both paintings were executed circa 1826-27 and were housed in later gilt wood frames. Each measured 19 inches by 23¼ inches in the frame.
“It seems to me that the added value to these otherwise attractive paintings by this popular marine artist is that they are a pair, having survived together since the original execution,” said Gordon S. Converse, adding the paintings were both purchased by the same bidder.
The auction was held at the Italian-American Club in Wayne, a suburb of Philadelphia located about a half-hour west of the city, at 301 West Wayne Ave. Around 100 bidders combined participated live, by phone and through absentee bids. In addition, approximately 200 people registered to bid online, via LiveAuctioneers.com. Session one was a discovery auction, while session two was a gallery sale.
“We had a lot of real, genuine antiques in this auction,” Mr. Converse said, “so I was pleased with the quality of the merchandise. As for prices, I was a little disappointed in the furniture, but the good items held up well because quality is what people crave. The same was true for fine art. Signed artwork of beauty will bring top dollar, but not so much mediocre pieces. That has been a mantra this past year.”
Converse said ceramics held their own without breaking any records, but damaged pieces didn’t sell well at all. “As soon as they see that nick or chip, the paddles come down,” he commented. “That’s sad, because some of those pieces are highly collectible and would fetch much more in better condition.” He added, “Overall, considering this was only our fourth auction, I’d say we did quite well.”
Following are additional highlights from the sale. All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Tops in the furniture category was a well-crafted early 19th century mahogany American dresser or vanity with a drawer commode and lyre-form carved supported cheval mirror ($1,840). Also, an 18th century English (or Irish) walnut dish-top Georgian walnut veneer tea table brought $1,380; and a nice Chippendale-style solid mahogany, closed bonnet highboy, 84 inches tall by 40 inches wide, hit $1,150.
Staying with furniture, a high chest of drawers stamped with the maker (Leopold Stickley of New York) and with a Chippendale-style casement realized $748, while a grand gaming table in three tiers, with the top opening to reveal either a felt-covered card table or a roulette surface, rose to $748. Also, a Winchester repeating rifle (“the rifle that won the West”), model 1873, hit a bull’s eye for $920.
An interesting and rare 18th century silk marriage pillow, dated 1722 and with tassels at each corner and the initials of the soon-to-be-betrothed (“EH” and “HJ”), and decorated with tulip flowers and hearts, garnered $1,725. Also, a 20th century Charles Lotton etch-signed art glass vase, 10 inches tall, made $1,035; and a fine white Federal American mantel, 58 inches by 67½ inches, brought $1,035.
Returning to fine art, a framed and matted 19th century engraving after Benjamin West’s William Penn’s Treaty with the Indians, one of the more fanciful images in Philadelphia history, went for $1,150. Also, a Victorian-era antique oil portrait of a happy cavalier at a tavern merrily drinking wine breezed to $900, which seemed to be a great value, since the elaborate gilt frame was about perfect and the image strong by a listed artist, while portraits of colonial figures Aaron Foster and Hannah Brown Foster sold for $805 and $748, respectively.
An antique oil painting on tin, measuring 7½ inches by 5½ inches and titled on the frame, Self Portrait Thomas Scully 1783-1872, painted by Scully at age 80 and framed later, commanded $805; a pointillist painting of sailboats at a dock by George W.K. Newbold (Am., 1879-1948) realized $633; and a set of four scenes of Italy, each signed Ellore Gianni and measuring 6 by 9 inches, made $633.
In ceramics, a pair of nicely decorated yellow and blue glazed bowls soared to $2,645, and a celadon yellow glazed bowl, 7 inches in diameter and embossed with landscape suggestions, hit $891. Clocks seemed to sell at low levels, but a few also did well. A solid walnut Chippendale Pennsylvania tall case clock, 90 inches tall, chimed on time for $3,795, and a Federal American solid cherry grandfather clock (circa 1800-1830) made $2,300.
A walnut Chippendale-style side chair in the manner of 18th century Philadelphia with carved ball and claw feet hammered for $690; a walnut American Chippendale-style carved stool with cabriole legs and ball and claw feet topped out at $690; and a solid mahogany Empire-era upholstered armchair with scroll-shaped armrests and mounted with brass ormolu mounts hit $633.
Gordon S. Converse & Co. has a big sale planned for Dec. 29. “We will be selling one of the largest collections of important shelf clocks in the United States that day,” said Converse. “We will have 200 or more lots in the auction.”
To contact Gordon S. Converse, call 610-722-9004 or e-mail Gordon@ConverseClocks.com. Visit the company’s Web site at www.AuctionsatConverse.com or www.ConverseClocks.com.
Well-crafted early 19th-century American mahogany dresser with lyre-carved supported mirror, $1,840. Rare silk marriage pillow, dated 1772, decorated with tulip flowers and hearts, $1,725. Beautiful Charles Lotton etched art glass vase, 10 inches tall, signed and dated 2003, $1,035. Pair of glazed, decorated matching bowls, $2,645 Solid walnut Pennsylvania Chippendale tall-case clock, 90 inches tall, with 8-day clockworks, $3,795.
Old glass bottles are sometimes found on a bottle tree in the South. Image courtesy of Atlanta Auction Co. and LiveAuctioneers Archive.SKIPPERVILLE, Ala. (AP) – Before Cheryl Leatherwood’s father died last year,his greatest pleasure was to sit out back of the family’s Skipperville home and watch the hummingbirds in flight, fighting each other for nectar and territory.
It was the one activity his failing health allowed him.
After his death, the family began cleaning out a garage where he stored a variety of items. That’s where Cheryl Leatherwood came across his collection of glass bottles – cobalt blue milk of magnesia bottles, old Dr. Pepper and Nehi drink bottles and a Five Points Soda bottle from Clio, Ala. Instead of throwing them out, Leatherwood decided to use the bottles for a special piece of garden art – a bottle tree.
“He would love it,” she said. “My daddy was raised a tenant farmer’s son, so this kind of folk art was right up his alley.”
Bottle trees, referred to by some as “haint” trees, have evolved into art for Southern gardens but have a history that may go back as far as glass itself.
History and bottle tree buffs believe the use of bottle trees may have come out of Africa or even ancient Arabia (think, genie in a bottle). People would place the bottle trees outside the entrance of their homes to trap evil spirits. The most common thought is the spirits could not resist the lure of the bottles as the sun shone through them.
The spirits would enter the bottles and become trapped. Blue bottles were believed to be the most powerful in trapping the spirits. And if you’ve ever heard the eerie howl of wind blowing over an open bottle, you might understand why someone would think such a tree trapped spirits.
The idea of bottle trees spread to Europe and eventually to North America by way of African slaves.
Bottle trees are simple creations in their most basic sense. A tree – often a crepe myrtle – is stripped of foliage and most of its branches. Bottles are slipped over what branches remain with their necks facing the tree’s trunk.
Today, people use a variety of colored bottles – green, red, blue, brown – and even clear bottles. As an alternative to an actual tree some people use a piece of wood with long nails driven into it or simply drive metal rods into the ground around an old stump. But there are a number of online companies that provide the base of a bottle tree welded from metal rods.
They’ll even sell you the bottles if you don’t have your own.
Leatherwood wanted something different. She wanted something that flowed, so she turned to artist Ronald Godwin of Brundidge, Ala. It was only the second request Godwin has ever had for a bottle tree.
Godwin said he tried to design the bottle tree with the placement of the bottles in mind and how they will accent the metal sculpture.
“I don’t do anything that looks traditional,” Godwin said.
His creation became a tribute to Leatherwood’s father. Metal rods twist to form the shape of a hummingbird.
It was a perfect fit, Leatherwood said.
The bottles and the metal itself shine in the sun.
“It is glorious in the sunlight the way it reflects off the polished metal,” Leatherwood said. “… I love the idea of something being in Southern culture and heritage and bringing it to today and bringing it with an artistic touch.” ___
Information from: The Dothan Eagle, http://www.dothaneagle.com
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – If you’re a North Carolina artist in need of some money, here’s a chance to get $10,000.
The North Carolina Arts Council is accepting applications for the 2010-2011 Artist Fellowship awards until Monday. The awards are for visual arts, crafts, choreography and film or video. The award is $10,000.
The Legislature funds the program, which supports creative development of North Carolina artists and new work by them. The awards allow artists to set aside time to work and to buy supplies and equipment.
Artists who have been year-round residents of North Carolina for at least a year immediately prior to the application deadline may apply. Students are not eligible.
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On the Net:
2010-2011 Artist Fellowship Awards, http://www.ncarts.org/fellowships.
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Outstanding checks and unclaimed wages, not 2,000-year-old pottery and tribal spears, are usually what lands in the Unclaimed Property Division of State Treasurer Shane Osborn’s office.
But that’s exactly what the office recently got in a safety-deposit box it was given by a bank. Osborn’s office said earlier this week that the box also included an Egyptian mask from 2500 B.C.
An appraisal of the items pegged the value of the items at more than $200,000.
Osborn’s office conducted an extensive search for the owner. He was eventually found living at a hotel in Oregon where he was relying on food stamps.
He had run an antiques business in Lincoln before falling on hard times and eventually forgot about the safe-deposit box.
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On the Net:
State Treasurer’s Office: http://www.treasurer.org/index.asp
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
This 13-inch-long 1795 Spode tureen was too useful to throw away, so it was repaired with 23 staples in the lid and 33 staples in the bowl. The repair must have been expensive, but a tureen that matched a dinner set was saved. The tureen was offered for sale at The Ames Gallery of Berkeley.
Recycling and reusing is not a new idea. In the 18th century, well-to-do European and American families bought made-to-order dinner sets from China that were sent across the ocean in ships. It took a year to get the dishes, and if one broke it was even more difficult to get a replacement. So plates were repaired by the best system known. Small holes were drilled in each broken part and metal rivets were inserted in the holes. Then the rivets were bent to force the broken parts together. Animal glue was added to fill cracks or holes. The finished piece could be used, but it had what we now consider unsightly repairs. A few collectors today like examples of “waste not, want not” from the past. Sometimes the repair made the piece resume its useful life. Sometimes the repair created a “make-do,” a new item made from old recycled parts. An 18th-century Chelsea porcelain teapot with a replaced spout of silver, a broken candlestick transformed into a pincushion by the addition of a cushion top or a kitchen grater made from a tin cup with newly punched holes are good examples. There are modern make-do’s, too. Necklaces, pins and purses made from the pull tabs on aluminum beer and soft drink cans, cut-up cans made into rattles and colored telephone wire woven into African baskets can be bought in gift shops. They all have value because a few collectors appreciate that thrift and necessity can create interesting things that tell a story.
Q: I have a table made by the Imperial Furniture Co. of Grand Rapids, Mich. There are impressed and chalk numbers on the bottom. Can you tell me when it was made?
A: The Imperial Furniture Co. was founded in 1903 by F. Stuart Foote and was sold to Bergsma Brothers, another furniture manufacturer, in 1954. The plant closed in 1983. Imperial specialized in making quality tables – library tables, card tables, desks and even office suites, most of mahogany, some of cherry. Bookcases were added later. In the 1940s, the company made wooden airplane wings for the government. The numbers on your table indicate the style and finish. Most vintage Imperial tables sell for about $200 to $400.
Q: I have a Swirl Mixer made by Rochow of Rochester, N.Y., that belonged to my grandmother. It was a Stanley Home Products hostess gift. The mixer is swirled white, cream and clear hard plastic. I would like to know how old it is.
A: Stanley Home Products was founded in 1931 by Frank Stanley Beveridge and Catherine L. O’Brien in Westfield, Mass. Home cleaning products were sold door-to-door by sales representatives. The “party plan” was introduced in the late 1930s. Hostesses invited friends to a party that included a demonstration of Stanley products. The hostess could choose a gift from the Stanley representative. Stanley became part of CPAC of Leicester, N.Y., in 1995. Stanley’s headquarters are now in Agawam, Mass. Its products for household cleaning, personal care and “wellness” are sold through home parties, the Internet and directly from sales representatives. Your plastic Rochow Swirl Mixer was probably made in the early 1950s. It’s worth $10 to $15.
Q: I received a Shirley Temple doll carriage as a young girl, probably in the late ’40s or early ’50s. It is tan wicker with a metal frame and hand brake. The carriage is lined with fabric. Shirley’s picture is on a small metal plaque on the side of the carriage and her name is written on the hubcaps. What is the carriage worth?
A: Shirley Temple, the famous child actress, was born in 1928. She made her first movie in 1932. Ideal Toy Co. made the first Shirley Temple doll in 1934. Ideal also held the license for the doll carriage, which was manufactured by F.A. Whitney Carriage Co. of Leominster, Mass. That company was founded in 1858 and was the first American baby carriage manufacturer. It made two different styles of Shirley Temple doll carriages, the wicker one like yours and a wooden carriage with an oilcloth hood. Your carriage was probably made about 1936. Thousands of items picturing Shirley have been and are being made today. If your carriage is in excellent condition, it could sell for $250.
Q: I have a vase that says “Wisc. 415” on the bottom. The Wisconsin Pottery Association says it is a piece of Pittsville Pottery. It’s glazed so it looks like a pale red apple. Do you know anything about this kind of pottery? A: John Willitzer, a Catholic priest, founded Pittsville Pottery in Pittsville, Wis., in 1931 to provide work for people in his parish. The pottery was incorporated as the Wisconsin Ceramic Co., but it’s usually called Pittsville Pottery. It was in business until 1943 and made vases, a dripless pitcher and other items.
Tip: The best care for an opal is to wear it. This helps restore moisture to the stone. Do not oil it. If you soak an unused opal in water, use distilled water. Do not store an opal in a safe deposit box.
Terry Kovel answers as many questions as possible through the column. By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names, addresses or e-mail addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of any photograph, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The volume of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, Auction Central News, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.
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CURRENT PRICES Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
Jimmy Carter ramp walker, large smile, red hair, peanut-color body, windup, 1970s, B.J. Wolf Enterprises, 5 inches, $25.
Chicago World’s Fair 1933 key to the city, pictures three buildings, Hall of Science, Fort Dearborn and The Tower of Water, gold tone, 8 1/4 inches, $30.
“Vote Ike” slogan button with ribbon, “Eisenhower Citizens Committee,” white with red letters, 1952, 1 3/4-inch button, 5-inch ribbon, $65.
Will Rogers “A Connecticut Yankee” movie window card, cardboard, 1931, 14 x 22 inches, $150.
Ronald Reagan-Tip O’Neill “The Great Political Feud” mechanical bank, figural, Tip with gavel taps coin into Ronald’s head, aluminum, 1983, 5 x 9 inches, $200.
Cherokee River Indian cane basket, dyed weavers on broad diagonal bands, oak handle, 13 x 16 inches, $375.
Windsor mammy rocking bench, cherry arms, black paint with stenciling, 19th century, 28 x 48 inches, $430.
Up-to-Date Baking Powder mechanical match dispenser, cast iron, National Mfg. Co., 1897, 3 x 5 x 3 3/4 inches, $510.
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit doll, stuffed velveteen body, felt ears, glass eyes and nose, cotton tail, Dean’s Rag Book Co., c. 1931, 5 x 7 inches, $2,280.
Thirteen-star U.S. flag, cotton and wool, handsewn, stars arranged in circle with central star, one star in each corner, nine stripes, 1850s, 40 x 68 inches, $2,705.
