Pook & Pook’s Dec. 3-4 sale features furniture, art from fine homes

Featured lot in Pook & Pook's Dec. 3-4 Variety Sale. Image courtesy Pook & Pook.
Featured lot in Pook & Pook's Dec. 3-4 Variety Sale. Image courtesy Pook & Pook.
Featured lot in Pook & Pook’s Dec. 3-4 Variety Sale. Image courtesy Pook & Pook.

DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. – If you’ve ever seen the Grace Kelly/Bing Crosby film High Society and marveled at the interiors of the Lord family’s grand Philadelphia Main Line residence, then you have some clue as to what to expect in Pook & Pook’s Dec. 3-4 Variety Sale.

The suburban Philadelphia auctioneers are known for their year-round offerings of furniture, fine and decorative art and accessories from area homes, but it’s their Variety Sales that hold the greatest element of surprise. Their upcoming event with Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com, comprises 1,400 lots and features dozens of subcategories, with quality as the common thread. Consignments have come from five estates, seven museums, and educational institutions.

The furniture selection encompasses both American and Continental country and formal furniture. Forms include beds, tables, chests, bookcases, cabinets, cupboards, desks and more. Sofas, stools and chairs provide ample seating opportunities. A bonus category is miniature furniture, which is so coveted by collectors.

Fine art includes paintings, engravings, lithographs, fraktur and more.

A full complement of decorative accessories and textiles has been catalogued. Within the grouping are Oriental and hooked rugs, coverlets, quilts, samplers, clothing, glass, metalware and woodenware. Also to be auctioned are clocks, lamps, music boxes, models, mirrors and weapons.

Pottery and porcelain lots include a large Staffordshire collection, luster, redware, stoneware, etc.

Rounding out the sale are baskets, decoys, books, jewelry, bird trees, games, toys, trade signs, cameras and Native-American items.

For information on any lot in the sale, call 610-269-4040. View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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Click here to view Pook & Pook, Inc.’s complete catalog.


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


Featured lot in Pook & Pook's Dec. 3-4 Variety Sale. Image courtesy Pook & Pook.
Featured lot in Pook & Pook’s Dec. 3-4 Variety Sale. Image courtesy Pook & Pook.

Featured lot in Pook & Pook's Dec. 3-4 Variety Sale. Image courtesy Pook & Pook.
Featured lot in Pook & Pook’s Dec. 3-4 Variety Sale. Image courtesy Pook & Pook.

Featured lot in Pook & Pook's Dec. 3-4 Variety Sale. Image courtesy Pook & Pook.
Featured lot in Pook & Pook’s Dec. 3-4 Variety Sale. Image courtesy Pook & Pook.

Featured lot in Pook & Pook's Dec. 3-4 Variety Sale. Image courtesy Pook & Pook.
Featured lot in Pook & Pook’s Dec. 3-4 Variety Sale. Image courtesy Pook & Pook.

Goodwill workers find marijuana stash in antique water jug

MARIETTA, Ohio (AP) – Police say whoever donated an old water jug to a charity in southeast Ohio probably didn’t mean to be so generous. The jug contained about $1,500 worth of marijuana.

Police in Marietta said workers at a local Goodwill Industries site recently found four bags of marijuana when they looked inside a water cooler left outside by an anonymous donor.

They turned the 2-gallon metal jug and the pound or so of marijuana over to police on Friday.

Marietta police Capt. Jeff Waite said the jug is probably an antique. He also said authorities would be more than happy for the jug’s donor to come forward so police can “get their cooler returned to them.”

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Fine art with Southern touch tops Neal’s Louisiana Purchase Auction

Described as an iconic image of the antebellum lower Mississippi Valley plantation culture, ‘Norman’s Chart’ sold for an astounding $315,999. Image courtesy Neal Auction Co.
Described as an iconic image of the antebellum lower Mississippi Valley plantation culture, ‘Norman’s Chart’ sold for an astounding $315,999. Image courtesy Neal Auction Co.
Described as an iconic image of the antebellum lower Mississippi Valley plantation culture, ‘Norman’s Chart’ sold for an astounding $315,999. Image courtesy Neal Auction Co.

NEW ORLEANS – Neal Auction Co.’s annual Louisiana Purchase Auction, conducted Nov. 21 and 22, achieved $3.84 million and realized multiple record prices.

The signature piece in the auction was a rare 1858 map of the lower Mississippi River, which sold for a record price of $315,999, inclusive of the buyer’s premium. Commonly known as Norman’s Chart, after the name of the publisher, the map gave the name of every landowner and plantation from the city of Natchez south. Prominent landmarks were also noted on the hand-colored chart. Marie Adrien Persac (b. France 1823, d. Manchac, La., 1873) drew the original. A Louisiana collector prevailed over a handful of bidders.

A rare 1860 Bien Edition Folio of John James Audubon’s Birds of America was conceived by the artist’s son, John Woodhouse Audubon, seven years after his father’s death as a reissue of the 435 images of his father’s seminal work. The start of the Civil War, however, put an end to the ambitious project and only 15 of the 44 projected parts were ever produced. Neal Auction Co.’s Bien Edition Folio, which consisted of the first 14 parts, sold to a Louisiana collector for $271,999. The edition is commonly referred to as Bien after the name of its New York chromolithographer Julius Bien.

Another sale highlight was a 1780 portrait miniature of Revolutionary War hero Lt. Col. John Laurens by Charles Willson Peale (American/Pennsylvania, 1741-1827). The 1 1/2-inch miniature saw intense presale interest from around the country, with interest from some of the nation’s finest institutions. The work sold for $109,800 – a record price for a miniature painting by the artist.

A handsome portrait of a Lexington, Kentucky Light Infantryman, which Neal Auction Co. attributed to Jose Francisco Xavier de Salazar y Mendoza (Mexico/New Orleans 1750-1802), realized $32,862.

One of Mississippi’s most beloved artists, John McCrady (1911-1968), once again played an important role in a Neal Auction Co. Louisiana Purchase Auction. This year the American Scene Movement was represented in the sale by McCrady’s environmentally visionary painting Sic Transit in which an anthropomorphic cloud ominously casts a shadow over a clear-cut and eroding landscape. The award winning work (1941 Blanche S. Benjamin prize), which succinctly embodies its Latin inspiration; Sic transit gloria mundi, or thus passeth the glory of the world, had multiple phone bidders vying against saleroom competition. The painting sold to a man standing in the back of the room for $107,550.

Carrying an estimate of $30,000-$50,000, an American Impressionist painting titled Live Oak on Broadway by William Woodward (American/New Orleans, 1859-1939) created a sensation when it sold for $107,550.

American genre artist William Aiken Walker (American/Charleston, 1838-1921) was represented by several works at the auction. Taking the lead was a scene titled Cotton Pickers with Wagon and Bales, which sold for $45,410.

A socially provocative watercolor of a young black girl titled Flip Flops and Lace, by Stephen Scott Young (American/Florida, b. 1957) sold for $155,350, the second highest price ever paid at auction for a work by the preeminent watercolorist.

An important collection of Confederate treasury notes from the estate of Fisher E. Simmons Jr. was offered. One highlight was an 1861 T-1 $1,000 note issued from Montgomery, Ala., the first capital of the Confederate States of America. The rare note realized $33,460. A later Richmond, Va., issued Indian Princess $5 note, which is considered to rarest of all the CSA notes, also realized $33,460. Because of its low denomination, the $5 Indian Princess notes suffered from heavy circulation, loss and damage, and only an estimated 76 of the original 7,160 exist today.

A massive Shearwater pottery bowl designed and hand-carved in 1930 by Walter Anderson (American/Mississippi, 1903-1965) was offered. Noteworthy for its impressive size and early uranium glaze, the bowl brought $23,900.

Two watercolors by Anderson fared well. Horn Island: A Triptych, exceeded expectations to achieve $28,680, while Burnt Pines with Ducks brought $15,535.

For more information, phone 504-899-5329 or visit the Neal Auction Co. Web site www.nealauction.com.


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


Stephen Scott Young (American/Florida, b. 1957) painted ‘Flip Flops and Lace’ in 1991. The 30- by 20-inch watercolor sold within estimate for $155,350. Image courtesy Neal Auction Co.
Stephen Scott Young (American/Florida, b. 1957) painted ‘Flip Flops and Lace’ in 1991. The 30- by 20-inch watercolor sold within estimate for $155,350. Image courtesy Neal Auction Co.

John McCrady (American/Mississippi, 1911-1968) painted this ominous landscape titled ‘Sic Transit’ in 1940. The painting, which measures 27 inches by 36 inches, sold within estimate for $107,550. Image courtesy Neal Auction Co.
John McCrady (American/Mississippi, 1911-1968) painted this ominous landscape titled ‘Sic Transit’ in 1940. The painting, which measures 27 inches by 36 inches, sold within estimate for $107,550. Image courtesy Neal Auction Co.

American genre artist William Aiken Walker was active in New Orleans from 1876-1905 before returning to his native South Carolina. His painting titled ‘Cotton Pickers with Wagon and Bales,’ is 6 1/4 inches by 12 1/4 inches. It sold within estimate at $45,410. Image courtesy of Neal Auction Co.
American genre artist William Aiken Walker was active in New Orleans from 1876-1905 before returning to his native South Carolina. His painting titled ‘Cotton Pickers with Wagon and Bales,’ is 6 1/4 inches by 12 1/4 inches. It sold within estimate at $45,410. Image courtesy of Neal Auction Co.

This beautiful creature represents one of 140 chromolithograph prints included in the nearly complete Bien Edition of John James Audubon’s ‘The Birds of America.’ The set soared past its $200,000 high estimate to sell for $271,999. Image courtesy of Neal Auction Co.
This beautiful creature represents one of 140 chromolithograph prints included in the nearly complete Bien Edition of John James Audubon’s ‘The Birds of America.’ The set soared past its $200,000 high estimate to sell for $271,999. Image courtesy of Neal Auction Co.

Lincoln funeral photo album in Cowan’s Dec. 9 Amer. History auction

Exceptional Abraham Lincoln funeral CDV album, estimated to bring $8/10,000
Exceptional Abraham Lincoln funeral CDV album, estimated to bring $8/10,000
Exceptional Abraham Lincoln funeral CDV album, estimated to bring $8/10,000

CINCINNATI – A unique album of 97 carte-de-visite photographs featuring 25 rare images of President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral procession is the headliner in Cowan’s Dec. 9, 2009 American History Auction. Never before has such a comprehensive collection of images related to Lincoln’s funeral been offered by Cowan’s, an international leader in auctions of historical Americana. Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

The album is comprised of images from three of the nine cities on the funeral route: Columbus, Ohio; Chicago, and Springfield, Illinois. While valuable for its rarity as a whole, the album includes several cartes de visite that are exceptional on their own individual merit, including an image of the processional arch in Chicago, and an image of Lincoln’s bedroom in his Springfield home. Additionally, several photographs are not among those shown in Twenty Days, Kunhardt and Kunhardt’s comprehensive 1965 account of Lincoln’s assassination and funeral.

Also among the images of three of the cities on the route are the railroad car used to transport Lincoln’s coffin, the hearse, the crepe-draped Chicago City Hall, and a view of Lincoln’s horse “Old Bob” and his African-American groom, the Reverend Henry Brown, standing before the Lincoln home in Springfield.

Rounding out the album are interior scenes of the funeral, a tinted image of the Lincoln’s boyhood home, and a number of copy views of Lincoln and his family. The album is estimated to bring between $8,000 and $10,000.

Joining the Lincoln album is a group of 47 albumen photographs illustrating the 1884 rescue of the members of Adolphus W. Greely Expedition to Fort Conger (Lady Franklin Bay, Ellesmere Island, Canada). The tragic expedition, though a success scientifically, resulted in the deaths of 18 of the 25 crewmen, after ships carrying supplies failed to reach Fort Conger. Finally, after a public outcry for the rescue of the doomed expedition, three American ships were sent to attempt to locate the group of explorers. An important archive documenting the golden age of Arctic exploration, the group of photographs is estimated to bring $10,000-$15,000.

What is believed to be the earliest known photograph of the Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens is to be offered as part of a rare archive of Stephens’ family photographs, estimated at $10,000-$15,000. The collection of 17 images, which descended through Stephens’ heirs via Mary Corry, his great niece, includes a tintype of Stephens’ slave, Pierce, as well as images of Stephen’s extended family and other slaves.

A Georgian by birth, Stephens was elected to Congress in 1843. He supported slavery and the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Although as a Democrat, he opposed the election of Lincoln in 1860, and he argued against secession. Lincoln wrote to Stephens emphasizing their similarities in views, other than on that critical issue of slavery. With the formation of the Confederate States of America on February 8, 1861, Stephens was elected Jefferson Davis’ Vice President. However, theirs was an uneasy relationship; Stephens had little respect for Davis and opposed his determination to fight until the end. Stephens made several attempts to talk to Lincoln about ending the war. After the war he was briefly imprisoned before being pardoned by Andrew Johnson. He was elected again to Congress, resigning in 1882 to serve as Governor of Georgia until his death in 1883.

For information on any lot in this auction, call 513-871-1670 or e-mail info@cowans.com. View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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Click here to view Cowan’s Auctions, Inc.’s complete catalog.


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


Greely Expedition Photograph Collection, estimated to sell for $10/15,000
Greely Expedition Photograph Collection, estimated to sell for $10/15,000

An unpublished photograph album of Alexander Stephens, Vice President of the Confederacy, including a tintype of his slave Pearce, est. $10/15,000
An unpublished photograph album of Alexander Stephens, Vice President of the Confederacy, including a tintype of his slave Pearce, est. $10/15,000

Lot 190: Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens' Copies of the Appomattox Surrender Terms and General Order No. 9, estimated to bring $10/15,000
Lot 190: Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens’ Copies of the Appomattox Surrender Terms and General Order No. 9, estimated to bring $10/15,000

 An extremely rare Quarter Plate Daguerreotype of a Steam Locomotive, estimated to bring $5/7,000
An extremely rare Quarter Plate Daguerreotype of a Steam Locomotive, estimated to bring $5/7,000

Oklahoma Federation of Colored Women Banners, 1910, estimated to sell for $10/15,000
Oklahoma Federation of Colored Women Banners, 1910, estimated to sell for $10/15,000

A tremendous collection of American Indian Photographs, including a rare image of Red Cloud (Lot 227), estimated to sell for $7/9,000
A tremendous collection of American Indian Photographs, including a rare image of Red Cloud (Lot 227), estimated to sell for $7/9,000

An Ohio family's archive from the California Gold Rush, including a gold nugget, estimated to bring $10/15,000
An Ohio family’s archive from the California Gold Rush, including a gold nugget, estimated to bring $10/15,000

Civil War Archive of Capt. Henry T. Dudley, 15th and 20th Massachusetts Infantry, estimated to sell for $20/25,000
Civil War Archive of Capt. Henry T. Dudley, 15th and 20th Massachusetts Infantry, estimated to sell for $20/25,000

Cowan’s Corner: Old Master copies and icons – an opportunity in today’s market

16th- or 17th-century scene, Adoration of the Magi, unidentified Old Master copy, sold for $3,680 at Cowan’s.
16th- or 17th-century scene, Adoration of the Magi, unidentified Old Master copy, sold for $3,680 at Cowan’s.
16th- or 17th-century scene, Adoration of the Magi, unidentified Old Master copy, sold for $3,680 at Cowan’s.

No matter the economic climate, a Rembrandt or Titian painting will generally hold its own when brought to auction. As the economy causes bumps and slides in the art market like we’ve experienced in the past year and a half, the newer markets are the first to be affected. Specifically, in the latest downturn, the contemporary art market took a major hit. Impressionist and modernist sales also experienced fluctuations. Design pieces, art pottery and other categories that have multiple examples also suffered. But original paintings by the “Old Masters,” loosely defined as established artists from the 14th– 18th centuries, are always heavily collected. The theory is they’ve been collected for centuries and they’ve survived all the economic upturns and downtowns several times over, so they must be a stable investment.

Aside from the “Old Masters”, whose subjects were primarily Biblical, other art with religious subject matter is easily collectible today. A vast number of Old Master copies were produced by artists in the 19th century. These examples regularly surface on the market and can be had oftentimes for under $1,000. Essentially, these works are paintings executed by a student artist, usually while viewing an original piece by one of the Old Masters. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was common practice for an artist to stroll into a museum or church with brush and canvas, and copy another work. Studying the “Old Masters” was a rite of passage, encouraged for artists to gain a sense of their predecessors. These student projects surface regularly on the current market. They are typically never signed (why sign a painting that, after all, is not a subject conceived by the artist?), and are readily identifiable as copies of well known works. Some great Old Masters were copied more than others. Still more were published in lithographs, engravings or etchings and were widely distributed.

Religious icons are another great collecting opportunity today. Nineteenth-century icons were produced in large numbers, especially by the Russians and Greeks. These are usually painted on a heavy wood panel, often with silver or gilt designs along the perimeter, and with the central painting depicting a Biblical scene. These icons sell anywhere from $100 to $1000.

Although we’ve seen a downturn in the market for paintings and icons with religious subject matter of late, this trend has made for good collecting opportunities. After all, an original 19th century painting is still an early object with a history. It can be enjoyable to research and identify the original works from which Old Master Copies derive—usually housed in European museums. The Biblical scenes in icons can also be readily identified. The market is such today that a collection can be amassed at an affordable level for a beginning collector.

About the Author:

altWes Cowan is founder and owner of Cowan’s Auctions, Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio. An internationally recognized expert in historic Americana, Wes stars in the PBS television series History Detectives and is a featured appraiser on Antiques Roadshow. Wes holds a B.A. and M.A. in anthropology from the University of Kentucky, and a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Michigan. He is a frequently requested speaker at antiques events around the country. He can be reached via email at info@cowans.com. Research by Graydon Sikes.

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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


The Crowning of Thorns after Carlo Maratti (Italian, 1625-1713), an 18th-century copy, discovered in a Kentucky monastery and sold for $920 at Cowan’s.
The Crowning of Thorns after Carlo Maratti (Italian, 1625-1713), an 18th-century copy, discovered in a Kentucky monastery and sold for $920 at Cowan’s.

A large 18th-century copy of The Vision of St. Francis after Domenichino (Italian, 1581-1641), brought $345 at Cowan’s.
A large 18th-century copy of The Vision of St. Francis after Domenichino (Italian, 1581-1641), brought $345 at Cowan’s.

A 19th-century Russian icon of Mother and Child sold for $345 at Cowan’s.
A 19th-century Russian icon of Mother and Child sold for $345 at Cowan’s.

Art gallery owners get prison terms for defrauding customers

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – A mother and son who pleaded guilty to charges they defrauded customers at an art gallery they owned have been sentenced to prison terms.

Sixty-year-old Constance Breithoff and her son, 35-year-old Christopher Breithoff, both of Covington, have been sentenced to 18 months and 21 months in prison, respectively.

U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon also ordered the Breithoffs to pay $924,000 in restitution to their victims.

Prosecutors say the Breithoffs purchased Chinese paintings in bulk and resold them as original works of art by phony local artists. They operated Barlow Art Gallery and Transitions in Mandeville and also had a location in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

The Breithoffs pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in October 2008.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Ukrainian museum claims it owns a Titian

This masterpiece by Titian (Italian, probably b.1488/1490, d. circa 1576), an oil painting titled Assunta, is a dynamic three-tier composition whose color scheme established the artist as the preeminent painter north of Rome. It took Titian two years to complete the painting, which is held at Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari Church in Venice. Source: The Yorck Project.
This masterpiece by Titian (Italian, probably b.1488/1490, d. circa 1576), an oil painting titled Assunta, is a dynamic three-tier composition whose color scheme established the artist as the preeminent painter north of Rome. It took Titian two years to complete the painting, which is held at Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari Church in Venice. Source: The Yorck Project.
This masterpiece by Titian (Italian, probably b.1488/1490, d. circa 1576), an oil painting titled Assunta, is a dynamic three-tier composition whose color scheme established the artist as the preeminent painter north of Rome. It took Titian two years to complete the painting, which is held at Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari Church in Venice. Source: The Yorck Project.

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) – The director of a Ukrainian museum claimed Tuesday that a portrait of a Venetian Doge in its collection is a work of Titian, even as an expert warned that it is art historians who are best placed to make that call.

Vladimir Ostrovsky said State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg conducted an analysis of chemical samples and X-rays analysis of the painting, proving Titian’s authorship.

The portrait is part of a collection of the Museum of Western and Eastern Art in the Black Sea port of Odessa headed by Ostrovsky, where in July 2008 Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ, also known as Judas’ Kiss, was cut from its frame and stolen. That painting is still missing.

“Now we are nearly 100 percent certain that God has compensated us for the terrible loss that we suffered last year,” Ostrovsky said in a telephone interview.

But Sergei Androsov of the State Hermitage’s department of western European art said that only art historians can determine whether the painting is Titian’s.

“The analysis shows that the canvas matches Titian’s historical period, that the paint used matches his paint, that certain technical attributes match up,” Androsov told The Associated Press. “But based on that it is impossible to judge whether the painting is a Titian. That is the work of art historians, not technical experts.”

Alexander Kosolapov, head of the Department for Scientific and Technical Examination at the State Hermitage, said the painting was given to the Odessa museum from the State Hermitage about 25 years ago.

“We know it is a 16th-century Venetian painting, most likely either by Titian or Tintoretto,” Kosolapov told the AP. “But right now it is not fully clear.”

Ostrovsky said they have invited art scholars from Moscow to further analyze the work. He did not allow the painting to be photographed in Odessa.

After the theft of the Caravaggio the museum is taking extra security precautions with the painting, but will still send it for exhibition abroad if its authenticity is confirmed, Ostrovsky said.

“Some people told us not to do anything with the Titian. But as they say, you can never stroll in the forest if you’re always afraid of wolves,” he said.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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London museum opening medieval and Renaissance wing

Interior view Victoria & Albert Museum. Public domain image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
Interior view Victoria & Albert Museum. Public domain image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
Interior view Victoria & Albert Museum. Public domain image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

LONDON – A London museum is opening a new 30 million pound ($49 million) wing displaying the art of the Middle Ages and Renaissance and exploring the connections between the periods.

The wing opening tomorrow, Dec. 2, is the first permanent collection of medieval and renaissance art to be displayed at the Victoria & Albert Museum. The 1,800 objects tell the story of European art and design from the decline of the Roman Empire through the Renaissance.

Each of 10 ten galleries concentrates on a theme. In a gallery of religious artworks, for instance, light filters through translucent onyx window screens, suggesting the illumination in medieval churches.

One of the treasures of the collection is five notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci that contain his right-to-left “mirror writing.”

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Elite Delaware antique car restorer seeks apprentices to learn craft

1956 Lincoln Premiere convertible, sold for $120,000 + buyer's premium on Jan. 18, 2008 by RM Auctions. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and RM Auctions.
1956 Lincoln Premiere convertible, sold for $120,000 + buyer's premium on Jan. 18, 2008 by RM Auctions. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and RM Auctions.
1956 Lincoln Premiere convertible, sold for $120,000 + buyer’s premium on Jan. 18, 2008 by RM Auctions. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and RM Auctions.

NEW CASTLE, Del. (AP) – In a nationwide industry where customers spend half a billion dollars each year, Chip Romano is an elite name among the restorers of antique cars. In November alone, he worked on MBNA President and CEO John Cochran’s 1965 Corvette, Jamie Wyeth’s 1950 Mercedes-Benz 170 Cabriolet and former middleweight boxer Dave Tiberi’s 1980 Corvette.

But his passion is more and more reaching out to youth to bring them into the industry and help them find careers at a time when they’re lacking direction. And that’s saying a lot, because his passion started behind the wheel of his older sister’s 1973 Volkswagen Beetle when he was 14.

“I hot-wired her car and drove it around for a week,” he said, smiling. “That was the beginning of my fascination with old cars.”

Not that he’s suggesting youth should act recklessly. Quite the opposite, he wants them to find a path in life so they can succeed and have a life they enjoy.

If he’s able to start an apprenticeship program for students in the Colonial School District, he’s already got an idea of what he’ll expect. He, District Superintendent George Meney and Delcastle Technical High School automotive technology teacher Paul Davis have been working on the idea.

“That’s something the kids are interested in,” Davis said. “We’d like to give somebody like that some trainees.”

They’ve probably found their somebody. “I’m looking for the kids who don’t have a direction and have no idea that this is out here,” Romano said.

He’s probably their best option because, as Davis explains, it’s not easy to find the resources or willing and able people to teach restoration.

“The problem is, those cars aren’t available for training,” he said. “You’re not going to take a car that costs thousands and thousands of dollars and use it as a training tool. That’s a very different kind of job, as opposed to going out and repairing people’s daily transportation.”

Daily transportation it’s definitely not.

Consider the 1966 Lincoln Continental of former pro boxer Bernard Hopkins. He paid $80,000 for Romano to restore the car from end to end and top to bottom over a 19-month period.

“Chip takes his time – but he’s good,” Hopkins said. He’s sent two Bentleys and the Lincoln to Romano. The Lincoln won first prize at the Lincoln and Continental Owners Club Eastern National Meet in Lancaster, Pa.

“You take it to a car show and your car wins first place. That’s real. It goes to tell you that your money was well spent. They go through that car top to bottom,” Hopkins said.

JEMS Classics is Romano’s business since 2005; he named it from some of the letters in his daughters’ names, Jessica and Emily. He has a 10,000-square-foot shop and works with Bruce Hofmann, who does much of the bodywork.

“I would describe him as the Jamie Wyeth of antique cars,” Romano said.

He believes today’s students can become elite restorers of incredible antique cars, helping to keep the industry and the hobby alive for years to come.

“I’m looking for the kids who don’t have a direction and have no idea that this is out here,” said Romano.

But that doesn’t mean he’s going to leave them there or simply let them remain that way.

“They would need to maintain a certain grade-point average to stay in the program, that kind of thing,” he said. “If you give them some kind of incentive to stay in school, you might make some more productive people in the world.”

District Superintendent Meney has said an after-school activity or club is the best place to start. He said Romano seemed open to that.

“It’s an area that a lot of kids are getting into, I understand. It’s something we’re going to explore further.”

Romano said, “I guess I’m just at a point in life that I’m looking at a bigger picture. I want to help out. This is something that needs to be passed on to the next generation.”

___

Information from: The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., http://www.delawareonline.com.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-ES-11-26-09 0003EST


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


1956 Lincoln Premiere convertible, sold for $120,000 + buyer's premium on Jan. 18, 2008 by RM Auctions. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and RM Auctions.
1956 Lincoln Premiere convertible, sold for $120,000 + buyer’s premium on Jan. 18, 2008 by RM Auctions. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and RM Auctions.

1956 Lincoln Premiere convertible, sold for $120,000 + buyer's premium on Jan. 18, 2008 by RM Auctions. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and RM Auctions.
1956 Lincoln Premiere convertible, sold for $120,000 + buyer’s premium on Jan. 18, 2008 by RM Auctions. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and RM Auctions.

Soulis Auctions to sell best of old St. Joseph, Mo., families, Dec. 5

The eight-day time-and-strike movement is on this French doré bronze and marble portico clock is signed ‘Etienne Maxant Brevette.’ It is 22 1/2 inches high and 17 inches wide. The estimate is $3,000-$5,000. Image courtesy of Dirk Soulis Auctions.
The eight-day time-and-strike movement is on this French doré bronze and marble portico clock is signed ‘Etienne Maxant Brevette.’ It is 22 1/2 inches high and 17 inches wide. The estimate is $3,000-$5,000. Image courtesy of Dirk Soulis Auctions.
The eight-day time-and-strike movement is on this French doré bronze and marble portico clock is signed ‘Etienne Maxant Brevette.’ It is 22 1/2 inches high and 17 inches wide. The estimate is $3,000-$5,000. Image courtesy of Dirk Soulis Auctions.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Dirk Soulis Auctions will conduct an estate auction Dec. 4-6 that features fine art and antiques from several prominent families from St. Joseph, Mo. The cataloged portion of the sale comprised of 444 premier lots will be offered on Dec. 5, beginning at 10 a.m. Central Time and featuring Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com.

The estate auction of John Townsend Smith and Elizabeth Wyeth Campbell Smith represents a confluence of important heirlooms from four of St. Joseph’s oldest and most prominent families.

“This estate really was a time capsule of elegance,” said auctioneer Dirk Soulis.

Lots include antique French and Persian rugs and tapestries; bronze, marble and porcelain decorative arts; choice 19th century French furniture; a Mason & Hamlin baby grand piano; more than 100 lots of fine and sterling silver; numerous paintings and signed prints; and rare Steuben crystal sculptures

The Wyeths, related to the pharmaceuticals firm and the Brandywine artist, came to St. Joseph in 1865 and established a hardware store and saddlery company that was, at the time, the largest in the world.

The Campbells were a family of physicians and professors who held a number of patents on medicines and procedures at the turn of the last century. The Smiths were doctors and wholesale druggists.

The Townsends operated a large chain of department stores, and other branches of the family tree were equally successful. Since 1947 Mrs. Smith maintained the family heirlooms in her St. Joseph mansion until her death earlier this year at the age of 96. To settle her estate the entire contents of her home will be sold without reserve.

The KCI Expo Center is at 11730 N. Ambassador Drive, across I-29 from Kansas City International Airport.

For details phone 816-697-3830.

View a fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet during the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Click here to view Dirk Soulis Auctions’ complete catalog.


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


Hans Wegner designed this chair to neatly hang a suit. Johannes Hansen, Denmark, manufactured the chair in 1953. It has a $1,000-$3,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Dirk Soulis Auctions.
Hans Wegner designed this chair to neatly hang a suit. Johannes Hansen, Denmark, manufactured the chair in 1953. It has a $1,000-$3,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Dirk Soulis Auctions.

This pair of mid-19th century six-light candelabra with two different figures of cupid, a boy and a girl, both hold gilded bronze floral bouquets. Each measures 28 1/2 inches high and approximately 17 inches across. The estimate is $1,000-$3,000. Image courtesy of Dirk Soulis Auctions.
This pair of mid-19th century six-light candelabra with two different figures of cupid, a boy and a girl, both hold gilded bronze floral bouquets. Each measures 28 1/2 inches high and approximately 17 inches across. The estimate is $1,000-$3,000. Image courtesy of Dirk Soulis Auctions.

High relief repoussé and chased designs of floral swags above landscapes, lovers and Pan with cherubs decorated this large Hanau sterling silver wine cooler. Dating to the early 1900s, it has a $1,000-$3,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Dirk Soulis Auctions.
High relief repoussé and chased designs of floral swags above landscapes, lovers and Pan with cherubs decorated this large Hanau sterling silver wine cooler. Dating to the early 1900s, it has a $1,000-$3,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Dirk Soulis Auctions.