PARIS — French police detained 12 people in a sweep of a respected Paris auction house today after finding a stolen Courbet painting worth euro900,000 ($1.3 million) at an employee’s house.
Police raids on the Hotel Drouot, its warehouses and homes of employees uncovered other small artworks believed to have been stolen, a police official said.
Twelve people — an auctioneer, eight commission agents and three of their family members — were detained and questioned by investigators from the agency that fights art trafficking. Two were later released, the official said. The official was not authorized to be publicly named because the investigation is ongoing.
The 2004 theft of the Courbet painting, “The Wave,” prompted a formal judicial inquiry.
Police found it in the house of one of the commission agents, the official said. No other details, including about how and where the painting was stolen, were immediately available.
The stolen Courbet was one of several paintings by the convention-smashing, 19th-century realist master with a stormy ocean theme.
The Hotel Drouot is a large auction house in a sprawling 19th-century building in central Paris. It auctions fine art and antiquities, as well as such objects as pieces of the Eiffel Tower and mime Marcel Marceau’s top hat.
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Venini Stockholm Pezzati vase, circa 1950, estimate $4,000-$6,000. Dan Ripley image.
INDIANAPOLIS – An advanced but intentionally low-key collector, the late William D. “Bill” Ansley amassed a select private collection of contemporary art glass over a 40-year period, and in so doing, created a panoramic three-dimensional history of Murano production. To the amazement of his fellow collectors, Ansley accomplished this feat almost entirely from his home base of Topeka, Kansas, said Dan Ripley, whose Antique Helper Galleries will auction the collection in its entirety in a single-consignor sale on Dec. 19, 2009.
“In cataloging the collection, I got the feeling that Mr. Ansley probably bought most of the glass in the Midwest,” said Ripley. “There are pieces in his collection that we’ve identified in catalogs from early-1990s auctions in St. Louis…Dealers knew what he was looking for, and he would have been the first phone call when a special piece of glass became available.”
More than 500 glass designs will be offered in 300+ lots on auction day, with an extensive bonus selection of art glass reference books, many of them quite rare. An additional uncataloged selection of glass will be available to onsite bidders only.
In the historical portion of the sale there are several examples of 19th-century and circa-1920 glass, but the vast majority of the collection’s inventory consists of mid-century Murano with a progression into the American studio glass movement from the 1970s onward. Among the earliest Murano pieces in the collection is a 10-inch footed vase by Salviati, executed in primary colors with a light dusting of gold leaf. “Salviati’s works are relatively unknown in the market, and there’s very little documentation of it. They’re very Victorian yet simple in their technique,” said Ripley. “This period was not Mr. Ansley’s main focus, but he wanted an example from it in his collection. This reflects a trend we’ve noted lately in which experienced 20th-century glass buyers are moving toward antique glass rather than buying more-recently-produced glass.”
The collection includes a few Fratelli Toso 6-inch cabinet vases, which are popular with collectors at the moment, and more-modern interpretations such as the 6-inch Fontana Arte green glass vase that represents the original concept for fazzoletto vases. Made of “slumped” glass, which is not blown, but rather, dropped into a mold to create free forms, the rare Fontana Arte vase is the precursor to Fulvio Bianconi’s Venini designs and even retains its paper label.
A great discovery within the collection is the extremely rare Vittorio Zecchin amethyst and amber glass sculpture produced at the MVM Cappellin glassworks. A modernist plant form known as pianta grassa, it is “not unlike what Tiffany was doing earlier,” according to Ripley. “It had been mislabeled in the collection as ‘Scandinavian glass 1970,’ but I was able to identify it with a direct attribution to Cappellin in the book Murano ’900 by Franco Deboni.”
There was little production of Murano art glass during World War II, so the Ansley collection’s timeframe takes a skip forward from the 1930s – with its Barovier clamshell vases and Pasta Vitrea Rossa elephant sculpture, among many other designs – into the optimistic 1950s. Highlights from that decade include Bianconi fazzoletti, a Bianconi for Venini pezzato (patchwork) vase, and Barovier and Toso patchwork vases.
Another star lot in the sale is the Alfredo Barbini iridescent amethyst Aquarium Aragosta with three suspended lobsters. “It is the only one I’ve ever seen,” said Ripley. “There are others known that feature a jellyfish, crab, seahorse or mermaid, but this one with a lobster is possibly unique.”
Other 1950s Murano pieces to be auctioned include all five of the Pulcini sculptural-bird series by Alessandro Pianon for Vistosi; several works by Archimede Seguso, including a Losanghe vase; and designs by Gino Cenedese, Giulio Radi and Giorgio Ferro.
Ansley’s collection is a virtual showcase of interesting and unusual Murano creations from all styles and periods. “Mr. Ansley continued to buy pieces that displayed complex artistic techniques well into the 1990s,” Ripley said. “What I find so interesting is that he was able to find so much of it locally. Murano was exported to the United States and sold in department stores. Yet he didn’t seem to buy in multiples – there was a studied variety to his collection. It was probably through his self-education in buying and reading about Murano that he progressed into the American studio market.”
The Ansley collection features early designs by Harvey Littleton and Dominick Labino, founders of the American studio glass movement; as well as Richard Marquis, Stephen Powell and Steve Tobin. The auction will also present pieces by Dale Chihuly, Lino Tagliapietra, and Art Nouveau-inspired glass treasures by David Lotton, Orient & Flume and Lundberg Studios. Worthy of special note are a vase from John Lewis’ Moon series and a book-example Yoichi Ohira Pasta Vitrea vase [provenance Barry Friedman Ltd. exhibition] depicted in the reference Yoichi Ohira: A Phenomenon in Glass.
Without question, the premier lot within the American studio section of the sale is the 39-inch-tall Occhi vase made in 1999 by Dante Marioni. Composed of occhi murrine [colored-glass “eyes”] encased in orange and yellow layers, the design revisits a technique originally employed by Tobia Scarpa for Venini. “We have a book showing the process that went into making these vases in 1999,” said Ripley. “There could not have been many of them produced. The one in our auction might even be the one shown in the book in the process of being manufactured.”
The Saturday, Dec. 19 auction is being geared toward a wide range of buyers, Ripley stressed, “with reasonable estimates that demonstrate the collection is legitimately for sale.” The live auction will commence at 10 a.m. Eastern Time at Dan Ripley’s Antique Helper auction gallery, 2764 E. 55th Place, Indianapolis, IN 46220. The printed color catalog will be available one week prior to the auction for $15 + postage; the electronic version of the catalog may be viewed in its entirety online at www.antiquehelper.com. Bidding will also be available by phone, absentee or live via the Internet [see details on Web site]. For information on any item in the sale, call Dan Ripley at 317-251-5635 or e-mail dan@antiquehelper.com.
* * *
William Dawson Ansley. Image courtesy of Estate of William D. Ansley.
About William Ansley:
A respected and beloved member of his community in Topeka, Kan., William Dawson “Bill” Ansley was a Christian Science practitioner and teacher until his death on May 1, 2009. A modest man with a legion of friends in the antiques sector, Ansley left an indelible mark on his hometown not only through his profession but also his dedicated work on behalf of the Mulvane Art Museum.
Ansley, who served as president of the Board of Friends of the Mulvane in 2006 and 2007, launched an antique show in 2000 to benefit the museum. Over the next seven years, the annual event was organized by the Mulvane Women’s Board, a subsidiary of the Board of Friends of the Mulvane. This year’s edition of the show, which took place on June 12-14, reflected its new name: the 2009 Topeka Antique Show & Sale.
Vicki Cunningham, who knew Bill Ansley for 40 years, serves as executrix of his Estate. Like many others in Bill’s vast circle of friends, she admired his studious approach to collecting and remembers him as “a scholar who felt each piece had its own merit.” Cunningham lived only three doors away from Bill and his wife Jean [who died in 2004], and said each new acquisition invariably resulted in an enthusiastic phone call and an invitation to “come down and see what I bought.”
The Ansley home was plentifully adorned with art glass. “The upstairs and entire living quarters were all about his collection,” Cunningham said. He also maintained an extensive reference library of more than 200 books about glass. “Some of them would be quite valuable to glass collectors,” Cunningham said. “Some of the titles have been out of print for many years.” All of the books will be offered at the Dec. 19 auction.
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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
MVM Cappellin pianta grassa sculpture, circa 1930, estimate $4,000-$6,000. Dan Ripley image. Alfredo Barbini Aquarium Aragosta, circa 1950, estimate $3,000-$5,000. Dan Ripley image. Harvey Littleton early loop, circa 1971, estimate $1,500-$2,500. Dan Ripley image. Dante Marioni Occhi mosaic vase, circa 1999, estimate $6,000-$9,000. Dan Ripley image. Yoichi Ohira Pasta Vitrea vase, circa 1977, book example, estimate $5,000-$8,000. Dan Ripley image.
MIAMI BEACH, Florida (AP) – The collectors are back.
That’s what Art Basel Miami Beach organizers and galleries are expecting. They say recent auctions and art fairs have indicated that collectors are again acquiring high art and that they are not afraid to reach into their pockets and spend money this year during the fair, which opens Thursday and ends Sunday.
“It was quite clear that the American collectors were back and participating,” Bonnie Clearwater, director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami, said. “So, there seems to be a lot of optimism.”
Dealers agree.
“I think they are buying again,” said Steven Henry, director of the Paula Cooper Gallery in New York. “I wouldn’t say the market has rebounded in full. … I think what you are seeing is slightly more confidence in the economy.”
Henry will be bringing about 30 works from about 16 artists, including Sherrie Levine’s bronze Coat.
Jane Cohan of the James Cohan Gallery in New York says her expectations are very high since gallery sales are back up to prerecession levels.
“It’s been really growing over the course of the fall. The last three or four weeks have been really good,” she said. “I think the auction market really gave a lot of buoyancy to the market and has built consumer confidence. I think people are back at feeling OK at spending on art.”
In mid-November, Andy Warhol’s 200 One Dollar Bills brought in $43.8 million at auction at Sotheby’s, more than three times its highest presale estimate of $12 million. Meanwhile, at Christie’s, sales of postwar and contemporary art totaled $74.1 million, within its estimate of $66.9 million to $94 million. At the Frieze Art Fair in London in October, organizers said there were reports of “significant sales from new and established galleries exhibiting at the 2009 fair.”
Marc Spiegler, co-director Art Basel and Art Basel Miami Beach, says it is always hard to predict sales. But indications are “pretty optimistic.”
“People were predicting that dozens if not hundreds of galleries would close and that hasn’t happened,” he said.
Museum curators are expected to come.
“The number of museum groups from all over the United States and the rest of the world is on par with last year and previous years,” he said. “When you have good art that’s available, there’s a market for it. … The art market is still part of the general economy and those people feel confident about their economic situation and those who want to buy art will buy art.”
Spiegler said this year’s fair is more streamlined, something that has been in the works for years, and not a repercussion of the recession. The younger galleries, which in the past have been placed in containers in a different section of Miami Beach, will now be in the main convention center with the older galleries to allow access to top collectors and curators.
Clearwater said the North Miami museum has bought at almost every Art Basel Miami Beach.
“We are looking for works that would be related to works already in the collection,” she said. “With the economy … the dust has kind of settled. I believe the general feeling is that we have passed the worst … feeling more confident about making these kinds of purchases.”
Isabella Maidment, gallery assistant at Pilar Corrias Gallery in London, said this is the gallery’s first time at the fair. It opened the same week the economy hit rock bottom.
“For us, it’s not a problem. … We think the strength of the artist’s work will hold out ultimately,” she said. “We’re hoping for a very positive response.”
They will be showing a solo presentation by Ulla von Brandenburg, which will include two handmade quilts.
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On the Net:
http://www.artbaselmiamibeach.com/
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
18K yellow gold tourbillon by Breguet with matte guilloche dial, blued steel moon-style hands, and exposed tourbillon with blued steel second indication. Estimate $40,000-$60,000. Image courtesy Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.
CHICAGO – On Dec. 6-7, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers will present to collectors and connoisseurs its annual winter sale of Fine Jewelry and Timepieces. More than 650 lots valued at nearly $1.5 million will be sold during the two-day sale, with Internet live bidding provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.
A session of 82 wrist and pocketwatches, one of the finest selections ever offered by the house, leads the auction on Dec. 6. Rolex collectors will appreciate a superb group highlighted by a platinum Presidential wristwatch with a platinum dial, replete with diamond bezel and numeral demarcations weighing approximately four carats total. The watch is expected to sell for $20,000 to $30,000.
A late-20th-century 18K white gold Pagoda wristwatch by Patek Philippe, part of a limited edition of 250, is in pristine condition, having never been worn and in sealed packaging. It has a matte rose dial, silvered Roman numerals, white gold feuille hands, a subdial for seconds, flared rectangular case, and is estimated at $30,000 to $50,000.
Also included are fine examples manufactured in the early 20th century through 21st century by A. Lange & Söhne, Ulysse Nardin, Roger Dubuis, Vacheron Constantin, Daniel Roth, F.P. Journe, Audemars Piguet, and others. The session’s star lot, an 18 karat yellow gold tourbillon by Breguet, is expected to sell for $40,000 to $60,000. It features a matte guilloche dial, blued steel moon-style hands, and an exposed tourbillon with blued steel second indication.
Staff Gemologist Alexander Eblen said, “Comprised of the most storied names in horology, this selection has been assembled from the private collections of several enthusiasts. A number of the world’s most sought after watches are in absolutely pristine condition, having belonged to a collector who preferred to admire rather than wear them regularly.”
The watch session also represents a cross-section of rarer features. “This grouping emcompasses several of the most captivating complications, from a tourbillon to an hour striker, that astute collectors are hungry for,” Eblen said.
Property following the timepieces session, from numerous private collections and prominent estates, includes both signed and unsigned antique, period, and vintage jewelry, cultured and natural pearls and colored jewels. Three exceptional platinum, gemstone and diamond rings will be offered: one with a Burmese ruby weighing 3.07 carats ($10,000 to $15,000), one with a 6.01 carat cushion-cut sapphire ($15,000 to $20,000) and one with a step-cut emerald weighing 3.71 carats ($10,000 to $15,000).
Other highlights include a platinum and emerald cut ring with 5.24 total carats of diamonds ($20,000 to $30,000) and a platinum three stone ring with princess and triangular brilliant cut diamonds weighing 8.27 carats total ($40,000 to $60,000). A white gold and diamond necklace with 64.66 carats of cabochon emeralds is expected to sell for $30,000 to $50,000.
The sale’s two most unusual lots, a David Webb cuff bracelet with diamonds and a 50 carat cushion-cut amethyst ($30,000 to $50,000) and a circa-1968 Donald Claflin for Tiffany & Co. brooch depicting a large Chinese dragon figure and fashioned out of platinum, gold, diamonds and rubies ($10,000 to $15,000) are sure to attract admirers of uncommon jewels. An identical Claflin for Tiffany & Co. brooch is currently on display at Chicago’s Field Museum exhibition The Nature of Diamonds.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
William Cripps produced this George III sterling silver epergne, which is hallmarked ‘London, 1762-1763.’ Standing 14 inches high by 24 inches in diameter and 19 inches deep, the epergne weights 101 3/4 troy ounces. It is expected to sell for $30,000-$50,000. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction Galleries Inc.
NEW ORLEANS – More than 1,200 lots of fine and decorative arts, antiques, vintage couture, jewelry, silver and glass will be sold to the highest bidders at New Orleans Auction Galleries Inc. on Dec. 5 and 6. Saturday’s session will begin at 10 a.m. Central; Sunday’s start will be 11 a.m. Central. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
Selling on the first day will be an early George III epergne by London silversmith William Cripps, which is expected to sell for $30,000-$50,000. The ornate epergne features a central basket with pierced scrollwork sides and a rococo-scroll and gadroon rim. Each of the four legs supports a double-scroll arm ending in a circular fluted dish.
A large oil on canvas by Paul Jean Marie Sain (French/Avignon, 1853-1908) has an estimate of $35,000-$50,000. New Orleans Auction Galleries’ catalog notes that “Sain made his debut at the Paris Salon in 1879. His paintings of marine scenes and lush romantic landscapes were well received and he was awarded honorable mention in 1883, a third place medal in 1886, a bronze medal in 1889 and in 1900 at the Paris Exposition Universelle. He was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1895.”
A large pair of Swedish faux marble covered vases has a $4,500-$7,000 estimate. In the Gustavian style, each features a carved rondel featuring a neoclassical silhouette female head. Joined to the carved and turned wooden vases are papier-mâché giltwood drapery swags.
An unused Hermes Kelly handbag from the 1970s is expected to sell for $9,000-$12,000 – a bargain considering new Hermes bags retail for $30,000. Grace Kelly introduced the Kelly bag when she was Princess of Monaco. The one in the auction is tan alligator and labeled “Hermes Paris Made in France.” Founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermes, the company makes saddles, scarves, trunks, purses and the finest of luxury goods.
The selection of fine jewelry in the auction includes a stunning sapphire and diamond ring that has a $15,000-$$25,000 estimate. The rectangular brilliant-cut Kashmir blue sapphire weighs 5.123 carats. The total diamond weight is 3.38 carats.
For details phone 504-566-1849.
View a fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet during the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Paul Jean Marie Sain (French/Avignon, 1853-1908) painted this romantic scene in June 1899. The oil on canvas painting, 35 1/4 inches by 51 5/8 inches, has a $35,000-$60,000 estimate. Image courtesy of News Orleans Auction Galleries Inc. his handsome pair of Swedish faux-marble wooden vases in the Gustavian style dates the second quarter 19th century. They stand 23 inches high by 17 inches in diameter. The estimate is $4,500 by 17 inches. The estimate is $4,500-$7,000 estimate. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction Galleries Inc. This Hermes bag of alligator from the 1970s was never used. Comparable Hermes bags retail for $30,000 today. This one in excellent condition has a $9,000-$12,000 estimate. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction Galleries Inc. The Kashmir blue sapphire on this ladies platinum ring weights 5.13 carats. The supporting diamonds have a total weight of 3.38 carats. The ring carries a $15,000-$25,000 estimate. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction Galleries Inc.
NEW YORK (AP) – A letter in which George Washington makes an impassioned argument for the ratification of the newly drafted Constitution will be auctioned in New York. Its pre-sale estimate is $1.5 million to $2.5 million.
The letter, written in 1787 to his nephew, Bushrod Washington, will be offered Friday.
Christie’s said the nephew’s English descendants have owned the letter for more than 100 years.
In it, Washington said the Constitution was not “free from imperfections.” But he said, “The power under the Constitution will always be with the people.” He said its adoption by the states comes down to one question – “is it best for the States to unite, or not to unite?”
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On the Net:
www.christies.com
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Poinsettia shade on this signed Tiffany Studios table lamp is 18 inches in diameter. The lamp is expected to sell for $45,000-$55,000. Image courtesy Treadway Gallery.
OAK PARK, Ill. – Treadway Gallery has gathered more than 1,100 stellar lots for its latest 20th Century Art & Design Auction, which will be conducted at the John Toomey Gallery, 818 N. Boulevard, on Dec. 6. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
The sale will begin at 10 a.m. Central with an Arts and Crafts/Art Nouveau session containing furniture, ceramics, lighting, metalwork, graphics, textiles, paintings and glass.
Appropriate for the Christmas season is a Tiffany Studios table lamp with a leaded glass shade in the Poinsettia pattern. The beautifully colored glass and a fine original patina on the bronze base combine to make the lamp an exceptional example, estimated at $45,000-$55,000.
Another Tiffany Studios table lamp, this one with an unusual bronze base and a 14-inch diameter leaded glass shade in the Leaf and Vine pattern carries a $15,000-$20,000 estimate.
The sale will open with a Gustav Stickley hanging light fixture consisting of five copper lanterns, no. 202, on staggered chains and ceiling caps supported by a nicely replicated oak beam, which is 75 1/2 inches long. It has a $5,000-$7,000 estimate.
Furniture highlights include a large Gustav Stickley chest of drawers, no. 906, with original hardware and finish. The chest consists of two half drawers over four full drawers and measures 41 inches wide, 21 inches deep and 48 1/2 inches high. It has a $7,000-$9,000 estimate.
With the same estimate is a Gustav Stickley director’s table, no. 631. The top, 72 inches by 36 inches, is supported by canted legs and a shoe-foot base. It has been refinished.
Session two will showcase fine art, including American and European oil paintings, prints and watercolors. The third session will consist of 1950s/Modern furniture, lighting, ceramics, Italian glass, jewelry and decorative objects.
For details call 708-383-5234.
View a fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet during the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Walter Emerson Baum is best known for painting landscapes of his native Bucks County, Pa. ‘On the Hill’ (Easton, Pa.) is an oil on canvas laid on board. The painting measures 32 inches by 40 inches and is signed lower left. It has a $45,000-$65,000 estimate. Image courtesy Treadway Gallery. Anthony Thieme (American, 1888-1954) painted ‘Garden in Autumn’ about 1925. The signed oil on canvas is 36 inches by 30 inches and has a Rockport Art Association label on verso. The estimate is $25,000-$35,000. Image courtesy Treadway Gallery. This unusual Gallé vase in marbled glass with a marquetry design of colorful lilies is 8 3/4 inches high. Retaining its original paper label, the vase has a $25,000-$35,000 estimate. Image courtesy Treadway Gallery. Gustav Stickley’s no. 906 chest of drawers has paneled sides with thru-tenon construction. Marked by a branded signature, the large chest bears a $7,000-$9,000 estimate. Image courtesy Treadway Gallery.
The MGM musical ‘An American in Paris,’ 1951, won Best Picture and a half-dozen other Oscars. This linen-backed three-sheet featuring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron has a $1,000-$1,500 estimate. Image courtesy of Mid-Hudson Auction Galleries.
NEW WINDSOR, N.Y. – Moviegoers love a good old Saturday matinee. Joanne Grant, principal auctioneer at Mid-Hudson Auction Galleries has announced the acquisition of the Gene Andrewski Collection of Cinema, which will be dispersed in several auctions. The first auction opens Dec. 5 at 3 p.m. Eastern. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
The entire collection will be sold without reserve or minimum bids, making this series of sales almost unprecedented in the industry, said Grant.
The Andrewski collection consists of more than 20,000 items. Included are movie posters, lobby cards and window cards as well as jumbo, mini and midget cards. Gene Andrewski was largely responsible for introducing midget-window card collecting to the field. Also included are press books, promotional items and 30,000 photographs and negatives. In the cache of studio images are rare and early Bela Lugosi negatives from Murders in the Morgue and Margaret Hamilton as the witch in The Wizard of Oz. Among the portraits of Hollywood Glamour Era actresses are several by Hurrell, Clarence Sinclair Bull, Elmer Fryer, Ernest Bachrach, Ray Jones, Willinger and other noted photographers. A substantial autograph collection is to be presented including inscribed photos, double stock and single weight, as well as signed letters, contracts, scripts and other movie memorabilia. The ’20s,’30s and ’40s of Hollywood cinema are strongly represented in the Andrewski auctions although there is considerable material from the ’50s and ’60s, said Grant.
Gene Andrewski, who was born in Oklahoma, died in 2005 at the ago of 77 after a highly successful career in the theater. His career highlights included the May 15, 1962 revival of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes at the Orpheum Theatre in New York City as well as the presentation of Sandy Wilson’s Valmouth at the York Playhouse in New York in 1960. He knew the stars of Hollywood and Broadway and moved among them. Those things that he loved in the field of movie collecting were, as a result, more accessible to him than most. He was a former managing editor of The Paris Review. He wrote and contributed photographs to many books including The MGM Stock Company – The Golden Era; The Rise of the Crooners and Mae West (A Pyramid Illustrated History of the Movies.)
An aficionado of Hollywood glamour and everything cinema-related, Andrewski’s collection speaks to that era of advertising. The collection is historical in that it tells the story of how dreams were marketed in early Hollywood. The posters had to attract the glimpse of the passer-by and capture the attention of the stroller in a moment. The lithography of the early posters is intense and spellbinding.
Mid-Hudson Auction Galleries will offer live online bidding at www.LiveAuctioneers.com. Prospective bidders must register in advance to participate. Bidders may also bid by telephone or absentee.
The auction will be conducted at The Minuteman, 171 Temple Hill Road (State Route 300) in New Windsor, N.Y.
For details contact Joanne Grant at Mag2715jag@aol.com or by phone 914-882-7356.
The second half of the Andrewski auctions, Love Is in the Air, featuring posters, lobby cards, still and negatives of iconic Hollywood couples of the silver screen will be presented on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, and will be available online about Feb. 4.
View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Judy Garland was just one year removed from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ when she starred with Mickey Rooney in MGM’s 1940 hit ‘Strike Up the Band.’ This linen-backed three-sheet is estimated at $1,800-$2,000. Image courtesy of Mid-Hudson Auction Galleries. Had Oscars been awarded for Best Costume in 1939 (the category didn’t exist until 1948) designer Walter Plunkett surely would have won for ‘Gone With the Wind.’ This picture of a gown he designed for Scarlett O’Hara is part of a limited-edition portfolio of signed lithographs. With its original envelope, the set of prints has an $800-$1,200 estimate. Image courtesy of Mid-Hudson Auction Galleries. Universal’s ‘Cobra Woman’ from 1943 is a camp classic in Technicolor. Maria Montez played twin sisters – one good, one evil. This linen-backed three-sheet has a $1,000-$2,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Mid-Hudson Auction Galleries. ‘Harvey,’ the film version of Mary Chase’s Pulitzer Prize winning play was released by Universal in 1950. This three-sheet poster, 81 inches by 41 inches, is linen backed and has an $1,800-$2,200 estimate. Image courtesy of Mid-Hudson Auction Galleries.
