Lot 238: jade, diamond, 18K while gold pendant enhancer. Estimate: $15,000-$25,000. Image courtesy of Michaan’s Auctions. ALAMEDA, Calif. – Michaan’s Auctions will present its Feb. 6 sale in celebration of the Lunar Chinese New Year with more than 800 lots of fine art and furniture, jewelry, decorative art, Ethnographic art, coins and Asian works of art.
LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding for the 768-lot auction, which begins at 10 a.m. Pacific.
Highlighting the jewelry and timepieces portion are exceptional examples of jade. The marquee lots are a gorgeous, natural jade pendant enhancer encrusted with over 200 diamonds and a natural jade pendant of a serene Quan Yin, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. These pieces as well as a varied selection of watches, gemstones, Mexican sterling silver and a large selection of costume jewelry will go to the highest bidder.
The Asian art portion will offer Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian works of art. Chinese highlights include jade and ivory carvings, porcelain, textiles, scholar’s objects, paintings and calligraphy.
Furniture and decorative arts will offer groupings of American and European sterling flatware and hollowware including a fine Art Nouveau Tiffany tea service and a circa 1791 Georgian Henry Chawner ivory mounted hot water pot, a collection of English and French earthenware, including a rare Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre bowl by Daisy Makeig Jones and a blue-green Moorcroft Tube lined vase, art glass, enameled boxes, a collection of decorative portrait miniatures and English and French furniture.
French highlights include a lovely pair of Louis XV-style giltwood Aubusson tapestries and a striking provincial bonnetiere. English star pieces include a George II side table with bal-and-claw feet, a Regency mahogany secretary in the Hepplewaite style, a Regency drop-leaf sofa table and a gout stool.
The fine art section is rich in graphics, drawings, lithographs, etching and other works on paper. Featured are a 7-foot-high woodcut by Leonard Baskin and two lithographs by George Tooker, both major American artists. Among the paintings is an oil on canvas by the well-known early California artist William Keith.
Also on Feb. 6 Michaan’s is offering a collection of Native American Indian art, including some very fine early painted pottery bowls and vases from the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest.
For details visit the website www.michaans.com or phone 510-740-0220.
The hammer price for William Birch’s ‘The City of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania North American as it appeared in the year 1800’ hit $100,000. With premium the rare volume came to $118,500. Image courtesy of Pook & Pook Inc. DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. – A volume of early views of Philadelphia sold for a record $118,500 at Pook & Pook Inc.’s winter catalog auction held Jan. 14-15.
William Birch’s The City of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania North American as it appeared in the year 1800, a book of 28 plates is an extremely rare item indeed. This first edition, published in 1800, creates a visual record of Philadelphia, depicting homes and public buildings. William Russel Birch (1755-1834) was the first person to successfully publish engraved view books in the United States. Among the 156 original subscribers to the work were Gilbert Stuart and Thomas Jefferson. There are only a few copies of this book extant, with few known still in private hands. The phones were full and the bidding was active establishing a record for this volume, which was estimated at $70,000-$90,000.
The seats at Pook & Pook’s gallery were filled and there was standing room only both sessions. Of the 773 lots, only 16 lots failed to sell. The sales totaled over the high estimate of $1.78 million. The auction encompassed a myriad of objects including fine art, silver, American and Continental furniture, carpets, textiles, historical Staffordshire and decorative accessories.
On Friday night the sale began with a selection of English and Continental furniture and accessories primarily from the estate of Margaret M. Peters of Nazareth, Pa. Highlights included an English mahogany and silver mounted tea caddy bearing the touch of Pierre Gillios for $7,110, a pair of Dutch marquetry chairs for $1,422, a Georgian mahogany and walnut veneer looking glass for $2,370 and an impressive ormolu mounted porcelain three-piece garniture set brought $16,590.
From a Vergennes, Vt., collection and the estate of Margaret Peters came a collection of American and European silver. An important group of English pieces by Hester Bateman included a dome lidded tankard for $5,589, a teapot and stand for $3,081, a tea caddy with elaborate overall engraved floral and swag decoration for $5,451, a bread basket with reticulated border for $3,402, a coffeepot for $4,503 and a master salt for $2,187. Other pieces included a pair of Georgian silver candlesticks by William Café for $7,110, a coin silver coffeepot by Bailey & Kitchen for $1,125, an English coffeepot by John Kentenber for $1,458 and a tea caddy by Peter and Ann Bateman for $1,303.
A rare United States $10 gold coin dated 1796 was offered to a full bank of phones together with bidders in the sales room and on the Internet. This stunning coin with draped bust, small eagle, reeded edge and 16 stars brought $42,660.
The Friday night session also featured a selection of fine art. A very attractive pair of oil on canvas landscapes by Charles Sullivan soared to four times the high estimate to reach $16,590. Another fine New England still life painting by Cullen Yates again went well over the high estimate to bring $13,035. A watercolor by Arthur Burdett Frost did very well at $3,318, a still life with apples by Thomas Henry Hope at $5,688 and an oil on canvas New York landscape brought $4,503.
Many of the pieces of New England and New York furniture arrived from the Vergennes, Vt., collection and one exceptional piece from the Titus Geesey collection. From the Mancius family of Boston, this rare William and Mary maple chair with a scroll and foliate carved crest and branded “W. Mancius” on the rear rail had a history of the descent of this chair from Wilhelmus Mancius of Ulster County, N.Y., to Robert Rose Johnson accompanying the lot. With multiple buyers interested, it sold over the high estimate to $77,025. A Massachusetts Chippendale figured birch chest of drawers, circa 1777, with a serpentine front top and ball and claw feet was bid to $16,590. A New England Queen Anne tiger maple tall chest with a fan carved drawer and period brasses brought $8,295. Other New England furniture included a painted pine bench table for $6,517, a Queen Anne walnut dressing table for $7,702 and a Massachusetts Federal mahogany bed went for $7,110.
A Pennsylvania or Maryland Chippendale walnut dining chair, circa 1770, was an outstanding piece with a serpentine crest with central cabochon flanked by tassels, pierced acanthus carved splat, cabriole legs and ball and claw feet. An identical side chair is illustrated in Downs American Furniture Queen Anne and Chippendale, fig. 123. It garnered $26,070. Several Pennsylvania tall-case clocks were offered on both sale days. These included a Northampton County Chippendale cherry clock by Christian Bixler of Easton, which did well at $11,257; a Queen Anne cherry musical clock inscribed “Tho. Woods London The Happy Clown: A Minuett,” $8,887; and a Federal clock with an eight-day works by Jacob Guthart of Lebanon at $3,792. A fine Pennsylvania Queen Anne walnut tall chest of drawers, circa 1760, having four arched upper drawers over five short drawers and four long drawers was bid to $37,920. Three painted dower chests were offered, one being a Lehigh County example with cloverleaf panels with stylized flowers on a blue/green ground, which brought well over the high estimate at $17,775. Other Pennsylvania furniture highlights included a diminutive walnut chest of drawers for $8,887, a Philadelphia Chippendale dining chair with cabochon crest for $18,960, a Delaware Valley dressing table for $10,072 and Berks County dower chest with panels of potted tulips for $8,887.
From two New Jersey collections and the estate of Margaret Peters, come many pieces of historical blue Staffordshire porcelain. Platters included “Alms House, New York,” “Pennsylvania Hospital,” “The Capital Washington,” “Troy from Mt. Ida,” “Hoboken, New Jersey,” and a group of various pieces depicting “Lafayette at Franklin’s Tomb” composed of coffeepots, teapots, creamers, cups and saucers, pitcher and basin, etc. Prices ranges from $118 to $7,110 for a fruit bowl “The Capital Washington.” Other pottery and porcelains included an unusual four-color purple, yellow, green and black rainbow spatter teapot with did well at $7,702, a Delft plate dated 1728 for $3,081 and one dated 1734 for $2,844.
A wide range of specialty items were incorporated into the sale. An Allentown, Pa., collection offered a group of sailor’s ivory pieces including jagging wheels, rolling pins, whimseys, busks, etc. The highlights included a bone and ivory cane with fist grip for $4,740, a scrimshaw decorated busk inscribed John Coggeshall for $4,029, a scrimshaw whale tooth dated 1833 for $4,266 and an ivory pierced jagging wheel for $9,480. An elaborate Chinese carved and painted ivory and wood model of a junk labled “Model of the Canton River-Boats, The Property of A.E. Graves New-Ross” attracted the attention of the audience and it soared to $21,870. A group of seven Chinese painted porcelain plaques brought $3,645. A massive Pennsylvania carved mahogany spread winged eagle, circa 1870, crossed the block on Saturday. The eagle had been gifted to the Gettysburg YWCA by Annie and Irene Danner in 1926. It carried an estimate of $5,000-$10,000 but brought a rousing $59,250. An unusual vibrant Lancaster County fraktur birth record with elaborate decoration with fish with spotted faces and sharp teeth fetched $10,665.
For details please contact Pook & Pook Inc., 610-269-4040, info@pookandpook.com or visit their website pookandpook.com.
Attributed to Vatican artist, Cesare Roccheggiani, this glass micromosaic depicting the Roman Forum was sold for $379,500 inclusive of 15% buyer’s premium at Myers Auction Gallery’s Jan. 30 sale.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (ACNI) – A photorealistic Italian micromosaic artwork depicting the Roman Forum and attributed to Vatican artist Cesare Roccheggiani sold for $379,500 in a Jan. 30 auction conducted by Myers Auction Gallery of St. Petersburg.
The circa-1870s artwork comprised of hundreds of thousands of pieces of glass had sat on the mantel of a Tampa residence for nearly 90 years before being correctly identified by Michael Myers and Maureen Dowd, co-owners of the auction house.
Entered in the sale with an estimate of $100,000-$200,000, the micromosaic attracted worldwide attention prior to auction day. “We had 12 people bidding on the phones as well as gallery and Internet bidders through LiveAuctioneers,” said Dowd.
The winning bidder, an American, faced ferocious competition from British and Continental European contenders. There seemed to be breakpoints in the bidding at $190,000 and $290,000, where competitors opted to sink or swim. The final bid of $330,000, lodged over the phone, topped out at $379,500 with the addition of a 15% buyer’s premium.
“Everything in the auction was very strong,” said Dowd. “Much of the Asian art sold to bidders in Shanghai and Beijing, and there were multiple Russian bidders duking it out over the phones for the miniature ivory portraits of the Romanov family.’
“We sold over 48% online through LiveAuctioneers, which I believe is the highest percentage we’ve ever sold through the Internet, including back when LiveAuctioneers was in partnership with eBay Live,” Dowd continued. In all, 234 of the 486 lots were purchased through LiveAuctioneers.com.
A full postsale report on Myers’ Jan. 30 auction will appear soon on AuctionCentralNews.com.
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Copyright 2011 Auction Central News International. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Attributed to Vatican artist, Cesare Roccheggiani, this glass micromosaic depicting the Roman Forum was sold for $379,500 inclusive of 15% buyer’s premium at Myers Auction Gallery’s Jan. 30 sale.
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo was in danger of being looted until troops moved to guard the compound in Cairo. Image by copyright holder Kristoferd, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported. CAIRO (AP) – The Egyptian army secured Cairo’s famed antiquities museum early Saturday, protecting thousands of priceless artifacts, including the gold mask of King Tutankhamun, from looters.
The greatest threat to the Egyptian Museum, which draws millions of tourists a year, first appeared to come from the fire engulfing the ruling party headquarters next door on Friday night, set ablaze by anti-government protesters.
Then dozens of would-be thieves started entering the grounds surrounding the museum, climbing over the metal fence or jumping inside from trees lining the sidewalk outside.
One man pleaded with people outside the museum’s gates on Tahrir Square not to loot the building, shouting at the crowd: “We are not like Baghdad.” After the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, thieves carted off thousands of artifacts from the National Museum in Baghdad – only a fraction of which have been recovered.
Suddenly other young men – some armed with truncheons taken from the police – formed a human chain outside the main entrance in an attempt to protect the collection inside.
“I’m standing here to defend and to protect our national treasure,” said one of the men, Farid Saad, a 40-year-old engineer.
Another man, 26-year-old Ahmed Ibrahim, said it was important to guard the museum because it “has 5,000 years of our history. If they steal it, we’ll never find it again.”
Finally, four armored vehicles took up posts outside the massive coral-colored building in downtown Cairo. Soldiers surrounded the building and moved inside to protect mummies, monumental stone statues, ornate royal jewelry and other pharaonic artifacts.
The soldiers appeared to have rounded up all the would-be looters who made it onto the museum grounds and had lined them up in a row. As the soldiers corralled one man toward the line, crowds outside the fence shouted, “Thief, thief!” A couple the troops then hit the man with the butts of their rifles and sat him down with the others apparently caught inside.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WS-01-28-11 2213EST
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo was in danger of being looted until troops moved to guard the compound in Cairo. Image by copyright holder Kristoferd, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.
LONDON – Rare stamp and autograph dealer Stanley Gibbons has signed up with the eBay for Charity initiative, pledging 10% of online sales to BBC Children in Need.
The world’s oldest stamp dealer relaunched its eBay shop in September 2010 to reach the huge number of international collectors who can be found in the World Wide Web’s most popular marketplace.
Following initial successes at the end of last year the company has now racked up nearly 17,000 sales, sending products to collectors on every continent.
Rob Beeson, who maintains Stanley Gibbons’ eBay shop said, “eBay make it very easy for sellers to donate a percentage of their sales to charity. We ran a couple of charity auctions on eBay back in November and raised over $700 for Children In Need and have now decided to run weekly charity auctions in order to raise even more money throughout the year. This way our customers can grab a bargain whilst also helping disadvantaged children in the UK – everybody wins.”
Initial figures indicate that the charity stand to gain at least $8,000 per year from Stanley Gibbons’ eBay shop alone, with more funds being generated by the numerous other charitable initiatives undertaken by the company throughout the year.
Stanley Gibbons eBay shop can be found at stanleygibbons.com/ebay.
A 100-oz. gold nugget discovered in northern California last year will make its first public appearance in Southern California, Feb.3 – 5, 2011, at the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – The headline-making 100-ounce gold nugget recently discovered in Northern California will make its first public appearance in Southern California at the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo, Feb. 3 – 5, 2011. Open to the public, the show will be held in the Long Beach Convention Center, 100 S. Pine Avenue.
“It weighs just under 100 troy ounces — about nine pounds avoirdupois, and is the largest verifiable California gold nugget now in existence. It’s nicknamed the ‘The Washington Nugget’ because it was discovered near the famous Mother Lode Gold Rush mining camp near Washington, California in Nevada County last March,” said Ronald J. Gillio, Expo General Manager.
It has a collector value estimated at $250,000 to $400,000, and will be publicly exhibited for the first time in Southern California courtesy of Fred Holabird and Don Kagin of Holabird-Kagin Americana of Reno, Nevada.
Another featured exhibit will be the finest known suriving 1792 U.S. half dime, a historic early American silver coin that was authorized by President George Washington. Acquired for a record price of $1.5 million in 2007 by the Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation, the coin will be displayed by the Foundation and Stack’s-Bowers Numismatics on Thursday and Friday, February 3 and 4.
During the three-day Long Beach Expo more than 1,000 dealers will be buying and selling rare coins, paper money, stamps, postcards, historic documents, antiques, estate jewelry and other collectibles. Some dealers will provide free, informal appraisals for visitors.
A free gold coin door prize will be awarded each day to a lucky visitor, and a children’s treasure hunt will be held on Saturday, Feb. 5. Nearly a dozen educational programs and collectors’ club meetings will be conducted in conjunction with the February Long Beach Expo.
Heritage Auction Galleries of Dallas, New York and Beverly Hills will hold a public auction of U.S. coins during the show.
The public hours are Thursday and Friday, Febr. 3 and 4, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
General admission is $8 (good for all three days); $6 for members of any coin or stamp club who display a valid membership card; and $4 for seniors 65 and older and for children ages 8 to 16. Free admission for children ages 7 and younger. Discount coupons are available online at www.LongBeachExpo.com.
For additional information, call Expos Unlimited at (805) 962-9939 or during the show dates call the Long Beach Convention Center at (562) 436-3636.
The monkey’s legs look as if they are peddling the bike when the toy rolls across the floor. The 6 1/2-inch-long toy brought $1,948 at a Bertoia auction in Vineland, N.J.
Iron toys made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are so interesting and attractive that they are collected today to be displayed as decorative objects on a shelf. Some toys depict a character from a long-forgotten cartoon or book, or a legend that children of olden times knew but we do not. Why is a walking toy marked “Yellow Kid”? Because one of America’s first Sunday newspaper comic strips featured a character called the Yellow Kid. Why does a mechanical bank show a man trying to shoot a bear cub? It’s telling the story of President Teddy Roosevelt, who went hunting but did not kill a cornered bear and was praised by newspapers. But why do so many toys show monkeys driving cars or tricycles or riding on other animals? Was there a famous circus act featuring talented monkeys? No one is sure, but old monkey toys are popular. In September a cast-iron toy in very good condition made by Hubley Manufacturing Co., a famous Pennsylvania toymaker (1894-1965), auctioned for $1,948. It sold at one of the four Bertoia auctions has conducted of the famous Donald Kaufman collection of toys. Perhaps the fame of the collection added to the value of the toy. Who owned a toy often can affect its value.
Q: We found a commercial icebox with the brand name “Lorillard” on it in an old home that we are restoring. It has been repainted several times. We would like to restore it. I’ve heard several theories about what we ought to do. Should we strip it down to the wood and shellac it or repaint it? Or should we leave it as it is? Your guidance would be appreciated.
A: The Lorillard Refrigerator Co. was established in New York City in 1877. A 1901 advertisement for the company called its iceboxes the “highest-priced” refrigerators made and listed several millionaires, including Andrew Carnegie and George Vanderbilt, who were installing them in their homes. Vanderbilt ordered five Lorillard refrigerators for his Biltmore mansion in Asheville, N.C., in 1894. The company was in business until at least 1920. There’s not a big market for old commercial iceboxes, but you probably will increase its value by restoring the finish. Most were originally shellacked over wood.
Q: I inherited a 19th-century vase from my grandmother. It is 28 inches high and is signed “H. Despres, Sevres.” It’s painted with scenes of what looks like a rich family going for a ride in the country. What would be the insurance value of this vase?
A: The scenes you describe are typical of Sevres vases decorated by Henri Desprez from about 1875 to 1890. Vases as large as yours sell for more than $5,000, depending on condition. It should be seen by a qualified appraiser to determine its value. Contact some of the major auction houses or an appraiser in your area for an estimate. The insurance value should be the same as the price it would cost to replace the piece if it were damaged or destroyed.
Q: I have a Singer sewing machine that still works. I was told it is Model 15. The serial number is G8666585. Can you tell me what it’s worth?
A: Singer’s Model 15, the Improved Family machine, was made for more years than any other Singer model. It was introduced in 1879 as a hand-crank machine. It was later made as a treadle machine and, finally, as an electric sewing machine. Model 15 was still being made in the late 1990s. The serial number on your machine indicates the year and location where it was made. The initial letter “G” refers to Elizabeth, N.J., and the numbers indicate that it was made in 1921. Isaac Merritt Singer (1811-1875), inventor of a sewing machine for home use, founded I.M. Singer & Co. in 1851. The company, now called Singer Sewing Co., still is in business. Isaac Singer held patents for several inventions and led a colorful life that included multiple marriages and mistresses, 24 children and lavish homes in the United States, England and France. At the time of his death, he was married to Isabella Eugenia Boyer, a Frenchwoman whom some believe to have been the model for Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty.
Q: I have a cornet that my family says is 100 years old. I would like to know more about. It is marked “J.W. Pepper, Standard, Philadelphia, 52014.” The horn has all its parts, including the piece that held the music. Is it worth anything?
A: James Welsh Pepper (1853-1919) established J.W. Pepper, a music publishing company, in Philadelphia in 1876. The company started manufacturing brass instruments in 1883. “Standard” is one of 98 models made by J.W. Pepper in the 1890s. The company also imported musical instruments. It stopped manufacturing instruments in 1909. The serial number on your cornet indicates it was made in about 1909. In 1910 the company became J.W. Pepper and Son. By then, it was selling imported instruments and sheet music. The company is still in business and is the largest sheet music retailer in the United States. The value of a musical instrument is determined by its tone quality as well as the rarity of the instrument. It should be seen by an expert in the music field to determine its value.
Tip: Turn over reversible rugs once a year. Turn the rug end to end every three years. This will even out wear and fading.
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.
Need more information about collectibles? Find it at Kovels.com, our website for collectors. Check prices there, too. More than 700,000 are listed, and viewing them is free. You also can sign up to read our weekly Kovels Komments. It includes the latest news, tips and questions and is delivered by e-mail, free, if you register. Kovels.com offers extra collector’s information and lists of publications, clubs, appraisers, auction houses, people who sell parts or repair antiques and much more. You can subscribe to Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles, our monthly newsletter filled with prices, facts and color photos. Kovels.com adds to the information in our newspaper column and helps you find useful sources needed by collectors.
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.
Lefton Nurse figurine, blue dress, white apron, carrying tray with hypodermic needle, red sticker, 4 3/4 inches, $28.
The Merry Fibber McGee & Molly game, “Fibber McGee and the Wistful Vista Mystery,” cards, counter, rule booklet, Milton Bradley, circa 1940, $30.
Atlas Man advertising doll, rubber, yellow globe as head, painted blue eyes and mouth, blue felt suit, 1940, 5 1/2 inches, $60.
McCoy duck cookie jar, yellow, duck holding leaf in his beak, marked, 1960s, 11 3/4 inches, $75.
Ceresota flour advertising match holder, “Prize Bread Flour of the World,” die-cut tin, boy opening flour barrel, Art Sign Co., Brooklyn, N.Y., early 1900s, 3 x 5 inches, $335.
Pennsylvania Dutch embroidered panel, cotton, large central flower vase, fruit, pairs of female figures, birds, white ground, 1930s, 40 x 34 inches, $345.
Shaker pine firkin, small barrel, stave construction, iron bands, old green paint, lid with wooden knob, wooden bail, early 19th century, 11 inches, $445.
Handel desk lamp, harp base with four-leaf clover foot, ribbed stem, six-panel shade with Arts & Crafts flowers, stems and leaves, green on red background, signed, 19 inches, $515.
Federal server, mahogany, central drawer with drop front, multi-drawer interior, cast lion’s-head ring pulls, circa 1810, 45 x 41 inches, $1,420.
Daum Nancy vase, four-sided, mottled yellow and orange ground, mushrooms, brown, orange and green, signed, 5 1/4 inches, $6,900.
Spot great costume jewelry faster than anyone and get the buys of a lifetime. Kovels’ Buyers’ Guide to Costume Jewelry, Part One explains how to recognize mid-century costume jewelry, Mexican silver jewelry, modernist jewelry and other European and American pieces. Learn all the names you need to know, from Hobe and Sigi to Ed Wiener and Art Smith, from Coro and Trifari to Los Castillo and Spratling. And we explain how to recognize a good piece of genuine Bakelite. Our exclusive report, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, is filled with color photos, bios, background and more than 100 marks. It’s accurate and comprehensive and includes all of the information in our 2008 report on 20th-century costume jewelry. But it’s in a new, smaller and more convenient format. Available only from Kovels. Order by phone at 800-303-1996; online at Kovels.com; or send $25 plus $4.95 postage and handling to Kovels, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.
Bo Tillmanns-Ellison (left), daughter of LiveAuctioneers CEO Julian R. Ellison, shows promise as a future Formula 1 driver as she races down the hill with her friend Bowen. Photo by Julian R. Ellison.
NEW YORK (ACNI) – This is already shaping up to be a winter for the record books in New York. As Mayor Michael Bloomberg confirmed in a press conference yesterday, the city has already had 36 inches of snow in the month of January, breaking a record set 86 years ago. The most recent storm to pass through Gotham brought with it as much as 19 inches of new snow, calling for cancellations of city schools and many businesses.
While not everyone on LiveAuctioneers’ Manhattan-based staff greets the snow with unbridled joy, there’s one person in the building who always views a snowy landscape in a positive light – our CEO, Julian R. Ellison. While everyone else is grousing about the weather and trying to find ways to stay out of it, he’s busily bundling up and plowing right through the white stuff to shoot some pics.
We asked Julian if he would put his thoughts to paper and reveal what it is about winter that buoys his spirits and inspires him to capture scenes of a snow-blanketed Manhattan with a camera. Here are his observations:
“There’s snow and then there’s snow, and last night we had snow – lots of it! I only recently returned from a ho-ho-ho fattening-up at the family homestead in England, where I’d managed to pull together my family for a reunion that included 13 children (cousins) for the first time under one roof. My ears are still ringing!
Lately, all the chatter back home has been about the world press coverage of a remarkable gorilla at the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park – three miles away from the house where I grew up – who can walk on two legs. There’s no explaining it, and some naysayers are suggesting it’s just a man in a gorilla suit, but whatever it is, it’s given us something more interesting to read about than politicians and inflation. Here’s a link to a video clip so you can see for yourself. http://www.aspinallfoundation.org/news/view/460
It wasn’t until I got back to my hometown Manhattan that I found myself wondering why it is that in places like London and Paris you can practically eat off the streets, yet in the biggest metropolis in the world, New York, there is rubbish everywhere and rats running amok with Starbucks coffee in one paw and a bagel in the other. ‘Is it just me,’ I ask myself, ‘or has it been getting slowly worse over the last few years? Is it really that difficult for us to figure out?’ The reason I mention this is because I was gearing up to write a story about this topic and to have a good old rant, when along came a fabulous snowstorm that covered New York in a cleansing blanket of soft, crisp, white snow.
We’ve had snow off and on for the last month or so, but nothing like last night. This morning I got up and ran to the window like an excited child to see how deep the snow was. I wasn’t disappointed. I hurriedly put on my man-tights and ran down to the garage to get the Green Goddess out – my trusty (not rusty) Land Rover Defender 90, the perfect tool for this kind of weather, being both practical and huge fun. I decided I was going to get out and look for trouble – I don’t mean make trouble, but look for damsels in distress trying to get their cars out of the deep snow. Perhaps I could be of assistance? All that was missing was a St. Bernard and a flask of brandy.
As it happened, everyone I came across had it all under control. New Yorkers are the most resourceful and resilient bunch. In New York you get up, get out, and get on with it.
I don’t think I’ve been more excited about a day in ages. After breakfast I took members of my family and friends to Central Park. We all jumped into the Land Rover and headed up town to 75th and Fifth – The Hill! The kids had their sleds and I had my camera. Oh boy, what an amazing scene with all the people, young and old, on The Hill – the fantastic colors, the sounds of children and adults alike, shouting with joy. It reminded me of a Lowry painting.
New York is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and it has the power to knock you down and pick you up all at the same time. I fell in and out of love all in one week. Today I love her, and I’m looking forward to what she’ll bring me tomorrow, but please, please can we keep her clean. I have friends coming from across The Pond next week, and they don’t use plates.”
Our thanks to Julian Ellison for sharing his observations of a snowy day in Manhattan, which we have illustrated with some of his own photos and a few appropriate paintings.
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Copyright 2011 Auction Central News International. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Bo Tillmanns-Ellison (left), daughter of LiveAuctioneers CEO Julian R. Ellison, shows promise as a future Formula 1 driver as she races down the hill with her friend Bowen. Photo by Julian R. Ellison. After Laurence Stephen Lowry (English, 1887-1976), Going to the Match – a scene suggestive of the busy throng of people in New York’s Central Park on any given snowy day. Auctioned Nov. 28, 2007 by Bloomsbury’s London. Image courtesy of Bloomsbury’s and LiveAuctioneers.com Archive.It’s not a Lowry painting, but this photo of New Yorkers of all ages enjoying snow activities in Central Park’s area known as The Hill comes very close. Photo by Julian R. Ellison.Guy Carleton Wiggins (American, 1883-1962), Woolworth Building, to be auctioned Jan. 29, 2011 by Dallas Fine Art Auction. Image courtesy of Dallas Fine Art Auction and LiveAuctioneers.com Archive.Who needs a husky? This energetic little fellow has plenty of spark under his bonnet. Photo by Julian R. Ellison.Guy Carleton Wiggins (American, 1883-1962), In Central Park: Looking Down on Fifth Avenue to Bergdorf’s. Auctioned April 26, 2008 by Kaminski’s. Image courtesy of Kaminski Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.com Archive.A classic pursuit in the winter season, building an igloo. Photo by Julian R. Ellison.No school today! Let’s go sledding! Photo by Julian R. Ellison.
Norman Rockwell’s drawing ‘The Plumbers’ became the cover of the ‘Saturday Evening Post’ magazine dated June 2, 1951. The drawing measures 39 1/2 inches by 35 1/2 inches. Image courtesy of Bill Hood & Sons. DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – A regional auction house such as Bill Hood & Sons is constantly chugging uphill like “The Little Engine That Could” attempting to compete with the acknowledged giants in the highly competitive auction industry.
However, when Hood’s landed a large Norman Rockwell pencil drawing, measuring 39 1/2 inches by 35 1/2 inches for their auction Tuesday, Feb. 8, it was time to warm up a south Florida winter that has been way too cold for it’s Northern visitors.
LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding at the auction, which will begin at 11 a.m. Eastern.
“Years ago we found our niche in the field of fine arts” Bill Hood said, as proven by a Ronner-Knip selling for $122,000 in May and a P. Cornoyer selling in the same sale for $81,000.
“My son Chris Hood, our art director, handled the procurement of the Rockwell,” Hood added.
Chris Hood followed up by relating, “The Florida family, which has owned the Rockwell for many years was very cooperative in bringing us this barn burner piece of art.”
Carolyn Hood, Bill’s wife and president of this Palm Beach County gallery, commented, “There will be so many people crowding into the gallery to view this American icon artist’s work, we’ll be able to sell tickets, this auction house will be rocking and rolling on Feb 8 at 5 p.m.”
Alex Hood, 23-year-old son and assistant to brother Chris Hood commented, “A major selling point to the Rockwell owners was exposure, exposure, exposure as evidenced by the 700-plus world-wide bidders who registered to compete at our Jan. 4th auction online simultaneously bidding while the auction was in progress.” Alex also noted “when we tell potential sellers our catalog had 105,000 presale hits it answers their questions about exposure.
Bill continued, “The estimate is $35,000-$45,000 and we feel confident those estimates will be blown away in the first minute or so. Lot 110 should garner over 1,000 presale hits and probably around 20 telephone bids.”
Carolyn Hood ended, “The good Lord has blessed us with this opportunity to auction an icon of American history and we feel honored, privileged and very excited to have this opportunity.
For details go to www.hoodauction.com or call 561-278-8996.
This rare 18th- or 19th-century Chinese porcelain jardinière/vase with gold accents has a repair to the bottom. It is 29 inches high and estimated at $500-$1,000. Image courtesy of Bill Hood & Sons.Dated 1977, this oil on canvas painting by Orville Bulman (American, 1904-1978) is titled “Paris Espris.’ It carries a $15,000-$25,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Bill Hood & Sons.Standing 24 inches high, this rare pair of old Chinese red glazed vases/jardinières has a $1,000-$1,500 estimate. Image courtesy of Bill Hood & Sons.Famille Rose porcelain plaques highlight this Chinese four-section screen, which extends to nearly six feet wide. With one of the panels damaged, the screen has a $2,000-$4,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Bill Hood & Sons.
A vintage fashion exhibit will feature 1920s clothing a la HBO’s ‘Boardwalk Empire.’ Image courtesy of AntiqueClothier.com and JMK Shows and Events. ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – The Atlantic City Antiques & Collectors Show, a premier antique show managed by JMK Shows and Events, will be held Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20, at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Show managers expect antique and collecting enthusiasts from across the country to attend. Special exhibits and events are scheduled, including appraisals by leading industry experts and a vintage fashion exhibit.
JMK Shows and Events has partnered with AntiqueClothier.com to present a special fashion exhibit: Revisit the Empire through Fashion. The exhibit will feature clothing and accessories from the 1920s, styles often seen in Boardwalk Empire, one of HBO’s new hit television show, set in Atlantic City during the Prohibition era.
“Shows like Boardwalk Empire are fueling the popularity of antique and collector items, as well as the popularity of Atlantic City” said Allison Kohler, owner of JMK Shows and Events. “Our nation’s tastes – in furniture and clothing and home décor – are becoming more vintage in nature, which is incredibly exciting to see. We’re thrilled to host such a broad and diverse array of exhibitors and to promote this expansive antique show.”
Early Buying for the show will be on Saturday, March 19, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Eastern. Regular show hours will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets for the Atlantic City Antiques & Collectors Show are required and available online at www.jmkshows.com or by calling 973-927-2794. All prepaid tickets are available at the Box Office. Pricing for the event is as follows: one-day adult tickets are $15, weekend passes are $25, and early buying tickets are $30. Groups of 10 or more are eligible for group rates and are available online or via phone.
The Atlantic City Antiques & Collectors Show is held in the Atlantic City Convention Center. For more information about the Atlantic City Antiques & Collectors Show, please visit www.jmkshows.com or call 973-927-2794.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
A vintage fashion exhibit will feature 1920s clothing a la HBO’s ‘Boardwalk Empire.’ Image courtesy of AntiqueClothier.com and JMK Shows and Events.
