Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Elizabeth Taylor’s ‘Cleopatra’ cape brings $59,375

Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

DALLAS – The gold cape that Elizabeth Taylor wore as Cleopatra in two pivotal scenes in the 1963 film of the same name brought $59,375 when it crossed the block at Heritage Auctions Friday as part of an Entertainment & Music Memorabilia auction. The cape sold to an anonymous East Coast collector.

The consignor of the piece, who wished to remain anonymous, said that her mother, who worked in the couture fashion industry, purchased the famous piece from the now defunct Western Costume at some point in the years following the 1963 film’s debut. She kept it wrapped in tissue paper in a cedar closet.

“I never mentioned it or showed it to anyone,” the consignor said. “When Elizabeth Taylor passed away recently I thought of the magnificent cape and realized that it was time for the cape to find its way out into the world.”

The ceremonial cape from Cleopatra (20th Century Fox, 1963) is crafted to resemble the wings of a Phoenix and is made of thin panels of gold-painted leather adorned with hand-stitched gold beads and sequins. Taylor wore the cape in two important scenes: Cleopatra’s dramatic entrance to Rome—the most lavish portrayal of this event in film history—and Cleopatra’s dramatic “exit” by asp bite.

“This piece is the epitome of glamorous and it was worn by one of Hollywood’s greatest leading ladies at the very peak of her fame, power and beauty,” said Margaret Barrett, director of entertainment and music memorabilia at Heritage Auctions, “(It’s) an artifact of the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema … worth every penny.”


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Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Gallery Report: April 2012

A Yuan Dynasty bowl from the 14th century and with a provenance from the T.T. Tsui Museum of Art sold for $128,100 at an annual Asian Week Auction held March 22 by I.M. Chait, based in Beverly Hills, Calif. The auction was held at the historic Fuller Building in New York City. Also, a Qianlong Famille Rose porcelain vase, 13 inches tall, achieved $70,150; a 16th century Chinese Ming Dynasty Wanli round box with domed cover made $54,900; and a Ming Dynasty Buddha, 16 inches tall, hit $54,900. Prices include a 22 percent buyer’s premium.

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Image of Titanoboa replica courtesy of The Smithsonian Institution.

Smithsonian showcases replica of monster snake

Image of Titanoboa replica courtesy of The Smithsonian Institution.

Image of Titanoboa replica courtesy of The Smithsonian Institution.

WASHINGTON (AP) – A prehistoric monster snake the length of a school bus that likely fed on supersize turtles and crocodiles has made its way to the Smithsonian Institution for an exhibit opening Friday.

The National Museum of Natural History is featuring a life-size replica of Titanoboa along with a cast of its large vertebra through January 2013. When it was alive, the snake averaged 48 feet long.

Fossils from the world’s largest snake were first discovered in 2004 in a coal mine in Colombia that once was a rainforest. Eventually bones from at least 60 of the monster snakes were uncovered.

At first scientists labeled the fossils as being vertebra from a crocodile, but a graduate student noticed there was a difference. A student interning with the Smithsonian eventually discovered the snake’s skull. The specimen broke the previous record for snake length by 11 feet.

“It tells you how magical nature is,” said Carlos Jaramillo, a staff scientist at the Smithsonian’s Tropical Research Institute, who helped make the discovery. “Here we have it, so nature can do many things.”

Scientists figure the snake weighed about 2,500 pounds. It was found near fossilized plants, giant turtles the size of a kitchen table and other creatures dating to more than 60 million years ago in the Paleocene era after the dinosaurs.

Titanoboa was related to modern boa constrictors and anacondas. Scientists say it was the world’s largest predator and large enough to eat a cow or a human easily. It likely fed on large turtles or crocodiles while spending most of its time in water.

One meal could last it an entire year because of its long digestive process.

After the fossils were uncovered, it took a year to determine the snake’s full length. Jason Head, a professor from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, developed a mathematical model to calculate the massive size.

Until the discovery in the coal mine, there were few opportunities to find signs of the prehistoric life of tropical rainforests because thick vegetation blocked any archaeological expedition, said Jonathan Bloch, a paleontologist at the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida in Gainesville where scientists continue to study the full set of fossils.

“The tropics have been this closed window for so long,” he said. “We had really essentially no idea what the animals look like in what should be an incredibly diverse region.”

Scientists also developed a method to estimate the temperature of the climate that produced such a beast. They estimate the rainforest at that time was several degrees warmer than it is now, helping to grow much larger creatures. Their findings were first reported in 2009 in the journal Nature.

On Sunday, the Smithsonian Channel will debut a new documentary about the discovery, “Titanoboa: Monster Snake.”

After the Smithsonian display, the exhibit will move to the Florida Museum of Natural History, the University of Nebraska and the BioMuseuo in Panama.

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Online:

Titanoboa Exhibit: http://www.sites.si.edu/titanoboa

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Follow Brett Zongker on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DCArtBeat

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Image of Titanoboa replica courtesy of The Smithsonian Institution.

Image of Titanoboa replica courtesy of The Smithsonian Institution.

Tim Storrier (Australian), 'The Histrionic Wayfarer (after Bosch), Archibald Prize 2012 winner, image courtesy of Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Tim Storrier wins Australia’s top portraiture prize

Tim Storrier (Australian), 'The Histrionic Wayfarer (after Bosch), Archibald Prize 2012 winner, image courtesy of Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Tim Storrier (Australian), ‘The Histrionic Wayfarer (after Bosch), Archibald Prize 2012 winner, image courtesy of Art Gallery of New South Wales.

SYDNEY (AFP) – A painting of a faceless man by Tim Storrier on Friday won Australia’s most prestigious portraiture prize, the Archibald, along with a check for Aus$75,000 (US$78,000).

The work, titled “The Histrionic Wayfarer (After Bosch),” features a pith-helmeted figure carrying a backpack with his dog Smudge perched on top. The figure has glasses but no face.

Storrier, who beat 40 other finalists, said it was a self-portrait.

“It is based on a painting by Hieronymus Bosch, called ‘The Wayfarer,’ painted in 1510 where the figure is believed to be choosing a path or possibly the prodigal son returning,” he said. “It is a journey through the landscape of the artist’s mind, accompanied by Smudge, the critic and guide of the whole enterprise.”

Smudge was present at the awards ceremony in Sydney.

The Archibald Prize was first awarded in 1921. It is administered by the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

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Tim Storrier (Australian), 'The Histrionic Wayfarer (after Bosch), Archibald Prize 2012 winner, image courtesy of Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Tim Storrier (Australian), ‘The Histrionic Wayfarer (after Bosch), Archibald Prize 2012 winner, image courtesy of Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Fernand Leger, 'La Bouteille blue,' 1950, oil on canvas, one of four artworks recovered in Germany. FBI photo.

After 23 years, stolen New York paintings resurface in Germany

Fernand Leger, 'La Bouteille blue,' 1950, oil on canvas, one of four artworks recovered in Germany. FBI photo.

Fernand Leger, ‘La Bouteille blue,’ 1950, oil on canvas, one of four artworks recovered in Germany. FBI photo.

BERLIN (AFP) – More than 23 years after they were snatched from a New York gallery, four valuable paintings have turned up in the western German city of Cologne, police said Friday.

The works valued at $345,000 (258,000 euros) when they were stolen in July 1988 surfaced in a collection bequeathed to a woman in Germany in 2009, the Cologne police said in a statement.

“The heiress wanted to research their origin and authenticity and turned to the Art Loss Register in London and the Cologne police,” it said.

The Art Loss Register, which calls itself the world’s largest database of stolen art, determined that the four works were among those taken by burglars from New York’s Salomon gallery.

It was not immediately clear how they ended up in Germany, police said, adding that the US Federal Bureau of Investigations had been involved in the probe.

The paintings that resurfaced included “Figuration” by Robert Motherwell, “La Bouteille bleue” by Fernand Leger, “Untitled” by Franz Kline and Jean Dubuffet’s “Effigie”.

The works have now been handed over to an insurance company.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


Fernand Leger, 'La Bouteille blue,' 1950, oil on canvas, one of four artworks recovered in Germany. FBI photo.

Fernand Leger, ‘La Bouteille blue,’ 1950, oil on canvas, one of four artworks recovered in Germany. FBI photo.

Thirty-nine of the catalogs were found in May 1945 in Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

More albums related to Nazi art theft recovered

Thirty-nine of the catalogs were found in May 1945 in Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Thirty-nine of the catalogs were found in May 1945 in Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

DALLAS (AP) – Among the items U.S. soldiers seized from Adolf Hitler’s Bavarian Alps hideaway in the closing days of World War II were albums meticulously documenting an often forgotten Nazi crime—the massive pillaging of artwork and other cultural items as German troops marched through Europe.

Two of those albums—one filled with photographs of works of art, the other with snapshots of furniture—were donated Tuesday to the U.S. National Archives, which now has custody of 43 albums in a set of what historians believe could be as high as 100.

Robert M. Edsel, founder and president of the Dallas-based Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, which announced the discovery of the two new albums at a news conference, called them “key pieces of evidence taken from a crime scene that were prized possessions of Adolf Hitler.”

Relatives of the two soldiers who took the albums contacted the foundation, which has previously donated two other albums in the series to the National Archives. They had read stories in the media about foundation’s mission, which includes continuing the work of the Monuments Men, who helped Allied forces protect cultural treasures during World War II and helped return stolen items after the war.

“We can only hope for more discoveries in the years to come,” U.S. Archivist David S. Ferriero said at the news conference.

The Nazi agency Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, or ERR, created the series of albums to document the items taken from across Europe. Of the 43 albums identified so far, 39 were discovered in May 1945 at Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. They were then used as evidence at the Nuremberg trials to document the Nazi looting before eventually going to the National Archives.

In 2007, the Monuments Men donated two additional albums after they were found in the attic of the family of a U.S. soldier, though the foundation has retained possession of one of those for the last few years as a teaching tool.

“I think there’s a lot more of them out there,” said Edsel, who noted that the albums were used as “shopping catalogs” for Hitler to select works of art for various museums.

Of the newly discovered albums, one contains photographs of 69 paintings that were taken as early as 1940. Most of those paintings appear to have been properly restituted, but an ERR database indicates four were not. The other newly found album contains photographs of 41 pieces of furniture, mostly taken from the Rothschild family.

Edsel said that by 1951, the Monuments Men had processed and returned more than 5 million stolen objects.

“It was the greatest treasure hunt in history—one that continues to this day,” Edsel said.

Greg Bradsher, senior archivist at the National Archives, said the recently discovered albums are a reminder of the massive amounts of property Hitler took and a reminder that “to this day, hundreds of thousands” of items are not with their rightful owners.

The albums are also “a reminder that a lot of soldiers in World War II brought souvenirs home—some of them were helmets, bayonets, medals, which are really bounty of war—but others picked up books, albums, other cultural property,” Bradsher said.

One of the newly discovered albums, known as album 15, was taken by Pfc. Yerke Zane Larson, who served in the 501st Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division, the “Screaming Eagles.” Cpl. Albert Lorenzetti, who served in the 989th Field Artillery Battalion, took the other album—known as album 7—the same week, also from Hitler’s home, called the Berghof. Both are now deceased.

“When you consider what these solders went through, slogging their way through the loss of buddies, through horrible weather conditions, fighting, combat, etc., and then this momentous occasion when they had a chance to take a deep breath, go up there to the Berghof for no reason than to be able to tell their families and future generations, ‘I stood where Hitler’s home was,’” Edsel said. “That’s what motivated the taking of these things.”

Larson’s daughter, Sandra Runde of Rapid City, S.D., said that she can remember her father taking the album out once or twice when she was growing up. Runde said her father, who returned from the war to take a job sweeping the floors at a restaurant supply company before eventually buying it and working there till he was 80, didn’t talk about the war and didn’t elaborate on the album beyond saying that it was from Hitler’s home.

“It was just tucked away somewhere,” Runde said.

Runde said her father, who died on his 87th birthday in 2009, gave the album to her about five years before he died. She said she’s happy that it’s now somewhere safe where people can appreciate it.

Copyright 2010. Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-03-28-12 1702GMT


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


Thirty-nine of the catalogs were found in May 1945 in Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Thirty-nine of the catalogs were found in May 1945 in Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Reconstruction of George Washington's 1797 distillery near Mount Vernon, Virginia. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Distillers mix batch of Scotch whisky at Mount Vernon

Reconstruction of George Washington's 1797 distillery near Mount Vernon, Virginia. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Reconstruction of George Washington’s 1797 distillery near Mount Vernon, Virginia. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

MOUNT VERNON, Va. (AP) – Master distillers from Scotland are wrapping up a three-day visit to George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate to whip up a special batch of Scotch whisky.

On Wednesday the distillers will fill specially constructed oak barrels with the hand-crafted single-malt liquor to begin a three-year aging process.

The distilling is the latest in a series of limited production runs that have been done at George Washington’s reconstructed distillery.

After the Scotch is aged, a limited edition of 100 bottles will be auctioned off for charities around the world. In 2006, distillers using Washington’s recipe for Rye whiskey produced bottles that sold for $100,000.

At the end of the 18th century, Washington’s distillery was one of the largest whiskey producers in the country.

Copyright 2010. Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-03-28-12 0714GMT


ADDITIONAL IAMGE OF NOTE


Reconstruction of George Washington's 1797 distillery near Mount Vernon, Virginia. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Reconstruction of George Washington’s 1797 distillery near Mount Vernon, Virginia. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Lee Harvey Oswald's mugshot taken on Nov. 23, 1963, the day after he was arrested for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Battle brewing over Lee Harvey Oswald’s gravestone

Lee Harvey Oswald's mugshot taken on Nov. 23, 1963, the day after he was arrested for the assassination of  President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Lee Harvey Oswald’s mugshot taken on Nov. 23, 1963, the day after he was arrested for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

ROSCOE, Ill. (AP) – A private auto museum in northern Illinois has somehow become the home of what’s believed to be Lee Harvey Oswald’s original tombstone. But how it got there is a bit murky and now a Texas music club owner claims he’s ready to pursue legal action to get it.

Historic Auto Attractions, a private museum about 90 miles northwest of Chicago, features classic cars along with artifacts of presidential history. In one wing dedicated to President John F. Kennedy there are clothes belonging to the family and the gravestone of his suspected assassin, according to the museum website.

Museum owner Wayne Lensing said he acquired the original 130-pound granite slab bearing Oswald’s name, birth and death dates and a cross more than a year ago and it has been on display in his museum in Roscoe.

However, David Card, the owner of Poor David’s Pub in Dallas, said it belongs to him, and his attorney has sent a letter to Lensing saying he’s ready to pursue legal action.

Card claims Oswald’s mother put the stone in the crawl space of her Fort Worth, Texas, home because she feared it would be stolen from the cemetery and a simpler gravestone was placed on his grave. After she died Card’s father and stepmother bought the house, inheriting the stone. Card alleges that years later a step-cousin wrongly sold it to Lensing.

“This isn’t a crank pursuit of a quirky item,” Card told the Rockford Register Star. “It’s a serious pursuit of a historical artifact. We want the artifact returned to its rightful owners. I’d like to see it displayed here in Dallas in one of our local museums. We want to put it in its proper place.”

The authenticity of the tombstone remains uncertain. The Illinois museum’s website, which has detailed online descriptions and some verification documents next to pictures of some artifacts, only gives a backstory for the tombstone. A message left Tuesday at the museum, which is closed for the season, wasn’t immediately returned.

Officials at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, a Dallas facility, which chronicles Kennedy’s life, said they had never seen the tombstone and could not comment on it.

While no official estimates have been made, Kennedy-related items continue to fetch high prices at auction. Card believes it is worth up to $100,000.

Meanwhile Lensing said he legally bought the item—for an undisclosed amount—and it belongs in his Roscoe museum.

“Nobody ever wanted anything to do with it throughout all those years, until they found out the thing got sold,” Lensing told the Chicago Tribune. “So now, after 25-30 years, they all come out of the woodwork.”

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Online:

Historic Auto Attractions: www.historicautoattractions.com

Copyright 2010. Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-03-27-12 2353GMT

 


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


Lee Harvey Oswald's mugshot taken on Nov. 23, 1963, the day after he was arrested for the assassination of  President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Lee Harvey Oswald’s mugshot taken on Nov. 23, 1963, the day after he was arrested for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Historic cased presentation Colt No. 3 belt model Paterson revolver with original and full complement of accessories. Estimate: $275,000-$450,000. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.

Rock Island anticipates gun auction of decade Apr. 20-22

Historic cased presentation Colt No. 3 belt model Paterson revolver with original and full complement of accessories. Estimate: $275,000-$450,000. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.

Historic cased presentation Colt No. 3 belt model Paterson revolver with original and full complement of accessories. Estimate: $275,000-$450,000. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – In nearly two decades of firearms auctions, Rock Island Auction Co. has set many world records and brought to auction some of the finest collections in the world, but none can surpass their spring sale. RIAC is presenting their April 20-22 event as not only their finest firearms auction ever, but as the first great firearms auction of the decade. From genre to genre this auction is filled with desirable pieces for every level of collector.

LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Over 700 Colts will cross the auction block this spring with some of the most significant Colts ever assembled into one auction. A cased presentation Colt Model No. 3 Paterson with full complement of accessories takes the top estimate of $275,000-$450,000. The Colt Paterson was the first model produced by Samuel Colt, and because presentation Paterson pistols are of the rarest commodity known to firearms collectors this may be a once in a lifetime chance to own one.

RIAC is proud to present another first for Colt, serial no. 1 exhibition engraved and cased Colt Navy cartridge revolver. This revolver is the first true cartridge gun produced by Colt and is inscribed and presented to Colt employee Lewis Sheldon when he left Colt. It has remained in possession of the Sheldon family for 141 years until it was placed on consignment with the RIAC this spring. Call RIAC and ask for the specialists estimate on this truly historic piece.

Nearly 100 Colt percussions will cross the auction block with many cased, engraved and high conditioned examples. The finest production Colt Cavalry Model single action featured on the Discovery Channel pilot Ready, Aim, Sold leads the 100-plus spectacular Colt single actions in the auction with an estimate of $125,00-$175,000. The Colt single action is one of the most widely recognized firearms ever, and this April the highest condition example known to exist will be up for sale.

A U.S. inspected Model 1883 Gatling gun with field carriage and caisson is sure to turn some heads during the three-day sale and is expected to bring $200,000-$350,000.

Colts are far from the only noteworthy pieces in this auction. The auction features rare milestones in the evolution of Winchester. The first true Winchester, a Briggs Patent Henry Rifle is estimated to bring $180,000-$275,000. This rifle represents the first attempt of Oliver Winchester to improve upon the Henry rifle from the dissolved New Haven Arms Co., but was quickly outdated by the Kings patent improvement making the Briggs patent rifles obsolete. Less than 10 of these rare rifles are known to exist.

Another rare Winchester to be featured is the Model 1876 Centennial revolver ($90,000-$150,000). This is the only known example of this prototype and showcases some of the most advanced firearm designs of the time. Two examples of the highly collectible “1 of 1,000” are offered in this sale: a model 1873 with factory documentation has an estimate of $150,000-$275,000, and a documented Model 1876 with scarce 30- inch barrel is expected to bring $120,000-$180,000. More than 350 Winchesters are featured in this historic sale.

Many have come to know RIAC as the authority on military arms and this sale is no exception. RIAC is offering the finest collection of Lugers in their history featuring many presentation Lugers including a cased 1902 carbine presented by Georg Luger ($90,000-$140,000), an ultra rare “GL” prototype baby Luger ($65,000-$95,000), one of two known Hitler “Night Guard” pistols with flashlight attachment ($75,000-$150,000), and many other rare, high conditioned, presentation and historic Lugers.

Every primary issue Colt military side arm from 1851-1951 is represented featuring exceptionally rare examples including a cased “MS” marked Dragoon ($65,000-$95,000), an original Navy contract 1900 “Sight Safety” ($13,000-$19,000), and a 1907 “U.S. Army Test Trials” ($27,500-$45,000). Every manufacturer of M1911 and M1911A1’s from WWI and WWII is showcased in this auction including three variations of the rare Singer contract model from prototype, to presentation and production examples.

Some of the biggest names in history are also represented in this auction. A cased three-barrel percussion rifle/shotgun attributed to Abraham Lincoln is expected to bring $50,00-$100,000. Lincoln encouraged weapons development during the Civil War and even test fired arms himself on an open area south of the White House.

A Gastinne Renette breech-loading carbine attributed to Napoleon III has a unique history and is estimated at $22,500-$37,500. There are many other firearms inscribed, presented and attributed to historical figures in this auction including Ulysses S. Grant, Thomas Jefferson Brady, President of Peru Jose Balta, King George III and Henry Clinton.

Sporting arms make up a large portion of the 2700-lot sale featuring over 400 shotguns and over 900 modern firearms. The auction showcases a wide spectrum of high-grade Winchester Model 70’s including an ultra set of 11 consecutively numbered Model 70’s ($40,000-$60,000), 14 Model 21’s including Grand Americans, several excellent Parker Bros. shotguns, and many quality new-in-box Brownings. An engraved Parker Brothers AAHE Del Greco double-barrel shotgun is expected to bring $45,000-$55,000 and a magnificent six-barrel, special order Royal Grand American Model 21 is expected to bring $60,000-$90,000.

In addition to some of the most significant firearms ever assembled in one auction, RIAC will feature over 150 lots of 19th century antiques and Americana. The Americana is highlighted by a magnificent L.C. Tiffany Laburnam lamp, which is expected to bring $85,000-$175,000. A lifetime collection of barber bottles from every late 19th century glassmaker, Illinois River decoys, territorial stoneware, signed oil paintings and much more will be featured during the three-day sale.

View the full catalog online at www.rockislandauction.com or call 800-238-8022 to order your two-volume full-color catalog. See a sampling of the lots at the NRA National Convention in St. Louis, Mo., or preview the entire auction April 19 at the RIAC facilities.

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.


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


Historic cased presentation Colt No. 3 belt model Paterson revolver with original and full complement of accessories. Estimate: $275,000-$450,000. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.

Historic cased presentation Colt No. 3 belt model Paterson revolver with original and full complement of accessories. Estimate: $275,000-$450,000. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.

Historic and important cased Model 1902 Georg Luger DWM semi-automatic carbine with gold inlaid Borchardt presentation. Estimate: $90,000-$140,000. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.

Historic and important cased Model 1902 Georg Luger DWM semi-automatic carbine with gold inlaid Borchardt presentation. Estimate: $90,000-$140,000. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.

Rare and historic serial No. 1, exhibition quality deluxe factory engraved, cased presentation, Colt Model 1861/72 Navy cartridge revolver. Estimate upon request; call 800-238-8022. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.

Rare and historic serial No. 1, exhibition quality deluxe factory engraved, cased presentation, Colt Model 1861/72 Navy cartridge revolver. Estimate upon request; call 800-238-8022. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.

Deluxe cased silver/gold Thuer conversion, L.D. Nimschke factory engraved Colt Model 1861 Navy revolver with battle scene Tiffany grips obtained from the son of President Pierola of Preu. Estimate: $120,000-$160,000. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.

Deluxe cased silver/gold Thuer conversion, L.D. Nimschke factory engraved Colt Model 1861 Navy revolver with battle scene Tiffany grips obtained from the son of President Pierola of Preu. Estimate: $120,000-$160,000. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.

Extraordinarily rare and important, fully documented Briggs Patent Henry Rifle, formerly of the Winchester Museum Collection. Estimate: $180,000-$275,000. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.

Extraordinarily rare and important, fully documented Briggs Patent Henry Rifle, formerly of the Winchester Museum Collection. Estimate: $180,000-$275,000. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.

Excellent cased three-barrel set Maynard single-shot percussion rifle/shotgun attributed to President Abraham Lincoln, published in ‘One Hundred Great Guns.’ Estimate: $50,000-$100,000. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.

Excellent cased three-barrel set Maynard single-shot percussion rifle/shotgun attributed to President Abraham Lincoln, published in ‘One Hundred Great Guns.’ Estimate: $50,000-$100,000. Image courtesy Rock Island Auction.


VIDEO:


Lorax statue taken from garden of Dr. Seuss’ widow

Dr. Seuss, The Lorax, 1971 first edition published by Random House. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and PBA Galleries.

Dr. Seuss, The Lorax, 1971 first edition published by Random House. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and PBA Galleries.

SAN DIEGO (AP) – They took the Lorax, made of bronze, the thieves they came and now he’s gone.

A 2-foot statue of Dr. Seuss’s the Lorax has been stolen from the San Diego home of the author’s 90-year-old widow.

U-T San Diego says Audrey Geisel, widow of Theodore Geisel, the real name of Dr. Seuss, noticed Monday that the statue was missing from her garden.

Property manager Carl Romero says he noticed footprints indicating the thieves had dragged away the 300-pound statue and lifted it over a fence.

Cast in bronze by Audrey Geisel’s daughter Lark Grey Dimond-Cate, the Lorax was the only Seuss character sculpture at the La Jolla property.

The Lorax has enjoyed special attention because of the recently released film version of Dr. Seuss’s 1971 environmental fable for children.

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Information from: U-T San Diego, http://www.utsandiego.com

Copyright 2010. Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-03-27-12 2250GMT


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


Dr. Seuss, The Lorax, 1971 first edition published by Random House. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and PBA Galleries.

Dr. Seuss, The Lorax, 1971 first edition published by Random House. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and PBA Galleries.