VENTURA, Calif. – On Sept. 29-30, California Auctioneers will conduct a sale of historic Old West relics, with Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com. The auction’s headliner is American outlaw Butch Cassidy’s amnesty Colt .45 gun. It is the very firearm Cassidy handed over in good faith to Juab County, Utah Sheriff Parley P. Christison in Oct. 1899, in an appeal for amnesty.

Additional highlights in the sale include the beaded jacket of Sioux legend Crazy Horse, who defeated Custer on the Western Plains, the Colt Navy percussion gun of infamous James Gang member Frank James, brother of Jesse.

The Butch Cassidy Colt is extremely well documented and has been featured in a number of magazines in years past, including Gun Journal, Guns, and Guns and the Gunfighters (published by Guns & Ammo).

“We’ve come to a time when we are two generations away from the folks who knew Cassidy. Fortunately former owner E. Dixon Larson launched a pilgrimage from 1967 to 1970, documenting and interviewing people who knew Cassidy and remembered this Colt,” said auctioneer Jewels Eubanks.

One of those people was Lula Parker Betenson, Cassidy’s younger sister, who can be seen holding the Colt on Page 2 of her book Butch Cassidy, My Brother. Pages 159-160 verify the serial number 158402. A number of photographs and original letters between Larson and Betenson are offered with the Colt, in addition to over a hundred pages of research and verification documents.

Included with the Colt .45 (158402) is Cassidy’s “Brill” jacket holster and never-before-seen documents, including an original letter and photo of William Darby who “rode with [Cassidy] …into the ‘hole.'” He recollects:

“Butch’s coat gun that he carried under his arm most of the time…without a question, this is it. (#158402). He was the only one that I can recall who had a nickel one. I handled it a few times…I remember the ‘eagles’ on the grips, as most of the boys’ (guns) had wood handles, except Logan, who had white ones…Reason I remember it so well, is that I always wanted one just like it. It was a .45 and most others were .44s.”

In additional to Darby’s testimony a never-before-seen conversation with Charles Hanks from 1969 confirms he visited with “Butch” in Vernal, Utah after he was reported killed in Bolivia. He also claims that he visited him again in Salem, Ore., in 1924. He remembers being 12 years old and seeing Butch with the nickel Colt, holster and black-eagle grips.

Two binders with well over 100 pages of documents are included with the original manila tag Parley P. Christison signed in Juab County, Utah, where Cassidy turned in this Colt and his Winchester. An original photograph of the Justice document filed Jan. 2nd, 1900 (after Cassidy did not return) also verifies the Colt 158402 and his Winchester. Correspondence with the owner of the Cassidy Winchester, Jim Earle, proved to have an exact copy of the same docket.

Cassidy’s attempt for amnesty with the help of his friend Matt Warner, Sheriff P.P. Christison and his lawyer, Orlando Powers, asking to meet Governor H.C. Wells, is well documented.

It was perhaps Cassidy’s last attempt on American soil “to lay down his sword and shield,” and in so doing, he left behind a piece of the Wild West. He turned in his Colt SAA .45; the jacket gun that Hanks claims could be seen poking out of his vest, under his jacket next to his heart; and the action of turning it in represents his last attempt to cooperate with the authorities for a life more ordinary.

The amnesty Colt remains a symbol of the duality of “the men of the West;” half hero, half outlaw, forged in steel conviction, yet fueled with the hope of the American dream. It is said Cassidy homesteaded in Argentina, further proof of his desire to settle down before being forced on to Bolivia.

Many, including Cassidy’s sister and Hanks, believe Cassidy found his way back to the States. The truth may never be known, but it is certain that the Robin Hood of the Wild West will remain one of the most intriguing American legends. The Pinkerton National Detective Agency described Cassidy as “a cheerful and amiable bandit with a pleasant, square-jawed face and an almost gentle appearance.” And, extremely dangerous.

California Auctioneers’ Saturday Sept. 29 session will feature a wide range of goods including French and American estate furniture, baby grand pianos, Galle, Lalique and Tiffany; Western and plein-air paintings, fine estate and antique jewelry; clocks, Lladro, antique dolls including some by Jumeau, toys, lighting, Oriental rugs, fine pottery, porcelain and glassware.

The Sunday, Sept. 30 session will feature historic and antique firearms, Native-American artifacts and jewelry, rugs, baskets, pottery, Western art, American antique furniture, collectibles and more.

For additional information, call 805-649-2686 or e-mail info@calauctioneers.com.

View RMK and Red Sky’s short documentary on the Colt at the end of this page.

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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.

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ALAMEDA, Calif. – The fine art selection in Michaan’s Oct. 7 Estate Auction will include over 160 lots from the 18th to 20th centuries. The sale is composed of, but not limited to, oil paintings, watercolors, etchings and woodblock prints as well as bronze and marble sculpture. Subjects range from landscapes to portraiture to genre paintings, with a large representation from European and American artists.

LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding for the 1,000-lot auction, which will begin at 10 a.m. PDT.

American artist Frederick William Becker’s Cypress Tree is featured as lot 105 in the sale ($2,000-$4,000). Cypress Tree is one such vibrant realist landscape oil in which the artist masterfully juxtaposes two natural subjects. A cypress tree is depicted on a seaside cliff with many of its branches clinging to the earth, helping to stabilize its position. In contrast, the ocean is seen in the background, fluid and effortless in nature. The image was inspired by the scenic 17-Mile Drive route along the Carmel/Monterey stretch of the road. The painting is signed “Frederick Becker.”

The jewelry selection offers over 175 lots with a wide variety of gemstone jewelry and Native American pieces available in October. Jade pieces are also substantially represented in bracelets, rings, pendants and brooches, including multiple lots of certified jadeite jade. Highlighting the sale is a gorgeous jade ring fashionably set in an Art Deco inspired mounting. The certified jade cabochon measures a substantial 11.7 x 18.1 x 8.1 millimeters and displays an ideal clover green hue with a lovely translucency. The simplicity of the jade is complemented by the clean, angular lines of the mounting – a beautiful marriage of East and West. The ring will be offered as lot 433 at an auction estimate of $7,000-$8,000.

Michaan’s Asian department presents over 160 lots, primarily from the 19th to 20th centuries. Scrolls, porcelains, bronzes, jade objects, furniture and Japanese artworks are among the available pieces. Lot 631 is a quality Japanese artwork of particular interest and one that is almost universally misunderstood. The album is dated to the 19th century and contains 12 erotic paintings in pencil and watercolor. Generally, this type of art known as shunga sought to express an ideal view of middle-class urban Japanese society. Shunga was largely perceived as conveying the enjoyment of life and not as a form of pornography, therefore, it did not detract from the artist’s reputation or prestige. The intriguing painting collection will be auctioned at an estimate of $500-$700.

Arguably the finest teddy bear on the market, Steiff stuffed bears were born from a company unlike any other. German-born Margarete Steiff was diagnosed with polio in 1852. Despite her condition, she went on to establish a small sewing business. In 1902 Richard Steiff, Margarete’s favorite nephew, joined the company. Although Margarete was skeptical, she allowed Richard to present a bear design at the Leipzig Toy Fair. A breakthrough came when an American businessman took notice of the bear, buying 3,000 of them. From 1906 on it was then sold under the name “Teddy bear” after U.S. President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. Its success brought the company to new international heights and established Steiff as the inventor of the teddy bear. Lot 1007 is a collection of six original vintage Steiff teddy bears. The lot includes an “original Teddy,” two “Zotty” bears, one “Cosy Orsi” bear and two “Teddy Baby” bears ($300-$400). Three other Steiff lots of assorted stuffed animals will also be available in the sale.

For more information please phone Michaan’s front desk at 510-740-0220.

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.

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ATLANTA – Red Baron’s Private Reserve – the new incarnation of the venerable auction firm formerly known as Red Baron Antiques – will hold an inaugural sale on Saturday, Sept. 29, in its new gallery facility at 8655 Roswell Road, five miles north of its previous Atlanta location. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding, which begins at 10 a.m. EDT.

Among the 475 lots to be sold are six rare and outstanding pianos that are no longer in production.

“We are excited to be kicking off the fall season at our brand new facility with an auction packed with some of the highest quality antiques and décor items available anywhere,” said Bob Brown, Red Baron’s owner throughout its long and storied history. “Everything you’ve seen at Red Baron’s has been condensed into our new and improved location. I urge everyone to attend.”

Aside from the pianos, the auction will also feature a never-used copy of a late 1800s-style brewery, vintage and collectible automobiles, fantastic bars, statuary and fountains (staples at most Red Baron’s auctions), boats, estate jewelry, fine art, vintage guns, furniture, neons, garden accents, rare and unusual oddities and an overall inventory that can’t be found elsewhere.

The six pianos are expected to take center stage (as they no doubt have countless times in the past). One is the ultimate piano: a sleek black Steinway Model D-455 9-foot grand piano. It has graced the concert stage of virtually every performance venue in America, and boasts the largest dynamic range of any piano made, from whispering pianissimo to thundering fortissimo.

Another Steinway grand piano certain to garner attention is an important French ormolu-mounted mahogany, satin, sycamore and stained fruitwood marquetry piano, made circa 1913. Previously auctioned through Christie’s, the piano features a case made by Maison Jansen (Paris) from a model by Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener. Movement is Steinway & Sons (serial #162332).

The other four pianos include a gold-mounted Bechstein grand piano with satinwood inlay and ormolu, circa 1883; a Samick white baby grand piano, Model SG-172; a Chickering ebonized baby grand piano, made circa 1924, Model #146544; and a Bechstein oak grand piano, Model #39038.

“To have six pianos of this caliber in one auction is extraordinary,” Brown said.

The late 19th century-style brewery is bound to attract attention, both for it rarity and its functionality. Made in Germany (and the only example currently in the United States), the gold medal-winning brewery has toured the U.S. and Germany and is valued at $400,000. It is 13 feet 1 inch by 10 feet, with a height of 12 feet. It goes with the auction’s Oktoberfest theme.

Oher notable pieces include an amazing Lalique cactus table, a Tiffany Arrowroot lamp, collectibles such as an F-16/15 aircraft ejection chair, completely authentic, polished and lacquered and ideal for use as a desk chair (and a surefire conversation starter); and a pre-Civil War pirate hook arm.

There is no admission fee for this auction, which will begin promptly at 10 a.m. and end around 7 p.m.

Red Baron’s Private Reserve is always in the hunt for quality consignments for future auctions. To inquire about consigning a single item, an estate or a collection, send an e-mail to info@rbprivatereserve.com or phone 404-640-4604.

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.

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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

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BOSTON – Skinner Inc. will host an auction of European Furniture and Decorative Arts on Oct 6 in its Boston gallery. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding as Skinner sells an array of silver, Continental porcelain, glass, statuary, clocks, paintings and prints, lighting, rugs, textiles and antique furniture. The collection of renowned actor, director, and master teacher Michael Howard will also be offered during the 900-lot auction, which begins at 10 a.m. EDT.

The silver session features nearly 450 lots, with a broad range of flatware and hollow ware from the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Central and South America. The bidding begins with British silver, and features two assembled Paul Storr covered tureens with unicorn finials (lot 40, estimated between $5,000 and $7,000).

Continental silver follows with highlights that include a large sterling silver compote with pendant grape clusters by Georg Jensen (lot 144, $9,000 to $12,000), as well as several Georg Jensen flatware sets including one in the Cactus pattern (lot 137, $10,000 to $15,000) and another in the Acorn pattern (lot 159, $3,000 to $4,000).

Offerings by American makers are particularly strong. An early 20th century Gorham presentation sterling silver punch bowl service (lot 300, $30,000 to $50,000) offers a fine example of Gorham design and craftsmanship. The punch bowl is lightly hammered and cast with grape and vine decoration. The tray and 12 cup holders bear a similar decorative motif, including grapes, oak leaves and acorns.

Highlights from Tiffany & Co. include four Chrysanthemum pattern sterling silver candlesticks (lot 310, $18,000 to $22,000) and a Persian-style sterling silver coffee service (lot 333, $6,000 to $8,000), both from the early 20th century. Several lots of silver designed by Elsa Perretti are expected to generate interest, including a sterling silver covered tureen and underplate (lot 151, $4,000 to $6,000) and a pair of Bone pattern sterling silver candlesticks (lot 153, $2,000 to $4,000).

The final lot of the session is a patinated .999 silver and bronze figure of an eagle, entitled Freedom, by contemporary American sculptor Steve Retzlaff (lot 442, $8,000 to $12,000). The sculpture stands 30 inches tall and the silver content amounts to nearly 700 troy ounces.

The sale will also feature approximately 50 lots of collectibles associated with theater from the personal collection of Michael Howard. Howard is a renowned actor, director and teacher of the dramatic arts, having taught at the Julliard School, Yale School of Drama, American Conservatory Theatre, and most notably at his own studio. Citing his master teacher, Lee Strasberg, as a major influence not only professionally but also as a collector, Howard has been actively collecting since his career started more than 60 years ago.

Much of the Michael Howard collection relates to Shakespearean characters and the actors who played them. Examples include a painting of Edwin Booth as Iago by Thomas Hicks (lot 509, $4,000 to $6,000) and three Chinese reverse paintings on glass illustrating scenes from The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest and Hamlet (lots 531-533, each $3,000 to $5,000).

Nineteenth century English actors and actresses are represented in paintings, needlework samplers, porcelain and pottery objects, and tinsel prints. The Commedia dell’Arte is represented in several lots including a collection highlight: a large needlework piece portraying an early stage production, complete with the characters Harlequin, Il Dottore and Scaramouche (lot 544, $4,000 to $6,000).

English pieces of note include a William IV amboyna and yew wood writing table (lot 746, $8,000 to $12,000), a Regency mahogany drum table (lot 792, $2,000 to $4,000), and a George III parcel-gilt and caned bergere (lot 829, $4,000 to $6,000).

The variety of Continental furniture is demonstrated by two case pieces. The first, a fine 18th century Dutch walnut armoire (lot 574, $15,000 to $25,000) is marquetry-inlaid throughout. The second, a brass- and alabaster-mounted mahogany veneer secretaire abattant (lot 606, $5,000 to $7,000) features burl- and string-inlaid fronts, a tambour door and other exquisite details. An important circular marble tabletop (lot 811, $6,000 to $8,000) inlaid with micromosaics and bordered by a rouge marble band depicts St. Peter’s Square and ruins in the Roman Forum.

American Victorian furniture is represented by a Renaissance Revival walnut cabinet secretary Wooton desk (lot 852, $6,000 to $8,000), and two Aesthetic Movement ebonized cherry side chairs attributed to Herter Brothers (lot 908, $4,000 to $6,000).

Highlights from the wide variety of Continental porcelain include several well-painted KPM plaques. One depicts the Tyrolean Rebellion of 1809 after the painting Vor Dem Aufstand 1809 in Tirol by Franz Defregger (lot 698, $1,200 to $1,800) and another, a portrait of Christopher Columbus in chains, after Gustave Wappers (lot 877, $600 to $800).

Notable decorative pieces also include an assortment of bronze sculptures highlighted by a Georges Gardet (French, 1863-1939) parcel-gilded casting titled Lioness Discovering a Foo Dog with a Barbedienne foundry mark (lot 550, $3,000 to $5,000).

For details contact Stuart Slavid, director of European furniture and decorative arts at Skinner Inc., 508-970-3278.

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.

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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

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