Monument to boxing legend Rocky Marciano in Ripa Teatina, Ambruzzo, Italy. Image: Fratelli Angelo and Giorgio Bonomo, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
BROCKTON, Mass. (AP) – Some of the biggest names in boxing history were invited to the Boston suburb of Brockton over weekend for the official unveiling of a giant statue of boxing champion Rocky Marciano.
Organizer say boxing greats Thomas Hearns, Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield, Mickey Ward and John Ruiz were among those who committed to attend the Sunday ceremony. Renowned promoter Don King and Jose Sulaiman, head of the World Boxing Council, also were on the invitation list.
The 24-foot tall statute, a gift to the City of Brockton from the World Boxing Council, was created by Mario Rendon, head of the Instituto Universitatio de las Bellas Artes in Colima, Mexico. It was erected Thursday, but a public dedication ceremony was scheduled for Sunday in Marciano’s hometown. The statue is outside the city’s football stadium that also bears Marciano’s name.
Guests flew in from around the world to attend a gala reception at the Massasoit Community College Conference Center to remember the man who put Brockton on the map. Among them were mayors from the Italian towns where Marciano’s parents were born, and the boxer’s relatives from Maryland and Florida.
Marciano was previously memorialized with a statue in Ripa Teatina, Abruzzo, Italy.
The boxing legend, who was born ‘Rocco Francis Marchegiano,’ died in a 1969 plane crash in Iowa. He would have turned 89 on Sept. 1 and remains the only heavyweight to retire undefeated at 49-0.
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Auction Central News International contributed to this report.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Monument to boxing legend Rocky Marciano in Ripa Teatina, Ambruzzo, Italy. Image: Fratelli Angelo and Giorgio Bonomo, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Chinese bronze Li vessel, Warring States. Showplace Antique + Design Center image. NEW YORK – Showplace Antique + Design Center will present an autumn sale of Asian, modern, fine and decorative art on Sunday, Sept. 30, beginning at 1 p.m. EDT. A wide variety of Asian antiques will be auctioned, as well as an array of decorative art objects, mid-century furniture and lighting, art glass, silver, and a selection of paintings and prints. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding on the more than 500 lots.
Several fine Asian pieces will be offered on Sunday including a Chinese bronze Li vessel from a notable estate, likely dating to the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.). The estimate is $18,000-$20,000. A 19th century Korean bojagi, or wrapping cloth, with two panels representing good fortune and long life, will be auctioned for $1,200-$1,500.
Showplace will also offer a number of mid-20th century furniture, lighting and decorative objects. Among them, a modern Danish rosewood tri-fold mirror in a deep red tone estimated $700-$900; a curving Italian tubular steel chair with a tan vinyl cushion, attributed to Giotto Stoppino, 1960s, estimated $300-$500; and a pair of American Stiffel lamps estimated $600-$800.
Other noteworthy lots include a signed print by American artist Tony Bass, whose work is included in corporate and private collections around the world, estimated $200-$300; an oil on canvas painting of a winter landscape by German artist Adolf Stademan (1824-1895), $1400-$1600; and a painting titled Nude Bathers by F.R. Ferryman (American, 1893-1947) expected to fetch $1,000-$1,200.
For information contact an auctions department representative at 212-633-6063 x804 or x805.
Signed publicity photo of Vivien Leigh in the role of Scarlett O’Hara in the 1939 film ‘Gone with the Wind.’ Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Signature House.
RALEIGH, N.C. – Winner of 10 Academy Awards, Gone with the Wind remains popular decades after its 1939 premiere. Hollywood’s highly romanticized movie of the “Old South” is based on Margaret Mitchell’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
The true story of how Mitchell’s book became a record-breaking film is revealed in Real to Reel: The Making of Gone with the Wind at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. Showcasing authentic memorabilia — costumes, screen tests, scene props, a script, Vivien Leigh’s Academy Award and more — the exhibit will run through Jan. 13, 2013. Admission and weekend parking are free.
The Museum of History is the only venue in the Southeast to feature Real to Reel. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to see more than 120 items from the James Tumblin collection. Tumblin, former head of the Universal Studios makeup and hair department, owns the largest private collection of Gone with the Wind memorabilia.
“Real to Reel takes museum visitors behind the scenes of one of the most famous films in Hollywood history,” said Katie Edwards, who helped curate the exhibit. “Through costume sketches, scene storyboards, letters and other items, the exhibit highlights the many tasks and challenges, as well as the controversy, involved in this major production.”
Producer David O. Selznick oversaw the making of Gone with the Wind, with a cast and crew of 4,000, and insisted on approving every detail of production. Real to Reel spotlights the roles of individuals, both on-screen and off-screen, who helped create the film.
Movie buffs will recognize costumes worn by Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland, Leslie Howard and others. These costumes include “Scarlett’s” dress from the attack at Shantytown scene; “Bonnie Blue’s” velvet dress from her final scene; and the uniform “Ashley Wilkes” wore when he returned home after the Civil War. Of the 1,500 outfits Walter Plunkett designed for the film, his favorite appears in the exhibit: “Belle Watling’s” burgundy velvet jacket and accompanying fur muff.
A sampling of other items in Real to Reel follows.
● Chair from the “Smoker’s Room” scene at the Twelve Oaks barbecue
● Max Steiner’s original theme music score for the movie
● Typewriter that screenwriter Sidney Howard used for the script
● Letter of appreciation that Hattie McDaniel (“Mammy”) wrote to a fan
● Production paintings such as the “Burning of Atlanta” scene
In addition to showcasing Tumblin’s collection, Real to Reel features several dolls created by artist Pete Ballard that are based on characters in Gone with the Wind.
Real to Reel: The Making of Gone with the Wind includes “Bonnie Blue Butler’s” velvet dress from her final scene. The exhibit is sponsored by the N.C. Museum of History Foundation and the N.C. Museum of History Associates.
Signed publicity photo of Vivien Leigh in the role of Scarlett O’Hara in the 1939 film ‘Gone with the Wind.’ Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Signature House.
Colorama images by various artists displayed at Grand Central in New York City. Photo by Kelsey Savage.
Where the Apple store now sits in Grand Central there used to be the largest photograph in the world. For 40 years starting in 1950, Kodak’s Colorama displayed its 18 feet high and 60 feet wide slice-of-life photographs in the Grand Concourse. Now, though on a much smaller scale, the New York Transit Museum has an exhibit in homage to what was once an incredible display of public advertisements disguised as art, just below street level.
The small versions of those amazing transparencies demonstrate strong family values and American white-picket-fence aspirations, encouraging onlookers that they too could take pictures of such scenes as long as they used Kodak film. The pieces display an idealized America with an almost campy sense of patriotic joy, all enriched with a saturated palette. Kodak staff photographers shot most of the images, but Ansel Adams, Ernst Haas and Eliot Porter also contributed their talent.
More impressive than seeing the actual advertisements is to learn the amount of engineering each image required. It took 450 feet of print film needed to create each rear-lighted transparency, which were then unrolled like a horizontal window shade with hooks every six inches. Of course, the museum’s exhibit is not nearly as dramatic as the arresting advertisements must have been, but the are a reminder of what was once there and they reflect an America that never really was, but which is fascinating all the same.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Colorama images by various artists displayed at Grand Central in New York City. Photo by Kelsey Savage.Top: ‘Mountain Bikers’ by Bob and Ira Spring. Bottom: ‘Cowboys in Grand Tetons’ by Herbert Archer and J. Hood. Photo by Kelsey Savage.Top: ‘Taj Mahal’ by Norm Kerr. Bottom: ‘Portuguese Fishing Village’ by Neil Montanus. Photo by Kelsey Savage.
Bonnie Parker’s Colt Detective Special .38 revolver, carried by her at the time of her death. Estimate: $150,000-$200,000. RR Auction image. NASHUA, N.H. – RR Auction is presenting collectors and historians the opportunity to acquire rare and unique artifacts from a tumultuous and romanticized period of American history in an auction titled “Gangsters, Outlaws and Lawmen” on Sept. 30, beginning at 10 a.m. EDT. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding for this special themed auction of 135 lots.
Featured will be the prized personal handguns of both Bonnie and Clyde. “These amazing and historic weapons – found on their person the morning of their deaths and gifted to Captain Hamer, along with other items from that ill-fated day, by authorities at the time as part of his compensation package for the ambush,” said Bobby Livingston, vice president at RR Auction.
Seventy-eight years ago, the bloody crime spree of outlaws and lovers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker came to a violent end on a desolate, dirt road in Louisiana. Their ambush at the hands of a six-man posse lead by legendary Texas Ranger Capt. Frank A. Hamer in 1934 ushered in the beginning of the end for the public enemy-era of the 1930s. In the short months that followed, criminals of note such as John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Baby Face Nelson quickly faced a similar fate.
Many of these lots originate from the estate collection of the late author and collector Robert E. Davis of Waco, Texas. The auction also includes a number of significant lots from the estate of Clyde’s sister, Marie Barrow.
“Not since the Marie Barrow auction in 1997 has there been a collection of such significance to hit the market, with major lots available for sale directly related to Bonnie & Clyde,” said Jonathan Davis, noted authority on Bonnie and Clyde and author of Bonnie & Clyde & Marie: A Sister’s Perspective on the Notorious Barrow Gang (Stephen F. Austin Press, 2012). “The Robert Davis collection is highly regarded and historic, including their impeccable provenance coming from the Frank Hamer collection.”
Among the more than 130 stunning and unique pieces in this auction are the following personal items:
Bonnie Parker’s personal Colt .38 snub-nose detective special revolver, which was found post-mortem taped to her inside thigh with white medical tape. The ambush happened so fast that she did not have a chance to retrieve it from its intimate hiding place.
Clyde’s personal Colt .45, recovered post-mortem from his waistband. This pistol is believed to have been among the weapons famously stolen by the gang from the federal arsenal in Beaumont, Texas. Also included with this lot is an extra clip, found in Clyde’s pocket.
Clyde Barrow’s 10-karat gold-filled 1925 Elgin pocket watch found on his body the morning of his death. The watch was claimed by Henry Barrow, Clyde’s father, and was among his personal effects returned to the family, along with his body for burial. It is from the Marie Barrow collection.
Bonnie’s light brown leatherette cosmetic case with a mirror inside the cover will be sold. According to the Frank Hamer letter of provenance that accompanies the lot, when recovered from the ambush car, the case at the time contained lipstick and a box of Coty face powder and a powder puff, “about the only feminine touch item in their possession.”
Complementing the physical artifacts in the sale, manuscript and autograph lots will include such unique items as the following:
A Clyde Barrow ALS signed “bud” (his code name when on the run) and addressed to his brother L.C. Barrow, and from the Marie Barrow collection. The handwritten remarks are on the back of a candid snapshot photo of a small house on a platform surrounded by water. Barrow writes, in part: “Say how do you like our little home by the sea. We may go to no telling so we will write you later.”
An outstanding collection of 47 handwritten and typed letters from Blanche Barrow written to her mother between the years 1933-1939, and all of them written from the Missouri State Penitentiary. These letters served as the basis for the book Blanche Barrow: The Last Victim of Bonnie and Clyde, written by Robert E. Davis.
Transformed into a romanticized Romeo and Juliet for modern audiences by the 1967 Arthur Penn classic film Bonnie & Clyde, staring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, the enduring popularity and fascination for all things Bonnie and Clyde is bound to drive intense interest and spirited bidding from collectors of the period and genre, as well as those from the film, Americana, and popular culture genres as well.
“Current interest in Bonnie and Clyde is very strong, and it seems that people always seem to have an intense interest in outlaws and lovers,” added Davis. “In fact, there are currently five feature films, one TV miniseries, a couple of musicals and plays, and a number of books in various stages of production.”
For more information email Bobby.Eaton@RRAuction.com or phone 603-732-4280.
Bonnie Parker’s Colt Detective Special .38 revolver, carried by her at the time of her death. Estimate: $150,000-$200,000. RR Auction image.
May 16, 1878 Dodge City summons signed by Bat Masterson as sheriff of Ford County, Kan. Estimate: $20,000-$25,000. RR Auction image.
Clyde Barrow’s Colt Model 1911 Government Model semi-automatic pistol, removed from his waistband after the ambush by Texas and Louisiana lawmen on May 23, 1934. Estimate: $150,000-$200,000. RR Auction image.
Clyde Barrow’s Elgin pocket watch recovered from his body on the morning of May 23, 1934. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000. RR Auction image.
American organized crime boss Al Capone (1899–1947), Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket semi-automatic pistol. Estimate: $10,000-$15,000. RR Auction image.
Colt New Service Model 1909 Double-Action revolver found in the car driven by Clyde Barrow on the day they died. Estimate: $30,000-$40,000. RR Auction image.
This medical-examining chair was made in the 1880s. It sold for $475 at a Skinner auction in Boston last year. Medical antiques are hard to find.
Sometimes an unusual piece of furniture is offered for sale, and many collectors fight over it. A “Dr. Byrne’s Medical Examination Chair” was offered by Skinner Auctioneers of Boston. The odd chair was clearly labeled with its name and the maker, S. Betz & Co. of Chicago. The red-painted steel chair also was marked on the footrests with the maker’s name and the words “Model 1901 Prof. A.H. Ferguson.” The chair has levers to adjust the back, footrest and height, and it can be flattened to use as a table with stirrups. It is about 56 inches high. Nineteenth-century medical chairs are not often sold. This one brought $475.
Would you buy a 1930 permanent-wave machine with a chair hood and dangling cords? Would you put a 1940s washing machine in your living room near a wall of polished steel school lockers? Few pieces of furniture representing technology (rather than decorative arts) have survived, but all of the ones we mentioned have sold at recent auctions.
Q: My child-size green lusterware tea set is decorated with white and pink flower blossoms. The set includes four cups and 3 1/4-inch-diameter saucers, a 3 1/2-inch teapot, and a sugar and creamer. Some of the pieces are marked “Made in Japan.” There’s not a chip anywhere. Age and value, please?
A: Many lusterware children’s tea sets were made in Japan during the 1930s. Your set was probably made then, or perhaps as early as the late 1920s. Your set is a small one, without plates. It would sell for about $35 to $50.
Q: I have an original Woodstock poster in mint condition. What is it worth?
A: The famous Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held near White Lake, N.Y., in 1969. The festival is considered one of the most important moments in American music history. The best-known Woodstock poster was designed by Arnold Skolnick and came in two sizes, 18 by 24 inches and 32 by 24 inches. It was printed on either heavy cardstock or very thin paper, and features a white dove perched on the neck of a guitar on a red background. The true “original” poster was designed by David Edward Byrd and shows a nude woman surrounded by cupids and flowers. When the location of the festival was changed, Byrd was on vacation and unreachable, so Skolnick was commissioned to create the new poster. Woodstock memorabilia are popular collectibles. An original Byrd poster in excellent condition recently auctioned for $468. The Skolnick version in near-mint condition sold for $1,156. But beware. Many reproductions exist.
Q: We bought an elaborately decorated silk robe while on a trip to Japan years ago. What is the best way to display this? Is it better to hang it up or to frame it?
A: If the robe is in good condition and not too heavy, it can be hung on a hanger. The Textile Museum recommends wrapping a wooden hanger in polyester quilt batting to support the shoulders. Cover the padding with washed muslin. If you are hanging it in a closet, you should cover it with washed muslin to protect it from dust. Archival storage items can be purchased at closet shops. Don’t display the robe where it will be exposed to sunlight or fluorescent light. Even incandescent lighting can cause fading over time. Extreme heat or cold also can damage textiles. If the robe is framed, special UV-filtering glass and acid-free materials should be used.
Q: I have an old Grover & Baker sewing machine. It has all of the original pieces and works well. What is it worth?
A: Grover & Baker Sewing Machine Co. of Boston was founded in the mid-19th century by tailors William O. Grover and William E. Baker. The company is known for inventing and patenting technology that revolutionized the modern sewing machine. Its inventions included the first portable sewing machine and fabric-feed systems. In 1875 the company merged with the Domestic Sewing Machine Co., and the Grover & Baker brand ceased to exist. Grover & Baker sewing machines are popular with collectors. In 2004 a Grover & Baker sewing machine sold for $1,397 at auction.
Q: I own a canceled check from Mae West’s personal account at California Bank in Hollywood. The check, in the amount of $25, is signed by West and dated Dec. 24, 1945. How much would it sell for?
A: Mae West, originally named Mary Jane West, was an American actress, screenwriter and playwright. She was born in 1893 in Brooklyn, N.Y. West started her career as a playwright and actress on Broadway. Her plays proved controversial and received mixed critical reception, but they were well-attended. In 1932 she was offered a contract with Paramount Pictures and made her debut in the film “Night After Night” with George Raft. West went on to star in many films, including “I’m No Angel” with Cary Grant. She stayed in show business for decades and has been named by the American Film Institute as the 15th-greatest female star in American cinema history. One of her signed checks drawn on the same bank recently auctioned for $96.
Tip: Store your trading card albums flat, not upright. This prevents your baseball cards or old valentines from getting bent or damaged. Check the album periodically to make sure the pages are not sticking together. If you notice any problems, replace the pages.
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 email 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.
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.
Swivel armchair, oak, shaped spindles, wide arms, sculpted seat, floor mount, circa 1915, 18 x 23 inches, $395.
Men’s dress tailcoat, wool, black, double-breasted, knee-length tails, two pockets in tails, circa 1840, 36-inch chest, $495.
Mickey Mouse Slip-Overs for Boys and Girls store display sign, cardboard, easel back, Mickey standing on clothing box, black, gold and white, 1920, 20 x 12 inches, $630.
Order the set: Buyers’ Guide to 20th Century Costume Jewelry, Part One and Part Two. Both for our special price of $34.95. These special reports help you identify the most popular makers and designers of costume jewelry. Spot mid-century costume jewelry, Mexican silver jewelry and European and North American pieces. Learn who Hobe and Sigi are and how to recognize a rare piece of Bakelite. Accurate, comprehensive and valuable whether you’re a serious collector or just a beginner. Available only from Kovels. Order by phone at 800-303-1996; online at Kovels.com; or send $34.95 plus $4.95 postage and handling to Kovels, P.O. Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.
Space Shuttle Endeavour over Moffett Federal Airfield. This photograph was taken on Sept. 21, 2012 as the shuttle took its final flight over the San Francisco Bay Area, on its way to the California Space Center in Los Angeles. Photo by Arnold de Leon, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.LOS ANGELES (AFP) – The US space shuttle Endeavour took its final flight Friday, making a spectacular series of flypasts over California before landing in Los Angeles, its retirement home near where it was built.
Riding piggyback on a specially fitted Boeing 747, the shuttle flew over San Francisco’s Golden Gate bridge before heading south to take in the Hollywood sign and Disneyland, before landing at LA international airport (LAX).
“It’s so cool, and so sad,” said Todd Unger, 28, among thousands who camped out from the early hours at the Griffith Park Observatory, overlooking the city and the nearby iconic hilltop Tinsel Town sign.
“It’s the end of an era. But it shows what America can do, we can be really proud,” he added, waving a Stars and Stripes flag as the shuttle banked over the Hollywood Hills.
Cars were parked bumper-to-bumper up the winding roads leading up to the obbservatory, as Angelenos turned out en masse in several parts of the city to witness Endeavour’s final flight.
The shuttle had spent the night at Edwards Air Force base north of Los Angeles, the last leg after a two-day trip across the country from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Before reaching the West Coast, it flew over Tucson, Arizona to honor former lawmaker Gabrielle Giffords, who survived a horrific shooting last year and whose astronaut husband Mark Kelly commanded Endeavour’s final mission.
“It was pretty spectacular … The people of Tucson got an incredible view of this remarkable machine,” Kelly told CNN, adding: “It’s really a testament to American ingenuity.”
The shuttle will spend a few weeks at a United Airlines hangar at LAX, before being transferred to the California Space Center, where it will go on display on October 30.
Endeavour, which flew more than 185 million kilometers (115 million miles) in its two-decade career, completed its final mission last year. After the space agency NASA brought an end to the 30-year shuttle program last year, major US cities battled for the right to house one of the craft.
Enterprise, the prototype that never flew into space, is now on permanent display on the runway of the Intrepid aircraft carrier in New York.
The Kennedy Space Center will keep Atlantis, and Discovery is on display at a museum outside Washington.
Two other shuttles were destroyed in flight. Challenger disintegrated shortly after liftoff in 1986 and Columbia broke apart on re-entry to earth in 2003. Both disasters killed everyone on board.
Endeavour’s trip to Los Angeles is a homecoming of sorts. It was built in Palmdale, north of Los Angeles, as a replacement for Challenger.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Space Shuttle Endeavour over Moffett Federal Airfield. This photograph was taken on Sept. 21, 2012 as the shuttle took its final flight over the San Francisco Bay Area, on its way to the California Space Center in Los Angeles. Photo by Arnold de Leon, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
‘Swimming,’ 1885, Thomas Eakins (1844–1916), oil on canvas, overall: 27 3/8 x 36 3/8 inches. Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas.
DALLAS (AP) – On the morning of Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy realized that their Fort Worth hotel suite featured an extraordinary array of artwork – from a painting by Vincent van Gogh to a bronze by Pablo Picasso.
A group of prominent Fort Worth citizens had scrambled to put together the collection in the days leading up to the president’s fateful Texas visit, transforming an otherwise plain suite into something special.
Next year, almost all of those works the couple admired in their last private moments before President Kennedy was assassinated will be on display at an exhibit that opens at the Dallas Museum of Art in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his death.
“It’s not a story about death. It’s not a story about hate. It’s a story about art and love, which I think is a very good tribute to the Kennedys. It’s all about their love of art,” said Olivier Meslay, associate director of curatorial affairs at the museum and the exhibit’s curator.
Before the Kennedys’ visit, Fort Worth newspapers had revealed details about the preparations, including the description of the unremarkable Suite 850 at the Hotel Texas, said Scott Grant Barker, a Texas art historian who has researched the events. He said that a local art critic decided something needed to be done to make the suite shine.
A group of prominent citizens turned to museums and private collections to assemble 12 paintings and four sculptures, including Thomas Eakins’ oil painting Swimming, Pablo Picasso’s bronze Angry Owl and Vincent van Gogh’s oil painting Road with Peasant Shouldering a Spade.
“What they did was really amazing. They put together really a series of masterpieces,” Meslay said.
Barker said works of art were “basically gathered up by courier and by station wagon and every other means.”
The Kennedys left Washington on Nov. 21 for a two-day, five-city tour of Texas. They went to San Antonio and Houston before ending the day in Fort Worth. Barker said the Kennedys arrived so late, they didn’t notice the significant artwork until the morning.
The Kennedys then called one of the organizers, Ruth Carter Stevenson, daughter of legendary Texas newspaper publisher and philanthropist Amon G. Carter, whose will established the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Barker said Jacqueline Kennedy told Stevenson that she didn’t want to leave the exhibit.
Meslay said the works were not only a snapshot of art tastes in 1963, but also a display of the cultural riches that were in Fort Worth at the time. For instance, he said, Eakins’ Swimmers from 1885, held currently by the Amon Carter, is “one of the most important American paintings of the 19th century.”
He said there was also a “good mix” – ranging from the abstract expressionist oil on paper Study for Accent Grave by Franz Kline to Charles M. Russell’s western-inspired Lost in a Snowstorm – Are We are Friends‘ to Maurice Prendergast’s post-impressionist oil painting Summer Day in the Park.
The exhibit, “Hotel Texas: An Art Exhibition for the President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy” will open at the Dallas Museum of Art on May 26, 2013, and run through Sept. 15, 2013. The exhibit then will move to the Amon Carter from Oct. 12, 2013, through Jan. 12, 2014.
At least 14 of the 16 works will be on display, as well as photographs, videos and archival materials including images of the suite before the couple’s arrival.
“It was their ultimate private art show. When you view these, you’ll be standing in the shoes of John and Jackie Kennedy. You’ll be seeing what they saw,” Barker said.
Andrew Walker, director of the Amon Carter, said the exhibit will be an opportunity to recover an extraordinary moment that was overshadowed by the assassination.
He said with so much of the anniversary’s focus on the president’s death, this exhibit will offer a “kind of respite moment.”
“It’s taking as its point of mediation on that moment of great optimism. I hope people feel that,” he said.
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If You Go…
DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART: 1717 N. Harwood, Dallas; http://www.dm-art.org or 214-922-1200. “Hotel Texas: An Art Exhibition for the President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy” will run May 26-Sept. 15, 2013. Open Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Thursdays until 9 p.m. Adults, $10, seniors, $7, students, $5, children 11 and under free. The exhibit will move to the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas http://www.cartermuseum.org , Oct. 12, 2013-Jan. 12, 2014.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Rolex women’s Oyster Perpetual stainless steel watch. Government Auction image.
TEHACHAPI, Calif. – A stylish 1949 Triumph Roadster, precious gems and valuable gold coins are among the treasures to be offered in Government Auction’s Saturday, Sept. 30 sale. The 1,266-lot offering of antiques, art and luxury watches will be available to online bidders through LiveAuctioneers.com.
For the woman who loves fine jewelry of utmost quality, Government Auction suggests the ruby and white sapphire necklace with a total approximate weight of 161.91 carats. Surrounded by diamonds, the vibrant main ruby gemstone is fuchsia red in color and cut in a faceted oval shape. The 18-inch-long necklace is composed of silver with gold overlay and features a flexible ribbon of 19 graduating ruby gemstones surrounded by white sapphire bezels. Bidding on this item starts at a mere $2.
Leading the luxury watch category is a previously owned stainless steel Rolex women’s watch. This investment timepiece is an Oyster Perpetual with an attractive black face. It is one of several desirable Rolex watches in the auction catalog.
A true classic, the 1949 Triumph Roadster TR 2000 to be auctioned is one of the coolest cars on the road. Its features include a dickey rumble seat with Lucas “King of the Road” headlamps and triple wipers. The car is a right-hand-drive model with a 128ci (2000cc), 68hp OHV 4-cylinder engine and 3-speed, fully synchronized manual transmission. The handsome English roadster has been fully restored with black paint, saddle tan interior, black canvas convertible top, roll-up windows and wood dash. Note: The vehicle is available for pick-up only in California by the winning bidder.
In addition to the luxury items being presented, the auction house is also featuring a selection of fine gold coins. A top example is an 1853-G $1 U.S. Liberty gold coin. The coin is NGC graded as MS 63 and is sealed in plastic protective pouch. The coin is a medium antique gold color and shows only few handling marks. Its obverse features Lady Liberty, while a laurel wreath and “1 Dollar” appear on the reverse. Its metal content is 90% gold, 10% copper. Another noteworthy coin in the sale is an 1889-CC Morgan silver dollar.
In the antique category, an old-time favorite is a Wurlitzer Model 780-E “Wagon Wheel” jukebox with keys. Wurlitzer is the most revered name in vintage jukeboxes, known for its beautifully styled, high-quality productions. The “Wagon Wheel” is comprised of carved oak with steel fittings and, as the name implies, contains a wagon-wheel design in the center. This vintage jukebox was made in 1941 and has been fully restored and is in good working order.
Additional auction highlights include a coveted Louis Vuitton purse, an Alberto Vargas signed lithograph and many other luxury goods and antiques.
Government Auction’s Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012 auction event will commence at 6:30 a.m. Pacific Time/9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. For additional information on any lot in the sale, call Debbie on 661-823-1543 or e-mail info@governmentauction.com.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
About Government Auction:
Government Auction is one of the most reputable jewelry and gem clearinghouse companies in the United States, with more than 20 years of experience. The Southern California-based firm works closely with agencies and individuals, including the IRS, bank and trust officers, and estate and bankruptcy trustees to liquidate confiscated assets such as fine jewelry, luxury vehicles, gold coins and artworks.
1949 Triumph Roadster TR2000. Government Auction image.Ruby and sapphire necklace, gold over silver. Government Auction image.1853 $1 US Liberty Head-type gold coin. Government Auction image.Wurlitzer Model 780-E ‘Wagon Wheel’ jukebox with keys. Government Auction image.
LONDON – A major photographic exhibition, “Man Ray Portraits,” opens at the National Portrait Gallery on Feb. 7. Devoted to one of the most innovative and influential artists of his generation, the exhibition will include over 150 vintage prints from Man Ray’s career taken between 1916 and 1968. Drawn from private collections and major museums including the Pompidou Centre, the J. Paul Getty Museum and New York’s the Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art, and special loans from the Man Ray Trust Archive, the majority of the works have not previously been exhibited in the UK.
Portraits of Man Ray’s celebrated contemporaries will be shown in the exhibition, alongside his personal and often intimate portraits of friends, lovers and his social circle. His versatility and experimentation as an artist is illustrated throughout all of his photography although this was never his chosen principal artistic medium. The exhibition brings together photographic portraits of cultural figures and friends including Marcel Duchamp, Berenice Abbott, Andre Breton, Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, James Joyce, Erik Satie, Henri Matisse, Barbette, Igor Stravinsky, Yves Tanguy, Salvador Dali, Le Corbusier, Virginia Woolf, Aldous Huxley, Coco Chanel and Wallis Simpson. Also on show will be portraits of his lovers Kiki de Montparnasse (Alice Prin) and Lee Miller, who was also his assistant, Ady Fidelin and his last muse and wife Juliet Browner.
Philadelphia-born Man Ray (1890–1976) spent his early life in New York, turning down a scholarship to study architecture to devote himself to painting. He initially taught himself photography to reproduce his works of art, but in 1920 he began to work as a portrait photographer to fund his artwork. In 1915, while at Ridgefield artist colony in New Jersey, he met the French artist Marcel Duchamp and together they tried to establish New York Dada. His friendship with Duchamp led to Man Ray’s move to Paris in 1921, where, as a contributor to the Dada and Surrealist movements, he was perfectly placed to make defining images of his contemporaries from the avant-garde.
In this period he was instrumental in developing and producing a type of photogram, which he called “Rayographs,” and is credited in inventing, alongside his lover and collaborator Lee Miller, the process of solarization. The use of solarization can be seen in the portraits of Elsa Schiaparelli, Irene Zurkinden, Lee Miller, Suzy Solidor and his own Self-Portrait with Camera included in the exhibition.
Following the outbreak of World War II, Man Ray left France for the U.S. and took up residence in Hollywood. Although officially devoting himself once more to painting, new research has revealed that Man Ray made a number of significant photographic portraits during his Hollywood years, and several are shown for the first time in this exhibition. Film star subjects included Ruth Ford, Paulette Goddard, Ava Gardner, Tilly Losch and Dolores del Rio. Returning to Paris in 1951 he again made the city his home until his death in 1976. His portraits from the 1950s include experiments with color photography, such as his portraits of Juliette Greco and Yves Montand, and the exhibition closes with his portrait of film star Catherine Deneuve from 1968.
“Man Ray Portraits” is curated by the National Portrait Gallery’s Curator of Photographs, Terence Pepper, whose previous exhibitions at the gallery include the award-winning “Vanity Fair Portraits” (2008) and “Beatles to Bowie: the ’60s exposed” (2009).
The exhibition will run from Feb. 7 to May 27 at the National Portrait Gallery, London. Advanced booking is recommended. Tickets: www.npg.org.uk/ManRay or 020 7766 7331.
“Man Ray Portraits” will tour to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery from June 22 to Sept. 8 and the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow from Oct. 14, 2013 to Jan. 19, 2014.
A fully-illustrated 224-page hardback catalog, Man Ray Portraits, accompanies the exhibition. Price £35.
