Aircraft art, pilot’s archive lands $13,200 at Mohawk Arms

Capt. Paul Green of the French Escardille 131-Bomber Group 4 World War I aircraft insignia. Price realized: $13,200. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

Capt. Paul Green of the French Escardille 131-Bomber Group 4 World War I aircraft insignia. Price realized: $13,200. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

Capt. Paul Green of the French Escardille 131-Bomber Group 4 World War I aircraft insignia. Price realized: $13,200. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

BOUCKVILLE, N.Y. – A World War I squadron insignia and archive pertaining to American pilot Capt. Paul Green soared to $13,200 at auction held June 8-9 by Mohawk Arms. The insignia and archive were the sale’s top lot. LiveAuctioneers.com provided Internet live bidding.

Green was assigned to the French Escardille 131, Bomber Group 4. His bomber bore the insignia of a gargoyle clutching a bomb. Originally printed and hand-colored, the 26 1/2-inch by 41-inch insignia, with background and border painted in red, was applied to the very fabric of Lt. Green’s plane. It was signed by the printer (L. Braun, Paris) and the artist (Gudin Faucher).

The artwork was in remarkable condition, considering it had bullet hole damage from when Green was forced to crash land his airplane. The archive contained 50 documents including Green’s flight log for missions flown, the 1919 published history of all the members of his squadron, and a framed portrait of Green in uniform, with gargoyle insignia.

The sale was billed as Militaria Auction No. 69 for Mohawk Arms, a company that has become synonymous with quality militaria auctions. It conduct only two auctions per year, but they are generally packed with a wide array of items spanning multiple conflicts and generations. This auction was no exception, as around 900 lots that collectors found desirable went to new owners.

“We were pleased with the results of this sale overall, and it once again proved that there will always be a market for the better, high-end items,” said Raymond Zyla, owner of Mohawk Arms. “Any good medals, badges and military orders found eager bidders, and we discovered that American World War II items documented or related to specific individuals did quite well.”

Areas of the market that are somewhat soft now, Zyla observed, include uniforms from the European Imperial period, Civil War pieces such as leather goods, photography and average condition muskets (excluding Confederate firearms) and some lower-grade Colt weapons.

“But quality sells, no matter what,” he said. “The market is healthy at the high end, always has been.”

Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include a sliding scale buyer’s premium, which ranged from 10-17.5 percent.

The auction featured many items pertaining to the Third Reich, Nazi items, Adolf Hitler and even Hitler’s mistress, Eva Braun. One lot that did particularly well was a rare Nazi SS officer’s dress sword with wire-wrapped black wood grip bearing a three-quarter-inch diameter nickeled disc holding relief “SS” runes, and a stylized two-tiered pommel cap. The sword fetched $7,931.

A German Panzer “75” bronze assault badge with a squared-off wreath/eagle and a solid back, with the number “75” shown in the panel at the base of the wreath, garnered $2,530. Also, a 1937 Christmas greeting card signed in ink by Adolf Hitler, with a handwritten ink addition reading “sent to you with highest regards,” with an embossed eagle/swastika, brought $2,473.

Other Nazi items included a book from Hitler’s personal library, titled Ja-Sagen Zum Judentum (“Say Yes to Judaism”). The book, a rare, 1933 publication of a Berlin radio station, dealt with the plight of the German Jews and contained numerous pencil notations by Hitler. It brought $1,821. Also, an 11-inch by 9-inch matted and framed ink-signed photo portrait of Herman Goring wearing his decorations and holding his Nazi field marshal baton, made $881.

A Japanese (Manchuko) breast star of the Grand Cordon award, claimed by a G.I. during World War II and one of only 144 breast stars awarded, having a multicolored enamel octagonal center on a red enameled cross set with pearls, rose to $2,056. An original Mexican War musket (Springfield M1816), converted to percussion, with a sword bayonet that was probably issued and used by one of the Germanic militia units in the Mexican War, topped out at $1,762.

Three lots realized identical selling prices of $705. The first was a commemorative period medal, honoring the cavalry leader Gen. George A. Custer, who fell at the legendary Battle of Little Big Horn. The medal showed a profile of Custer in uniform, with crossed sabers and side flags. The second was a World War II Army Nurse Corps “Flying Nurses” shoulder patch, worn by nurses assigned to the China-Burma-India area of operations. It’s hand-embroidered and rare. The third was a coconut carved by a U.S. Marine into an uncomplimentary caricature of a Japanese soldier. Decorated coconuts were used by the Marines on Okinawa for target practice. This one showed a seated figure, wearing glasses and a helmet and sporting buck teeth and a painted Japanese flag. Rounding out a list of just some of the sale’s top lots, a circa-1850 South Indian sword with a straight 31-inch broad blade that widens toward the tip commanded $529.

Mohawk Arms Inc., is always accepting high-quality consignments. To consign a single item, a collection or an entire estate, call them at 315-893-7888 or e-mail Mohawk@MilitaryRelics.com.

 

Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.

 

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Capt. Paul Green of the French Escardille 131-Bomber Group 4 World War I aircraft insignia. Price realized: $13,200. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

Capt. Paul Green of the French Escardille 131-Bomber Group 4 World War I aircraft insignia. Price realized: $13,200. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

Mexican War-period German-imported musket with rare M1835 Horstmann sword bayonet. Price realized: $1,762. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

Mexican War-period German-imported musket with rare M1835 Horstmann sword bayonet. Price realized: $1,762. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

Japanese (Manchuko) breast star of the Grand Cordon, one of only 144 awarded during World War II. Price realized: $2,056. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

Japanese (Manchuko) breast star of the Grand Cordon, one of only 144 awarded during World War II. Price realized: $2,056. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

Nazi SS officer's dress sword with wire-wrapped wood grip and original SS officer's silver bullion portopee. Price realized: $7,931. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

Nazi SS officer’s dress sword with wire-wrapped wood grip and original SS officer’s silver bullion portopee. Price realized: $7,931. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

Christmas greeting card from 1937 signed by Adolf Hitler, with embossed eagle/swastika. Price realized: $2,473. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

Christmas greeting card from 1937 signed by Adolf Hitler, with embossed eagle/swastika. Price realized: $2,473. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

Coconut carved into a caricature of a Japanese soldier by a U.S. Marine on Okinawa in World War II. Price realized: $705. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

Coconut carved into a caricature of a Japanese soldier by a U.S. Marine on Okinawa in World War II. Price realized: $705. Mohawk Arms Inc. image.

Mellencamp paintings going on display at Ohio museum

A signed John Mellencamp painting, 'The Happy Couple.

A signed John Mellencamp painting, 'The Happy Couple.
A signed John Mellencamp painting, ‘The Happy Couple.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) – Rocker John Mellencamp will show off a different side of his artistry later this year in Ohio.

The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown will host an exhibition titled “The Paintings of John Mellencamp” Nov. 3 through Jan. 12.

The exhibit will feature about 40 painters by Mellencamp.

Museum director Louis Zona says Mellencamp’s paintings are rooted in the traditions of European expressionism and show “skill and spontaneity.”

The Tennessee State Museum in Nashville hosted a Mellencamp exhibition last year.

Mellencamp was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland in 2008.

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-07-21-13 1112GMT

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

A signed John Mellencamp painting, 'The Happy Couple.
A signed John Mellencamp painting, ‘The Happy Couple.

New murals at restored motel make Route 66 even more scenic

Route 66 between Kingman and Oatman, Ariz. Image by Georgia D. Griffiths, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
Route 66 between Kingman and Oatman, Ariz. Image by Georgia D. Griffiths, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
Route 66 between Kingman and Oatman, Ariz. Image by Georgia D. Griffiths, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

KINGMAN, Ariz. (AP) – Color is blooming at El Trovatore Motel as its owners continue to add new murals to the Route 66 fixture.

Sam and Monica Frisher, who reopened the business at 1440 E. Andy Devine Ave. in early 2012, recently hired a local artist to touch up several murals painted last year by another artist and to continue adding new artwork on the motel, a wall behind it and on the bottom and sides of the pool. The Frishers have invested about $7,000 so far in the murals.

Kingman artist David Stem completed a large mural last week on a neighboring block wall behind the motel of two American flags waving in the breeze and a golden eagle with outstretched wings. The mural measures about 40 feet wide and 5 feet tall and took about a month to complete. Also, Stem is repairing previous murals and painting Looney Tunes characters on a front section of the hotel.

“The murals are cool and they get attention, which is what a business wants,” said Stem. “I thought the eagle and flag mural was a good idea because it can be seen from both directions on Andy Devine. I’m going to paint more murals on the wall and other places, so I’ll probably work here a couple more months. I’m pleased with how it’s going so far.”

The motel, one of a handful of pre-World War II properties still standing along the historic highway, opened in 1937 as a gas station. It recently was closed for about a year after unpaid electricity bills nearly dropped the property into foreclosure. The Frishers worked to negotiate a lower interest rate and secured an additional loan to remodel the motel, creating 20 Hollywood-themed rooms.

Now, the neon sign behind the motel that was dark for half a century beckons to tourists at night. A 206-foot-long map of Route 66 decorates one side of the motel, announcing the states, cities, towns and attractions along the 2,000-mile highway, which runs from Grant Park in Chicago to the Santa Monica Pier in California. The Frishers believe their motel sports the world’s longest Route 66 map and plan to enter it in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Other murals include a B-17 bomber and Kingman airfield in 1942, signifying the World War II training facility east of the city; a Kingman postcard-type mural for tourist photos; a celebrity mural including James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis; and a large red locomotive on the front of a building.

“It’s all about having fun and encouraging tourism,” said Sam Frisher. “And it’s keeping nostalgia alive. Murals fit in with all of what we’re doing here at the motel. When you look at all the other places along Route 66 that have murals, it’s obvious they bring them to life. I’m hoping Kingman catches the mural fever and does what I’m doing here.”

Ted Owyang, a motel guest traveling from Alameda, Calif., to Emerald Island, N.C., handed the Frishers his room key after spending the night and thanked them for the thrill of experiencing a Route 66 motel as it was years ago. Owyang, who was there with his wife, Janice, and son, Quinn, said it was the first time they stayed at El Trovatore Motel and they plan to come back again. The family stayed in the Bugs Bunny room.

“It’s a gorgeous motel and there’s a lot of atmosphere here,” he said. “You can tell the owners are into restoring the building to what it used to be during its heyday. I love what they’re doing here, especially the murals, because it provides color that you don’t find in a lot of America anymore. These days, everything looks the same, but this motel has a lot of history and personality. We love it.”

Sam Frisher said his next murals on the block wall will contain a dove holding an olive branch and an Arizona flag. He also plans to decorate the back section of the hotel with celebrities on vehicles, such as Steve McQueen on a motorcycle or James Bond with an Aston Martin car. And he’s hoping for dolphins in the pool, which has been empty for years.

“Just think what would happen here if Kingman became the No. 1 mural place along Route 66,” said Sam Frisher. “We’re hoping to spur that along.”

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-07-21-13 1311GMT

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Route 66 between Kingman and Oatman, Ariz. Image by Georgia D. Griffiths, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
Route 66 between Kingman and Oatman, Ariz. Image by Georgia D. Griffiths, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Mich. foundation gives $3.7M to Flint Cultural Center

Campus map of the Flint Cultural Center in Flint, Mich., which includes the Sloan Museum, The Whiting, Longway Planetarium and several other institutions devoted to the arts. Image by Flintartsed, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Campus map of the Flint Cultural Center in Flint, Mich., which includes the Sloan Museum, The Whiting, Longway Planetarium and several other institutions devoted to the arts. Image by Flintartsed, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Campus map of the Flint Cultural Center in Flint, Mich., which includes the Sloan Museum, The Whiting, Longway Planetarium and several other institutions devoted to the arts. Image by Flintartsed, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

FLINT, Mich. (AP) – The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation has awarded grants worth $3.7 million to the Flint Cultural Center’s institutions.

The Flint-based foundation says three grants will benefit the Longway Planetarium, Sloan Museum, The Whiting, and Flint’s institutes of arts and music. They are one-year, general operating grants.

The foundation says its support of the cultural center has totaled about $105 million since 1928.

The Mott Foundation was established by automotive pioneer C.S. Mott in 1926.

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Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Campus map of the Flint Cultural Center in Flint, Mich., which includes the Sloan Museum, The Whiting, Longway Planetarium and several other institutions devoted to the arts. Image by Flintartsed, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Campus map of the Flint Cultural Center in Flint, Mich., which includes the Sloan Museum, The Whiting, Longway Planetarium and several other institutions devoted to the arts. Image by Flintartsed, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Centuries-old art offered at Ancient Resource auction July 27

Etruscan terracotta relief of a facing female head, circa fourth-second century B.C. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Etruscan terracotta relief of a facing female head, circa fourth-second century B.C. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Etruscan terracotta relief of a facing female head, circa fourth-second century B.C. Ancient Resource LLC image.

GLENDALE, Calif. – Ancient Resource LLC will present an exciting array of ancient art in its July 27 auction. This auction features a fine selection of well-provenanced and authentic ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Mesopotamian, Near Eastern and pre-Columbian artifacts. The auction will begin Saturday at 11 a.m. Pacific. Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

Some exceptional lots include:

– Lot 139A: A 15th-16th century Renaissance bust of a young boy in the classical Roman style. He is carved of white marble with soft, rounded features and a sensitive expression. His wavy hair falls around his ears. The bust has well-preserved surfaces with light age deposits. Ex South London private collection.

– Lot 140A: A beautiful Roman-Greek Corinthian capital decorated in the ornate acanthus leaves and scrolls. In the center of the concave sides of the abacus sits a flower.

– Lot 52A: A fantastic brown quartzite head of Horus, the Egyptian falcon-god. On the backside of Horus’ head are two carvings. The upper carving is of an Ibis, likely representing the god Thoth, and beneath that is the cartouche of Rameses II “The Great.”—an exceptionally rare piece.

The auction also holds a collection of antiquities assembled by Lord Kitchener (1850-1916), British field marshal, agent and consul-general of Egypt who won fame for his imperial campaigns and later played a central role in the early stages of World War I.

Some more notable lots to look for:

– Lot 139: Roman Egypt basalt bust of Antinous, the favorite of Hadrian, mid-second century A.D. Ex property from the collection of Joseph Klein (1899-1987), New York City.

– Lot 164: Babylonian terracotta plaque, circa 1800-1600 B.C., with Sumerian goddess of protection. Ex BC Galleries, Australia.

– Lot 53: Old Kingdom limestone seated male figure, circa 2686-2181 B.C. Ex-Cecil Martin collection, Florida, acquired in the 1940s.

– Lot 167: Etruscan terracotta relief of a facing female head, circa fourth-second century B.C. Ex Victorian collection, near Essex, England.

 

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

 

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Etruscan terracotta relief of a facing female head, circa fourth-second century B.C. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Etruscan terracotta relief of a facing female head, circa fourth-second century B.C. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Renaissance bust of a young boy in the classical Roman style, carved of white marble. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Renaissance bust of a young boy in the classical Roman style, carved of white marble. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Roman-Greek Corinthian capital decorated in the ornate acanthus leaves and scrolls. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Roman-Greek Corinthian capital decorated in the ornate acanthus leaves and scrolls. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Exceptionally rare brown quartzite head of Horus, the Egyptian falcon-god. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Exceptionally rare brown quartzite head of Horus, the Egyptian falcon-god. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Roman Egypt basalt bust of Antinous, mid-second century A.D. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Roman Egypt basalt bust of Antinous, mid-second century A.D. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Babylonian terracotta plaque, circa 1800-1600 B.C., with Sumerian goddess of protection. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Babylonian terracotta plaque, circa 1800-1600 B.C., with Sumerian goddess of protection. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Old Kingdom limestone seated male figure, circa 2686-2181 B.C. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Old Kingdom limestone seated male figure, circa 2686-2181 B.C. Ancient Resource LLC image.

Prominent collections contribute to I.M. Chait auction July 28

Antique Chinese jadeite Buddha's hand, 19th century, 8 1/8 inches. Estimate: $35,000-$40,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.
Antique Chinese jadeite Buddha's hand, 19th century, 8 1/8 inches. Estimate: $35,000-$40,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.

Antique Chinese jadeite Buddha’s hand, 19th century, 8 1/8 inches. Estimate: $35,000-$40,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – More than 500 exceptional lots from prominent estates will be sold Sunday, July 28, at I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers’ Asian and International Fine Arts Auction. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding. The auction will begin at 1 p.m. Pacific.

Featured will be:

– Early Chinese ceramics selected from the collections of Arthur M. Sackler and Else Sackler;

– Collection of Chinese jades and various antiques from a Malibu Broad Beach estate previously purchased from Sotheby’s Chicago;

– Important group of gemstone carved animals including ruby and aquamarine;

– Chinese and Japanese antiques, together with antique and vintage jewelry from Boston and Laguna Niguel estates;

– European and Japanese antiques including several fine paper screens, together with Continental paintings and Georg Jensen silver from a Midwest collection;

– Antique Chinese porcelains from Beverly Hills and St. Louis Collections;

– Finely carved ivories and Chinese furniture from an Arizona Collection;

– Important Chinese, Moghul and Indian art from the Hubert Eaton Collection;

– Numerous netsuke and snuff bottles from several American Collections.

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Antique Chinese jadeite Buddha's hand, 19th century, 8 1/8 inches. Estimate: $35,000-$40,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.
 

Antique Chinese jadeite Buddha’s hand, 19th century, 8 1/8 inches. Estimate: $35,000-$40,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.

Important Tang Dynasty pottery horse and groom. Estimage $300,000-$400,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.
 

Important Tang Dynasty pottery horse and groom. Estimage $300,000-$400,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.

Chenghua blue and white porcelain bowl. Estimate: $18,000-$22,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.
 

Chenghua blue and white porcelain bowl. Estimate: $18,000-$22,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.

Shang Dynasty bronze beaker, 12 inches. Estimate: $15,000-$20,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.

Shang Dynasty bronze beaker, 12 inches. Estimate: $15,000-$20,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.

Southeast Asian sandstone deity. Estimate: $12,000-$15,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.

Southeast Asian sandstone deity. Estimate: $12,000-$15,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.

Pair of Chinese hardwood cabinets. Estimate: $20,000-$25,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.

Pair of Chinese hardwood cabinets. Estimate: $20,000-$25,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.

Russian oil painting by Constantine (Konstantin) Yakovlevich Kryzhitsky (Russian, 1858-1911). Estimate: $12,000-$15,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.

Russian oil painting by Constantine (Konstantin) Yakovlevich Kryzhitsky (Russian, 1858-1911). Estimate: $12,000-$15,000. I.M. Chait Gallery / Auctioneers image.

NYC art patrons bake in sun to see MoMA’s ‘Rain Room’

Random International. 'Rain Room.' 2012. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Random International. 'Rain Room.' 2012. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Random International. ‘Rain Room.’ 2012. Photo courtesy of the artist.

NEW YORK (AP) – It’s both the hottest art exhibit in New York right now, and the coolest.

Even as temperatures soard over the weekend, people waited in line for hours outside The Museum of Modern Art to get into the cool dampness of the “Rain Room,” where water pours from the ceiling, but halts as if by magic wherever visitors step or swing their limbs.

The effect, made possible by sophisticated motion detectors, is that people get the sensation of walking in a downpour without getting wet.

A work of the Random International studio, the installation made its debut at the Barbican Centre in London last year and opened in New York in May. Waits to get inside often exceed five hours _ an ordeal that has taken on a punishing new dimension as temperatures on the sidewalk have soared.

Still, people keep coming, and to many the wait is worth it.

“Oh, I got a kick out of this!” said Deborah Otts, 63, who traveled by paratransit bus from a remote section of Queens to see the exhibit Friday. “I came all the way from Far Rockaway at 7 o’clock this morning just to walk in this rain, and it is so pretty.”

New Yorkers are known for their impatience, and one of the cardinal rules of city life is that slow moving lines of any type are simply not tolerated.

Yet, New Yorkers also like being present for cultural phenomena, especially when they get to participate, and that’s part of the idea behind the “Rain Room.” Visitors are encouraged to make photographs and video recordings during their time in the room and post them on a Twitter feed. Every movement they make in the exhibit creates new patterns in the streams of water.

“It is art. I think art is a process,” said one visitor, physicist Andres Cardenas. “If there is no one in the water, there is no art, right? We create it ourselves by coming in and making space within the water.”

To others, the juxtaposition of the bright, baking heat on the sidewalk and the dark, cool relief inside was part of the attraction.

“It’s so fun to come out of the outside and into the rain. It’s refreshing. It’s cooling. Even though the wait is long, it’s a lot of fun to do,” said visitor Sandra Yencho, who waited three hours Friday to get inside.

The exhibit runs at MoMA until July 28. For people who only wish to view the room, but not step between the drops, there is a separate and much shorter line.

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Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Random International. 'Rain Room.' 2012. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Random International. ‘Rain Room.’ 2012. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Update: Family recognizes 7lb gold bar set to be auctioned in NM

Not part of the New Mexico auction, this 250kg gold bar is the world's largest. Photographed in Japan's Toi gold mine by PHGCOM, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported licenses.
Not part of the New Mexico auction, this 250kg gold bar is the world's largest. Photographed in Japan's Toi gold mine by PHGCOM, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported licenses.
Not part of the New Mexico auction, this 250kg gold bar is the world’s largest. Photographed in Japan’s Toi gold mine by PHGCOM, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported licenses.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – The 7-pound gold bar that is among the unclaimed property the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department plans to auction next week belongs to the surviving family members of a Russian immigrant, according to an Albuquerque attorney.

Jennifer Noya, who is representing the family, told television station KRQE that finding the gold bar appeared to be a lost cause until one of the family members, Sonya Burke, spotted it during a television newscast.

Burke said she remembers playing with bar as a child and that her grandfather had used it as a doorstop in his Manhattan apartment.

“I lugged it around everywhere,” Burke said. ‘I just remember playing with it, picking it up to see how tough I was because it was heavy.”

The bar is now valued at around $113,000 and has attracted interest from a number of potential bidders. State officials said the family will have to file a claim and only if the claim proves ownership, can the bar be returned.

Burke’s story starts with her grandfather, Russian immigrant Seymour Mann.

When Mann died of a heart attack in 1989, the family says the gold bar went to his daughter, Albuquerque attorney Lisa Mann, who put it in a safe deposit box at United New Mexico Bank. A gold bar at United New Mexico Bank is mentioned in Mann’s divorce paperwork in the late 1990s.

Lisa Mann died of breast cancer in February, and Noya, in charge of managing Mann’s estate, went looking for the gold bar.

United New Mexico Bank was bought out by Norwest in 1994, which in turn merged with Wells Fargo a few years after that. Noya said the bank couldn’t find a record of Mann owning a box although the key appeared to fit in one of the boxes.

It was the bank that suggested checking with the state’s Unclaimed Property Office, which Noya said she did in April. However, Unclaimed Property supervisor Stephanie Dennis wrote in an email that she was unable to find anything on a safe deposit box.

State officials did say Mann had about $4,000 in other unclaimed property.

Noya said she called the Unclaimed Property office again on Friday but was told she could just bid for the bar at auction. Noya said she was horrified by the response.

Taxation and Revenue Department spokesman S.U. Mahesh said he was unaware if that comment was made but emphasized that anyone, including the Burkes, can still file a claim for the gold bar or any of the other unclaimed items up for auction.

After the items are sold, owners can still claim part of the proceeds provided that they could show proof of ownership.

Mahesh added that no formal claim had been made for the gold bar as of Friday.

Burke said she doesn’t want the gold bar for the money.

“It’s about the fact that this is something that belongs to my family,” she said.

The auction is scheduled for July 27 at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

___

Information from: KRQE-TV, http://www.krqe.com

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Not part of the New Mexico auction, this 250kg gold bar is the world's largest. Photographed in Japan's Toi gold mine by PHGCOM, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported licenses.
Not part of the New Mexico auction, this 250kg gold bar is the world’s largest. Photographed in Japan’s Toi gold mine by PHGCOM, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported licenses.

Dover Air Force Base to unveil sculpture

Dover AFB is home to the 436th Airlift Wing (436 AW) of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), known as the
Dover AFB is home to the 436th Airlift Wing (436 AW) of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), known as the
Dover AFB is home to the 436th Airlift Wing (436 AW) of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), known as the

DOVER, Del. (AP) – A new sculpture is being unveiled at Dover Air Force Base.

The bronze sculpture being unveiled today depicts a guardian angel holding and protecting a wounded soldier. The $40,000 sculpture called “The Angel and the Dying Unknown” will sit near a meditation garden on the base.

The sculpture was donated by the New York-based Newington-Cropsey Foundation. It was sculpted by Greg Wyatt, the director of the foundation’s Academy of Art.

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Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Dover AFB is home to the 436th Airlift Wing (436 AW) of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), known as the
Dover AFB is home to the 436th Airlift Wing (436 AW) of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), known as the

Copy of Schindler’s list offered on eBay for $3M

Oskar Schindler as photographed in Argentina after World War II. Origin: Wikipedia.org, courtesy of Yad Vashem Photo Archive. This image is a faithful digitization of a unique historic image, and the copyright is most likely held by the person who took the photograph or the agency that employed the photographer. Fair use of low-resolution image under guidelines of US Copyright law.
Oskar Schindler as photographed in Argentina after World War II. Origin: Wikipedia.org, courtesy of Yad Vashem Photo Archive. This image is a faithful digitization of a unique historic image, and the copyright is most likely held by the person who took the photograph or the agency that employed the photographer. Fair use of low-resolution image under guidelines of US Copyright law.
Oskar Schindler as photographed in Argentina after World War II. Origin: Wikipedia.org, courtesy of Yad Vashem Photo Archive. This image is a faithful digitization of a unique historic image, and the copyright is most likely held by the person who took the photograph or the agency that employed the photographer. Fair use of low-resolution image under guidelines of US Copyright law.

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – An original copy of the list of Jewish people Oskar Schindler saved from the Holocaust is up for sale on eBay, with a starting bid set at $3 million dollars, a Los Angeles company confirmed on Friday.

The 14-page typewritten list, bearing the names of 801 men, originated with the German industrialist’s right-hand man Itzhak Stern, Gary Zimet of momentsintime.com told AFP.

“Stern’s nephew (in Israel) sold it roughly three years ago to the current owner, who bought it as an investment,” said Zimet, who declined to give details about the seller.

He added: “I don’t anticipate any bidders until the last day — or probably the last five or 10 minutes.”

Zimet and his partner Eric Gazin, who listed the document on his gazinauctions eBay page.

“This exceedingly rare original Schindler’s List is the only one ever on the market,” the eBay listing states. Others are in museums in Israel and the United States.

The auction is set to end on July 28 at 6:00 pm Los Angeles time (July 29 0100 GMT). Interested bidders are asked to provide information so they can be pre-screened.

Schindler is credited with saving the lives of some 1,200 Jews employed in his factories during World War II. He died in anonymity in Germany in 1974 at the age of 66.

His story was the focal point of film director Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning epic “Schindler’s List” in 1993.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Oskar Schindler as photographed in Argentina after World War II. Origin: Wikipedia.org, courtesy of Yad Vashem Photo Archive. This image is a faithful digitization of a unique historic image, and the copyright is most likely held by the person who took the photograph or the agency that employed the photographer. Fair use of low-resolution image under guidelines of US Copyright law.
Oskar Schindler as photographed in Argentina after World War II. Origin: Wikipedia.org, courtesy of Yad Vashem Photo Archive. This image is a faithful digitization of a unique historic image, and the copyright is most likely held by the person who took the photograph or the agency that employed the photographer. Fair use of low-resolution image under guidelines of US Copyright law.