The painting 'Four frigates capturing Spanish treasure ships, 5 October 1804' by Francis Sartorius (1734-1804) depicts the sinking of the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Spain displays salvaged sunken treasure won in court battle

The painting 'Four frigates capturing Spanish treasure ships, 5 October 1804' by Francis Sartorius (1734-1804) depicts the sinking of the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The painting ‘Four frigates capturing Spanish treasure ships, 5 October 1804’ by Francis Sartorius (1734-1804) depicts the sinking of the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

MADRID (AFP) – Thousands of gold and silver coins pulled from a 19th-century shipwreck went on show in a Spanish museum on Thursday after Spain won them from U.S. treasure hunters in a court battle.

The cargo from the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes warship came to Spain in 2012 after a five-year legal battle with Odyssey, the U.S. company that hauled it up two centuries after it sank.

Officials on Thursday inaugurated a new exhibition at the Museum of Subaquatic Archaeology in the southeastern Spanish city of Cartagena.

It features 8,000 coins – just a fraction of the estimated 580,000 found in the wreck – plus other precious artifacts.

“It is an extraordinary collection,” said Spain’s junior culture minister Jose Maria Lasalle at the inauguration.

“These cultural assets are the heritage of everyone, not the privilege of a few.”

British warships sank the Spanish naval vessel in 1804 off the coast of Portugal as it returned from Peru, part of the Spanish empire at the time.

Odyssey Marine Exploration found it in May 2007 at a depth of 1,700 feet in the Atlantic.

Spanish authorities said at the time that the trove was worth at least 350 million euros ($476 million) overall.

The museum said in a statement that another 30,000 of the coins would later go on display at Madrid’s National Archaeological Museum and a further lot in the Madrid Naval Museum.

Against conflicting claims by Odyssey, Peru and descendants of the treasure’s original owners, a judge in Florida ruled in March 2012 that the trove belonged to Spain.

The U.S. Supreme Court turned down a final appeal by Odyssey in May 2012.

“The recovery of the goods plundered from the archaeological site is an unprecedented international success in the fight to conserve underwater cultural heritage and the fight against illegal trafficking,” Lasalle said.


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


The painting 'Four frigates capturing Spanish treasure ships, 5 October 1804' by Francis Sartorius (1734-1804) depicts the sinking of the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The painting ‘Four frigates capturing Spanish treasure ships, 5 October 1804’ by Francis Sartorius (1734-1804) depicts the sinking of the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Woodrow Wilson House, a National Historic Landmark, in Washington, D.C. Image by AgnosticPreachersKid. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Woodrow Wilson House explores 28th president’s legacy

Woodrow Wilson House, a National Historic Landmark, in Washington, D.C. Image by AgnosticPreachersKid. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Woodrow Wilson House, a National Historic Landmark, in Washington, D.C. Image by AgnosticPreachersKid. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

WASHINGTON (AP) – When World War I began in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed U.S. neutrality. Then in 1917, he sent U.S. troops to Europe. After the war, he worked to create a lasting peace, and in 1919, he won the Nobel Peace Prize.

This summer marks 100 years since the start of World War I, and those with an interest in America’s role in the Great War and its aftermath can learn more about Wilson’s life and legacy on a guided tour of the President Woodrow Wilson House in Washington, where he lived after leaving office.

In his postwar efforts, Wilson championed principles like self-determination and independence, and he was the leading founder of the League of Nations, forerunner to the United Nations. “The main thing we want people to understand is that Wilson imagined the world at peace, and he proposed a plan for achieving that vision,” said Stephanie Daugherty, associate manager and curator at the President Woodrow Wilson House.

The house on S Street just north of Dupont Circle is a unique destination in its own right as the home of the only president who retired in Washington after leaving office.

Wilson and his wife, Edith, bought the brick Georgian Revival house with arched windows and a columned entrance in 1920 as his second term ended. Wilson was partially paralyzed by a stroke in 1919, and though not in a wheelchair, he had trouble walking, so an elevator was installed for him. He died in 1924, but his widow lived in the home until her death in 1961. The house has been restored with furnishings and memorabilia dating to the era when Wilson lived there.

Artifacts on display include an artillery shell casing from the first shots fired by U.S. troops on European soil. The commanders sent it to Wilson as a “fitting souvenir,” and he kept it on his mantel “as a reminder of his obligation to those troops” to work for peace, Daugherty said.

Also on exhibit is a pen with a feminine, mother-of-pearl design that Wilson used to sign the declaration of war. He didn’t have a pen handy when asked to sign the order, so he borrowed it from his wife.

The drawing room displays a mosaic of St. Peter that was given to Wilson by Pope Benedict XV when Wilson became the first sitting president to meet with a pope, in 1919. And a Gobelin tapestry given by the people of France to the Wilsons in 1917 hangs on the wall; Edith Wilson wanted to buy the house partly because it had space for the tapestry.

The tour begins with a 17-minute movie about Wilson’s life. He was born in Virginia – his birthplace there is the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library – and grew up in Georgia and South Carolina, the son of a Presbyterian minister. Wilson was a lawyer with a Ph.D. in history and political science; he served as president of Princeton University and governor of New Jersey before winning the presidency. His first wife, Ellen, mother of their three daughters, died in the White House in 1914.

The tour includes a look at third-floor bedrooms and a basement kitchen. And through Aug. 10, a first-floor gallery hosts “Images of the Great War,” an exhibit of prints and drawings from the European front. On June 18, 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m., a program is scheduled on songs from World War I.

One surprising fact the tour reveals is how the house was paid for. In those days former presidents did not command large sums for lectures and books like they do now, and Wilson didn’t come from wealth, though he had some savings from his nearly $50,000 Nobel award. But the only way they could buy the $150,000 home was by having 10 friends donate $10,000 each.

The house is maintained by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

___

If You Go…

WOODROW WILSON HOUSE: 2340 S St., Washington; http://www.woodrowwilsonhouse.org, 202-387-4062. Tuesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Adults, $10; seniors, $8; students, $5; children under 12, free.

Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-05-28-14 1703GMT


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


Woodrow Wilson House, a National Historic Landmark, in Washington, D.C. Image by AgnosticPreachersKid. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Woodrow Wilson House, a National Historic Landmark, in Washington, D.C. Image by AgnosticPreachersKid. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Image by Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith, National Guard Bureau, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. passionate about NASCAR collecting

NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Image by Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith, National Guard Bureau, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Image by Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith, National Guard Bureau, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) – It turns out Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a pastime that thrills him nearly as much as winning a checkered flag.

Earnhardt Jr. has an extensive collection of NASCAR memorabilia, from scaled down die-cast cars to old programs and magazines that detail the sport’s long history. He watches online auctions on eBay, and several times a day hits the website on his tablet or smartphone, sees what’s available and puts in a bid on things he wants.

“It’s something I like doing, done it for years,” he said.

Some bidders have figured out “Little E” is in the mix, ‘commenting online, “‘I know who this is,’” Earnhardt said.

Earnhardt wouldn’t estimate how much his collection might be worth. He keeps them in neat boxes at his home.

One day last week, Earnhardt said he was in on an auction for a racetrack decal he saw on eBay that had a $6 bid that morning. “I might go up to nine dollars,” He said with a chuckle.

Earnhardt gets charged up when auctions come down the wire and he’s in the mix for an item he really, really wants.

“Yeah, it’s like racing, you just have to move on if you lose,” he said. “But you feel good when you pick up something that’s cool.”

Earnhardt says he also scours auctions for vinyl albums and old magazines. In fact, one of his most prized possessions came courtesy of longtime girlfriend Amy Reimann, who found a pristine copy of Playboy’s 1953 edition with the late Marilyn Monroe on the cover. He got it for Christmas.

“I not one who’s gets too excited about presents, but that one was special,” he said.

Earnhardt. and eBay Motors are teaming up in the Garage for Good campaign. Earnhardt will drive the No. 88 eBay car in the Nationwide Series event at Michigan International Speedway in two weeks; with each new registered user to eBay Garage through June 30, eBay will donate $1 to the Dale Jr. Foundation, up to $25,000.

Bryan Murphy, eBay Motors general manager, said the company didn’t know Earnhardt was a fan until the Hendrick Motosports driver met eBay executives. Having Earnhardt on board for the partnership and a site user is a lift for the organization, Murphy said.

“People like Dale Jr. are just enthusiasts and you can forget these people are famous celebrities,” Murphy said. “He’s like many of our motors’ customers and it’s our business to connect people with the things that they love.”

Earnhardt grew up around the sport because of his late father, Dale Earnhardt, and got to know some of racing’s all-time greats like Richard Petty, Ned Jarrett and Cale Yarborough during his youth in the garage. Earnhardt Jr. didn’t lose that sense of history when he followed his dad onto the racetrack.

He said he mostly seeks race programs, NASCAR guides and magazines from decades ago that detail how the sport was run before he became involved. He also likes acquiring programs from races he attended as a boy.

When they arrive, Earnhardt says he pores through them and soaks up the information inside.

“It tells me what went on and gives you a sense of racing back then,” he said. “They can take you back to when you were there and bring you some good memories.”

Of course, Earnhardt is always on the lookout for collectibles tied his father’s career. He’s got dozens of black, No. 3 die cast cars nicknamed “The Intimidator.”

Earnhardt is off to one of his best starts this season. He won the season-opening Daytona 500 and has had eight top-20 finishes in the 11 races since including a 19th at the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night.

Earnhardt won’t slow down his auction searches, ready to pounce on unique items to add to his collection.

“That’s what it’s all about,” he says. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-05-28-14 2037GMT


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Image by Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith, National Guard Bureau, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Image by Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith, National Guard Bureau, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Huddleston Farmhouse Inn Museum on U.S. Route 40 in Mount Auburn, Ind. Image by William Eccles, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

National Road Yard Sale: 800 miles of treasures

Huddleston Farmhouse Inn Museum on U.S. Route 40 in Mount Auburn, Ind. Image by William Eccles, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Huddleston Farmhouse Inn Museum on U.S. Route 40 in Mount Auburn, Ind. Image by William Eccles, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

DUBLIN, Ind. (AP) – If you just happen to be en route from Baltimore to St. Louis on U.S. 40 this weekend, prepare to dance on the brake pedal as rubberneckers and bargain hunters scour the Historic National Road Yard Sale.

Now in its 11th year, what might be the country’s largest dusk-to-dawn yard sale spans more than 800 miles and kicks off annually on the first Wednesday after Memorial Day, said Patricia McDaniel, who chairs the Historic National Road Yard Sale and owns The Old Storefront antique and vintage store in Dublin, Ind.

McDaniel said the sale has been growing steadily since its inception in 2003, but there’s never any way to gauge how many people set up shop over the sale’s five days.

“I was on my way back from Richmond (Ind.), and people were setting up, but there’s no way to know how many people really participate because they may set up on Wednesday and be gone by Thursday,” McDaniel told the Daily Reporter in Greenfield.

McDaniel said she tries to stay close to her U.S. 40 storefront during the sale, “but I usually get kidnapped” to run at least a portion of the route to answer questions and take stock.

In Greenfield Wednesday, Larry Woodard of New Palestine, Ind., set up under a large tent along Main Street with tables full of all manner of antiques, collectibles, Amish clothes and vintage items.

“We go to yard sales, I collect railroad artifacts, and there’s some stuff that we ask, ‘What do we do with this?’” Woodard said of his offerings.

Wednesday marked Woodard’s first run at the National Road sale, and he said traffic was pretty good, with a majority of those mingling around his tent aware that they were cruising an 824-mile event.

Starting Saturday, Greenfield Main Street Inc. will provide area individuals, civic organizations and churches the opportunity to get in on the sale with 10-foot-square spots at $25 each on the north side of the Hancock County Courthouse.

So far, turnout for the courthouse sale area has been light, and plenty of spaces remain available, said Shelley Swift, GMSI program coordinator.

The downtown event runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, with setup beginning at 5:30 a.m.

___

Information from: (Greenfield) Daily Reporter, http://www.greenfieldreporter.com

Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-05-29-14 1349GMT


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


Huddleston Farmhouse Inn Museum on U.S. Route 40 in Mount Auburn, Ind. Image by William Eccles, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Huddleston Farmhouse Inn Museum on U.S. Route 40 in Mount Auburn, Ind. Image by William Eccles, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Fiesta china water carafe in cobalt. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com archive and Strawser Auctions.

Homer Laughlin China delves into Fiesta for bed and bath

Fiesta china water carafe in cobalt. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com archive and Strawser Auctions.

Fiesta china water carafe in cobalt. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com archive and Strawser Auctions.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – The iconic bright colors and exquisitely made ceramics have been a trademark for Fiesta Dinnerware for generations, but now the company is branching out by adding a bed and bath collection to its long list of treasured products.

All the same bold colors collectors have come to know and love have been transformed into floral printed comforters, accent window treatments, ceramic toothbrush holders and more.

“It’s a lifestyle, not just a dinnerware,” said Rich Brinkman, the vice president of sales and marketing at Homer Laughlin China Co., the largest domestic pottery manufacturer and maker of the best-selling Fiesta Dinnerware.

The Homer Laughlin China Co. first introduced Fiesta Dinnerware in 1936.

Located in Newell, W.Va., the company takes pride in the fact that all products are labeled with a “Made in USA,” stamp.

Brinkman joined the company eight years ago and said adding a bed and bath collection to the Fiesta line was always part of the plan.

“When I first started I made a five-year plan of where I thought the company should be,” Brinkman said. “I have spent several years in the retail industry and a lot of that was in bedding, so it is very familiar to me.”

After working tirelessly for several months, the new bedding and bath collection was released in September 2013 at a textile market in New York. It was then released to department stores such as Belk and Kohl’s in April.

“We have been extremely successful with this new line,” Brinkman said. “Many thought we would just be a novelty item or something that was only popular with the younger generation, but that has not been the case.”

Whether it be dishes or sheets, Fiesta strives to produce the best product for its consumers. Before moving on to anything new, Brinkman said the company makes sure one product works and sells well.

“If you throw too much at people, nothing works,” he said.

For now, Brinkman said he is happy with the direction of the company and sees “bright” things in its future. Although he can’t make any promises, transferring the iconic Fiesta colors into painting products is something he would like to see next.

___

Information from: Charleston Daily Mail, http://www.charlestondailymail.com

Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-05-28-14 1632GMT


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


Fiesta china water carafe in cobalt. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com archive and Strawser Auctions.

Fiesta china water carafe in cobalt. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com archive and Strawser Auctions.

Lustrous white jade brush washer with Qianlong seal mark on a zitan stand, 10 inches diameter. Estimate: $30,000-$45,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

Linwoods to hold fine antiquities, decorative arts sale June 21-22

Lustrous white jade brush washer with Qianlong seal mark on a zitan stand, 10 inches diameter. Estimate: $30,000-$45,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

Lustrous white jade brush washer with Qianlong seal mark on a zitan stand, 10 inches diameter. Estimate: $30,000-$45,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

ALHAMBRA, Calif. – In celebration of a highly successful inaugural year, the proprietors of Linwoods Auctions of Southern California will present a veritable treasure trove of antiques, unique jewelry, distinctive period furniture and fine art masterpieces at a two-day auction event on Saturday, June 21, and Sunday, June 22. Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAucitoneers.com.

Linwoods Auction House brings together the positive collaboration of consummate art appraiser and connoisseur Thomas Lin with the multigenerational Woods auction house of Florida. The auction house offers a variety of Chinese arts and antiquities, precious stones, fine jewelry and rare furnishings at the two-day event. Items include a porcelain works, jade and soapstone carvings, precious gemstones, scroll paintings, sculptures and museum-worthy furniture pieces.

“We are pleased to offer an array of lots that are unique and memorable,” said curator Lisal Ong. “We feel privileged to be making a number of lots available from the collections of a few discerning lifetime collectors. Whether you are a seasoned art collector or a first time bidder, we have a variety of items of interest at your price point.”

Memorable lots from the June 21-22 auction include a magnificent collection of silken embroidered courtiers’ robes from the imperial court of the Qing dynasty. Another notable offering is a number of Huanghuali furniture pieces of the highest quality and craftsmanship. A discerning lifetime collector is also parting with scroll paintings, porcelain works and select pieces acquired from the auction houses of Sotheby’s, Bonham’s and Christie’s.

The auction opens on Saturday, June 21, featuring a vast array of snuff bottles, intricately crafted in jade, white jade, agate, and cloisonné and featuring semiprecious stone detailing. One lot of particular interest is 5008, a unique black and white Heitian jade snuff bottle with intricately carved figurine overlays. Another noteworthy item is Lot 5027, a spinach and white jade snuff bottle meticulously carved into the shape of an aubergine, or eggplant, with delicate rust-colored suffusions.

Also noteworthy in the Saturday auction is a dazzling array of ancient wooden brush pots, finely crafted wooden chests, and sculpted works in agar, huanghuali, zitan and boxwood among others. Lots of note include 5044, an imperial huanghuali brush pot circa late 18th century-early 19th century with subtly etched bamboo detailing. Another magnificent collector’s piece is Lot 5052, an elegant and rare zitan brush pot with a gleaming texture.

For the truly discerning collector, Lot 5144 is a cornerstone of the auction’s offerings. It consists of five framed Kesi-woven rare Tibet-Thangka embroidered panels, circa late 18th-early 19th century. Each meticulously crafted panel features a deity in repose on a lotus plinth with four smaller deities atop and three below. This is a magnificent museum-worthy compilation piece. Other notable embroidery lots include the impressive collection of silk courtiers’ robes from the Imperial Qing dynasty (Lots 5151-5157) amassed by a lifetime collector in San Francisco. Lot 5153, a navy silk robe featuring mythical dragons chasing flaming pearls among stylized clouds epitomizes the beauty and regal grandeur of this collection.

Another significant item of the day’s offerings is Lot 5188, a lustrous white jade brush washer bowl painstakingly carved from one single white Jade stone and features elderly scholars amid a lush Chinese landscape. The bowl bears the stamp seal from the Qianlong period and has remarkable transparency. It is displayed on a carved zitan wood stand.

Lots 5357-5393 consist of a wide offering of Chinese art, again compiled by a singular lifetime collector with a passion for Chinese art and an eye for fine detail. Notable among these works is Lot 5351, a Chinese art album featuring 11 pages of artwork and calligraphy signed by the artist, Xiao Shuang.

Distinctive furniture lots (5394- 5412) include a number of museum-worthy pieces amassed by a Manhattan lifetime collector who prized huanghuali and zitan wood above all other Western woods for their remarkable strength, durability and gleaming finish. A significant collection piece is Lot 5412, a pair of huanghuali horseshoe-backed chairs, magnificently crafted with intricate detailing.

While the Saturday auction will comprise art collectibles, furnishings and fine art pieces, Sunday’s auction will be reserved for fine jewelry pieces in a variety of forms, from amber prayer beads, to rare Tibetan Dzi beads to unique jade and jadeite pieces. Noteworthy jewelry lots include Lot 5235, a luminous green jadeite pendant with cabochon-style petals surrounded in gold with clusters of nearly perfect diamonds, with GIA certificate. Also exquisite in its elegant simplicity is Lot 5240, a translucent violet jade ring in a cabochon cut with a four-pronged setting and heart-shaped diamond encrusted base – GIA certificate is included.

The proprietors of Linwoods have married their mutually held passion for fine art and collectibles with decades of expert sales and acquisitions for their growing network of international clients. With a promising first year in Southern California, they have plans for quarterly in-house auctions.

The Saturday, June 21, auction event will begin at 2 p.m. Pacific Time. The Sunday, June 22, auction event will begin at 3 p.m. Pacific.

For additional information call Lisal Ong at 626-457-8818.

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


Lustrous white jade brush washer with Qianlong seal mark on a zitan stand, 10 inches diameter. Estimate: $30,000-$45,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

Lustrous white jade brush washer with Qianlong seal mark on a zitan stand, 10 inches diameter. Estimate: $30,000-$45,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

Group of five colorful Kesi woven-silk Tibetan thangka (framed), 18th/19th century, 61 1/4 inches tall. Estimate: $30,000-$45,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

Group of five colorful Kesi woven-silk Tibetan thangka (framed), 18th/19th century, 61 1/4 inches tall. Estimate: $30,000-$45,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

Nineteenth century Chinese embroidered silk robe with three writhing dragons and flaming pearls amid clouds, all above splashing waves, 82 inches long. Estimate: $8,000-$12,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

Nineteenth century Chinese embroidered silk robe with three writhing dragons and flaming pearls amid clouds, all above splashing waves, 82 inches long. Estimate: $8,000-$12,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

Green jadeite pendant with GIA certificate. Estimate: $14,000-$21,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

Green jadeite pendant with GIA certificate. Estimate: $14,000-$21,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

An elaborately carved Guanyin jadeite statue, 21 inches tall. Estimate: $30,000-$45,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

An elaborately carved Guanyin jadeite statue, 21 inches tall. Estimate: $30,000-$45,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

Eighteenth century Famille Rose enameled porcelain vase, 9 1/2 inches tall. Estimate: $5,000-$7,500. Linwoods Auctions image.

Eighteenth century Famille Rose enameled porcelain vase, 9 1/2 inches tall. Estimate: $5,000-$7,500. Linwoods Auctions image.

Chinese framed painting, Zhou Shaogu, 19th/20th century, 12 3/4 inches long. Estimate: $5,000-$7,500. Linwoods Auctions image.

Chinese framed painting, Zhou Shaogu, 19th/20th century, 12 3/4 inches long. Estimate: $5,000-$7,500. Linwoods Auctions image.

A pair of huanghuali chairs with delicate escutcheon splat back and exquisitely shaped arms, the seat supported by embellished front. Estimate: $16,000-$24,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

A pair of huanghuali chairs with delicate escutcheon splat back and exquisitely shaped arms, the seat supported by embellished front. Estimate: $16,000-$24,000. Linwoods Auctions image.

Massimo Vignelli. Image by Arwcheek, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

In Memoriam: graphic designer Massimo Vignelli, 83

Massimo Vignelli. Image by Arwcheek, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Massimo Vignelli. Image by Arwcheek, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

NEW YORK (AP) – Renowned graphic designer Massimo Vignelli, whose vision extended from subterranean transit maps to airline logos, died Tuesday at age 83.

He had been ill and died at his Manhattan home, said Yoshiki Waterhouse, who worked at his firm.

Vignelli, who was born in Italy, started his work life in the United States in the mid-1960s. He worked on a variety of design projects for companies including Bloomingdale’s, Ford and Xerox. His designs have ended up in museum collections around the world.

Among Vignelli’s high-profile projects were the original branding for American Airlines – airplanes with red, white and blue stripes along the sides and the big AA logo on the tail – and a version of the New York City subway map that came out in 1972 – a geometric design lauded by some for its look but criticized by others because it didn’t easily help with understanding the street-level geography of the city.

That subway map design was in use until 1979. It has since become the basis of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s online map outlining weekend service changes.

“Massimo Vignelli’s contribution to improving the way New Yorkers find their way around the subway system is hard to overstate, and it will endure for a long time to come,” MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said.

Waterhouse said Vignelli “was truly a total designer. He did everything.” Waterhouse recalled how Vignelli had a hand in every part of his office design, from the chairs to the cutlery.

“He was the best there was,” Waterhouse said.

Vignelli is survived by his wife, Lella Vignelli, who was also his business partner; a son and a daughter; and three grandchildren. A memorial service is being planned.

Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-05-27-14 2055GMT


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


Massimo Vignelli. Image by Arwcheek, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Massimo Vignelli. Image by Arwcheek, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

French silvered brass with ivory. William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers image.

Silver and gold lead off diverse William Jenack auction June 8

French silvered brass with ivory. William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers image.

French silvered brass with ivory. William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers image.

CHESTER, N.Y. – William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers will conduct a fine art and antique auction Sunday, June 8, at the Jenack gallery, with Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com. The sale will commence at 11 a.m. Eastern.

The auction will include a collection of American silver and gold coins, silver flatware and service pieces, ivory objects, artwork, Chinese and Southeast Asian works, furniture, carpets and decorative accessories. This diverse sale should appeal to a wide range of bidders, from casual collectors to interior designers.

Coins and silver will comprise nearly 25 percent of the sale with lots including an 1880 and 1884 Coronet Head $10 gold coins, a 1971 Bahamas $10 Gold coin and a Prussian 1900 20 Mark gold coin. In silver coinage there are lots of assorted Morgan silver dollars, Peace dollars, Liberty, Franklin and Kennedy silver half dollars, Standing Liberty and Washington quarters and Mercury and Roosevelt dimes.

Silver flatware will include a service for eight of El Grandee flatware by Towle, a set 12 Tiffany sterling Shell & Thread teaspoons, a lot consisting of five Gorham Buttercup teaspoons and a child’s place setting in the Fontainebleau pattern and a service for 12 of Wallace sterling Agean Weave. Mexican silver will also have a showing with such examples as a pair of Sanborns sterling compotes, Mexican free-form footed tray and oval tray by Juvento Lopez Reyes, Taxco.

Leading the artwork category will be a small watercolor and graphite by Alexei Von Jawlensky, a Russian Expressionist painter active in Germany from the late 19th century to the first half of the 20th century. The work is signed and dated with provenance from Christie’s New York. A large genre canvas by British artist Solomon Alexander Hart titled The Awakening, signed and dated 1863, will also be offered.

Furnishings will include a Chesterfield-style leather sofa, a designer modern glass draw top dining table, a Chinese carved mountain ash cabinet, a king-size Sheraton-style tester bed, a pair of vintage Leather Craft upholstered library chairs and a 19th century Chinese painted cabinet.

In the arena of Chinese and Southeast Asian art will be an Ayutthaya carved wood and gilt figure of Buddha; a 19th century Nepalese carved and painted mask; a Chinese Five Dynasties terracotta tomb figure, a Chinese Ming period storage jar; a Tibetan coral, turquoise, amber and shell mounted hats; and Amamese (Vietnam) pottery jars and others.

Precious small objects of ivory included in the sale will be a fine ivory card case, a French ivory cased etui with gilt silver implements, a set of eight carved ivory napkin rings, a Gorham folding ivory handled parasol, a finely carved and signed Japanese figure of a lion, and a French silvered bracket clock with ivory mounts. Also in the small category will be several 19th century miniature chest of drawers including Empire, Chippendale and Empire styles.

Rounding out the sale there will be a collection of rugs, carpets, bronzes, glassware, a brass cash register, a Swiss music box and collectibles.

For additional information call William Jenack Auctioneers at 845-469-9095.

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


French silvered brass with ivory. William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers image.

 

French silvered brass with ivory. William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers image.

Alexei Von Jawlensky, watercolor. William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers image.

 

Alexei Von Jawlensky, watercolor. William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers image.

Miniature Chippendale chest. William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers image.

Miniature Chippendale chest. William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers image.

Solomon Alexander Hart, oil on canvas. William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers image.

Solomon Alexander Hart, oil on canvas. William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers image.

French ivory etui. William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers image.

French ivory etui. William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers image.

David Bailey (b.1938), David Bailey's Box of Pin-Ups, 1965, Weidenfield and Nicolson, London, 36 halftone prints, contained in original card box. Estimate £3,000–£5,000. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

Bailey’s ‘Pin-Ups’ to star in Dreweatts & Bloomsbury sale June 6

David Bailey (b.1938), David Bailey's Box of Pin-Ups, 1965, Weidenfield and Nicolson, London, 36 halftone prints, contained in original card box. Estimate £3,000–£5,000. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

David Bailey (b.1938), David Bailey’s Box of Pin-Ups, 1965, Weidenfield and Nicolson, London, 36 halftone prints, contained in original card box. Estimate £3,000–£5,000. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

LONDON – As David Bailey’s Stardust exhibition enters its final weeks at the National Portrait Gallery, Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions offer Bailey lovers the opportunity to take home his iconic 1965 Box of Pin-Ups, featuring one of Bailey’s most celebrated images of Mick Jagger with a fur collar. The 243-lot sale will be Friday, June 6. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Box of Pin-Ups is a portfolio of 36 portraits that epitomises the fashion, art and music scenes of the ’60s, with faces such as John Lennon, David Hockney, Terence Stamp, Jean Shrimpton and Michael Caine.

The cover notes written by Francis Wyndham state: “Surprisingly few are female – Bailey’s standards here are so rigorous that only four girls qualify.

“But in the age of Mick Jagger it is the boys who are the pin-ups”

The portraits were mostly taken of Bailey’s friends and fellow members of the Ad Lib club in London. “The ’60s were a great time. … everyone we knew became famous. And I’m still working because I still have the passion.”

David Bailey: “I didn’t ever look at Michael and think, “He is an icon, I’m going to take an iconic picture.” It’s the self-confidence that comes from him.”

Michael Caine: “David and I are like Dorian Gray, growing old in the attic”

Although arguably one of his most recognisable works Bailey admits, “As usual I lost money on the project…we couldn’t give it away. Now they sell for £20,000”

It is even rumoured that he burned some of the works.

The set is estimated at £3,000-£5,000 [lot 159].

Among other celebrity portraiture in the sale, supermodel Helena Christensen is portrayed not only in a photograph by Patrick Demarchelier, estimated at £7,000-£9,000 [lot 182] but also behind the camera, as a photographer herself. Her self-portrait, taken in the water and titled Helena is appearing for the first time at auction [lot 183] alongside portraits of her friends Bono [lot 180] and REM lead singer, Michael Stripe [lot 181].

In an interview with Elle magazine Christensen said, “ I love every aspect of photography, specifically the fact that you freeze moments of life that appear beautiful, interesting, eerie, or life-changing, whether big or small.”

The auction also contains a group of stereocards of The Great Eastern (named the Leviathan before its launch), including the famous portrait of English civil engineer Isambard Kingdon Brunel, by Robert Howlett and George Downes, showing the engineer sitting in front of the giant launching chains in the Millwall shipyard [lot 20], another of a View from the Stern [lot 21] and a third of The Great Eastern funnel with Portraits of Officers[lot 22].

Isambard Kingdom Brunel, (1806-1859) was a leader of the Industrial Revolution who built dockyards, the Great Western Railway, steamships bridges and tunnels. In 2002 he was named second on the BBC’s 100 Greatest Britons.

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


David Bailey (b.1938), David Bailey's Box of Pin-Ups, 1965, Weidenfield and Nicolson, London, 36 halftone prints, contained in original card box. Estimate £3,000–£5,000. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

David Bailey (b.1938), David Bailey’s Box of Pin-Ups, 1965, Weidenfield and Nicolson, London, 36 halftone prints, contained in original card box. Estimate £3,000–£5,000. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

Portrait of English civil engineer Isambard Kingdon Brunel by Robert Howlett (1831-1858) and George Downes, 1857, two albumen prints pasted on card in stereoscopic format. £1,000-£1,500. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

Portrait of English civil engineer Isambard Kingdon Brunel by Robert Howlett (1831-1858) and George Downes, 1857, two albumen prints pasted on card in stereoscopic format. £1,000-£1,500. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

Bert Stern (1929-2013), 'Marilyn Monroe, June 1962,' oversized digital pigment contact print, printed later, signed and editioned 6/15. Estimate: £7,000-£9,000. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

Bert Stern (1929-2013), ‘Marilyn Monroe, June 1962,’ oversized digital pigment contact print, printed later, signed and editioned 6/15. Estimate: £7,000-£9,000. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

Edouard Boubat (1928-1999), 'Bretagne, 1948,' gelatin silver print, printed later, signed in ink in the margin, signed, titled and dated in pencil verso. Estimate: £1,000-£1,500. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

Edouard Boubat (1928-1999), ‘Bretagne, 1948,’ gelatin silver print, printed later, signed in ink in the margin, signed, titled and dated in pencil verso. Estimate: £1,000-£1,500. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

Eugene Atget (1857-1929), 'Petit Trianon, (Versailles), 1921,' albumen print on gold chloride paper. Estimate: £5,000-£7,000. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

Eugene Atget (1857-1929), ‘Petit Trianon, (Versailles), 1921,’ albumen print on gold chloride paper. Estimate: £5,000-£7,000. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), 'Calle Cuauhtemocztin, Mexico City, 1934,' gelatin silver print, printed no later than 1984, signed in black ink with photographer's blind stamp in the margin. Estimate: £4,000-£6,000. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), ‘Calle Cuauhtemocztin, Mexico City, 1934,’ gelatin silver print, printed no later than 1984, signed in black ink with photographer’s blind stamp in the margin. Estimate: £4,000-£6,000. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

William Klein (b.1928), 'Tokyo, 1961,' gelatin silver print, printed no later than 1977, signed, titled and dated in pencil verso. Provenance: A gift from the photographer to the present owner. Estimate: £2,000-£3,000. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

William Klein (b.1928), ‘Tokyo, 1961,’ gelatin silver print, printed no later than 1977, signed, titled and dated in pencil verso. Provenance: A gift from the photographer to the present owner. Estimate: £2,000-£3,000. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

An 1852 US gold dollar coin designed by John B. Longacre. Image courtesy of Lost Dutchman Rare Coins.

California couple’s buried gold coins up for sale

An 1852 US gold dollar coin designed by John B. Longacre. Image courtesy of Lost Dutchman Rare Coins.

An 1852 US gold dollar coin designed by John B. Longacre. Image courtesy of Lost Dutchman Rare Coins.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A treasure trove of rare gold coins discovered by a California couple out walking their dog has gone on sale, with one coin selling for $15,000 on Tuesday.

The coins date from 1847 to 1894 and have been valued at $11 million.

Several coins were auctioned at the Old San Francisco Mint on Tuesday, and one of them – an 1874 $20 double eagle that is usually worth $4,250 – sold for $15,000.

Don Kagin, a coin dealer whose firm is handling the sale, says most of the remaining 1,400 coins had gone on sale on Amazon.com and Kagins.com.

The couple, whom Kagin declined to identify, found them last year buried under the shadow of a tree on their rural Northern California property.

Most of the coins are in mint condition, having been stashed away seemingly immediately after they were minted.

Kagin says the couple – a middle-aged husband and wife – does not want to be identified in part to avoid a gold rush on their property by modern-day prospectors. They discovered the coins in eight cans buried in the shadow of an old tree on the property. They plan to keep a few of the coins and use the money from the rest to pay off bills and donate to local charities. Money from Tuesday’s auction will benefit the effort to turn the Old Mint into a museum.

Most of the coins were minted at the San Francisco Mint, according to Kagin. It’s not clear, however, who put them in the ground or how they were obtained, though theories have abounded. Kagin says people have linked the coins to stagecoach bandit Black Bart, outlaw Jesse James and a theft at the San Francisco Mint, but none of the theories has panned out.

The treasure consists of four $5 gold pieces, fifty $10 gold pieces, and 1,373 $20 double eagles. Tthe crown jewel of the collection – an 1866-S No Motto $20 gold piece – is valued at more than $1 million.

Kagin calls this coin find the largest such discovery in U.S. history.

One of the largest previous finds of gold coins was uncovered by construction workers in Jackson, Tennessee, in 1985 and valued at $1 million.

More than 400,000 silver dollars were found in the home of a Reno, Nevada, man who died in 1974 and were later sold intact for $7.3 million.

Gold coins and ingots said to be worth as much as $130 million were recovered in the 1980s from the wreck of the SS Central America. But historians knew roughly where that gold was because the ship went down off the coast of North Carolina during a hurricane in 1857.

Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-05-28-14 1034GMT


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


An 1852 US gold dollar coin designed by John B. Longacre. Image courtesy of Lost Dutchman Rare Coins.

An 1852 US gold dollar coin designed by John B. Longacre. Image courtesy of Lost Dutchman Rare Coins.