Suzanne Valadon, oil on canvas ‘Vase de Fleurs.’ Price realized: $44,840. Photo by Royce Bonta, Kodner Galleries.
DANIA BEACH, Fla. – Kodner Galleries’ Aug. 6 auction was dominated by strong Internet bidding. On-line bidders battled phone and gallery bidders over treasures from two large Palm Beach, Florida collections.
LiveAuctioneers.com provided Internet live bidding.
The first, a lovely old guard Palm Beach estate of fine 20th century artwork by well recognized French artists including the auction’s featured lot by Suzanne Valadon (French, 1865-1938), a circa 1920 oil on canvas titled Vase de Fleurs, which was quickly snapped up for $44,840.
The collection also contained a charming Louis Valtat (French, 1869-1952) oil on panel Pommes a la Draperie Bleu selling at $22,420, and Edouard Vuillard, (French, 1868-1940) pastel Portrait de jeune fille bringing $7,080. Treasures from this estate also included an early 19th century George III English silver covered tureen selling at $5,900, an 18th century George III English silver coffeepot at $1,880 and a large and good collection of English tea caddies and Continental boxes all finding ready buyers.
The second Palm Beach collection was composed of a large and varied selection of 20th century mostly American works. Included were John Ferren (American, 1905-1970) with a 1954 oil on canvas titled Mojave #1, which was estimated at $3,000-$5,000 and hammered down at $9,440; numerous works by Mary Spain (American, 1934-1983) including Lot 127, her oil on canvas titled First Prize Levitation Piece at $5,192 (a new auction record for this artist); and a collection of Karen Karnes (American, b. 1925) ceramics bringing a total of $6,800.
The auction’s largely fine art selection also featured a François Gall (French 1912-1987) oil on canvas, Au Café Flore, at $4,248, a Dietz Edzard (German 1893-1963) oil on canvas, Concert aux Sablettes, for $11,800; and a Suzanne Eisendieck, (French, 1908-1998) oil on canvas, Fete au Port, fetching $7,080. Also sold at the auction were an Auguste Rodin (French, 1840-1917) watercolor bringing $6,490, an Ansel Adams (American, 1902-1984) mounted gelatin silver print at $7,080, and a Lang Shining (Giuseppe Castiglione) (Italian 1688-1766) trompe l’oeil on paper for $11,800.
Sculpture included a large Emile Louis Picault (French, 1833-1915) early 20th century bronze Egyptian Figure selling at $10,600 and two Erté (French, 1892-1990) bronzes totaling $7,552.
Estate and fine jewelry featured a pair of 4.47-carat fancy intense yellow diamond earrings selling for $13,570, an important 9.0-carat emerald and diamond ring at $30,680, a 15.0-carat diamond and sapphire necklace bringing $10,600, and a diamond, sapphire and white gold bracelet selling for $7,965.
(All prices quoted above include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.)
Esther Bubley, ‘Third Avenue Elm with Gum Machines,’ est. $200-$500. Quinn & Farmer Auctions image CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Quinn & Farmer Auctions in Charlottesville, Virginia, is hosting an online-only sale through LiveAuctioneers that features the photography collection of George Cruger, former publications manager for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in Richmond. The auction is now open for bidding, and lots will begin closing at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014.
For many years, George Cruger held the position of assistant curator of photographs at VMFA. In that capacity, Cruger had the opportunity to research photographic works, recommend additions to the collections, and mount exhibitions. Among the shows Cruger helped produce was the major group show in 1987 titled Portraits: Faces of the ’80s.
Cruger’s personal collection traverses the history of photography as it developed around the world. It includes many notable 19th- and early to mid-20th-century pieces from such photographers as Edward Weston, William Christenberry, Mary Ellen Mark, Roger Mertin, Grancel Fitz, Nickolas Muray and Geoff Winningham. Additionally, his collection of contemporary works dating from 1990 includes prints by Edith Maria Calvo (Italy), Chan Chao (Burma), Kahn & Selesnick (England/USA), Hiroshi Watanabe (Japan), and Claudio Cambon, Lori Nix, and Marla Rutherford (all USA).
Cruger’s support of Richmond’s art community is reflected in the photos he acquired by local artists including Myron Helfgott, Janet Decover, and Joe Seipel, current Dean of VCU Arts (Virginia Commonwealth University) and founding board member of 1708 Gallery, a nonprofit organization that provides a space for new art – both by emerging and established artists – to be displayed.
In a statement from his gallery show at Main Art Gallery in 2008, Cruger said he had not been guided in his collecting by “any overarching principle or shrewd strategy,” but rather, that the main impulse that motivated him was that he “liked looking at photographs…it’s really as simple as that.” He added that his enjoyment of photographic art had kept him interested in collecting over a long period of time, albeit “with limited financial resources.”
Among the highlights in Quinn & Farmer’s Aug. 28 auction are Geoff Winningham’s wrestling shot “Tag Team Action,” est. $1,500-$2,000; Hiroshi Watanabe’s “Chikako Suga, Matsuo Kabuki,” $400-$800; and William Christenberry’s “Kudzu with Sky (Winter) Near Akron, Alabama,” $800-$1,200. A photographic three-quarter portrait of Willa Cather, taken by Nickolas Muray, is estimated at $200-$400.
Quinn & Farmer’s Aug. 28 auction is an online-only event. For enquiries regarding any item in the sale, call Emilia Penney at Quinn & Farmer Auctions, tel. 434-293-2904, or email Emilia.Penney@quinnfarmer.com.
Sample of a collection of apothecary store fixtures and accessories. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image. MT. CRAWFORD, Va. – Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates will conduct a two-day unreserved auction on Friday, Aug. 22, and Saturday, Aug. 23. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
The first day’s offerings include country store and advertising articles; automobilia; Virginia historical items; a large selection of Shenandoah Valley calendars, advertising and postcards; a massive collection of bottles, insulators, apothecary and medical items; antique and vintage dolls including French and German bisque-head examples; vintage movie posters; antiquarian books; farm items; musical instruments; fountain pens; railroadiana; and kitchen items.
Many of the items being auctioned come from the collections of Joe Yancey of Harrisonburg, Va., and the late Michael J. Parmer of Waynesboro, Va.
The next day, Saturday, Aug. 23, the tone changes, as the auction house offers fine and decorative arts from estates and collections from Washington, D.C., New York City, New England and the Mid-Atlantic states.
Highlights include a 24-inch-tall Sevres-style ormolu-mounted vase, Old Paris porcelains, artwork and prints, a selection of 18th and 19th English, Continental and American furniture and decorative objects, jewelry, clocks and pocket watches, Native American and Virginia baskets and rugs, as well as American art pottery. There will also be a strong selection of 19th and 20th century silver featuring sets of Philadelphia and London footed open salts and tea services, along with a good group of Tiffany, Warner, Kirk and Stieff articles.
Chinese and Asian material will include porcelain, lacquer, cloisonné, snuff bottles and an early portfolio of woodblock prints after the famous Chinese work Yuzhi Gengzhi Tu.
For further information email Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates at info@jeffreysevans.com or call 540-434-3939.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Sample of a collection of apothecary store fixtures and accessories. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.From a wide variety of decorative arts and collectibles to be sold on Aug. 22 and 23. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.Chinese material from a prominent Washington, D.C., estate including an early portfolio of ‘Yuzhi Gengzhi Tu’ woodblock prints. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.From a large selection of 19th and 20th century silver. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.Collection of vintage and antique dolls including French and German. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.
Thomas Moran (born England), 1837–1926. ‘Grand Canyon,’ dated 1912, oil on pressboard, 15 7/8 × 23 7/8 inches (40.3 × 60.6 cm). Bequest of Katherine Harvey. Image courtesy of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A painting in the collection of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art will be included in a new series of Forever stamps. Thomas Moran’s 1912 painting Grand Canyon is one of four artworks, all of the Hudson River School paintings, chosen by the United States Postal Service to be featured in the upcoming 12th issuance of the American Treasures series. In total, 25 million copies of the stamp will be distributed.
“We are thrilled that a painting so integral to our American collection will travel so widely and be seen by millions,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, the museum’s director and CEO. “This is a great honor.”
Moran was well-known for his Western landscapes, and Grand Canyon, a stunning representation of the iconic landmark found in Arizona, is an exemplary model of his ability to create balanced compositions. Readability is a principal consideration during the selection process due to the tiny 1 1/2-by-2-inch canvas on which the artwork is printed.
“We were especially mindful of this consideration while reviewing paintings by the Hudson River School artists because one of the hallmarks of the style is exquisite detail in the artist’s renderings of their subjects,” said Roy Betts, a representative of the U.S. Postal Service.
Grand Canyon was acquired by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in 1963 at the bequest of Katherine Harvey.
“What an opportunity—a fabulous painting of a national landmark that can fit in your mailbox. This view of the Grand Canyon remains arresting even at significantly reduced scale. A testament to the power of the original composition, the stamp conveys Thomas Moran’s ability to capture the grandeur of the striated buttes of the legendary chasm, and his talent for creating a convincing illusion of deep space,” said Stephanie Knappe, the museum’s curator of American Art.
The Laura Ingalls Wilder book ‘The Long Winter,’ Harper & Brothers, 1940. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Signature House. PIERRE, S.D. (AP) – Laura Ingalls Wilder penned one of the most beloved children’s series of the 20th century, but her forthcoming autobiography will show devoted Little House on the Prairie fans a more realistic, grittier view of frontier living.
Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography – Wilder’s unedited draft that was written for an adult audience and eventually served as the foundation for the popular series – is slated to be released by the South Dakota State Historical Society Press nationwide this fall. The not-safe-for-children tales include stark scenes of domestic abuse, love triangles gone awry and a man who lit himself on fire while drunk on whiskey.
Wilder and her daughter Rose Wilder Lane, herself a well-known author, tried and failed to get an edited version of the autobiography published throughout the early 1930s. The original rough draft has been preserved at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum in Mansfield, Mo, for decades but hadn’t been published.
The children’s series never presented a romanticized version of life on the prairie – in Little House in the Big Woods, Laura and her sister Mary gleefully help dissect the family pig before bouncing its inflated bladder back and forth in the yard. But the series also left out or fictionalized scenes that Wilder deemed unsuitable for kids, including much of the time the family spent in Burr Oak, Iowa, and Walnut Grove, Minn., according to Pamela Smith Hill, a Wilder biographer and the lead editor on the autobiography.
“So you can read Pioneer Girl as nonfiction rather than fiction and get a better feeling of how the historical Ingalls family really lived, what their relationships were and how they experienced the American West,” she said.
Wilder details a scene from her childhood in Burr Oak, in which a neighbor of the Ingalls’ pours kerosene throughout his bedroom, sets it on fire and proceeds to drunkenly drag his wife around by her hair before Wilder’s father – Pa in the children’s books – intervenes.
Scenes like that make Wilder’s memoir sound like it’s filled with scandal and mature themes, “which isn’t exactly true either,” according to Amy Lauters, an associate professor of mass media at Minnesota State University-Mankato.
“It’s just that that first version was blunt, it was honest. It was full of the everyday sorts of things that we don’t care to think about when we think about history,” said Lauters, who has read the original manuscript and also is writing a book on Rose Wilder Lane. “And it’s certainly not the fantasized version we saw on Little House on the Prairie the television show.”
Wilder’s story will likely do well in South Dakota, since the author moved to De Smet in the late 1870s with her family, eventually meeting her future husband there.
For fans, the autobiography is chance to see from where Wilder drew her inspiration, said Sandra Hume, a Wilder aficionado who published an internationally distributed newsletter for 10 years and now helps manage Laurapalooza, a conference dedicated to all things Wilder.
“I am very excited to see people have access to this, because her life story has been pretty muddled because people get mixed up with the TV show and it’s nice to see an interest in people seeing basically what is the primary source … ” she said.
The autobiography preserves Wilder’s original rough draft – misspellings, idiosyncrasies and all – but adds extensive annotations.
Little House lovers can learn about the three girls that Wilder combined to create the Nellie Olson character, or how extensive the damage was in Minnesota during the grasshopper plague of the 1870s, which forced Pa in On the Banks of Plum Creek to set out in search of work.
“In some ways, I came to think of the annotations in Pioneer Girl as almost an encyclopedia about Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life and work,” Hill said.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-08-16-14 1954GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The Laura Ingalls Wilder book ‘The Long Winter,’ Harper & Brothers, 1940. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Signature House.
The De Anza Motor Lodge along historic Route 66 in Albuquerque. Image by John Phelan. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – The De Anza Motor Lodge along historic Route 66 is one step closer to getting a new lease on life.
The city of Albuquerque is now seeking proposals from developers interested in renovating the 2-acre site along Central Avenue. The city’s development commission expects to select the winning proposal in February.
Built in 1939 by Native American art and pottery trader Charles Garrett Wallace, the property includes seven separate buildings. One of them features murals by artist Tony Edaakie that depict a Native American ceremonial procession.
Mayor Richard Berry says the old motor lodge embodies the story of Albuquerque and he’s excited to see the city-owned site transformed.
The property is listed on the State Register of Cultural Properties and on the National Register of Historic Places.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-08-15-14 0906GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The De Anza Motor Lodge along historic Route 66 in Albuquerque. Image by John Phelan. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Chein Popeye Overhead Puncher, circa 1930s, lithographed tin with celluloid punching bag, est. $800-$1,000. Bertoia Auctions image
VINELAND, N.J. – No one likes for summer to end, but there’s a silver lining for toy collectors when the sunny season turns a corner and heads into fall. It means that soon it will be time for Bertoia’s Annual Fall Festival Auction. This year the popular, widely diverse sale of antique and vintage toys, trains and holiday items will take place on September 19 and 20 at Bertoia’s spacious auction gallery in Vineland, New Jersey, with Internet live bidding available through LiveAuctioneers.
Nearly 1,400 lots are being prepared for the colorful event, with an exciting list of categories that includes cast-iron and tin, penny toys, lead boats, European trains and stations, paper-over-wood and Fisher-Price toys. Almost 300 lots are dedicated to holiday collectibles, primarily for Christmas, with another 80 uncataloged box lots reserved as an auction epilogue solely for bidders who are in attendance.
“This is an entertaining, A-to-Z toy sale that won’t disappoint,” Bertoia Auctions associate Rich Bertoia said. “There’s a lot to see and bid on over the two-day period. We’ll be starting at 10 a.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday.”
Friday’s session begins with a featured collection of 19th-century miniature lead boats by Issmayer, Heyde and others. “I’ve never seen this many in one group, because they’re very hard to find. The consignor is an American who bought primarily in Europe. Many are of the same type seen in some of David Pressland’s books,” said Bertoia.”
There will also be many larger boats docked at Bertoia’s, including an elusive 23-inch Uebelacker riverboat, and a very special craft by Rock & Graner, an example of which is also depicted in a Pressland reference. “When I asked David about it, he confirmed that it’s a tremendous find. If David says that, I’ll certainly take his word for it,” Bertoia said.
American cast-iron vehicles include autos, trucks, ’cycles, farm vehicles and fire engines. Featured highlights are an Arcade panel van, Kilgore Stutz-styled auto and a very rare Hubley 3-ton stake truck.
Coveted Marklin productions lead the train section. Among the highlights from Germany’s premier toy brand are: a lithographed-tin Heinz Tomato Ketchup car, several 1 gauge Pennsylvania Railroad passenger sets, and very nice 1 gauge “windcutter.” Four Marklin stations are entered in the sale, including an especially nice Central Station. A globe-on-arc lamp and a few choice canopy accessories are included, as well.
For collectors of German toys who’d like to visit a very exclusive day spa, Bertoia’s invites them to dip their toe into a Marklin swimming pool similar to those seen at Europe’s luxury hotels of a century ago. The pool is completely railed, with simulated brickwork, and has a diving board and platform. While it is estimated at $6,000-$8,000, Bertoia believes it could well exceed that price range.
Highlights in the automotive section include a connoisseur’s piece: a very early (circa 1900-1902) Carette steam-driven open car with a curious, primitive design; plus several Carette taxis and limos. Also in the lineup are two Alfa Romeo P2 racers – one in red and the other in an even scarcer blue color – as well as a couple of Bluebird racers, including a very desirable lithographed-tin 13-inch version with driver by SY Japan.
Many other European toys will be up for bid, among them an outstanding boxed Ski Rolf by Lehmann, estimated at $8,000-$10,000. “It’s all original and is the nicest one we’ve ever seen. It’s like new/old store stock,” Bertoia said. Also in the mix are more than 50 penny toys, including some colorful autos, an early airplane and a few articulated types.
A comprehensive array of comic character toys – many of them boxed and of Japanese manufacture – runs the gamut of radio, TV and newspaper comic strip characters. Ten Popeye variations, numerous character bands, an army of Marx toys, and many Mickey Mouse and other Disney toys – including celluloid – will be ready to perform and amuse.
Saturday’s session will start with more than 100 pressed-steel vehicles. The centerpiece is a fine fleet of trucks and pedal cars, and although they are from a prestigious collection, all will be sold without reserve. All of the top brands are represented, including Buddy L, Keystone and Sturditoy. A few are old store stock and retain their original boxes. The pedal car selection includes both early, all-original examples and other vehicles that have been restored to perfection. “All levels of buyer will be satisfied,” Rich Bertoia assured.
Next up will be die-cast toys, mostly by Smith-Miller. Some genuine rarities have been spotted in the grouping, including a red-painted wood prototype truck made right after World War II. It is an extremely well designed item with a futuristic look. Even though an artist’s rendering of the finished toy appeared in Smith-Miller’s sales catalog, the toy never actually saw production, making the company-documented prototype even more desirable to collectors.
The last of the wonderful paper-on-wood toys consigned to Bertoia’s by the late Dr. Frank Loveland will be auctioned on day two of the sale. This section is replete with wood trains and Noah’s Ark lots from the Loveland collection and others. Of special note is an ark from Dr. Loveland’s collection that is a “transitional” toy. Intact, it is an ark, but when the top is removed, it takes on the form of a train – two toys for the price of one.
Other toy highlights include a collection of Erzgebirge toys, both of hand-painted wood and paper on wood; a General Grant clockwork “smoker” toy, and approximately 50 Fisher-Price toys, including some of the company’s earliest designs.
One look at the outstanding collection of early Atlantic City tourist souvenirs and there’s no question as to where the hit HBO series “Boardwalk Empire” drew its inspiration. In addition to picture postcards and photos, the collection includes ceramic dishes, etched ruby glass, cups, saltwater taffy boxes, and even a spittoon from an old hotel. “This is a great regional collection,” Bertoia noted. “It’s from a time when the Steel Pier amusement park was billed as the ‘Showplace of the Nation.’ It was the biggest thing on the East Coast.”
As is the tradition at Bertoia’s, the Annual Fall Festival Auction will reserve its final 3-4 hours to Christmas and other holiday antiques. A glittering assortment of glass ornaments, including early hand-painted ones, will be auctioned alongside a fabulous assortment of Dresdens, to serve as the grand finale of the late Tom Fox’s collection. Being a renowned interior designer, Fox had an impeccable eye for form and color, and this is reflected in the ornaments he chose for inclusion in his lifetime collection.
To contact Bertoia Auctions about any item in the auction, call 856-692-1881 or email toys@bertoiaauctions.com.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
The Dyess Colony Administration Building. Image by Jan-Kristian Schriwer, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. DYESS, Ark. (AP) – Money and memorabilia from Johnny Cash’s family and friends have helped historians restore a significant part of the Historic Dyess Colony, a government collective built to pull Depression-era families out of poverty.
The country music icon’s boyhood home, along with the colony’s former headquarters, opened Saturday to reflect everyday life in a northeast Arkansas community built on once-sunken land.
“Restoring the Dyess Colony Administration Building, and even saving at least one of the typical colony houses, would have been a worthwhile project, even without the Johnny Cash connection,” said Ruth Hawkins, executive director of the Heritage Sites program at Arkansas State University.
“But the project would not have gotten anywhere near the public support that it has, and it would not be a major tourism draw,” she said.
Before he was the Man in Black, he was J.R. Cash, a son of Arkansas farmers who successfully applied to take part in a 1930s Works Progress Administration experiment. The federal government brought in 487 families and gave them land and a mule.
Under selection criteria, families were rewarded for their rugged independence but on arrival had to share their excess with the community. Their contributions qualified them for “doodlum,” a paper currency not unlike scrip offered in company towns.
Members of the Cash family were “representative colonists,” Hawkins said, so it was appropriate to incorporate their former home into the preservation effort. It also helps that countless Cash fans will plunk down $10 for a tour.
A restored five-room house northwest of town holds items that belonged to the singer’s parents – a shaving mug in the bathroom and an upright piano. J.R. shared a bedroom with three siblings. The home never had running water. Electrical service arrived in 1945.
At the museum back in town, Cash’s 1950 Dyess High School yearbook, given to his daughter Rosanne, rests in a special wing.
“It’s been one of my most prized possessions. It’s yours. Merry Christmas,” Cash wrote to Rosanne on personal stationery with “Johnny Cash” scratched out and “Dad” written in.
Without Cash’s fame, it’d be a lot tougher to save places like the Dyess Colony, one of nearly 100 proposed resettlement sites nationwide.
“We would lose a place like Dyess, and we have lost many other such places of historic significance because of a lack of funds, disinterest or ignorance,” Rosanne Cash wrote in an email to The Associated Press. “I am so happy ASU stepped in when they did. There were only around 35 cottages left and my dad’s, though dilapidated, was one of those. …
“My family was saved by the WPA,” she wrote.
The Dyess Colony, named for a state government administrator, covered 16,000 acres reclaimed from a swamp and carved into 20- or 40-acre homesteads.
The government cleared 2 acres to put up a house, a barn, a chicken coop and outhouse, then it was up to residents to clear the rest of the land, grow a crop and begin paying on a mortgage. Cash’s father Ray signed his contract in February 1938 – for $2,183.60.
Stories about hard times here landed in some of Cash’s songs and also Rosanne Cash’s The Sunken Lands.
“I particularly had my grandmother Carrie Cash in mind all through the restoration process, and while writing The Sunken Lands, about her and this very area,” Rosanne Cash wrote. “I wanted my children to know their lineage and that their great-grandparents worked harder to make a good life for their children and all their descendants than anyone could possibly imagine.”
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-08-15-14 2356GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The Dyess Colony Administration Building. Image by Jan-Kristian Schriwer, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
LONDON – Silverstone Auctions is set to offer one of Europe’s finest collections of road-going classic cars to come to market, at The Sale at Salon Privé on Sept. 4. Internet live bidding will be available worldwide through LiveAuctioneers.com.
Henry Pearman, the founder and CEO of Eagle – the world’s premier Jaguar E-Type specialist – has overseen the creation of this unique collection of high-quality and original cars, known as the Stradale Collection, applying the same energy, passion and attention to detail for which Eagle is world renowned.
The star of the historic road car collection is considered to be one of the all-time ultimate Ferraris – a rare 1971 Ferrari 365GTS/4 Daytona Spyder, estimated at between £1.75 and £2.25 million ($2.9 million-$3.8 million). One of just 122 ever produced, the car was delivered new in 1971 to U.S. casino owner William F. Harrah and has covered just 3,955 miles from new. As a testament to its supreme original state, the car was granted Ferrari Classiche certification in 2009 and is presented in black with red leather interior.
Other iconic Italian models include one of just 349 Ferrari F50s to be built, this example with just 6,219 miles recorded and estimated at between £600,000 and £750,000, as well as its predecessor, the iconic F40, with only 10,738 miles driven and in exemplary order – also estimated at between £600,000 and £750,000. An example of the original supercar, and regarded by many as the best, is an exceptionally original and mechanically fresh 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 presented in its original striking yellow. It, too, is estimated at £600,000-£750,000.
Some special British models also will be featured, most notably a 1931 Bentley 4 1/2 Liter Blower. Regarded as one of the most charismatic cars of all time, this example is number 25, the final car in the first batch of just 50 produced. Estimated at between £2.2 and £2.5 million, the car enjoyed a trouble-free 3,000-kilometer run in the inaugural Blower Bentley International Rally in 2010, which celebrated the car’s 80th anniversary at Le Mans.
Also within the British models is probably the most famous convertible Aston Martin of all, a sister car to HRH Prince Charles’s DB6 Mk 2 Volante, the model immortalized by His Royal Highness Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, at their royal wedding. One of only 38 ever produced, and just 17 to feature the preferred manual gearbox, this is estimated at £820,000-£920,000. A rare blue example of a Lotus Elan Drophead Sprint carries an estimate of between £35,000 and £45,000.
Commenting on the Stradale Collection, Pearman said: “Having chosen Salon Privé to launch our Eagle E-Type Speedster to the world back in 2009, as well as to celebrate the E-Type’s 50th anniversary in 2011, we knew the new joint venture between the UK’s finest concours event and Silverstone Auctions was the perfect opportunity to release some of the very best road cars from the collection.
“It is truly a living collection, so is subject to change from time to time, and we’ve been exceptionally fortunate to have recently acquired arguably the very best Audi R8 – the ex-works and 2004 Le Mans winner, to join the growing number of competition cars within the collection.”
The first car for the collection was acquired in 2000 and over the last 14 years has evolved to include some incredibly famous road and race cars, with 14 thoughtfully grouped road-going cars presented under the hammer at Syon House.
“The Stradale collection includes a series of iconic cars from the Daytona Spyder to the F50 and F40. Collectively, they are undoubtedly some of the most desirable cars to come to market in recent years, and The Sale at Salon Privé is the perfect venue at which to sell them,” said Paul Campbell Silverstone Auctions sales manager.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
1848 Germantown (Philadelphia) fire company parade hat. Est. $8,000-$12,000. Morphy Auctions imageDENVER, Pa. – Over the weekend of Aug. 30-31, Morphy’s will once again partner with the Pennsylvania State Treasury to auction fine jewelry, rare coins and medals; and other hand-selected valuables from the Commonwealth’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property vault. The 554-lots containing goods from the Treasury’s storehouse are the highlight of Morphy’s 1,360-lot Fine & Decorative Arts Auction, and proceeds from their sale will generate revenue for programs benefiting the citizens of Pennsylvania. All Treasury lots will be offered without reserve; LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live-bidding services for the event.
“The Treasury, under the supervision of State Treasurer Rob McCord, makes an exhaustive effort to locate the rightful heirs of unclaimed valuables from banks and credit unions, police departments, hospitals, nursing homes and many other sources,” explained Morphy’s founder and president, Dan Morphy. “After three years have passed and all due diligence and advertising have been completed, the goods become eligible for auction under Pennsylvania’s unclaimed property law. Morphy’s is honored to work cooperatively with Treasurer McCord and his team in this ongoing joint venture.”
Saturday’s session will open with 150 lots of coins. Lot 5 is a complete Lincoln-head penny set that includes an elusive 1909-S VDB, lot estimate: $1,000-$1,500. Lot 69 contains five proof sets spanning the years 1950-1954, est. $1,000-$1,500; while Lot 86, a US gold type set including 11 gold coins is expected to make $8,000-$12,000. Additionally, the selection includes more than 100 1-oz gold Krugerrands, and a paper currency collection that includes Lot 121, an 1882 $20 gold certificate note, $2,000-$3,000; and Lot 136, a 1901 $10 large note, $2,000-$3,000.
A 30-lot single-owner collection of superior-quality Bakelite jewelry in a rainbow of colors leads the way for 350+ lots of fine jewelry, most of which comes from the Pa. Treasury vault. Lot 234, a ladies ring with 1.8 carats of emeralds and 1.2 carats of diamonds is estimated at $6,000-$9,000. A ring boasting a 2-carat natural brown diamond is entered as Lot 274, with a $25,000-$25,000 estimate. Lot 258, classic 14K white gold tennis bracelet, is set with 46 emerald-cut diamonds and has a total weight of approximately 40 carats. It is estimated at $25,000-$40,000. Other highlights include: Lot 451, a ladies Victorian yellow gold filigree brooch with 29 emeralds (15.5 carats) and 153 mine-cut diamonds (4.5 carats), est. $20,000-$30,000; and Lot 503, a chic 18K gold Tiffany ladies watch with oval lapis lazuli face, est. $7,000-$10,000.
Next up will be a single-owner collection of more than 80 figural napkin rings. Among the many desirable forms are Lot 588, a pair of tennis players, $2,500-$3,000; and Lot 590, a baseball player, $2,000-$2,500.
The Saturday session will conclude with 30+ lots of silver. Lot 631, a Georg Jensen flatware set, includes 344 pieces with a total weight is 381ozt, est. $10,000-$15,000. A William Gale (American) 4-piece sterling tea and coffee set dates to 1862 and weighs in at 138ozt. It is catalogued as Lot 650 and carries a presale estimate of $3,000-$4,000.
Sunday’s offering begins with a single-owner collection of more than 100 lots of early firefighting memorabilia. Lot 712, a dated “1848” parade hat for a Germantown (Philadelphia) fire company is estimated at $8,000-$12,000; while Lot 752, an 18in Gamewell ball-top fire gong carries a $5,000-$7,000 estimate. Another firefighting gem is Lot 703, a water bucket for the Columbian Eagle Fire Society. Manufactured in Boston, the pictorial leather container is expected to earn $2,000-$3,000 at auction.
Listen for the thrilling sounds of mechanical music as the next 40 lots take the spotlight. Lot 809 is one of few known examples of Lochmann’s coin-operated duplex disc music box – a double-disc version of their Model 172. Walnut cased with 24 tubular bells and 12 pairs of discs, the machine is from the collection of Dr. Coulson Conn, past president of The Musical Box Society International. Est. $30,000-$40,000.
Described in Morphy’s catalog as “the true and final incarnation of what was known as the ‘orchestral’ style music box,” an elegant six-cylinder box made by the Swiss firm Ami Rivenc was produced sometime between 1885 and 1890. Its six cylinders play 48 melodies listed on the original framed tune label, with six tuned bells, a drum, castagnettes and a 22-note full reed organ. Estimate: $25,000-$35,000.
The next 100 lots encompass numerous subcategories of Americana. Lot 884, a weather vane replicating a horse-drawn fire engine, is estimated at $2,000-$3,000. Lot 861, a handsome Pennsylvania tall-case clock in a George Hoff case, with “Lancaster” written on its face, could reach $5,000-$8,000.
A wonderful 30-lot assortment of stoneware includes Lot 925, a John Bell 1-gallon water pitcher, $5,000-$8,000; and Lot 926, a rare Remmy cobalt-blue paint-decorated chicken water-feeder, $3,500-$5,500. Lot 915, a 3-gallon jug, is richly decorated with the image of a deer standing in a fenced setting amongst foliage, and is impressed “Giles & Company” and “Variety Store Cherry Valley.” Its estimate is $5,000-$8,000.
More than 100 pieces of British, European and American pottery will be auctioned. Two of the section’s top lots were manufactured by R.W. Martin, the turn of the 20th century English company known for its whimsically grotesque – and highly sought-after – bird-shape vessels. Lot 960 is a Wally Bird tobacco jar marked along the neck of its stopper: “Martin Bros London & Southall.” Exhibiting superior color and detail, the 6½-inch figural jar is estimated at $13,000-$15,000. Lot 959 is a 24-inch handled pitcher designed in the form of a standing Eskimo clutching the folds of his full-length, hooded cloak. In excellent condition and incised “R.W. Martin & Bros London & Southall” and 14.9.1903 (Sept. 14, 1903) on its base, it has a presale estimate of $10,000-$12,000.
American pottery highlights include Lot 1040, a Roseville Egypto Arts & Crafts vase, $2,000-$3,000; Lot 1073, a Rookwood iris-glaze urn by Sara Sax, $1,000-$2,000; and Lot 1135, a Weller Sicard lobed vase, $2,000-$2,500.
More than 100 lots of art glass are included in the Sunday session. Among the key pieces are Lot 1153, a 12-inch Daum Nancy cameo vase, $2,000-$4,000; Lot 1162, an 11-inch, signed L.C. Tiffany iridescent art glass vase, $4,000-$6,000; and Lot 1175, a monumental 13-inch Quezal gold-luster Jack in the Pulpit vase, $12,000-$15,000.
The day will close with a single-owner collection of more than 40 beautiful bronzes. Lot 1273, a depiction of a girl in riding attire, holding a crop, is one of Bruno Zach’s most iconic subjects. Cast by Argentor and standing on a marble base, the near-mint 14¾-inch bronze is estimated at $6,000-$7,500. Lot 1274, a 13½-inch bronze nude of a young woman arranging her hair before a cheval mirror, is signed “Pinedo.” Est. $5,000-$8,000.
Commenting on the outstanding array of fine and decorative art to be sold, Dan Morphy remarked that anytime his company announces an upcoming sale will contain unclaimed valuables from the Pennsylvania Treasury’s vault, “the phones start ringing.”
“Typically, jewelry, coins or other goods from safe-deposit boxes are heirlooms or high-end items,” Morphy said. “Each time we’re invited to visit the vault in Harrisburg to help select the items to be auctioned, it’s an exciting treasure hunt for us. We always look forward to it and make an effort to choose pieces we know will appeal to the largest number of bidders and generate the greatest revenue for the Commonwealth.”
Pennsylvania State Treasurer Rob McCord commented that the “ongoing partnership with Morphy Auctions has proved incredibly valuable,” noting that long-forgotten items from the Treasury’s vault have achieved $459,161 so far in Morphy sales.
For additional information on any item in the sale, call 717-335-3435 or email info@morphyauctions.com.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
1848 Germantown (Philadelphia) fire company parade hat. Est. $8,000-$12,000. Morphy Auctions image18K white gold and platinum diamond necklace, circa 1890s, with three major mine-cut diamonds and 51 additional graduated, old mine-cut diamonds. Est. $30,000-$40,000. Morphy Auctions image18K white gold aquamarine and diamond pin that doubles as a pendant. Est. $9,000-$13,000. Morphy Auctions imageLochmann’s coin-op duplex disc music box with tubular bells and 12 pairs of discs. Ex collection of Dr. Coulson Conn, past president of The Musical Box Society International. Est. $30,000-$40,000. Morphy Auctions imageR.W. Martin & Brothers Wally Bird tobacco jar, signed, 6½ inches tall. Est. $13,000-$15,000. Morphy Auctions imageR.W. Martin & Brothers handled pitcher in the form of a robed Eskimo, 14 inches tall, dated 14.9.1903 (Sept. 14, 1903). Est. $10,000-$12,000. Morphy Auctions imageFigural napkin ring depicting Rip Van Winkle, with rifle and powder horn and accompanied by his dog. Est. $2,500-$3,500. Morphy Auctions imageStoneware 3-gallon jug with deer, heavy cobalt blue decoration, impressed for variety store Giles & Company, Cherry Valley. Est. $5,000-$8,000. Morphy AuctionsGeorge Ohr crimped bi-colored vessel, signed in script ‘G.E. Ohr.’ Est. $3,000-$5,000. Morphy Auctions imageCirca 1880s Lancaster, Pa., tall-case clock with works marked ‘John Belsner at Ephrata, Pa.,’ in 92-inch-tall George Hoff case. Est. $3,000-$5,000. Morphy Auctions image
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