September 18, 2014 - Auction Central News

Polar exploration notes reach Dreweatts & Bloomsbury sale Oct. 2

Glass negatives of the ship Discovery and Captain Scott and members of the crew on their arrival at Lyttelton, New Zealand. [Lot 262, est. £500-700]. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

LONDON – A fascinating collection of notes written by members of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott’s National Antarctic Expedition on their journeys across the snows of the southern continent. The collection will go under the hammer in London during Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions sale of printed books and manuscripts on Thursday, Oct. 2.

LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

These eight sledging notes were written by members of the expedition during the “Heroic Age” of polar exploration and give a vivid insight into the challenges and obstacles of their work in the Antarctic.

The National Antarctic Expedition 1901-04 led by Scott was one of the first major scientific and natural history expeditions to Antarctica, which saw the first ascent of the polar plateau in the Western Mountains and the discovery of the first Emperor penguin egg.

Remarkably one of the notes in the collection, from Lt. Michael Barne to Lt. Charles Royds back at Winter Quarters on board the ship Discovery was delivered by Vinka, the pet dog of Albert Borlase Armitage, second in command of the expedition, across miles of frozen featureless tracts with the note attached to her collar by a boot lace.

“Dear Royds, I am very much afraid we shall have to drop not only the pelsk bag, but probably a week of our own provisions off the point of White Island. I don’t know when we are likely to get there as our speed is only between 1/4 & 1/2 a mile an hour. If we drop anything, it will be 1/2’ N of the nearest of the two points at the N end of White I[slan]d & will be marked with a large flag. The snow here is not quite so deep, but it is as much as ever we can do to start the sledges on ski, we cannot even start the first sledge, I hope Vinka will turn up all right. We are going to starve her & do our best to send her back.” Lot 258 carries an estimate of £2,000-3,000.

Barne’s sledging party, consisting of six men (Smythe, Plumley, Williamson, Crean, Weller), did not have a supporting party, which was the normal way to send notes back to the ship. Fortunately for Barne, when he left the ship two days earlier Armitage’s pet Samoyed, Vinka, had followed his sledging party. Barne did not have extra dog food to look after his senior officer’s dog so he took the decision to starve her and send her back to the ship, hoping she would find her way.

Other letters and notes in the collection paint a cheerier picture of the life of an explorer. One from Armitage to Royds ends; “My best chin – chin to Micky, Bunny & Muggins, all good luck old chap, all hands in best of spirits & health & doing grandly” [Lot 256, est. £3,000-4,000].

Another sent from Reginald William Skelton to Royds in the run up to Christmas, Dec. 10, 1902 says; “Just a line to wish you a Merry Christmas… We have been having a most enjoyable trip, though it has been hard work as you may imagine, the last 19 or 20 miles all double hauling, – we are now over 4000 ft high & about to attack a regular Spion Kop – however Koettlitz will tell you all about it. The Supplementary party have done very well… Armitage gave any of my party chance of returning, but they didn’t take it. – Whitfield is a rare good man out,- Armitage says he would have liked to taken him on,- so if you get a chance to give him another trip, – perhaps you will be able to do so” [Lot 263, est. £2,000-2,500].

Other topical works in the sale include a 17th century broadside on the Scottish colony of Darien that lead to the union of England and Scotland [Lot 7, est. £1,500-2,000]. The wider manuscript section covers a broad range of bizarre and interesting topics like murder, suicide, execution, dueling and Victorian midwifery.

Elsewhere, leading the English and Continental Literature is a large 18th century gentleman’s library. Of particular note is Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1776-88, first edition in six volumes [Lot 150, est. £7,000-9,000].

Books from the library of the late David Bauman include George Cruikshank’s Omnibus, 1842. This first edition was bound from the original monthly parts. Loosely inserted into the work is the original illustrated letter by Robert Cruikshank to George Cruikshank and five original pencil sketches by George Cruikshank, one has a watercolor wash and has been heightened in white [Lot 342, est. £600-800].

The sale of Printed Books and Manuscripts will be held at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions saleroom in London’s Mayfair.

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

The note dated Dec. 21, 1902 that was carried by a lone pet dog across miles of featureless Antarctica. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

A note sent from Reginald William Skelton to Charles Royds on Dec. 10, 1902 contains Christmas greetings. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

Winter Olympia Art & Antiques Fair sets program of events

Image courtesy of Winter Olympia Art & Antiques Fair, London

LONDON – The 24th Winter Olympia Art & Antiques Fair, Nov. 3-9, 2014, is the only high-caliber art and antiques fair between October and March and a highlight of the winter art season. One hundred and twenty of the UK’s top dealers will be selling exceptional examples of fine art and antiques from all periods. Popular with collectors, interior designers and those looking for something different, the stock on sale ranges from dining tables to diamond rings. For the second year running, it coincides with Asian Art in London.

An expected 22,000 visitors will find over 30,000 pieces across 32 disciplines including: furniture, 20th century design, jewelry, art, Asian pieces, ceramics, sculpture, silver, mirrors, lighting, fossils, clocks, textiles and glass.

Fair Director Mary Clare Boyd says of the event, “Be prepared for a truly eclectic mix of pieces for sale, beyond what you might imagine an antique fair could sell. There are fashion drawings, 1950s Cartier earrings, Asprey Cocktail shakers, Warhol prints, Lalique glass, 18th-century oak dressers, enormous chrome binoculars and 17th-century marriage portraits. It is a wonderful source of one-off Christmas presents at different prices and the experience is one of pre-Christmas luxury and sparkle with a host of experts on hand to learn from.”

The fair is organized in association with the UK’s top trade associations, BADA and LAPADA. Every piece on sale is strictly checked by experts before the fair opens to ensure it is authentic so visitors can buy with confidence.

New for the 2014 edition is an enhanced events program which includes: “A Victorian Obsession Bringing the Pérez Simón collection to Leighton House Museum,” a talk by Daniel Robbins, Senior Curator at Leighton House. This is a preview taster to the much anticipated exhibition at Leighton House in mid-November. There are two Asian lectures at the fair, one by the British Museum (Ming: Beyond Porcelain) and one by specialist Arthur Millner (Asiatic themes in Mamluk and Ottoman Tiles from Damascus (1400-1800). The annual BADA talk is “Over the Top? The Image of War” by Andrew Sim. For the first time at the November fair, independent art consultant Vanessa Curry will be conducting specialist daily tours.

Incorporating a Mosimanns Bistro and champagne bar and with stylish presentation, this is a glamorous annual event with a sparkling preview night.

Online: www.olympia-antiques.com

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Emperor’s frescoed rooms unveiled for first time in Rome

Fresco paintings inside the House of Augustus, his residence during his reign as emperor Maison d'Auguste. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license.

ROME – Lavishly frescoed rooms in the houses of the Roman Emperor Augustus and his wife Livia are opening for the first time to the public on Thursday, after years of painstaking restoration.

The houses on Rome’s Palatine hill where the emperor lived with his family are reopening after a 2.5 million euros ($11.82 million) restoration to mark the 2,000 anniversary of Augustus’s death – with previously off-limit chambers on show for the first time.

From garlands of flowers on Pompeian red backgrounds to majestic temples and scenes of rural bliss, the rooms are adorned with vividly colored frescoes, many in an exceptional condition.

Restorers said their task had been a complex one, with bad weather during excavation threating the prized relics of a golden era in the Eternal City.

“We had to tackle a host of problems which were all connected, from underground grottos to sewers – and I’m talking about a sewer system stretching over 35 hectares [86 acres],” Mariarosaria Barbera, Rome’s archaeological superintendent, told AFP.

To protect the site, tourists will have to book to join one of three daily groups of up to 20 people who will be taken around by a guide for a 15-minute visit.

Cinzia Conti, head restorer, said the plan was to allow people to enjoy “a more intimate, more attentive exploration of Augustus’s spaces.”

It will also mean “we restorers can keep an eye on and evaluate the consequences of the public walking through, for example the dust on their shoes and especially their breath,” she said.

Augustus’s decision to build his “domus” near a grotto where Romans worshipped Romulus – one of the twins who legend has it founded Rome – was no coincidence.

The complex was intended to symbolize not only his power but that of his wife and adviser Livia, who is said to have wielded great influence over him and went on to play an important role in Roman politics after his death.

“Looking at the houses, the buildings he had built, we understand he was a man of power, of great strength, who knew what went into making a political man at the head of such a big empire,” Conti said.

The frescoes in Livia’s house in particular are one of the most important examples of the period’s style, according to Barbera.

The founder of the Roman Empire was born Caius Octavius in 63 B.C. on the Palatine hill. The great-nephew of Julius Caesar, he was adopted as his son shortly before the latter was assassinated.

Caius Octavius went on to rule over Rome for 40 years, during which the Republic experienced an era of great wealth and relative peace.

Livia, the love of his life, was his third wife, whom he married when she was pregnant with her first husband’s child. He adopted the baby, Tiberius, who would succeed him after his death.

Augustus died aged 75, after which the Senate raised him to the status of a god and appointed Livia his chief priestess.

As part of the 2,000 year celebrations, the Palatine Museum has dedicated a room to Augustus with objects connected to his life on show.

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Eisenhower Memorial panel puts off vote on Gehry’s design

Model of the proposed Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial. Eisenhower Memorial Commission image, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

WASHINGTON (AP) – A federal commission working to build a memorial honoring President Dwight D. Eisenhower near the National Mall was considering Wednesday whether to move forward with architect Frank Gehry’s design after years of controversy over the project.

No votes were taken, however, because the commission lacked a quorum. Seven lawmakers did not attend the meeting on Capitol Hill, including Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts and Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran, who have championed the project in the past. Instead the panel will hold an electronic vote by Sept. 24 on how to proceed.

Earlier in September, Gehry’s team presented a revised design for a proposed memorial park in response to objections from critics and Eisenhower’s family who said the earlier design was too big and extravagant. The Eisenhower Memorial Commission is scheduled to meet Wednesday for the first time in more than a year to consider Gehry’s changes or whether to move the 15-year-old project in a different direction.

In the revised design, Gehry’s Los Angeles-based team eliminated two large, metal tapestries on the sides of the memorial park, along with some large columns. One long, stainless steel tapestry would remain as a backdrop, depicting the Kansas landscape of Ike’s boyhood home. The park would also include statues of Eisenhower as president and World War II general and inscriptions from some famous speeches.

But in a letter to the commission this week, Eisenhower’s family said the revised design still does not address their concerns. They said the project is at a “crossroads” and should pursue a simpler design without any tapestries or columns – or be completely redesigned.

“Our family is ready to help move this memorial to completion under conditions that can re-energize this effort,” wrote the 34th president’s granddaughters, Anne Eisenhower and Susan Eisenhower.

As an alternative, the Eisenhower commission will consider building only the “core of the Gehry design without any tapestries or columns,” as suggested by the family and by California Rep. Darrell Issa, who has weighed in on the project. In that case, Gehry would likely withdraw from the project if his trademark tapestries are eliminated.

“Gehry Partners has indicated that it will not present or associate its name with a design that does not include the tapestry and column elements and will withdraw from the project,” wrote Brig. Gen. Carl Reddel, the commission’s director, in a letter Monday.

Dan Feil, the executive architect for the project, will present both alternatives to the commission, which includes Democratic and Republican lawmakers and presidential appointees.

The Eisenhower memorial would be Gehry’s first major project in Washington. The famed architect’s designs include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, among others.

Project estimates have put the memorial’s total cost at $142 million. The cost has become a primary concern, resulting in Congress’ decision not to approve any additional funding until the design dispute is resolved, according to Issa, who is chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

“All the project’s stakeholders recognize the importance of creating an enduring memorial that honors President Eisenhower’s legacy,” he wrote to the commission last week, “but these controversies have clouded the decision-making process and prevented the project from moving forward.”

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Eisenhower Memorial Commission: http://eisenhowermemorial.gov

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Follow Brett Zongker on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DCArtBeat .

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Tenant vacating Grant Wood’s ‘American Gothic’ house

Grant Wood's masterpiece 'American Gothic.' Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

ELDON, Iowa (AP) – The rural Iowa house that helped inspire the famous American Gothic painting is empty and could be up for rent.

The home in the southeast Iowa town of Eldon has had the same tenant for the past four years. But Monday marked Beth Howard’s last day in the house, the Des Moines Register reported.

“There should be a statute of limitations for how long one can live in a tourist attraction,” she told the newspaper Tuesday.

The 700-square-foot home was made famous by Grant Wood, a native Iowa artist who spotted the house while traveling through the area. He used it as the backdrop to his 1930 painting of a farmer holding a pitchfork next to his daughter.

The house, now owned by the State Historical Society of Iowa, was rented to Howard for just $250 a month. Officials reasoned it would help offset the tenant’s patience for dealing with curious tourists walking on the property and peeking inside.

Jerome Thompson, the society’s historic site administrator, said the group is weighing its options on what to do next. They may rent it out again or they may offer an artist-in-residence program. They may also allow the next-door visitors’ center, which is run by the city and county, to use it.

Eldon is located about 100 miles southeast of Des Moines.

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Information from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

The State Historical Society of Iowa owns the 1881-82 house, which was built in the Carpenter Gothic architectural style. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Wild critters inhabit decoy carver Charles Perdew’s house

Decoy carver Charles Perdew's home in Henry, Ill. Image courtesy of the Charles Perdew Museum Association.

HENRY, Ill. (AP) – Pat Selquist knows exactly how she would spend the money if she were lucky enough to win the lottery.

As soon as the money was in her account, she’d begin renovating and repairing the Charles Perdew house in Henry.

Unlike the restored Charles Perdew workshop, the house is not open to the public. And there’s good reason for that. For safety’s sake, you have to watch where you step in the dilapidated structure. Long vacant, the only things living there these days are animals that make their way into the house’s many openings.

The house, like its creator, is truly one of a kind. Charles, a renowned decoy carver whose work commands hefty sums, designed the house and began building it on Oct. 11, 1907. As one might imagine, the house has some interesting features. That doesn’t surprise Selquist, who serves as president of the Charles Perdew Museum Association.

“Nothing is unusual with Charlie,” she said.

Never one to waste anything, he used newspapers, cardboard and other materials for insulation.

“He insulated part of the house with sawdust,” Selquist said.

He used Masonite in various areas of the house.

“It’s covered with oilcloth,” Selquist said.

The oilcloth was then painted by his wife, Edna Perdew, who was an accomplished artist in her own right.

“That’s the backdrop for all her murals on the wall,” she said.

The murals in some rooms are faded, but the mural in the bathroom is still quite vivid.

Edna’s kerosene stove still sits in the kitchen, and it’s the only one she ever had, Selquist said.

Edna and Charles had one son and three grandchildren.

“All three of the grandchildren were born in this house,” Selquist said. “They all lived here together (for a while).”

Although efforts have been made to stabilize the house, Selquist said it would take hundreds of thousands of dollars to properly restore it.

The annual Charles Perdew Museum Association dinner and auction, the association’s main fundraiser of the year, will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at the River Valley Bowl in Henry. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Tickets are $20 per person and are available from Perdew museum board members, The Paint Store, Henry State Bank, Heartland Bank or at the door that night.

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Information from: News-Tribune, http://www.newstrib.com

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The reconstructed Charles Perdew workshop and museum. Image courtesy of the Charles Perdew Museum Association.

Stolen Civil War photographs, WWII posters recovered

A World War II poster depicting a U.S. Navy sailor was one the items stolen from the library. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com archive.

BANGOR, Maine (AP) – A Bangor man who volunteered at the city library has been sentenced to six months in jail for stealing $31,000 worth of Civil War-era photographs and other historical memorabilia that belonged to the library.

WABI-TV reports that Russell Graves pleaded guilty Tuesday.

Police started investigating in March when the owner of a city collectibles shop became suspicious when someone tried to sell him the photographs and World War II posters.

The suspicious shopkeeper refused the items and called the library, which checked its collection and discovered the theft.

A woman entered the same store the next day and again tried to sell the items. This time police were ready and traced the photos to the 28-year-old Graves.

The stolen items were all recovered.

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Information from: WABI-TV, http://www.wabi.tv

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