March 2015 - Page 2 of 20 - Auction Central News

Charles Dickens museum acquires author’s desk

Charles Dickens' desk and chair at the Charles Dickens Museum in London. Image courtesy of the Charles Dickens Museum

LONDON (AP) — They were the best of lines, they were the worst of lines — and the desk where Charles Dickens wrote them has been saved for the British public.

London’s Dickens Museum has received a 780,000 pound ($1.2 million) grant from a government-backed heritage fund to buy the desk at which the 19th-century novelist wrote books including Great Expectations.

The desk remained in the Dickens family until it was sold for charity in 2004. Dickens Museum director Robert Moye said Sunday that the desk and chair, which have been displayed on loan, would become permanent fixtures. Dickens used the desk during the last years of his life, when he wrote works including A Tale of Two Cities, which opens: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

AP-WF-03-29-15 0915GMT

'Dickens' Dream' by R.W. Buss. Image courtesy of the Charles Dickens Museum — ‘Dickens’ Dream’ by R.W. Buss. Image courtesy of the Charles Dickens Museum

Kovels Antiques & Collecting: Week of March 30, 2015

This strange brass object is an early stock ticker tape, an unusual collectible that can be displayed like a piece of sculpture. It sold at auction for $2,460.

BEACHWOOD, Ohio – Collectors are searching for antique and vintage items related to discontinued technology – old computers, transistor radios, early television sets, computer games, and even old typewriters, fans and ticker tape machines.

A recent auction featuring furniture, cigar cutters, stoneware crocks, Chippendale furniture and maps was also offering an antique stock ticker. The 11-inch-high machine had a metal label explaining that it was designed by Thomas Edison in 1870. It was used for about 80 years for getting stock and commodities quotes from exchanges. The estimated auction price was $1,000 to $1,500.

Printed letters could be sent by telegraph as early as 1846, but machines were fragile and difficult to use. Telegraphic printers were improved, and by 1867 a stock price ticker system was being used in New York City. Edison’s invention came next. It was the first one to use letters and numbers, not Morse code. By the 1880s, thousands of stock tickers were in use in New York that made stock trades accurate and almost instantaneous. Ticker tape machines recorded information on long thin strips of paper that were discarded. When there was a parade in Manhattan to celebrate a holiday or championship, the tapes were torn and thrown at the parade from open windows. Soon the events were called ticker tape parades. The name still is used, although now the paper comes from the paper shredders.

An antique ticker tape machine attracted technology enthusiasts at a 2014 Pook and Pook auction in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Collectors bid until the rare Edison machine sold for $2,460.

Q: I have a large cedar chest with a curved lid and drawers along the bottom. It has two curved handles. It’s marked under the lid “Roos Chests, Forest Park, Ill., Sealtite lid patented.” It was my maternal grandmother’s wedding chest about 1920. The chest is 44 inches wide, 31 inches deep, and 18 inches across. What are the best fabrics to store in a cedar chest? Does it have any value as an antique?

A: Cedar chests have been used to store things for hundreds of years. They are often called “hope chests” because they often were given to young women to keep linens and other household items before marriage. The cedar keeps out moths and other insects, but the oil in the wood will discolor fabric or paper. Before storing fabrics in the cedar chest, it should be lined with mylar or polyethylene sheeting. The fabric should be wrapped in white cotton sheets or washed unbleached muslin. Pictures and other paper objects should be placed in an archival box before storing in a cedar chest. Edward Roos Co. was founded in Chicago in 1916 and moved to Forest Park in 1918. At one time it made more chests than any other maker in the world. The company was sold in 1951 and it went out of business in 1953. Cedar chests are useful and sell quickly. Many Roos chests are found online and in shops. Plain chests go for $100-$150. Those with extra decoration or carvings can sell for $300-$500.

Q: I have a copper box with a hinged lid that is marked “Craftsman Studios” above a hammer striking an anvil. The words “Hand Made” are on the anvil and the words “Laguna Calif” are below it. There is a repousse long-stemmed rose bud on the top of the lid. When was this made and what is it worth?

A: Carl Wirths started Craftsman Studios in Brooklyn, New York, in 1919. Jewelry and desk accessories were made. Wirths moved to California and opened a studio in Los Angeles in 1920. Clyde Hall took over ownership in the studio in 1924. The studio was moved to Laguna Beach in 1929 and was in business until the 1950s. Hand-hammered desk accessories, vases and other items were made at the California studio. Variations on the name of the workshop were used, including “Studio” instead of “Studios,” and “Craftsmen” instead of “Craftsman.” The name and location marked on your copper box indicate it was made in 1929 or 1939. The realistic rose on top of the box is not a typical Arts and Crafts design, so your box is not a type popular with Arts and Crafts collectors. It would sell for $75 to $100.

Q: During the 1950s I attended an Italian Anti-Defamation League dinner in New York. I got a lot of autographs, and when I approached Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees for an autograph, he gave permission for the whole team to sign my book. Is it worth anything?

A: The Italian Anti-Defamation League, which became the Italian-American Civil Rights League, was active in the 1970s and wasn’t in existence in the 1950s. Mobster Joseph Colombo, a member of the Costa Nostra, was one of the founding members. The League got the producer of “The Godfather” to eliminate the words “Mafia” and “Costa Nostra” from the dialogue. Was Joe DiMaggio, who played for the New York Yankees from 1936 to 1951, being honored at the meeting? We wonder how you got the autographs of all the players, unless they were all at the meeting, too. Usually, sports memorabilia signed by an entire team is worth more than something signed by just a few team members. An expert on sports memorabilia and autographs would have to see your book in order to determine the value.

Q: A baseball team gave me a Falstaff beer clock for my birthday in 1957. The numbers 3, 6, 9 and 12 are on the clock face. There is a large shield-shaped Falstaff Beer logo and two beer mugs that move on the front. There is a light inside that lights up the clock face. What is it worth?

A: Beer was produced under the Falstaff name from 1903 until 2005. Several Falstaff beer clocks in a variety of styles were made over the years. Most of them sell for $50 to $60. Your “toasting” beer mugs make it more attractive, so it might be $150-$200.

Tip: Do not store papers near sunlight, heaters, radiators, furnaces, stoves, lamps, television sets, VCRs or any other heat-producing device.

Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer questions sent to the column. By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The amount of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, Auction Central News, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.

CURRENT PRICES

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Buffalo pottery bowl, willow, cobalt blue, house, birds, footed, 1922, 4 x 8 x 3 inches, $50.
Bottle, soda, stoneware, cobalt blue dipped spout & neck, P. Pfannebecker, circa 1870, 9 1/2 inches, $60.
Coca-Cola, tray, 1916, girl, yellow dress, rectangular, 19 x 8 1/2 inches, $120.
Doorknocker, cast iron, shaped like ship, sail masts, 1929, 9 1/2 inches, $165.
Baccarat crystal ice bucket, faceted rim, indented center band, vertically paneled tapering sides, 9 x 7 1/2 inches, $185.
Silver-plate coaster, wine bottle, reticulated lion mask, gadrooned, England, circa 1860, 5 x 7 1/2 inches, four pieces, $405.
Ideal doll, Mary Hartline, hard plastic, blonde wig, red marching uniform, batons, hair curlers, box, 16 inches, $450.
Jewelry, cocktail ring, 18K yellow gold, square emerald, star, diamonds, circa 1940, size 7, $720.
Crown Milano vase, multicolor flowers, white, pink ground, pulled ear handles, Colonial ware, marked, 9 3/4 inches, $1,060.
Chair, Queen Anne, walnut, carved shell crest, slip seat, Philadelphia, circa 1780, 38 x 18 inches, $1,875.

The Kovels.com premium website is up and running. In addition to 900,000 free prices of antiques and collectibles, more than 11,000 with photographs, premium subscribers will find a dictionary of marks for silver and another for ceramics, with pictured marks and company histories. Premium membership also includes a subscription to the digital edition of our newsletter, “Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles,” and its archives, where you’ll find hundreds of articles about almost anything you might collect. Up-to-date information for the savvy collector. Go to Kovels.com and click on “Subscription” for more information.

‘Whistler’s Mother’ to reside temporarily in Mass. museum

James Abbott McNeill Whistler (American, 1834-1903), 'Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1,' popularly known as 'Whistler's Mother.' From the collection of Musee d'Orsay, Paris.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. (ACNI) – One of the most famous and recognizable of all American paintings, James Abbott McNeill Whister’s portrait known as ‘Whistler’s Mother’ will be traveling to Massachusetts this summer.

Formally known as “Arrangement in Gray and Black No. 1: Portrait of the Artist’s Mother,” the iconic portrait will go on display at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass., starting July 4th.

Whistler was born in the northern Massachusetts mill town of Lowell, but he spent most of his life abroad, in France, Russia and Great Britain. In 1871, Whistler painted the iconic portrait of his mother, Anna, who was ailing and living with him in London.

Mrs. Whistler was originally supposed to stand for the portrait, but it proved too much for her, so she was seated in a chair, her feet elevated on a stool to avoid the cold draft. She wore her usual daily attire — a prim, lace-trimmed black dress and white lace cap — and folded her hands in her lap.

‘Whistler’s Mother’ is in the permanent collection of Musee d’Orsay in Paris.

The Clark Art Institute is located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. It houses European and American paintings and sculpture, English silver and early photography.

Palm Beach Modern’s Apr. 11 auction showcases midcentury masters

Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987), original, signed photograph/silkscreen art used on invitations to designer Halston’s ‘dress drag’ party in 1978, 9.75 by 6.25-inch. Est. $10,000-$15,000. Palm Beach Modern Auctions image

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Captivated followers of AMC’s Mad Men knew the time would come that they’d have to bid farewell to moody Don Draper and the rest of the dysfunctional crew at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. In recognition of the smash-hit TV series’ last season, Palm Beach Modern Auctions (PBMA) is hosting an April 11 auction that embodies the sophisticated interior-design style favored by “mad men” of the 1960s. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

In toasting the spirit of postwar modernity for their 550-lot auction, PBMA co-owners Rico Baca and Wade Terwilliger have chosen a selection of classic midcentury art and furniture by the most sought-after designers of Italy, France, Denmark and the United States.

A pair of matched Philip & Kelvin Laverne Etruscan tables that combine to form a dining table will be offered with an estimate of $30,000-$40,000. Illustrating a synthesis of surreal imagery and minimalist forms, a John Dickinson Model 57 galvanized steel console is expected to reach $20,000-$30,000. And from a collection of Jacques Duval-Brasseur furniture comes a sculptural center hall table with a flower insert that rises from the center. Estimate: $8,000-$12,000.

The list of powerhouse names represented in the sale is a long and illustrious one, and includes such furniture-design giants as: Paul Evans, Wendell Castle, Arne Jacobsen, Charles & Ray Eames, George Nelson, Barovier & Toso, Karl Springer, Eero Saarinen, Wormley/Dunbar, Vladimir Kagan, Charlotte Perriand and dozens of others.

A superb selection of art features original works and editions, as well as sculptures by noted artists. Leading the group is an acrylic on panel by Richard Anuszkiewics titled Soft Turquoise. Estimate: $25,000-$35,000. Other artists whose works will be auctioned include Tom Wesselman, Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein and Red Grooms. Also, there are original works by Angel Botello, Donald Sultan, Gino Severini, Georg Kolbe and Paul Jenkins.

Harkening the anything-goes era of Studio 54, Lot 365A is the original 1978 artwork Andy Warhol created for invitations to a “dress drag” party hosted by fashion designer Halston at his East 63rd Street townhouse on July 17th of that year. The 9.75 by 6.25-inch photograph/silkscreen art depicts as its subject a Venezuelan window dresser named Victor Hugo, who became Halston’s lover in 1972 and later worked as Warhol’s assistant. The work is clearly hand-signed by Warhol. Its line of provenance starts with Warhol, who gifted it to Hugo, who, in turn, gave it to the consignor. Its estimate is $10,000-$15,000.

Included in the same late 1970s/early 1980s circle of glamorous party people was model Yelitza Károlyi. Lot 77 in the April 11 auction is a 1974 screenprint, titled Mao, which Warhol created for an exhibition at Musee Galliera in Paris and hand-signed/inscribed to Károlyi. The 40.25 by 29.5-inch screenprint is estimated at $20,000-$30,000.

Another of Károlyi’s friends was photographer Peter Beard, renowned for his stunning images of African wildlife and landscapes. Seven of Beard’s early silver gelatin prints from Károlyi’s collection are entered in the auction. A compelling Beard-inscribed and dated (1964) gelatin silver print of young Africans in native attire bears a rare King Edward VIII Tanganyika stamp. Its presale estimate is $10,000-$15,000.

Hands should go up all over the room for a large and intriguing Harry Bertoia organic-form sculpture from a collection of Bertoia works consigned to the auction. The sculpture passed from the artist to his son, Val Bertoia, then to Richard Thomas, who was Head of Metalsmithing at Cranbrook Academy of Art. After that, the sculpture was acquired by a private collector in Boynton Beach, Fla., and passed by descent through the same family. It is estimated at $15,000-$25,000.

Baca remarked that he and Terwilliger are “obsessive” about tracking trends in the midcentury and contemporary art market, and that they stay on the lookout for new categories that are gaining momentum. “We watch and listen, and of course, the results of each of our sales steer us toward the type of art and design we should offer the next time around,” said Baca.

A fast-growing category for PBMA is luxury goods, Baca said. A selection of quality items will be offered in the upcoming sale, with representation from such designers and brands such as Tiffany & Co., Chanel, Bulgari, Louis Vuitton, Yves St. Laurent, Judith Leiber and many more.

Palm Beach Modern Auctions’ Saturday, April 11, 2015 auction will commence at 12 noon Eastern Time at the company’s exhibition center located at 417 Bunker Rd., West Palm Beach, FL 33405. Guests will be treated to a complimentary lunch, as well as valet parking. Preview: Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 9 a.m. onward on auction day.

For additional information, call 561-586-5500 or e-mail info@modernauctions.com.

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Richard Anuszkiewics, ‘Soft Turquoise,’ acrylic on panel. Est. $25,000-$35,000. Palm Beach Modern Auctions image

John Dickinson galvanized steel console, Model 57. Est. $20,000-$30,000. Palm Beach Modern Auctions image

Jacques Duval-Brasseur sculptural center hall table. Est. $8,000-$12,000. Palm Beach Modern Auctions image

Early Peter Beard inscribed and dated gelatin silver print with rare King Edward VIII Tanganyika stamp. Est. $10,000-$15,000. Palm Beach Modern Auctions image

Large Harry Bertoia sculpture. Provenance: Harry Bertoia / Val Bertoia / Richard Thomas (Head of Metalsmithing at Cranbrook Academy of Art) / private collection, Boynton Beach, Fla., thence by descent. Est. $15,000-$25,000. Palm Beach Modern Auctions image

Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987), 40.25 by 29.5-inch screenprint created for 1974 exhibition at Musee Galliera in Paris, hand-signed/inscribed by Warhol. Est. $20,000-$30,000. Palm Beach Modern Auctions image

Pearl Harbor mementos among $30K of items taken from home

Japanese Nambu pistol Model 14, made in 1925, not the actual gun referenced in this article. Photo by Oleg Volk at en.wikipedia, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

OIL CITY, Pa. (AP) – State police say some World War II mementos from the attack on Pearl Harbor were among $30,000 worth of items taken from a western Pennsylvania home.

Troopers from the Franklin barracks say the home in Cornplanter Township was burglarized sometime between Oct. 5 and March 17, when the items were discovered missing.

Police say the war souvenirs included a Japanese Nambu 8mm pistol taken from a downed fighter pilot, as well as a flight stick and altimeter from a downed Japanese plane.

Various rifles and shotguns, not related to the war, were also taken along with a drum set, keyboard and other musical equipment. Finally, police say the thieves took a coin collection, some antique fishing equipment and jewelry.

The township is about 70 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Police are publicizing the thefts in hopes of generating clues.

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Greece condemns British refusal of mediation on Parthenon sculptures

The left-hand group of surviving figures from the East Pediment of the Parthenon, exhibited as part of the Elgin Marbles in the British Museum. Copyrighted photo by Andrew Dunn (http://www.andrewdunnphoto.com) taken Dec. 3, 2005. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

ATHENS (AFP) – Greece on Saturday criticized the “negativism” of the British Museum in rejecting mediation by UNESCO to help resolve the decades-old dispute over returning ancient Parthenon sculptures toAthens.

The sculptures are part of the collection popularly known as the “Elgin Marbles” which were acquired by Lord Elgin in the early 1800s when he was ambassador to the Ottoman court. The British parliament purchased the art treasures in 1816 and gave them to the museum.

For the past 30 years Athens has been demanding the return of the sculptures which had decorated the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis in Athens from ancient times.

“We deplore the categorical refusal by the British of UNESCO’s invitation to launch a mediation process over the Parthenon sculptures housed in the British Museum,” said Nikos Xydakis, a Greek culture minister, in a statement. “The British negativism is overwhelming, along with its lack of respect for the role of mediators,” he added.

The UN cultural agency had offered to mediate between Greece and Britain over the ancient artworks during a meeting in October 2014.

But Sir Richard Lambert, the director of the British Museum, said in a letter to Athens this week that at a meeting on March 19 the trustees “decided respectfully to decline this request”.

He said UNESCO’s role was to pursue and safeguard endangered cultural heritage and that “the surviving Parthenon sculptures, carefully preserved in a number of European museums, clearly do not fall into this category.”

“We believe that the more constructive way forward, on which we have already embarked, is to collaborate directly with other museums and cultural institutions, not just in Greece but across the world,” he added.

Lambert said the British Museum wanted to continue exploring collaborative ventures directly with Greek institutions — “not on a government-to-government basis”.

For his part, the Greek minister criticised Britain for viewing the dispute as just an issue between museums and not between states. “We call on Great Britain to reconsider its position,” Xydakis said.

# # #

New Hampshire antiques dealers’ summer show set for Aug. 6-8

Image courtesy of New Hampshire Antiques Dealers Association

MANCHESTER, N.H. – The New Hampshire Antiques Dealers Association date for the 58th annual New Hampshire Antiques Show is set for Aug. 6-8 at the Radisson Hotel Manchester.

This year’s show will feature 67 exhibitors from all over the country with a wide range of items from folk art to fine porcelain, country and formal furniture, paintings and prints and more.

The New Hampshire Antiques Show closes a week of antiques and shows known as Antiques Week in New Hampshire, a tourism draw for the state, attracting dealers and collectors from around the country, hoping to find that perfect piece of Americana. This annual tradition now in its 58th year brings together highly reputable dealers who, with a keen interest in educating visitors about antiques, save their most prized wares for the event. With on-site shipping and no sales tax this is the event to find that one-of-a-kind treasure you have been searching for.

Exhibitors offer a wide range of country and formal antique furniture and accessories including clocks, folk art, paintings and prints, textiles, woodenware, nautical and scientific items, metalware, glassware, pottery and ceramics, early lighting, samplers, Shaker furniture and accessories, decoys, architectural and garden ornaments, and books about antiques.

There are two new exhibitors joining the show this year, which include Pewter & Wood Antiques, Barbara Boardman Johnson, of Enfield, N.H., and Kelly Kinzle, New Oxford, Pa. Pewter & Wood Antiques specializes in 18th and 19th century American Antiques with emphasis on original first surface paint, as well as country furniture, painted smalls, folk art, textiles, hooked rugs, braided rugs, samplers, stoneware, toys, game boards, signs, pewter and decorative items. Kelly is “known for his inventory of tall case clocks, fire arms, Pennsylvania decorative arts and fire-fighting memorabilia.” “Both exhibitors will certainly be a welcome addition to the show,” said Tommy Thompson, president of the NH Antiques Dealers Association.

Show hours are: Thursday, Aug. 6, and Friday, Aug. 7, from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; and Saturday, Aug. 8, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is $15 on Thursday, $10 on Friday and Saturday. Visitors under 30 (with proper ID) are admitted free. Free return visits to the show are available after initial admission.

For more information, visit www.nhada.org .

Kerry Taylor Auctions to sell designer Celia Birtwell archive

Detail of 'Tulip Reign' print by Celia Birtwell. Kerry Taylor Auctions image

LONDON – Kerry Taylor Auctions, specialists in antique and vintage fashion and textiles, will sell the historically important collection of British designer Celia Birtwell on June 23 as part of the firm’s “Passion for Fashion” sale.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire pieces by two of the leading British fashion/textile designers of the late 20th century, taken from Celia Birtwell’s own personal archive,” noted Kerry Taylor. “Beautiful, timeless and historically important, they will appeal to collectors, museums and those stylish women the world over who just wish to wear them as they were originally intended.”

The collection of approximately 60 pieces range from one of Ossie Clark’s earliest pop-art influenced mini dresses (made just after he graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1965), through to a spikey black leather “biker” girl ensemble he made in 1996 just before his untimely and tragic death.

Undoubtedly the most beautiful and mesmerizing designs are those of the late 1960s and 1970s, which combine the virtuosity of Celia Birtwell’s colorful textile prints and Ossie Clark’s consummate cutting skills.

The most famous dress in the collection is the instantly recognizable and iconic black and red moss crepe “Heavenly Twins” dress which Celia wore for the double portrait of herself and Ossie Clark with their white cat, painted by David Hockney in 1970 titled Mr. & Mrs. Clark & Percy.

The sale will also include fine haute couture by Elsa Schiaparelli from the 1930s, historic dress and outstanding McQueen examples from other collectors. Kerry Taylor is still accepting entries for this auction until early May.

For more information email info@kerrytaylorauctions.com or phone 0044 (0)208 676 4600.

Giant tire on Interstate 94 outside Detroit turning 50

The US Royal Giant Tire Ferris Wheel at the 1964 New York World's Fair. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) – It was a home, Ferris wheel, marriage proposal site, target for arrows and an object ogled by Paul McCartney.

But mainly, it’s the biggest dang tire you’ve ever seen.

It’s the giant Uniroyal tire on Interstate 94 in Allen Park, and it’s turning 50 next month.

No formal celebration is planned, but the city is proud of the 80-foot behemoth, which is one of the largest and most famous roadside landmarks in Michigan.

“A lot of people have a soft spot for it,” longtime Allen Park resident Sharon Broglin told The Detroit News.

The tire is such an icon that an 11-foot nail plucked from it became famous in its own right, getting its own handler, vehicle and email address.

The hulking sphere means different things to different folks.

For visitors, it’s an auto-themed welcome to the Motor City. For residents, it means they’re halfway between Detroit and Metro Airport.

The tire isn’t a tourist attraction. It’s basically an eight-story billboard telling people to buy Uniroyal tires.

Still, it’s a billboard that’s listed on Google Maps.

It weighs 12 tons, but not a single ounce is rubber. It’s steel and polyester resin with a fiberglass surface.

It’s immune to potholes unless said potholes are the size of the Detroit River.

Allen Park Mayor Bill Matakas first noticed it when returning home from the University of Michigan Law School one weekend in 1966.

“You cannot not notice it,” he said.

It was created as a tire-like Ferris wheel for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, providing rides to more than 2 million fairgoers.

Afterward, it was disassembled and transported by 21 railroad flat cars to Allen Park, where it was reconstructed, sans gondolas, near a Uniroyal Tire Co. corporate building in 1966, according to the book Images of America: Allen Park.

Uniroyal plants in Detroit once employed 10,000 workers who produced 60,000 tires a day.

The plants and corporate building are gone. The tire endures.

“It lets travelers know that automobiles are our thing,” said Renee Monforton, spokeswoman for the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The tire has been featured on Christmas ornaments, cartoon illustrations, and music videos from Wings’ Silly Love Songs in 1976 to Kid Rock’s Roll On in 2008.

A 2001 postcard by the Allen Park Historical Museum promotes the city as the “Home of the Giant Tire.”

One reason the museum put out the card was to counter a Detroit postcard claiming the landmark was in that city, said Broglin, who has been museum director for 28 years.

Visitors have lots of questions about the tire, she said. Among them: How big is it, why is it there, how did it get there, who owns it and what is under it?

Because Uniroyal was bought by Michelin in 1990, the tire, supported by a concrete base, is owned by a French company, which now makes us even for the Statue of Liberty.

Many charities and other groups have sought to use the tire as an advertisement, apparently not realizing it’s already an advertisement.

Maintenance workers have had to pull arrows from the tire, patch up spots where people tried to break into it, and remove beer bottles from overnight parties around its base.

Someone was able to squeeze into the structure in the 1990s, using it as shelter until the hole was discovered by workers, who discarded the interloper’s mattress.

More famous visitors were McCartney during the Wings’ world tour in 1976, and several members of the Seattle Seahawks when they played in the Super Bowl at Ford Field in 2006.

Uniroyal stuck a gigantic nail into the tire in 1998 to promote its self-repairing tires.

Allen Park is tickled by its link to the tire.

Resident Bill Carnarvon is doubly proud because of his occupation. The Fiat Chrysler engineer loves the fact that the auto-related landmark sits in his hometown.

“It put Allen Park on the map,” he said. “It’s just the pride of the city.”

Carnarvon, 57, who has lived here his entire life, was one of the kids who traipsed through the woods and hopped the fence surrounding the tire.

One of 11 children, he sometimes joined his siblings on the jaunt.

But they never vandalized the icon, he said. They were too proud of it.

___

Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/

AP-WF-03-26-15 1444GMT

Tunisians assure movie fans Star Wars sets protected

'Star Wars' filming location Mos Espa near Tozeur, Tunisia. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) – It was a flood of messages from concerned friends abroad that alerted the president of Tunisia’s Star Wars fan club that the sets of his beloved film were under attack by militants – at least according to exaggerated reports in the foreign press.

In a country still reeling from a terrorist attack last week on a museum that killed 21 people, a misleading report from CNN that said the iconic sets were a “way station” for the radical Islamic State group infiltrating from Libya soon went viral. The report suggested that the sets were vulnerable after recent arrests and discoveries of weapons caches near the town of Tatouine, which lent its name to Luke Skywalker’s home planet.

Tunisian officials on Thursday made clear there was nothing to worry about.

“This information is false and without foundation and doesn’t reflect the reality,” said Mohammed Sayem, a member of the tourism commission in the western city of Tozeur.

Col. Mokhtar Hammami of the National Guard told The Associated Press he has 1,500 men, including special forces, canine units and bomb control experts under his command patrolling the area.

“I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that all is normal, in fact we’ve seen a big influx of foreign tourists and Tunisians” in the area, he said.

The story was picked up widely and was trending on Twitter – even though the main Star Wars sets are hundreds of miles west of Tatouine, on the other side of the country near Tozeur.

“The information is totally crazy, every outlet added a bit more,” said Star Wars fan Abderrahman Amer.

“We were obliged to reassure our friends and fans abroad that it’s fine, everything is OK, the sites are protected – there was even a festival of electronic music there a few weeks ago,” said Amer. “There is a world of difference between an Islamic State base and a music festival.”

Concerns over security have heightened after last week’s attack at the national museum that killed 21 people, including many foreigners.

___

Schemm reported from Rabat, Morocco.

AP-WF-03-26-15 1502GMT

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