Milestone sets house record with $1.5M auction of historically important firearms

Outstanding Berdan Sharps Model 1859 rifle, bore .52, one of the finest-condition rifles known of the approximately 2,000 shipped to Berdan in 1862. Extraordinary condition, all original in original Civil War-era rifle case, ID’d to James Baker of Ohio, who enlisted with the legendary Berdan Sharpshooters, 1st Regiment, Company K, at age 20. Sold at midpoint of estimate for $25,800

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – An 1859 Berdan Sharps rifle, Sammy Davis Jr’s .357 Magnum, and a Walther pistol from Hitler’s mountaintop retreat were among the highlights in Milestone’s record-setting January 30 auction, but it was an artful and unusual shooting gallery target that unexpectedly rose to the top of prices realized. The 33-inch-high painted metal and wood target figure of a medieval drummer had attracted a flurry of enquiries in the run-up to the $1.5 million sale. Collectors of firearms, folk art, and carnival arcade memorabilia all stepped up to “take a shot” at the coveted antique, which had been estimated at $4,000-$6,000.

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Omaha guitar exhibit blends science and sound

‘Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked the World’ is a touring exhibition of The National GUITAR Museum. Image courtesy of the Durham Museum

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The Durham Museum opened its latest exhibit last Saturday, and with temperatures barely breaking into the double digits, it was the perfect day to spend indoors exploring the world of the guitar.Continue reading

Muralists find higher calling decorating church interiors 

Following the completion of the artwork by Murals by Jericho, St. Mark Church was designated a shrine Italian Renaissance artist Fra Angelico by Bishop Daniel Jenky in 2004. Image by Murals by Jericho

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) – No matter how intricate the art or meaningful the message, Andrew Hattermann says his studio’s work comes down to one simple thing: Beauty.

“We try to make a church more beautiful than it’s ever been,” the Peoria resident says. “That’s our goal.”

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Swann Galleries’ first WPA artists auction sets 4 records

John Vachon, a select group of 38 vintage photographs, silver prints, circa 1937-42. Sold for $37,500, a record for the grouping. Swann Galleries image

NEW YORK—The Artists of the WPA were on display in Swann Galleries’ auction on Feb. 4. The multi-departmental sale featured paintings, prints, photographs, posters and related ephemera by artists whose careers were sustained by the Works Progress Administration and other agencies of the Depression-era’s New Deal. Absentee and Internet live bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Political memorabilia collectors back Abraham Lincoln

Portrait of the beardless Abraham Lincoln as he appeared in June 1860, by John C. Wolfe, oil on board in a period wooden frame, circa 1860s. Price realized: $40,000 in October 2018. Image courtesy Swann Auction Galleries

NEW YORK – Abraham Lincoln stands tall in American history as he did in life, viewed as second only to George Washington in the pantheon of presidents. You can reasonably argue that Lincoln should rank first; Washington made the United States a reality, but Lincoln kept it together despite the dire threat of splintering.

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