1823 printing of Declaration of Independence captures $4.42M at Freeman’s

Alasdair Nichol, chairman and director of fine art at Freeman’s, serves as auctioneer during the July 1 sale of the 1823 copy of the Declaration of Independence, which sold for $4.42 million.
Alasdair Nichol, chairman and director of fine art at Freeman’s, serves as auctioneer during the July 1 sale of the 1823 copy of the Declaration of Independence, which sold for $4.42 million.
Alasdair Nichol, chairman and director of fine art at Freeman’s, serves as auctioneer during the July 1 sale of the 1823 copy of the Declaration of Independence, which sold for $4.42 million.

PHILADELPHIA — Freeman’s is thrilled to announce the results of its July 1 single-lot auction, This Important State Paper: Signer Charles Carroll’s Copy of the Declaration of Independence, which achieved a historic $4.42 million sale price, exceeding by a remarkable five times its pre-sale high estimate of $800,000. This result marks the second-highest price ever paid at auction for any copy of the Declaration of Independence, and is the highest price ever paid at auction for an American document printed in the 19th century. It more than quadrupled the world auction record for a Stone printing of the Declaration of Independence set in New York City in 2019.

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Civil War-era cavalry flag flew to $40K at Cowan’s, June 25

Personal headquarters flag of Philip Henry Sheridan, which sold for $40,625
Personal headquarters flag of Philip Henry Sheridan, which sold for $40,625
Personal headquarters flag of Philip Henry Sheridan, which sold for $40,625

CINCINNATI – On June 25, Cowan’s, a Hindman company, held an American Historical Ephemera and Photography auction. It realized more than $705,000 and saw active and competitive bidding throughout. The sale presented an outstanding selection of 18th to early 20th century material and reflected important historical periods including the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Indian Wars, World Wars I and II, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

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Quinn’s to auction 300+ lots of rare and signed books, maps & prints, July 8

‘Just Friends and Brave Enemies,’ Harper & Row, 1962, by Robert F. Kennedy and inscribed by the author to Senator Stuart Symington. Stated first edition, near-fine condition with dust jacket. Estimate $800-$1,200

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – On Thursday, July 8, Quinn’s Auction Galleries will host an outstanding 317-lot auction of rare and signed books, antique maps, prints and autographs, with absentee and Internet live bidding available through LiveAuctioneers. Selections include works by Thomas Wolfe, Ernest Hemingway, Ulysses S. Grant, and Dutch engraver/cartographer Henricus Hondius II. The art category features an unpublished Frederic Dorr Steele illustration titled The Slavering Hound, which was created for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles.

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Dali Museum celebrates boundary-breaking photographer Lee Miller

Self portrait (variant on Lee Miller par Lee Miller), Paris, France c1930 by Lee Miller. © Lee Miller Archives England 2020. All Rights Reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk
Self portrait (variant on Lee Miller par Lee Miller), Paris, France c1930 by Lee Miller. © Lee Miller Archives England 2020. All Rights Reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk
Self portrait (variant on Lee Miller par Lee Miller), Paris, France, circa 1930 by Lee Miller. © Lee Miller Archives England 2020. All Rights Reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

ST.PETERSBURG, Fla. – Although her first work was as a model, Lee Miller (1907-1977) – the trusted confidante of many influential artists and an eyewitness to some of the most extraordinary moments of the 20th century – made lasting contributions as a photographer. Sweeping in scope and intimate in focus, The Woman Who Broke Boundaries: Photographer Lee Miller surveys her fascinating personal life and remarkably incisive portraiture and photojournalism. The exhibition is organized by The Dali Museum and will feature more than 130 images from Miller’s prolific body of work. The exhibition will be on view exclusively at The Dali Museum July 3 through January 2, 2022.

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July 8 auction offers Americana, folk art & outsider Art

Appliqued quilt created between 1860 and 1870, estimated at $2,000-$2,500
Appliqued quilt created between 1860 and 1870, estimated at $2,000-$2,500
Appliqued quilt created between 1860 and 1870, estimated at $2,000-$2,500

NEW YORK – The realms of Americana, Folk Art, and Outsider Art covers a startlingly wide range of objects and artifacts. Source materials range from silver, ceramics, cloth, glass, brass, iron, cardboard, wood, tin, paper, and stone. Items that can qualify include board games, trade signs, wind-up toys, fireplace tools, paintings, prints, drawings, carvings, pitchers, plates, paperweights, carnival targets, alphabet blocks, coverlets, candlesticks, vases, plates, flags, trophies, tankards, canes, and frames, to name just a scant few.

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McInnis sells Picasso that sat in Maine closet for 50 years

A mixed-media painting attributed to Pablo Picasso, which sat in a closet in Maine for 50 years, sold at John McInnis Auctioneers on June 16 for $150,000 plus the buyer’s premium.
A mixed-media painting attributed to Pablo Picasso, which sat in a closet in Maine for 50 years, sold at John McInnis Auctioneers on June 16 for $150,000 plus the buyer’s premium.
A mixed-media painting attributed to Pablo Picasso, which sat in a closet in Maine for 50 years, sold at John McInnis Auctioneers on June 26 for $150,000 plus the buyer’s premium.

AMESBURY, Mass. (AP) – A mixed-media painting attributed to Pablo Picasso has been sold after spending 50 years in a closet in a house in Maine. The Boston Globe reports that John McInnis Auctioneers, based in Massachusetts, auctioned the painting titled Le Tricorne on June 26.

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Uncle Sam: patriot, pitchman, enduring symbol of the USA

Uncle Sam has inspired several artists, including Andy Warhol, who paid homage with a diamond dust screenprint. This example attained $25,000 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2018 at Abington Auction Gallery.
Uncle Sam has inspired several artists, including Andy Warhol, who paid homage with a diamond dust screenprint. This example attained $25,000 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2018 at Abington Auction Gallery.
Uncle Sam has inspired several artists, including Andy Warhol, who paid homage with a diamond dust screenprint. This example attained $25,000 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2018 at Abington Auction Gallery.

NEW YORK — Holidays in the United States of America range from the secular to the religious. Some are somber, while others revolve around food and convivial celebrations. The quintessential American holiday, of course, is Independence Day, aka the Fourth of July, which typically means fireworks, parties with family and friends, food, and even parades.

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July 7 auction explores innovative Japanese woodblock prints

Hiroto Norikane, ‘Shoji 19, Dried Persimmons,’ estimated at $600-$700
Hiroto Norikane, ‘Shoji 19, Dried Persimmons,’ estimated at $600-$700
Hiroto Norikane, ‘Shoji 19, Dried Persimmons,’ estimated at $600-$700

NEW YORK – Japanese woodblock prints have a long and storied history that is rightly tangled up in the genre of Japanese art known as ukiyo-e, which flourished between the 17th and 19th centuries. The powerful allure of the best examples still casts a spell, just like they did on the Impressionists, the post-Impressionists, and generations of artists who followed. Their innovative compositions, appealing coloration, and intriguing subject matter continue to draw new collectors.

On July 7, starting at 8 pm Eastern time, Jasper52 will host a 95-lot sale of Japanese Woodblock Prints. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Ancient arms, armor & antiquities victorious at Hermann Historica

Circa-1560 black and white half armor for a man-at-arms, which sold for €31,250
Circa-1560 black and white half armor for a man-at-arms, which sold for €31,250
Circa-1560 black and white half armor for a man-at-arms, which sold for €31,250

MUNICH – Excellent prices were achieved in all specialist areas represented by Hermann Historica GmbH during its May and June auctions. From an Egyptian wooden statuette to the most delicate lace-trimmed imperial garments to colossal 1930s vehicles, the lots on offer met with considerable interest. And so, from May 26-28;  June 1 and 2; and from June 21 to 25, the auction house’s international clientele enjoyed exceptionally gratifying sales.

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Walters Art Museum receives $2.5M and collection of majolica

Majolica pedestal stand for jardiniere by the Minton Ceramics Manufactory, 1876, gift of Deborah and Philip English. Courtesy of the Walters Art Museum.
Majolica pedestal stand for jardiniere by the Minton Ceramics Manufactory, 1876, gift of Deborah and Philip English. Courtesy of the Walters Art Museum.
Majolica pedestal stand for jardiniere by the Minton Ceramics Manufactory, 1876, gift of Deborah and Philip English. Courtesy of the Walters Art Museum.

BALTIMORE — The Walters Art Museum has received a $2.5 million gift from Baltimore art collectors Deborah and Philip English to endow and hire a new curator to specialize in the areas of decorative arts, design, and material culture. In addition, the Englishes committed to donating more than 500 objects in their collection of majolica to the museum.

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