Six Henry Sugimoto internment-inspired woodblock prints exceeded expectations at District Auction

Henry Sugimoto, 'Innocent Babies (Nisei),' which sold for $4,000 ($4,800 with buyer's premium) at District Auction.

SEATTLE — A small but important six-piece collection of woodcut prints by Henry Sugimoto (1900-1990) came to market at District Auction April 14 as part of its Fine Art, Mid-Century Furniture, and Decor sale. Estimated modestly at $75-$150, the circa-1965 black-and-white prints documenting his time in World War II-era Japanese internment camps all soared, with five of the six selling in the four-figure range. Complete sale results are available at LiveAuctioneers.

Born in Japan, Sugimoto was the grandchild of one of the last samurai, who were outlawed with the dawn of the Meiji period (1868-1912). His parents had relocated to America, leaving him and his brother to be raised by their grandparents, who were artistic by nature. Later, Sugimoto was summoned to Hanford, California, where his parents were living, and he eventually graduated from the California Institute of Fine Arts, which is now known as the San Francisco Art Institute. While teaching in Hanford, World War II broke out, and Sugimoto’s entire family was immediately interred as a result of Executive Order 9066. This allowed federal officials to displace people of Japanese descent into internment centers to deter espionage by Imperial Japan.

This experience would color the remainder of Sugimoto’s life, and though he struggled to gain recognition after the war, he did enjoy minor success. A series of woodcut prints were released around 1965, with artwork focused on his memories of internment in the Arkansas Jerome War Relocation Center.

The six prints in the sale all sold far above their modest estimates, with Innocent Babies (Nisei), signed and numbered 4 of 25, hammering for $4,000 ($4,800 with buyer’s premium). In the scene, a group of Japanese infants (called nisei, a term for second-generation Japanese in America) frolic behind barbed wire and a gun tower while an MP patrols in the foreground.

Also part of the 1965 release was Thoughts of Him, numbered 4 of 30 and similarly signed to the lower right. A young Japanese American mother cradles her baby in a camp with a picture of her soldier husband and an unopened letter nearby. The gunnery tower looms in the background just outside the window, a recurring Sugimoto theme. It hammered for $2,250 ($2,700 with buyer’s premium).

Henry Sugimoto, 'Innocent Babies (Nisei),' which sold for $4,000 ($4,800 with buyer's premium) at District Auction.

Henry Sugimoto, 'Innocent Babies (Nisei),' which sold for $4,000 ($4,800 with buyer's premium) at District Auction.

Henry Sugimoto, 'Thoughts of Him,' which sold for $2,250 ($2,700 with buyer’s premium) at District Auction.

Henry Sugimoto, 'Thoughts of Him,' which sold for $2,250 ($2,700 with buyer’s premium) at District Auction.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Joseph Cornell’s circa-1950 ‘Lunar Set’ from the Genevieve and Jean Paul Kahn collection comes to Piasa June 5

Joseph Cornell object-box titled Lunar Set (Soap Bubble Set, Lunar Variant), estimated at €200,000-€300,000 ($217,000-$325,000) at Piasa.

PARIS — One of Joseph Cornell’s celebrated Soap Bubble Sets will be offered at Piasa on Wednesday, June 5. Estimated at €200,000-€300,000 ($217,000-$325,000), Lunar Set (Soap Bubble Set, Lunar Variant) is one of 69 lots from the collection of Surrealism and Pop Art enthusiasts Genevieve and Jean Paul Kahn. The complete catalog is available for review and bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

From a young age growing up in Queens, New York, Cornell (1903-1972) was fascinated by astronomy and what came to be called the Space Race. He associated soap bubbles with the movements and contemplation of the cosmos.

The artist began his Soap Bubble Sets — small shadowboxes filled with objects that carried real or metaphorical associations with the cosmos — in the mid-1930s (the earliest is dated 1936) and first exhibited them in September 1948 at the William Copley Gallery in Beverly Hills, California. The show happened to immediately follow an exhibition of works by René Magritte, and included a catalog in which the artist hinted at some of his many, often enigmatic inspirations for these singular works.

It included the quote: “Shadow boxes become poetic theaters or settings wherein are metamorphosed the elements of a childhood pastime. The fragile, shimmering globules become the shimmering but more enduring planets — a connotation of moon and tides — the association of water less subtle, as when driftwood pieces make up a proscenium to set off the dazzling white of seafoam and billowy cloud crystalized in a pipe of fancy.”

The example in the Kahn collection, dated to circa 1950, epitomizes many of Cornell’s most meaningful and oft-recurring symbols, such as cordial glasses, a blue marble, a map of the moon, and shells. A series of images suspended on a rail recall Georgian planetariums in which six planets and the stars orbit the sun.

It was acquired by the Kahns from Paris dealer Galerie 1900-2000 as part of a 1989 exhibition devoted to works by Joseph Cornell.

During many decades, Genevieve and Jean Paul Kahn put together a formidable collection of predominantly Surrealist works, including the A Thousand Nights of Dreams library, dispersed in six auctions held in the last five years.

Joseph Cornell object-box titled Lunar Set (Soap Bubble Set, Lunar Variant), estimated at €200,000-€300,000 ($217,000-$325,000) at Piasa.

Joseph Cornell object-box titled Lunar Set (Soap Bubble Set, Lunar Variant), estimated at €200,000-€300,000 ($217,000-$325,000) at Piasa.

Roland Arkell

Roland Arkell

Roland Arkell is editor of Auction Central News and deputy editor at Antiques Trade Gazette. He has been writing about all aspects of the art and antiques market for more than 25 years.

Antique advertising poised to soar at Richmond Auctions May 31-June 1

Indian Lake single-sided porcelain sign, estimated at $25-$500,000 at Richmond.

GREENVILLE, SC — Nearly 1,000 lots of antique advertising and petroliana are set for sale at Richmond Auctions on Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1. As Richmond uses a generic $25-$500,000 estimate, the highlights included here have been featured by the auction house in its LiveAuctioneers catalogs.

A 1933 Coca-Cola confectionary single-sided porcelain sign measuring 42 by 60in is one such featured lot. With very minor wear, the sign presents beautifully and was the creation of the Tennessee Enamel Mfg. Co. of Nashville.

A gas pump globe for the forgotten Hurricane Gasoline brand is another likely winner. The globe features two 13.5in lenses mounted to a wide milk-glass body.

Indian Lake in Ohio began as a shallow feeder lake for the Miami & Erie Canal in the 19th century, and transitioned to being a state park in the early 20th century. This Indian Lake directional single-sided sign boasts ‘day one color and gloss’ and is made of porcelain.

In 1937 Dr. Pepper employed the ‘Drink a Bite to Eat’ slogan, which found its way onto this single-sided lithographed tin sign made by Robertson-Dualife of Springfield, Ohio. The sign features the classic Dr. Pepper checkerboard and 10-2-4 bottle design, and is a difficult version to find in the open market.

1933 Coca-Cola confectionary single-sided porcelain sign, estimated at $25-$500,000 at Richmond.

1933 Coca-Cola confectionary single-sided porcelain sign, estimated at $25-$500,000 at Richmond.

Indian Lake single-sided porcelain sign, estimated at $25-$500,000 at Richmond.

Indian Lake single-sided porcelain sign, estimated at $25-$500,000 at Richmond.

Hurricane Gasoline double-sided pump globe, estimated at $25-$500,000 at Richmond.

Hurricane Gasoline double-sided pump globe, estimated at $25-$500,000 at Richmond.

1937 Dr. Pepper single-sided tin-litho sign, estimated at $25-$500,000 at Richmond.

1937 Dr. Pepper single-sided tin-litho sign, estimated at $25-$500,000 at Richmond.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Two works by Oscar Howe highlight John Moran’s Art of the American West sale June 4

Oscar Howe, 'Smoke signals,' estimated at $60,000-$80,000 at John Moran.

MONROVIA, CA — Two original works by Yanktonai Dakota artist Oscar Howe have been consigned by the family to whom he had given them in the 1950s. They will appear in John Moran‘s Art of the American West sale, which features 307 lots and is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4. The catalog is now available for review and bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

Howe (1915-1983) was an extremely innovative artist whose art transcended his American Indian heritage. Geometric and featuring a brilliant use of color, his works often defy description but are always tied to his native heritage in terms of their themes and subject matter. Throughout his career, Howe created a vast body of work that included paintings, drawings, prints, and murals, as well as sculptures and installations. His art was exhibited widely in galleries and museums across the United States and Europe, and he received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the field.

Moran previously achieved a world record for Howe in 2023 with Camte waste, no no wa (Good Heart Forever),  which hammered for $325,000 ($422,500 with buyer’s premium).

Smoke Signals is a 1953 casein on paper in an unusual vertical portrait format, taking full advantage of the work’s theme. It comes by descent from John ‘Leonard’ Jennewein, who was a close friend and colleague of Howe’s at Dakota Wesleyan University, where Jennewein was a professor of history and of English from 1953 until his death in 1968. This piece of Howe’s artwork was to be adapted to copy paper letterhead, but it is unknown if this ever happened. Smoke Signals is estimated at $60,000-$80,000.

Blessings for Fertility is a 1957 work by Howe created as a gift to Jennewein’s son upon the occasion of his marriage. Its significance transcended mere artistry, as Howe conveyed to the couple that it symbolized fertility. Remarkably, Howe’s gift bore fruit, as the couple was later blessed with a son and a daughter. The current owner of this work is the daughter that this painting had hoped for. It carries a $30,000-$50,000 estimate.

Oscar Howe, 'Smoke signals,' estimated at $60,000-$80,000 at John Moran.

Oscar Howe, 'Smoke signals,' estimated at $60,000-$80,000 at John Moran.

Oscar Howe, 'Blessings for Fertility,' estimated at $30,000-$50,000 at John Moran.

Oscar Howe, 'Blessings for Fertility,' estimated at $30,000-$50,000 at John Moran.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Evinrude outboard motors memorabilia still revs up collectors

This Evinrude Authorized Sales & Service porcelain flange sign achieved $28,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2022. Image courtesy of Matthews Auctions, LLC and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK – The story of how Evinrude revolutionized the boating industry in the early 1900s owes everything to geography and a hankering for ice cream.

Ole Evinrude, who moved to Wisconsin as a child when his family immigrated from Norway, grew up fascinated with mechanics. He began building small internal combustion engines for land vehicles after being apprenticed to a machinist at age 16.

Evinrude was picnicking one day in the summer of 1906 with his fiancée, Bessie Cary, on Wisconsin’s Okauchee Lake when she had a craving for ice cream. He rowed back to shore – reportedly a two-and-a-half-mile trip – but by the time he returned with the sweet treat, it had melted. The adventure inspired him to build a gasoline-powered engine that could be used on boats to replace the oars.

An Evinrude Detachable Rowboat & Canoe Motors poster took $3,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2022. Image courtesy of Matthews Auctions, LLC and LiveAuctioneers.
An Evinrude Detachable Rowboat & Canoe Motor poster took $3,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2022. Image courtesy of Matthews Auctions, LLC and LiveAuctioneers.

He married Bessie in 1907, the same year in which he founded Evinrude Motors in Milwaukee. His new wife became his business partner, handling the books and coming up with advertising taglines such as ‘Don’t row. Throw your oars away. Use an Evinrude motor.’ Within two years, Ole had developed his first outboard motor: a single-cylinder 1.5 HP engine that was almost instantly successful. With thousands of lakes in Wisconsin, there was ample demand for Evinrude’s machines from fishermen as well as pleasure boaters.

Ole and Bessie ran Evinrude until 1913, when they sold the company owing to her health issues. According to a non-compete clause, he was supposed to stay out of the outboard motor industry for five years. He technically did so, but in his down time, he kept tinkering and came up with a two-cylinder outboard engine.

In 1921, he and his wife launched the ELTO Outboard Motor Company, and its new engine was also a hit. Ultimately, the two Evinrude companies merged in 1929, and its outboard motors only became faster and more powerful and faster as time passed. It entered another realm of pop culture when Disney animators, in the 1977 film The Rescuers, included a dragonfly character called Evinrude who owned the fastest boat in the swamp where key scenes are set. Evinrude was the name in outboard motors until the brand was retired in 2020 by its then-owner.

Detail of an Evinrude Authorized Sales & Service porcelain flange sign that achieved $28,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2022. Image courtesy of Matthews Auctions, LLC and LiveAuctioneers.
Detail of an Evinrude Authorized Sales & Service porcelain flange sign that achieved $28,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2022. Image courtesy of Matthews Auctions, LLC and LiveAuctioneers.

Antique and vintage Evinrude signs are cherished by collectors, especially those who live in lakes regions, said petroliana expert Daniel K. ‘Dan’ Matthews, founder of Matthews Auctions LLC in Nokomis, Illinois. One of the best Evinrude signs he has sold was a double-sided Evinrude Authorized Sales & Service porcelain flange sign that went for $28,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2022. Stating that buyers look first for condition, then graphics and rarity, Matthews said this sign was rated 8.5, and explained: “On a porcelain sign, you can go down to an 8 condition with some chips, and as long as it has good color and gloss, it will still bring a good price.”

Looking at LiveAuctioneers’ sales results, it becomes obvious that the Evinrude memorabilia market has exploded in the last few years. A nearly identical double-sided version of this sign, rated 8.9 and 9C for color, went for $45,000 in September 2023 at Richmond Auctions. Matthews said that the process of making these colorful porcelain signs was done in layers, with each color representing a different firing step in the furnace: “The more colors you have, the more expensive the sign was originally.”

“The thing you’ve got to think about is that outboard motors weren’t that much money, like motorcycles were, and they didn’t have a big budget for advertising,” he said. “So when you find something like a porcelain or neon sign, they were pretty expensive, and there weren’t that many of them out there.”

An Evinrude First in Outboards metal sign sold for $5,750 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2022. Image courtesy of Matthews Auctions, LLC and LiveAuctioneers.
An Evinrude First in Outboards metal sign sold for $5,750 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2022. Image courtesy of Matthews Auctions, LLC and LiveAuctioneers.

A more commonly found vintage Evinrude sign is a metal First in Outboards advertisement sporting the company’s logo, one of which sold for $5,750 plus the buyer’s premium at Matthews Auction LLC in April 2022. The sign is distinguished by its graphic of buoy markers on its left side instead of a graphic of an outboard motor that appeared on many Evinrude signs. The sign was obviously made for one of Evinrude’s dealers in Pennsylvania, located near the 27-acre Cloe Lake, noted for its bass and trout fishing.

This Evinrude Outboard Motors porcelain neon sign with a boat graphic easily surpassed its $10,000-$20,000 estimate when it realized $26,000 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2023. Image courtesy of Morphy Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
This Evinrude Outboard Motors porcelain neon sign with a boat graphic easily surpassed its $10,000-$20,000 estimate when it realized $26,000 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2023. Image courtesy of Morphy Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

Evinrude brand collectors will typically want a sign in every form, from painted tin to porcelain and especially neon. Particularly fine ones from the 1940s and 1950s often bring good money. A hybrid porcelain-neon Evinrude Outboard Motors sign with a boat graphic performed well above its $10,000-$20,000 estimate, settling at $26,000 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2023 at Morphy Auctions. The circa-1940s sign retained bright green and white neon on each side and mostly had bright color and gloss on its porcelain.

A circa-1950 Evinrude Outboard Motors neon dealer’s sign made $4,200 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2020. Image courtesy of Soulis Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
A circa-1950 Evinrude Outboard Motors neon dealer’s sign made $4,200 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2020. Image courtesy of Soulis Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

Another Evinrude sign made a decade later was a bit more affordable for beginning collectors. A circa-1950 example with red neon lettering, depicting fisherman in a V-hull board powered by an Evinrude motor, made $4,200 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2020 at Soulis Auctions.

This Evinrude & Elto Outboard Motors Authorized Agency metal sign earned $9,500 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2022. Image courtesy of Matthews Auctions, LLC and LiveAuctioneers.
This Evinrude and Elto Outboard Motors Authorized Agency metal sign earned $9,500 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2022. Image courtesy of Matthews Auctions, LLC and LiveAuctioneers.

Some collectors gravitate toward the earliest Evinrude signs they can find, such as an Evinrude & Elto Outboard Motors Authorized Agency metal sign that realized $9,500 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2022 at Matthews Auction LLC. This older example had an orange background instead of the blue-and-white color scheme.

Matthews credits the enduring appeal of Evinrude to the fact that the company always had a good product and was around for a long time. “They were one of the mainstays,” he said. “They were probably the biggest sellers of outboard motors. When people think of outboard motors, they think of Evinrude.”

Pre-Prohibition beer tray, estimated at $400-$600, served up $22,500 at Epic

Detroit Brewing Company advertising tray, which sold for $22,500 with buyer’s premium at Epic Auctions and Estate Sales.

LESLIE, MI – The May 4 sale at Epic Auctions and Estate Sales was led by a Detroit Brewing Company beer tray that came with a discovery story. In 1996, the tray had been found in the attic of the Mason, Michigan home of Clark Cogsdill, a direct descendant of one of the owners of the local Freer & Cogsdill Saloon. It had been open for just one year in 1901 before it was forced to close. The individual who bought the estate kept the tray in his basement from 1996 to 2024, when he decided to consign it to auction.

The 12in tray was made for the Detroit Brewing Company by the Meek and Beach Company of Coshocton, Ohio, the product of a short-lived merger between the owners of Standard Advertising, which in 1890 became the first company in the world to produce full color lithography on metal signs, and Tuscarora Advertising Company, which in the same decade made the first American printed tin trays. The partnership lasted only four years, from 1901 to 1905.

Like many contemporaries, the Detroit Brewing Company, which was active from 1886 to 1949, sought to emphasize both its authentic German roots and its patriotism. Promoting its Bohemian and Erlanger beers, the tray is centered on an American eagle. In fine condition, aside from some minor surface scratches, crazing, and corrosion to the reverse, it rocketed past its estimate of $400-$600 to sell for $18,000 ($22,500 with buyer’s premium).

Full results for the May 4 auction can be seen at LiveAuctioneers.

Detroit Brewing Company advertising tray, which sold for $22,500 with buyer’s premium at Epic Auctions and Estate Sales.

Detroit Brewing Company advertising tray, which sold for $22,500 with buyer’s premium at Epic Auctions and Estate Sales.

Roland Arkell

Roland Arkell

Roland Arkell is editor of Auction Central News and deputy editor at Antiques Trade Gazette. He has been writing about all aspects of the art and antiques market for more than 25 years.

1925 Michelin stone-lithographed poster leads our five auction highlights

Italian-market Michelin poster from 1925, sold for €80,000 ($87,040, or $113,115 with buyer’s premium) at Aste Bolaffi April 16.

1925 Michelin Stone-lithographed Poster, $113,115

TURIN, Italy – Italian auction house Aste Bolaffi’s April 16 Advertising Posters sale was dominated by its anticipated top lot: an Italian-market 1925 poster for Michelin tires.

Printed with the now-lost stone lithography method, the colorful poster measured 55 by 39in and featured an oddly turned-away Bibendum, aka the Michelin Man, riding in a Michelin tire while perusing a Michelin map of Italy and enjoying a cigar. Reading Il Cable Confort (the comfortable cable, presumably talking about the cables embedded in the tire rubber) and Miglora La Strada (Improve The Road), the legend information on the poster noted that it was Stampato in Italia (printed in Italy) by Reproduzione Vietata, the lithographer.

Estimated at €10,000-€15,000 ($11,000-$16,000), the poster received dozens of competing bids, finally hammering for €80,000 ($87,040, or $113,115 with buyer’s premium).

Yellow-ware Mortar and Pestle Emblazoned with the Word ‘LEECHES’, $832

Yellow-ware pottery store mortar-and-pestle display jar emblazoned with the word ‘LEECHES’, which sold for $832 with buyer’s premium at Hunt and Peck Estate Services on April 18.
Yellow-ware pottery store mortar-and-pestle display jar emblazoned with the word ‘LEECHES’, which sold for $832 with buyer’s premium at Hunt and Peck Estate Services on April 18.

In its single-owner Staffordshire and Ceramics sale on April 18, Hunt and Peck Estate Services offered an unusual little piece: a yellow-ware pottery store display jar in the form of a mortar and pestle, in two separate pieces, with embossed letters on the front that spelled the word LEECHES.

The combination of these details prove that the mortar and pestle was for a pottery store display and not an apothecary. While leeches have a long history of medicinal use and are employed today by doctors who perform tissue grafts and similar operations, it doesn’t appear that they were routinely ground up and crushed into powder.

Described as ‘unusual’ and ‘early’, the mortar-and-pestle set was estimated at $300-$500, hammered at $650, and sold for $832 with buyer’s premium.

Two Pieces of 1990s Chicago Bulls Championship Jewelry, $30,000

14K gold Chicago Bulls World Championship ring from the 1991-1992 season, and a 1998 Chicago Bulls World Championship 18K gold pendant on a 14K gold necklace, which sold as separate lots for $30,000 with buyer’s premium at Leonard Auction on April 21.
1998 Chicago Bulls World Championship 18K gold pendant on a 14K gold necklace, which sold for $13,750 with buyer’s premium at Leonard Auction on April 21.
14K gold Chicago Bulls World Championship ring from the 1991-1992 season, and a 1998 Chicago Bulls World Championship 18K gold pendant on a 14K gold necklace, which sold as separate lots for $30,000 with buyer’s premium at Leonard Auction on April 21.
14K gold Chicago Bulls World Championship ring from the 1991-1992 season, which sold for $16,250 with buyer’s premium at Leonard Auction on April 21.

ADDISON, IL – The top two lots in Leonard Auction’s April 21 sale were both sports-related pieces of jewelry, issued to mark world championships won by the Chicago Bulls.

The two pieces neatly bracket that 1990s era of dominance when the Bulls, led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and coached by Phil Jackson, won the National Basketball Association (NBA) championship six times between 1991 and 1998.

The leader overall was a 14K gold Chicago Bulls World Championship ring by Jostens, commemorating the 1991-1992 season. Estimated at $8,000-$10,000, it hammered for $13,000 and sold for $16,250 with buyer’s premium. The other item, a 1998 Chicago Bulls World Championship 18K gold pendant on a 14K gold necklace, hammered for $11,000 and sold for $13,750 with buyer’s premium against an estimate of $3,000-$5,000.

Both pieces of championship jewelry were consigned from the West Chicago estate of a longtime Chicago Bulls office administrator.

Hummel Possible Future Edition Off To School figurine, $3,840

Hummel Possible Future Edition Off To School figurine, which sold for $3,840 with buyer’s premium at Valley Auctions on April 20.
Hummel Possible Future Edition Off To School figurine, which sold for $3,840 with buyer’s premium at Valley Auctions on April 20.

DUBLIN, VA – The dizzying array of Hummel figurines released by Goebel Porcellainfabrik in Germany have been enjoyed by generations of collectors worldwide since 1935. Most are commonplace and possess only modest value for the collector.

That is not true for a small fraction of Hummels, called by Goebel ‘Possible Future Editions.’ These limited-run figurines are hand-decorated and fired, then presented to the sisters at founder Maria Innocentia Hummel’s convent in Germany. The sisters keep Maria’s critical eye alive and approve – or disapprove – of all possible releases.

The ones that the nuns flunk never go into production, and at least at one point, the handful of extant samples were routinely given out as trinkets to employees and others.

One such PFE appeared at Valley Auctions on April 20. Known as Off To School, the figurine has two classically styled Hummel children in a walking pose. Modeled in early 1955 by master sculptor Arthur Möeller with an incised 1955 copyright, its base is clearly marked W. Goebel with an accompanying 72/89 mark, indicating this was number 72 of a run of 89 pieces. It is documented on the official Hummel site as a genuine PFE. Bidders clamored for Off To School, issuing dozens of bids before finalizing a winner at $3,200 ($3,840 with buyer’s premium).

Replica 13-star American Flag Stitched by Betsy Ross’s Great-granddaughter, $7,150

Replica 13-star American flag stitched in 1907 by Mary Catherine Albright Robison, the great-granddaughter of Betsy Ross, which sold for $7,150 with buyer’s premium at Jackson’s International Auctioneers on April 23.
Replica 13-star American flag stitched in 1907 by Mary Catherine Albright Robison, the great-granddaughter of Betsy Ross, which sold for $7,150 with buyer’s premium at Jackson’s International Auctioneers on April 23.

CEDAR FALLS, IA – A 13-star American flag made in 1907 by Mary Catherine Albright Robison, the great-granddaughter of Betsy Ross, claimed top-lot honors in Jackson’s International Auctioneers’ April 23 sale. Estimated at $800-$1,200, it hammered for $5,500 and sold for $7,150 with buyer’s premium.

It seems that several generations of descendants of Betsy Ross engaged in the all-American pursuit of cashing in on her fame by stitching replicas of the first-ever American flag, which she is purported to have made in 1777. The lot notes for the example offered at Jackson’s state:

‘Flags made by Robison are much rarer than the flags made by her mother. It is understood that Betsy’s granddaughter Rachel Wilson Albright began making little flags for tourists in the East Wing of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, possibly around the centennial of 1876 but certainly by the end of the 19th century. Her daughter Mary Catherine and niece Sarah Wilson joined in the making of flags. Records indicate that the sale of these flags was in support of the American Flag House and Betsy Ross Memorial Association. Both Rachel Wilson Albright and her daughter, the maker of this flag, are buried in Fort Madison, Iowa.’

Jewelry, silver, and art highlight Stephenson’s Spring Decorative Arts sale May 31

Alphonse Mucha Job Cigarette Papers Poster, estimated at $3,000-$5,000 at Stephenson's.

SOUTHAMPTON, PA — Nearly 500 lots of jewelry, silver, and artworks are featured in Stephenson Auction‘s Spring Decorative Arts sale on Friday, May 31. The complete catalog is available for review and bidding now at LiveAuctioneers.

The sale is topped by a 14K yellow and white gold diamond engagement ring with one round transitional-cut diamond weighting 2.39 carats. In very good condition with no visible defects, Stephenson’s estimates it at $3,000-$5,000.

Next up is a 19th-century French color lithograph for JOB (Joseph Bardou Company) cigarette papers. With artwork by Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) depicting a woman with a cigarette in her hand against a background featuring JOB monograms, it comes complete with Ursula Hobson Fine Art Framing. Previously sold in 1994 at Freeman’s, it carries a $3,000-$5,000 estimate.

Fans of antique silver will take note of this Hunt and Roskell English sterling silver swing tea kettle on a matching stand. The kettle boasts an elaborate chased and engraved floral design with an engraved Arbuthnot family crest and an acorn finial on its lid. Dating to 1844, the kettle and stand have a $2,000-$3,000 estimate.
14K yellow and white gold diamond engagement ring, estimated at $3,000-$5,000 at Stephenson's.

14K yellow and white gold diamond engagement ring, estimated at $3,000-$5,000 at Stephenson's.

Alphonse Mucha Job Cigarette Papers Poster, estimated at $3,000-$5,000 at Stephenson's.

Alphonse Mucha Job Cigarette Papers Poster, estimated at $3,000-$5,000 at Stephenson's.

19th-century English tea kettle and stand, estimated at $2,000-$3,000 at Stephenson's.

19th-century English tea kettle and stand, estimated at $2,000-$3,000 at Stephenson's.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Nineteenth-century photographs of San Francisco document the impact of the California Gold Rush at Freeman’s Hindman May 31

Daguerreotype of the southeast corner of Front and Sacramento Streets in San Francisco circa 1852-1853, estimated at $30,000-$50,000 at Freeman's Hindman.

CINCINNATI — Two utterly remarkable photographs will be featured lots at Freeman’s Hindman as part of the American Historical Ephemera & Photography sale on Friday, May 31. The complete catalog is now available for review and bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

This whole-plate daguerreotype of San Francisco, California has been dated by the auction house to circa 1852-1853 based on the company names appearing in period business directories. The location is the southeast corner of Front and Sacramento Streets at the height of the Gold Rush. The large number of wooden beams in the foreground are believed to have been salvaged from ships that were abandoned at the San Francisco waterfront as crews came ashore to search for gold in the Sierras. Merchants such as those depicted in the daguerreotype would hire crews to dismantle the abandoned ships and then sell the wood to local builders.

Prior to the Gold Rush, San Francisco was a sleepy town with a population in the hundreds. By the time that this photo is believed to have been taken, its growth had exploded, and demand for building materials had skyrocketed. The image’s exceptional clarity and minute detail make this daguerreotype of San Francisco one of the most important ones to appear at auction in decades. It is estimated at $30,000-$50,000.

Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904) was an Englishman who came to San Francisco after 1850 and became one of the 19th century’s most respected pioneers in the new art form of photography. This series of 11 photographs, captured in June or July of 1877, were taken by Muybridge from the top of an unfinished tower at California Street Hill, which is now known as Nob Hill.  The shadows indicate that the photographs were made during the course of about five hours. Despite the view’s vast scope, it presents minute details of city life such as hanging laundry, ships in the harbor, and shop signs. The 7ft panorama has been described as ‘one of the supreme conceptual and technical achievements in the history of architectural photography.’ It carries an estimate of $22,000-$30,000.

Daguerreotype of the southeast corner of Front and Sacramento Streets in San Francisco circa 1852-1853, estimated at $30,000-$50,000 at Freeman's Hindman.

Daguerreotype of the southeast corner of Front and Sacramento Streets in San Francisco circa 1852-1853, estimated at $30,000-$50,000 at Freeman's Hindman.

Eadweard Muybridge, panorama of San Francisco taken in 1877 from what is now Nob Hill, estimated at $22,000-$30,000 at Freeman's Hindman.

Eadweard Muybridge, panorama of San Francisco taken in 1877 from what is now Nob Hill, estimated at $22,000-$30,000 at Freeman's Hindman.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Colonial Boston engraving and Paul Revere war bond lead Early American’s June 8 sale

Paul Revere, 'King Philip' Bond signed by Boston Tea Party Participant Captain Joseph Lee, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at Early American History Auctions.

WINCHESTER, VA — An original printing of a well-known image of colonial Boston will be offered at Early American History Auctions on Saturday, June 8. The circa-1761 engraving of a view of the city after a drawing by the Royal Governor of Massachusetts, Thomas Pownall (1722-1805), has an estimate of $10,000-$12,000. The complete catalog is available for review and bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

The City of Boston Drawn on the Spot by his Excellency, Governor Pownal is one of six prints based on Pownall’s sketches that formed part of the Scenographia Americana. The complete work, with a total of 28 copper engraved plates, is a legendary rarity, and as no copies have appeared for sale at auction in the past 30 years, individual prints are all that a collector can really hope for.

Pownall’s drawing of Boston, which was engraved by Pierre Charles Canot (1710-1777), shows the city from the vantage point of Castle William, looking across the Charles River. South Cove, South Battery, Fort Hill, and Long Wharf are visible. The auction house describes this as ‘the finest we have seen.’ A strong sharp impression, it is in excellent, clean, crisp condition, with its original plate line still visible to the outer margin selvage.

Governor Thomas Pownal, a skilled artist and trained mapmaker, was a longtime friend of Benjamin Franklin and one of the few colonial officials in North America sympathetic to progressive American causes as they arose in the 1760s.

This sale, titled Autographs, Currency, Political, Americana, also features what the auction house calls ‘a highly important piece of American Revolutionary War finance.’ Issued in May 1775, not only was this the first type of interest-bearing war bond, but the design, with a vignette of Native American Indian chief ‘King Philip’, was printed using a copper plate engraved by Paul Revere. A particular appeal of this printing is the signature of Captain Joseph Lee, a participant in the Boston Tea Party, who committed £50 to the cause. One of just a few held in private hands, it is estimated at $20,000-$30,000.

PC Canot, 'The City of Boston Drawn on the Spot by his Excellency, Governor Pownal,' estimated at $10,000-$12,000 at Early American History Auctions.

PC Canot, 'The City of Boston Drawn on the Spot by his Excellency, Governor Pownal,' estimated at $10,000-$12,000 at Early American History Auctions.

Paul Revere, 'King Philip' Bond signed by Boston Tea Party Participant Captain Joseph Lee, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at Early American History Auctions.

Paul Revere, 'King Philip' Bond signed by Boston Tea Party Participant Captain Joseph Lee, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at Early American History Auctions.

Roland Arkell

Roland Arkell

Roland Arkell is editor of Auction Central News and deputy editor at Antiques Trade Gazette. He has been writing about all aspects of the art and antiques market for more than 25 years.