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Benefit Shop Foundation auction goes from soup (can) to nuts May 16

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf
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In 1966-67, the ‘Souper’ dress, inspired by the famous Soup Can art series by Andy Warhol, married art and advertising when paper dresses were in vogue. If one mailed in two labels from Campbell’s soup to the company along with $1, this dress was their reward. The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc. image

MOUNT KISCO N.Y. – The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc. usually has merchandise that runs the gamut from soup to nuts in its monthly Red Carpet auctions. This is especially true for its next auction on Wednesday, May 16, at 10 a.m. Eastern, which features an Andy Warhol “Souper” soup can paper dress, which was made only in 1966-67. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.

“Our auctions mostly are soup to nuts affairs with a little bit of everything,” said owner and founder Pam Stone. “This sale has a very strong pop culture sensibility with the Andy Warhol dress as well as a couple of very striking Coca-Cola pieces with great graphics but the auction is still a mix of antiques and oddities.”

The Warholesque “Souper” Campbell’s paper dress (above), circa 1966, measures approximately shoulder to hem 37 inches and is made of 80 percent cellulose and 20 percent cotton. The dress was produced for two years only and was inspired by the Campbell’s “Soup Cans” series painted by Andy Warhol. Campbell’s produced these dresses, when paper dresses were in fashion, as a mail-order offer meets advertising campaign. Warhol himself was famous for looking at the relationship between artistic expression, culture and advertisement and this dress is a fitting testament to that — marrying fashion, art and industry in one object.

Crossing the block early in the auction will be a vintage Coca-Cola 12-inch button sign marked “AM 74” under the bottle and with four holes around the base for hanging.

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A vintage Coca-Cola button sign marked ‘AM 74’ under the bottle, 24-in. diameter, is one of the auction highlights. The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc. image

A vintage metal Coca-Cola cooler from the 1950s with an interior removable tray, side bottle opener and a handle has seen its share of good times. Measuring 19 by 18 by 13 inches, the cooler is marked “Progress Refrigerator Co. Louisville, Ky.”

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A 1950s metal Coca-Cola cooler with interior removable tray will cross the block. The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc. image

The artwork in this sale ranges from an after Pablo Picasso lithograph of a man smoking a pipe, signed and dated, 28 by 21 inches including the frame, to a mid-century modern oil on canvas painting by Lee Kundera. The latter is a thickly textured abstract scene of New York City, painted in bold reds, oranges, yellows and black, 32 by 25 inches.

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This mid-century modern oil on canvas painting by Lee Kundera is a thickly textured abstract scene of New York City in bold colors, 32 by 25 inches. The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc. image

The Arts and Crafts-style figures prominently in the sale from a handmade chain-stitch carpet having red ground color with cream, green, aqua blue and black tones in a floral design, 121 by 96 inches; to a vintage single-arm side chair with cream upholstery, and a one-armed settee chair.

A wide range of other art and design styles and period are also offered in the sale. Highlights include a mid-century Modern chrome and leather lounge chair with ottoman by Plycraft Inc., Lawrence, Mass., and a folk art carved and painted wooden swan, made in Canada, having a moveable, neck,  possibly antique, 21 inches long.

Bohemian glass has performed well here recently and this auction offers a red toned Bohemian glass vase that looks to be hand-painted with white toned detail depicting a female figure walking with a basket, 9 inches tall; and a pair of crystal Bohemian glass-style decanters having intricately cut geometric relief detail, with purple toned stoppers, necks and accents with floral detail, 11 inches tall.

For details call the Benefit Shop Foundation Inc. at 914-864-0707.

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