CLEVELAND – Gray’s auction on March 13 takes bidders back over 100 years to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. The fair celebrated the centennial of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. The grand scale of the exposition featured advances in science, agriculture and introduced audiences to exotic, distant lands with travel exhibits. The auction catalog features a wide ranging collection of memorabilia and souvenirs. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.
The auction opens with a group of three brilliant blue floral Rowland & Marsellus-Staffordshire porcelain vases. Each one depicting a building from the world’s fair, including the Palace of Varied Studies, the Palace of the Arts and the Cascade Gardens. The second lot continues with another trio of vibrant blue vases, all are stamped with the maker’s mark and inscribed with “The World’s Fair, 1904, St. Louis Mo., U.S.A.” on the bottom.
The Louisiana Purchase, from France, was one of the largest land acquisitions the United States. Unlock the past with Lot 137, a large chrome metal padlock and key. It is inscribed with the World’s Fair St. Louis 1904 and the names of the 14 states that were added to the Union after the Louisiana Purchase.
The catalog continues with two souvenir gold dollars in Lot 184. One coin depicting the recently assassinated President William McKinley and the other Thomas Jefferson on the obverse. Both inscribed on verso “Louisiana Purchase Exposition St. Louis, One Dollar 1803-1903.” Together with one original “Jefferson-$3.00-McKinley” paper box.
Another souvenir to reflect upon is Lot 158, with a group of five mirrors, including two ornate metal hand mirrors, one with a ceramic back, one table top mirror and two tri-fold mirrors capturing the grand buildings of the fair. Accompanying the mirrors is a jewelry box depicting the Administration building.
The auction contains a black forest carved walnut side chair, Lot 211. The striking image of a carved eagle form splat along with a scrolling floral motif on the seat creates a remarkable conversation piece. Pyro engraved on the back “Souvenir from Switzerland World’s Fair St. Louis 1904.” Thus showcasing the fair’s exhibits on world travel.
Notable pottery manufacturer Weller, created ceramic plates for the exposition. Lot 36 is composed of plates depicting the portraits of notable historic gentlemen. Among them are Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson.
Weller also rounds out the auction with a collection of red clay items. Lot 64 is a group of three diminutive clay pots. Two of them are decorated, one with an old man holding a machete, the other an old man within the clouds. Lots 65-69 showcase Weller’s red clay technique in vases, pitchers and pots. One of the more interesting souvenir pieces is Lot 70, a red clay skull. It is decorated with an image of a boy. All of the Weller red clay items are inscribed in white slip on verso “St. Louis 1904.”
The fully illustrated catalog is now online at LiveAuctioneers.com.
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