DETROIT – The Detroit Institute of Arts has lifted the curtain on the exhibition “Patti Smith: Camera Solo,” which is composed of more than 60 black-and-white gelatin silver prints taken with her vintage Polaroid camera. The exhibition will be on view through Sept. 2, and is free with museum admission.
Pioneering musician, poet, author and artist Smith has made her mark on the American cultural landscape throughout her 40-year career, from her explorations of artistic expression with friend and vanguard photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the 1960s and ’70s to her profound influence on the nascent punk rock scene in the late 1970s and ’80s.
“Patti Smith: Camera Solo” explores themes that are significant to Smith: poets and writers; portraiture, including symbolic portraits; travel; and art and architecture. Smith’s photographs highlight the rich relationships between art, architecture, poetry and the everyday. Her titles reference varied muses, such as Roberto Bolaño’s Chair, Herman Hesse’s Typewriter and My Father’s Cup. Such objects are tightly cropped and detached from their surroundings; divorced from their original function, they become devotional images.
“These intimate photographs provide a fascinating look at the world as seen through Patti Smith’s eyes,” said Graham W.J. Beal, DIA director. “Both longtime fans and people newly exposed to her work will be impressed by her truly touching commemoration of the artists, poets, authors, family and friends from whom she draws inspiration.”
Smith began taking 35 mm photographs in 1968 as components for collages and took up the serious use of the Polaroid Land Camera in 1995. Her photos are infused with personal significance and possess the same unfiltered, emotional quality prevalent in her poetry and song lyrics. The allure of her photographs is their often dream-like imagery, and their modest size belies their depth and power.
Smith’s use of a vintage Polaroid Land 250 camera lends intimacy to her images, whether casual, unvarnished portraits of herself and her children, or symbolic portraits such as Mapplethorpe’s slippers. In the era of digital imaging and manipulation, Smith’s works champion the use of photography in its most classical sense: as a tool to document a “found” moment. She finds the poetic qualities of a particular time and place, and captures that beauty on film.
The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated 96-page catalog distributed by Yale University Press. It will be available in the museum shop in softcover for $25.
This exhibition was organized by the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, Conn.
Patti Smith (b. 1946) began as a visual artist and has been drawing and taking photographs since the late 1960s. Her work has been shown at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston; the Museum Boijsman Van Beuningen, Rotterdam; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum Eki, Kyoto; Haus der Kunst, Munich; Triennale di Milano, Milan; Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels; and the Pompidou Center in Paris.
Just Kids, a memoir of her remarkable relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe during the epochal days of New York City and the Chelsea Hotel in the late 1960s and ’70s, won her the 2010 National Book Award in the nonfiction category. Her 1975 album, Horses, established Smith as one of the most original and important musical artists of her generation and was followed by nine releases, including Radio Ethiopia, Easter, Dream of Life, Gone Again and Trampin’. She continues to perform throughout the world and in 2007 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The carved man leaning on the back of this wooden chair must have bumped into the head of a person seated on it. But in spite of the discomfort, the unique humorous design attracted a buyer who paid $885 for the chair at a Showtime auction in Ann Arbor, Mich.
“Fantasy furniture” is a term used to describe tables and chairs that don’t fit the rules of any recognized style. Chairs made of cow horns or parts of spinning wheels, and tables held up by carved bears or shaped like large hands are “fantasies.”
A famous and expensive dining room table has legs that are full-size carvings of either a man or woman hunched over to hold the tabletop on their backs. An inexpensive fantasy design for a chair made about 1900 is now called “North Wind.” It looks like a typical oak side chair with a solid seat and sometimes turned legs. But the back is made with a carved man’s or woman’s face, sometimes with flowing hair.
More ambitious designs have the full figure of a person climbing on top of the chair back. The best of the North Wind chairs have a one-piece back made of solid wood. The carving was not an added piece of wood. Inexpensive chairs influenced by the North Wind group were pressed-back chairs showing a face or a person. The design was pressed into the wood by a machine. It was not a raised carving.
A humorous fantasy chair sold recently. The back was carved to look like a beer keg with a pensive man leaning on the top. The chair is 40 1/2 inches high to the top of his hat. The chair, made in the early 1900s, sold for $885 at a Showtime auction held in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Q: About 33 years ago, I was metal detecting around Lompoc, Calif. I found a Boy Scout coin with the Scout logo on one side and, on the other, the saying, “When you have done your good deed for the day, secretly pass the coin from one pocket to the other.” I have been unable to find any information about this coin. Can you help?
A: Robert Baden-Powell founded the Boy Scouts in England in 1907. The Boy Scout movement in the United States started in 1910. “Do a good turn daily” is the Boy Scout slogan. Scout “good deed” coins have been around for years and are not valuable. Today’s Scouts can flip the coin virtually on a smart phone. The “Good Turn” iPhone app records the date, time and location of the Scout’s good turn. It keeps a list of the deeds and also can display the location of the good deed on a map of the world.
Q: My Madame Alexander “Pussy Cat” baby doll dates from the early 1970s. She is pretty worn because I played with her a lot, but I still have her original box. Value?
A: Madame Alexander made Pussy Cat baby dolls from 1970 to 1984. They came in two sizes, 14 and 20 inches. The smaller doll, in excellent condition, sells without her box for about $60. The larger doll is worth about $100. A worn doll in either size might sell for $10 to $20, with a premium for the box.
Q: I would like to know the current price for various old bottles from San Francisco’s Bay City Soda Water Co.
A: Bay City Soda Water Co. was in business from 1871 to 1913. The bottles were embossed “Bay City Soda Water Co. S.F.” and have an embossed star on the back. They were made in green and various shades of blue. The blue bottles are fairly common, but the green bottles are rare. Both blob-top and Hutchinson-type bottles were made. Blob-top bottles were sealed with a cork and a wire closure. Hutchinson-type bottles had spring stoppers, patented by Charles Hutchinson in 1879. Value depends on the color of the glass. We can’t tell the exact color of your bottle without seeing it, so we can’t give you a value, but a Bay City Soda Water bottle in “medium coloration” sold recently for $130.
Q: I received a filigree-and-rhinestone bracelet from my great-grandmother’s estate. Try as I might, I can’t find any information about the “La Mode” mark on the bracelet or the name on the box, “La Mode Original.” Please help.
A: “La Mode” was a trademark used by Ripley and Gowan, of Attleboro, Mass. The company’s history dates back to the 1880s, and until the 1930s it often used the mark “R & G.” U.S. trademark filings indicate that Ripley and Gowan filed for use of “La Mode” as a trademark in 1924. The company used the trademark for both women’s and men’s costume jewelry—everything from bracelets and necklaces to cufflinks and keychains. The trademark, now “dead,” was assigned to Barrows Industries of Providence, R.I., in the late 1950s. Most La Mode Original bracelets sell online for $25 to $30.
Q: I bought a set of dishes about three years ago in Melbourne, Fla. It’s a service for 12 with two vegetable bowls. The dishes appear to be stoneware and are marked on the bottom “Tiffany Ceramiche Italy.” I’m interested in finding out more about these dishes, and especially if they are really “Tiffany.”
A: Your dishes were made by Tiffany Ceramiche, a company in Scandiano, Italy. The company began as a maker of stoneware tiles and is not associated with the famous glassmaker Louis Comfort Tiffany, or with Tiffany & Co., the store in New York. Another Italian company, Este Ceramiche, has made porcelain for Tiffany & Co. Those dishes are clearly marked with both company names. Tiffany Ceramiche became part of Ceramica Lord, which was bought by Gruppo Majorca in 2010.
Tip: If your cane or rush chair seats seem dry, spray them with water using a mister. A cane or rush seat that is regularly used lasts only about 10 to 12 years. Keeping it from drying out extends its life.
Need prices for collectibles? Find them at Kovels.com, our website for collectors. More than 84,000 prices and 5,000 color pictures have just been added. Now you can find more than 900,000 prices that can help you determine the value of your collectible. Access to the prices is free at Kovels.com/priceguide.
Terry Kovel answers as many questions as possible through the column. By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of any photograph, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The volume of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, Auction Central News, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.
CURRENT PRICES
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
Anchor Hocking mug, image of Norwegian Kitchen Witch, green dress, red apron and shoes, red-and-gray head scarf, verse on other side, 9 ounces, 4 x 4 1/4 inches, $35.
Maxi hostess dress, synthetic fabric, floor length, high neck, butterfly sleeves, pleated skirt, back zipper, blue-green, metallic print, Alfred Shaheen, 1960s, size medium, $225.
Beany & Cecil cufflinks, cast metal, gold luster, characters’ heads, given to cast members of Time for Beany TV show, 1950s, $340.
Tiffany & Co. gravy ladle, sterling silver, Olympian pattern, Paris and Venus scene on handle, 1878, 7 1/2 inches, $415.
Weather vane, sheet iron and copper, attendant at gas pump with chauffeur-driven car mounted on arrow, directionals below, 1930s, 21 x 19 1/2 inches, $575.
Dumbwaiter, Victorian, walnut, carved sides with applied roundels, three shelves, carved paw feet, 1880s, 35 x 42 x 20 inches, $875.
New! Contemporary, modern and mid-century ceramics made since 1950 are among the hottest collectibles today. Our special report, “Kovels’ Buyers’ Guide to Modern Ceramics: Mid-Century to Contemporary” identifies important pottery by American and European makers. Includes more than 65 factories and 70 studio artists, each with a mark and dates. Works by major makers, including Claude Conover, Guido Gambone and Lucie Rie, as well as potteries like Gustavsberg, Metlox and Sascha Brastoff, are shown in color photos. Find the “sleepers” at house sales and flea markets. Special Report, 2010, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, 64 pages. Available only from Kovels. Order by phone at 800-303-1996; online at Kovels.com; or send $25 plus $4.95 postage and handling to Kovels, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.
The carved man leaning on the back of this wooden chair must have bumped into the head of a person seated on it. But in spite of the discomfort, the unique humorous design attracted a buyer who paid $885 for the chair at a Showtime auction in Ann Arbor, Mich.
‘Irises,’ by Claude Monet, completed in 1917. Image courtesy Wikipaintings.org.
NEW YORK (AP) – Claude Monet’s beloved flower and water gardens in the north of France are world-famous. But for those unable to visit the artist’s iconic home, a trip to the Bronx over the next several months will offer a taste of Monet’s indisputably radiant living masterpiece—a riotous display of color, plant variety and landscape design.
Monet’s Garden at the New York Botanical Garden evokes Monet’s lush garden at Giverny, the impressionist’s home from 1883 until his death in 1926.
A passionate gardener who once declared, “I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers,” Monet found endless inspiration from his exuberant gardens. The water garden alone accounts for some 250 paintings, including a series of monumental canvases that led to his Grandes Decorations at the Musee de d’Orangeries in Paris. His flower garden is featured in at least 40 works.
The exhibition, which runs through Oct. 21, will feature a seasonally changing display of flora, currently a spring kaleidoscope of poppies, roses, foxgloves, irises and delphiniums inside the botanical garden’s Enid A. Haupt Conservancy. It also includes two scarcely seen garden-inspired paintings, Monet’s wooden palette, rare photos of Monet in his garden and 30 photographs of Giverny by Elizabeth Murray, who has recorded Monet’s flower oasis for 25 years. These are all located at the botanical garden’s LuEsther T. Mertz Library.
A facade of Monet’s pink stucco house with its bright green shutters—a historically accurate replica by Tony Award-winning set designer Scott Park—marks the start of the exhibition. From there, visitors are led down the Grand Allee, a shorter recreation of Monet’s rose-covered trellis pathway lined on both sides with thick beds of vibrant flowers. The path opens up to a replica of his famous Japanese footbridge arching over a water lily pool encircled by willow trees and flowering shrubs.
“He could stand at his doorstep, as you can in this recreation, and look down the allee to the Japanese bridge in the distance,” said the exhibition curator, Monet scholar Paul Hayes Tucker.
“Since we know what flowers he planted, we can be very accurate historically,” Tucker said. “It is only a fraction of his undertaking but, nonetheless, an enormously rich and extensive fraction that will hopefully encourage people to learn more about him and if one is lucky enough to go” to Giverny.
In the courtyard outside the Victorian greenhouse, two immense water basins contain a plethora of water lilies.
Monet, who made a fortune during his lifetime, was constantly planting, replanting and redesigning his gardens. He would remove the water lilies in the winter so they would survive the cold and then replant them in the spring and summer.
“What’s wonderful is to think of Monet literally as planting a still life because it is in the end the arrangement of those water lilies that he paints in his pictures. He is constructing his painting, at least part of his painting, as he replants the pond,” Tucker said, adding that the job of one of Monet’s gardeners was to dunk the lilies so that the pads would glisten.
Summer months will see yellow and orange blossoms of nasturtiums, and lavenders, lilies and geraniums will fill the conservancy. In September and October, they will be replaced with chrysanthemums, salvia, sunflowers, asters, sages, dahlias and other fall flowers.
Among the rare artifacts in the exhibition are two paintings of his garden executed by the artist 15 years apart.
The Artist’s Garden in Giverny, on loan from the Yale University Art Gallery, was painted around the year 1900 and shows his flower garden with a dense arrangement of irises and decorative trees.
Irises, painted during World War I, is darker and moodier. On loan from a private Swiss collection and never before shown in the United States, it depicts a corner of the water garden that is replete with irises.
In a nearby glass case is one of Monet’s paint-encrusted palettes, “a place where literally the hand and the eye come together and where that mysterious poetic moment of realization takes place,” Tucker said. It’s on loan from the Musee Marmottan Monet in Paris.
There are also documents and personal correspondence that provide a rich sense of how the gardens were conceived and how they functioned in Monet’s life and art. A digitalized version of one of Monet’s sketchbooks reveals his propensity to draw before he set out to paint.
“We think of him almost exclusively as a painter so these sketchbooks reveal … he would jot these pictorial ideas right in front of his motifs,” Tucker said. “They provided a kind of touchstone for when he came back to the studio and began to organize the picture.”
Hopefully, he said, visitors will come away from the exhibition “with a greater sense of how complex and inventive Monet was as an individual.”
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-06-03-12 0519GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
‘Irises,’ by Claude Monet, completed in 1917. Image courtesy Wikipaintings.org.
A postcard picturing Tintin and his dog Snowy. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Alain & Evelyne, Morel de Westgaver.
PARIS (AFP) – A rare 1932 cover illustration of Tintin in America by Herge, the artist who dreamed up the boy reporter, on Saturday fetched a record 1.3 million euros ($1.6 million) at an auction in Paris.
“The work has been sold at 1,338,509.20 euros, costs included, by a person who wishes to remain anonymous,” a spokesman for the auctioneers, Artcurial, told AFP.
The previous owner, another Tintin collector, had bought it for 764,218 euros in 2008, which had until today stood as the record price in this domain.
While Artcurial had not announced an estimate of what they thought it would fetch this time, a spokesman said they had expected it to break the one-million-euro mark.
Belgian comic book artist Herge painted the Indian ink and gouache color cover for the first edition of the book, which first appeared in 1934.
One of only five such works of cover art remaining by Herge, it shows the young adventurer dressed as a cowboy sitting on a rock, his dog Snowy at his side, as three Indians creep up behind him.
The sale Saturday was part of a larger sale of Tintin-related memorabilia.
In February a Belgian court refused to ban the sale of Tintin in the Congo, rejecting a complaint from a Congolese man, Bienvenu Mbutu Mondondo, that it was filled with racist stereotypes about Africans.
Herge himself, real name Georges Remi (1907-1983), who revised some of the scenes for later editions had himself justified the book by saying it was merely a reflection of the naive views of the time.
Last year, film director Steven Spielberg released a 3D film, Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn and is planning a sequel.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
A postcard picturing Tintin and his dog Snowy. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Alain & Evelyne, Morel de Westgaver.A postcard picturing Tintin and his dog Snowy. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Alain & Evelyne, Morel de Westgaver.
Sir William Orpen’s ‘Self-Portrait on a cliff top in Howth,’ charcoal with gouache and oil on buff colored paper, on exhibition with Jean-Luc Baroni during the Master Drawings London event from June 27 to July 5. Image courtesy Jean-Luc Baroni.
LONDON – You may need to be of a certain age for the name Supertramp to ring any bells. Even if the name strikes a chord, it is surely only die-hard Supertramp fans who will be aware that Dave Winthrop (born 1948), a member of that hugely successful rock band in the early 1970s, is also an accomplished artist. Like many rock musicians of that era, Winthrop combined his musical career with forays into art school. Although his art training at Colchester School of Art never proved quite as thrilling as gigging with the likes of Supertramp and the now largely forgotten Chicken Shack, Winthrop never stopped drawing. The notebooks and sketchpads he kept while touring with the likes of Dr. John, The Eurythmics and other bands, reveal him as a highly skilled draftsman. This Rotring pen drawing, entitled ‘The 42 blots,’ by David Winthrop (born 1948), a former member of rock band Supertramp and also an accomplished draftsman, will be on display at Day and Faber’s gallery in Old Bond Street during the Master Drawings London event. Image courtesy Day & Faber.Dave Winthrop’s ‘Ten Men,’ Rotring pen on paper, on exhibition during Master Drawings London at Day & Faber’s gallery in Old Bond Street. Image courtesy Day & Faber.Today, when not blowing a saxophone, he continues to make art from his studio in Ramsgate, Kent.
Winthrop’s meticulously dense, highly idiosyncratic drawings and designs will form one of the more unusual attractions of the 12th edition of Master Drawings London—the capital-wide event in which specialist drawings dealers from around the world show a broad range of works from the Renaissance to the present at galleries throughout Mayfair and St. James. Winthrop’s work will be on display at Day & Faber’s gallery at 14 Old Bond St. for the duration of the drawings festival from June 27 to July 5.
Meanwhile, rather more typical of the sort of thing for which Master Drawings London has become known over the years, is British modernist painter William Orpen’s vigorous Self Portrait seated on a cliff top,Sir William Orpen’s ‘Self-Portrait on a cliff top in Howth,’ charcoal with gouache and oil on buff colored paper, on exhibition with Jean-Luc Baroni during the Master Drawings London event from June 27 to July 5. Image courtesy Jean-Luc Baroni. on display with Jean-Luc Baroni in Mason’s Yard, St. James, and Salvator Rosa’s A Standing Halberdier in pen and brown ink and brown wash, which will be offered by Stephen Ongpin, also based in Mason’s Yard.Salvator Rosa (1615-1673), ‘A Standing Halberdier,’ pen and brown ink and brown wash, over a black chalk underdrawing, laid down on an 18th century (Richardson) mount. On show during Master Drawings London at the St. James gallery of Stephen Onpin. Image courtesy Stephen Ongpin. Master Drawings London is nothing if not varied.
It is a truism frequently repeated these days that the art market is now largely “event-driven,” which is another way of saying that fairs have become the motor powering a good deal of international art commerce. London in June veritably explodes with art and antiques fairs and this year the more important ones will be hoping to benefit from the “Olympic bounce” of the London 2012 Games.
If a group of dynamic London dealers had not moved swiftly to fill the vacuum, London would still be mourning the demise of the Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair of fond memory, which folded in 2009 after 75 glorious years. In the event, the Masterpiece fair, now in its third year, not only filled the gap left by the Grosvenor, but delivered an even more spectacular international display that confirms the rude health of the luxury, blue-chip end of the art market. This year’s Masterpiece provides further evidence, if any were needed, of the ever-widening gap between ultrahigh net worth individuals, those with investable assets of more than $30 million, and everyone else.
As if to drive that point home, this year’s fair, located in a purpose-built pavilion in the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea from June 28 to July 4, includes a print of one of the most expensive paintings ever sold — Edvard Munch’s The Scream.This extremely rare lithograph of Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’ from 1895 will be on the stand of Oslo-based dealer Kaare Berntsen at the prestigious Masterpiece fair in London from June 28 to July 4 where it is priced at This extremely rare lithograph from 1895 will be on the stand of Oslo-based dealer Kaare Berntsen whose entire Masterpiece display will be devoted to Munch’s work. Original Scream prints of this kind have only been offered at auction twice in the last 20 to 30 years. The Munch Museum in Oslo inform us that this impression is one of only 26 such prints and one of very few which includes both the artist’s signature and an inscribed poem. Those features have contributed to its price tag of “approximately £2 million” ($3.1 million).
It is futile to even attempt to summarize the extraordinary panoply of treasures on display at Masterpiece, but typical of the quality on offer is the only known example of an oversize Cary “terraqueous” globe At the Masterpiece fair in London from June 28 to July 4, Butchoff Antiques will offer this only known example of an oversize Cary ‘terraqueous’ globe that maps the 1839 expedition to the Great Northwestern Passage. Image courtesy Butchoff Antiques and Masterpiece.that maps the 1839 expedition in the Great Northwestern Passage—complete with rediscovered documents, maps and photographs. This will be offered by Butchoff Antiques, while Whitfield Fine Art will show a newly discovered and fully authenticated Caravaggio, shown for the first time in the UK since its recent rediscovery.Internationally renowned Caravaggio connoisseur Clovis Whitfield of Whitfield Fine Art will be offering this newly discovered Caravaggio of ‘Saint Augustine’ at the forthcoming Masterpiece fair in Chelsea. Image courtesy Whitfield Fine Art and Masterpiece. Painted around 1600 for Cardinal Benedetto Giustiniani, this masterful portrait of Saint Augustine uses the same model who featured as one of the apostles in the National Gallery’s Supper at Emmaus, one of many works that Clovis Whitfield brilliantly analyses in his recently published scholarly book on the artist, Caravaggio’s Eye (Holberton, London 2011).
The increasingly global, multicultural nature of the art market has become one of its most notable features in recent years. London may have slipped from its once seemingly unassailable position as one of the top two international art market hubs (alongside New York) both of which have now been overtaken by China. It remains, however, a vibrant and incredibly multicultural center of art commerce as the next month will demonstrate. This week, Russia’s wealthy will once again be in force to contest the sales of Russian art offered by Christie’s, Sotheby’s and MacDougall’s and doubtless many will remain to peruse the plethora of fairs that follow soon after. Meanwhile, Islamic and Middle Eastern art are also powering their way up the league tables as Qatar and other Gulf states stake their claim to cultural supremacy.
That crosscultural theme is revealed in a new work commissioned specifically for another important London art fair happening this month — Art Antiques London — taking place for the third year in a specially built pavilion opposite the Royal Albert Hall in Hyde Park from June 13-20. New York gallerist Jane Kahan has commissioned the Islamic artist Ahmed Moustafa to create a new Aubusson tapestry titled Frolicking Horses, which will be priced “in the mid-six figures” at the fair.‘Frolicking Horses,’ a painting by Egyptian artist Ahmed Moustafa, from which an Aubusson tapestry will be woven. The finished work, commissioned by New York gallerist Jane Kahan, will be shown at the forthcoming Art Antiques London fair in Hyde Park from June 13-20. Image courtesy Jane Kahan and Art Antiques London. A coming together of an American-based dealer, an Egyptian artist, and a French tapestry company at a London fair — it’s hard to imagine a more eloquent expression of the hybrid nature of today’s contemporary art market.
Another interesting trans-Atlantic connection appears in an auction scheduled to take place in Edinburgh, Scotland in September. The ambitious Edinburgh forms of auctioneers, Lyon & Turnbull, have won the prestigious instructions to disperse the contents of the Greenwich Village, N.Y., home of Donald and Eleanor Taffner.The Greenwich Village home of Donald and Eleanor Taffner, the contents of which will be offered by Lyon & Turnbull in Edinburgh in September. Image courtesy of Lyon & Turnbull. Mr. and Mrs. Taffner were independent television producers responsible for bringing successful television shows to the American public, including Three’s Company, Too Close for Comfort and The Benny Hill Show. They were also responsible for classic British productions such as My Family and As Time Goes By.
However, it is the Taffners’ love of Caledonian art and culture, and most specifically the work of the Glasgow School of artists and designers, led by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, that makes the forthcoming auction so fascinating. Being such passionate collectors of Glasgow art and design and of the paintings of the Scottish Colourists, the Taffner’s New York home turned out to brimful of works that will be keenly contested in September.The drawing room at the Greenwich Village home of Donald and Eleanor Taffner showing Glasgow School works, which will be dispersed by Lyon & Turnbull in Edinburgh in September. Image courtesy of Lyon & Turnbull. It is some time since such an important collection of Glaswegian Art Nouveau came to market. Highlights include a watercolor landscape executed in France by Charles Rennie Mackintosh titled Boultenère,‘Boultenère,’ a watercolor of 1925-27 by the Glasgow School artist and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, which is expected to be a highlight of Lyon & Turnbull’s sale of the collection of Donald and Eleanor Taffner in Edinburgh in September, where it is estimated at £80,000-120,000 ($127,000-$190,000). Image courtesy of Lyon & Turnbull. which reveals the Glaswegian designer as one of the finest watercolorists of his generation. It is estimated at £80,000-120,000 ($127,000-$190,000), while a self-portrait by the highly collectible Sir John Lavery, showing himself in the company of the young Shirley Temple, is expected to fetch around £30,000-50,000 ($47,000-$79,500).This self-portrait by Sir John Lavery, showing him with the child star Shirley Temple, is estimated at £30,000-50,000 ($47,000-$79,500) when Lyon & Turnbull disperse the collection of Donald and Eleanor Taffner in September. Image courtesy Lyon & Turnbull.
Caille Bros. ‘Globe’ Poker Hand 5-reel card machine, circa 1906, cast-iron case, sold for $85,000 not including the buyer’s premium. Image courtesy Victorian Casino Antiques.
LAS VEGAS – Not since the Sotheby Auction of the Smith Collection in September 1994 has there been a sale of such magnitude and importance in the world of coin-op. The Mel and Anne Getlan collection of over 300 lots went under the hammer the weekend of May 4 at Victorian Casino Antiques.
The Getlans are longtime New York collectors who have moved and decided to downsize their collection. Mel has other collecting interests outside of coin-op including St. Louis World’s Fair of 1904, stamps and figural napkin rings. He recently donated his collection of over 6,000 St. Louis World’s Fair items to a museum in Jefferson City, Mo.
The auction was well attended with over 400 floor bidders and 1,400 Internet bidders. It provided an opportunity for many of the veteran collectors and dealers of coin-op to gather, swapping stories and catching up on acquaintances and families. Before the Getlan collection was put up Peter Sidlow, better known to his friends as “Pedro” and owner of Victorian Casino Antiques, called for a 10-minute break so the “old timers” could gather up front for a group photo.
After the photo session, paddles flew. The star of the collection was a Caille Globe cast-iron trade stimulator of which few are known. It sold for $85,000 (prices quoted do not include buyer’s premium) and will reside in Colorado. The old cigar vending machines were the surprise of the sale.
Collector Ken Rubin bought six out of the seven pre-1916 machines for his upcoming book Silent Cigar Salesman, due out in early 2013. Rubin says the first coin-operated cigar vendor debuted in 1893. All seven machines sold for a total of $155,000 broken down as follows: Pope Cigar Vendor, 1909, $27,500; B.F. Schwab & Co., 1889, $12,500; Bank Note Cigar Vendor, 1900, $25,000; Bishop & Kline “Little Clerk,” 1895, $25,000; Doremus Automatic Vending Co., 1901, $30,000; Jackson “Honest Clerk,” 1905, $17,500 and Standard Vending Machine Co., 1915, $17,500.
Other items of interest from the Getlan Collection: Caille “Little Roulette,” $30,000; coin-operated “Bicycle Pump,” $14,000; Caille “Jockey,” $17,500; Mills “Hy-Lo,” $12,500; Mills perfume vendor, $9,000; Blinkey Eye gum machine, $25,000; The Little Duke cast-iron card machine, $27,500; Caille “New Century Detroit,” $17,500; the Auto Doctor (cover of the catalog), $12,500; and the matching cabinet, $6,000.
The steal of the collection was a 1-cent Trophy Tower Sales Corp. razor blade dispenser pictured in Bill Ennis’ book Silent Salesman and perhaps the only one known, which went begging at $1,300.
In all the Getlan collection brought over $1 million.
The entire auction spanned three days and included 1,500 lots. Some of the other highlights: Caille Centaur/Eclipse 25-cent double upright slot machine with music, $75,000; Wm. Demuth zinc cigar store Indian, 1870, $30,000; Regina upright music changer, $8,500; an oval tin lithographed advertising tray “The Cream of Kentucky” featuring an almost bare-breasted woman, $5,500; and three Kit Carson poker chips, $600.
The next Victorian Casino Antiques Auction will be held on Oct. 12-14 in Las Vegas.
For addition information, visit www.vcaauction.com.
Caille Bros. ‘Globe’ Poker Hand 5-reel card machine, circa 1906, cast-iron case, sold for $85,000 not including the buyer’s premium. Image courtesy Victorian Casino Antiques.
Marklin three-tiered castle, circa 1895, parade ground moves when connected to steam engine. Est. $14,000-$20,000. RSL Auction Co.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Keep your friends close, and your former presidents closer.
President Barack Obama welcomed his favorite foil, former President George W. Bush, back to the White House on Thursday for the official unveiling of Bush’s portrait. Given the history, the scene was quite a picture.
Obama is still bad-mouthing Bush’s time in office, and it’s not just because of the debt and the unfinished wars Obama inherited. Obama sees Bush’s economic ideas as the same as his current rival, Mitt Romney, so he lumps them together.
Which makes it a little awkward that Obama presided as Bush’s image and legacy were enshrined forever.
Never mind all that, say the Obama and Bush camps. This is a timeout for tradition.
The political reunion put aside any campaign rhetoric, as other gatherings among past and current presidents have, to honor nostalgia and the service of the former president and his wife, Laura.
In the heart of a re-election year, Obama rose above the fray for a day and play statesman.
He and his wife, Michelle, hosted generations of Bushes for a private lunch, including former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush.
Then, in the ornate East Room, Obama and George W. Bush spoke as the portraits of the former president and Laura Bush were unveiled. The audience was filled with friends and officials from Bush’s two terms in office.
No one close to the current or former president expected the least sign of animus Thursday, particularly given that their transition in 2009 was handled with grace and that they have since shared moments of help and healing.
“President Bush has been around politics a long time. He’s been around how presidents deal with each other for a long time,” said Tony Fratto, one of his former spokesmen at the White House. “He has an understanding for separating the necessities of political rhetoric from the job itself.”
Still, Bush has been holding his tongue for a long time. Obama has never run against Bush, although it was easy to forget that during the 2008 race between Obama and Sen. John McCain, when Bush’s tenure was so often Obama’s target.
In his inaugural address in 2009, Obama declared that “we are ready to lead once more,” seen by some as a dig at Bush, who was seated over his shoulder. Even now, hardly a day goes by when Obama’s team does not blame Bush for a mess.
It was just one week ago that Obama, revving up campaign donors, turned Bush into a punch line. Obama depicted presumptive Republican presidential nominee Romney as a peddler of bad economic ideas, helping the rich at the expense of the middle class. He then added: “That was tried, remember? The last guy did all this.”
Now the last guy was back.
Only 43 men in history, and five men alive, have held the job.
It was a rare limelight moment for Bush, who has not been back in more than two years.
Obama and Bush have a cordial and respectful relationship, but they are not close.
Both are political veterans who are able to separate political tactics from what they see as an overarching community among people who have served in the Oval Office, according to people close to them.
History has marked this moment before, with grudges put aside.
When Bill Clinton came back for his portrait unveiling, Bush lauded him for “the forward-looking spirit that Americans like in a president.” This after he ran for the presidency to “restore honor and dignity” after Clinton’s sex scandal.
And when Clinton welcomed back George H.W. Bush, whom he had defeated, he said to him and his wife: “Welcome home. We’re glad to have you here.”
“I would be surprised if there’s very much tension” this time around, said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University who has long followed Bush’s career.
Obama has enlisted Bush’s help on earthquake relief for Haiti, and the two stood together in New York City last year in marking the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on America. They have also spoken at least three times at signature moments over the last three years, including the killing of Osama bin Laden.
Still, Obama’s bashing of Bush’s record sets a backdrop.
“This president is looking for someone to blame,” Romney said while campaigning in Colorado this week. “Of course, he started off by blaming George Bush, and that worked for a while but, you know, after three and a half years that wears kind of thin.”
The White House points out that Obama praises Bush sometimes, too, such as for taking on illegal immigration.
The visit is layered with political story lines.
Bush’s brother Jeb is a potential vice presidential candidate to Romney. Bush’s father has developed a kinship of sorts with Obama. And then there is Bush himself, who has endorsed Romney but is still viewed by many in his party as politically toxic.
More than any president in recent memory, Bush has not just intentionally faded from the public spotlight but all but disappeared from it.
Bush was last at the White House in January 2010 to help out with Haiti humanitarian relief.
Bush spokesman Freddy Ford said the former president and first lady are grateful to the Obamas and looking forward to catching up with faces from their past, including staff at the Executive Mansion.
Jenna Bush Hager, one of the George W. Bush’s daughters, told Fox & Friends the day will be a chance to “celebrate his work, ’cause he worked pretty hard, so I think he deserves at least a painting.”
As to where it will go, she said: “Probably in the very back somewhere. I’m just kidding.”
Actually, the painting will hang prominently in the formal entrance hall to the White House, the Grand Foyer.
___
AP News Researcher Julie Reed Bell and Associated Press writer Ken Thomas contributed to this report.
___
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Follow Ben Feller at http://twitter.com/BenFellerDC
AP-WF-05-31-12 1656GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Marklin three-tiered castle, circa 1895, parade ground moves when connected to steam engine. Est. $14,000-$20,000. RSL Auction Co.
An early 1900s postcard pictures miners in an iron mine in Ironwood, Mich. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
IRONWOOD, Mich. (AP) – “They think it’s going to be one of their best murals,” Jerry Taplin said last week of the artists painting the miners’ mural soon to be displayed on his building in downtown Ironwood.
Taplin, of Bentonville, Ark., said the artists, Kelly Meredith and Sue Martinsen, are making good progress on the mural, which will be affixed to his building. He estimated it would display more than 100 historical miners, making it unique among the murals on which the artists have worked.
With the unveiling slated for June 16, Taplin said Mary Waits and her Northwoods Cabin would offer booklets with biographical information for each miner. The city is also planning various downtown events to promote the mural, which it hopes will draw tourists downtown.
The project was “slow going at first,” Taplin said. He was interested in the mural, and working with Meredith and Martinsen, four years ago, and he brought in Waits around three years ago. What has followed has been a lot of legwork, with Waits often visiting Ironwood officials and others to sell “bricks” (or display space under the miners) to community members to finance the mural.
The project has also gotten a lot of support from other community members, Taplin said, including local historian and promoter Larry Peterson, and Ron Hoeft, of Hoeft Construction, in Hurley.
Taplin said Hoeft workers have donated their labor to setting up the framing on which the mural (painted on panels) will be affixed.
___
Information from: Daily Globe, http://yourdailyglobe.com
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-05-31-12 1401GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
An early 1900s postcard pictures miners in an iron mine in Ironwood, Mich. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
Architect Frank Gehry, designer of the Eisenhower Memorial. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s family welcomed design changes by architect Frank Gehry for a memorial honoring the World War II general, but said Wednesday that any monument should be “simple, sustainable and affordable” to honor his values.
In a joint statement from Eisenhower’s son and grandchildren provided to The Associated Press, the family offered its first reaction to changes in the national memorial design that Gehry announced May 15.
The family continues to oppose the use of large metal scrims to frame a memorial park near the National Mall. Gehry has called them tapestries that would depict the landscape of Eisenhower’s boyhood home in Kansas. The scope and scale of the images woven in metal, though, remain “controversial and divisive,” the family said.
In Gehry’s design changes, images of Eisenhower carved in stone would be replaced with 9-foot-tall statues depicting Ike as World War II hero and president near the center of the park. The statues would show Gen. Eisenhower with soldiers before the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France. As president, he would be shown with his hand on the globe. There is also a life-size sculpture of a young Eisenhower looking out at what his life would become.
“From our perspective, many of the changes that Gehry Partners made to the design concept are positive and welcomed,” the family said—but added that more time is needed to break an impasse over the metal scrims.
“Not only are they the most expensive element of the Gehry design, they are also the most vulnerable to urban conditions … ” the family said. “This one-of-a-kind experimental technology, which serves as the memorial’s backdrop, is impractical and unnecessary.”
The family said it won’t support a design that uses the metal scrims, doubting how long they would last. Susan Eisenhower, Ike’s granddaughter, said her family is not endorsing the design.
Still, Rocco Siciliano, chairman of the presidentially appointed Eisenhower Memorial Commission sent a letter back to the family Wednesday, saying he was delighted the family was welcoming the changes.
“Moving forward, I believe we can allay your concerns about the sustainability of the tapestries” with tests of their durability, he wrote, adding that the commission wants to build the memorial “in a timely manner so it can be enjoyed by the ‘Greatest Generation’ before passing it on to our children and our children’s children.”
Earlier in May, Gehry seemed determined to protect the tapestries as part of the overall concept. Designers from his firm were photographing Kansas landscapes to develop the final images. His firm is testing the materials against corrosive conditions.
“Eisenhower was so proud to grow up in Kansas—leaving out this imagery would mean omitting an important part of his story,” Gehry wrote to the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, which includes lawmakers from Kansas and elsewhere.
Members of the commission at a meeting May 15 all voiced approval of Gehry’s design but put off a formal vote.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, who oversees national memorials through the National Park Service and has met with the Eisenhower family, said Wednesday that the design must reflect the vision of memorial organizers, the family and the American people so it can “stand the test of time.”
“Though it is important to move forward as swiftly as possible, our priority must be in getting it right,” Salazar said. “If more time is required to get it right, so be it.”
The 12-year-old memorial effort will rely on private fundraising and money from Congress. Organizers hope to complete it by 2015 at a cost of about $142 million.
The family thanked the famous architect for being responsive to objections.
In an interview, Susan Eisenhower said adding statues would draw attention to the 34th president’s accomplishments. Other elements are innovative for today—namely the woven metal—but aren’t designed for the ages, she said.
“It’s America’s memorial and our gift to future generations,” she said. “If this doesn’t get completed in my lifetime, I’m OK with that as long as we’ve got the right process in place.”
The nation’s economic downturn “ushered in a new era” for 21st century memorial projects, the family said, along with the need to reconnect with Eisenhower’s values of celebrating things that are simple, sustainable and affordable.
The design debate reminded Susan Eisenhower of a passage in her grandfather’s farewell speech from the White House.
“As we peer into society’s future—you and I and our government—we must avoid the impulse to live only for today,” Eisenhower said, “plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow.”
___
Eisenhower Family Statement: http://susaneisenhower.com/
___
Follow Brett Zongker on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/DCArtBeat
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-05-31-12 1359GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Architect Frank Gehry, designer of the Eisenhower Memorial. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
This rare oil on canvas by Italian artist Parmeggiani Tancredi (1927-1964) was estimated at $80,000-$100,000, but sold for $225,950 to an Italian buyer. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.
OAKLAND, Calif. — On May 19 and 20, Clars Auction Gallery conducted the largest fine art and antiques sale in the firm’s 40-year history. The rich and important investment quality property offered drew bidders from around the world with the sale earning just over $1.8 million.
The fine art category, which offered a strong selection of Modern and Contemporary works by renowned American and European artists, realized over $760,000 (includes buyer’s premium) with the remaining $1 million-plus was realized on important historic property, antique furnishings, Asian offerings and highly desirable special collections.
“It was phenomenal to watch the bidding come in from around the world and energy on the sale room floor,” said Deric Torres, director of decoratives and furnishings for Clars. Under the leadership of Redge Martin, who bought Clars in 1996, and his staff of experts, the firm has gained the reputation for acquiring and representing some of the finest estates in California.
Leading the impressive art offerings and topping the two-day sale overall was an important abstract by Italian artist Parmeggiani Tancredi (1927-1964). Surpassing all expectations, Tancredi’s large oil on canvas Untitled, circa 1958, came to the block with an estimate of $80,000-$120,000, but competitive international bidding on this work quickly drove the final sale price to $225,950.
Rick Unruh, director of fine art for Clars, said that he was very pleased with sale of the Tancredi painting going well over its estimate. “We had numerous bidders from all over the world on this lot with the winning bid coming from Italy. Clars has proven yet again that our global audience is second to none,” he said.
Another Italian work, Avvenimento by Edmondo Bacci (1913-1989) also came close to doubling its presale high estimate selling for $18,960.
Two bronze sculptures, Nature Revealing Herself to Science, by Louis Ernest Barrias (French, 1841-1905) and Indian on Horseback, by Alexander Phimster Proctor (American, 1860-1950) tied for second place in the sale. The two works sold solidly within their estimates going for $24,885 each. The bronze sculpture, Figure Looking Skyward, by Elizabeth Catlett (American, 1915‐2012), also performed well selling for $14,280.
Turning to works by American artists, the top sellers were a framed oil on canvas titled Boats in the Cove, by Walter Farndon (American, 1876-1964) which sold for over high estimate at $20,145 followed by the framed ink on paper, a Peanuts daily comic strip 8-13-1962 (United Feature Syndicate, 1962), by Charles Schulz (Californian, 1922-2000). Estimated to sell for $15,000 on the high side, America’s beloved Peanuts earned an impressive $16,590.
Rounding out the top sellers in the fine art offerings was a framed oil on canvas titled Antonia, by Jean‐Gabriel Domergue (French, 1889‐1962) which more that doubled its high estimate, selling for $14,280. A framed gouache on paper, Blue Nude, 1965, by Karel Appel (Dutch, 1921‐2006), sold for $15,470 and the framed gelatin silver print, Mainbocher Corset, Paris, 1939, by Horst P. Horst (German/American, 1906‐ 1999), earned $10,710.
The decoratives and furnishings category featured exceptional property both in provenance and quality. A highlight of this category was the much-anticipated Pottier & Stymus Victorian bedroom suite composed of footboard, headboard, bureau and mirror and all made of ornately carved rosewood. This bedroom suite was custom-made for 19th century San Francisco millionare James C. Flood’s Linden Towers mansion in Menlo Park. At the time, this estate was regarded as the most elaborate country manor in the country. When bidding on this suite opened, serious Victorian furniture collectors from across the country jumped in with heated bidding. In the end, though, the winning bid went to a San Francisco Bay Area couple who became captivated by its provenance as well as its incredible design. The famous Pottier & Stymus Victorian bedroom suite sold for $17, 775.
Other 19th century furniture performed also saw strong results. An American Renaissance Revival Wooton desk, circa 1874, executed in walnut earned a respectable $7,140, and a Regency inlaid breakfast table, circa 1820, almost tripled its high estimate selling for $5,355. Turning to Modern furniture, a Dan Johnson Studio Gazelle dining table, Italy, circa 1955, made $7,140.
On the decoratives side, a Blanc de chine porcelain and gilt bronze clock sold for $10,115 and an unsigned 19th century marble bust titled Portrait of a Duchess, French School, solidly surpassed its high estimate, fetching $5,355.
Sterling offerings also sold exceptionally well. A Gorham seven-piece presentation service earned $7,735 followed by a Reed & Barton sterling flatware service for 10 in the Les Cinq Fleurs pattern and an International Silver Co. service for 12 in the Trianon pattern which both earned $2,975.
A number of lots were offered which reflected the rich and robust history of San Francisco during the Gold Rush era. Two highlights of these offerings were a rare San Francisco Committee of Vigilance membership certificate dated May 1856, which sold for $4,111. The San Francisco Vigilance Movement consisted of two popular ad hoc organizations whose sole purpose was to reign in crime and government corruption. Notorious in their methods, the 1856 committee is regarded as the most successful by employing the vigilante traditions of the American West.
The second historic piece was a California gold quartz walking stick presented by Carleton E. Watkins to his father, J.M. Watkins, in 1869. Carleton Watkins arrived in San Francisco in 1849 and went on to become the foremost landscape photographer of the 19th century. His early work elevated him as an internationally recognized fine artist and, through his images, he introduced Yosemite to the world. This gold quartz walking stick sold for an impressive $6,545.
In November 2011, Clars was the first West Coast auction house to offer a special collection of high-society fashion. Having met with great success, the May sale followed up with a special collection of designer handbags from Hermes, Judith Lieber, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Once again the fashionistas came out spending over $40,000 on just 28 lots. The top seller in this special collection was the Hermes 40cm Togo leather birkin bag complete with original dust cover, box and bag, which fetched $13,090.
Bidders looking for the perfect bling to complement their designer bags were not disappointed with the jewelry category. Diamonds and Patek Phlippe dominated this category with a lady’s Patek Philippe Nautilus wristwatch in 18k gold earning $5,050 and a diamond wedding ring suite, which sported one round brilliant cut diamond and four traditional round full cut diamonds attaining $8,330.
Rounding out this record-breaking sale for Clars was the Asian category, which again saw astounding prices on several lots offered. Topping this category and placing second in the sale overall was a pair of Chinese huanghuali yoke-back chairs, Qing dynasty, which sold for $59,250. The next highest seller in the Asian offerings was a single Chinese huanghuali yokle-back armchair, also Qing dynasty, which earned $24,885.
For complete information of Clars’ May 19 and 20 antiques and fine art auction, visit www.clars.com; call 510-428-0100 or email: info@clars.com.
Clars next fine art and antiques auction will be held on Saturday and Sunday, June 16-17. Contact Clars Auction Gallery for consignment information and to register to bid on this upcoming two-day event.
This rare oil on canvas by Italian artist Parmeggiani Tancredi (1927-1964) was estimated at $80,000-$100,000, but sold for $225,950 to an Italian buyer. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.
The bronze sculpture ‘Nature Revealing Herself to Science’ by Louis Ernest Barrias (French, 1841-1905) sold for $24,885. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.
Peanuts daily comic strip 8-13-1962 (United Feature Syndicate, 1962) Charles Schulz (Californian, 1922-2000) was estimated to sell for $15,000 on the high side but earned an impressive $16,590. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.
This Victorian bedroom suite created in 1878 for James C. Flood by Pottier & Stymus of New York sold for $17,775. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.
This California gold quartz walking stick presented by Carleton E. Watkins to his father, J.M. Watkins, in 1869 sold for an impressive $6,545. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.
Over $40,000 was realized on the 28 designer handbags offered with an Hermes 40cm Togo leather birkin bag complete with original dust cover, box and bag fetching $13,090. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.
Topping the Asian offerings was this pair of Chinese huanghuali yoke-back chairs, Qing dynasty, which sold for $59,250. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.
