Texas native Martin Grelle (b. 1954) is a national award-winning artist known for his Western paintings. This untitled work by Grelle is characteristic of the art Dallas Fine Art Auction will handle. Image courtesy of Dallas Fine Art Auction. DALLAS – Dallas Auction Gallery has introduced Dallas Fine Art Auction, a partnership created from three prominent Texas art companies: David Dike Fine Art, Debbie Leeuw Fine Art and Dallas Auction Gallery. Dallas Fine Art Auction will presents a premier Western and Texas fine art auction annually beginning Jan. 29, 2011 at Dallas Auction Gallery.
Dallas Fine Art Auction’s goal to provide both collectors and artists excellent service, personal attention and scholarly knowledge about Texas and Western art.
“Dallas Fine Art Auction is the way to showcase Texas and Western art through various fields of expertise and offer valuable service to artists and collectors,” said Scott Shuford, president of Dallas Auction Gallery.
David Dike Fine Art was established in 1986 in the Arts District of Uptown Dallas. Still located in the Arts District, the gallery specializes in late 19th- and 20th-century American and European oil paintings with an emphasis on the Texas Regionalists and Texas Landscape painters. The gallery strives to provide both new and seasoned collectors with an immense compellation of traditional and some nontraditional works.
David Dike is a past-president of the Dallas Art Dealers Association and has been a member of the New England Appraisers Association of America and the Fine Art Dealers Association for over 15 years. He has contributed to numerous Texas art symposiums, retrospectives and exhibitions across the state. Dike has contributed to the following books on Texas Art: Dictionary of Texas Art by Paula and Michael Grauer in 1999 and Texas Painters, Sculptors and Artists by John and Deborah Powers, 2001. He is recognized nationally as an authority of Texas art and has joined Dallas Fine Art Auction to share his knowledge.
Dallas Auction Gallery, a family-owned and operated business, bills itself as the Southwest’s premier antiques and fine art auction house. “DAG offers only the highest quality antiques and fine art, as well as impeccable client service and effortless, seamless transactions for both buyers and sellers,” said Lauren Shuford Laughry, marketing manager at DAG.
DAG’s auction specialists provide full-service estate consignment management and professional promotion and marketing, all designed to maximize values with the utmost integrity and personal service. The company recently launched Dallas Auction Gallery Appraisal Services for clients and estate planners interested in appraisals conducted by expert staff, each of whom is a member of the International Society of Appraisers.
Debbie Leeuw carries on the legacy of “Passion for Art” that Bill Burford started with Texas Art Gallery in 1964. Texas Art Gallery closed its doors in 2009, but Debbie Leeuw Fine Arts remains dedicated to bringing together artists, artwork and collectors. Leeuw strives to give special personal attention to quality artwork as well as have first- class customer service. She is known for her commissions, consulting, referrals and buying of 19th- and 20th-century American and European oils, watercolors and bronzes with emphasis on Western and Impressionist works.
For details contact Dallas Auction Gallery at 214-653-3900.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
Charlie Dye, ‘Calf Branding Time.’ Image courtesy of Dallas Fine Art Auction. Gordon Snidow, ‘Heading for the Barn.’ Image courtesy of Dallas Fine Art Auction. Julian Onderdonk, ‘In The Hills, South Texas,’ 1912. Image courtesy of Dallas Fine Art Auction.
One of only 1,000 printed, this 1970 ‘Picasso Plakate’ book contains 297 posters reproduced from 1939 to 1970. Published by Bake-Paris in 1970, the hardcover volume is estimated at $1,525-$1,825. Image courtesy of Universal Live.
NORTHBROOK, Ill. – Universal Live will continue selling museum exhibit posters and prints from the collection of a New York art gallery on Sept. 1 beginning at 2 p.m. Central. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding during the 419-lot online auction.
The collection has been consigned by Bernard Rougerie, manager and curator of Rare Posters, Brooklyn, N.Y.
“Some of the posters originated with Leo Castelli, who’s considered to be the father of pop art,” said Martin Shape, auctioneer and co-owner of Universal Live.
Castelli’s famous New York art gallery showcased contemporary art by the likes of Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Ed Ruscha.
“When Castelli’s gallery would have an exhibition he would have posters made to display locally and folded in four to mail to customers,” said Rougerie.
The auction will also feature out of print posters by photographers Herb Ritts, Bruce Weber and Guenther Blum. Ritts, whose fashion photography credits include Calvin Klein, Chanel, Donna Karan and the Gap, died in 2002 at the age of 50.
“His images of the late ’80s and early ’90s were mass-marketed and expensive. They still have a strong following,” said Shape. The dozen lots of Ritts’ offset lithograph posters have estimates of $150-$250.
Another important segment of the auction are more than 60 lots of art books, catalogues raisonnés of various contemporary artists.
“They’re great historical reference books reflecting the art scene of the time,” said Shape.
The auction will also include six special edition posters of Christo’s proposed Over the River Project for the Arkansas River in Colorado. Printed on heavy quilted paper, the posters depict sheets of fabric suspended above the river and include a map of the area. The posters carry estimates of $75-$225.
For details on any lots in the auction call Universal Live at 847-412-1802.
Published by Maeght in 1992, ‘Miro Lithographs VI (1976-1981)’ is in mint condition in the original plastic wrapper. The catalogue raisonné is 200 pages with 180 color illustrations. Image courtesy of Universal Live. Keith Haring created this exhibition poster for Sweden’s Malmo Konstall, one of Europe’s largest exhibition halls for contemporary art. The offset lithograph is from an edition of 1,000. It is in mint condition and has a $75-$125 estimate. Image courtesy of Universal Live. Jasper Johns’ ‘Target’ lithographed poster was created in 2007 for the Gagosian Gallery’s ‘Pop Art Is’ series. Printed on heavy stock, the poster has a $150-$225 estimate. Image courtesy of Universal Live. ‘Double Elvis’ served as the exhibition poster for a Andy Warhol showing. The lithograph is based a publicity still from the 1960 film ‘Flaming Star’ starring Elvis Presley. It has a $150-$225 estimate. Image courtesy of Universal Live. ‘Malaika, Head to Knees’ is an out-of-print poster by the late fashion photographer Herb Ritts. The offset lighograph poster has a $150-$225 estimate. Image courtesy of Universal Live.
Nineteenth-century English artist Ford Madox Brown painted this portrait of the Bromley children, members of his family. The 50-inch by 38-inch oil on canvas portrait has a $35,000-$50,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Dallas Auction Gallery.
DALLAS – A colorful Paris streetscape and a charming portrait of Victorian siblings are among the more than 100 19th- and 20th-century American, English, and European oil paintings to be offered at Dallas Auction Gallery’s sale Wed., Sept. 1. The auction will also include fine antiques from local and regional estates. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
French artist Victor Gabriel Gilbert painted his oil on canvas depiction of Rue Mouffetard in Paris in the late 19th century. The signed and authenticated work, 20 inches by 24 inches, carries a $25,000-$35,000 estimate.
Ford Madox Brown (British, 1821-1893) painted the portrait of the Bromley children, signing and dating it, “F.M. Brown, 1843.” This early work shows the three eldest children of the artist’s cousin and brother-in-law, Augustus Frederick Bromley. Ford Madox Brown’s first wife was Augustus Frederick Bromley’s sister Elizabeth. Brown painted a number of portraits of his Bromley family. Having provenance from Christie’s London, the large painting has a $35,000-$50,000 estimate.
Other artists whose works will be offered at DAG’s auction include Henry Lejeune, Edward John Gregory, Michael J. Whitehand, William Shayer Sr., Richard Henry Nibbs, Keeley Halswelle, Max Albert Carlier, Vihelm Pacht, David W. Haddon, Lord Frederick Leighton, William Mellor, Jean Jacques Henner, Charles S. Shwa, Charles Hunt, Arthur Heyer, Alfred Ward, Alfred Fontville de Breanski, Colin W. Burns, Maurice Levis, Gail Sherman Corbett, Henry Garland and Vincent Clare.
Headlining the American, English and Continental antique furniture is a rare 16th-century German stollentruhe, a heavy iron-bound oak chest. Decorated with geometric and foliate metal straps, the chest has a hinged plank top, concave sides and rectangular plank feet. It is 32 inches by 67 1/2 inches long and 23 inches deep. From the Westphalia region of Germany, the chest has a $20,000-$30,000 estimate.
A another rare piece is an Edwardian satinwood Beau Brummel dressing table in Sheraton style from the turn of the 20th century. The dressing table features swing-out triple mirrors and a top the lifts to reveal swing-out trays. It is labeled “Finnigan’s Ltd., New Bond Street, London.” With numerous glass jars, brushes and manicure utensils, the table has a $3,000-$4,000 estimate.
Attracting a lot of attention in the form of multiple preliminary bids is a 14 3/4-inch-tall Meissen porcelain bust of Marie Antoinette from the turn of the 20th century. Bearing a cross-swords mark in blue underglaze, the bust has a $1,000-$1,500 estimate.
For details call Dallas Auction Gallery at 866-653-3900.
Victor Gabriel Gilbert (French, 1847-1935) depicts Mouffetard Street in Paris in this late 1800s oil painting. Measuring 20 inches by 24 inches, the work has a $25,000-$35,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Dallas Auction Gallery. KPM porcelain plaques in fine quality ormolu mounts adorn this Napoleon III bonheur-du-jour from the 1870s. It is expected to sell for $30,000-$50,000. Image courtesy of Dallas Auction Gallery. ‘Two for one money,’ a pair of monumental Louis XV-style chandeliers in gilt and patinated bronze has a $60,000-$80,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Dallas Auction Gallery. This 16th-century iron-bound oak chest known as a stollentruhe is from the Westphalia region of Germany. The rare piece carries a $20,000-$30,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Dallas Auction Gallery
The length of the giant emerald is nearly four times the diameter of a U.S. quarter. The rare gem has been appraised for nearly a half-million dollars. Image courtesy of GovernmentAuction.com.
TEHACHAPI, Calif. – An emerald of extraordinary size will be offered for sale by GovernmentAuction.com on Sunday, Aug. 29. Widely known as the Polly Emerald, the gemstone is an amazing 1,040 carats and has recently been appraised for $454,000 by a GIA certified appraiser. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding for this special auction, which will consist of the lone lot selling at 6 p.m. Pacific, 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
Having been on public display at various venues, the rare and celebrated emerald has been stored in a bank vault in recent years.
“We believe it to be one of the largest emeralds in the world,” said Christine Budge, marketing representative for GovernmentAuction.com. “Although we do not know the exact value of this unique stone, it is sure to make an excellent investment. That is why the consignor has chosen to let the world-wide public decide what the final auction price will be.”
There will be no reserve; the emerald will sell to the highest bidder.
For additional details call GovernmentAuction.com at 661-823-1543. The company’s Web site is www.governmentauction.com.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Brass and copper eight-light chandelier, 53 inches long by 19 inches wide by 19 inches deep. Estimate: $250-$300. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers & Appraisers. HOUSTON – Dazzling jewelry, luscious rugs, sparkling chandeliers and a shipment of beautiful French antiques are a hint of the more than 200 lots on the auction block at Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers & Appraisers on Thursday, Aug. 26. The auction will begin 7 p.m. Central.
The goods are ready for viewing on the showroom floor at 4901 Richmond Ave. in Houston and online at www.mortonkuehnert.com and www.liveauctioneers.com. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
Lot 60 is a brass and copper eight-light chandelier that has a $250-$300 estimate. A pretty in pink Louis XV-style upholstered bed, lot 67, with tufted brocade fabric is estimated at $350-$400, and a pair of matching upholstered chairs, lot 68, has an estimate of $150-$200. A petite Louis XV-style bombé parquet chest, lot 182, carries a $300-$350 estimate and can be the finishing touch in the room.
For the serious student, lot 197 is a beautiful oak three-door glass-front bookcase, which has a $150-$200 estimate. A late 19th-century Henry II-style walnut desk with leather blotter, lot 161, is estimate at $300-$400.
Several rugs will be sold, including lot 37, a Pakistan Oushak, 9 feet 2 inches by 12 feet 1 inch, which is estimated at $2,500-$3,000. Lot 34 is a handmade Persian Kerman, 9 feet 9 inches by 13 feet, that could go for $500-$600.
To accent the rugs beautifully are two French tables, one an oak farm table, lot 93, estimated at $400-$500, and lot 130, a Henry II oak table with beautiful barley twist legs, at $300-$400.
In the jewelry department, lot 50 is an elegant 14K white gold three-diamond 1-carat pendant estimated at $1,100-$1,200 and lot 48, a 14K white gold pair of amethyst and diamond earrings, which is expected to bring $900-$1,000.
For details about any lot call Morton Keuhnert Auctioneers & Aoorausers at 712-827-7835.
Louis XV-style bed with silk-tufted brocade fabric, France, 19th century, length 68 1/4 inches by width 56 1/2 inches. Estimate: $350-$400. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers & Appraisers. Pair of Louis XV-style painted parlor chairs with silk tufted brocade fabric, France, 19th century, height 33 1/2 inches, width 25 inches, depth 18 3/4 inches. Estimate: $150-$200. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers & Appraisers. White gold three-diamond, 1-carat pendant set with three circular cut diamonds. Estimate: $1,100-$1,200. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers & Appraisers.
Royal Crown Derby and other types of cups and saucers. Image courtesy of Pook & Pook Inc. DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. – Pook & Pook Inc. will begin the fall season with a Variety Auction on Sept. 9-10. The Pennsylvania estates of Bernice Cramer, Naomi David, H. Richard Dietrich Jr. and Gerald Lestz together with items from the Henry Ford Museum and the Gloucester County (N.J.) Historical Society will provide many interesting items. LiveAuctioneers will facilitate Internet live bidding.
A large quantity of toys will be sold on both Thursday afternoon and Friday. Cast-iron vehicles, lithographed tin windup and pull toy vehicles, Schoenhut instruments, figural windup toys and games, trains, model forts, banks, Stieff animals, building blocks and boxed games are just a few highlights of the extensive collection. Large lots of space related robots and guns round out the mix.
Furniture will be offered throughout the sale. A Pennsylvania Chippendale walnut slant-lid desk, two Hepplewhite mahogany sideboards, a Pennsylvania Queen Anne walnut chest on frame, an interesting Moroccan inlaid games table and a Tindale Cabinet Co. specimen chest on frame will be sold Thursday, as well as several Maryland pieces, a Biedermeyer corner cupboard and a high-top painted dry sink. An English breakfast table, painted dower chest, Sheraton secretary, an American chime tall-case clock and Georgian hunt table are some of the furniture highlights to be offered Friday.
Buyers interested in ceramics will have their pick of many lots. Chinese export tableware including a turquoise footed bowl, rose medallion pieces, famille jeune jardinière, garnitures, teapots, celedon plates and serving pieces will be offered. Other Chinese porcelains include cache pots, vases, ginger jars and Blanc de Chine figures. A collection of Blue Onion pattern dinnerware to include service pieces and utensils, Staffordshire figures, flow blue in various patterns, gaudy ironstone, Limoges and queens rose will all attract interest. Majolica, redware and blue decorated stoneware add to the ceramic category.
Approximately 150 painting will be offered on both days. Listed artists include Johann Buchner, Jean Capron, Jenness Cortez, Bela DeTirefort, David Hahn, Alfred Birdsey, G. La Pira, Justin McCarthy, Samuel Pratt, Robert Ranier, James Ross and Edgar Nye. Four watercolor landscapes by Adolphe Valette will be sold as a group. Many other landscapes, interior scenes and portraits will attract interest.
Weaponry will be sold on Friday toward the end of the sale. Pistols, bowie and hunting knives, bayonets and assorted short swords will cross the block.
A Stieff four-piece sterling silver tea service is estimated at $400-$1,200. Groups of Russian silver enamel items include cigarette cases, pendants, spoons and flatware. Other metalware includes brass candlesticks, fireplace equipment, pewter and copper. The myriad of accessory items, from baskets to mantel clocks, from mirrors to dresser boxes, will be available.
Customers previewing the sale at the auction house will have use of a printed catalog in full color.
For details call 610-269-4040 or go to Pook & Pook’s Web site at www.pookandpook.com.
Pennsylvania Chippendale walnut slant-front desk, circa 1770, 42 inches high by 38 1/4 inches wide. Image courtesy of Pook & Pook Inc. Windsor-style sackback bench. Image courtesy of Pook & Pook Inc. Jos. Heinrich copper cookware, 23 pieces. Image courtesy of Pook & Pook Inc. Eight tin windup toys, the tallest of which is 6 1/2 inches. Image courtesy of Pook & Pook Inc.
Rolf Scarlett, ‘Man-Abstracted,’ circa1955, oil on board, 28 inches by 22 inches. WOODSTOCK, N.Y. – Experienced auction goers, new collectors and the casually curious will be drawn to the eighth annual Woodstock Fine Art Auction on Sunday, Sept. 5, at the Woodstock Artists Association and Museum. The auction, which will begin at 1 p.m. Eastern, is a popular source for quality fine art in the Northeast. The sale features an outstanding selection of regional works, as well as contemporary and historic pieces by internationally recognized artists.
LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
Proceeds from the auction benefit WAAM, one of the oldest and most prestigious organizations of its kind. The James Cox Gallery in Woodstock is cosponsoring the auction.
Previews will begin Aug. 27 and run through auction day.
With over 270 lots in the $100 to $10,000 range, there will be exceptional values for those bidding for the first time and also for the seasoned bidder adding a new gem to an extensive collection.
James Cox, the event’s auctioneer said he knows “from past experience that a big plus for buyers is our policy of no reserves on 90 percent of our auction pieces. It’s an incredible opportunity for the frugal connoisseur.”
Josephine Bloodgood, executive director and museum curator of WAAM added that “the auction’s vetting committee is comprised of proven professionals including respected art dealers, a print expert, a top art appraiser, a museum director and knowledgeable collectors.” Buyers can be assured that the quality of the art offered has been professionally vetted, she said.
Lucile Blanch’s 1935 delightfully sly oil titled Runaway Clowns, a stunning nude by Bernard Karfiol, a bold Picasso-esque portrait by Rolph Scarlett and a major oil of the Colorado Rockies by Woodstock artist Ethel Magafan are some of the standouts in this year’s auction. Other significant pieces include works on paper by well-known artists Romare Bearden, Bernard Buffet, August Renoir, Marino Marini, Yasuo Kuniyoshi and Alice Neel, to name a few.
A special focus this year is the aesthetics of Urban Art. Angel Ortiz, known as LA II, collaborator with Keith Haring during the 1980s heyday of New York’s graffiti art scene, will be represented by several pieces of flat work as well as three-dimensional ceramics. Large form prints by Ernest Trova, Steven Pollack, Rick Pantell and Collette and collage by Richard Smith will add to the flavor of edgy urbanity.
Historically important Woodstock and Regional artists highlighted include: Lucille Blanch, Clarence Bolton, Bolton Brown, John Carroll, Konrad Cramer, Adolf Dehn, Albert Heckman, Robert Henri, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Fletcher Martin, Winold Reiss, Charles Rosen, Miron Sokole and Arnold Wiltz. Rare Woodstock publications such as the Hue & Cry, Plowshare, and Wild Hawk are also included.
The complete catalog and phone and absentee bid forms are available online at www.woodstockart.org and www.jamescoxgalley.com. The auction preview begins Aug. 27 and runs through auction day.
Details are available by e-mailing WAAM at info@woodstockart.org or calling 845-679-6940 or by e-mailing James Cox Gallery at info@jamescoxgallery.com or calling 845-679-7608.
The Woodstock Artists Association & Museum is located at 28 Tinker St. in Woodstock. The WAAM is a not-for-profit membership organization featuring a landmark collection of regional art, contemporary artist gallery and a dynamic education program.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
Milton Green, ‘A Little Drink, Marilyn Monroe,’ lithograph, 107/300, 40 inches by 30 inches. John Streibel, ‘Summer at Fairfield,’ circa 1945, oil on board, 10 inches by 14 inches. LAII Ortiz, ‘Day-Glo Vase,’ circa 1985, Day-Glo paint and marker on ceramic, 11 inches high by 14 inches diameter. Lucille Blanch, ‘Runaway Clowns,’ 1935, oil on canvas, 18 inches by 22 inches.
As might be expected the eyes and nose punch-outs are missing from this Buck Rogers Par-T-Mask from 1933. One of two masks in the auction, this face has a $100-$200 estimate. Image courtesy of Susanin’s Auctions.CHICAGO – A Chicago-area woman is passing down some of her space-age legacy, as never-before-seen art and Buck Rogers rarities go on the block in a half-million dollar “Big Buck” auction. On Saturday, Aug. 28, at Susanin’s Auctions fans and collectors from around the world are expected to compete for a chance to own a part of science fiction history. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
The original Buck Rogers was put into suspended animation and revived 500 years later, giving 1930s newspaper readers a startling glimpse of the future. Since then, he has become a pop culture icon, showing up every few decades in TV and movie incarnations to inspire new generations of science fiction fans. This auction, said Lorraine Dille, granddaughter of one of the Buck Rogers creators, will launch some of the earliest Buck Rogers material into the 21st century.
The collection that will be up for auction includes some 400 pieces of Buck Rogers memorabilia, most from the 1930s through 1950s, representing what Dille calls, “Classic Buck.” It was Dille’s grandfather, Chicago-based newspaper syndicate owner John F. Dille, who had the idea of bringing to life the nation’s first science fiction comic strip. In 1929, he hired writer and Philadelphia newspaper columnist Philip Francis Nowlan and Michigan illustrator Richard “Dick” Calkins to create a strip based on a piece Nolan had written for Amazing Stories Magazine. In it, a pilot named Anthony Rogers falls into a state of suspended animation and awakens in a colorful, space-raveling future. It was Dille who suggested a snappier first name for the character. The resulting comic strip, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, was an instant hit, appearing globally in more than 400 newspapers and inspiring space-age imitators like Flash Gordon.
Dozens of Calkins’ original black and white daily and Sunday strips, and hand-colored Sunday strips, will be represented in the auction, along with the original artwork work of one of his successors, New York comic artist George Tuska. Tuska is best known for his 1940s work on Captain Marvel and other Marvel Comics characters. Calkins drew Buck Rogers in the 1930s and ’40s; Tuska took over in the 1950s.
Buck Rogers may have been the first to introduce audiences to the concept of time travel, ray guns and space ships, but he was also the first example of promotional licensing. An array of toys, books, puzzles, board games, masks, jewelry and giveaways starring Buck, and his beautiful female sidekick Wilma Deering, appeared almost immediately after the strip debuted.
“When Star Wars was developed,” Dille says, “for the merchandising and licensing, they used Buck Rogers as a model.”
As a child, she remembers spending hours in her grandfather’s Evanston, Ill. attic, assembling and painting Buck Rogers balsa wood play sets, little realizing how big a part of her life these toys she loved would later become. After college, she would go to work at her family’s syndicate, and one of her first jobs would be taking care of its growing archive of comic strips and merchandising product designs. Starting in the 1930s, her grandfather cut deals with companies like Marx in New York, which made windup Buck Rogers tin toys and the then Plymouth, Michigan-based Daisy Manufacturing – best known for its BB guns – to make the now highly collectable toy ray-guns. Among the most exciting and rare items in the auction are never-before-seen, one-of-a-kind “prototype” drawings of toys that either were never produced or changed drastically by the time they were released.
“These drawings show the evolution from the initial concept,” Dille says. “Most of these designs developed organically, and this shows the progression.” Among the prototypes are an original watercolor entitled “Suggestion for Buck Rogers Kite;” concept drawings for a Buck Rogers drawing set; a proposed Post Toasties Cereal box starring Buck Rogers, and the original plans for a Buck Rogers exhibit at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.
Also included in the auction are rare toys and promotional giveaways that were produced as a result of Dille’s licensing agreements. In the 1930s, TootsieToy began manufacturing toy rocket ships in Chicago and Rockford, Ill., while a New Jersey company called Einson-Freeman made elaborate cutout paper giveaway items that assembled into ray guns, helmets and figurines to be given away by very kind of company from cereal manufacturers to shoe stores. Because they were made of delicate cardboard, few survived, making those that did worth $500 or more.
In the 1940s, Aero-kite company of Chicago produced colorful Buck-Rogers based kites, including the “jet propelled strato kite.” In the 1950s, Sylvania jumped on the Buck bandwagon and began giving out paper dolls and cardboard toys with the purchase of any television set.
The Buck Rogers archive fell to Lorraine Dille after the death of her grandfather in 1957. When the syndicate was sold, it was Dille and her father who were left to sort out the Buck Rogers items, to which the family retained the licensing. She remembers that her father disappeared during the massive packing process, showing up only on the last day when he handed her a package, saying, “This is your reward for all your work.” Inside were several rare Buck Rogers collectables, including a charm bracelet made from the toy Wilma Deering jewelry, which Dille had loved since she was a girl. Dille has been preserving the Buck Rogers archive ever since. With the help of her daughter, a University of Chicago student like Dille’s grandfather, she is now in the process of painstakingly scanning all the paperwork associated with more than 70 years of Buck Rogers licensing and production.
“Much of this material is very fragile – a lot of it is oncarbon paper or onion skin and it’s a formidable and overwhelming amount of stuff,” she says. “We’re putting it all onto disks where it will be readily available for research.” Among her favorites is the often-testy correspondence between her strong-willed grandfather and Nolan, the temperamental author, who frequently butted heads over the direction of Buck Rogers. “My grandfather always prevailed,” she says with a laugh.
And reality may be imitating fiction once again. After a few years in limbo, plans for another Buck Rogers revival – and movie – are said to be in the works.
For additional information on any lot in the sale, call Susanin’s at 312-832-9800.
Buck Rogers meets Wilma Deering in strip no. 3 from the ‘Meeting the Mongols’ series. The original comic art by Dick Calkins, 6 1/2 inches by 25 1/4 inches, is expected to sell for $18,000-$22,000. Image courtesy of Susanin’s Auctions.The green stone is still in this Buck Rogers Repeller Ray Ring. Also known as the Supreme Inner Circle Ring, it has a $600-$800 estimate. Image courtesy of Susanin’s Auctions.The original box is included with this Buck Rogers Atomic Pistol manufactured by Daisy. It carries a $200-$400 estimate. Image courtesy of Susanin’s Auctions.This prototype watercolor for the Buck Rogers kite is on a sheet of paper 12 1/2 inches by 10 inches. ‘Suggestion for Buck Rogers Kite,’ is inscribed in pencil. It has a $1,000-$1,500 estimate. Image courtesy of Susanin’s Auctions.
Bears are a common motif on Black Forest carved wood furniture made in Europe during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Cubs frolic on the back of this lively bench, which brought $5,760 at auction in 2008. Image courtesy of Kamelot Auctions.
The ancient Romans invented the word. After creating big cities, they found they needed a quiet country retreat, away from all the bustle and noise. The Latin adjective rusticus means belonging in the country, and we still use “rustic” to describe a lodge or cabin environment.
In the days of total climate control, it may be hard to imagine hot days in the city long ago, when no houses, theaters, or public buildings offered respite. High temperatures brought not only discomfort but unpleasant smells and even contagious diseases to the narrow streets.
City dwellers fled to the mountains or seashores for relief. The wealthy had country villas, more modest folk built simple cabins. A new type of furniture was required, often made from natural materials – bent wood, twigs, cane and wicker. The best examples were light, airy and easily moved to catch the breeze.
Vintage rustic furniture ranges from whimsical one-of-a kind chairs to large porch sets manufactured in a factory setting. Jamie Shearer, one of the Americana specialists at Pook & Pook in Downington, Pa., said, “We sold a big suite of rustic furniture in October 2009 that did very well.”
The five-piece set, which sold for $8,109, included a settee, two armchairs, a rocker and table manufactured by the Old Hickory Chair Co. in Martinsville, Ind. “That seems to be the company everybody gravitates to. They were one of the few companies that did label things, and people like to collect things they can identify,” Shearer said.
“A lot of it was referred to as camp furniture,” he continued. “They had it in their weekend getaway houses. I’m always amused because – in Lancaster – they might have gone north to Mount Gretna. Today it’s just 30 minutes up the road, but by horse and buggy it took longer to get there.”
As pointed out above, rustic pieces could also be homemade, one-off creations. Shearer pointed out the “neat form” of an armchair sold at the auction house several years ago for $556. The piece is constructed of irregular branches incised with spiral turnings and the handholds on the arms are formed from polished roots.
Shearer emphasizes that condition is important when buying any sort of vintage outdoor furniture or decorative accessories: “Since these pieces were basically porch furniture, condition depends on whether they brought them inside for the winter or if 6 inches of snow fell on them. Structurally the frame is always sturdy; the problem is the seats didn’t always take the beating well.”
“Typically the rush seats are damaged. The frame itself holds up great – they were very well made – but the seats do not. That was one of the reasons we did so well with that set sold last year – the condition was so nice.” Look for the next the firm’s Americana sale on Oct. 1, at www.pookandpook.com.
Pieces used in a conservatory or a covered porch survive in far better shape than seating exposed to rain and sun in a garden. If some pieces seem a bit twiggy for comfort, remember that most were enhanced with custom-made padding and pillows in colorful fabrics.
One distinctive outdoor style flourished in the Adirondack region of upstate New York, where wealthy families like the Vanderbilt and Whitneys had family vacation compounds or “camps” on a grand scale. A classic turn-of-the-century wooden Adirondack chair has a slanted back and wide arms.
Focused on the history of the region, the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake is open from May 28 until Oct. 18. An antiques show held there each year in mid-August brings together dealers specializing in Adirondack and rustic furniture.
Kamelot Auctions in Philadelphia has done so well with outdoor antiques that they have an annual garden sale each April. President Jeff Kamal said, “There’s no one else in the industry that’s doing it. We felt there was a need for an auction house that specialized in garden. The first couple of garden auctions we had were a mix of garden and other things; the last two have been pretty much exclusively garden.”
Kamelot carries only antique and vintage pieces, not the newer reproductions that often show up at shows and sales. The auction head regrets that some collectors fail to distinguish the new from the old: “Retail buyers at times are more interested in the condition of items and how well-made they are and a little less concerned than they used to be regarding the age of the item.”
Kamal has been pleased with the variety of consignments they have offered in their garden auctions. “Since we’re only player doing this and we advertise nationally, we get calls from all over the country. In fact, we just did a pickup of about 25 garden lots in Michigan,” he said. Lots in the sales typically include everything from rustic furniture to wrought iron gazebos and decorative statuary.
“What comes to mind when I think of rustic furniture is something naturalistic, primitive, hand-made, rather than machine-made,” said Kamal. “Anything that looks like it took time to make. And I think the craftsman really enjoyed making it, it was meaningful to the maker.”
Looking over the results of past auctions, he noted, “Patina is important as well. People want that old surface and are willing to pay more for that kind of silvery patina on outdoor pieces.” Last April, a rustic wooden bench with great patina brought $1,320 in Kamelot’s garden sale.
Auctions coming up at Kamelot include a Sept. 25 general estate sale with decorative items, lighting, paintings, and Asian antiques, and a Nov. 20 event with architectural antiques, popular industrials and Victoriana. Information: www.kamelotauctions.com.
Looking for more information? Gibbs Smith publishes a selection of informative illustrated books on rustic style for cabins, camps and lodges. Collectors can find references such as Hickory Furniture and Rustic Elegance, both by Ralph Kylloe, at www.gibbs-smith.com.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
A whimsical early 20th-century Adirondack chair features spiral turnings and chunky root arms. The folk art seating brought $556 at a 2007 Pook & Pook auction sale. Image courtesy of Pook & Pook Inc. The Old Hickory Chair Co. manufactured rustic furniture for resorts and private homes. At a Pook & Pook auction last fall, this marked set sold for a healthy $8,109. Image courtesy of Pook & Pook Inc. The cast stone faux bois bench features a seat inlaid with colorful tiles. The lot brought $570 in June. Image courtesy of Kamelot Auctions. Perfect end tables for summer use, each has a natural log top and aluminum twig-style base – price only $240. Image courtesy of Kamelot Auctions. The rustic look in a more durable material, this cast-iron "twig" bench is perfect for an all-weather setting. The example brought $2,640 at auction in April. Image courtesy of Kamelot Auctions. A charming wooden bench with silvery patina brought $1,320 in Kamelot’s April garden antiques sale. Image courtesy of Kamelot Auctions.
This is a tea set made about 1928 in the latest style. The handles are Bakelite, and the set is made of nickel silver over brass. It is 8 1/2 inches in diameter and sold in April for $5,185 at a Rago Arts auction in Lambertville, N.J.
Designers working after 1920 created very different looks for many common household objects. For centuries a teapot had a rounded body, a handle and a spout. Twentieth-century designers made modern teapots in angular or biomorphic shapes. Spouts were shorter or hidden and handles could be made of Bakelite or some other new material. A modern tea set from the late 1920s or the ’30s could be like a jigsaw puzzle, with creamer and sugar shaped to fit together in a compact form. In about 1928, Gene Theobald, working for Wilcox Silver Plate Co., (part of the International Silver Co.) made the “dinette set,” an unusual silver-plated tea set. Its three parts — teapot, creamer and sugar — fit closely together on a round tray. Some of the finished sets looked like ocean liners, some like the New York skyline and some like a waffle iron. Today these sets are wanted by collectors and museums because they’re examples of the most innovative work of their day. One set sold recently at a Rago Arts auction for $5,185, a high price for a silver-plated tea set.
Q: What can you tell me about my small walnut parlor table? The label on it says it was made by Matthews Brothers Furniture Co. of Milwaukee. The table, 29 1/2 inches high by 16 1/4 inches square, has spiral-turned legs splayed out at the corners and a spiral-turned cross-stretcher. There’s a small shelf below the tabletop. The top and shelf are connected by spiral-turned supports.
A: Matthews Brothers Furniture Co., renamed Matthews Brothers Manufacturing Co. in 1891, was founded in 1857 by brothers E.P. and A.R. Matthews. It is best known for manufacturing furniture for Milwaukee’s Pabst Mansion in the 1890s and, later, for making pieces designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The company’s business fell off after World War I, and it officially closed in 1937. Spiral-turned supports became popular after the U.S. centennial in 1876, when furniture makers started producing variations of 17th-century Colonial styles. Your table was probably made between about 1880 and 1891.
Q: I have four cups, three saucers and six lunch plates with a motif of bamboo and two owls sitting on a branch. When the cups are held up to a light, you can see the image of an Asian woman on the bottoms. The mark on the bottom of the plates is the name “Nakashima” with a wreath and writing inside the wreath. Can you tell me what these are and what they’re worth?
A: You have part of a Japanese lithophane tea set. Lithophanes are porcelain pictures made by casting the porcelain in layers of various thicknesses. When a piece is held up to light, a picture is seen through it. Japanese tea sets were popular souvenirs brought home by American soldiers after World War II. Several Japanese companies used wreath marks with an initial inside the wreath, but the best-known is Noritake, which has been in business in Nagoya, Japan, since 1904. A teapot with a set of six plates, cups and saucers comprises a complete set worth $150. Your partial set is worth under $50.
Q: I have a gold-tone pot-metal figural inkwell that’s stamped “Lincoln Imp” in the front and “England” on the back. You remove the imp-shaped lid to get to the well where ink is stored. Can you tell me anything about it?
A: Up until the early 20th century, inkwells were a necessity for anyone who wanted to write a letter, sign a document or jot down a shopping list. Inkwells made a century ago or so from inexpensive pot metal are abundant. Most sell for about $100 if they are in excellent shape. The “Lincoln imp” is a sort of mascot for the city of Lincoln, England. The legend behind the connection goes back to the 14th century. Two imps were said to have been sent to earth by Satan to wreak havoc. They made their way to Lincoln Cathedral and made a mess inside until they were stopped by an angel, who turned one of the imps to stone; the other escaped.
Q: Back when the TV show M*A*S*H was nearing the end of its run, I was given a bottle of MASH vodka. The bottle is shaped like an IV bottle, so the words on it can be read only when the bottle is upside-down. The wording on the bottle, in red, says, “MASH 4077th Vodka, bottled by Hawkeye Distilling Co., Princeton, MN.” The bottle came in a box with an IV stand and tubing. I have the whole set with the box, but the vodka is gone. I understand the set is collectible. How much is it worth?
A: M*A*S*H ran on CBS from 1972 to 1983. Your MASH vodka bottle IV set is not rare and can be found labeled with other locations for the Hawkeye Distilling Co. We have seen complete sets sell for $10 to $25. If the vodka were still in the unopened bottle, it might sell for $50 or more.
Tip: You can cover up a small chip in enamel or even a piece of porcelain with a bit of colored nail polish. It comes in almost every color now.
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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.
Hooked rug, album design, cotton and wool, multiple blocks of fruits, flowers, vegetables and farm equipment, red border, black ground, circa 1930, 110 by 69 inches, $255.
Galle cameo glass vase, scenic landscape with river, woods and snow-capped mountains, signed on yellow sky, circa 1900, 29 3/4 inches, $345.
RCA Television Service toy truck, plastic, light green, original ladders and accessories, decals on sides, Marx, original box, 8 1/2 inches, $375.
Folk art sewer tile “Rat in the Hat” sculpture, painted, two-piece, brush fiber whiskers, circa 1900, 20 inches, $530.
Sentenne & Green Co. embossed tin sign, lithography company, image of couple on gondola, large moon and 1897 calendar, 12 by 18 inches, $960.
Stoneware face jug, two handles, runny dark green alkaline glaze, white eyeballs, blue pupils, broken-china teeth, incised signature, Burlon Craig, mid 1900s, 18 1/2 inches, $975.
George III sewing table, painted, oval lift top, fabric work bag, cream ground, gold and green highlights, tapered legs, England, circa 1800, 29 by 18 by 13 inches, $1,115.
Running-horse weathervane, molded copper, flattened full body, cast-iron head, sheet-metal mane, Boston, late 1800s, 16 by 25 inches, $1,293.
Snappy the Happy Bubble Blowing Dragon toy, battery-operated, lights up and rolls forward, mouth opens to blow bubbles, Marx, 1960s, original box, 39 inches, $5,460.
Kovels’ American Collectibles, 1900 to 2000 is here. It’s the newest and best guide to your 20th-century treasures — everything from art pottery to kitchenware. It’s filled with hundreds of color photographs, marks, lists of designers and manufacturers and lots of information about collectibles. The collectibles of the 20th century are explained in an entertaining, informative style. Read tips on care and dating items and discover how to spot a good buy or avoid a bad one. And learn about hot new collectibles and what they’re worth so you can make wise, profitable decisions. The book covers pottery and porcelain, furniture, jewelry, silver, glass, toys, kitchen items, bottles, dolls, prints and more. It’s about the household furnishings of the past century-what they are, what they’re worth and how they were used. Available at your bookstore; online at Kovels.com; by phone at 800-571-1555; or send $27.95 plus $4.95 postage to Kovels, P.O. Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.
This is a tea set made about 1928 in the latest style. The handles are Bakelite, and the set is made of nickel silver over brass. It is 8 1/2 inches in diameter and sold in April for $5,185 at a Rago Arts auction in Lambertville, N.J.
