Tom Hoepf, Author at Auction Central News

Discovery of tunnel may unlock secrets of Teotihauacan ruins

Archaeologists have found a tunnel under Teotihuacan that may eventually reveal some of the ancient Mexican city’s secrets. This view is of the Avenue of the Dead and Pyramid of the Sun from atop the Pyramid of the Moon. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

TEOTIHUACAN, Mexico (AP) – A long-sealed tunnel has been found under the ruins of Teotihuacan and chambers that seem to branch off it may hold the tombs of some of the ancient city’s early rulers, archaeologists said Tuesday.

Experts say a tomb discovery would be significant because the social structure of Teotihuacan remains a mystery after nearly 100 years of archaeological exploration at the site, which is best known for the towering Pyramids of the Moon and the Sun.

No depiction of a ruler, or the tomb of a monarch, has ever been found, setting the metropolis apart from other pre-Hispanic cultures that deified their rulers.

Archaeologists had suspected the hidden tunnel was there after a heavy rainstorm in 2003 caused the ground to sink at the foot of the Temple of Quetzacoatl, in the central ceremonial area of the ruins just north of Mexico City.

Starting last year, they began digging, and after eight months of excavation, they reached the roof of the tunnel last month, 40 feet below the surface.

They lowered a small camera into the 12-foot-wide corridor, which had been carved out of the rock early in Teotihuacan’s history, and got the first glimpse of the space that they say was intentionally closed off between A.D. 200 and 250.

“I think the tunnel was the central element, the main element around which the rest of the ceremonial center was built,” archaeologist Sergio Gomez said. “This was the most sacred place.”

The camera showed the tunnel appearing to extend about 37 yards before it is blocked by a wall or mound.

Ground-penetrating scanner images found the tunnel extends beyond the blockage and ends in a large chamber that measures 30 feet on each side, lying almost directly beneath the temple. Two smaller chambers appear on either side of the rough-hewn corridor.

All the signs point to it being a ruler’s tomb, Gomez said, including the rich offerings tossed into the tunnel at the moment it was closed up: almost 50,000 objects of jade, stone, shell and pottery, including ceramic beakers of a kind never found before at the site.

“Up to now, every archaeologist who has worked in Teotihuacan has tried to find the tombs of the rulers,” Gomez said.

“There is a high possibility that in this place, in the central chamber, we can find the remains of those who ruled Teotihuacan,” he added.

The complex of pyramids, plazas, temples and avenues was once the center of a city of more than 100,000 inhabitants and may have been the largest and most influential city in pre-Hispanic North America at the time.

Nearly 2,500 years after the city was founded – and about 2,100 years after the Teotihuacan culture began to flourish there – the identity of its rulers remains a mystery.

The city was built by a relatively little-known culture that reached its height between 100 B.C. and A.D. 750. It was abandoned by the time the Aztecs arrived in the area in the 1300s and gave it the name “Teotihuacan,” which means “the place where men become gods.”

Luis Barba, of the Anthropological Research Institute of Mexico’s National Autonomous University, said that because there are no images, names or other references to rulers among Teotihuacan’s rich murals and stone carvings, some experts suggest the city might have had a shared leadership, with rulers alternating between its four precincts.

“People have looked for these rulers for many years,” Barba said. “Perhaps they will be found now. There is nothing to rule it out or make it impossible, but at this point, we have nothing.”

Gomez said it will take at least two more months of digging before archaeologists can actually enter the tunnel.

AP-CS-08-03-10 2108EDT

Reyne Gauge: Superman Saves the Day!

Cover of Action Comics No. 1 (June 30, 1938), art by Joe Shuster. Image originally sourced through The Grand Comics Database and uploaded to Wikipedia. Fair use of image for identification purposes in conjunction with discussion of the topic of the accompanying article. All DC Comics characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are Trademarks & Copyright © 1938 DC Comics, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Who doesn’t like a happy ending? I know I do, and especially love it when antiques play a role in that ending.

Everyone is going through hard times and looking to save a few dollars here and there. Many of us have lost our jobs and there seems to be nothing on the horizon. Some of us have dealt with bill collectors, credit card fee increases and difficulties obtaining loans from banks. Let’s face it: Nothing is easy out there.

One struggling family recently was staring foreclosure in the face, but was fortunate to stumble across the answer to their problems – a comic book that was found in their basement.

We’ve read numerous articles lately about the record prices being achieved at auction for comic books. Six figures have been paid time and again for some of our favorite childhood memories.

The family had lived in their home since the 1950s, and were about to lose it to the bank. They were devastated. As they packed up 60 years of memories, they found a box of old comic books. Many of them were worth $10 to $30, however, there was one diamond in the lot. It was a copy of Action Comics no. 1, dated June 1938. The famous comic book marks the first appearance of Superman. The cover depicts the Man of Steel lifting a car above his head. The original cover price: 10 cents – value today: up to $250,000.

After unearthing the box of comics, the family decided to search online for their values. They read how ComicConnect.com had brokered two Action Comics no. 1 books – one for $1 million in February and then another for $1.5 million in March.

Comics are valued by issue, but also like many other items, by their condition. This copy was recently rated as a 5.0 VG, which is a Very Good rating on a scale of 1-10, hence the lower value.

The family, who wishes to remain anonymous, is still a bit overwhelmed with their find. They realize their luck in having found the comics, just in the nick of time. It is as if Superman was called in to save the day.

To contact Reyne Haines, e-mail reyne@reyne.com.

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Huanghuali hunting chairs capture $26,880 bid at Finney’s

A pair of Huanghuali hunting chairs, which sold for $26,880, flanks a Huanghuali two-door cupboard, which hit $2,800. Image courtesy of Finney’s Auction Service.

SCHODACK, N.Y. – A beautiful pair of Chinese Huanghuali folding hunting chairs sold for $26,880 at an estate auction conducted by Finney’s Auction Service on June 12. The chairs, with woven hemp seats and brass trim, were the top lot from the estate of the late Dr. Kevin-John McIntyre. The sale took place in Finney’s spacious gallery at 1568 Columbia Turnpike, about 15 minutes from Albany.

Huanghuali is a Chinese term that literally means yellow flowering pear wood. It is a member of the rosewood family. Most Huanghuali furniture was manufactured from the mid-Ming dynasty to the late Qianlong dynasty. Over time, the material needed to make Huanghuali pieces disappeared. What survives today is highly prized by collectors.

Over the course of McIntyre’s rich and distinguished life, he amassed impressive collections of Oriental antiquities, European art, nautical items and rare antiques. All of these were auctioned without reserve.

“By any measure, this sale was a success,” said Sharon Finney of Finney’s Auction Service. “We had 118 on-site registered bidders, 150 phone bidders and 189 people registered to bid online, via LiveAuctioneers.com. Bids poured in literally from around the world. The items included Asian furniture and artifacts, telescopes, scientific items, early maps, erotica and art.”

McIntyre’s career included stints as senior vice president of The Discovery Channel-Asia, university professor, Foreign Service diplomat, documentary filmmaker and authority on Asian culture. He wrote and produced a six-part film series titled Artifacts, which detailed the history of porcelain, calligraphy, architecture, metallurgy, wood block printing and silk in Asia.

Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include a 12 percent buyer’s premium.

Other Huanghuali pieces included a glass-top table 86 inches long, with eight round-leg chairs, two with arms, $10,800; an altar table with two drawers, $1,344; a canted display cabinet with two small drawers under the shelf, $3,920; a Ming hoof-foot day bed, $3,080; a two-door cupboard with brass back plate and dragon figures, $2,800; and a design cabinet, $2,240.

A pair of circa 1725 celestial and terrestrial globes went for $4,480. The globes, each measuring 20 inches tall, came with mahogany stands and a travel log from 1925, when repair work was done. The stands were circa 1967. A cartouche on the globe read “By B. Martin, Fleet Street.” Also, an early 1700s armillary sphere on a wood turned base also gaveled for $4,480.

An original oil on canvas landscape painting by the French artist Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875), 7 1/2 inches by 11 inches, signed by the artist and housed in a gilt frame, rose to $5,040, while an oil on canvas painting by English landscape artist Sidney Percy (1821-1886), titled Grazing and measuring 14 inches by 20 inches, signed and framed, commanded $4,760.

An 1854 oil on board painting of a field landscape by the American painter William Stanley Haseltine (1835-1900), signed, 13 inches by 15 1/2 inches, housed in a gilt frame, climbed to $2,520. Also, an early painting of a Chinese seaport topped out at $3,640, and an embroidered Chinese silk panel, circa 1785, titled Long Pao, 83 inches by 62 inches, framed, sold for $1,400.

A late Ming dynasty Jing du Jiang blue and white bowl, 16 inches in diameter, made $4,760; a 16-inch Oriental vase with peacocks and birds, $2,520; a 12-inch Asian blue and white floral vase, $3,080; and a blue and white Oriental lamp, 14 inches in height, with six character marks, $3,920.

One lot consisting of a framed jade Kang cylinder, circa 550 B.C., a jade bi disk, Nephrite, circa 950 B.C., and a Kang cylinder, circa A.D. 720, together hammered for $1,400. Also, a chronometer pocket watch by Ulysses Nordin, numbered on the face (124598), in a gorgeous presentation wood box, wowed the crowd before selling for a respectable $4,144.

Finney’s Auction Service’s next big sale is tentatively slated for September, with a date and time still to be determined.

For details and updates visit Finney’s Web site: www.finneysauction.com or call 518-479-4371.

Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Glass-top Huanghuali table, 86 inches long, with eight round-leg chairs, two with arms: $10,800. Image courtesy of Finney’s Auction Service.

Oriental vase, 16 inches tall, with peacocks and birds decoration: $2,520. Image courtesy of Finney’s Auction Service.

Early painting of a Chinese seaport: $3,640. Image courtesy of Finney’s Auction Service.

Jackson’s to sell sensational black memorabilia, Aug. 24-25

This 1870s ambrotype portrait of abolitionist Frederick Douglass has been widely exhibited in recent years. The quarter plate (4 1/4 inches by 3 1/4 inches) image is expected to bring $10,000-$15,000. Image courtesy of Jackson’s International Auctioneers & Appraisers.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Every decade or so a collection comes to market that ends up being the talk of the trade for years to come. Enthusiasts in the field flock to such sales so as to harvest unique and undiscovered material that can often only be found in such private collections. It is with much excitement then that Jackson’s International Auctioneers and Appraisers of Fine Art and Antiques announces the sale of such a collection on Aug. 24 and 25. Considered by many to be one of the most important of its type, the Ken Oden Collection of African American and African Postcards and Ephemera consists of more than 40,000 individual pieces and is sure to be talked about for years to come.

LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

Sparked by an acquisition of nine postcards in an antique store nearly two decades ago, Ken Oden of McKeesport, Pa., went on to amass a truly unique collection of printed material that reflects the black experience in America and throughout the world, offering a distinctive glimpse into a past whose history is filled with stereotypes, prejudices and euphemisms portrayed through moving real photo images and colorful and creative artwork.

Working with major dealers and auction houses coast to coast as well as in Europe, Oden’s final product was a 458-album collection of more than 42,000 pieces representing over 5,500 publishers and 125 different categories, providing a visual archive of images reflecting the often forgotten African and African American experiences in the United States, Africa and Europe.

To be certain, the field of black memorabilia collecting – the category in which this collection falls – is charged with a variety of emotions and sentiments. Many find the images and language used to be both offensive and vile. Some wonder that if by constantly “digging up the past” that perhaps blacks are again subjecting themselves to further humiliation and prejudice. Yet others argue that history is history and such items must be saved and interpreted so as to preserve for future generations the reality of a not so distant past rife with often-repugnant imagery and hyperbole.

In delving into this collection, where almost no stone in black history – both American and worldwide – was left unturned, one can experience a veritable walk through the shadowy past of imagery and expressions which are profound and moving and just as frequently disturbing.

One of the most attractive facets of this collection is the quality and quantity of the real photo postcards, more than 3,000 in all. As most collectors know, one of the unique aspects of real photo postcards is the fact that more than a few examples are truly one-of-a-kind, because of the basic method used to produce such cards. Toward the last quarter of the 19th century, itinerant photographers crisscrossed the country producing real photo images printed on photographic paper with postcard backings. It was common for such photographers to stop by any given small town and print real photo postcards of various well-known local scenes such as churches, schools, Main Street as well as people at work and play. Scenes were sometimes only printed in very small quantities making these photos a truly unique and accurate glimpse of everyday life from America’s past. Perhaps more than any other postcard category, real photo values are primarily subject driven.

Far from Main Street however, are some of the more dark and disturbing images from this collection including examples of real photo postcards depicting lynchings, chain gangs and whipping post scenes. On the other end of the spectrum, are examples of real photo postcards depicting Southern scenes of African American children at play and work as well as African American athletes and athletic teams, including Negro League baseball players and teams from 1920s and earlier who represent the unsung heroes who laid the foundation for those who would go on to break various racial barriers in the ensuing decades. Patriotic images are also represented in the collection often depicting proud African Americans dressed in the uniform of one of the armed forces.

One of the most remarkable groupings of material in the collection to be offered will be that relating to the amazing life of Josephine Baker, a black woman who was the biggest European celebrity of her time, but ridiculed and refused service in her native America. The collection contains more than 350 pieces including over 150 real photo cards, autographed letters, programs and cigarette cards all featuring Baker.

More than 3,500 pieces of advertising material from the real photo to color lithograph printed pieces will be sold including hundreds of early Victorian trade cards, die-cut advertising, as well as various marketing pieces incorporating black imagery.

Perhaps some of the most politically incorrect yet most highly sought after cards come under the heading of “mean-spirited.” With more than 900 examples, these types of postcards and advertising were meant to be humorous or comical to their mainly white audience. They are easily recognizable through their sadly common stereotypical portrayal of blacks. One example of these mean-spirited cards is an anthropomorphic illustration titled the “Evolution of a Coon,” which shows four depictions of a watermelon as it evolves into the head of a black man.

Through images by European photographers, the Oden collection captures a variety of aspects of everyday life across Africa in the early 20th century. Some of the images were nothing short of beautiful, such as those captured through the lens of Casimir Zagourski (1883-1944), a Polish born photographer who after a military career in the Russian and Polish military left Eastern Europe and moved to Africa in 1924. He made a series of memorable portraits published in an album entitled Vanishing Africa.

There are more than 6,000 African cards and images in all, including those by Zagourski and French photographer Edmond Fortier (1862-1928) and including real photos and printed images with hundreds of nudes and seminudes, a large variety of scarification and body piercing images along with village scenes, dance rituals, native warriors and the like.

While all of the above should pique the interest of both novice and advanced collectors, one should be aware that it is simply the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. There is hardly a postcard or ephemera category that is not represented including tintype photographs, cabinet photos, stereo views, holidays (including Christmas and black Santa, New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day), golliwogs, kewpies, Krampus, KKK, minstrels, greeting cards, sheet music, die-cuts, fans, ink blotters, Victorian trade cards, book matches, playing cards, first day issue envelopes, minstrels, NAACP stamps, magazine ads, fold-out postcards and postal stamps.

A preview will begin Aug. 9 and continue until the sale. A printed catalog with full-color photography is available by mail for $35.

For details, please visit the Web site www.jacksonsauction.com or call Jackson’s at 1-800-665-6743.

Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Advertising and promotional information for Aunt Jemima brand pancake flour is printed on the back of this rare paper doll die-cut lithograph. The uncut sheet, 12 inches by 9 1/4 inches, has a $600-$900 estimate. Image courtesy of Jackson’s International Auctioneers & Appraisers.

The inscription on the back of this real photo postcard identifies the players on the U.S. Army 24th Infantry’s Company B baseball team. They were 1913 champions of the Manila League in the Philippines. The card carries a $600-$900 estimate. Image courtesy of Jackson’s International Auctioneers & Appraisers.

Thomas ‘Blind Tom’ Bethune, a musical prodigy, is profiled in this songbook from the mid-1800s. The ‘programme’ for his concert is printed on the reverse. It has a $1,000-$1,500 estimate. Image courtesy of Jackson’s International Auctioneers & Appraisers.

Among the many holiday postcards in the auction is this mechanical example by Ellen Clapsaddle. Postally used but in good to very good condition, it has a $200-$400 estimate. Image courtesy of Jackson’s International Auctioneers & Appraisers.

Cartography collection gives direction to Hindman’s auction Aug. 12

One map – Transylvania – is missing from Mercator’s 1636 atlas titled ‘A Geographicke Description of the Regions, Countries and Kingdoms of the World, through Europe, Asia, Africa and America.’ Nevertheless, it has a $30,000-$50,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.

CHICAGO – More than 20 early maps, all consigned from a private collection in Louisville, Ky., are expected to lead the way in Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ Fine Books and Manuscripts auction Thursday, Aug. 12. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding for the 450-lot auction, which will begin at noon Central.

An early world atlas by Gerard Mercator, published in Amsterdam in 1636, is the most important lot and has a $30,000-$50,000 estimate. The two-volume set contains 195 double-page maps and descriptions of the regions and countries of the world.

“This is a very rare set that’s been in a private collection for many years. We never see them,” said Mary Williams, director of Hindman Auctioneers’ Fine Books and Manuscripts department.

Another important title is Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s History of the Expedition under The Command of Captains Lewis and Clark to the Sources of Missouri Thence Across the Rocky Mountains and Down the River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean Performed During the Years 1804-5-6. Edited by Nicholas Biddle, the two-volume set chronicling the famous expedition was published by Bradford and Inskeep in Philadelphia in 1814.

While Williams described the set as “a fabulous first printing,” she notes that it is not in its first state because it has a later issue of the large folding map laid into volume 1. It is considered a fine association copy, however, with ownership signature and presentation inscription to Elwood Evans, a notable early historian of the Northwest Territory and the third governor of the Washington Territory. The historic set warrants an $8,000-$12,000 estimate.

Carrying a $10,000-$15,000 estimate is a first edition, first printing, of Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language … , which was printed by W. Strahan, London, in London 1755. The two-volume set has minimal foxing and a bright interior. Volume 1 bears an armorial bookplate of a John Daniel.

Records of the first 52 years of the Bethel Baptist Church, the first permanent church organization in Missouri and the first Protestant church west of the Mississippi, are written in a 91-page handwritten minute book, which is estimated at $6,000-$8,000.

Under Spanish rule, the territories west of the Mississippi in the 18th century were officially Catholic and, although a number of Protestants had settled in the districts of St. Louis, St. Charles and Cape Girardeau, Protestant services and baptisms were illegal. The church was founded on July 7, 1806 outside Jackson, Mo., in Cape Girardeau County. Various partial copies of the minutes exist in institutional collections.

Williams said her favorite items in the auction are nine lots of 16th-century engravings detailing plans, diagrams and maps of European military fortifications. Each lot has an estimate of $800-$1,200.

For details visit Hindman Auctioneers’ Web site: www.lesliehandman.com or contact Williams at 312-334-4236.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Publication of his dictionary in 1755 brought Samuel Johnson fame and a degree from Oxford. This fine first edition, first printing has a $10,000-$15,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.

A later issue of the large folding map laid into volume 1 diminishes the value of this first edition of the history of Lewis and Clark’s expedition to the Northwest Territory. Nevertheless, the desirable set published in 1814 is expected to sell for $8,000-$12,000. Image courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.

In fragile condition, this book contains records of the Bethel Baptist Church in Missouri, the first Protestant church west of the Mississippi. It has a $6,000-$8,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.

This uniformly bound set of the collected works of Charles Dickens consists mostly of first editions. Each book is bound in green morocco over cloth that is gilt stamped. The collection has a $6,000-$8,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.

Artifacts from Forbidden City to be exhibited in United States

One of the Forbidden City thrones in the exhibiton is this highly carved example of the rare tropical hardwood zitan, cedar and lacquer. The throne is 50 inches wide. Copyright the Palace Museum, Beijing.

BEIJING (AP) – Deep in a long-forgotten corner of the Forbidden City and up a twisting stairway are four sets of twin doors, shut for more than eight decades. They reveal rare sweeping views to the north, south, east and west above the golden-tiled rooftops of the imperial palace.

The surrounding walls silence the passing tour groups. On the horizon, modern high-rises are softened by the Beijing smog. The view from this private corner has hardly changed since the Chinese emperor Qianlong designed this courtyard for his retirement more than 200 years ago.

“In my 80s, exhausted from diligent service, I will cultivate myself, rejecting worldly noise,” Qianlong wrote of the pavilion, where the floors have been stripped to packed earth and straw as part of a major restoration.

Few people have entered Qianlong’s courtyards since China’s last emperor was forced out of the Forbidden City in 1924, and it will take more years of work until the public can come inside. The restoration of the pavilion where Qianlong enjoyed the view over the Forbidden City rooftops is set to be finished by sometime in 2012. Bringing the entire complex back to life will take until at least 2019.

But now a collection of thrones, large-scale paintings and decor of one of China’s most powerful leaders is leaving the country for the first time. In September, the $1.5 million exhibition arrives in the U.S. for a tour that will show a more intimate side of a country often defined by vastness and control.

“This garden is completely different from the rest of the Forbidden City. The rest is formal, rigid, symbolic. This flows like walking up a mountain flows,” said Nancy Berliner, curator of Chinese art at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., where the exhibit of items from the pavilion and courtyards will begin. “You’re always finding surprises.”

The exhibit will also travel to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Milwaukee Art Museum.

The man who expanded China’s borders and brought its wealth to new heights was just as ambitious with the art and design of his surroundings. Qianlong, one of the longest-serving Chinese emperors, stepped aside only after six decades.

He is famous for his encounter with the visiting Lord George Macartney, the British emissary who came seeking better trade relations but was refused. “We have never valued ingenious articles, nor do we have the slightest need of your country’s manufactures,” Qianlong wrote in a smackdown well-known to foreign executives even today.

Yet, “The exhibit reflects Qianlong’s fascination with things in the West,” said Henry Ng, executive vice president of the World Monuments Fund, a partner in the restoration with China’s Palace Museum.

Ng’s favorite example is the glass throne, its panes sandwiched between carvings of blossoms and branches. The emperor had the new and fashionable plate glass imported for decoration, but it was mistaken for other materials, such as gray slate, under layers of dust for years during the restoration.

“Then one day I took a tissue and finally wiped it,” Berliner said. “It was a wonderful feeling.”

Qianlong never moved into the two-acre courtyard complex tucked into the northeastern corner of the Forbidden City. But he used its tiny, winding spaces and gardens for relaxation, and settled on a throne in the high pavilion to practice calligraphy. He’d write bits of poetry and paste them to the walls.

The courtyard’s location protected the space from war and upheaval as China struggled to find its political and economic place in recent decades.

When the doors opened again, the Qianlong courtyards were being used as storerooms, with everything covered in 2-inch drifts of dust. As work began, the dust was sifted for bits of treasure.

“They’d pick up every single piece and try to fit it back into the original,” said Berliner. “One man said they put each piece into little plastic bags. In the end, they had about 35,000 plastic bags.”

Officials have searched the country for craftsmen who remember the old arts and techniques to restore the courtyard complex and the exhibit pieces.

In another part of the Forbidden City, woodworker Zhang Shicun smiled over his glasses as he sat low on a bench over a Qianlong panel with a large gold-plated inlay.

“Before him, the emperors’ style of the time was rather plain,” Zhang said. “This decor, even this groove along the edge of the panel, there was nothing like it. Qianlong loved the details.”

___

Online:

Peabody Essex Museum: http://www.pem.org/

AP-ES-07-30-10 0614EDT

90-year-old World War II vet receives long-lost dog tag

Cowan's sold this collection of legally acquired U.S. military dog tags in May 2008. Image courtesy of Cowan's Auctions Inc. and LiveAuctioneers archive.

Cowan's sold this collection of U.S. military dog tags in May 2008. Image courtesy of Cowan's Auctions Inc. and LiveAuctioneers archive. — Cowan’s sold this collection of U.S. military dog tags in May 2008. Image courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions Inc. and LiveAuctioneers archive.

WASHINGTON, Mo. (AP) – The last time Sgt. Duthiel “Dutch” Borcherding, Washington, remembers having both of his dog tags with him was right after the B-24 Liberator bomber he was aboard crash landed in a Dutch farmer’s field Jan. 30, 1944, during World War II.

When he came home from Germany in 1945 after spending more than a year in various POW camps there, Borcherding only had one dog tag with him. He always wondered what happened to the other one.

He still doesn’t know exactly what happened to it, but now – more than 65 years after the war in Europe ended – he has it back.

Recently, a veteran from Steeleville, Ill., Steve Ebers, who serves as senior vice commander of the American Legion Post 480 there, drove to Washington to hand deliver Borcherding’s other dog tag to him.

He had displayed the tag in a small black velvet box alongside a miniature American flag.

Ebers said a member of Post 480, Raynold Eggemeyer, purchased Borcherding’s tag and some 90 others in 1996 when he found them at an auction. He brought them back to the Legion Hall in Steeleville, where they sat on a shelf for more than 10 years.

When Ebers became senior vice commander in 2007, the previous commander handed the tags over to him. Ebers didn’t know what to do with them, but he put them in alphabetical order and put them on display in a trophy case.

Last year, Ebers started thinking about the men behind the dog tags and decided to try locating the men and return the tags to them.

Ebers began at his computer, doing searches on the various names. After he came across information on three or four of the men that said they were prisoners of war, Ebers moved on to searching the National POW archive and things took off.

“It got real interesting, real quick,” he said. “They were all airmen and all POWs.”

As Ebers continued his research, he has found photographs online of the men and their crews, as well as books that reference many of the men by name.

He flipped open a copy of A Dying Breed to read a paragraph that mentions a Jewish soldier, whose tag Ebers had and returned. After their plane crashed, the entire crew decoded to remove their tags to protect their Jewish comrade whose tag had an “H” for Hebrew.

“They didn’t want the Nazis to find out he was Jewish, so they all took off their tags,” said Ebers.

Flipping open a briefcase with a POW-MIA emblem on it, Ebers pulled out a stack of file folders filled with information he’s found about the men whose dog tags he has already returned. Among the information are rubbings Ebers makes of each tag before he returns it.

“I know these dudes by name now,” said Ebers, smiling, as he flipped through his folders looking for a specific photo.

“The first month I was working on this, they were in my head so bad I would sit up in bed at night thinking about them.”

Finding Borcherding proved to be a challenge at first, said Ebers, noting his searches for D.L. Borcherding never returned any information. Then he turned to the phone book – as he’s done with some of the other veterans – and came across a Borcherding who told Ebers about a relative named Dutch.

“When I typed that in (the computer), everything popped up,” said Ebers, laughing. “I even found his wedding photo.”

When Ebers was finally able to get Dutch Borcherding on the phone, he read off the serial number on the tag to make sure he had the right person. “Is that your serial number?” he asked.

“Yes,” Borcherding responded, without hesitating.

It took several weeks for the two to make arrangements for Ebers to return the tag.

Borcherding’s tag makes No. 22 that Ebers has been able to return, however, all but one other tag has been given to relatives because the veteran had already died.

Borcherding’s tag is the first one that Ebers has hand-delivered to a veteran. All of the others were sent priority mail with delivery confirmation.

“I’ve used up all of the little jewelry boxes I can find,” said Ebers.

In return he has received numerous thank-you cards and even a ham from grateful families.

Sitting at the Borcherding’s dining room table, Ebers listened intently as Dutch and his wife, Delores, shared details about how his plane crash-landed in the Netherlands. Ebers showed the Borcherdings some of the photos he has collected, and the Borcherdings gave him a copy of a newspaper clipping telling about Borcherding’s crash landing.

Ebers still has more than 70 dog tags that he’s trying to return to the veterans or their families. When he laid the bunch on the table, Borcherding was fascinated by the sight of them.

“This is interesting,” he said.

Borcherding doesn’t remember if the Germans took one of his tags when they placed him in the POW camp, but he believes that is a likely explanation. How then it ended up for sale at an auction in Illinois is still unknown.

Ebers fears they will never know.

The dog tags were part of the private collection of items owned by a group known as the Pioneer Historical Society. All of the items in the collection, including the dog tags, were put up for sale when the last caretaker of the society died, said Ebers.

So there is no one to ask, and no records to check.

Borcherding, who turned 90 in February, still has the one dog tag that he brought home from Germany in 1945. Now that his pair of tags has been reunited, he doesn’t plan to do anything special with them, but he is glad to have it back.

___

Information from: Washington Missourian: www.emissourian.com/ <http://www.emissourian.com/>

AP-CS-07-30-10 0101EDT

Kovels – Antiques & Collecting: Week of Aug. 2, 2010

A bow-shape pin and working watch that are enameled and set with diamonds sold for $863 at a Cottone auction in Geneseo, N.Y. It is marked "J. Laforge Besacon."

First came the church-tower clock to help everyone in town know the time. Then in the 1500s, a watch on a chain or a ribbon was used by the very rich. By 1700, women could have a watch pinned to a dress as part of a chatelaine that held keys, scissors and other household tools. Later came the traveling clock, then the pocket watch. In the early 1900s, the first watches with a matching pin were made to wear on a lady’s lapel. In 1915 the lapel watch was improved — the watch face was upside down so the wearer could read it more easily. During World War I, the wristwatch was created for soldiers, and by the 1920s the wristwatch was the most popular timepiece to wear. Today, many have given up the wristwatch and rely on a cell phone to tell time. But attractive lapel watches — especially those with enamel finish and matching fleur-de-lis or bow pins — and wristwatches that look like gold or jeweled bracelets sell well. The very best of the brand name watches, like Rolex or Patek Philippe, and those with features that tell more than time sell for extremely high prices.

Q: Could you please tell me what the three-piece oak bedroom suite I bought in 1970 is worth? The pieces have pressed trim, wooden casters and beautiful hardware. Two marks are stenciled on the back. One says, “Fitted with Watson’s Improved Case Construction, Patented Dec. (illegible).” The other says, “Pioneer Furniture Company, Chamber Suits, Wardrobes, Chiffoniers, Eau Claire, Wisconsin.”

A: The Pioneer Furniture Co. once stood in what is now Phoenix Park in Eau Claire. The company made reproductions of old styles of bedroom suites. It was in business from at least the late 1800s until 1930, when a tornado destroyed much of the factory. The mark about Watson’s case construction relates to an 1896 patent granted to William H. Watson, also of Eau Claire. The patent was for a method of constructing case furniture that prevented damage by pests and dust. So, your bedroom set dates from after 1896. The value of the set depends on its quality, style and condition. It could be worth a few hundred dollars or more than $1,000.

Q: I have a tea set made by Camark Pottery. I’m trying to find some information about the company. Can you help?

A: Camark started out in 1926 as Camden Art Tile and Pottery Co. It was established on land donated by the Camden Chamber of Commerce in Camden, Ark. By the end of the year, the company name had been changed to “Camark,” a contraction of “Camden” and “Arkansas.” Production of hand-thrown pottery began in 1927. Vases, planters, figurines and other decorative objects were made. Cast and molded pottery was mass-produced beginning in 1933. Mary Daniel bought the company in the early 1960s. Production ended in 1983.

Q: I was involved in planning the 1998 centennial celebration for my hometown, Titonka, Iowa. One of the century-old souvenirs that turned up was a 6-inch glass hatchet with a clear handle and ruby blade. The glass is inscribed “Souvenir of Titonka.” We think the hatchet was made sometime during the first 10 years of Titonka’s founding. When we displayed the hatchet at our centennial antique exhibit, area residents started bringing in similar pieces that were souvenirs of other Midwestern towns. Can you tell us who made it, why it was used as a souvenir by various towns and what it’s worth?

A: Pressed-glass hatchets, a symbol of “taming” the West, were made as souvenirs for several American towns and celebrations around the turn of the 20th century. Some were made as souvenirs for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Although other glassmakers may have been involved in manufacturing these hatchets, the majority of them were produced by the Libbey Glass Co., which moved from Cambridge, Mass., to Toledo, Ohio, in 1888. Souvenir glass hatchets like your city’s sell for about $20. Those from the World’s Fairs sell for more.

Tip: Cover the nose of your hammer with a piece of felt to protect the wall when you are putting up picture hooks. If the wall is smooth, some of the new stick-on hooks might work.

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 e-mail 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.

Need more information about collectibles? Find it at Kovels.com, our website for collectors. Check prices there, too. More than 750,000 are listed, and viewing them is free. You can also sign up to read our weekly Kovels Komments. It includes the latest news, tips and questions and is delivered by e-mail, free, if you register. Kovels.com offers extra collector’s information and lists of publications, clubs, appraisers, auction houses, people who sell parts or repair antiques and much more. You can subscribe to Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles, our monthly newsletter filled with prices, facts and color photos. Kovels.com adds to the information in our newspaper column and helps you find useful sources needed by collectors.

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.

Louis Vuitton soft-sided fold-over garment bag, leather hardware straps, brass, zip-and-buckle closure, LV logo, 17 x 23 x 10 inches closed, $255.
J.D. Kestner & Co. child doll, No. 171, bisque socket head, blue sleep eyes, open mouth with upper teeth, blond mohair wig, white cotton lace gown, circa 1900, 16 inches, $260.
Fulper vase, mauve Wisteria glaze, curdled texture, marked, circa 1916, 9 3/4 inches, $410.
St. Louis Beef Canning Co. sign, lithographed paper, “Cooked Corned Beef,” image of man being served by black servant, red border, 14 3/4 x 12 x 11 inches, $770.
Goofy Walking Gardener toy, tin lithograph, pushing wheelbarrow, windup, Marx, 1948, original box, 8 1/2 inches, $860.
Plow plane, rosewood body and fence, boxwood arms, nuts and wedge, Lamb and Brownell, 1800s, $960.
Silver-plated napkin ring, applied fireman’s hat, Pairpoint Manufacturing Co., circa 1865, $1,555.
Pressed-glass nappy, electric blue, shallow, 31-point rim, 40-point star in base, hexagonal stem, dome base, New England, 1850-60, 5 3/4 x 7 inches, $2,645.
1920 Indian bicycle, original brass electric headlight, Klaxton horn, brass tire pump, dark red, older restoration, $2,875.
Appliqued and embroidered bachelor’s quilt, 25 floral and geometric blocks, red dividers, made for John Glendy Stuart by his fiancee, Isabel Windsor, circa 1839, 99 x 97 inches, $6,435.

Kovels’ American Antiques, 1750-1900 by Ralph and Terry Kovel is the book that introduces you to the collected antiques from past centuries. Learn about American antiques, from art pottery and old advertising signs to rare silver. Written to help you recognize and evaluate the valuable items of Grandma’s day. Hundreds of color photographs, marks, makers, dates, factory histories and more. Chapters on pottery, glass, furniture, silver, advertising collectibles, prints, jewelry, pewter, tools and ephemera. An easy-to-use book with current information. Available at your bookstore; online at Kovels.com; by phone at 800-571-1555; or send $24.95 plus $4.95 postage to Kovels, P.O. Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

All 44 U.S. presidents ‘sign’ for Written Word’s auction Sept. 18-19

Lyndon B. Johnson’s disdain for political rival Robert F. Kennedy is evident in this unsigned pencil sketch. The sketch is on U.S. Senate stationery that measures 5 1/4 inches by 8 inches. The doodle has a $5,000-$8,000 estimate. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs.

TAMWORTH, N.H. – Every president of the United States will be represented at The Written Word Autograph’s auction Sept. 18-19, but not necessarily in a flattering light. LiveAuctioneers will facilitate bidding in the online auction.

Written Word owner Dan Rowe is a stickler for provenance, but an important lot in the auction might be considered politically incorrect. Lyndon B. Johnson’s pencil sketch of Bobby Kennedy, drawn on U.S. Senate stationery, depicts an unflattering image of RFK with shark-like teeth and scrawny legs. A known doodler, Johnson likely drew the caricature during the 1960 presidential campaign before Democratic candidate John F. Kennedy won the election and named his brother U.S. Attorney General.

Vice President Johnson became president after JFK was assassinated Nov. 22, 1963. Robert Kennedy later resigned as attorney general to run for the U.S. Senate.

“It shows the contemptuous relationship they had,” said Rowe. Bobby privately referred to the vice president as “Uncle Cornpone,” while Johnson called Kennedy “that boy with the rickety legs,” notes Rowe in the auction catalog.

Michael J. Kirwan, a U.S. representative from Ohio from 1937 to 1970, saved the unsigned sketch along with similar ephemera from Capitol Hill, said Rowe. The sketch has a $5,000-$8,000 estimate.

Another LBJ sketch saved by Kirwan depicts a three-eyed octopus holding a lighted cigarette. On Congress of the United States stationery, the crudely drawn doodle has a $750-$1,200 estimate.

Rowe said the most difficult presidential autographs to acquire are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.

“Kennedy is tough because he had secretaries signing for him,” said Rowe.

Each of three different “Kennedy for President” fliers autographed by JFK has a $1,200-$2,000 estimate.

An 1861 military appointment signed by President Lincoln is extraordinary in that the appointee, Richard Caswell Gatlin, a West Point graduate and career soldier, soon resigned his commission and offered his services to the Confederacy.

“It’s extremely rare because Gatlin became a general in the Confederate Army,” said Rowe.

The vellum appointment, 16 1/4 inches by 10 1/4 inches, is also signed by Secretary of War Simon Cameron. The document has a $9,500-$12,000 estimate.

George Washington’s autograph, clipped from the conclusion of a signed letter and mounted on a 4 1/2-in by 3-inch card, has a $3,500-$5,000 estimate.

A small lock of Washington’s hair is estimated to sell for $1,800-$2,500.

“It’s quite rare, particularly with the provenance this one has,” said Rowe, noting the lock of hair comes with documentation that traces ownership to Eleanor Parke Custis, the granddaughter of Martha Washington by her first marriage. The lock was authenticated by Charles Hamilton, a renowned autograph dealer, in 1992.

“If it didn’t have (Hamilton’s) provenance,” I wouldn’t have touched it,” said Rowe.

Dwight D. Eisenhower autographed baseballs are rare according to Rowe, and the one in his auction Sept. 18 carries a $6,000-$9,000 estimate.

“Presidents traditionally throw out the first pitch on opening day and it must have been one of those,” he said. The Official American League ball bears the name of Joe Cronin, who served as American League president from 1959-1973, an indication that Ike signed it late in his presidency.

More sports and entertainment autographs are concentrated in the second day of the auction. Included are album pages autographed by New York Yankees greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, each of which carries a $2,500-$3,800 estimate. A 1931 typed letter signed by tight-fisted Chicago White Sox owner Charles A. Comisky to a scout seeking employment has a $2,000-$3,500 estimate. An official 2000 World Series baseball signed by members of the champion New York Yankees is expected to top $2,000. Notable signatures include Series MVP Derek Jeter and manager Joe Torre, who signed on the sweet spot.

Among the Hollywood A-list names in the auction is Jayne Mansfield, who autographed a black and white enlargement of herself to a fan. The actress-night club entertainer died in an automobile accident at the age of 34 in 1967. The signed photo has a $500-$800 estimate.

The Saturday session, consisting of 572 lots, will begin at 9 a.m. Eastern. Sunday’s session, 456 lots, will begin at noon Eastern.

For details visit www.thewrittenwordautographs.com or call Rowe at 603-323-7563.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Sam Adams, organizer of the Boston Tea Party, signed this appointment naming Moses Bailey an officer in the militia. The document, 12 1/2 inches by 13 inches, is dated Oct. 7, 1770. It has a $3,800-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs.

Samuel Clemens’ letter to Ray Lamprey, a young woman friend, briefly refers to the author’s reversal of fortune in the national crisis of 1893. The two-page handwritten letter has a $5,000-$9,000 estimate. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs.

Jayne Mansfield, one of Hollywood’s platinum-blonde sex symbols of the 1950s, inscribed this black and white photograph to a fan. The autographed 8-by-10 enlargement has a $500-$800 estimate. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs.

Clipped from the conclusion of a handwritten letter, this George Washington signature has a $3,500-$5,000 estimate. It is mounted on a 4 1/2-inch by 3-inch card. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs.

Babe Ruth, baseball's first great slugger and the most celebrated athlete of his time, signed a fan’s album page. A small newspaper photograph of Ruth has been affixed beneath the signature. The 4 1/2-inch by 5-inch page has an estimate of $2,500-$3,800. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs. — Babe Ruth, baseball’s first great slugger and the most celebrated athlete of his time, signed a fan’s album page. A small newspaper photograph of Ruth has been affixed beneath the signature. The 4 1/2-inch by 5-inch page has an estimate of $2,500-$3,800. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs.

President Abraham Lincoln signed this military appointment dated March 29, 1861. Two months later the appointee, Richard Caswell Gatlin, resigned his commission and joined the Confederacy. The document has a $9,500-$12,000 estimate. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs.

Paintings top draw at Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches, Aug. 9

Harold Newton (1934-1994), considered the original Florida Highwayman, painted ‘Royal Poinciana Along the Indian River’ on Upson Board. The 24-inch by 32-inch work has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Fine art and Asian antiques – including an extensive collection of Rose Medallion – headline the Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches’ sale Monday, Aug. 9. Artwork ranges from Paris School paintings to the best of the Florida Highwaymen. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding for the auction, which begins at noon Eastern.

The largest work known to have been painted Jean Jansem (French, born 1920) is titled LeMarey Eurs, which is 55 18 inches by 78 2/3 inches. The original owner purchased the painting from Wally Findlay Galleries in New York in 1969.

“It’s the largest known painting to exist from the artist,” said Leslie Baker, auction gallery manager at Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches. “It was consigned by a renowned collector who does not wish to be identified.”

The Rose Medallion collection consists of nearly 50 lots consigned by a resident of Boynton Beach, Fla.

“The Rose Medallion is second to none. He spent a lifetime putting the collection together. There are tureens, platters, vases and umbrella stands,” said Baker. “The gentleman has been a client of mine since the 1980s and he bought some of these pieces here.”

Nearly a dozen pieces of limited edition Picasso pottery have been consigned from a home in Delray Beach, Fla. Estimates range from $4,000 to $6,000 for each of the nine plates and chargers, $5,000 to $7,000 for a pitcher and $2,000 to $2,500 for a plaque.

A Picasso linocut in black and orange titled Toros Valluaris, signed in the plate 24-6-58, is expected to sell for $10,000-$15,000. The image measures 25 3/8 inches by 20 1/4 inches.

The same collector has also consigned a Marc Chagall lithograph titled Les Maries dan L’Atelier, which depicts an artist painting a newlywed couple in his studio. The signed and numbered lithograph, #621, measures 30 inches by 22 1/2 inches. It carries a $6,000-$8,000 estimate.

The Highwaymen painting in the auction is by Harold Newton, considered the founding member and most prolific of the artist group that painted Florida landscapes and sold them to tourists by the side of the road. Titled Royal Poinciana Along the Indian River, the oil on board painting measures 24 inches by 32 inches and has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Newton died in 1994 at age 59 after suffering a stroke.

“It’s a breathtaking painting,” commented Baker, noting it is in its original frame.

Some of the heftiest estimates are assigned to the collection of carved jade items from a North Palm Beach collector. Included are 19th- and 20-century imperial seals, brush washers, plaques and vases. Many of the pieces are highly desirable white jade.

“The pieces were finely chosen and in excellent condition,” said Baker.

Antique furniture, glass and silver will round out the 369-lot auction.

For details contact Baker at 561-805-7115.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

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