A Solomon Grimm redware plate and a sketch of Benjamin Franklin cleaned up at Freeman’s

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PHILADELPHIA — A fine collection of American antiques from the 18th and 19th centuries performed admirably at Freeman’s on November 15 as part of its American Furniture, Folk and Decorative Arts sale. Complete results are available at LiveAuctioneers.

A glazed, slip and sgrafitto-decorated redware plate by Solomon Grimm (1787-1847) was the sale’s top lot. Grimm’s well-known pottery talents have captivated collectors for generations, and this lot was no exception. Starting at $7,500, the bidding continued straight past the top estimate of $25,000 to land at $30,000, or $40,300 with buyer’s premium.

Made by William Seaver and Nathaniel Frost in Boston, this Windsor rocking cradle was fashioned from turned bamboo and retains the paper label from its retailer, Seaver & Frost on State Street in Boston. Made between 1799 and 1802, the rocker hammered for $26,000, or $39,060 with buyer’s premium, well above its $800-$1,200 presale estimate.

Revered by horse racing enthusiasts, Charles Spencer Humphreys (1818-1880) was another winner for Freeman’s. The Bay Trotter John Henry at the U.S. Agricultural Fair represents both horse and carriage jockey at the 1856 event held in West Philadelphia. The framed oil on canvas hammered for $26,000, or $39,060 with buyer’s premium, proving once again that the market for 19th-century equine art remains strong and healthy.

A sketch from life of Benjamin Franklin playing chess in Paris some time in the 1776-1783 period was a surprising winner as well. The piece, attributed to the Founding Father’s grandson, Benjamin Franklin Bache (1769-1798), was estimated at $4,000-$6,000 but sold for $18,000, or $23,580 with buyer’s premium.
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Solomon Grimm redware plate, which sold for $30,000 ($40,300 with buyer’s premium) at Freeman’s.
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Windsor rocking cradle, which sold for $26,000 ($39,060 with buyer’s premium) at Freeman’s.
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Charles Spencer Humphreys, ‘The Bay Trotter John Henry at the U.S. Agricultural Fair,’ which sold for $26,000 ($39,060 with buyer’s premium) at Freeman’s.
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Sketch from life of Benjamin Franklin playing chess in Paris, made between 1776-1783 and attributed to his namesake grandson, which sold for $18,000 ($23,580 with buyer’s premium) at Freeman’s.
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Chippendale carved mahogany child’s chair associated with the Girard family of Philadelphia, which sold for $16,000 ($20,960 with buyer’s premium) at Freeman’s.
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Lincoln pre-election note a top contender at University Archives, Apr. 19

A handwritten note twice signed by Abraham Lincoln days before winning the 1864 presidential election, most likely to his eldest son Robert, estimated at $40,000-$50,000
A handwritten note twice signed by Abraham Lincoln days before winning the 1864 presidential election, most likely to his eldest son Robert, estimated at $40,000-$50,000
A handwritten note twice signed by Abraham Lincoln days before winning the 1864 presidential election, most likely to his eldest son Robert, estimated at $40,000-$50,000

WILTON, Conn. – A handwritten note twice signed by Abraham Lincoln just days before winning the 1864 presidential election, ship’s papers from 1794 signed by both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and a 1748 handwritten note signed by Benjamin Franklin are among the highlights of University Archives’ online-only auction slated for Wednesday, April 19. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Gallery Report: Lynn Chadwick’s Winged Figures hit lofty heights at Doyle

ATLANTA – At the start of every month, ACN columnist Ken Hall gathers top auction highlights from across the United States and the world as well. The April 2023 edition of Ken’s Gallery Report showcases strong results from the finest auction houses. All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium, except where noted.

Lynn Chadwick bronzes, $126,000, Doyle New York

British artist Lynn Chadwick’s (British, 1914-2003) bronze Winged Figures Version II from 1973, depicting male and female forms with wing-like capes and geometrical heads, sold for $126,000 at a 20th Century Abstraction auction held March 8 by Doyle in New York City. Also, Valencia I by Filipino artist Fernando Zobel (1924-1984) achieved $214,200 as well as a new U.S. record for the artist; and Fluidos by Spanish artist Juan Genoves (1930-2020) settled at $189,000, also a new U.S. auction record for the artist.

 

Roger Brown painting, $138,600, Hindman

A monumental 1989 painting by Roger Brown (American, 1941-1997), titled Crossing the Bandiagara Escarpment with Baobab Trees and Dogon Dancers, sold for $138,600 at the auction of the single-owner collection of Susann Craig held March 9 by Hindman in Chicago. Also, Untitled (Guitar Nun) by Sister Gertrude Morgan (American, 1900-1980) brought $34,650; and William Dawson’s A Group of Three Articulated Figures (1976-1977) went for a record $25,200.

Gold Rush-era gold ingot, $138,000, Holabird Western Americana Collections

A 32.15-ounce Kellogg & Humbert assayer’s California Gold Rush gold ingot sold for $138,000 at Part 2 of the sale of items recovered from the 1857 sinking of the S.S. Central America held March 4-5 by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC in Reno, Nevada. Also, a 19th-century daguerreotype photograph of an unidentified young woman that the S.S. Central America scientific mission recovery team nicknamed the Mona Lisa of the Deep changed hands for $73,200.

Chippendale corner cupboard, $8,400, Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates

A Maryland or Virginia Chippendale painted yellow pine corner cupboard sold for $8,400 at a Winter Americana Auction held March 2-4 by Jeffery S. Evans & Associates in Mt. Crawford, Virginia. In addition, a Buddy L Junior Line pressed-steel toy dump truck finished at $4,200; a Western Pennsylvania stoneware jar earned $2,040; a Frank Finney (American, b. 1947-) carved and painted figure of a basset hound achieved $6,600; and a group of antique and vintage pocket knives made $3,900.

Cox-Roosevelt button, $100,300, Hake’s Auctions

A James M. Cox and Franklin Roosevelt 1920 jugate button, one inch in diameter, sold for $100,300 at a Premier Auction held March 21-22 by Hake’s Auctions in York, Pennsylvania. Also, a circa-1920 Type 1 original photograph of Babe Ruth from his first New York Yankees season, credited to Paul Thompson, rose to $78,529; and a 1980 TOLTOYS (Australia) Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back JAWA vinyl-caped action figure brought $49,324.

Antique map after Ptolemy, $110,700, Neue Auctions

A map of the Persian and Red Seas after Claudius Ptolemy, titled Geographica and dating to circa 1482 or later, sold for $110,700 in an online-only Estate Fine Art and Antiques auction held March 11 by Neue Auctions in Beachwood, Ohio. Also, a circa-1910 carved and painted carousel giraffe by Gustav and William Dentzel, restored, brought $9,840; and a typed letter in German, signed by Albert Einstein and dated 1950, made $10,455.

 

19th-century Boston shelf clock, $49,200, Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers

A 19th-century B. C. Gilman (Exeter, N.H.) Boston shelf clock sold for $49,200 at a Couture, Jewelry and Fine & Decorative Art auction held February 27 by Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers in Cranston, Rhode Island. Also, an early 20th-century Duffner & Kimberly heraldic armorial table lamp earned $3,900; a Jose Reyes (American and Filipino, 1902-1980) Nantucket friendship basket reached $3,600; and a Chinese Qing dynasty porcelain sculpture of a Guanyin rose to $2,400.

Emmi Whitehorse painting, $36,300, Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery

A 1992 mixed media on paper by Emmi Whitehorse (American/Navajo, b. 1956-), titled Field of Birds, sold for $36,300 at an Art of the American West & Native American Art & Objects auction held February 24 by Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery in Atlanta. Also, a 1988 oil on canvas by Frank McCarthy (American, 1944-2002), titled The Warriors of Canyon Land, made $16,940; and a patinated bronze sculpture by Robert F. Elwell (American, 1874-1962), titled Birchbark Canoe, hit $7,260.

Mark Twain’s typewriter, $106,250, Heritage Auction

The Williams No. 6 typewriter that author Mark Twain purchased in 1906 and used until his death in 1910 sold for $106,250 at a Historical Manuscripts Signature Auction held February 22 by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. Also, a pair of paintings that artist Colin Campbell Cooper created while onboard the RMS Carpathia during the rescue of Titanic survivors achieved $112,500; and a copy of LIFE magazine from May 1965 signed by Martin Luther King, Jr. went for $93,750.

Benjamin Franklin-signed document, $39,928, RR Auction

A one-page Benjamin Franklin-signed document, dated Dec. 6, 1785, ordering a loan to support Pennsylvania’s new currency, sold for $39,928 in an online auction held in March by RR Auction in Boston. Also, a Wright Brothers portrait, signed by both Wilbur and Orville, finished at $30,819; a King Henry VII letter to expedite payment of Catherine of Aragon’s dowry brought $27,164; and an Abraham Lincoln handwritten letter to Attorney General Bates earned $18,750.

Circa-1900 juggler poster, $14,400, Potter & Potter Auctions

A circa-1900 poster touting juggler the Great Knetzger as The Master Spirit of Ambidexterity sold for $14,400 at Part 1 of the Ricky Jay collection held February 25 by Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago. Also, a circa-1869 broadside advertising the Davenport Brothers earned $11,875; a circa-1905 poster for Bostock & Wombell’s World Renowned Menagerie hit $12,500; and a copy of the 1808 book New Art of Hocus Pocus Revived realized $12,000.

George Valentine Dureau painting, $8,750, Crescent City Auction Gallery

A painting by George Valentine Dureau (American, 1930-2014), titled El Viaje Dorado, from the artist’s Dead Toreador series, sold for $8,750 at an Important March Estates auction held March 17-18 by Crescent City Auction Gallery in New Orleans. Also, a 151-piece sterling flatware set by Gorham in the Old English Tipt pattern made $3,840; and an American carved walnut Rococo Revival marble-top dresser went for $2,500.

Circa-1820 flintlock pistol, $45,630, Milestone Auctions

A P & D Moll Allentown Pennsylvania brass-barrel German silver-escutcheoned flintlock pistol, manufactured around 1820, sold for $45,630 at a Premier Collectible Firearms Auction held March 11-12 by Milestone Auctions in Willoughby, Ohio. Also, a pair of circa-1860 Belgian Brevete Colt Navy revolvers, .36-caliber, hit the mark for $43,050; and a pair of 1851 Colt square-guard Navy revolvers, .36 caliber black-powder models, made $30,750.

Copy of Captain America #1, $146,000, Goldin Auctions

A copy of Captain America #1 from March 1941, graded CGC 3.0 and featuring the origin of Steve Rogers and his sidekick Bucky, sold for $146,000 in a Winter Comics, Video Games & TCG Elite Auction held in March by Goldin Auctions, based in Runnemede, New Jersey. Also, the original pen-and-ink artwork for the dust jacket of Batman: Hush 20th Anniversary Edition, signed by artist Jim Lee, brought $57,600; and a copy of Fantastic Four #1 from Nov. 1961 earned $84,000.

Ward Brothers duck decoy, $90,000, Copley Fine Art Auctions

A Ward Brothers Humpback black duck decoy sold for $90,000 at a Winter Sale held Feb. 24-25 by Copley Fine Art Auctions in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Also, a Harmon Running Curlew by Nathan F. Cobb, Jr., was the top shorebird of the sale, commanding $78,000; a Jerry Mastin Canada Goose soared to $51,000, a new world record for the maker; Richard Bishop’s painting Prairie Wings flew away with $180,000; and Bob Kuhn’s Close but No Cigar reached $78,000.

Paul De Longpre watercolor, $9,225, Michaan’s Auctions

An 1892 watercolor on paper by Paul de Longpre (American and French, 1855-1911), titled Matillija Poppies and Bees, sold for $9,225 at a Gallery Auction held March 17 by Michaan’s Auctions in Alameda, California. Also, a 1954 mixed media on wood board by Bruce Conner (American, 1933-2008), titled Facade, went for $7,995; a pair of Etruscan Revival bronze floor lamps attributed to Caldwell earned $7,995; and a 1782 Thomas Hennell sterling silver tea caddy brought $2,214.

Gertrude Abercrombie painting, $51,250, Thomaston Place Auction Galleries

A 1956 Modernist painting by Gertrude Abercrombie (American and German, 1909-1977), titled Leaf and Chaise Lounge, sold for $51,250 at a Winter Enchantment sale held Feb. 24-26 by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in Thomaston, Maine. Also, Andy Warhol’s (American, 1920-1987) signed and numbered serigraph on paper from 1968, Campbell’s Soup (Cream of Mushroom), realized $42,000; and a 1965 offset lithograph by Roy Lichtenstein (American, 1923-1997), Shipboard Girl, earned $31,250.

Portrait of George Washington, $34,375, Nye & Company Auctioneers

A portrait of George Washington after Rembrandt Peale, titled Porthole Washington, sold for $34,375 at a March Estate Treasures auction held March 8-10 by Nye & Company Auctioneers in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Also, a lithograph by Roy Lichtenstein (American, 1923-1997), titled Foot and Hand, topped out at $8,750; a Chinese Qing-style cloisonne shallow charger earned $34,375; and a Chinese famille verte porcelain ginger jar rose to $7,500.

Drawing attributed to Joan Miro, $2,048, La Belle Epoque Auction House

A drawing of a woman attributed to Joan Miro, signed and dated 1917, sold for $2,048 at a multi-estates auction held March 18 by La Belle Epoque Auction House in New York City. Also, a 17th- century Italian walnut prie dieu with marquetry and parquetry inlay throughout rose to $832; a circa-1900 group of Schafer & Vater Alice in Wonderland German bisque porcelain pieces realized $448; and a Piranesi-style print, two-sheet 18th-century engravings of the Vatican, framed, hit $960.

All images shown in this report appear courtesy of the auction houses who sold the items they depict.

Click to view top auction results on LiveAuctioneers: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/pages/recent-auction-sales/

Holabird to host ‘Pike’s Peak or Bust!’ auction, Jan. 19-22

Original circa-1897 Ringling Brothers broadside advertising “Three Famous Aerial Ladies,” estimated at $500-$1,500
Original circa-1897 Ringling Brothers broadside advertising “Three Famous Aerial Ladies,” estimated at $500-$1,500

Original circa-1897 Ringling Brothers broadside, estimated at $500-$1,500

RENO, Nev. – Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC’s first live auction event of the year will be a four-day affair – Thursday, January 19 through Sunday, January 22 – featuring collectibles in more than a dozen categories. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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University Archives invites you to own a piece of history, Dec. 14

NASA Manned Spacecraft Center Stamp Club insurance cover signed by Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, estimated at $8,000-$10,000
NASA Manned Spacecraft Center Stamp Club insurance cover signed by Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, estimated at $8,000-$10,000
NASA Manned Spacecraft Center Stamp Club insurance cover signed by Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, estimated at $8,000-$10,000

WILTON, Conn. – A NASA Manned Spacecraft Center Stamp Club insurance cover from the Buzz Aldrin family space collection, signed by all three Apollo 11 crew members, and an autograph letter signed by Thomas Jefferson from Monticello in which he mentions Napoleon Bonaparte are a few of the expected highlights in University Archives’ online auction slated for Wednesday, December 14 at 11 am Eastern time. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Hake’s Nov. 15-16 auction answers demand for Star Wars collectibles, vintage video games

Left: ‘Journey Into Mystery’ #83, August 1962, features origin and first appearance of Marvel’s God of Thunder, The Mighty Thor. CGC 5.5 Fine. Estimate $10,000-$20,000; Right: Marvel ‘Tales Of Suspense’ #39, March 1963, features origin and first appearance of Iron Man. CGC 4.5 VG+. Estimate $10,000-$20,000

YORK, Pa. – The quest for early Star Wars collectibles has reached a fevered pitch, but the auction market tells us the journey is just beginning. Interest in Star Wars items is stronger than ever, especially for prototypes and samples, rare variations, and toys produced in low numbers or no numbers at all. To some, it may seem that Hake’s – the auction house holding numerous world records for Star Wars material – has already sold the ultimate rarities from that wildly popular category. But exciting surprises continue to emerge, some from unexpected sources, and those fresh consignments and new discoveries will be front and center at Hake’s November 15-16 pop culture auction.

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Statesmen, sluggers and other greats step up at University Archives, Aug. 17

George Washington-signed 1752 survey of a 346-acre tract in Augusta County, Virginia, one of the earliest documents with his signature, est. $20,000-$24,000

 

George Washington-signed 1752 survey of a 346-acre tract in Augusta County, Virginia, one of the earliest documents with his signature, est. $20,000-$24,000
George Washington-signed 1752 survey of a 346-acre tract in Augusta County, Virginia, one of the earliest documents with his signature, est. $20,000-$24,000

WILTON, Conn. – Items signed by George Washington, John F. Kennedy, Daniel Boone, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln are just a few of the highlights in University Archives’ next online-only auction, slated for Wednesday, August 17 and starting at 10:30 am Eastern time. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Hindman presents Frasca collection of Civil War artifacts Nov. 12

Civil War painted military snare drum, est. $8,000-$10,000
Civil War painted military snare drum, est. $8,000-$10,000
Civil War painted military snare drum, est. $8,000-$10,000

CINCINNATI – On November 12, Hindman Auctions will present The Civil War Collection of James C. Frasca, an incredibly distinguished collector and dealer of Civil War memorabilia. This carefully curated and meticulously researched collection contains relics, weaponry, uniforms, accoutrements, corps badges, photographs, documents and personal items used by soldiers on and off the battlefield. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Andrew Clemens sand bottle sells for record $956K at Hindman

Andrew Clemens sand bottle, which sold for $956,000 and a world auction record
Andrew Clemens sand bottle, which sold for $956,000 and a world auction record
Andrew Clemens sand bottle, which sold for $956,000 and a world auction record

CINCINNATI – On September 30, Hindman Auctions realized more than $2.1 million in its American Furniture, Folk and Decorative Arts Auction. The sale set a new world auction record for an Andrew Clemens sand bottle, which shattered its presale estimate and sold for $956,000. Offered with an estimate of $100,000-$150,000, the sand bottle received heated bidding activity, with 64 bids being placed during a six-minute period from $70,000 to the final sale price.

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Joyce, Twain, Mucha and more triumphed at Freeman’s, Sept. 23

First and limited edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses, $27,720
First and limited edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses, $27,720
First and limited edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses, $27,720

PHILADELPHIA — Freeman’s is pleased to announce the results of its September 23 auction, a 140-lot sale that achieved a 95% sell-through rate and underscores Freeman’s strength in presenting material across a wide range of disciplines and time periods.

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