NEW ORLEANS – The three-day rock concert staged in 1969 in Woodstock, New York is a revered event on the timeline of the eternal Baby Boomer. Most of their generation’s biggest names participated, a film was released to great acclaim, and untold ink has been spilled singing its praises.
Though the film depicts the concert as somewhat chaotic and disorganized, the actual event promoters did manage to get most of the massive production done correctly, even down to mundane details such as creating a 58-page concert program. Largely filled with record label advertisements for acts appearing at Woodstock, the program has been reissued and reprinted for more than 50 years.
This original Woodstock program can be easily identified by the position of the ‘3 days of peace & music’ headline on the cover; on the original, certain letters are difficult to read due to their overprinting position against a field of flowers. Later editions added backshadowing to increase legibility.
Many original programs routinely appear online with four-digit asking prices. Crescent City Auction Gallery rates this copy as being in pristine condition, and has assigned a modest $500-$900 estimate. The program will come up for bid on Friday, March 1 as part of its Winter Decorative Arts & Interiors sale.
WILLISTON, Vt. – The descendants of Captain Charles A. Ranlett, Sr. continue to disperse his collection at auction at Merrill’s. In December, a small trove of letters sent by Ranlett to his children from China during the Second Opium War sold for $8,820. On Friday, February 23, Merrill’s will present Ranlett’s intact copy of Utagawa Hiroshige’s ‘Large Fish Series’ collection of 20 woodblock prints. Known as ukiyo-e art, Hiroshige (1797-1858) is considered the final master of the form, as it went into decline after his passing.
The collection of prints is circa 1860, and is inscribed ‘Capt. Ranlett w compliments of H O A Blake, Japan 1862.’ At the time, Ranlett was skipper of the Surprise, a fast clipper ship serving the Asian trade routes. The Ranlett copy of ‘Large Fish Series’ is in excellent condition and measures 10 by 7.25in. Merrill’s has placed a $10,000-$15,000 estimate on the work.
VERO BEACH, Fla. – Having just completed his two-term presidency, Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) felt the call of the wild pulling him back to what he loved most: being a naturalist and an adventure-seeker. Fortunately, the Smithsonian Institution was looking to add to its collection of large and small African fauna, and Roosevelt – accompanied by his son Kermit – answered the call.
The two Roosevelts spent a year traversing Africa, hunting and trapping animals of all sorts. The entire affair was preserved in African Game Trails, An Account of the African Wanderings of an American Hunter-Naturist. Written by Theodore Roosevelt, with illustrations created by popular sporting artist Philip Goodwin, the set was limited to 500 signed and numbered copies.
Vero Beach Auction has number 28 available for bidding now in its Saturday, March 2 Multi Estate Antiques & Fine Art Auction. The first volume’s cover has detached and there is foxing throughout, but for a genuine De Vinne Press edition printed by Charles Scrivner’s Sons, it carries a very modest $2,000-$3,000 estimate.
PHILADELPHIA – As a sculptor, Stephen Robin (1944-2018) worked in a variety of materials, including concrete, plaster, aluminum, stone, cast iron, and bronze during his lengthy career. B. S. Slosberg is offering the remaining items from his collection in an event that will be held in the artist’s studio on Tuesday, February 27.
Robin’s career spanned all sorts of creative styles, with an emphasis on creating public works of art commissioned for public and governmental buildings, such as the United States Courthouse in Newark, New Jersey, and Tampa International Airport. Much of what remains in his collection consists of gypsum– and cement-cast items. The 174-lot sale also includes framed sketches for Robin’s prominent works and a number of unfinished items, mostly in gypsum, seemingly waiting for the artist to return.
The sheer variety of styles that Robin worked in is astounding and reflects a great talent. Many of the pieces are estimated very sensibly, in an obvious nod to clear the studio, representing great opportunities for collectors.
One of the top-estimated items in the sale is a garden sculpture of an orchid. Measuring 62in in height and 36in in diameter, this monumental rendering is from Robin’s Garden Series and is estimated at $3,000-$6,000.
YPSILANTI, Mich. – More than 30 19th-century stained glass windows, most removed from churches, come to market at Schmidt’s Auction on Saturday, March 2.
Clearly the passion of an unknown collector, there are five panels that stand out, belonging to the Gothic Revival school dominant in the late 19th century. All have minor imperfections or repairs but are generally in good, presentable condition for their age.
Our Lady of Charity is a multi-color stained and leaded glass panel with reverse painted detail depicting imperiled sailors praying to the Holy Mother and Child. It measures 23 by 32in and is estimated at $1,000-$2,000.
Mary’s Promise to St. Simon is a multi-color stained and leaded glass panel with reverse painted detail depicting St. Simon receiving the scapular from the Madonna and Child. It spans 24 by 37.75in, and has an estimate of $1,000-$2,000.
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is another multi-color stained and leaded glass panel with reverse painted detail, this depicting a young Virgin Mary being presented by her mother to a high priest in the Temple of Jerusalem. Measuring 19 by 28.5in, it, too, is estimated at $1,000-$2,000.
The Resurrection is a multi-color stained and leaded glass panel with reverse painted detail that shows a radiant resurrected Christ appearing to his mother the Virgin. It measures 22.5 by 33.75in and has a $1,000-$2,000 estimate.
The Ten Commandments is another multi-color stained and leaded glass panel with reverse painted detail, portraying Moses receiving the Ten Commandments from God. Spanning 20.25 by 34.25in, it, like the others, is estimated at $1,000-$2,000.
