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No Worries for Mad Cover Art, Tea Caddies I.D.’d as Chinese Treasures, and More Fresh News

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson
Norman Mingo (1896-1980) original cover art for Mad magazine #121 (Sept. 1968) featuring Alfred E. Neuman being held aloft by the Beatles, Mia Farrow and the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 23.75 x 31.75 inches. Image courtesy of Hake’s Americana

 

News and updates from around the arts and auction community:

  • The acknowledged master of Mad magazine cover art is Norman Mingo (1896-1980), but most collectors would never have a chance to acquire one of Mingo’s fantastic originals. Recently one of his best works, the Sept. 1968 Mad cover art showing the Beatles and their guru Alfred E. Neuman, appeared at auction. [Read more from Scoop]

  • Two containers used as humble tea caddies for the past 40 years were recently identified as 200-year-old Chinese treasures. Their true value was revealed when an auction-house appraiser visiting the residence took a closer look at them. [Read more from Christian Davies Antiques]

  • A pastor in the West African nation of Sierra Leone recently discovered a diamond the size of a hockey puck, weighing 706 carats. He turned over the diamond to Sierra Leone’s president and hopes its sale proceeds can be used to improve the plight of poverty-stricken villagers. [Read more from Associated Press]
  • An IOU signed by Alamo hero William B. Travis, is expected to make at least $75,000 at a Texas-themed auction on Friday in Dallas. The 1836 letter is part of a collection that includes 19th-century maps, books about early life in Texas, and documents signed by historical Texas figures. [Read more from the San Antonio Express-News]

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