Welcome to Sold! Briggs Auction’s ongoing discussion of all things auction. Each post we’ll explore different aspects of the auction, from first-time bidding, to knowing just what to bid on (and how much is maybe too much to bid), to recognizing the potential of an item with a little repurposing.
Our goal is to explore the unlimited potential in making the old new again, generate excitement for the process of uncovering treasures, and even provide a few “insider” tips on how to make the auction best work for you.
Have a question or topic to suggest? Leave us a comment and we’ll explore it.
Forrest Hills Tennis Stadium in New York. The reel-to-reel recording, which was won by the consignor as a radio contest giveaway, will be among the featured lots in Cordier’s August 13 and 14 Antique and Fine Art Auction to be held at 1500 Paxton Street in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The sale will also be highlighted by a single-owner gold coin collection and almost 200 lots of Asian and Ethnographic Art.
The Beatles recording (est $2,000 – $4,000) will be sold on day one of the two day sale, along with Coins, Jewelry, Silver, and a small grouping of 19th century Russian icons. Among the icons is a beautiful golden 19thcentury Palkh icon of St. George slaying the dragon (est $1,000 – $1,500). Coins will include over 50 lots of gold coins from a single-owner collection, while jewelry offerings include a modernist 14k gemstone brooch (est $1,000 – $1,500).
Day one will also feature six sterling flatware sets including a Gorham Etruscan set (est $1,000 – $1,200) and a set of Stieff Rose (est $1,500 – $2,000), as well as Tiffany and S. Kirk and Son pieces.
Almost 200 lots of Asian and Ethnographic arts will cross the block on day two, including over 100 lots of ivory. Highlights of those pieces, which mostly hail from the collections of two estates, include a large carved ivory wedding boat (est $5,000 – $8,000), and an animated carved ivory tusk depicting elephants and big cats (est $400 – $600).
Art will be headlined by a large and beautiful painting by the Iranian artist Nasser Ovissi (est $40,000 – $50,000) as well as three lots of experimental pottery by Richard DeVore, a former master of ceramics at the Cranbook Academy of Art. The pottery pieces, given by DeVore to the consignor, include Two Trees and Secret House (est $500 – $1,000 each). An intimate watercolor scene by Umberto Cacciarelli (est $2,000 – $3,000) is also among the highlights in the art category. A rare eight day Eli Bentley, Taneytown MD, tall case clock (est $4,000 – $6,000) is to be among the clocks offered.
A pair of reclining Leopards ($4,000 – $6,000) and an African White Rhino shoulder mount ($5,000 – $8,000) will be among the approximately 50 pieces of exotic Taxidermy to be featured in Cordier’s Summer Firearms Auction Sunday, July 31. Other highlights will include an Engraved Colt 1851 Navy inscribed to Charles L. Robinson, the 1st Governor of Kansas ($8,000 – $10,000), and a Springfield Armory M1A Rifle ($1,000 – $1,500).
Over 100 pieces of Antique Tools from the collection of the late William Snyder, Carlisle, will round out the auction. The offerings include several #55 Stanley Woodworking Planes with boxes. The sale will be held at Cordier’s auction house at 1500 Paxton Street, Harrisburg.
The stunning taxidermy collection is the result of Jim and Barb McCarthy’s lifelong shared passion for hunting and the outdoors. The McCarthys began their hunting career together in 1970, and by 1980 they were booking outdoor adventures for clients all over the world through their company Jim McCarthy Adventures, based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Pieces in the collection hail from such diverse regions as Yugoslavia, Kenya, Mongolia, and Zimbabwe. Standout lots include two full-body mount Lions ($2,000-$3,000 each), a pair of Leopards mounted together ($4,000 – $6,000), and a White Rhino shoulder mount with original horns, estimated to bring $5,000 to $8,000.
Among the antique handguns, collectors will find a W.L. Evans 1826 Flintlock Pistol dated 1831 ($600-$900). Additional early 19th century military pistols to be offered include an Asa Waters 1836 Flintlock Pistol dated 1844 ($800 – $1,200). Modern handgun enthusiasts will not be disappointed, as the sale also features a 6” Blued Colt Python ($1,800 – $2,200) and a Smith & Wesson Model 25 1955 Target Model ($1,000 – $1,500).
Fine antique and military rifles will also cross the block, including an antique John Grove (Greene County) PA Long Rifle ($800-$1,200) and a Spencer Repeating Carbine ($1,200 – $1,800). Military rifles will feature a Russian Mosin Nagant Sniper rifle ($400-$500), and a new in box Springfield Armory M1A rifle ($1,000-1,500).
Military collectors will find items from the Civil War, World War I and World War II including Civil War Letters, a Military Shako, and a WWII era German Police Sports Shirt. In edged weapons, bidders will have the opportunity to win an 1833 Naval Cutlass ($300 – $500), and a 19th Century Prussian Staff Officer’s Sword ($400 and $600), as well as several Sword Canes and a C. Roby 1860 Pattern Cavalry Sword.
The second part of this sale will feature an Antique Tool Collection which includes an impressive group of Stanley Wood Working Planes and other early hand tools from the estate of William Snyder of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Highlights of the over 100 pieces to be offered include a number of examples of Stanley’s popular #55 Combination Plane in the original boxes ($300 – $500 each). The Stanley No. 55, which has been called the “Swiss Army Knife of hand planes” and touted as being “a planning mill within itself,” has long been a favorite among collectors and woodworkers alike. Also to be sold are a #444 Plane also in its original box ($300-$500) and a complete #52 Chute Board ($300 – $500).
Manhattan Sideways “George Glazer Gallery” June 2016
The website Manhattan Sideways, which searches out “the hidden gems of Manhattan on the side streets,” paid a visit to our 94th Street gallery and has posted an article and great photos that capture its style and ambiance. (A few are shown here; find the rest on their website.)
Despite its limited size, one could spend an entire day in George Glazer Gallery and probably still not see everything that the space has to offer. There are fascinating items covering every nook and cranny, from the ceiling to the staircase to the bathroom. Though there are many pieces, as George says, it is “exciting clutter” rather than overwhelming clutter, and a true treasure hunt to look through. I kept finding surprises, such as a column made from the inside of a piano, a set of miniature fire tools, and strings of scorekeeping devices for games of pool dangling high above my head.
After years as a corporate attorney, George embraced his love of collecting art and opened his gallery in 1993. He began on the corner of Madison Avenue and 72nd Street, on an upper floor, but recently moved north due to rising rents. As he pointed out, however, the internet has made it so that it is no longer as important to have a prestigious address. According to George, having a well-maintained website and good social media skills is far more crucial to running a successful antique business. He also assured me that he has a strong international client base that reaches out to him online.
Even though he has moved away from Madison Avenue, George is very happy to have found his current side street location. He loves the ceilings, which remind him of the original definition of “gallery,” a room in an English country house with tall ceilings. There is a garden out back that George occasionally uses for storage and events. The biggest change he has encountered, however, is foot traffic. Now that he is on the ground floor, he has more people coming by to stare in the window and occasionally wander in.
Though many pieces originate from outside the United States, such as a long Tibetan instrument mounted on the wall and the Venetian glass sconces made in the shape of clowns, most of the items in the gallery were purchased in the States. “There’s a remarkable amount of stuff here already,” George commented. He not only collects pieces: George is also somewhat of an artist in his own right in the way that he arranges things, along with his gallery manager, Jeffrey. For example, I saw an old employee time card grid covered in various antique ornaments. The result was a visually fascinating display. “We make our own little art,” George said with a smile, gesturing to a figure of Humpty Dumpty sitting on a bed of coral above the doorway.
George’s passion is definitely globes. He has a vast collection, spanning from a rare celestial globe to an enormous thirty-six inch specimen. More generally, George’s taste leans towards items that have a practical or scientific purpose. He also collects judges’ gavels and has a fair number of door knockers. After observing as much as I could upfront, we proceeded to the back of the shop where George puts pieces that he is particularly fond of close to his desk so that he can appreciate them most of the day. My eye went right to a wooden satyr face and an odd madmen-esque desk sign that reads “MISS PARR.”
After showing me the back room where he occasionally fixes things, and telling me about a few prop-rental projects he has taken part in, George became introspective. “This place is an alter ego,” he admitted. “It’s for sale, but it’s what I like.” He continued on to say that his very specific style is not for everyone, but at the same time, he is confident that his often minimalist, modern antiques can fit into a wide variety of design schemes. His gallery is purposefully set up so that customers can see how things might look in a lived-in space. “It’s more like a place where people live.” That is, if the people living there are slightly eccentric. “We have a lot of odd things,” George confessed laughing.Add to Wishlist
PALM BEACH, FLA. — Bernard Levy, who took the family firm, founded in New York City in 1901, to new heights as Bernard & S. Dean Levy, Inc, died at his home in Palm Beach on Wednesday, January 27.
Levy, 98, was the son and nephew of Isaac M. Levy and John Ginsburg, among the most prominent antiques dealers of the early Twentieth Century. Bernard was born in New York City on February 10, 1917, and attended New York University. He returned to the trade after serving in the US Navy in the Pacific theater during World War II.
Levy was a foremost expert in early American furniture, first as a partner of Ginsburg & Levy, and from 1973 until his death with Levy Galleries in Manhattan. The business continues under the direction of his son Dean Levy and grandson Frank Levy.
Active as a dealer for more than seven decades, Bernard formed friendships with many well-known collectors and curators, among them Ima Hogg, Henry and Helen Flynt, George and Linda Kaufman, Joseph and June Hennage, George B. Lorimer, Eric Martin Wunsch and Vincent Andrus. Some of the most recognizable objects at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bayou Bend, Winterthur Museum, Historic Deerfield and other leading institutions carry the Levy provenance.
“Bernard had a great sense of humor and enjoyed exchanges, some of which were pretty funny, with collectors. We occasionally disagreed but, on the whole, got along very well. He could be very tough on price. I was more inclined to negotiate. His memory was fabulous. He never completely retired and continued to come up to New York after he moved to Florida in 2002,” Dean Levy recalled.
Bernard, who served as president of the Art and Antiques Dealers League of America from 1962 to 1966, had an eye for the finest, especially furniture and silver, and was eager to share his knowledge and enthusiasm with collectors, curators, other dealers and, especially, his family.
“His love for all things Americana was infectious,” said Frank Levy.
Fit and robust, Bernard was a champion tennis player who remained competitive in the sport well into his eighties. He was predeceased by his wife of 69 years, Laura Redfield Levy, who shared his love of life, travel and dogs. In addition to Dean Levy and Frank Levy, he is survived by a second son, Jonathan; a daughter, Marcia Roesch; six other grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
A celebration of his life is planned for a later date.
Southeastern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine “Aaron Burr Desk: Answer to Name This Famous Antique Game — January 2016” By Mike McLeod January 2016
For its monthly feature “The Name This Famous Antique Game,” Southeastern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine featured an example of a cleverly designed Victorian metamorphic table from the George Glazer Gallery that opens into a desk and chair. (View it on our website.) As the writer explains, it is sometimes referred to as an “Aaron Burr desk” due to an article of questionable accuracy in a 1911 newspaper. We do know for a fact that it was designed and patented by Stephen Hedges in 1854 — long after Burr died. That is the same Aaron Burr whose achievements during the Revolutionary War and as Vice President under Thomas Jefferson have been overshadowed in popular history as the man who fired a fatal shot at Alexander Hamilton during a duel. What the article does not mention is that this desk is among the most repinned items from our gallery website on Pinterest, pinned by over 2,000 people.
This photo includes personal items that actress Marilyn Monroe had in her purse the day she wed Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio in 1954. These are among the items up for bids in an auction overseen by Witherell’s auction house in Sacramento
Witherell’s auction house in Sacramento is auctioning personal items that once belonged to movie star Marilyn Monroe and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio.
The auction began Nov. 4 and will conclude Wednesday.
A preview of the items available for bid can be seen from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Witherell’s gallery, 300 20th St., in Sacramento.
“Marilyn and Joe were iconic figures; their marriage was the love story of the century,” said Brian Witherell, chief operating officer of the midtown auction house. “They were, and still are, American royalty. With the auction, people have a chance to own a personal memento from one of these larger-than-life figures.”
Auction items were either former possessions or part of the estate of DiMaggio’s late niece, actress June DiMaggio.
June DiMaggio and Monroe were friends until Monroe’s death in 1962. June DiMaggio moved to Sacramento after retiring from Hollywood and lived in Sacramento’s Campus Commons until her death in May 2014. She was a longtime friend of Sacramento TV and radio personality Mary Jane Popp, and they co-authored the 2006 book, “Marilyn, Joe & Me.”
Popp was given items once belonging to Monroe and Joe DiMaggio. In a Witherell’s media release, Popp said: “I still have many items June gave me. But there are so many fans of Marilyn and Joe out there, I wanted these family treasures to go to others who would also appreciate them.”
The 50 lots include personal photos, signed books, personal items Monroe had with her the day she married DiMaggio in 1954, costume jewelry, kitchen/clothing items and a memorial pamphlet from Monroe’s Aug. 8, 1962, funeral in Los Angeles.
Witherell’s cited “the uniqueness of the items,” and due to that, there are no comparable items to determine a precise value. Consequently, there are no estimates on the items.
Founded in 1969, Witherell’s does appraisals and auctions of various objects of value, from decorative arts and design to antiques and fine art. The auction house places items globally through private sales and online auctions.
Brian Witherell is known nationally for his work as an expert appraiser on PBS’ long-running “Antiques Roadshow” series.
After eight successful years the annual Jackson Hole Art Auction continues to draw art collectors from across the country and around the world with its wide variety of art by deceased and contemporary artists. “This year will mark the ninth annual Jackson Hole Art Auction,” said Jill Callahan, coordinator of the Fall Arts favorite, “and each year we reach a broader clientele. We have bidders from every corner of the country, as well as abroad. Presented by Trailside Galleries and Gerald Peters Gallery, headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this year’s event will feature more than 140 artists representing many genres, including Western, wildlife, sporting, floral, portrait and landscape. “We are becoming known globally for our strong wildlife offerings by masters such as Bob Kuhn and Carl Rungius,” Callahan said. But the auction also is known for its diversity. “There is truly something for everyone,” she said.
To accommodate an even broader audience this year’s auction will feature two sales: Session I, set to start at noon Friday, Sept. 18, at Trailside Galleries, and Session II, scheduled for noon Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Center for the Arts. “The objective of our inaugural Session I auction is to offer high-quality work by desirable contemporary and deceased artists at a price point for the young or beginning collector,” Callahan said. Works by artists such as Harry Jackson, Kenneth Riley, Tucker Smith, Carl Rungius and Chad Poppleton are included in the Session I sale. Artwork can be previewed at Trailside Galleries, located at 130 E. Broadway, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, and 9 a.m. to noon the next day. Callahan said approximately 85 lots will be offered during Session I.
Session II will offer about 220 lots. “We will also offer over 30 paintings specifically created for the Jackson Hole Art Auction by contemporary artists,” Callahan said, “including Martin Grelle, Ewoud de Groot, T. Allen Lawson, Ralph Oberg, Amy Ringholz and more.” Callahan said Session II of the auction will feature many works by contemporary and deceased artists at a wide range of prices. One highlight, she said, will be Albert Bierstadt’s “Wind River Country Wyoming,” from around 1860, which also graces the cover of the auction catalog. The classic painting by one of Western art’s earliest and most revered practitioners is expected to sell for $1 million to $2 million. “This landscape masterwork depicts the Wind River Range,” said Callahan. “A large Wind River scene has not come on the market in 30 years.” Other highlights include works by Clyde Aspevig, Tom Lovell, Bob Kuhn, and Norman Rockwell. Callahan said she expects G. Harvey paintings to be very popular as well. His Civil War painting “The Hope of the Confederacy” is projected to garner $125,000 to $175,000. “We are also pleased to offer a fine selection of Bob Kuhn paintings,” Callahan said, “including ‘Cheetahs on a Termite Hill,’ which has also never been on the market.”
Session II artwork can be previewed 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Center for the Arts. After enjoying great popularity and success at last year’s auction the Top Tier competition will return for its second year. Eight artists have been invited to compete for a $10,000 cash prize, with the winner to be determined by a three-person jury. The artists who will be vying for the prize are William Acheff, John Banovich, Ken Carlson, Guy Coheleach, Jenness Cortez, Z.S. Liang, Bonnie Marris and Mian Situ. The judges will be Emily Kapes, art collection curator at Raymond James Financial; Natasha Khandekar, director and curator of the William I. Koch Collection; and Sue Simpson Gallagher, the owner of Simpson Gallagher Gallery in Cody. They will select a winner Friday, Sept. 18, and all the Top Tier lots will be sold during Session II on Saturday. Admission to all Jackson Hole Art Auction events is free, but registration is required to bid.
For several years now, Barbara Israel has been the leading dealer in the country in garden antiquities, and her delightful 5-acre property in Katonah is her showroom. Here at Steepway Farm you’ll find some 250 sculptures, benches, animals, obelisks, chairs, finials, fountains and other priceless treasures tucked among the many colorful perennial beds, groves of trees and shady allees.
Except for a few pieces from her personal collection, everything in the beds and display areas around the 1830 farmhouse is for sale. Prices range from $75 for a small, cast-stone animal, all the way up to $175,000 for a rare statue with an important maker. Most pieces are in the $2,500 to $25,000 range.
Come see for yourself on Sunday, when Israel’s garden will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as part of the Cold Spring-based Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program. Three other very impressive gardens in northern Westchester will also be open on Sunday. (Details later in this story, plus tips on how to maintain garden furnishings))
Following the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program can be a great way to play tourist in your own town. You simply pay $7 at the gate, up from the $5 it’s been for 20 years, for a chance to wander around some of the best private gardens in the country that are open for a single day a year. A few gardens open a second day in summer or fall.
An impressive Westerly granite statue of “Industry” at the end of an allee of bluebells and hostas. She is clothed in classical robes, with the attributes of ancient industry at her feet: anvil, hammer and the cogwheel symbolizing 19th-century mechanized production, American, ca. 1880. (Photo: Mark Vergari/The Journal News)
Israel is the author of the definitive “Antique Garden Ornament: Two Centuries of American Taste” (Harry N. Abrams, 1999). Her garden has been a mainstay of the Open Days Program for a few years, and visitors will see some new things this year, partly because of damage from Superstorm Sandy and a microburst that tore through the front of the property.
“We lost two dozen trees,” says site manager Patrick Dunne.
A walled and formal rose garden has taken the place of a vegetable garden, and a nearby wildflower meadow is taking on a nice shape a couple of years after it was seeded with plants native to the Northeast.
And of course there are always new sculptures and other objects to admire. This year, Israel is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the launch of her business, Barbara Israel Garden Antiques. For more information, visit bi-gardenantiques.com.
Buy Photo
The farmhouse at Steepway Farm dates to 1830. Barbara and Tom Israel bought the property in 1980. A huge pachysandra bed sits between the front of the house and Mount Holly Road. (Photo: Mark Vergari/The Journal News)
IF YOU GO
These four Westchester gardens will be open on June 7 as part of the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program.
• Tom and Barbara Israel, 296 Mount Holly Road, Katonah. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Vivian and Ed Merrin, 2547 Maple Ave., Cortlandt. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Also July 26.
• Keeler Hill Farm, 64 Keeler Lane, North Salem. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Leslie and John Needham — River Hills, 14 Mianus River Road, Bedford. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Open Days are rain or shine and no advance reservations are needed. Admission is $7 per garden. For more information, call 888-842-2442 or visit www.gardenconservancy.org/opendays.
Old boxwood hedges line the edges of the perennial border. (Photo: Mark Vergari/The Journal News)
BARBARA ISRAEL TO BE HONORED
At its third annual Summer Solstice Sunset Soirée at Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers on June 16, the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy will honor Barbara Israel for her “significant contributions to garden ornament scholarship and preservation in New York and the nation,” says Stephen F. Byrns, chairman of the conservancy.
Martha Stewart, Israel’s neighbor in Katonah and honorary chair of the fundraising gala, will introduce her.
Most of the inventory of garden antiquities is in a display area behind the house. In the foreground is a classical style composition stone bust marked “Papini A” for the Giacomo Papini firm, Italian, c.1930. Behind it is a Cotswold stone finial, English, c.1870, once part of a larger architectural piece. (Photo: Mark Vergari/The Journal News)
HOW TO MAINTAIN GARDEN FURNISHINGS
• Empty fountains and birdbaths before the first frost. Winter covers will keep fountains free of snow and ice.
• Store wood furniture inside for the winter.
• Tip over and cover urns in preparation for winter.
• Watch cast-iron furniture for rust, then wire brush, prime and paint as needed.
• Wrap fountains in plastic sheeting to keep them free of snow and ice.
• Protect stone statues from harsh winter winds — bring them indoors or wrap them in burlap or winter covers.
Costume design by Noury and a fan-shaped map of the Paris world’s fair
April in Paris Evening Exhibit of Paris-Themed Prints by George Glazer Gallery Lotos Club, New York City April 29, 2015
Manhattan’s Lotos Club was decorated with prints and views from the George Glazer Gallery for its April in Paris party. We showed prints and views of Paris, Moulin Rouge costume designs by Noury, a fan-shaped map of the 1900 Paris Exposition and portraits of Napoleon. The lively event including roaming entertainers, such as the accordion player who paused in front of our prints. Click on the images to see how our French-themed antiques contributed to the ambiance!
,_picnic_in_the_park,_oil_on_canvas,_30_x_40_1.jpg)
