Stories for September '19

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Sammons Sentenced to Prison
by M.A.D. staff

Timothy Sammons, 63, a former art sales agent operating in New York and London, was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison for stealing at least $10 million through a criminal scheme involving the sale of valuable artwork. On July 2 Sammons pleaded guilty to all 15 counts in the ... (Read More)

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Chester County Antiques Show Gets New Managers
by Lita Solis-Cohen

"Change is good,” said Allison Snavely, the director of development at the Chester County Historical Society (CCHS), in response to being asked why the CCHS is changing managers when Wesley Sessa had kept the Chester County Historical Society Antiques & Art Show running for 37 years. Sessa had recruited new dealers ... (Read More)

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Antiques Mall Owner Charged with 34 Counts of Conversion
by M.A.D. staff

Antiques Mall Owner Charged with 34 Counts of Conversion On February 14 Parke County (Indiana) Prosecutor Steve Cevengos requested that the Indiana State Police investigate Jill Dixon, 54, of Cayuga, Indiana, owner of Timeless and Classic Antique Mall LLC, for failing to reimburse consignors. The findings of the investigation were presented ... (Read More)

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Have a Little Faith
by Hollie Davis and Andrew Richmond

We spend a lot of time on the road, and there are only so many rounds of the “alphabet game” one can stand—or only so many columns one can hear hashed out (if you asked the kids)—so we have become huge fans of podcasts. Podcasts might seem daunting and newfangled, ... (Read More)

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Blackwell Auctions Recovers Antique Silver Stolen in 2011
by M.A.D. staff

Blackwell Auctions, Clearwater, Florida, returned several dozen antique silver items, including an 1804 Saunders Pitman coin silver pitcher and tumbler set, after the auction house discovered that the collection had been looted from a Baltimore silver dealer, Imperial Half Bushel, in 2011. “A retired dealer consigned a box of assorted silver ... (Read More)

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Collector Alleges He Was Suckered
by M.A.D. staff

New York City collector Stuart Pivar thinks he got suckered, and on July 16 he filed a lawsuit in Supreme Court of the State of New York against attorney John McFadden. The case revolves around the sculpture Mlle. Pogany II by Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957). According to court papers, in April 2019 ... (Read More)

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Heritage Wins Arbitration Case against Christie’s and Collectrium
by M.A.D. staff

In 2017 Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas, filed suit against Christie’s and Collectrium, a Christie’s company. Heritage accused Christie’s and Collectrium of “scraping” the website of Heritage Auctions to appropriate information and images without permission. Heritage alleged copyright infringement, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, violation of the Digital Millennium ... (Read More)

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Letter from London, September 2019
by Ian McKay,

So many splendid summer sales from which to choose and, as a consequence, a good many wonderful things by necessity held over for future issues. A is for Antiquities, and this month’s selection includes a very expensive but trouble-making pharaoh before presenting a selection that has a definite animal theme to ... (Read More)

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The Winter Show Announces 2020 Exhibitors
by Lita Solis-Cohen

Collectors and those who look forward each year to the grand January conclave of connoisseurs now known as The Winter Show (sans the word antiques) anticipate the publication of the list of dealers new to the show in the same way sports fans follow the NFL Draft. New players in ... (Read More)

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The Firewall Holds
by Clayton Pennington

The Americana market, which has faced serious questions, faced a crucial test in early August. The six shows that make up Antiques Week in New Hampshire—now the most important cluster of American antiques shows—provided a reading of the pulse of the market. If New Hampshire Antiques Week encountered the problems ... (Read More)

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Exhibitions, September 2019
by M.A.D. staff

Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973), Head of a Young Man (Tête de jeune homme), 1923, grease crayon on pink Michallet laid paper, 24½" x 18?". Brooklyn Museum, Carll H. de Silver Fund, 39.18. © 2018 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. —Through October 13 —Brooklyn, New York Showcasing ... (Read More)

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Shem Drowne Weathervane Acquired by Museum of Old Newbury
by Lita Solis-Cohen

When a historical relic that anchors a town’s history is acquired by the town, it is a time for celebration. Space, Light, and Ornament: Early Meeting Houses of Old Newbury,an exhibition at the Museum of Old Newbury, Newburyport, Massachusetts, celebrates the acquisition by the museum of a gilded weathercock made ... (Read More)

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Jewelry Highlights and a Packed House at The Cobbs Auctioneers
by Mary Ann Brown

Antique Jewelry & Gemology Photos courtesy The Cobbs Auctioneers The Cobbs Auctioneers, Peterborough, New Hampshire, held an antiques and fine art auction on July 13. Highlighting the sale was a group of jewelry from an estate that had been collected in the 1920s and 1930s in France and Shanghai. An Art Deco Burmese ... (Read More)

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Locust Grove Antiques Market
by Don Johnson

Louisville, Kentucky David P. Taylor was off to a good start, and things were just beginning to heat up, figuratively and literally. It was early during the Locust Grove Antiques Market, held June 30 in Louisville, Kentucky, and Taylor had just sold a sugar chest. “I put it upside down in ... (Read More)

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The 57th Lititz Antiques Show
by Karl H. Pass

Lititz, Pennsylvania "I bought really well and sold some nice things. The show is such a pleasure to do,” remarked Lynne Oppenheimer of Ivy Hill Primitives, Langhorne, Pennsylvania, at the Lititz Antiques Show. The 57th annual show was held June 28 and 29 at Warwick Middle School in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Located ... (Read More)

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Americana Sells Well at Semiannual Auction
by Walter C. Newman

Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates, Mt. Crawford, Virginia Walter C. Newman Photos courtesy Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates held its 36th semiannual auction of Americana and fine antiques in two sessions on June 21 and 22 at the firm’s gallery in Mt. Crawford, Virginia. Nearly 1500 lots crossed ... (Read More)

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American History Auction
by Don Johnson

Cowan’s Auctions, Cincinnati, Ohio Photos courtesy Cowan’s Auctions Events related to two dark chapters in the timeline of the United States were at the heart of the top lots during the American history sale conducted by Cowan’s Auctions on June 21 in Cincinnati, Ohio. One of those stories dealt with the struggle ... (Read More)

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Fine Art Highlights Potomack Sale
by Walter C. Newman

The Potomack Company, Alexandria, Virginia Photos courtesy The Potomack Company The Potomack Company held a three-session late spring auction at its gallery in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 15, 18, and 19. The June 15 sale was live, followed by the two online-only sessions. The live sale was divided into two parts, the ... (Read More)

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Uneven Results at Native American Sale
by Alice Kaufman

Bonhams, Los Angeles, California Photos courtesy Bonhams "A kick in the pants” was how Ingmars Lindbergs, director of  Native American art at Bonhams Los Angeles, described his reaction when an “early and exceptional” Tlingit rattle estimated at $200,000/300,000 was passed on June 17. A similar rattle had sold for $504,500 at Bonhams ... (Read More)

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North Carolina Was Center Stage at Leland Little’s Sale
by Pete Prunkl

Leland Little, Hillsborough, North Carolina  Among the 516 lots at Leland Little’s June 15 catalog sale were 54 from the estate of a renowned North Carolina philanthropist, Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans (1920-2012). An early advocate for civil rights and arts education, Semans was the great-niece of James B. Duke, founder ... (Read More)

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American Art at Swann
by Julie Schlenger Adell

Swann Galleries, New York City Photos courtesy Swann Galleries Swann Galleries offered 336 lots, including 40 works by Jared French (1905-1987) from a private Italian collection, in its American art auction on June 13. The annual sale totaled $876,055 (including buyers’ premiums). Of the 336 lots offered, 227 sold, for a sell-through ... (Read More)

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Record Price for Cecilia Beaux Portrait
by Lita Solis-Cohen

Freeman’s, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Photos courtesy Freeman’s On June 9 Freeman’s in Philadelphia sold Cecilia Beaux’s Ethel Page as Undine, a portrait of her good friend as the water nymph, signed and dated “Cecilia Beaux ’85,” for $454,000 (includes buyer’s premium), well over its estimate of $60,000/80,000. The price is a record for ... (Read More)

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A Full House at Marion Auction
by Frances McQueeney-Jones Mascolo

Marion Antique Auctions, Marion, Massachusetts Photos courtesy Marion Antique Auctions Marion Antique Auctions’ sales at the Marion Music Hall across the street from the harbor typically draw a full house from around the area. The June 8 auction was no exception. Although buyers and consignors are from all over—and bid in the ... (Read More)

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East Meets West at Oakridge
by Walter C. Newman

Oakridge Auction Gallery, Inc. Ashburn, Virginia Photos courtesy Oakridge Auction Gallery, Inc. On June 8 Oakridge Auction Gallery, Inc. held a gallery sale in its Ashburn, Virginia, showrooms. This was our first visit to an Oakridge sale. The firm was formed in 2014, its primary emphasis being the sale of Asian antiques ... (Read More)

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Objects of Desire: Style for the Garden and Home
by Julie Schlenger Adell

Wilton, Connecticut Twenty-two dealers set up their booths in the barns and big tent of the Wilton Historical Society on Danbury Road in Wilton, Connecticut, May 31-June 2, filling them with objects “with stories to tell” and “objects that tell your story.” That was the theme of the second iteration of the ... (Read More)

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Rembrandt Sells at CRN
by Frances McQueeney-Jones Mascolo

CRN Auctions, Cambridge Massachusetts Photos courtesy CRN Auctions CRN Auctions’ June 2 auction began promisingly in its Cambridge, Massachusetts, gallery with a portrait by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) of himself and his wife, Saskia, that brought $16,800 (including buyer’s premium) against the $3000/5000 estimate. And things went on from there, for nearly ... (Read More)

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Rookwood XXIX
by Don Johnson

Humler & Nolan, Cincinnati, Ohio Photos courtesy Humler & Nolan Rookwood plaques were among the top lots during an auction held by Humler & Nolan on June 1 and 2 in Cincinnati, Ohio. But the market still isn’t what it used to be, according to auction manager Riley Humler. The Rookwood XXIX auction—which ... (Read More)

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Country Antiques and Americana
by Don Johnson

Heartland Antiques Show, Richmond, Indiana The Heartland Antiques Show held its 30th annual summer gathering on June 1 in Richmond, Indiana. The event featured 80 dealers from 17 states, according to Jennifer Sabin, who manages the event. Although the show has remained at the Wayne County Fairgrounds since its inception, there have ... (Read More)

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Big Three-Day Sale in Thomaston
by Mark Sisco

Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, Thomaston, Maine Photos courtesy Thomaston Place Auction Galleries The Thomaston Place Auction Galleries three-day sale held May 31-June 2 offered over 1500 lots that originated from virtually all regions of the world except Antarctica. The sale was a far cry from the auction house’s biggest blowout ever and ... (Read More)

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Accent Your Life
by Fran Kramer

Antiques at Rhinebeck, Rhinebeck, New York Frank Gaglio of Rhinebeck, New York, a longtime dealer and antiques show manager, knows a lot about the antiques marketplace. He sees it changing and plans to keep up with the evolution. So when we asked one new exhibitor why he was doing Antiques at ... (Read More)

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Record Hartley Painting Sold
by Julie Schlenger Adell

Christie’s, New York City Photos courtesy Christie’s Images, 2019 Christie’s May 22 American art sale totaled $32,668,750, with a sell-through rate of 79%. The auction house’s online sale of American art held May 15-22 totaled $2,087,250, bringing the overall total to $34,756,000. In the live sale were 28 offerings from the Michael Scharf ... (Read More)

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New Record for Gifford at Sotheby’s
by Julie Schlenger Adell

Sotheby’s, New York City Photos courtesy Sotheby’s Sotheby’s May 21 American art sale offered 83 works of Modernism, illustration art, Impressionism, 19th-century landscapes, portraits, and Western art. At the end of the morning, 51 lots had sold, for a sell-through rate of 61.4%. The sale totaled $19 million, way below the presale ... (Read More)

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Ultra-Precise Time Is Money
by Bob Frishman

Schmitt Horan & Co., Manchester, New Hampshire Photos courtesy Schmitt Horan & Co. In 2004 when I attended a landmark Sotheby’s sale, “Masterpieces from the Time Museum,” one deep-pocket bidder was unknown to the horological experts crowding the room. He grabbed many of the top lots and was identified as Cameel Halim, ... (Read More)

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Silver Stash at Tremont
by Frances McQueeney-Jones Mascolo

Tremont Auctions, Sudbury, Massachusetts Photos courtesy Tremont Auctions Eighteenth-century Colonial American silver attracted significant interest at the May 19 sale of Tremont Auctions, Sudbury, Massachusetts. Works by Colonial silversmiths such as Jacob Hurd, Paul Revere Jr., and Peter Van Dyck were offered. A silver tankard by Hurd made $13,090 (including buyer’s premium). ... (Read More)

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The Grievo Collection of Native American Art
by Frances McQueeney-Jones Mascolo

Skinner, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts Photos courtesy Skinner, Inc. As he opened the May 18 auction of Mr. and Mrs. James Grievo’s collection of Native American art in the Boston gallery, Skinner chairman and auctioneer Stephen L. Fletcher described collectors Jim and Sheryl Grievo as “considered buyers” who bought carefully. Their collection represented ... (Read More)

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The Penn Dry Goods Market
by Lita Solis-Cohen

Pennsburg, Pennsylvania The Penn Dry Goods Market at the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, gets better every year. May 17 and 18 was the seventh annual Penn Dry Goods show and sale with seminars planned by Kathy Lesieur and Candace Perry, a formidable team who never seem to ... (Read More)

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Amusements Abound at Two-day Auction
by Frances McQueeney-Jones Mascolo

John McInnis Auctioneers, Amesbury, Massachusetts Photos courtesy John McInnis Auctioneers Bidders attending the John McInnis Auctioneers sale in Amesbury, Massachusetts, on May 10 and 11 could easily have assumed that they had entered a gambling hall or an amusement arcade. The foyer area was jammed and the front area of the gallery ... (Read More)

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A Bottle Collector’s Legacy
by Fran Kramer

Genesee Valley Bottle Collectors Association Show and Sale, Rochester, New York We all hope to make positive impact in the world, and if we can do this in an activity we love, so much more the satisfaction. Dr. Burton Spiller of Rochester, New York, an orthodontist, was a man with many ... (Read More)
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