(Oceanside, N.Y.) – After already logging several huge multi-estate sales in the early part of this year, Philip Weiss Auctions is preparing for what could be its biggest sale ever – a two-day, three-session monster weekend filled with collectibles from a rainbow of categories. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we topped the $1 million mark for this sale overall,” said Philip Weiss. “That’s how excited we are.”
The first session will be held Saturday, June 9th, beginning at 10 am. It will be dedicated in large part to Civil War items and militaria. An anticipated top lot is a Confederate Naval flag believed to have been flown from the CSS Alabama. Also featured will be hundreds of identified ‘cartes de visites’ (CDV’s — many of them Confederates); photographs from the era; papers; ephemera; and more.
Just added for Saturday was a huge archive of material pertaining to John F. Kennedy, including signed letters and photographs. Also to be sold in the first session will be a large Coney Island side-show banner, as well as hundreds of photos of Hollywood celebrities, by such renowned portrait photographers as George Hurrell, Yousuf Karsh and Clarence Bull. Many have been signed.
The second session will begin around 5 pm on Saturday. Many of the 400+ lots to be offered are from an important estate in Lido, Long Island. All of it is high-end merchandise, fresh to the market. Items will include original and authentic pieces from the studios of Louis C. Tiffany; a fabulous Pairpoint Puffy lamp; high-end Lalique; Sevres; bronzes; and porcelains.
Extremely important paintings will also be offered, by noted listed artists such as:
– Charles Sheridan Knowles (British, 1863-1931). Mr. Knowles was a Victorian genre artist who combined his formal academic training with the new style and color of the Impressionists to create his finished works. He specialized in sentimental genre scenes and costume pieces, set in the Middle Ages or 18th century. His paintings often captured his subjects in a relaxed or playful moment. Mr. Knowles exhibited in all the major galleries and exhibition halls throughout Europe.
– Walter Baumhofer (American, 1904-1986). From the 1940s through the 1950s, Mr. Baumhofer painted an estimated 750 covers and illustrations for general interest magazines such as “Adventure”, “Danger Trail”, “Ace-High”, “Dime Detective,” and “Doc Savage”. He was a prolific artist who had an enormous impact on the pulp fiction genre. He brought to these magazines the resources of fine art, creating covers of unified design, done with a richness of color and light.
– Aaron Bohrod (American, 1907-1992). Mr. Bohrod was a nationally known artist who received numerous prizes and awards (including two Guggenheims). He was famous for a range of work in watercolor and gouache that included realistic figures in cityscapes, landscapes, surrealism and trompe l’oeil painting. Bohrod was proficient as a painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and illustrator. His early style was one of gritty urban realism; he later developed one of magic realism.
Session three – to be held Sunday, June 10th, beginning at 10 am – will feature more signed palm prints from the estate of Alice Denton Jennings, a palmist who routinely took palm impressions of her clients, who later signed them. Her collection was so extensive it is being sold over the course of several sales. At Philip Weiss’ January 27-28 sale, her Babe Ruth signed palm print brought $26,555.
In June, the offerings will be no less impressive. Included will be yet another signed palm print from Babe Ruth; a pair of prints from his Yankee teammate, Lou Gehrig, left and right (both signed); three by legendary baseball manager Connie Mack; one by Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis; and signed palm prints from Franklin D. Roosevelt, aviator Amelia Earhart and golfer Bobby Jones.
Sunday will also be dedicated, in part, to comic art, a category for which Philip Weiss has earned a certain level of renown. At his March 24-25 multi-estate sale, the top lot was a Charles Schulz “Peanuts” Sunday page that commanded $37,000. In fact, seven original comic strips by Schulz sold for a combined $152,500. These included three “Li’l Folks” pages and four “Peanuts” dailies.
Bidders will be treated to more Charles Schulz original artwork on June 10th. The group will feature a “Great Pumpkin” daily and a Sunday “Peanuts” page. Both have been signed by the artist. In addition, Philip Weiss Auctions recently secured another blockbuster comic art consignment: the original cover illustration for “Spider-Man” #92, signed by artist John Romita, a giant in the genre.
Also just secured: an Anna Pottery railroad pig, circa 1890 (Philip Weiss sold one earlier this year for the portly sum of $8,800); quite possibly the earliest tintype of Honus Wagner in uniform; a Christy Walsh presentation of a New York Yankees’ signed team ball from around 1937; and a first-edition copy of Woodie Guthrie’s book “Bound For Glory,” with dust jacket and lengthy inscription.
Philip Weiss Auctions isn’t taking the month of May off. A two-day sale is slated for May 19-20. The Saturday session (May 19) will feature Part 2 of the Ken Schultz estate. Mr. Schultz was a dedicated collector in three areas – World’s Fair items; oceanliner art and memorabilia; and Hollywood memorabilia. His collection was too massive and important to be limited to just one auction.
Saturday will also see the sale of the Hugo Zeitler Circus Collection, which includes turn-of-the-century photos; film; costumes; and more. Hundreds of boxes have yet to be unpacked. Then, on Sunday, May 20th, toys and trains will take center stage, as several estate collections will be offered. In the fall, a single-owner collection of 1940s-1960s Western TV and comic characters will be auctioned.
Philip Weiss Auctions is one of the premier full-service auction houses in the Northeast. To learn more about their upcoming sales, or for more information about the company, visit them online at philipweissauctions.com. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call them directly at (516) 594-0731. The e-mail address is phil@philipweissauctions.com.
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