Eldred's

Lot 1: NETSUKE By Jugyuoku
This compact ivory netsuke is an admirable design -- nicely made by Jugyuoko in the early 20th century.

Lot 4: NETSUKE By Kozan
Vigor and action is represented in this ivory netsuke by Kozan in the early 20th century.

Lot 32: NETSUKE
I love the closed-eyed cat in this netsuke. It reminds me of the famous cat over the courtyard doorway of the Shinto shrine in Nikko. The priest explained that although the eyes are closed, the cat is not asleep!

Lot 54: WOOD NETSUKE
The expression on this Gama Sennin appeals to me.

Lot 112: KAKIEMON PORCELAIN BOTTLE VASE
Beautiful in form and coloring, this porcelain bottle vase was made in the early eighteenth century.

Lot 209: HIROSHIGE
Here is a magnificent triptych print after Hiroshige -- printed in the Meiji period.

Lot 260: PAUL JACOULET WOODBLOCK PRINT (#76)
Here is an admirable work by Paul Jacoulet. It is beautifully composed and tells a story.

Lot 278: KAWASE HASUI
A strong night scene of a village on a rainy night is well represented by this Oban tate-e that is framed.

Lot 281: HIROSHI YOSHIDA
A handsome farmhouse interior is represented by the artist Yoshida -- an Oban yoko-e.

Lot 285: HIROSHI YOSHIDA
My visit to Nikko is recalled by this print.

Lot 291: TSUCHIYA KOITSU
Artists in Japan were especially gifted with representing the mood of a village in rain at night. Here is a beautiful work by Tsuchiya Koitsu.

Grogan & Company

Lot 21: SHELDON PECK (American, 1797-1868) TWO ANCESTRAL PORTRAITS OF HIRAM A....
Stern-faced New Englanders are the sitters for these portraits -- Hiram and Sally Adams by Shelden Peck made c. 1824. These are wonderful examples of Americana.

Lot 43: JEAN BAPTISTE CLESINGER (French, 1814-1883) TAUREAU VAINQEUR signed an...
The French sculptor, Clesinger, honors the proud character of the bull in this bronze of 1869.

Lot 50: JAMES E. BUTTERSWORTH (American, 1817-1895) YACHT RACE IN NEW YORK HAR...
Buttersworth's painting values continue to climb. This one represents a yacht race in New York Harbor in the nineteenth century.

Lot 70: MICHAEL MAZUR (American, b. 1935) CARRIAGE HOUSE SERIES III signed Maz...
Mysterious in its soft edged pastel work, this is the work of a distinguished contemporary American artist.

Lot 187: PAIR OF SAMSON PORCELAIN GINGER JARS, decorated with coat of arms; hei...
Samson of nineteenth century France works in a manner that looks like mid eighteenth century Chinese Porcelain. But this pair of ginger jars would never be mistaken for Chinese by anyone familiar with eighteenth century porcelain.

Lot 201: A. ELMER CROWELL, PREENING SHORE BIRD, impressed rectangular stamp 'A....
Crowell is the best name for decoy artists of Cape Cod. Here is a splendid representation of a preening Hudsonian Curlew -- very life-like. This is so nicely made that it is not an out-of-doors decoy. It is definitely a showpiece.

Lot 208: QUEEN ANNE TIGER MAPLE HIGHBOY, New England, 18th century, height: 67 ...
Look this handsome tiger maple highboy over with care. I wonder if its sharply edged knees signal its having been made in Salem or somewhere nearby on the North shore.

Lot 366: GEORGE III SILVER MONTEITH BOWL, London, 1773-1774; possibly by Willia...
A monteith is designed to hold wine glasses around its rim. This one looks splendid. It was made in London sometime shortly before the American Revolution. Not many American-made monteiths exist. The most monumental example of this form made in Boston is displayed at the Yale University Art Gallery -- a masterpiece made by John Coney.

Swann Auction Galleries

Lot 8: CAREY, MATHEW. Carey''s General Atlas, Improved and Enlarged.
Essential for understanding the "look of the country" in 1814 -- this work by the well established Philadelphia publisher, Mathew Carey, is heavy on the Mississippi Territory. Of course , that was the direction attractive to so many who headed west after the Louisiana purchase.

Lot 61: REID, JOHN. The American Atlas.
Here is an atlas with 21 engraved maps, including the map of the City of Washington. This was published in New York in 1796.

Lot 89: (AMERICAN REVOLUTION.) Faden, William. Plan of the Operations of Gener...
This battle plan engraving depicts the the troop movements of General Washington during from December 26, 1776 to the 3rd of January 1777. The engraving was made in London in 1777. See David Hacdkett Fischer's book that received a Pulitzer Prize for History: Washington's Crossing ( Oxford University Press) 2004.

Lot 92: (AMERICAN REVOLUTION.) Sayer and Bennett. The Seat of Action between t...
Like the above, this engraved folding map, records actions between British and American Forces. This was made in London in 1776 when Washington's troops were not meeting with success. The next year turned things around.

Lot 122: CELLARIUS, ANDREAS. Scenographia Systematis Copernicani.
Copernicus would have been proud. This print is a beautiful celestial chart that shows the earth moving around the sun. The print was made and colored in Amsterdam, 1660.

Lot 168: LOTTER, TOBIAS CONRAD. Recens edita totius Novi Belgii in America Sept...
Made in Augsburg, c. 1757, this richly detailed map shows legions of natives bringing abundance to royalty. That was, after all, a driving force for New World settlement.

Lot 277: (INDIANS.) McKenney and Hall. History of the Indian Tribes of North Am...
Although only one volume of three, this single volume contains 48 lithographic prints of North American Indians pictured by McKenney and Hall and printed in Philadelphia in 1838.

Lot 288: (NATURAL HISTORY.) Catesby, Mark. Piscium, Serpentum, Insectorum [etc....
Mark Catesby was one of America's most interesting and earliest naturalists who pictured the wonders of the New World. This is a work published in Nurenberg in 1777.

Lot 293: (ROME.) Vasi, Giuseppe Agostino. Delle Magnificenze di Roma Antica e M...
Those who love Rome (as I do) would be thrilled to receive this book for Christmas. There are 208 etched plates in 10 vols.

Lot 305: (BIRDS.) Gould, John. Fratercula Arctica.
I own a number of the lithographed bird prints by the British publisher John Gould. These puffins look delightful. The artist/poet Edward Lear was employed by Gould to draw some of his bird images on litho stones.

Lot 350: (INDIANS.) Bodmer, Karl. Bison-Dance of the Mandan Indians. Tab. 18.
Of the many aquatint prints made after drawings by Karl Bodmer, this Bison-Dance of the Mandan Indians is among the most famous. The Mandan were decimated with disease soon after the Prince of Wied's expedition passed through. I'm not sure if the Mandan were entirely exterminated either by the small pox or Cholera epidemic of 1832 but that once robust culture of the Mandan natives no longer survives to this day.

Lot 711: WILKINSON, NORMAN (1878-1971). Kamakura Maru.
Many ocean voyage travel images are offered in this auction.There are too many excellent choices to mention here. Yet this is an impressive original work of art for advertising. It is an original watercolor (gouache, or opaque water color) for a poster. It was made c. 1930 by Norman Wilkinson.

Julien's Auctions

Lot 3: MARY PICKFORD OWNED DRESS
Mary Pickford was not only film's first international star but she also was the first women to produce and distribute her movies. She married several times, the second time to Douglas Fairbanks. Along with stylish evening gowns are some dresses worn in her day to day life, such as this simple gingham dress.

Lot 14: DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS LETTERS TO MARY PICKFORD
These letters should be acquired for or by Boston University to join the Douglas Fairbanks Jr. collection in the theatre archive. Douglas Fairbanks Sr., who married Mary Pickford, was the father of Douglas Fairbanks Jr. But the son came from a previous marriage. Therefore Mary Pickford was Jr's step mother. From all accounts they were on good terms. But Jr. felt that his father was remote. Boston University has a special collection or archives of papers relating to actors and the Theatre. The question: Am I related to Douglas Fairbanks? Yes, but this is complicated. I've corresponded with the late Douglas Fairbanks Jr. about that. Perhaps it is best said that all Fairbankses in America are connected by various branches back to Jonathan Fairbanks of Dedham, MA. who settled in that town in 1637, and whose home still exists -- preserved by a family association.

Lot 29: MARY PICKFORD PHOTOGRAPHS AND EPHEMERA
From this photo it is easy to see how Douglas Fairbanks fell in love with Mary who was "America's Sweetheart". I saw her on the screen in the 1930s when I was just a child. I was impressed at the time and remember the image.

Lot 42: DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JR. ARTWORK
I had no idea that Douglas Fairbanks Jr. sketched. Here are a few examples of his original artwork. They should be acquired for the Boston University's Theatre archive, to join his other papers.

Lot 57: MARY PICKFORD OWNED INSCRIBED LOVING CUP
A two handled vessel is properly called a "loving cup" . This one was made by the Gorham Company in Providence, RI in 1912 and presented to Mary Pickford in 1918 by her Godson's the officers and men of the 143rd field artillery camp, Kerney and is inscribed to her as "America's Sweetheart".

Lot 98: MARY PICKFORD OWNED SILVER BOWL
This silver punch bowl is in the form of a "Monteith" of the eighteenth century. It was made by I. Freeman in the first quarter of the 20th century. It would make a useful artifact for serving Christmas or New Year's punch at the dining table or side board.

Lot 195: MARY PICKFORD: ROOKWOOD CERAMIC VASE
When collecting objects associated with famous figures from the past it is wise to acquire works that bear the permanent imprint of their names. Here is an attractive ceramic vase made by Roseville. Under its green glaze is the inscription "Mary Pickford/Buddy Rogers." This records the two who were married after the Pickford/Fairbanks divorce.

Lot 218: DAVID CASSIDY OWNED AND WORN JUMPSUIT
Collecting objects from popular culture is often based on a personal connection to the subject at hand. If you came of age in the 1970s, the sights and sounds of this era will come flooding back when you peruse lots offered by the television and rock star, David Cassidy, known to many as Keith Partridge from the TV series "The Partridge Family." Here is a 1970s ensemble worn in concert and also exhibited in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Lot 238: DAVID CASSIDY OWNED AND PLAYED GUITAR
This custom made guitar was made for Louise Shjelton who sold it to Cassidy in 1970. It has previously been displayed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Lot 257: STAN KESLER OWNED AND PLAYED BASS
Signed twice: "Stan Kesler, 1957" this bass A, 1956 Fender Precision electric guitar comes together with a group of photos of Kesler signing the bass in 1994.

Lot 263: RARE BEATLES CONCERT POSTER
Beatles memorabilia continues to fascinate and Julien's offers a number of rare objects chronicling the careers of the Fab Five. This original concert poster was used to promote one of the Beatles final performances.

Lot 273: MICK JAGGER OWNED AND WORN JACKET
This jacket owned and worn by Mick Jagger caught my eye. It was used by Jagger in the "Steel Wheels" tour.

Lot 311: JUDY GARLAND - RKO PALACE RELATED ITEMS
Judy Garland had a memorable, rich voice. There never will be another voice like hers. All gifted artists are special. The circumstances that created them are never repeated.

Lot 352: JIMMY STEWART SHIRT "HOW THE WEST WAS WON"
Here is the costume for Jimmy Stewart's role in "How the West Was Won." The film won many awards. Looking back, it is a period piece filled with notions common for its time. But films become popular because they confirm and play to popular or shared beliefs.

Lot 433: MARILYN MONROE PHOTOGRAPH "SOME LIKE IT HOT"
"Some Like It Hot" was a highly funny film. Here is a black and white production still that pictures Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon on the set.

Fusco Auctions

Lot 8: Set of United States Lighthouse Hingeless Albums
Stamp collectors need albums to preserve their stamps.This looks like a highly useful set of albums.

Lot 10: Like new Set of 2005 Scott Catalogs Vol.1-6
Beginning stamp collectors should find these books useful.

Lot 25: U.S. Scott # 9x1e VF Used 5c NY Provisional PFC
One way to form a collection is around portraits of famous persons -- famous Americans or perhaps, American presidents. Why not begin with the first President of the United States? This is an image based on the Gilbert Stuart portrait taken from life. It is the same portrait as that on the dollar bill, but reversed. The original oil painting is one of a pair known as the Athenaeum portraits of George and Martha that are owned both by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. Every few years they shuttle between these two institutions.

Lot 28: U.S. Scott #9 Unused XF OG LH Type IV
Ben Franklin continues to celebrate his 300th birthday this year. Here is an early - 1852 stamp showing Franklin.

Lot 34: U.S. Scott #28A F-VF Used 5c Indian Red Jefferson
Ah, now for one of my favorite American Presidents - Thomas Jefferson in Red!

Lot 39: U.S. Scott #67 VF Used 1861 5c Buff Jefferson
Another Jefferson stamp. This one is used. It is a 5 cent stamp for 1861.

Lot 62: U.S. Scott #118 Used VF Type I 1869 Independence
A Columbus Landing stamp of 1869. If American history is the collecting objective, then begin with this one.

Lot 65: U.S. Scott #120 XF Used 24c Declaration
The Declaration of Independence stamp of 1869 follows a similar design format of the above. Its central image seems to derive from a painting by John Trumbull.

Lot 67: U.S. Scott #121 VF Used 30c Eagle and Shield
For a collection of stamps pertaining to American history, this stamp of 1869 seems a good choice.

Lot 69: U.S. Scott #133 VF OG VLH 1c Franklin
Issued in 1880, this is unused and printed on soft porous paper depicting Ben Franklin on a 1 cent stamp.

Lot 77: U.S. Scott #205 F-VF OG H 1882 5c Garfield
Issued in 1882, this image of Garfield is crisp and bright and unusued.

Lot 80: U.S. Scott #225 Ave-F OG NH 8c Sherman Block of 4
General Sherman is the subject of this portrait stamp.

Lot 129: U.S. Scott #569 SUPERB JUMBO NH 30c Buffalo
Here is a jumbo stamp of 1923 representing the American Bison or Buffalo. There are few better emblems of this country than the buffalo, the eagle and the American turkey.