National Treasure
What drew me to this pick of the week was the amazing patriotic gessoed frame. Lot 2368 in our July 28th sale, the frame is loaded with stars, shields, crossed cannons, and topped with a spread wing eagle crest. It…
News
Joyce Bowes Collis Sale Exceeds Expectations
Pook & Pook’s June 24th and 25th sale of the Estate of Joyce Bowes Collis recorded strong results, grossing $1.26 million, 19% above estimate. A high degree of interest and strong bidding pushed 47% of lots above high estimate, with…
Press Release: The Estate of Joyce Bowes Collis, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Throughout her life, Joyce Bowes Collis always had an eye for beauty. Growing up as a young girl in Baltimore, Joyce was passionate about art and history and would spend her time sketching, designing clothing, reading history, and writing stories.…
Pook & Pook, Inc., Cornering the Curve Market
Over two hundred years ago, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, an artisan known as The Compass Artist produced colorful, intricately decorated furniture and objects in a distinctive style. Research has revealed the pieces were owned by German Protestants of a variety…
…Blue, blue, electric blue…
…Blue, blue, electric blue That’s the color of my room Where I will live Blue, blue… The auction hall at Pook & Pook this week is full of 18th and 19th century painted furniture. There are pieces in ochre, salmon,…
Post-auction Press Release
Post-auction press release, Americana & International Auction at Pook & Pook, May 21, 2021 by: Cynthia Beech Lawrence The May 21st Americana and International auction continued a season of very strong results for Pook & Pook Inc. It was a…
Bringing Home the Bacon
I have an announcement to make. I have managed to find the time to make a pick of the week two weeks in a row! Please be prepared for heavy snowfall this week! The auction for June 24th and 25th…
The Perfect Spot
Finding something I love in any given auction is usually a very easy task. The hard part is narrowing it down to just one item to write about. There are so many categories that make my heart skip. The upcoming…
Pay Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain
Not every minor artist toils in obscurity. Relegated down the ranks of 19th century American painters by history, William Russell Smith was an eminent artist in his day. He is important because his paintings preserve images of a young nation,…
Going Stag
A pick of the week two weeks in a row? It very well might start snowing here in May. Pook and Pook Auction has a problem in that we are filled to the brim with great Americana. The shelves are…
Updated COVID-19 Protocol for Pook & Pook – 5/17/21
COVID-19 Protocol for Pook & Pook, Inc. Auctioneers and Appraisers (updated 5/17/20) We have had a number of questions from bidders and consignors about upcoming auctions, pick-up/drop-off procedures, consignment transport, and shipping during the pandemic. Please reach out to us…
Trailblazers
Art lots to keep your eye on in our May 21, 2021 sale include several paintings by members of The Philadelphia Ten artist group. The Philadelphia Ten was the brainchild of ten women painters who had all trained in Philadelphia…
We’re Nuts About This Lot!
We all have good intentions, but things just seem to get in the way. I was going to get back into fishing. I was going to take that vacation to that special spot. I was even going to take my…
Close to Home
During the past year, people have spent a lot of time at home. Homes have been our refuge from the pandemic. In them we have cooked, rearranged, revisited old memories, telecommuted from basements, and also yearned to escape. We’ve considered…
Side by Side
Lot 1390 in the March 25th Firearms, Militaria, and Sporting auction was a lovely example of a W. J. Jeffrey & Co side by side shotgun. The barrel bears the inscription “W. J. Jeffrey & Co. Ltd., 13 King St.,…