NEWS
Diary of a Not Wimpy Kid
On to the next auction! Pook and Pook Auction in Downingtown, Pennsylvania has been extremely busy with blockbuster sale after blockbuster sale. The estate sale of Linda and Dennis Moyer has come to an astounding conclusion, but there is not rest for the weary. All the dust has been vacuumed up after the fierce weekend bidding. Showcases are emptied, the art work taken from the wall and the furniture has been moved from their temporary home and the next sale is moving on in. So, what will occupy the auction hall now? The July 30th auction will fill the hall with firearms, swords, bayonets and a great collection of ephemera, the majority of which came from the legendary collection of Joe Rubinfine. The ephemera will start off the auction and many recognizable names which will lead the parade. Names like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, William Heath, Thomas McKean, William Taft, Abraham Lincoln, Robert Morris, Boss Tweed, Dolley Madison, and on and on. There are several exceptional powder horns that are some of the stellar lots that need a new home.
My choice for the pick of the week is not a household name. It is not a name like Winchester, Colt, Browning, Ithaca, Stevens or even Smith and Wesson. The name attached to the lot that is my pick of the week is Wilson Kappel of Boliver, Ohio. Who? What did he invent? What did he make? Was he a signor of the Declaration of Independence? Well the quick answer is that he was an individual without a famous name, he didn’t invent anything, he wasn’t a famous signer, and he didn’t make anything. He was an unsung true American hero. He was a soldier. He was a mechanic in the US Army, Company C, 6th Infantry Division. Lot 96 is part of his legacy.
It is a wonderful detailed diary of his experiences in World War one. It begins with him registering on June 5th, 1917 through his arrival back home July 31, 1919, includes 153 pages covering every aspect of his service. There are detailed accounts from home to Camp Sherman, to Camp Forrest Ga., the rifle range at Ringgold Ga., to Hoboken, NJ., the time on the troop ship Huron, as well as the troop ship Mt. Veron. There are many locations discussed in the diary. Places like Brest France, Barsubaube France, Soulaine France, Pagny – Sur – Meuse France, Remiremont France, Le Tholy France, front line trenches, at the front, St. Die France, St, attack on Frappell Germany, Pouxeux France, ST. Nicolas, France, St. Christophe France, Bischarge Luxembourg, Sandweiler Lux., Rodenburg Lux., Wassenbillig Lux., Treves Germany, Petange Luxembourg, Prum Germany and a whole lot more.
There is a list of Divisions with enlistments, casualties, captures etc., a complete roster of Company C March 1918 before they left for France, list of all the men that were in C Company, 6th Infantry from March 1918 to March 1919 and what happened to them, including some details. The archives also include a printed certificate from Jimmy Carter to his brother Owen Kappel, Stars and Stripes newspaper, his dog tags, funeral notice from October 22nd, 1979, real photo postcard, family hunting postcard from 1914, his address book, Civil War bullet passed down through the family, several family photos before and after the war, his 8th and 9th grade report cards, a letter to his brother and a hardback book {The Official History of the Fifth Division}, 1919.
I hope I get the time to read the entire diary, for what I read is riveting. Many accounts leaving a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. After reading his writings I am left with a simple thought. Wilson Kapppel did do something great. He was important. He was one of many who has fought for America and the freedoms that we all enjoy. I salute you and the sacrifices that you made. You are indeed one of the many true American heroes.
https://www.pookandpook.com/lot/detailed-wwi-hand-written-diary-and-archives-4037623
Hearts and Cows and Luck, Oh My!
I hope everyone gets the opportunity to come and visit the sales room for the preview of the collection of Linda and Dennis Moyer. The room looks fantastic! Call 610-269-4040 to set up a time to look. It has been great “living” with these items for the past several months while at work. Come have a look so you can see how difficult it is to pick out just one item! The quilts in the sale are so graphic and vibrant that they hurt your eyes to have a look. I go back and forth between several items as my absolute favorite of the sale. The Simmons bird tree and John Drissel box are way up on the list. Several quilts are in there as well as many of the fraktur. It’s the perfect example of “I’ll bet you can’t pick just one”! I went with lot 463, the Pennsylvania painted tramp art comb case. Imagine the pop this would give a plain white wall! How about the hearts? The cows? The good luck horseshoe? This just seems to pull it all together for a great piece of folk art. I love the vibrant paint. I love the form. It just works. Come and find your favorite. If you can’t be here in person, take the virtual tour on our website at pookandpook.com.
by: Jamie Shearer
Stella…STELLA!
I thought that I had better not miss the “pick of the week” this week. I have the dilemma of choosing items from the collection of Linda and Dennis Miller which is chock full of all the things that I love. The Pennsylvania German Arts were the focus of the collection. The two-day sale will begin on Friday July 10th, 2020 at 6:00 PM, EST. My list of great things spans many different categories. There are 73 lots of fraktur alone! Quilts? Yes, there are 39 lots of quilts with a lot of eye dazzling examples. Type the word “carved” into the search and 81 lots show up. Butter prints? Well there are only 18 lots of butter prints but within those lots are 70 individual butter prints. The word cupboard turns up 25 options. To top it off, one of my favorite words in the antique dictionary is “paint”. Type that in and no less than 158 lots include the word paint! Now how in the world can I choose just one? I am going to just pick my favorite! Oh, wait a minute, there are way too many favorites! The Drissel box, the Simmons bird tree, a tramp art sewing box, the apothecary cupboard, a watch hutch and on and on. I went with something that will be a shock to those of you who know me well. Someone please shield my dog Stella’s eyes. Since Stella is great at hearing key words but not a good speller, I have to spell my pick of the week. I chose lot number 259. What is 259 you may ask that will cause such a rift between me and my beloved dog Stella? It happens to be a really neat carved and painted C… A… T…! I am a dog guy through and through but I would certainly adopt this feline. Measuring 11 1/2” high with a black and white painted coat. How about the whimsical look on his face? Don’t miss out on this guy! Sorry Stella, please forgive me!
by Jamie Shearer
No Bad Hare Days Here
Sitting here staring at this wonderful catalog and having my usual problem, there is too many items for pick of the week. Ship paintings have always been a favorite of mine and there are several to choose from, the Peter Lik photographs are just breathtaking, the quilts, the fraktur, of course the little blue firkin, it just goes on and on. Sensory overload has been reached! I really wanted to go with the redware dog, but that was too predictable for me – redware and a dog, all in one, how could I not love that. Instead I went with a toy for the dog to chase around the yard. Lot 407 is an adorable mohair rabbit squeak toy. This is one of those antiques that crosses several categories. Toy collectors, folk art collectors and those of us who just love animals all seem to have one in amongst a country decorated home. So, chase this bunny around the auction block and take him home. You won’t be disappointed.
by Jamie Shearer
A Little Mercury Vapor, a Dash of Copper
Looking through the different photographs we have sold over the years, this daguerreotype really stood out to me. This full plate daguerreotype (lot 1410, 4/28/18 auction) was made by Jacob Byerly of Frederick, Maryland. Born in 1807, Byerly became one of the leading photographers in the area, and ran Frederick, Maryland’s first daguerreotype studio. It is believed that he was at one time friends and photographed with renowned photographer Mathew Brady of New York.
Making a photograph like the one seen here was no simple task. To make an image, the daguerreotypist would polish a sheet of silver plated copper, treat it with fumes that made the surface light-sensitive, then expose the plate in the camera for a calculated amount of time (early daguerreotypes sometimes had to be exposed for 60 to 90 seconds). The photographer would then cover the exposed image with mercury vapor, apply a mix of chemicals that would halt its sensitivity to light, rinse, dry and then seal the vulnerable image behind glass.
The daguerreotype process was the first publicly available form of photography, popular through the 1840’s and 50’s. Invented by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre and introduced worldwide in 1839, daguerreotypes were almost completely replaced by 1860 with new, more cost effective processes being brought to the public.
by John Burdumy
https://pookandpook.com/lot/rare-full-plate-daguerreotype-3226253
You’ve come a long way baby
You’ve come a long way baby………….well maybe not.
What was your first doll – perhaps a Raggedy Andy, Rainbow Brite, Cabbage Patch or Baby Alive? The marketing of dolls has come full gamut in my memory starting with the fragile, idealized version of little girls from the 1800’s. They were bisque, meticulously dressed with beautiful lace and silk gowns, leather shoes with beaded buttons, accessorized with fans and umbrellas – all were more inclined to be kept under glass domes than to be an actual play toy. Now today, the selection includes the inclusive line of Barbies designed for every little girl to see herself represented – Barbies of every stature and size, every color and even Barbies with prosthetics.
Born in the fifties, I was lucky to play with several of my mother’s dolls that survived a sheltered childhood with her nanny. At age 6, I was trusted with a beautiful set of twin Grace Putnam Bye-lo dolls which came packaged in a beautiful wicker basket. Hour after hour was spent changing them into their matching pink and blue outfits I graduated and from bisque to felt with a collection of perpetually pouting Lenci dolls. It was a mystery to me why the all had their eyes averted—almost as if they were about to be busted for some very bad behavior.
Next on the list were all of my contemporaries—playable, poseable, some with human capabilities, which would grate on any adults nerves after 5 minutes of audio endurance of crying, squeaking, or chatting. My Patti Play Pal was almost bigger than I was, but the sight of her under the Christmas tree brought such delight that I now had my own friend, instead of being perpetually bullied by my older brother. I think every Patti was destined to be a guinea pig for aspiring hair stylists—they were all cut, curled and usually buzzed into a rather forlorn state.
My maternal tendency kicked in for the next -Betsey Wetsey. I thought she was rather revolutionary and I was astounded that I could change a diaper 20 times a day. Having a new, living breathing baby brother in the house (and the associated prolific production of real diapers and their contents) did little to dispel the magic of my Betsey.
My choice of doll for my next birthday caused the most irritation of any adult within earshot—Chatty Cathy. I still remember some of her astounding and astute utterances—“oops, I hurt myself” screeching full volume each time I gleefully pulled the string from her back. Cathy turned out to be so off putting, that Steve Martin later invoked in an infamous impersonation of Chatty Cathy in the movie Planes, Trains & automobiles.
Well, I would be remiss if I didn’t admit to a rather vast assortment of Barbie’s, Skippers, and Kens, with their assortment of cleverly marketed, must-have array of cars, campers, kitchens, and the pinnacle—the Barbie Dream house. Barbies tended to be a target for older brothers (who promptly removed their heads), and my ardent hairstyling attempts, leaving them looking like they’d encountered a buzz-saw. Barbies lived hard and died young.
Fast forward to 2020, as I peruse toys for my granddaughters. I quick Facetime to ask what they’d like, and without hesitation, a request for Poopsie Surprise Dolls is quickly decided. A Poopsie Doll you ask? The main draw is the “surprise” of which type of doll you will get. These dolls are sealed in an opaque black plastic box, so the mystery can’t be solved in the store. This mystery also provides the possibility of a serious disappointment if you are unlucky enough to get the same doll twice. Now for the second surprise—will the doll you selected spit slime, poop slime, or (the best) fart glitter? As I watch my granddaughters open their Poopsies, I see that even though the dolls have changed (you can argue for better or worse), the thrill of a little girl opening her new doll has not.
As for this collector, I’ll stick to hunting for additions to my three Bye-lo and two Lenci babies that I have bought at toy auctions, instead of the thrill of finding out if my new dolls will poop glitter. Through decades and hundreds of new marketing schemes, the thrill of a girl (or a grown-up girl) and her new doll continues to be sacred. If you are one of these girls (or grown up girls) a Patti Play Pal will be up for sale in June 20th online only at Pook and Pook auction and that thrill could be all yours!
by Beth Pook
World’s Fair
My pick of the week this week looks back to March of 2018, when we sold this rare Columbian Exposition still bank for $3,416. The back reads “Complements of Smith Gray and Co Clothiers – New York and Brooklyn”. Tailer Edward Smith started the business 60 years prior in lower Manhattan, pioneering the manufacture of ready-made children’s clothing. In 1864 he partnered with his brother-in-law Allen Gray, and moved the business to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This bank was presumably given out by Smith Gray and Co prior to the 1893 Worlds Fair, with the intention for the owner to fill it with savings for their upcoming trip to the fair.
A train ticket in 1893 from New York to the fair in Chicago would have cost about $40; $1000 in todays money. Once at the fair, the costs could vary widely. The Santa Fe Daily New Mexican reported one visitor’s extravagant day trip. Paying to be wheeled around the fairgrounds in rolling chairs and to navigate lagoon waters in gondolas, the traveler “bought catalogues and guidebooks, saw all the wonders of the Midway Plaisance, had lunch and dinner at the swell cafes and bought innumerable souvenirs.” A day like this could cost $30; $855 today.
Conscientious travelers could get by on a much more reasonable budget. A ticket to the fair cost just 50 cents, the equivalent of $15 today (here are a few examples of tickets from the fair the we sold last year https://pookandpook.com/lot/four-1893-chicago-columbian-exposition-tickets-3925893). While some hotels were charging $6 to $10 a day for palatial rooms, there were also 50 cent or $1 accommodations, according to Rand McNally’s Pocket Guide to Chicago. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat estimated that frugal travelers might get by on $2 a day, while a perfectly comfortable day could be had for $3.
The fair covered 630 acres in Chicago’s Jackson Park, and featured over 65,000 exhibits. Among the attractions was the first Ferris Wheel, built by George Ferris, a Pittsburgh bridge builder. Intended to compete with the attention drawn by the 1889 Paris Exposition’s Eiffel Tower, the wheel stood 264 ft tall and could accommodate 2,160 passengers at a time.
Between May 1st and October 30th more than 27 million visitors flocked to the Columbian Exposition.
by: John Burdumy
A Portrait Comes Full Circle
Did your mother read you stories when you were young? Mine did, every single night on our big soft squishy couch. My brother and I would curl up on each side of her with rapt attention because no matter what she was reading, Mom would embellish the story with amazing sounds and expressions. My mother passed away at 92 in 2016, peacefully, but also taking her treasure trove of stories with her. The following spring, a pastel portrait was consigned to Pook and Pook and it captivated me the instant I saw it – a mother reading to her young son and daughter. I asked a friend to bid on it and was delighted to find the portrait in my possession – it captured the essence of my childhood. Shortly after the auction, Pook and Pook received an email asking them to contact the buyer to see if it could be purchased. The sender said that she was the little girl in the portrait. Oh, did that tug at my heartstrings – the portrait hung in my bedroom, a comforting reminder of my wonderful mother – no, I couldn’t let it go. Yet.
Last November, three years after my mother’s passing, I was staring intently at the portrait and something told me that it belonged to the little girl sitting curled in her mother’s arms. My emotional attachment to it seemed to fade and I realized that I could now let it go – I’ll always have my memories. I no longer had the email so I thought maybe the artist could identify the subject. No, the artist had passed away. I checked with an IT guru to see if 3 year old emails could be retrieved – YES! I tried the email address only to have it come back undeliverable but at least I had a name. I tried many avenues but finally through LinkedIn I found the young woman. She worked at a southern Florida university. I called, but she was unavailable and was asked if someone else could help me. I explained that I had a portrait of her as a child, they said “Just a moment please” and seconds later she was on the phone. She was very surprised and happy and said she would love to have it. She contacted her brother and said they wanted to give it to their mother for Christmas as a surprise. What a lovely idea! I had it shipped to Florida in time for the holidays and I was happy at heart to have my treasure in its true home. For me, the portrait’s history had come full circle. The family, however, sent me a beautiful New Years surprise – a picture of mother, son and daughter with the portrait and a picture of them recreating the scene. Now, with each auction, I await for another treasure to capture my heart.
To Live Deliberately
For my pick this week, I decided to take a closer look at lot 1210 in our upcoming decorative arts sale on May 20th. It is a lot of three signed prints of Up From The Woods, a painting by Carolyn Wyeth. The print depicts the Wyeth family home and studio, peeking through the trees, setting the viewer back into the woods where Carolyn grew up.
Carolyn Wyeth was the daughter of world renowned artist, N. C. Wyeth and his wife, Carolyn Bockius Wyeth. She was born in 1907 and raised at the home seen in this painting. The Wyeth home and studio is about five minutes from where I live now, in Chadds Ford, PA, sitting on about 18 acres of Southern Chester County beauty. Carolyns’ father began training her at the age of 12, setting a foundation with charcoal studies of 3 dimensional shapes and plaster casts. He taught her to know and become emotionally in tune with her subjects. She found her own artistic voice in her early 20’s and began to receive many awards and accolades.
In the 1940’s Carolyn began teaching painting, primarily at her Chadds Ford home, and in Maine during the summers. Her nephew Jamie, son of well known artist Andrew Wyeth, began studying under her when he was 12. It was under Carolyn that Jamie found a love for painting with oils. He went on to have a very successful career of his own. Carolyn taught painting in Chadds Ford for over 30 years, and lived in the family home for her entire 85 years.
Like the rest of the Wyeth painters, Carolyns work draws heavily from her life in Chadds Ford and the surrounding area. Of her work, the Brandywine River Museum published: “Her paintings reconstruct private moments from the past and often evoke an air of romance, remembrance and loss.” The painting Up From The Woods captures the solitude which Carolyn enjoyed through her life. Carolyn once said in an interview “I think all great stuff comes out of being alone. At the time you may feel lonely, but it’s doing something wonderful to you.”
by: John Burdumy
Tootles!
Pook and Pook, Inc., Auctioneers and Appraisers in Downingtown, Pennsylvania has not slowed down one bit during our country’s current crisis. Our company applied for, and gratefully received received, an exemption waiver to continue to conduct auctions, while strictly adhering to state guidelines and mitigation practices. We were pleasantly surprised to see a huge surge in bidders new to Pook & Pook as well as customers from years past returning and registering for our online only auctions. We set a new record for most registered online participants in our last online decorative arts auction in April with over 2,600 bidders! That’s is an increase of over 1000 from our previous high mark of 1,600. The number of bidders correlated to high sales prices as the sale total was 15% over high estimate, with 99.57% selling. We are thrilled to have another online auction lined up for May 20th, 2020. There are 500 lots that need new homes. This decorative arts auction will have the usual diversity that has become a standard for Pook and Pook’s Auctions. There is artwork, glassware, and furniture, as well as a nice group of stoneware, spatterware and textiles. There seems to be something for everyone. It makes my job difficult and easy at the same time. Picking something as my pick of the week is easy as I have so many different options to choose from. The difficult part is narrowing it down to one! This auction has met the same criteria. Lots to choose from. I had narrowed it down to three. Of course, the painted Pennsylvania pieces have pulled me in, calling out “pick me – pick me!” It was hard to say no to a terrific yellow grained pine drysink. I also heard a folky bird on a White’s Utica stoneware jug squawking “Over here – Over here!” Again, I said no. I was going out of my comfort zone with a really cool looking lot. I chose lot 1193. Wait, what? Lot 1193? Have you lost your marbles? Why yes, I did and I want them back! Check at this terrific group of marbles, the largest is a sulphide with a lion measuring 2 1/2” in diameter. There are latticino, onionskins, clay China, Benningtons and even some fancy clay Benningtons. So, if you too have lost your marbles, now is your chance to get them back! Online bidding is underway on Bidsquare.com and Invaluable.com.
by: Jamie Shearer
Where did Antarctica go?
Tucked away in a corner of our upcoming May Online Only Decorative Arts auction we have a real treasure map! Or at least, it’s a really treasured map. An engraved map of the Western Hemisphere with hand-colored borders published in 1714 by Guillaume De L’Isle during his career at Quai de l’Horloge (Clock Tower Quay, in English), a publishing hub in Paris where he lived and worked. Guillaume was arguably the most influential of the French cartographers and retains a legacy of accuracy in his maps that were unparalleled at the time, most likely due to his studying mathematics under Cassini – the same Cassini who discovered four of Saturn’s moons and for whom a NASA spacecraft was named. Guillaume set the standard for accuracy with his longitudinal and latitudinal recalculations and incorporated his measurements into his maps, a habit quickly adopted by all other cartographers of the time and thereafter. Guillaume was so influential he became the Premier Geographe du Roi (or the Cartographer of the King) four years after this very map was made!
If you look closely, you’ll see that Australia isn’t entirely filled in. They still had unfinished corners of the map at that time. Imagine the excitement when new cartographical information was brought back by explorers to France and cartographers quickly started working on mapping out the newest part of the world, the most accurate map ever made gradually becoming more and more complete!
More astute cartographical nerds will also notice the complete lack of Antarctica. This is because at the time of this map’s making no one had even crossed over into the Antarctic Circle. No one would even see the Antarctic continent until 1820, nearly one hundred years later. What an incredible time of adventure this map comes from. In this case, the buried treasure was the map we had with us all along.
by: Jackson Ryan
COVID-19 and Upcoming Auctions at Pook & Pook, Inc. – FAQ
FOR OUR CLIENTS and CUSTOMERS
COVID-19 and Upcoming Auctions at Pook & Pook, Inc. – FAQ
With the rise in numbers of the spread of coronavirus, we’ve had questions from bidders and consignors about our upcoming auctions. Please reach out to us by email (info@pookandpook.com) or telephone (610-269-4040) if you have questions not answered below and also check back from time-to-time as changing situations may alter our response(s). Below are some of frequently asked questions and answers:
Will Pook & Pook still conduct gallery exhibitions and auctions?
Our March auctions are online only sales and we intend to conduct the exhibition and auctions as scheduled unless we’re instructed otherwise by our local health department. We will continue to monitor the situation for the April auctions. Before coming to our office, it is a good idea to call ahead or check our website for updated information. If anyone is using an older pc, be sure to clear the cache (ctrl F5) in order to see the latest information.
How have you changed to adapt to concerns of COVID-19?
We’re stocking up on extra supplies for our staff, previewers, and auction-goers, including extra soap, paper towels, tissues, hand sanitizers, latex gloves, etc. We’re taking preventative measures with early spring cleaning by wiping down frequently touched surfaces in public areas with cleaners and disinfectants, paying special attention to elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, faucets, etc. We do not have masks on hand, as the CDC does not recommend that healthy people wear them.
We’re also putting together a preparedness plan to adapt to recommendations and requirements of our local and/or regional health department.
I’m worried about contracting COVID-19 and have decided not to come to preview or auction, how can still I participate?
We’ve hired additional staff to assist with answering condition and additional photo requests so that informed decisions can still be made about purchase(es). Customers should email conditions@pookandpook.com with additional questions on any item in the upcoming auctions. We also have additional staff on hand to help answer questions about online registration and bidding. For the March auctions, we are using the online bidding platforms Bidsquare and Invaluable, both of which offer fantastic customer service and can offer additional help in this effort.
We request that anyone feeling unwell please refrain from visiting our gallery until you are symptom free. We thank everyone in advance for their cooperation and hope that they get well soon!
Payment and Pick-Up Policy
We’d like to remind customers that they can mail payments or pay over the phone, as well as work with outside shippers to complete their sale if they wish to avoid coming to our gallery.