NEWS

Gorham Versailles Sterling Serving Pieces
One of my favorite lots in our upcoming January 28th and 29th, 2021 Americana & International Auction is this group of sterling serving pieces by Gorham. The Versailles pattern was created in 1888 by the Gorham’s chief designer, Antoine Heller. Heller attended the atelier of Jean-Leon Gerome in the Ecole de Beaux-Arts in Paris and was influenced by Gerome’s academic style and obsession with Classical antiquity. After serving in the disastrous Franco-Prussian war, Heller left France for the U.S. to work for Tiffany. Hired by Gorham in 1881, he set about sculpting some of the most beautiful and intricate flatware patterns ever created. Heller’s artistry and craftsmanship are such that each can be celebrated as a small work of art. Although Gorham was on the forefront of mechanization, it also employed the greatest number of artists and craftsmen for hand engraving and chasing. The resulting implements feel light and balanced in the hand. Rotated in the light, their sculpted curves gleam with a soft brilliance.
In the Versailles pattern, relief sculptures of different Classical figures drawn from the palace decorate each component, infinite in grace and swimming in Classical motifs. Twenty-four iconic images from the famous art and architecture, from the walls, the ceilings, the balustrades, statues, and mirrors, are adapted to adorn the flatware. One could be an industrious, prude Victorian on the outside, while entertaining in the spirit of the most self-regarding king in history inside their own home. With 150 pieces to choose from, the opulence of an Antoine Heller service would rival the most opulent Gilded Age dining rooms. Returning from their Grand Tour, any well-heeled family scion could set up their own mini-Versailles dining table. With these serving pieces, you can start setting your own.
by: Cynthia Lawrence

Metamorphosis Femina Physicus
Where do 17th century art and science collide with a Doomsday cult? On the pages of “Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium,” a lavish folio of plant and insect engravings published in 1705 Amsterdam by the world’s first entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian, and one of the most beautiful natural history books ever published. Two hand-colored engravings from this work are featured in our January 30th International sale. They are exquisite collector’s objects with wide-ranging significance.
Born in Frankfurt in 1647 to a family of engravers and artists, Maria Sibylla Merian learned to draw and paint flowers at home. Always distracted by the insects she found, she included a bug in every picture. Marrying one of her father’s apprentices at the age of eighteen, she began teaching painting and needlework to wealthy young women. Her studies led to publication of a book on her special interest, butterflies. Her approach was revolutionary. Each beautiful page was the complete life cycle of a butterfly, in its habitat, drawn from life. Little was known about insects at this time. It was still widely held that insects were born of vapors and rotting plant and animal life, spontaneously generated. Linnaeus was not to classify Insecta for decades (and when he did, he would reference Merian’s books). There were as yet no studies of the relationship between insects and plants.
Merian’s independent-minded behavior did not stop there. By 1685 she moved with her two children and widowed mother to a Labadist Protestant commune at Walta castle in the Netherlands. Her husband made attempts to retrieve her, but she successfully divorced him in 1692. He was a Catholic, and Merian had joined a Protestant sect believing in disciplined, communal isolationism, an attempt to recreate the experience of first century Christians. While it is hard to tell what most bound Merian to the commune, it is known she became obsessed with its collection of exotic tropical insects. The castle was owned by Cornelius van Sommelsdijk, who had just purchased one-third of the colony of Suriname, recently acquired from England in exchange for New Amsterdam, and become its Governor.
Moving to Amsterdam and setting up her own workshop, Merian raised funds for a scientific expedition to Suriname to study insects. She sailed in 1699, accompanied only by one of her daughters. It was one of the very first solely scientific expeditions, and the first for a woman. Reaching South America took two months at sea, and to travel upriver to the Labadist colony of Providentia was four days of rowing. Providentia sat deep in the jungle, isolated from corrupting influences, and waiting for the coming of the Apocalypse. (Established in 1675, by 1699 all of its colonists had died from disease and violence except a few hardy zealots and slaves. Van Sommelsdijk himself was murdered in 1688.) Merian spent the next two years studying and drawing the plants and animals, voyaging up and down the river between equatorial jungle and sugar plantations. Living closely with the slaves, she paid them to bring her plant and insect specimens, and she recorded eyewitness accounts of their treatment and hardship. Merian did not escape the Providentia affliction, contracting an illness which forced her return after two years’ work and was to plague her for the remainder of her life.
In Amsterdam, she set about creating books from her notes, drawings, and specimens. Her strength depleted by fever, she only produced three of her book’s sixty engravings, guiding engravers to adapt the rest. The plates were then painted by Merian and her daughters. Her magnum opus, “Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium” was published in 1705 to wide acclaim. Merian’s artistic sensibility, her scientific observations, and her pioneering work to present forms of life wholly unknown to Western science captivated society. Fat caterpillars clung to succulent jungle plants, tropical flowers burst forth in sunset hues, and feathery moths danced across the pages. Passionflowers bloomed, tarantulas devoured birds. The book was a triumph of art as well as a revolution in science. Merian’s books were collected by the finest libraries in the world, and when she died in 1717, her entire works were purchased by Tsar Peter the Great. Here are two that can be yours.
by: Cynthia Lawrence

Updated COVID-19 Protocol for Pook & Pook
COVID-19 Protocol for Pook & Pook, Inc. Auctioneers and Appraisers (updated 12/16/20)
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 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).
Visiting the Gallery:
Pook & Pook has an exemption to conduct necessary in-house business with mitigation efforts in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19. We are limiting how open we are to the public and are only allowing customers and maintenance workers into the building by scheduled appointment. Before coming to our office, it is a good idea to call ahead and/or check our website for updated information. Any visitors to the gallery must wear a mask covering both their nose and mouth and practice social distancing. Whenever possible, we are conducting business curbside. We request that anyone feeling unwell to please refrain from scheduling an appointment until fourteen days after they are symptom free. We ask that everyone entering the gallery sanitize their hands upon entering.
Cleaning and Disinfecting the Gallery:
Pook & Pook provides ample soap, paper towels, tissues, hand sanitizers, latex gloves, sanitizing wipes, etc. for staff and, when necessary, in-house customers. Staff have been provided with disposable masks or they may bring their own clean reusable mask from home. The office is being professionally cleaned regularly and wiped down with sanitizing wipes and sprays regularly by in-house staff. We are also limiting the number of people in the building at any one time and conducting as much business outdoors as possible. We’re wiping down frequently touched surfaces in public areas with cleaners and disinfectants, paying special attention to elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, faucets, etc. Staff are reminded to wash their hands frequently. We ask that all customers to please bring their own masks, gloves, and sanitizer, but if a customer forgets, we will provide these. When customers arrive, we ask that they please call (610) 269-4040 from their car and we will bring their purchases out onto the covered porch.
Payment and Pick-Up Policy:
We encourage customers to mail payments, pay over the phone, or pay online. Payment made prior to pick-up/shipping ensures we can assist customers before the next appointment arrives. We are offering curbside pick-up for all purchases. We request that anyone feeling unwell please refrain from scheduling a curbside pick-up until fourteen days after they are symptom free. If clients wish to avoid coming to our gallery for a curbside pick-up, in-house shipping and outside shippers are available to assist bidders in retrieving their items. A list of outside shippers is available by request at shipping@pookandpook.com.
Consignments:
Pook & Pook is still taking in consignments for upcoming auctions. Consignors should start by sending photographs to info@pookandpook.com or calling (610) 269-4040 to speak with an appraiser. There are three ways clients can get consignments to us. Consignments can be mailed. We can do curbside drop-offs of consignments by appointment (call (610) 269-4040). Or, we can arrange for a pick-up with mitigation measures in place (masks, gloves if necessary, etc.). All pick-up staff will wear a mask for the duration of their pick-up. Pook & Pook’s consignment transport staff and appraisers will also accommodate any requests for hand washing/sanitizing, temperature checks, and/or symptom screening on-site if requested. If you have questions about consigning or our mitigation measures, please call or email.
Protocol if an employee gets sick with COVID-19:
All staff are required to wear masks and socially distance while working at Pook & Pook. All staff are asked to symptom check every morning prior to coming to work. A temperature of over 100.4 is considered a fever. If an employee has any of the following symptoms: a lack of smell or taste, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fever, direct contact with someone with COVID/direct exposure to COVID and awaiting test results in the past 10 days, they are instructed to not come to work. If they have two or fewer of the lesser possible symptoms of COVID-19, including muscle pain, fatigue, headache, diarrhea, runny nose, they may proceed to work but will be asked to sanitize any areas they are working in after they are done, wear a mask at all times even when working alone, and socially distance from coworkers. If an employee has run out of paid time off and are concerned about lost pay, Pook & Pook will create a work from home plan for that employee until they are able to return to the office. The company policy for all employees that are out of work sick for three consecutive days or more is that they must have a doctor’s note with them when they return to work.
If an employee tests positive for COVID-19, that employee will be asked to seek medical advice immediately and quarantine for at least 10 days. All staff will be notified that someone in the office has tested positive for COVID-19. Any staff that have been in close contact, 6 feet or less, for at least 15 minutes will be notified of their exposure and asked to work from home until they receive a negative test or 10 days have passed without the development of symptoms. The rest of the staff will be encouraged to get tested and notify the company of any changes in symptoms over a period of 10 days. All staff will be required to wear masks and conduct a deep cleaning of the office prior to returning to normal work flow. Pook & Pook will assist the PA Department of Health with any contact tracing.

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