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 Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Politically collect
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
 My father, who is a child of the Great Depression, can recall with a high amount of respect, how critical President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal was in terms of turning around the economy and providing jobs for the unemployed. My mother, who remembers President John F. Kennedy with fondness and sadness, can remember her reaction the moment news of his shooting came over the radio. “He can’t die! He’s the president!” and her shock when she saw live, on television, Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald. I, born in the tumultuous year of 1968, can recall 20 years later, working for the campus newspaper, having the privilege of shaking the hands of just about every presidential candidate from Paul Simon and Michael Dukakis to Al Gore. Politics create moments in history – and history itself. That’s one of the reasons why so many people collect political memorabilia today. Each pin and banner not only represents a time and person, but perhaps a cause or movement as well. I know I can’t look at a women’s “right to vote” badge without being very thankful there were women (and men) who cared enough to lobby, protest and fight for that right. I bet you can’t look at a candidate pin for Thomas Dewey without thinking of that famous “Dewey defeats Truman” headline. Can you look at a caricature of Carter without thinking of peanuts? Or study a family photo of Lincoln without experiencing empathy for the many tragedies in his personal life and challenges in his administration? While some of the more frivolous items do find themselves abandoned on the convention floor, others are finding themselves in the hands of political collectors like author Dr. Enoch Nappen and James Warlick. Be sure to read our cover story by Dr. Nappen, who shares insight into collecting trends and gives a sneak preview to his recently released book, Warman’s Political Collectibles Identification and Price Guide, published by Krause Books. To see the real deal, make a point of visiting the Atlantique City fall show Oct. 18-19, where Mr. Warlick will display numerous items from this personal collection dubbed “The American Presidential Experience.” Warlick has had a love of politics from an early age and has opened six political memorabilia stores in Chicago, Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Georgetown. Check out our Atlantique City show section on the following pages to see what else is in store at the Atlantic City Convention Center. You won’t want to miss your chance to spout politics and feel like a winner yourself when you find a collectible treasure there. As the election approaches, Antique Trader would like to know if you collect political memorabilia or if you have a memory to share about a historic election or political moment. We’ll share these before the nation chooses its new president next month. Drop me a note, post a reply here, or e-mail me at robyn.austin@fwpubs.com. Hurry, before the polls close!
Antiques Blogs | Antiques, blog, question of the week | Historic Preservation
9/17/2008 5:37:04 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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Tuesday, August 12, 2008
"... and we can't make any exceptions"
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
I'm troubled. I read a news story this morning and I'm stuck on it. At the heart of the matter: A Waterbury antiques dealer has been barred from selling vintage
American flags on eBay because of restrictions he placed on who can buy
the flags.
(You can read the full story here.)
Mark Albino, owner of C&M Antiques and Collectibles in Waterbury, veteran, and dealer of vintage flags, will not sell a flag to anyone who might desecrate it. An honorable stand to make. Albino is also a powerseller on eBay, and eBay will not allow such buyer discrimination. Their policy is you either sell internationally or you don't - you don't get to pick and choose which countries you will ship to. Perhaps Albino needs to find a new venue to sell his vintage flags ... What are your feelings about this? It's a sad situation when we have to worry about the buyer's intent. — Karen
Antique News | Antiques | Antiques News | Antiquities | Auction | eBay | Historic Preservation
8/12/2008 12:21:18 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Take in a historical house tour this weekend
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Looking for something to do this weekend? The Dedham (Mass.) Historical Society informed us it is holding its biannual House Tour this Sunday, June 1, from noon to 3:45 p.m. Tickets will be available at the Historical Society, 612 High St., beginning at 11:30 a.m. Advance purchase tickets are $16 for members and $20 for non-members. All tickets purchased on the day of the tour will be $23.  In addition to this year’s homes, the Fairbanks House, the oldest timber-framed building in North America, will again be on the House Tour. The Society’s current exhibits will also be on view. Houses included on the tour include: The Rev. Alvin Lamson House, 1847: Rev. Alvin Lamson, minister of the First Church Unitarian, built the residence in 1847, in the fashionable Italianate style, with strong Gothic Revival overtones. The Waldo Colburn House, 1870: The honorable Waldo Colburn, (1824-1885), a justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, prominent local politician, and descendant of Dedham’s early Colburn clan, built this robust Second Empire style dwelling on an extensive plot of land which originally incorporated the entire street and extended down to the flats of the Charles River. The Waldo Colburn Carriage House, 1870/1952: This residence was originally built as the carriage house for the Waldo Colburn house next door. The original utilitarian structure is now a charming residence, hidden from the bustle of downtown Dedham. The Carriage house was converted into a dwelling in 1952, when the property was split off from the main house. It has subsequently been added onto and, most recently, remodeled extensively by its current owners. It sits above the flat marshes extending to the banks of the Charles River.
The John Gardner House, 1845: John Gardner, a local Dedham builder, built and occupied this Gothic Revival style house, rare in Dedham. The current owners have created an oasis of gardens and paved terraces, which encompass and enhance home. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1859: The present church is in the Gothic Revival style, modeled on medieval parish churches of the English countryside. The Church is built of rough-cut Dedham granite. In 1869 the two-stage tower base forming the main entry was added along with the tall spire and gold cross. Structural flaws in the steeple required it be reconstructed in 1928. This year the church celebrates its 250th anniversary. The Gay Tavern, c. 1745: One of Dedham’s most historic structures, the Gay Tavern stands at the junction of the Old Boston Post Road (Highland Street), and the Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike, (Court Street). The tavern was established about 1750 by Benjamin Gay, whose grandfather John paddled his dugout canoe up the Charles River from Watertown, to found the Town of Dedham in 1636. Upon Benjamin’s death, his son Joshua kept good cheer within its walls until his death in 1781. His widow and son Timothy served food and drink, and provided lodging to travelers until the inn was sold 1807. The John Coolidge House, c. 1812, is a late Federal house, believed to have been built for the Coolidge family. It may have started life as an early blacksmith’s shop operated by Jonathan Guild on land obtained under the Colburn Grant. The classic Federal dwelling visible today has been altered and added to over its almost 200 year lifetime. For more information, call the Dedham Historical Society at 781-326-1385
Antiques | Architecture | Historic Preservation
5/28/2008 9:59:55 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Coming soon to a theater near you: Antiques Adventure
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Armed with his trusted whip and those dimples, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is ready for another treasure hunt in theaters this weekend.
My son and I have been gearing up for the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by watching the first three Indy flicks. If you've ever questioned if there's anything sexy about antiques, then you've got to see at least one of these! But I have a feeling you already know the pursuit of rare artifacts -- the chase, the hunt for that perfect find -- can be quite thrilling. Probably not on the same level of violence and intrigue, but an interesting process nonetheless.
I think the reason I have enjoyed the Indiana Jones and National Treasure movies is that they go beyond adventure. They provide an entertaining avenue of unlocking the history behind the mystery while their goal at heart is preservation.
These treasure hunters are archeaologists and historians. They want that artifact in their hands so they can safely turn it over to a museum or secure historic property. A viewer might miss that during the adrenaline rush, but those of us who are serious about historic preservation, think that's an important aspect that should never find its way to the cutting-room floor.
What was your most exciting antiques adventure? We'd love to hear about it. -- Robyn
Antiques | Antiquities | Historic Preservation
5/21/2008 10:53:12 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, May 15, 2008
Are we there yet?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Every time I fill up my little Honda with gas these days, I cringe at the prices. When I’m driving the minivan, with its 20-gallon tank, I can almost physically feel the pain at the pump. Is there an end in sight? Regrettably, not likely this summer. Summer is supposed to be the time to pack your kids and pets into the family station wagon and take off somewhere on an excursion that may last for days and may require sunscreen and bug spray – especially if camping is involved. Ideally, there should be a good mix of learning and fun – that’s why museums and historic sites are so popular. Probably my most memorable summer vacation, if you can call it that, was a day trip to an attraction in southern Wisconsin called the House on the Rock. Frankly, the five-hour drive seemed endless with six of us squeezed in. I am sure we four kids pestered our dad a time or two with “Are we there yet?  How much longer?” while trying not to bicker in the back seat. It was definitely worth the agony. Designed and built by Alex Jordan of Madison, Wis., the House on the Rock is an architectural marvel perched on a 60-foot chimney of rock. Begun in the early 1940s, the 14-room house is the original structure of what is now an extraordinary complex of rooms, streets, buildings and gardens covering over 200 acres. Furnishings include Oriental art, stained glass lamps, bronze statuary, a three-story bookcase filled with rare books and so many antiques – dolls, carousels, you name it. It would be wonderful to get back there now, as an adult, when I can appreciate the beauty, the rarity, the history. And, of course, share it with the next generation. Are you going to visit any historic points of interest? Will you be traveling to any antiques shows in search of your own national treasure? This show season is going to be a challenging one for both dealers (who have to travel and haul their goods around) and buyers (who may be pinching their pennies for fuel). Let’s do our best to support each other in these uncertain times. If you can take a day trip to attend a show, please do so. Better yet, grab a friend and split the cost of gas. The dealers and show promoters will appreciate your support. And you may find something worth a tank of gas or two. These days, that’s a pretty good return on investment! Antique Trader would like to know how the rising gas prices will impact your summer shopping, selling and travel plans. E-mail us at robyn.austin@fwpubs.com or post a reply here. Travel safely! — Robyn
Historic Preservation
5/15/2008 11:40:50 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, April 28, 2008
The death of the suburbs?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Interesting post here from a blog called Victorian Antiques and Design.  It's questions whether the current mortgage crisis is causing the death of Suburbia. I heard the story on NPR the author was talking about and was intrigued at the idea. The issue, as a whole, is very interesting, especially from a sociological, post-war point of view, as the suburbs, a big car and big backyard were the backbone of the American Dream. Now, thanks to greedy lenders lying to some unwary folks, and buyers who knew they had no business getting ARMs, all mixed with terribly suspect financial policy from our government, and you have - quite possibly - what author Paul Wilham is talking about. I grew up in suburbia, and my very sense of self and society is somewhat tied up in those ideas - the mall sas everything, the modern ranch house was uniquitous and nobody ever questioned whether it was the right place to be or the right thing to do, except when bullies threw my brother Cris's shoes into a creek, and maybe it was just me who wanted to move away... Anyway, this is an important discussion in 2008, and one that's only going to gain relevance as the housing crisis deepens and properties lie empty. Check it out. An interesting read and a good blog.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Historic Preservation | Modern | Modern Architecture
4/28/2008 3:09:24 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, April 25, 2008
Not just a Jewish girl - The Jewish girl! Anne Frank postcard found
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This story has made the various rounds of media - electronic, tv and print all - about the discovery of a postcard from Anne Frank - she of the famous diary bearing her name - to a friend just before the family went into hiding from the nazis.  I've held back from writing about it for various reasons. One was to let it make the rounds and see what sort of life it took on. Then the gem of the Web presenting me with exactly what I was waiting for. This headline: " Card from WWII Jewish girl discovered in Dutch shop." It comes from the Chinese Xinhua news agency - which I like to frequent for just this reason. Here's a word to them, though: Anne Frank is not just a Jewish girl. She's the Jewish girl. When I was growing up, Anne Frank was revered everywhere. School, my home, my synagogue, and at the Jewish Community Center, which decided to honor Anne the year I was 14 by producing the play version of The Diary of Anne Frank. I was up for the part of Peter - Man, how I wanted that part! I would've been great, too! - as the director, his name was Fred if I recollect correct, tried without gusto to find a younger Anne, he eventually cast the older pretty boy in the part. I think Fred later offered me a part in the "ensemble" cast of the JCC production of Grease, but I never even called back. My acting career was over by then. This good thing was gone.  Anyway, the postcard... It's a wonderful piece of ephmera, and a testament to the longevity and continued relevance of a Anne Frank's story. It is a tangible link to a girl whose unyeilding faith in the goodness of humans, even as they sought her destruction, has continued to inspire countless thousands of people more than 60 years after her death in a German concentration camp. It's a shame she is not alive to see how inspirational her brief life and writings have been to so many. It's interesting to ponder if it would still mean the same had she lived.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques News | Ephemera | Historic Preservation
4/25/2008 4:24:02 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Asa Ames at AFAM in NYC - Folk art as good as it can get
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Say the name Asa Ames to collectors of folk art and their eyes will glaze and they will begin to salivate. Just look at that stuff.   Amazing amazing painted wood sculptures with so much detail, energy and life that it's hard to look at the pictures. I simply want to scoop one of these things up, take it home, make it a cup of tea and ask it about its creator. Right now, just opened - and as reported here by the New York Times - The American Folk Art Museum in Manhattan is featuring an exhibition of eight sculptures by Asa Ames, one of the most talented and mysterious of the itinerant 19th century folk artists, born and died in Buffalo, NY when he was just 27.  Ames left behind only 13 known examples - there may well be more hiding out there - many of which were done toward the end of his life. Where did he learn his art? Why didn't he make more? Did he make more? Who has them? Part outsider, part folk artist and all genius, check out the Times article and the slide show of the works in the exhibition. The AFAM is an amazing place, with as much great art as any museum of its size in the world. For lovers of real folk and Outsider art, there is nothing quite like it. Simply the best.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | fine art | Folk Art | Historic Preservation | Outsider Art
4/25/2008 12:39:54 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, April 24, 2008
The most permanent impermanent - Oldest oil paintings in Afghanistan
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This is pretty cool, especially considering that a) the philosophy of the Buddha was about the impermanance of all things and b) it's in Bamayan region of Afghanistan - well associated with the destruction of the giant stone Buddhas there by the taliban in 2001  - and these paintings are the earliest oils known.  This story is from Discovery News. The giant stone buddhas are blown-up. Much gnashing of teeth. Seven years later, more, and rarer images show up in a hidden cave. Afghanistan is so widely associated with Islam and the taliban, that it's easy to forget how important the region was in terms of the Buddhist way for several hundred years. It was a center of study and art and monasteries. I hope these paintings are kept safe and sound. If not, never fear. It's all about impermanence anyway...
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiquities | Buddhist Art | fine art | Historic Preservation
4/24/2008 3:03:47 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, April 17, 2008
Good news for Wright's Taliesin West: Phoenix approves preservation plan
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This is a happy thing for lovers of Modern architecture - Wright in particular - which anyone that knows me knows that I am.  Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Phoenix, an absolute masterpiece among the master's masterpieces, has finally gotten approval for a preservation plan from Phoenix and the Wright foundation. The link is to the East Valley Tribune. My in-laws live in Scottsdale - Hi Cy and Joan! - and they took my wife and I out there for a tour of the place about five years ago, which was precisely the time I started to get thoroughly obsessed with modern architecture in general on a wide scale. It was a real eye-opener, touring those wonderful buildings, feeling the harmony with nature that informs their very existence. I could feel the presence of the master on the grounds and I sorely wished to be young again and be able to go to architecture school there. The air is charmed at Taliesin West, and the buildings themselves rise out of the desert sand and blend with the surrounding flora and fauna in ways that are very different from Wright's other masterworks. It was, after all, the place where he would spend his winters, and would educate many of his apprentices. I will admit to you that, more than once on that tour, I thought about sneaking off and hiding in a closet until closing time so I could live there during off hours. This, though, was bound to have been a lonely enterprise, so I abandoned it. Plus I love my wife and didn't really want to put that kind of strain on our marriage...  Just this past March, visiting my in-laws - Hi again Cy and Joan - I spoke with my father-in-law about the disrepair that Taliesin West was in and the need for it to be preserved. He said he didn't know what was going to happen to it, and I lamented that that incredible campus might be razed, or crumble into dust. Obvioulsy Wright designed some complex buildings, with infrastructure that is nearly impossible to keep going in its original state. The city of Phoenix, though, with its taste for good architecture, knows what it has and has done the right thing by it. Taliesin West now has the chance to survive into the future, and to have its lessons, it incredible lines and symmetry, preserved for generations to come. In an age and society that is increasingly disposable, it's good to see that this is happening, and that rare genius is being preserved. 
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Architecture | Historic Preservation | Modern | Modern Architecture | Modernism
4/17/2008 5:15:04 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Crystal Skull mania!
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This summer, as the world prepares for the fourth installment of Indiana Jones - I ndiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls - you can bet the real crystal skulls will be getting plenty of scrutiny from the public at large.  Yes, the Crystal Skulls really exist. This is an article that appeared today on archeology.org, and it's quite enlightening as to the history of the real crystal skulls, about which there is suprisingly little really know, other than that they date back to ancient Aztec and Mayan cultures, among others, are weighty, valuable and bear little stylistic resemblance to any of the great art of antiquity that came out of these cultures. If you're one of the 10s - yes 10s - of people that have read this blog with any sort of semi-regularity, you know I'm always game for a good conspiracy theory, especially if it involves shadow governments, aliens or marshmallow Fluff. The crystal skulls fit all of these in that there are widespread theories about their mysterious magical qualities, that their secrets have been contained by malignant government forces, that they were gifts to ancient humankind from alien overseers and that I'd love to get my hands on one to see how well a jar of Fluff would spread on it - I can see an Elvis pompadour right now. When me lived in the Hudson Valley, my wife was a longtime employee of The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, and every summer there would be a weekend workshop dedicated to the crystal skulls, in which at least one of the skulls would make an appearance and its magical powers would be revealed. I always wanted to attend this workshop - along with the one about learning how to do remote seeing (see conspiracy theories above) - but never did, for fear of the ridicule I would have to endure. The aging hippies in the area loved it, though, and I heard tales extolling the virtues of these mysterious sculptures over and over. I should have taken the chance when I had it. Who needs to see Thich Naht Hahn, anyway? They are indeed beautiful to behold, and certainly a little creepy. There are countles dissafected teenagers dying to burn a candle on top of one of these things and take a black and white picture of it, or put it on a shelf next to their similarly designed bong.  Indy will certainly reveal something important about the skulls when he makes millions this summer, so if you want to impress your friends with your advance knowledge of the skulls, check out the link to the truly informative archeology.org article, written by an expert. All kidding aside, it's good stuff.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antique news odd | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Historic Preservation | Antiquities
4/15/2008 1:53:48 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, April 11, 2008
A synchroncity of antiques - Islamic antiquities dominate
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
It seems now that Islamic art is absolutely everywhere, and the amount of money that it's fetching - congruent with the amount of ire it's raising in some instances - is pretty amazing. I've already written about it a few times this week and last week. It started the attempted sale of some armor once, possibly, belonging to a revered Sikh Guru. Then a 12th century key to the holiest pilgrimage site in Mecca, and now, just yesterday, a dagger once belonging to Shah Jahan - arguably the greatest of India's Golden Age Mugal emporers - the man who built the Taj Mahal, and raised Islamic art and architecture to amazing levels in his reign, sold at Bonham's in London for nearly $3,000,000.  You have to admit, looking at it, that it's a thing of extraordinary beauty, made even more important by its provenance of having belonged to Shah Jahan, a man from whom very few personal relics survive. $3M seems like alot to spend, but as I wrote about the Hajj key yesterday, reclaiming cultural history is an expensive game, and them that have the bucks don't necessarily think of it as a numbers game. Face it, if you have all the bills in the Monopoly game, there's nothing on the board that's out of range. Again, it went to an anonymous bidder who didn't wish to be identified. Who knows who it is, but most likely it was someone who was unhappy almsot 20 years ago when the Shah of Iran sold it to Jacques Desenfans, along with a lot of other things in the sale, on a visit in 1969, when the Shah's empire was just starting to wobble. That bit of its history has been more downplayed in the hubbub over its sale, but it's all part of the history of such a remarkable piece. I'm not sure if the dagger is considered a holy relic, so I have no feeling on it being sold. If it is considered such, along with much of the other Islamic "art" that's been coming on the block, then I do have to take issue. Pieces of spiritual significance, whatever the faith, shouldn't be made available for a price. I have to think, though, the Shah Jahan dagger isn't considered spiritually important for Muslims, because there was no outcry, such as the one over the Sikh armor.  Shah Jahan's buildings and his name dot India, most notably the Taj, which he built as a masoleum for his wife, Mumtaz, when she died. I've seen the Taj Mahal, and it's an amazing site, especially if you can get there very early in the morning before the touts, the cars, the tourists and the choking, nasty smog from the copious cars the swarm Agra all day. There are few buildings in the world that can match it, or its creativity.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Auction | Antiques Blog | Antiques News | Architecture | Auction | fine art | Historic Preservation
4/11/2008 10:07:33 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Search still on for looted Iraqi antiquities
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This is from the L.A. Times. It's all about the amount of antiquities still missing after being looted when Baghdad fell. That was five years ago today, btw. At first it was thought the damage done by theft was much much greater, and anyone who loves art and history looked on in horror as numbers like 150,000 were bandied about when those reports mentioned numbers of missing artifacts. They were talking about the beginings of human civilization - ancient, ancient stuff - that carried with it priceless provenance and importance. Many of those pieces, it turns out, had long ago been hidden by smart curators, well out of harm's way, and that initial massive number dwindled to 15,000. Of those 15,000 known artifacts, 7500 have been recovered. That still leaves half, and an amazing amount of history still floating around black markets or destroyed and trashed. The good thing is that these pieces are rare enough that, when one surfaces at auction or on the market, it is usually quickly recognized and taken back to its proper home. This is further heightened in an age when national museums around the world are demanding back priceless antiquities that were looted in past ages of imperialism. Greece is doing it, so are Italy, India and China, among many. This seems to have hit western museums hard. The culture flowing out of Iraq, home to the fertile crescent where it's thought so much life firt streamed out of, is older by millenium than most other countries. It bears direct links to stories in the Old Testament. Of anywhere that deserves its history back, then surely it's there.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques News | Antiques publications | Historic Preservation | stolen antiques
4/9/2008 2:54:12 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, April 04, 2008
What the Dickens?! Antique desk on the block
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Christies will be auctioning of the desk at which Charles Dickens sat to write "Great Expectations."
It's a beautiful antique and its provenance is untouchabe. It should fetch a pretty penny, and goes to a good cause. I can't imagine any writer wanting to buy it, let alone be in the same house as it. The great author was found dead at the desk and wrote possibly his greatest work in the very same seat, as well - Pip chasing Estella, while she acts coy and plays him off her other suitors... Go Pip! Go! - those are some serious ghosts to contend with. Still, it is a beauty, and I had the cash, and an extra room, I'd do it in a heartbeat. 
antique | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Auction | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Antiques publications | Auction | fine art | Historic Preservation
4/4/2008 2:24:06 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, April 03, 2008
Lincoln letter goes for more than $3M
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
And to think that I was willing to take a triceratops over this, if given the choice...  I love Honest Abe, but I stand by my decision. Besides, I just spent that last $3.4M on a new yacht. I'm a bit tapped at the moment. This is the Yahoo story, just breaking. Pretty cool, I have to say. 
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antique news odd | Antiques | Antiques Auction | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Auction | Ephemera | Historic Preservation
4/3/2008 5:16:45 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Who can resist a rampaging ape? King Kong poster rages to $345K
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Really, aren't we all suckers for monkeys?  This massive and very cool King King poster recently brought $345,000 at a Profiles in History auction, and it's a real beauty. At 81-inches x 81-inches, it's also about the size of the big simian himself. I love the detail on this poster, and Kong just looks like he's about ready to rip everyone a new smile. What I don't like is that they have Fay Wray running in terror with Robert Armstrong and Bruce Cabot. We all know that Kong and Fay shared an unforbidden love that the world wasn't ready for back then. the studio could have, at least, put a hint of empathy in her eyes as she watched Kong destroy Manhattan. I still say the humans deserved it... The new owner of the poster isn't mentioned, but I'd be willing to bet it's a heavy hitter, if not S teve Geppi himself, who has the greatest collection of rare movie posters in the world at his museum in Camden Yards in downtown Baltimore, MD.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Auction | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Auction | Ephemera | Historic Preservation | pop art
4/2/2008 12:01:38 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Saturday, March 22, 2008
Even with so much uncertainty, Iraqi antiquities continue to amaze
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Here's one more reason to love the Internet. This came from a news feed out of Thailand and India.
It's about an ancient Babylonian town found by Iraqi archeologists.
With such a steady stream of bad news coming out of the region, it is good to know that scholarship and the unearthing of the past continue to go on. This is indeed an interesting read, especially if you're like me and you love anything that relates back to the ancient world circa B.C., where so much human societal culture dawned.
Pretty cool.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Architecture | Historic Preservation
3/22/2008 12:35:02 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, March 17, 2008 |