The Summer Collections sale features selections from three estates from as far away as Kincardine on Georgian Bay and two estates in the GTA. Here’s a behind the scenes look at what we have in this auction.
From one estate comes several examples of collector quality early lighting. The pieces were collected with care over many years. There are early whale oil lamps, including glass font, fine brass and brass and iron examples. There is an early Ipswich lamp which was the successor to the iron betty lamp but only made for a few decades as it was replaced by the more modern technology of kerosene lighting. The collection has examples of early candle lanterns including one pierced tin lantern with two small windows making it almost a two way “flashlight”. Many of the pieces had tags attached by the collector identifying where the piece was purchased keeping the history of the collection intact.
Complementing the early lighting are fine examples of early iron from boot scrapes to peels and spatulas, to kettles and forged and cast iron cooking instruments like toasters and fry pans. Many of these pieces originated in PA, upstate NY and Ontario. There is a pristine cast iron stove made by the Fawcett Mfg. Co., Sackville, NB. When you look at the detail to the door and the sides you realize how much pride of craftsmanship went into early manufacture. The simple stove is a work of art, even though it was designed to heat the cramped quarters of a fishing boat or train car.
There are only a handful of books in this sale but they are worthy of note. There is an original Canadian Atlas from 1906. The collectors were always on the look-out for the unusual. Check out the early small book by Spaulding. It was ironic to leaf through the book and read a lament as to how the national game of America had changed and was beginning to be commercialized like selling commodities in the market. It is a real time piece.
There are two highlight first editions. A 1743 edition of The British Monarchy or a New Chorographical Description of what the King of England controlled back in 1743. Times have changed for England. Note also the very scarce Mennonite religious tome published in Pennsylvania in 1814. Both books are in very good condition especially for their age.
Our auction also has some European paintings. One painting that jumped off the canvas so to speak is the still life by Geza Voros. It is a vibrant work by an internationally acclaimed artist. Done in the mid 1930’s it would enhance any mid-century setting. Think a Hungarian Georgia O’Keefe – but affordable.
There are fun things in the auction for the folk art collector. The rooster made of heavy gauge found metal is definitely large and in-charge. Someone with some creativity and a limited budget took old machinery or truck pieces and welded them together into a very bold rooster.
For the sports collector we have a few offerings. There is a one piece hockey stick in good played with condition from Breslau. It is even a left handed model! And for the baseball collector there is an early photo of the Wellington baseball club winning the Mack Trophy back in 1909. Wonder what they would have said about the commercialization of the game as Spaulding wrote about. These guys were all amateurs.
Two other items of note are for the sign collectors or history buffs. We have listed for sale the store sign for John Graydon. He was one of the early builders in Streetsville, Ontario now Mississauga with a population of nearly 750,000 today. He lived on Queen Street in Streetsville. His house from 1862 still stands today. There is as well the Canadian photography window sign from Walkerton, Ontario for H. M. Grisdale. He had a photograph and framing studio in town and is listed in the Bruce County Archives. Interestingly the sign was made in the US by Matthews Decorative Glass Company, NY. The maker’s signature is so small you will take a long time to find it.
Those are some of the back stories. Til next time.
