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FRIDAY JULY 15, 2022 • VOL. 52, NO. 28
A Series Of Plates And Flowerpots Made By Absalom Bixler In Lancaster County, Pa. Rare Pennsylvania German Redware In New England Museum By Justin W. Thomas The Beauport, Sleeper-MCann House is somewhat of a hidden gem in Gloucester, Mass., which displays two pieces of 19th-century red earthenware that I have always admired, made by Absalom Bixler (1802-84) in Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pa. According to Historic New England, “Beauport, the extraordinary creation of Henry Davis Sleeper (1878-1934), was built between 1907 and 1934 on Eastern Point in Gloucester, Mass. Its origins began conventionally enough as a Queen Anne cottage overlooking the harbor. A comfortable summer retreat for Sleeper, a well-to-do young bachelor from Boston, and his widowed mother. But scarcely had the house been finished when Sleeper began to lay plans for expanding it. Over the next 27 years he continually added rooms, each displayed with spectacular displays of objects. At the time of his death, he had run out of land on which to build, and Beauport had become a 40-room mansion labyrinth. “From hallway to dining room, from bedroom to alcove, every room at Beauport is decorated to express a theme. Sometimes the theme was historical, sometimes literary.” After sleeper’s death in 1934, Beauport was put up for sale.
SPNEA’s director, William Sumner Appleton (1874-1947), hoped to acquire the house and its contents for SPNEA (Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities). Before this could transpire, Mr. and Mrs. Charles E.F. McCann, who had first seen Beauport while on a yachting trip and had fallen in love with it, purchased the house and the grounds intact. The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA) is a nonprofit historic preservation organization founded in 1910, which today is Historic New England. In 1937, Mrs. McCann approached SPNEA with the idea of bequeathing the house to the society, but unfortunately, she was taken ill and died before plans could be worked out. Five years later, however, after the death of their father, the three McCann children, carried out their late parents’ wishes and donated the house and its contents to SPNEA. The objects made by Bixler that are owned by Historic New England include a dish that is stamped, “ABSALOM BIXLER / TO HIS WIFE SARAH / 1824,” as well as a flowerpot that is also stamped, “ABSALOM BIXLER / TO HIS WIFE SARAH / 1824.” Cynthia G. Falk wrote an article for the Spring 2005 issue of
Andrew Ford of Sarasota Estate Auction has again pulled in some important art consignments for the company’s two-day sale, Saturday and Sunday, July 23 and 24. Headlining this 1,800-lot auction will be works by 20th-century American artists Albert York, Romare Howard Bearden and John Chamberlain. More than 30 pieces of art glass from several artists including Dale Chihuly, Stephen Powell and Martin Blank will be sold from the Ringling collection to benefit scholarships at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fla. Albert York (1928-2009), a favorite artist of Jackie Kennedy, Continued on page 6
A 19th-century red earthenware flowerpot made by Absalom Bixler in Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pa., stamped “READY FOR A CATCH,” sold for $78,000 at Crocker Farm’s Spring 2022 auction. Image courtesy Crocker Farm.
The Collection Of Trish And The Late Don Herr Horst To Hold Sale On Sept. 17
This is the Beauport, Sleeper-MCann House in Gloucester, Mass.
This is a collection of plates made by Absalom Bixler in Lancaster County, Pa. Image courtesy Winterthur.
Sarasota Estate Auction Two-Day Modern Art, Glass, And Jewelry Sale Set For July 23 And 24
Winterthur Portfolio, titled, “Celebrating Years Together: Personal Commemorations and the Colonial Revival.” “During the second-half of the nineteenth century, Absalom Bixler presented a series of redware plates and flowerpots to his wife, Sarah. An impressed inscription on each marked it as a gift from husband to wife and included the date 1824, although Absalom and Sarah were not married until 1827. The plates and pots were commemorative, marking the longevity of their bond. They were produced during a period when it was increasingly common in the
United States to reflect on earlier times by memorializing patriotic events and celebrating handcraftsmanship.... Over the years the plates and flowerpots were acquired by collectors of Americana and eventually found their way into museum collections.” These types of wares can be found in Winterthur in Delaware, which likely possesses the largest collection of Bixler’s flowerpots and plates. Examples are also at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Interestingly, one of the best and largest flowerpots made by Continued on page 2
Horst Auctioneers of Ephrata, Pa., will hold a catalog sale on behalf of Trish and the late Don Herr on Saturday, Sept. 17, beginning at 9 a.m. A public preview will be held Friday, Sept. 16, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and starting at 7 a.m. on sale day. Color catalogs will be available by sending $30 to Horst Auction Center at 50 Durlach Road, Ephrata, Pa. 17522, or by pickup at the auction house for $20. Horst does not charge a buyer’s premium for in-house bidding. Fees for online and absentee bidding will apply. Continued on page 2
In This Issue SHOPS, SHOWS & MARKETS . . . . . . . . . starting on page 3 SHOPS DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . on page 4 EVENT & AUCTION CALENDAR . on page 5 AUCTION SALE BILLS . . starting on page 5 AUCTIONEER DIRECTORY . . . . on page 5
FEATURE AUCTION: Heritage’s Treasures Of The Silent Screen Movie Posters Auction - July 15 And 16 - Page 3
CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . .on page 7
