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The Most Widely Read Collector's Newspaper In The East Published Weekly By Joel Sater Publications www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
VOL. 46, NO. 35 FRIDAY AUGUST 28, 2015
The Ellie Hoover Walker Collection By Karl Pass
n Aug. 9, Skinner’s sold the Eleanor “Ellie” Hoover Walker (19242015) collection. The sale took place at Skinner Auctioneers’ Marlborough, Mass., facility. The company held a two-day August Americana sale on Aug. 8, and 9, which totaled $2,169,006 (including 23 percent buyer’s premium). At the beginning of day two, the Ellie Hoover Walker collection was sold in 324 lots (separate catalog) and totaled $1,042,265. Ellie Walker of Hudson, Ohio, was a longtime dealer and collector. She loved Pennsylvania German material, New England furniture, and spatterware china, among other things. She dealt in quality country Americana and did business with many wellknown dealers of the past. Among them included George
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An octagonal three-color rainbow spatter platter in a rare color combination of red, blue and green, measuring 12.25-by-9.25-inches, sold for $11,685. Walker loved spatterware china, which was popular with the Pennsylvania German market.
Massachusetts auction Samaha, Mary and Tom house did a fine job Thornton, and Joe handling the sale and Kindig. She also presented the material bought from many othvery well. ers, including Gus Walker was a colKnapp and Ross lector who edited Trump. Trump along through upgrading her with Ed Brown, like collections. She was many of the old-time active in the 1950s dealers, traveled east onward. Her spatterregularly on buying ware collection includtrips in the golden age ed a number of pieces of shop buying. Trump with rare color combiwas a customer of nations, and most of it Hattie Brunner and sold fine, given today’s brought loads of market. Anyone who Pennsylvania German has analyzed this spefolk art to Ohio. Walker cialized field realizes it was also friends with is not what it was 10 to fellow dealer Fritz 20 years ago. Ehrenfried. The two Spatterware china would do shows togethor simply “spatter” er, and Ehrenfried left a was heavily produced number of things to her in England largely in his will. throughout the second Walker was a longquarter of the 19th centime customer of tury and was a popular Garth’s in Delaware, export, especially with Ohio, and, on occasion, the Pennsylvania sold things through the auction house. She had a big The main star of the sale was this extraordinary German market. Yellow is a sale there on May 5 and 6, in paint-decorated yellow Federal two-drawer stand rare color in spatter. At this 1978, when she moved from with floral decoration on the drawers and black sale, a yellow covered sugar North Canton to Hudson. Her line banding and square tapered legs. It came from bowl with red thistle pattern Maine, circa 1830, and sold for $116,850. first husband was a Hoover Norway, “It was an electric moment,” said Chris Barber of sold for $984, and a yellow and an heir to the Hoover Skinner’s. The stand is widely considered one of spatter plate with red thistle Manufacturing Company. the finest pieces of paint-decorated New England sold for $1,107. Walker was They got a divorce, and years furniture to be sold at auction in many years. The a condition conscience later she married Captain buyer was dealer David Wheatcroft bidding by buyer, yet some pieces did phone on behalf of a client. have minor imperfections. Lewis Walker Jr. A blue spatter teapot with “We were honored to put peafowl decoration brought a catalog and sale together for Ellie, who was not only well(Continued on page 2) respected but a genuine nice person,” said Chris Barber, deputy This small green ground paint-decodirector at Skinner’s. The rated slide-lid Weber box with
This very good paint-decorated Berks County, Pa., lift-top chest was illustrated in Monroe Fabian’s “The Pennsylvania-German Decorated Chest.” It was purchased in the 1950s from Ginsburg & Levy. The chest sold for $159,000 to Pat Bell of Olde Hope Antiques in the salesroom. “The chest was the one item in the sale which some considered to have been given an aggressive estimate (est. $150,000-$250,000), but I think it brought a fair price and was worth it for both sides (the buyer and seller),” said one observer. The hammer price was $130,000.
This Samuel Plank paint-decorated wooden hanging box was a highlight of the sale and sold to dealer Philip Bradley in the salesroom for $58,425. Samuel Plank (1821-1900) of Allensville, Mifflin County, Pa., was an Amish schoolteacher who also spent time in Illinois.
This 4-by-3 1/8-inch (image size) framed watercolor depicting a woman holding a bird and two tulips with the initials and date “E.K. This pair of John Samuel Blunt (1798-1835) portraits signed and dated 1825” in the upper right corner sold “January 1832” depicting Timothy Loring Boutelle and his sister sold for for $11,685. It was ex. David $29,520. Wheatcroft.
The printed birth and baptismal certicate with freehand decoration attributed to the “Ehre Vater” artist sold for $6,765.
The 3.5-inch-high paint-decorated wooden child’s pail with blue ground and red stars and wire bail handle realized $2,214.
initials “LW” on the lid realized $44,280. It was cataloged as by Jacob Weber (1772-1865) of Fivepointville, Lancaster County, Pa. The distinctive work of this individual is usually attributed to Jonas Weber (1810-76) and assigned to Leacock Township. Fivepointville is in Brecknock Township. Few slide-lid boxes by Weber are known. Probably six survive today. The sliding lid on this example underwent restoration. There was a half-inch wide patch to the bottom, and four or five nails were added to one end of the box. On Aug. 4, 2012, through Northeast Auctions, a larger sized slide-lid Weber box sold for $73,160 at the Ciccotelli collection sale.
A very small paint decorated tin snuff box on red ground with yellow striping depicting a woman holding a bird sold for $615.
This fraktur from Lancaster County, Pa., with vibrant and intricate birds, tulips and heart all stemming from a small urn on bottom center for “Elizabeth Schowalter” and dated “1838” sold for $27,060.