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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. 11 FRIDAY MARCH 13, 2015
Stoneware Pepperpot Sells For $47,200 At Conestoga/Hess Auction Group Catalog Sale By Karl Pass
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onestoga Auction Company, a division of the Hess Auction Group owned by John M. Hess Auction Service of Manheim, Pa., held a 630-lot winter catalog sale on Feb. 21 at their recently renovated facility. The Graystone Road building across the street from Root’s Market outside of Manheim, has been greatly enhanced under Hess’ ownership. Wooden barn siding has been artfully installed on the walls and surrounding the auction podium, modern ceiling lights have replaced the dated drop ceiling panels and old lighting system, and the dated tile floor has been removed. The office and food area were also both completely remodeled and modernized. To the surprise of everyone in the salesroom, especially the consignors, this 3.75-inch-high domed top salt glazed stoneware pepperpot with incised decoration and signed on the base “F.H. Cowden, Hr. (Harrisburg), Oct. 1861” sold to a collector in the salesroom for $47,200. It was underbid by a phone bidder.
The result is a much cleaner, better lit, and professional appearing facility. The company held a catered reception on Feb. 19, the Thursday afternoon prior to the sale, to formally introduce the public to the remodeled salesroom and to serve as a preview for their first official catalog sale under the joint banner of the Hess Auction Group. The organization formed this past November when John M. Hess a c q u i r e d Conestoga A u c t i o n Company. Jeff and Doris DeHart have stayed on and will assist in catalog sales for the
near future. Longtime Conestoga auctioneer Doug Ebersole is no longer calling sales for the company but is now working for Witman Auctioneers, also of Manheim. The deal did, however, become a homecoming of sorts for auctioneer Phil Nissley of John M. Hess Auction Service, as he had previously worked at Conestoga for many years prior to becoming a partner at John M. Hess. The Saturday auction grossed $241,951 (including the 18 percent buyer’s premium). There were 188 in-house registered bidders and 651 online registered bidders through the Live Auctioneers platform. Carnival glass was sold first, followed by about 75 lots of assorted glassware, some local in interest. A Lititz Spring straight rye whiskey enamel bottle with four shot glasses, each etched “John C. Hurting, Lititz, PA” sold for $884. More local advertising included six similar acid-etched shot glasses from Rohrer’s in Lancaster and John C. Hurting in Lititz. The group sold for $154. Various English china followed. A Gaudy Dutch “urn” pattern toddy plate in good condition realized $884. A bulbous form mochaware cream pitcher in seaweed pattern on yellow ground with brown banding and some professional restoration sold for $1,003. The first of two groupings of furniture were sold around noon as snow began to fall (only about a inch or two total came down throughout the afternoon). A fine York County, Pa., two-piece boldly grain
paint-decorated corner cupboard attributed to John Rupp (1809-99) in good condition sold to a collector in the salesroom for $9,440. A New England Queen Anne tiger maple bonnet top highboy with original hardware cataloged as being in good (Continued on page 2)
John Hess takes a bid while selling the York County, Pa., paint-decorated corner cupboard as seen on the screen. It brought $9,440.
The Gaudy Dutch soft paste china “urn” pattern bowl sold for $944.
This York County, Pa., paint-decorated twopiece corner cupboard attributed to John Rupp (1809-99) with little wear and bold grain paint decoration sold for $9,440. The Hess Auction Group is slated to have a busy 2015. They are holding an on-site sale at Taylor Mansion, the former residence of Barbara and the late Lester Breininger on Saturday, March 21, and they are selling the vast personal collection and inventory belonging to the late Harry B. Hartman. They will sell the Hartman collection in a series of three two-day sales. Hartman was an instrumental figure in the Pennsylvania antiquing community for over 50 years. Known for his impeccable taste and eye for
A turned and paint-decorated wooden cup and saucer signed on the base of the saucer “Made by Joseph L. Lehn in his 91 year A Jasper F. Cropsey (1823-1900) Hudson River School watercolor landscape dated “1882,” August 2, 1888” in excellent condition sold for measuring (image size) 8-by-16-inches and authenticated by the Newington-Cropsey Foundation, sold for $15,340. $2,360.
design, the interior decorator and antiques dealer was revered by many and had a top notch reputation for both honesty and quality, the former trait especially vital in the diehard antiques industry. Hartman was a fixture in the right front row at every major Conestoga sale and was good friends with the late Walter L. (Larry) Bomberger Jr., who used to own the company, so it was not a major surprise when Hartman’s business partner, Oliver Overlander II, consigned the estate to the company. Overlander and his wife,
Judith, reside in Marietta, Pa., and lived next door to Hartman. Jeff DeHart was a key figure in orchestrating how the collection will be handled. “What Oliver and I did at the house was tag one third of a category for each of the three sales,” said DeHart. “Everything will be sold, except there were a couple things Harry gave to Oliver prior to his passing. The entire contents of the shop and house will make up about 3,000 lots.” The schedule is to hold a twoday sale on Friday and Saturday,
May 15 and 16; another on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 14 and 15; and another on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20 and 21. “We want each one to be exciting. That is why we split each group in thirds. For example, we tagged 150 lots of stoneware, so roughly 50 will be sold in each sale,” said DeHart. “We are very excited,” stated Phil Nissley. They have every reason to be. The estate represents the most important one to come to the auction house in 15 years, since the landmark Clyde and Betty Youtz estate sales. “We did
those in four single-day sales,” said DeHart. The collection was sold over two years. The first sale was April 1, 2000, and it is still considered by many to have represented a high water mark for the country Americana market. It was the strongest of the four in terms of overall material, and the salesroom just barely supported the masses in attendance. Record prices were paid for an array of items. For regional followers of the Americana field, expect a major shotin-the-arm during the series of sales for the late Hartman.