COMPLIMENTARY COPY
Selkirk Sells 18th-Century Chinese Porcelain Bowl For $62,500
FRIDAY AUGUST 31, 2018 • VOL. 49, NO. 35
Original 1881 Model Of Alexander Graham Bell And Thomas A. Watson’s First Telephone Sells For $40,000
Selkirk Auctioneers of St. Louis, Mo., sold a rare 18th-century Yongzheng Doucai porcelain bowl on July 21 for $62,500. The consignor was MacMurray College, and the buyer was an online bidder from China. The six-character Yongzheng mark small period bowl measured 4 1/8 inches diameter and 2 1/8 inches in height with thin double lines to both sides of slight rim above tapered curvature walls, the well delicately and
Exciting Bruneau & Co. Auction Held Aug. 4 An original model of Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas A. Watson’s very first telephone from 1881 sold for $40,000, and a rare circa 1876 Bell Butter Stamp magneto telephone originally installed at a residence in Newport, R.I., in The Bell and Watson prototype phone, accompanied by 1891 brought $27,500 at an original 1881 patent paperwork and a tag with Watson’s historical telephone auction handwritten name and the date, Aug. 2, 1881, sold for held Aug. 4 by Bruneau & Co. $40,000. Auctioneers in Cranston, R. I. The auction was held online and in Bruneau & Co.’s gallery. Featured were items from two regional chapters of the Telephone Pioneers of America Museum: the William J. Denver Chapter #20 museum in Providence, R.I., and the Excelsior Chapter #98 in Buffalo, N.Y. A live-only pre-sale event took place at 10 a.m. and was followed by the main cataloged auction. The metal-and-wood Bell and Watson prototype phone was accompanied by original 1881 patent paperwork and a tag with Watson’s handwritten name and the date August 2, 1881. The Bell Butter Stamp magneto This rare circa 1876 Bell Butter Stamp magphone was mounted to an easel neto telephone originally installed at the resboard and had the original museum idence of Malvina K. Wetmore in Newport, label, stating it had been installed R.I., in 1891, sold for $27,500. “many years ago in the Malvina K. summer White House. In all, over Wetmore residence” in Newport. The auction presented an excit- 500 lots crossed the auction block. “It was a thrill and a half to haming and rare collection of historical telephones, photographs, maps, mer down the Thomas A. Watson cables, prototypes, ephemera and prototype and Butter Stamp magnemore, ranging from the first to telephone,” said Travis Landry, a phone/emergency call box ever Bruneau & Co. specialist and aucinstalled in the Yukon in Canada to tioneer. “I really don’t know if and the telephone from President when I will be able to handle such Dwight Eisenhower’s Newport Continued on page 2
This large group photograph taken around 1911 of Henry Street Garage telephone linemen, some shown seated on motorcycles, cars and horse-drawn carriages, sold for $2,000.
elegantly painted in light pastel tones of pink, red, blue, yellow, and green whilst outlined in underglaze-blue. The same technique continues to exterior pattern of three lotus medallions alternating with stylized foliate amphorae and butterfly shaped sprigs, supported by ringed footing with reign mark. It was estimated at $2,500-$7,500. For more information, visit www.selkirkauctions.com.
AAN Current News
August Americana Auctions Exceed $2.7 Million on page 2
Fans Jump To Light Speed For World’s Most Expensive “Star Wars” Movie Poster
Book Signing To Feature Gore And Petre on page 9
1980 Concept Poster For “The Empire Strikes Back” Sells For $26,400 A rare “Star Wars” concept poster printed for the 1980 sequel, “The Empire Strikes Back,” sold on July 29 for $26,400 at Heritage Auctions, setting a world record as the most expensive movie poster from the space opera ever sold at auction. The poster was estimated to sell for between $5,000 and $10,000 in Heritage Auctions’ Movie Poster Auction, which realized more than $1.6 million. “This poster is considered to be one of the more rare posters in the entire ‘Star Wars’ trilogy,” said Grey Smith, director of vintage posters at Heritage Auctions. “This poster is unique as it features the complete Kastel artwork in the original color palette for the second in George Lucas’ trilogy.” One of a handful of original examples known to exist, the poster was a trial run featuring art by artist Roger Kastel. Kastel took inspiration from a poster for “Gone With the Wind” for the film’s 1974
Cinnabar Bento Box Climbs To $23,750 At Nye & Company Auction on page 12
Fine Estate Furnishings And Decorative Arts Slated For Briggs Auction On Sept. 14 on page 15
re-release. That poster features an image of Clark Gable carrying Vivien Leigh surrounded by flames. In Kastel’s poster, characters Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa share a similar embrace while surrounded by action scenes and a menacing Continued on page 2
In This Issue SHOPS, SHOWS & MARKETS . . . . . . . . . . starting on page 3 SHOPS DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . on page 6 EVENT & AUCTION CALENDAR
on page 10
AUCTION SALE BILLS . . starting on page 10
FEATURED AUCTION RESULTS: Nye & Company Auctioneers - July 25 and 26 in Bloomfield, New Jersey - Page 12
AUCTIONEER DIRECTORY . . . . on page 11 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . on page 15