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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. 5 FRIDAY JANUARY 30, 2015
“The Musselmans Of Murrell, Pioneer Dealers In Pennsylvania German And Early American Antiques” New Journal From The Historical Society Of The Cocalico Valley Gives Well-Researched Look At Family Pennypacker’s and several (by Horst) were benefit auctions for the HSCV. A sale of millstones was held in 2001 by Witman Auctioneers. Thanks to David and Sara’s children, the business’ daybooks, which recorded purchase and s a l e s records, w e r e given to t h e H S C V. Spohn spent the better part of a y e a r This is Ada t r a n M e l l i n g e r scribing Musselman and them into Clayton Shirk a searchMusselman in able comMarch of 1909. puterized database. Records do not exist Researchers can for purchases or sales now search for types following 1946. of objects and names of David and Sara married in 1941. David was a founding mem- sellers and buyers. These records ber of the HSCV and its first presi- were the basis of the journal project dent. Upon his death in 1974 and and are a valuable resource. Spohn throughout her ensuing years, Sara is not a stranger to this type of work. slowly began dispersing the collec- During the HSCV’s Hattie Klapp tions. She liquidated the vast Brunner (1889-1982) journal and inventory (roughly 10,000 objects) exhibit project in 2010, thanks to over the span of more than two Raymond Brunner who donated decades. Spohn cataloged 27 of Hattie’s daybooks, Spohn computthem, all for Horst Auction Center. erized those records as well. The 1920s represented an There were 47 sales in total. Two sales in the ’70s were held at intriquing era for enterpreneurs such as the Musselmans who were venturing into the antiques business. The country celebrated its sesquicentennial in 1926 and interest in both the decorative arts and Colonial Revival property heightened. In 1929, The Great Depression had begun in the country, lastThese are the Musselman houses as they appear today on Route 322. The ing into the early 1940s. one on the left was the residence and shop of Clayton and Ada and the one Antiques were disposed of on the right was the house of Clayton’s parents, David and Annie. for cash. Clayton and Ada ran a viable business Clayton Musselman purchased a collection of 97 pencil and watercolor drawings in 1932 for throughout this entire $5. This example was stamped on reverse period. They operated on “Lizzie L. Lapp.” It sold on May 29, 1979, for a high volume level, buying and selling everything $3,125. By Karl Pass
he newest journal (Vol. XXXIX 2014) from the Historical Society of the Cocalico Valley (HSCV) is titled “The Musselmans Of Murrell, Pioneer Dealers In Pennsylvania German And Early American Antiques.” Written by Clarence Spohn, this informative publication is the accompaniment to an exhibition to be held at the society’s museum from mid-February to the end of 2015. The historical society is located at 237-249 W. Main St. in Ephrata, Pa., a small town in northern Lancaster County. Excellent work is currently being done at this small, but active, organization. The society, dwarfed by the size of the more w e l l - k n o w n LancasterHistory.org, publishes wellresearched journals and mounts informative exhibitions. This is due in large part to Spohn and Cynthia Marquet. Spohn is a scholar who previously worked at the Ephrata Cloister (a state historic site) and was the cataloger for the Horst Auction Center. He
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now solely devotes his time to the HSCV. Marquet is the society’s librarian. This journal (and corresponding exhibit) tell the story of the antique dealers’ Clayton and Ada Musselman and their son, David, who ran an early and large scale antiques business in Murrell, Pa. (now part of Ephrata). The bulk of the story takes place from 1922 to 1946. The HSCV journal is dedicated to the memory and vision of Sara
This bracket clock (left), photo taken circa 1925, was sold by Sara to clock specialist Ed LaFond Jr. in 1977 for $2,500. The brass dial is initialed “SM,” which is believed to stand for Samuel Meyli. The case is believed to have been made circa 1750-60 in the Octorara area of eastern Lancaster County and western Chester County, Pa. (right) Here is the bracket clock present day. Image courtesy of Will LaFond.
Musselman (1918-2001). She was the wife of David M. Musselman and daughter-in-law of Clayton and Ada. Clayton died in 1939 and Ada in 1946. After Ada’s passing, the enormous inventory of antiques went to David. Even though David (1915-1974) was an active partner in the business, 1946 essentially marked the closing of the family antiques business. David continued to buy, and on occasion to sell, although he remained mostly content to simply warehouse the i n v e n t o r y.
from American pattern glass, English china, linens, prints, tools, hardware, coins, Native American artifacts, primitives, furniture and millstones. Chapters in the journal outline their stock, how they advertised, and how and where they bought. Another informative part of Spohn’s work is the conversion of prices using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to the 2013 dollar equivalent. For example, $1 in 1935 equals $17 in 2013 dollars using the CPI. One of the first auctions Sara held was through Pennypacker’s on May 12, 1975. The highest priced lot from the sale was a paint-decorated box that sold for $3,200. In the catalog it was described as a “decorated round top hinged bonnet box, original and came out of the Cloister place.” Today, the box would be cataloged as being a Lancaster County “Compass Artist” box. The Musselmans likely purchased the box from someone who had lived on the Cloister grounds, but the affliation ends there, according to Spohn. Up until the early 1940s, many peo(Continued on page 2)
It is unknown when the Musselmans purchased this inlaid Chester County, Pa., walnut spice chest. It was sold by Sara in 2001 at Horst Auction Center for $139,000. The buyer in the salesroom was Chris Machmer. The underbidder in the salesroom was Harry Hartman. It sold at the Richard and Rosemarie Machmer sale held by Pook & Pook in 2008 for $76,050. The buyer in the salesroom was Harry Hartman. Today, it is in a private Philadelphia area collection.
In 1931, shortly following the demolition of Stober’s Mill, Clayton and Ada Musselman bought two date stones from the mill for $5 each. “It is believed that the mill was built in 1823 and enlarged in 1829,” said Clarence Spohn. The date stones are by the same carver and were purchased together from the mill, which closed in 1930 and was located on Indiantown Creek. “The property was right on the line between Clay Township and West Cocalico Township in Lancaster County,” said Spohn. The location of the 1829 stone is unknown today. The 1823 stone sold to Spohn bidding on behalf of the Historical Society of the Cocalico Valley at a John Hess auction in the fall of 2014 This is the 1829 date stone for $2,500. This is the 1823 date stone “We had a stand built for it, and it will be in from Stober’s Mill. The from Stober’s Mill. The the exhibition,” said Spohn. photo was taken in 1931. photo was taken in 2014.