RIPLEY AUCTIONS Fine Art + Design Sale May 2, 2013 Highlighted selections from the 1939 Art Deco home of Indianapolis race car driver and engineer Louis Schwitzer
Lots 218 - 311 Special selections from the home of Indianapolis race car driver and businessman Louis Schwitzer Ripley Auctions is pleased to present this large collection of art and architectural elements from the 1939 Art Deco mansion of Indianapolis race car driver and engineer Louis Schwitzer as a highlight of the May Fine Art + Design Sale. Schwitzer, who won the first race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909 and has long been recognized as an early innovator in technical development in the automotive and transportation industry, hired prominent Indiana architect Edwin Kopf to design the house in 1937 as a tribute to his late wife. Featured in the sale are a large-scale mural and several limestone relief carvings by Pierre Bourdelle, an internationally renowned artist who executed murals and reliefs in public and private collections throughout the United States and abroad. The sale also includes a selection of bathroom fixtures from the Crane Neuvogue Collection, which was designed by Henry Dreyfuss, one of the leading industrial designers associated with the late Art-Deco aesthetic movement Streamline Moderne. Many of the original lighting fixtures, doors and other decorative and functional elements from the Schwitzer home are also being offered in this sale.
Lot 218 Pierre Van Parys Bourdelle (French, 1903-1966), “Imagination Ariénne” c. 1939; oil/canvas, 42 x 124”, signed and dated.
This mural was originally mounted to a curved wall in the bar. It was professionally removed and is in excellent, pliable condition. It could be remounted to a wall or put on stretchers. While this is an easy project, it is more practical to do this after it is shipped to the general location where it will remain.
Pierre Van Parys Bourdelle Pierre Van Parys Bourdelle was born in Paris, France, on April 21, 1901, the son of the famous French sculptor Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929). He fought in WWI, suffering severe physical trauma which resulted in him becoming deaf. He was embittered by this experience, and it shows in his art. Bourdelle studied under Rodin (who studied with the senior Bourdelle), graduated from Lycée Henrî in 1918 and the Sorbonne in 1921. In 1929 he moved to the United States. He was an artist operating out of New York in the 30’s-40’s. Bourdelle tried to make a living with corporate contracts, and he produced largescale paintings, murals and reliefs for many architectural projects in New York and other cities, as well as for a number of ships, including the huge murals in the dining room of the SS America. He executed an important commission at Cincinnati’s Union Terminal in 1933, and in 1939, he executed a spectacular mural/relief for the Food Building at the World’s Fair in New York. In 1936, he contributed a mural to the historic renovation of the Centennial Building at Fair Park (Dallas, TX), titled, “Speed.” Working through several different architectural design houses, he also created a number of artworks for the rail industry including the California Zephyr. His CZ works were carved linoleum sculptures that adorned the bar fronts in the dome-buffet and lounge-observation cars, a wall map of the CZ’s route in the buffet’s coffee shop, and the Steward’s podium in the diner. Pierre Bourdelle died in Geneva, Switzerland on July 5, 1966. Bourdelle also created the limestone relief carvings offered as lots 279 - 286.
Lot 219 Art Deco linoleum mosaic in the form of a compass; Hand-tooled multi-colored linoleum with a metal center; 37.75� diameter. This was originally inlaid in the floor of the bar, and was removed and mounted on wood. It may be hung on the wall or inlaid into an existing surface. Estimate $800-1,200
Lot 220 Art Deco chrome and glass wall sconce; slumped sheet glass with applied enamel design. 18� L Estimate $600-800
Lot 223 Art Deco light fixture; dramatic machine age aesthetic. 9� H Estimate $300-500
Lot 226 Machine Age standard door, c. 1939; Inlaid metal and enamel “propeller” design on one side; solid red enamel on the verso. Unique original bullet-shaped hinges. 84” x 31 1/2” Estimate $3,000-5,000
Lot 227 Art Deco Fireplace Screen, glass and aluminum, both cast and cut. Highly-stylized "skyscraper" motif reminiscent of Bel Geddes' designs. Largest glass measures 32" x 48.5" Estimate $5,000-7,000
Lot 233 Lot of four Art Deco chrome grills; Numerous examples available for same money. Estimate $200-300
Lots 235, 244, 241, 240 Metal architectural design element; signs of the zodiac, these were originally inlaid into a lacquered cork floor. They are very decorative in their current state, or they may be incorporated as a design element into an existing structure. 4 1/4� L (each) Estimate $200-300
Henry Dreyfuss (American, 1904-1972) A noted industrial designer of the 1930s and 40s, Henry Dreyfuss was born in New York City in 1904. Until 1920, Dreyfuss studied as an apprentice to theatrical designer Norman Bel Geddes, who later became his competitor. Dreyfuss opened his own office in 1929 for theatrical and industrial design activities. It was an immediate and long-lasting commercial success, with such major corporate clients as Western Electric (the 302 “Lucy” telephone), Hoover (1st upright vacuum with Bakelite hood), Westclox (Big Ben alarm clock) and the New York Central Railroad (20th Century Limited locomotive). Other Dreyfuss products and clients include, American Thermos, General Electric (flat topped refrigerator), Sears Roebuck (Toperator washing machine), Polaroid Land camera, 1939 World’s Fair (Democracity futuristic 2039 city and the AT & T pavilion featuring the Vodar voice synthesizer exhibit), John Deere (Model A and Model B tractors), WahlEversharp (Skyline fountain pen), Bell System (Model 500, Princess and Trimline phones), safety razors (Pal, Gem & Flicker) and Honeywell (round thermostat). Dreyfuss was commissioned by the Crane Plumbing Company to design a line of bath fixtures and fittings that debuted in 1936. The Neuvogue fixtures display the streamline look of the late 1930s while featuring ultra modern design characteristics meant to improve function and usability. The toilet itself was notable for being exceptionally quiet as well as for its ergonomic design. The pedestal sink is a large 27” x 22” size with a unique 1/2 round shaped bowl that left room in the back corners to set toiletries. The raised china waterfall hood behind the basin contains the spout and valves all in one place. The handles on the sink, as well as all handles in the Neuvogue line were sleek , chrome-plated lever and ovoid shapes, called “Futura”. The column is a modern design that mimics that the shape of the toilet, making a “complete bathroom of harmonious modern beauty.” Dreyfuss was featured twice in Fortune magazine, once in 1934 as the subject of an article about product design by designer George Nelson and once in 1951 on the cover. Dreyfuss’s 1955 book, Designing for People, and 1960 The Measure of Man are considered class reference texts, as was his 1972 “Symbol Sourcebook: An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols.
Lot 249 Henry Dreyfuss Neuvogue Toliet-Red, c. 1939; viteous china, manufactured by Trenton Potteries Company for Crane Co., Chicago. Signed with manufacturer’s stamp. There are several distinctive design characteristics of the Neuvogue toilet that made it unique: it was extraordinarily quiet because the tank bolts directly to the bowl, which is encased inside an integral china outer shell. The water rushing through the bowl is muffled by the encasement of the bowl. The elongated basin created a very large water surface. The basin rim is sunken toward the rear with a correct posture full saddle-shaped seat. Finally, the clean, tall vertical all-in-one piece appearance of the basin and tank, which was considered ultra-modern in the 1930s. This is one of seven Dreyfuss toilets in a variety of colors being offered in this sale. Estimate $3,000-5,000
Lot 265 Pair of thermostats designed by Henry Dreyfuss for Minneapolis-Honeywell, c. 1939. Estimate $100-200
Lot 270 Bronze Compass Medallian; Marked “Rockwood Mfg Co, Indianapolis 1853” Underneath, 10” Diameter. Estimate: $250 - 350
Lot 271 Three 1930s “porthole� hinged doors, used as covers for a laundry chute. Estimate $750-1,000
Lot 277 Art Deco stainless steel staircase rail Estimate $3,000-5,000
Lot 278 1930s Frigidaire refrigerator. Estimate $300-500
Lot 281 Pierre Bourdelle, Limestone relief Estimate $3,000-5,000
Lot 285 Pierre Bourdelle, Limestone relief Estimate $3,000-5,000
Lot 300 Bronze and glass, art deco style doors; Center functions and two on either side are stationary. Estimate $2,500-4,500
Ripley Auctions
2764 E. 55th Place Indianapolis, IN 46220 317.251.5635 www.ripleyauctions.com
Lot 308 Art Modern Stainless Steel Railing, Estimate $2,000 - 3,000