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Bruce Gimelson I will be exhibiting at the 5th Wall Street Collectors Bourse, 48 Wall Street (The Financial History Museum, diagonally opposite the New York Stock Exchange) from October 22-24, 2015. NICHOLAS ALDEN BROOKS Pair of Trompe-l’oeil Oil Paintings
Nicholas Alden Brooks. Oil on board, 7½ x 11 inches, “Five Dollar Bill,” signed lower left. On back are six dealer tags: Adams Davidson Galleries, Hirschl & Adler Galleries, Robert Hicklin Jr., Inc, Beacon Hill, William Vareika Fine Arts, and R.H. Love Galleries.
Nicholas Alden Brooks. Oil on board, 7½ x 11 inches, “Ten Dollar Bill,” unsigned. On back are four dealer tags: Hirschl & Adler Galleries, R.H. Love Galleries, William Vareika Fine Arts, and Robert Hicklin, Jr., Inc. Two veneered wooden frames, different sizes, photographed same size for uniformity. Paintings are both 7½ x 11 inches. DANIEL BOONE Original Handwritten Letter of Daniel Boone to His Business Partner, Thomas Hart
Boone, Daniel (1734-1820) American frontiersman and folk hero. Autograph letter signed twice, (“Daniel Boone”), and initialed (“D B”), one page, 12½ x 8 1/8 in., no place, August 11, 1785. To Thomas Hart in Hagerstown, Maryland. Docketed on verso; mounted on paper, very toned; slight marginal chipping and fraying, still very fine for the period. Boone writes to his friend and business partner, Thomas Hart, regarding a plot of land he has located for Hart in the same area Boone himself would settle in 1786. He describes the plot of land, near Limestone, Kentucky: “Dear Col. / A Col Rochester will inform you of Every surcomstance in Regard to your Land afares. I shall only ad that the Land I Located for you is good Exsept about 3 or 4 hundred acres in the SE Corner…. the Land Lyes about 15 Miles from the Mouth of Limstone and if you or Col Rochester should come Down the River Next Spring I hope to be Living at that place and R[e]ady to show you your Land. My famyly are all Well hoping yours are in the Same. I am Dear Sir with the gratest Respect….” Boone confirms that their mutual friend and business partner, Colonel (Nathaniel) Rochester (after whom Rochester, New York was named) has settled all Boone’s expenses for Hart’s land. Ex-collection Frank T. Siebert (Sotheby’s sale number 7315, May 21, 1999, lot number 298). THEODORE ROOSEVELT Rare American Eagle and American Shield in Crewelwork Table Covering from the Theodore Roosevelt White House
Provenance: In 1908, gift from Theodore Roosevelt to his good friend and attorney, Edwin Simms of Chicago, Illinois. From thence to his son, Edwin Simms, Jr. Acquired from Edwin Simms, Jr. by Gerald E. Czulewicz (A notarized statement detailing the chain of ownership signed by Mr. Czulewicz in 2001 accompanies this item.) In the notarized statement Mr. Czulewicz states, “It was personally shown to Mr. Clement Conger, former Head Curator of The White House, State Department, and Blair House, for purposes of authentication. Mr. Conger concurred the likelihood of its history.” WINSLOW HOMER Original Winslow Homer Civil War Painting
Winslow Homer (1836-1910) Defense of the Baggage Train, circa 1887-88, gouache, pen and ink on paper, 9½ x 17½ inches. Initialed and dated lower right: “W.H. 1865” with inscription on back paper in two different hands titling the work and presenting it to “A.B. Homer.” Provenance: Arthur B. Homer, nd: probably Benjamin Franklin Seavey, Prout’s Neck, ME, nd; probably Barry Mohun, Prout’s Neck, ME, nd; Robert B. and Elizabeth Mohun Coburn, Bloomfield, CT, nd; Barry Coburn, their son, c. 1990. This fine piece is in the Homer catalog by Gerdts and Goodrich and is accompanied by a letter from Mrs. Abigail Gerdts. THE KING’S CUP
Inscribed on one side of this great chalice-shaped trophy is the following: This trophy presented by the New York Yacht Club to George M. Pynchon owner of the sloop “Istalena” in recognition of “Istalena’s” winning The King’s cup at Newport, August 7th, 1909. George M. Pynchon, a wealthy New York businessman, was a member of the New York Yacht Club in the first decade of the 20th century. Along with other members, including Cornelius Vanderbilt, Pynchon enjoyed yachting as an escape from a busy life. Pynchon had several yachts designed over the years and to this day, a search continues for the hull of the Istalena, now believed to be in Venezuela. Pynchon had input into the construction of Vanderbilt’s yacht the Reliance, which successfully defended the America’s Cup in 1903. Pynchon also won the King Edward VII Cup in the Istalena in 1909. It is interesting to note that Cornelius Vanderbilt’s yacht the Aurora finished second to the Istalena in the 1909 King’s Cup race. Included with this important trophy is a leather-bound book of 16 original professional period photographs by Edwin Levick, New York, of the Istalena and another yacht, probably also belonging to Pynchon, the Vasanta. All are mounted, in excellent condition.
Bruce Gimelson |
Oval off-white linen cloth, decorated in beautifully detailed hand crewelwork, with blazing red, white, and blue 13 star and stripe American shield above a silver American eagle, the central image encircled by two gold laurel branches extending up and around the eagle’s claws. There is a four-inch hand crocheted border. This historic table covering once adorned the private quarters of President Theodore Roosevelt in the White House.
The King’s Cup is a major yachting trophy presented by the New York Yacht Club. It is made by Tiffany & Company of sterling silver with a gold vermeil finish. The cup itself is splendid with two acanthus sheathed scroll handles, chased decoration all around, and a pineapple finial at top above a tapering body. It measures approximately 11 inches high. On the bottom is the maker’s signature: Tiffany & Company / 1089 Makers 8194 – 925.1000. “M”. 1½ pints.
