Researching a Luftwaffe relic
As a piece of furniture, the cabinet is admittedly unremarkable: clean, Art Deco lines, with contrasting inlay and burl woods. The circular lock plate and hinges add to its sleek, industrial elegance. Open the doors, though, and everything changes. Some emotional...
Selection of Modern art to be offered in March sale
The March 15 Exceptional Estates auction at Blackwell represents the best selection of fine art we’ve handled in a single sale. Highlights include original works and limited edition multiples by Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Joan Miro, Salvador Dali,...
Dramatic Confederate letter home, Seven Days Battle
Text of a CSA soldier's letter to his sister. Lot 248 in the Exceptional Estates auction, December 7, 2024. Some punctuation added for clarity. Camp six miles from Richmond, July 13 [1862] Dear sister, I improve the first opportunity that I have had of writing since I...
John Dickinson furniture found in Florida
Blackwell Auctions has obtained several important pieces by San Francisco designer John Dickinson (American, 1920-1982), which will be offered in the December event. Included are five of Dickinson’s signature rope stools (three white and two painted), an Etruscan...
What happened with Roosevelt’s watch
It’s early March, 2023. Our auction gallery is all set up for preview. Paintings are hung neatly on the slatwall, and shelves are full of interesting historic items. We’re all ready for the following weekend, when our semi-annual themed auction we call “The American...
90 minutes with Paul Reubens
On March 21, 2023, Paul Reubens called me on my mobile to discuss some details about the disposition of several pieces of furniture from his childhood home in Sarasota, Florida. I run an auction gallery about an hour north of there, and a high school friend of his –...
The five stages of collecting
> Fascination, Accumulation, Obsession, Realization & Liquidation I've been chewing on this list for some time now. The idea for it started incubating from a conversation I had years ago with a couple of guys who were selling their father's huge collection of...
Portrait of Sitting Bull by Caroline Weldon, 1890
On March 18, 2023, Blackwell Auctions sold a painting of one of the most historically important figures of the 19th century, Sitting Bull, the chief who united the Sioux to defeat Gen. George Armstrong Custer at Little Big Horn in 1876. The portrait was one of four...
Officer accuses General William Hull of treason in 1812 surrender of Detroit
Letter with outstanding content, written by Captain John Sharp, who effectively accuses his commander, Brigadier General William Hull, of treason in his surrendering of Detroit to the British General Brock and the Shawnee leader, Tecumseh. Sharp writes: “… great God!...
Are Presidential Dollar Coins Valuable?
Curious about the value of Presidential Dollar Coins? Coin enthusiasts—spanning from dedicated aficionados to occasional hobbyists—are driven by an insatiable curiosity: what actually makes these coins valuable? Factors like rarity and mint errors can skyrocket a...