MT. CRAWFORD, VA, November 24, 2024 —- TheJeffrey S. Evans & Associates November 21-23 Premier Americana Auction was an exciting event and produced robust prices in multiple categories, along with a few noteworthy surprises. The three-day format consisted of just over 1,600 lots of high-quality material and generated very strong levels of participation for the firm, a solid indication of continued vigor in the diverse Americana marketplace. With a busy gallery on each day, competition was intense throughout each session with nearly 4,000 registered bidders participating online, by phone, in house, and through absentee.
Day One on Thursday featured property from the private collection of Jean Koepsel Baen, Houston, TX; the Larry Lee McCallister estate, Indianapolis, IN; the estate collection of Dr. James E. Carter, Tompkinsville, KY; the collection of Jan and Watt White, Stamford, CT; the collection of the late Richard and Leslie Harris, Branchville, NJ; a private Ohio collection; items deaccessioned by an East Coast institution; plus others. The day’s offerings included banquet and other cut-overlay lighting; free-blown, pillar- and pattern-molded wares; rare salts; a selection of primitive lighting, including lanterns, rush lights, wrought-iron, and tin; a large collection of cup plates; rare colored vases and candlesticks; 17th & 18th century European glass, including wines; a good selection of bottles and flasks, including whiskeys, bitters, mineral waters, and medicines, many with Kentucky association, as well as a fine selection of poison bottles, including a rare cobalt figural skull example; plus more. Top lot for the day was rare William Beilby (English, 1740-1819) free-blown and enamel-decorated presentation flask in outstanding condition, which sparked strong pre-sale interest. Ultimately, it was a private collector on the phone who prevailed, pushing the final price to $12,000 (Lot 3 – all prices include a 20% buyer’s premium). Other highlights from Day One included an extremely rare Petersburg, Virginia anti-malarial bitters bottle in puce color at $10,200 (Lot 71); a rare pillar-molded large candlestick in deep translucent cobalt blue at $8,400 (Lot 365); and a pressed lacy compote in canary yellow at $7,200 (Lot 392).
Day Two on Friday featured property from the estate collection of Alfred “Al” Marzorini, Washington, DC. The day’s offerings featured an outstanding selection of American folk art, including important fraktur and related works on paper, carvings, advertising, trade signs, weathervanes, and other naïve works of art; decoys, including shorebirds; stoneware, earthenware, and other ceramics; Outsider art; plus more. The Marzorini Collection was immediately followed by our usual fine selection of American stoneware and other folk pottery, including several fine Virginia examples and a large selection of Southern merchant wares. Top lot of the day was an important signed Andrew Coffman (Rockingham Co., Shenandoah Valley of Virginia) cobalt-decorated stoneware covered dish. The rare mid-19th century form captivated bidders, including a private collector on the floor, who pushed the final price to $39,000 (Lot 1297). Other noteworthy results from Day Two included an outstanding Hampshire Co., Virginia (now West Virginia) folk art fraktur birth and death record at $30,000 (Lot 1137); a rare pair of Virginia Civil war hand-drawn battle maps at $16.800 (lot 1149); and a very fine folk art carved and painted pine trade sign at $14,400 (lot 1022).
Day Three on Saturday featured property from the collection of Bob and Caroline Jacobsen, Wheaton, IL; the Curtis Webster Collection, Princeton, NJ; the estate of Bernard S. Warren, Grand Rapids, MI; the collection of the late Richard and Leslie Harris, Branchville, NJ; the collection of Dr. John Lynn, Petersburg, VA; the estate of Doris M. Bowman, Alexandria, VA; as well as deaccession material from an East Coast institution and the Valentine Museum, Richmond, VA; plus others. The day’s offerings featured our usual fine selection of rare Virginia & other Southern material; an excellent selection of American folk art; 18th & 19th century formal and country furniture, including several fine Southern pieces and a number of pie / food safes; textiles, including quilts, coverlets, and a several noteworthy needlework samplers; American fine & decorative art, including Southern portraiture; country accessories, including baskets and treen; Civil War, firearms, and other historical material, including an excellent group of Civil War era images; 18th & 19th century English and Continental ceramics; an excellent selection of silver, including many Southern examples. Top lot of the day, and for the weekend, was an extremely rare and important Confederate Civil War-period battle flag. The striking form, hand sewn at the Charleston Clothing Depot in April of 1863, captivated collectors and figures in the trade, but it was ultimately a private collector online who pushed the final price to $66,000 (Lot 2081). Other noteworthy results from Day Two included an outstanding William Keith (Scottish-American, 1838-1911) Yosemite landscape painting at $25,000 (Lot 2431); an extremely rare James Geddy (Williamsburg, VA, active 1744-1783) coin silver shoe buckle at $20,400 (lot 2008); and a North Carolina yellow pine Lazy Susan table at $14,400 (lot 2301).
After the auction, company president and principal auctioneer Jeffrey S. Evans commented, “This sale generated strong interest across the board, from bidders near and far. The caliber of the material offered across multiple categories was very appealing to a broad swath of collectors. The overall excitement and strong sales results reflect the freshness and high quality of the merchandise offered. Furthermore, the Marzorini Collection and the Hoover Collection were both hits and drew in large numbers of new customers for us.” Evans added, “Looking forward, we have strong auctions lined up for 2025, so we are excited about the future here at JSE & Associates.”
The firm is currently accepting consignments for upcoming auctions. For additional auction results, a schedule of upcoming sales, or more information, visit www.jeffreysevans.com, email info@jeffreysevans.com, or call 540.434.3939.