Important estate sale to be held June 24 by A-1 Auction

On Sunday, June 24, A-1 Auction will offer about 350 lots, mostly from a single estate, in a sale at the Maitland Civic Center in Maitland, Fla. Included will be original art by Florida's legendary Highwaymen; cameo glass by Galle, Daum Nancy, Richard and de Vez; bronze sculptures; and a Regina 21” disc player.

[USPRwire, Sat Jun 02 2007] A-1 Auction, based in Orlando, is preparing for what could be its most important sale in years. On Sunday, June 24, the firm will offer about 350 lots, most from a single estate. Included will be original art by Florida's legendary Highwaymen; cameo glass by Galle, Daum Nancy, Richard and de Vez; bronze sculptures; a Regina 21” double comb disc player; and more.
The auction will be held at the Maitland Civic Center in Maitland, Fla., considered part of Greater Orlando, near Winter Park. The sale will begin at noon, with a preview the day of sale, starting at 10 a.m. “I've been literally preparing for this sale for twenty years,” said Doug White of A-1 Auction. “I saw many of these items when I sold some things for the consignor's sister, around 1987.”
The items belonged to Ida Fendrich, formerly of Maitland. Following her death about seven years ago, the bulk of her lifetime accumulation of antiques and collectibles – comprising most of the June 24 sale – was put into storage, where it has remained until now. “Ida was a serious collector,” Mr. White pointed out. “I urge everyone to mark their calendars. This is one sale you won't want to miss.”
Nine original paintings by the Highwaymen – the name given to a loosely associated group of young African-American artists living in the Fort Pierce area of Florida from the 1950s to the 1970s – will be sold. They include two works each by Sam Newton, Roy McLendon, Willie Daniels and Al Black; and one painting by James Gibson. The paintings depict idyllic views of the Florida landscape..
The Highwaymen were so-named because they'd sell their works – often still wet – on the roadside, or out of the trunk of a car. The paint surface was usually inexpensive roofing material. All 26 painters (and all were men, except for one woman, Mary Ann Carroll) latched onto art as a way to escape a more grueling fate: picking or crating oranges under the hot Florida sun in the local groves.
It is estimated the Highwaymen produced 50,000 paintings before unofficially disbanding in the 1980s, when the popularity of the genre waned and they turned to other jobs. But today – fueled by the nostalgia for a Florida that is gone forever, plus the burgeoning popularity of folk art in general – an original work by a Highwayman can easily bring thousands of dollars. The record is $36,000.
Ms. Fendrich's collection of French cameo glass represented some of the best ever made. Included will be eleven pieces of Galle; seven pieces of Daum Nancy; four pieces of Richard; two pieces of de Vez; and one piece of Le Gras and La Verre. Cameo glass is single-layer glass, covered by at least one layer of glass in a contrasting color. Pieces like Ms. Fendrich's are coveted by collectors.
The Galle examples were named after their creator, Emile Galle (1846-1904), the founder of the French Art Nouveau movement and a master glass designer. Two pieces are certain to wow the crowd. One is a 4” pillow vase, rare because it still bears the original Galle paper label, with “L 9785” signed in the center. The other is a 12” barrel-form cameo vase, with a poppy design and glossy finish.
Daum (et Cie) is the name of the French glassworks firm established in 1875. It was an important manufacturer of cameo and art glass, and the name Daum Nancy is instantly recognizable (and most desirable) to collectors of the genre. One of the pieces to be offered will stand out for its elegance and size: a 31-1/2” tall floor vase (circa 1910), designed with a spray of sunflower and leaves.
One of the Richard examples is a 10-3/4” tall cameo vase, showing a landscape with large palm tree, water and dome-shaped buildings, suggesting a Middle East scene. The de Vez vase stands 4-1/2” high and shows a landscape with water, a large tree and mountains in red, over a yellow glass. And the La Verre piece is a wonderful little compote (bowl on a stem), with 5-petal stylized blossoms.
The Regina music box is a 21” double comb disc player, complete with 51 20-1/2” playing discs. Made in the late 19th or early 20th century and in excellent playing condition, the table-top unit has a custom-made cabinet for disc storage. “Not only is this a marvelous piece of furniture, it's perfectly functional,” Mr. White remarked. “The discs play beautifully. It's a real piece of history.”
The bronze pieces include a signed work by Claude Michel Clodion (1738-1814), the French sculptor and designer who also created porcelain figure groups for Sevres. The piece to be sold is 20” tall and depicts two ladies with outstretched arms, playing tambourines and dancing around the mythical figure Pan. “This is a magnificent piece sure to draw strong bidder interest,” Mr. White said.
Additional bronzes to come under the gavel will include examples by Antoine Louis Barye (French, 1796-1875), who spcialized in studies of wild animals, equestrian scenes and mythological figures; Pierre Jules Mene (French, 1810-1877), the most successful and prolific Animalier sculptor of his time; and Jules Moigniez (French, 1835-1894), who sculpted birds, dogs and equestrian groups.
Also to be sold will be estate jewelry (to include an 18k ladies' Rolex watch, with diamond bezel); Moorcroft and Weller pottery; a Wilkinson bent panel lamp; U.S. gold coins; a Wedgwood cheese keeper; a Georg Jensen commemorative copper box of a shipping company (1866-1916); a marble bust; Oriental vases; a whale's tooth (not scrimshaw); bronze lamps; sterling by LeBolt; an oil painting signed “C. McDonald,” dated 1936; and a bronze eagle with 16” wingspan and marble base..
The Maitland Civic Center is located at 641 So. Maitland Ave., in Maitland, Fla., not far from Orlando. In addition to the preview the morning of sale, a personal preview may be arranged by appointment, at A-1 Auction's warehouse facility in Orlando. For additional information about this sale, or to learn more about A-1 Auction, you may visit the firm online at www.a-1auction.net.
A-1 Auction started in 1982 and has enjoyed 25 years of business in Orlando. The firm is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call them directly at (407) 839-0004. The e-mail address is a-1auction@cfl.rr.com. Photos of many of the items described in this story will be posted on the website as the sale date approaches.

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