: A rare oversized watercolor by Jacob Maentel attracted a great
deal of attention during Pook & Pook's two-day auction this
past weekend, May 12 and 13. The unusual watercolor, a portrait
of hatter John Mays of Schaefferstown, Lebanon County, Penn.,
depicted the well dressed shop-keep within the confines of his
millinery. Posed in a blue suit and holding a top hat in one
hand, the merchant stood proudly before shelves of top hats in a
variety of colors.
The watercolor, offered near the end of the second day, attracted
a host of telephone bidders including Woodbury, Conn., dealer
David Schorsch as well as numerous people in the gallery
including Massachusetts dealer David Wheatcroft. Estimated at a
generous $60/90,000, Schorsch and Wheatcroft quickly established
themselves as the primary players with the lot finally going
Wheatcroft's way at $420,000.
A complete review of the sale will appear in a future issue.
