THOMASTON, MAINE — Thomaston Place Auction Galleries’ three-day weekend auction, August 23-25, included a single-owner collection of fire memorabilia. One item in the collection was a presentation leather, painted and decorated helmet given to Captain Charles Carter by the volunteer firefighters of the Melvill Engine Co./No13, as indicated on an engraved silver panel. It is surmounted by a three-dimensional gilt greyhound, a portrait of Thomas Melvill, and it has additional painted panels. It is dated 1851 and is in near fine condition. Melvill had connections to the Boston Tea Party, Revolutionary War patriots and Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick. The helmet bears the label of a Boston maker.

It was a strong sale, topped by a Stobart marine painting that brought more than $100,000, as well as paintings by Jasper Cropsey and Andrew Wyeth, both of which surpassed $50,000. Weathervanes did well, as did a selection of alabaster sculptures by Robert Laurent. A full report will follow.