A handcarved American tobacconist cigar store Indian, in the manner of Julius Mechers, was the subject of frenzied bidding sending it to $150,000.
DALLAS, TEXAS – Chief among Heritage Auctions’ December 3 Americana and political sale was a handcarved American tobacconist cigar store Indian that was the subject of frenzied bidding, sending it to $150,000, claiming top lot honors in a $1,783,252 auction.
Created in the manner of cigar store Indians carved by Julius Melchers, and perhaps by Melchers himself, this 67-1/5-inch statue was in such high demand that the ultimate price was more than seven times its estimate of $20,000. “A selling price in the mid-five figures range was expected,” said Heritage Americana Auctions Director Tom Slater, “but furious bidding drove the price to $150,000.”
From a collection of presidential memorabilia was a silver cigarette box by Tiffany from the Oval Office during the John F. Kennedy presidency that beat its estimate when it sold at $45,000.
A red, white and blue Horace Greeley 1872 presidential campaign banner with albumen photo and gold-leaf trim brought $40,000. The founder and editor of the New York Tribune, Greeley served as a senator from New York before running in a race for the presidency that ultimately was won by Ulysses S. Grant. The banner hangs from a wood dowel at the top and is displayed in a shadow box frame.
“This is one of the very best Nineteenth Century political banners,” Slater said. “It has appeared three times in auctions over the last 15 years, selling for an average of a little over $20,000 each time, and never breaking the $25,000 barrier. In Saturday’s auction, it sold for $40,000.”
Among the most popular items were from a collection of presidential memorabilia. Leading the way was a silver cigarette box by Tiffany from the Oval Office during the John F. Kennedy presidency that beat its estimate when it sold at $45,000. The box, which has two cedar-lined interior compartments, came with a notarized statement on White House stationery from the previous owner and was removed with other personal belongings after Kennedy’s assassination in order to facilitate the transition to President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Another popular item from the presidential memorabilia group was a pen used by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to sign a 1940 Naval Buildup Bill that realized $37,500. The pen was enclosed in a framed shadow box along with a letter on White House stationery that was sent to Captain Joseph M. Patterson in New York after FDR signed the bill, which was an effort to bolster the United States’ defense despite a promise not to send American troops into the European war.
A red, white and blue Horace Greeley 1872 presidential campaign banner with albumen photo and gold-leaf trim in a shadow box brought $40,000.
A massive 1840 William Henry Harrison campaign pitcher also drew $37,500. Considered by many to be the premier ceramic political display item of the Nineteenth Century, it features four panels with portraits of the ninth American president, each of which sits below a log cabin and the words “The Ohio Farmer” and above a patriotic eagle. This lot drew dual interest, from collectors of political artifacts and enthusiasts of American-made pottery. The selling price is believed to be a record for this sought-after item.
One of the more curious lots in the entire auction was a lock of George Washington’s hair, which sold for $32,500, nearly twice as much as its auction estimate. Held together with a blue thread, the lot comes with a detailed chain of provenance, showing that the hair has been in the possession of the families of Lewis Morris (1726-1798) and Robert Hunter Morris (1700-1764).
Among the top remaining nonpolitical items was a highly important circa 1863-64 Mormonism photo album, that realized $35,000 – nearly doubling its estimate. More than 60 of the images deal with Mormon leaders and Salt Lake City; the remaining 30 images are European in origin.
Four bulbs and a socket used in a Thomas Edison patent infringement case brought in $30,000, a lever-action Henry rifle drew $24,375 and a significant collection of presidential memorabilia from the estate of Malcolm S. Forbes included a fine Cox & Roosevelt jugate from the St Louis Button Co., which sold for $17,500, as well as a bronze bust of Woodrow Wilson, which ended at $10,000.
All prices include the buyer’s premium.
For additional information, www.ha.com or 877-437-4824.
