John McInnis – 3-Day Summer Estates Auction
August 4, 5, & 6 at 10 am
76 Main Street Amesbury, MA
www.mcinnisauctions.com
mcinnisauctions@yahoo.com
800-822-1417

AMESBURY, MASS. — Jacques “Jack” and Grace Weil were among the most successful Greater Boston antiques dealers in the mid-Twentieth Century. Their knowledge and passion for ephemera and historic documents was renowned, and their Marblehead shop was the go-to-place on the North Shore to find rare Americana. When they closed their landmark store in the 1970s, all their personal ephemera collection featuring rare ships’ logs and records from Newburyport and Salem, Mass., all the way to Hawaii, documents signed by historical figures from John Adams to King Louis XVII of France, to abolitionist and poet John Greenleaf Whittier, were packed away and stored throughout their home; remaining unseen until shortly before Grace’s passing in 2019.

This treasure trove will be sold by John McInnis Auctioneers, live in-person at the Amesbury gallery on Thursday, August 4. Online bidding is always available, as well as absentee and phone bidding.

“It was my pleasure to have the opportunity to meet Grace prior to her death,” said John McInnis. “I received a call from Bobby Cianfrocca of Salt Marsh Antiques, who introduced me to Grace. Her dying wish was to know this collection of ephemera be cataloged and sold to those that would appreciate its historical importance.”

“These documents both confirm and add to American history as we know it,” said Bobby Cianfrocca. “I spent 3½ months working with Grace unearthing, sorting and cataloging. It was an honor that she trusted me to handle such important pieces of history.”

Among the diverse and unique highlights are a ship’s passport signed by President John Adams; a document signed by Louis VXII, king of France; an 1800 document to Nicolas Johnson, Navy agent, Newburyport regarding the arrival of the USS Frigate Constitution for maintenance work; Salem Customs House siting location approval signed by Peabody and Derby; and a Civil War soldier’s diary that includes a hand drawn encampment.

The Weils’ collection contains primary source material spanning the globe, such as the three boxes of archives belonging to Reverend John S. Emerson and his descendants, including mission life in Hawaii from the 1830s to 1860s along with an album of members of the Emerson family as well as Hawaiian kings, queens, future Hawaiian minister, maps, deeds and a drawing of “Waipuolo,” homestead in Oahu drawn by F. Clark in 1869.

The antislavery movement is well represented by books, published speeches and letters from abolitionists such as Newburyport’s William Lloyd Garrison.

“This collection includes some very personal accounts of the Civil War, such as the 1864 diary of Captain Joshua M. Addeman of Company H of the 2nd Battalion of the 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery (Colored) Regiment,” said McInnis. “A diary about an African American Civil War regiment is very rare.”

The ephemera sale is day one of a three-day auction, August 4, 5 and 6, to be conducted live at the McInnis Gallery 76 Main Street and online through LiveAuctioneers and Invaluable. There will be in-person previews beginning July 30, from noon to 5 pm.

For details, directions and links to the online catalogs, visit www.mcinnisauctions.com or call 978-388-0400.

PREVIEWS Begin July 30th Until August 6th From 12-5pm. Auction Day’s Preview Opens 9 Am Throughout The Sale
DAY ONE:
Thursday, August 4th at 10 am
A Vast North Shore Estate Ephemera Collection
Featuring The Estate Collection of Jack and Grace Weil Marblehead, MA. Grace and Jack acquired an amazing Ephemera collection and we are honored to present their collection at auction.
Historical Documents, Ephemera, Books and Paper with concentrations in Marblehead, Salem, North Shore and Boston. Nautical and Maritime Trade, American Government and Politics, Militaria spanning our War for Independence to WWII including a large selection of Civil War material, Exploration including Early Missionaries to Hawaii, Native America and Western Expansion, Entertainment, Theater and more.
DAY TWO:
Friday, August 5th at 10 am
A DIVERSE ANTIQUE AUCTION EVENT Fine Art, Americana, Victoriana, Folk Art, Modernism, Continental and Asian
DAY THREE:
Saturday, August 6th at 10 am
ESTATE SILVER, JEWELRY and NUMISMATIC COLLECTIONS
GEORG JENSEN
GORHAM STRASBOURG
WALKING LIBERTY HALF DOLLARS
1921 1935 PEACE DOLLARS
UNCLE TOMS CABIN
STERLING SILVER CHRONODROMETER
UNCLE TOMS CABIN detail
GRUPPE WINTER SCENE
GEORGE M. HATHAWAY
REGENCY GILT MIRROR
HUDSON RIVER SCHOOL
THOMAS MICHAEL NICHOLAS
EMILE A. GRUPPE (2)
USS CONSTITUTION NICHOLAS JOHNSON NAVY AGENT 1800
BY MILLER BEATTY
PATRIOT JAMES OTIS GOLD SEAL & 1737 HUMAN REASON
MICRO MOSAIC
DETAIL GILT MIRROR
SILVER PEACE DOLLARS
ANTONIO NICOLO GASPARO JACOBSEN
EARLY SIGN
FRANK SMITH
FOLK ART PORTRAITS
JOHN CHRISTOPHER MILES
ANCIENT EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE VALENS GOLD PIECE
DIAMOND SAPPHIRE BROOCH
EDWARD H. BARNARD
1836 INDIAN WAR IN FLORIDA
FLORENT WILLEMS
ALBERT JOSEPH FRANKE
CARTIER
19C
18th C
EMILE A. GRUPPE
FOLK CARVED & PAINTED FIGURES
ARTHUR CLIFTON GOODWIN
FEDERAL
WILLIAM HANDY DETAIL
GILT BRONZETABLE LAMPS
PACIFIC WHALING VOYAGE OF CAPT. WILLIAM HANDY