A 2004 bill of sale stated that this Shaker two drawer sewing table or desk had been purchased directly from the Canterbury Shakers many years ago. It sold for $6,900.
Review & Photos By Rick Russack
PIKE, N.H. — For the generations that thinks auctions are conducted on hand-held devices, or computers hundreds or thousands of miles away from the salesroom, this sale would have been a totally different experience. Steenburgh Auctioneer’s May 21 sale was conducted under two large yellow and white tents on a large, grassy field, which housed about 200 people. Northern New England antiquers know the spot well; sales have been held on “The Field” for more than 40 years since Josh Steenburgh’s dad, Archie, held his first sale there and Josh has been helping since he was 11 years old. Archie, now 87 years young, is still very much involved with the auctions, calling bids, working as a runner, talking to old friends and customers. Not much has changed at a Steenburgh auction over the last 40 years.
There’s no internet bidding, and, unless you can get a cell connection, there was no phone bidding. In a gesture to modern times, absentee bids are accepted. There is no printed list describing or numbering items to be sold. All items are brought up by runners, in a seemingly random order but if a customer asks for a specific item, that item will be brought up. Although bidders have numbers, they probably don’t need them as Josh and Archie probably know all the bidders. As things are sold, they’re given to the buyer, or if large, put back under the tent. By the end of the day, nearly all bills have been paid and everything has gone home with new owners. Some things bring thousands of dollars, while some things sell for five or ten dollars. There are no reserves so nearly everything will sell. We can’t say there isn’t a buyer’s premium because there is, but it’s far lower than many other auction companies.
The sale included numerous items belonging to the French family of Plymouth, N.H., including a collection of small White Mountain paintings by Benjamin Champney and others. There were numerous pieces of Shaker furniture and dozens of Shaker objects, early bottles, English ceramics, quilts and coverlets, jewelry, silver, country furniture and much more.
The group of small White Mountain paintings included Benjamin Champney’s oil-on-board depiction of the Ledges in North Conway; it made $5,980, the second highest price of the day.
The highest price of the day, $6,900, was earned by a two-drawer Shaker worktable. The accompanying $3,000 bill of sale from a New Hampshire antiques dealer, dated 2004, indicated that the “sewing table or desk” had been purchased directly from the Shaker community at Canterbury, “65 or 70 years ago.” Perennial favorites, Shaker rockers were also on offer: a Mount Lebanon labeled #7 rocker brought $460, a #1 child’s rocker sold for $316 and a #1 rocker with a towel bar stopped at $259. A Shaker two-drawer cabinet sold for $207.
The large selection of Shaker small objects — typically referred to in the trade as “smalls” — included covered oval boxes, sewing items, small pieces of furniture and mirrors; most were sold in small lots. A group lot of straw sewing baskets achieved $170, while a tightly woven handled Shaker basket made in the 1980s by Martha Wetherbee, a New Hampshire native, brought $173. Three darning and sewing items earned $92, while the small Shaker sewing cabinet with a roll-up front that might have kept them closed out at $403; the same price was paid for a group lot of three hand mirrors. A lot of two small oval covered boxes brought $219.
The selection of White Mountain paintings was unusual in that all were small. The most sought-after was Benjamin Champney’s depiction of the Ledges in North Conway, N.H. It was a 9-by-7-inch oil on board in its original gold-leaf frame, and realized $5,980, the second highest price of the day. Other small Champney landscapes, done in and around North Conway, sold from slightly over $500 to $2,500. Champney’s studio was in North Conway and he painted many of the scenic local attractions. A painting of Mount Chocorua by Horace Burdick (1844-1942) sold for $403.
Horace Burdick’s painting of Mt. Chocorua was one of several small paintings of scenery in the White Mountains; it reached $403.
White Mountain material included several albums of postcards, each with about 100 cards, which had been divided by subject matter. One album related to Littleton, N.H., and the surrounding area brought $127, one relating to Franconia Notch, N.H., achieved $161, one devoted to Crawford Notch realized $173, and one devoted to the Cog Railway and Mount Washington sold for $161. Two albums devoted to railroad stations made $230.
There were two tall case clocks in the sale. One was a very unusual example, standing atop a three-drawer base on turned legs. A handwritten note dated 1920 stated that it had been made in 1781 in Ohio and, according to the note, was initialed VW. Although an unusual form, it may have been made that way since the backboards of the clock extended to the drawers in the base. The unusual form may have deterred bidders as it brought only $259.
The other tall clock was, in the opinion of the bidders, of a different class. Levi and Abel Hutchins were clockmakers in Concord, N.H., from 1786 to 1807. They had previously apprenticed with Simon Willard in Grafton, Mass., beginning in 1777. The case was attributed to David Young, a Hopkinton, N.H., cabinetmaker whose work is in the New Hampshire Historical Society. Young is known to have made cases for the Hutchins brothers. It had a painted dial, a secondhand dial and an arched pediment with brass finials. Although the clock once sold for $15,000, this time it brought $3,220.
Fifteen years ago, this tall case clock was auctioned for $15,000 but sold for $3,220 in this sale. It was made late in the 18th century by Levi and Abel Hutchins of Concord, N.H.
There were numerous bottles in the offerings; some sold in small groups, others sold individually. After the sale, Steenburgh said “we’ve been doing well with bottles for the last couple of years. That market seems strong and we’re seeing a lot of younger collectors coming in.” The highest price, $431, was paid for an amber Stoddard double eagle flask. A labeled whiskey brought $51 and six pepper sauce bottles sold for $138. A lot of three gargling-oil bottles sold for $230, while three Shaker syrup bottles sold for $69. There were many more, and as he was selling them, Josh commented that many had come from a single cellar hole.
“We were really pleased with the results,” Josh said a couple of days after the sale. “The crowd was large and, to me, seemed energized. Few things sold on single bids and there was competitive bidding on most items. Having a large crowd is fun for everyone and allowed buyers to chat with friends and discuss particular items with other buyers and with us. One item that was discussed by many was the unusual Ohio tall clock. Some thought it was a made-up piece, with a clock added on top of a small cabinet. Others felt that construction details showed that it had been made that way. It will be interesting to see what happens with that clock. The other thing that’s really fun for me is that mom and dad were there, working as they always have.” When asked what’s coming up, he said, “It’s going to be a busy year for us. We’re expecting to have about 12 sales and may have one around the time of the New Hampshire shows.”
All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as stated by the auction house. For additional information, 603-303-3072 or www.steenburgh.com.
