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The World's Largest Collectibles
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Davy Crockett Related
Material to be Offered in Upcoming Texana Auction |
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By Anne Olson
He killed a bear (read: b'ar) when he was only three. Or so I'm
told. We've all grown up with the legend of Davy Crockett, the
original frontiersman in his coon-skin cap. But as with so many of
our American heroes, the long since forgotten reality of his role
in the development of the American West is far more fascinating
than his popular legend recalls. That reality and that legend go
very much hand in hand, however. Heritage is proud to offer in its
upcoming Texana Auction #6109, to
be held in Dallas on March 8, two David Crockett related pieces
which provide fascinating insight into the development of his
legend, both during and after his extraordinary lifetime.
One item we are pleased to offer is a
fascinating relic related to the infamous death of Colonel
Crockett. On August 12, 1837, Crockett's third son, Robert P.
Crockett, signed this legal document swearing to serve as
administrator of the estate of his father, famously killed
defending the Alamo on March 6th of the previous year. In it Robert
swears to inventory and administrate the "goods, credits,
lands, and tenements" of his father's estate. While this
extraordinary historical document does not tell us anything
particularly surprising in and of itself, it serves as a monument
to the life and heroic death of this American icon. Interestingly,
this lot speaks only to the management of Crockett's physical
legacy, drawing our attention to the role of Crockett's heirs in
the development and management of his legacy as a whole, a fact
that is very important to our understanding of our second Crockett
lot and its significance.
This second item is a copy of Davy Crockett's Almanack of Wild Sports in the
West, Life in the Backwoods, Sketches of Texas, and Rows on the
Mississippi, declared on the title page to have been
"printed by the heirs of Col. Crockett" in 1838, only two years
after Crockett's death. This brochure includes tales of attacks
from panthers, giant snakes, and, of course, bears, and sometimes
all three (I think it is safe to assume these are mostly
apocryphal), as well as a smattering of humorous anecdotes and the
occasional weather reports expected of an almanac. I was surprised,
however, to read these tales and find that almost none of them
related to Crockett personally. I had expected a collection of
tales about the adventures of the frontiersman himself. There are
occasional quotes from Crockett, or very short tales recalling, for
example, the "well established" story that it was his
personal
shot at Santa Anna which incited the Mexican General to attack the
Alamo the following day, but the Almanac is merely haunted by his
memory, not centered around his myths. Instead, his "heirs",
apparently responsible for this publication, seem to have made
their relative the patron saint of the American frontier, the
sponsor of these wild stories and of American settlers' defeat of
the unforgiving wilderness. They have by mere association assigned
his unpredictable, fearless, and unwaveringly determined spirit to
be that of the American frontier and its relatively few
inhabitants. It's an understandable attribution; Crockett's life
was undoubtedly an exciting one, full of tales of bravery and an
adventurous spirit. These true tales, however, consist of far less
bear-wrastlin' than myth would like us to recall.
The publication of this almanac and its earlier issues, which reach
back to 1835, a year before Crockett's death, prove that even
during his lifetime, Davy Crockett was crowned by popular opinion
"The King of the Wild Frontier" and his spirit of bravery and
undaunted determination would go on to serve as the example of the
attitude of exploration and adventure which would grip the United
States as it continued to look westward en mass following his
death. The Almanac's volume title of "Go Ahead!"
encapsulates the emerging idea of Manifest Destiny which would
begin to take hold in the coming years, with this fictionalized
Crockett as its figure head.
Heritage Auctions invites further consignments to accompany these
captivating pieces for our Texana Auction to be held in Dallas on
March 8, 2014. Please check the auction's website frequently as new
lots will continue to be added. There are only a few days left
until our consignment deadline on January 15, so please don't
hesitate to contact Sandra Palomino ( SandraP@HA.com), David Boozer ( DavidB@HA.com), or Bryan Booher ( BBooher@HA.com) with your quality
consignments. |
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Adventures on the High
Seas |
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By Bryan Booher
Today the name Herman Melville is synonymous with whaling and
stories of great sea voyages. It is shocking to discover (at least
it was to me) that Melville's fame during his lifetime was not
built on what is arguably his most famous novel, Moby
Dick, but instead on his first novel, the
semi-autobiographical Typee: A Peep at Polynesian
Life, loosely based on his experiences among the Typee natives
on the island of Nuku Havi in the South Pacific. Typee was
a hit and within months of its 1846 release, Melville began work on
a sequel, Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South
Seas.
Omoo focused on his imprisonment on the island of Tahiti
for his part in a mutiny aboard an Australian whaling vessel after
leaving Nuku Havi. Like its predecessor, Melville wanted
Omoo released in the United Kingdom, but first he would
have to obtain the rights. He hired London-based, American lawyer
John R. Brodhead, then the secretary of the Legation of the United
States, to do just that. In the April
2014 Historical Manuscript Auction #6113 in New York City we
are offering the very power
of attorney sent to Brodhead, signed by Melville himself. In
the document, Melville states that he has "appointed . . . John
Romeyn Brodhead Esquire . . . my true and lawful Attorney for me
and in my name, place, and stead, to bargain, sell and dispose of
the copy right or right to take out a copyright for the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, of a certain book of which I
am the author entitled 'Omoo', a narrative of adventures in the
South Seas', and the right to publish and dispose of the said book
in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to such person
or persons for such sum or sums of money as he shall see fit."
In addition to the signature of the author, his brother, Allan
Melville, has countersigned as a witness. Of note is the signature
of the notary, John T. Irving, who happens to be the brother of
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle
author, Washington Irving. Small world, no?
Brodhead was ultimately successful in his mission and Omoo
was published in the United Kingdom on March 30, 1847. It was not
until the twentieth century that Melville's classic whaling
adventure, Moby Dick, supplanted Typee as the
pinnacle of his literary career.
Not interested in the seafaring adventures of Melville? Well, would
a real-life nineteenth-century whaling adventure
interest you? If so, be sure to check out the whaling
log for the Brig Quito. The voyage spanned the Atlantic Ocean
from the United States to the coast of Africa, over to Brazil, and
back to the U.S. over the course of a year and a half. During the
voyage, the brig encounters several ships, both merchant vessels
and fellow whaling ships returning stateside with their haul. A
stamp bearing the likeness of a sailing ship was often used to
denote such sightings and there are at least nineteen different
ships (noted with the stamp) seen or encountered during the
passage.
Several species of whale were hunted including orca (variously
called throughout as "blackfish" or, simply,
"killers"), sperm whales, humpback whales, finbacks (or
fin whales), and grampuses. Each instance a whale is sighted, the
author places a drawing of a whale's tail in the margins (at least
twenty-four are marked in this fashion). When a whale was killed, a
small drawing of a whale or a stamp in the form of a sperm whale
and humpback is employed. There are no less than forty whales taken
and noted as such. In each case, the initials "S.B,"
"L.B," or "W.B." are placed near the drawing.
As a bonus, two later voyages are recorded in the second half. The
first , titled "A Journal kept on board Sch[ooner] Two
Brothers of Nantucket E. Baldwin Master from Holmes
Hole[?] to San Francisco commencing Aug 14th
1849," recounts the day-to-day conditions experienced by men
from Martha's Vineyard on their way to California to partake in the
1849 gold rush. The final journey begins January 6, 1851, onboard
the Brig Margaret and terminates at the end of the book on
March 18, 1851, while "Laying at Paita [possibly
Peru]."
These highlights are only a small portion of the wonderful items we
are delighted to be offering in our upcoming April Historical
Manuscripts auction. The sale will be held April 7-8, 2013, in our
new 15th floor gallery at our New York City office at 445 Park
Avenue. Remember, the consignment deadline is February 14 so there
is still time to get your items into the April sale. Please send
digital images or a list of your items to Sandra Palomino (
SandraP@HA.com; 214-409-1107), Bryan Booher (
BBooher@HA.com; 214-409-1845), or David Boozer
( DavidB@HA.com; 214-409-1711). |
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Manuscripts Auction
Consignment Deadline Approaches |
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By David Boozer
Our upcoming Historical Manuscript Auction #6113 is
scheduled for April 7-8, 2014, at 445 Park Avenue, 15th floor, New
York City. Already over 200 quality lots have been entered and most
of them have descriptions and photographs for previewing, such as
this George
Washington Society of the Cincinnati Membership Certificate
Signed and two Ward B.
Frothingham's Civil War Journals. If you can't make it to New
York City, you can still watch the auction live and bid using
HERITAGE Live!® This convenient platform has been the choice of
over 24,000 bidders in the past twelve months alone.
We are still accepting quality consignments for this April event
until February 14, 2014. Please send digital images or a list of
your items to Sandra Palomino ( SandraP@HA.com;
214-409-1107), David Boozer ( DavidB@HA.com;
214-409-1711), or Bryan Booher ( BBooher@HA.com;
214-409-1845). We will let you know if your items meet our
criteria, give you auction estimates, and tell you how to proceed
with our simple and painless consignment process. Also, check the
auction's website often as new lots are added daily for
previewing. |
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Spring Space Exploration
Consignment Deadline Announced |
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By Michael Riley
The year 2013 was a very successful one for our Space Exploration
department. The total sales for our two auctions reached more than
$2.3 million. We were privileged to offer the amazing collection of
the late Stephen Belasco in April ( #6095) and collections from the estates of
NASA insiders Paul Sturtevant and Pat Patnesky in November (
#6103). In both auctions, we also
presented other lots directly from the collections of NASA
astronauts and their families as well as from many private
collectors. We are excited to carry that momentum into 2014 with
our Spring Space Exploration Auction
#6115, planned for May 9th.
March 18th is currently the cut-off date for Space consignments to
be in-house here at Heritage. Our regular consignors have been sent
a mailer with this information. There are already over one hundred
lots entered into the sale but we are always looking for additional
material. Our main focus is on signed, flown, or
historically-significant items from the United States manned space
program, with an emphasis on the race to the moon. If you have
quality Space memorabilia that you would like to offer in our next
auction, please contact me, Michael Riley (ext.
1467), or John Hickey (ext.
1264) via e-mail or phone at 877-HERITAGE (437-4824). We will need
to see a detailed list of what you have as well as high-resolution
images. The consignment process is a simple one and we will be
happy to walk you through it.
Between now and the next newsletter will fall the anniversaries of
all three American space tragedies. Please pause to reflect on the
seventeen national heroes who lost their lives while pursuing their
dreams of flying into space. Rest in peace, brave souls.
Apollo 1 (AS-204) was to be the
first three-man American space mission. Gus
Grissom, Edward White II, and
Roger Chaffee all perished in a cabin fire during
a launch rehearsal test on January 27, 1967.
Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-51-L) was
the twenty-fifth mission of the Shuttle program. It launched on
January 28, 1986, and exploded seventy-three
seconds into the flight. Dick Scobee,
Michael Smith, El Onizuka,
Judy Resnik, Ron McNair,
Greg Jarvis, and "Teacher in Space"
Christa McAuliffe all died in the disaster.
Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) was the
113th Shuttle mission. Launched on January 16, it was in re-entry
to the earth’s atmosphere on February 1, 2003,
when it disintegrated, killing all seven aboard: Rick
Husband, William McCool, David
Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Michael
Anderson, Laurel Clark, and Ilan
Ramon. |
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American Heritage
Publishing Archives |
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By James Gannon and Edwin Grosvenor
Heritage Auctions Rare Books department is pleased to announce that
it will begin selling the archives of American Heritage Publishing
in the Weekly Internet Rare Books
and Autographs Auction #201403 that starts Thursday evening,
January 9 ( lots). Lots from the archives will also appear
in catalog and internet auctions in Photography, Comics & Comic
Art, Americana & Political Memorabilia, and Civil War & Militaria.
Please check back often, or better yet, use the MyWantList® feature on
our award-winning website to set up keywords based on your
collecting interests. We will then notify you periodically of new
auction offerings that match your want list.
Since 1949 American
Heritage has been the leading magazine of American history and
culture. As historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. wrote, "American
Heritage is everything a magazine of popular history should be
– elegant, lively, informative, entertaining, and intelligent." For
many years, American Heritage was published in a
distinctive white, hardcover format. These issues are still sought
and cherished by collectors around the country. In addition to
American Heritage, the company published 300 books as well
as three other magazines: Horizon (which covered
arts and culture), Invention & Technology (the only
magazine about the history of innovation), and Americana,
covering American decorative arts, painting and folk art.
Over the last half century, the staff of American Heritage
Publishing accumulated one of the largest and most comprehensive
archives relating to American history and culture, with thousands
of photographs, illustrations, engravings, and maps. The
collections are especially deep in military and political history,
but include materials in thousands of other subject areas such as
the Old West, antique cars, aviation, film, and theatre.
Photographs include vintage prints by such renowned photographers
as Paul Caponigro, Milton Greene, Jacques Lowe, Hans Namuth, Arnold
Newman, Ruth Orkin, and Garry Winogrand. The archives also contain
original paintings and illustrations by such artists as Don
Troiani, Ed Sorel, Milton Glaser, Jules Pfeiffer, and Eric
Sloane. |
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Heritage Auctions' Rare
Books Department will be exhibiting at the Austin Book, Paper &
Photo Show |
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Heritage Auctions' Rare Books Department will be exhibiting at the
upcoming 2014 Austin
Book, Paper & Photo Show. This excellent event is once again
sponsored by the Texas
Booksellers Association and will take place Saturday, January
11 and Sunday, January 12. The fair will again take place at the
Norris
Conference Center (south side of Northcross Mall, next to the
Ice Skating Rink), 2525 Anderson Lane (rear of complex), Austin,
TX, 78757. Admission is $5, with kids under 12 free. There is ample
and convenient free parking. Book lovers can register at the door
for a chance to win a free prize (with a number of drawings taking
place throughout the weekend).
The best booksellers in Texas, as well as a number of out-of-state
dealers, will be offering fine, rare and collectible books,
including first editions, as well as autographs, photographs, maps
and other paper and printed ephemera. Also, members of the Texas
Booksellers Association will be offering free informal appraisals
for as many as three books per paid attendee. Valuations will be
from TXBA's qualified used and rare booksellers. We hope to see you
there! |
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"Captain Jack" Crawford:
"Poet Scout" of the West |
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By Tom Slater
Our November 24 Legends of the West Auction
#6110 featured a most interesting relic, made so as much by its
provenance as by its original ownership. George
Armstrong Custer's well-used monogrammed lap desk sold for
$37,500. It was presented to John W. "Captain Jack" Crawford by
Custer's widow Elizabeth, along with a pearl handled revolver, as a
token of appreciation for the affection and respect Crawford held
for her husband, and descended though Crawford's family.
Captain Jack was one of the most flamboyant and colorful
personalities of the Old West. Born in Ireland in 1847, he arrived
in Pennsylvania along with his family in 1861. There young Jack
worked in the coal mines until he was old enough to enlist in the
Union army, fighting with distinction in several major battles
toward the end of the Civil War. He was wounded twice, and it was
while he was recuperating in a Philadelphia hospital that he was
taught to read and write by one of the Sisters of Charity.
Following the War he returned to the Pennsylvania coal fields.
Crawford's father was an alcoholic who brought much grief to his
family, and on her death bed his mother extracted a promise from
Jack never to touch alcohol. It was a promise he kept his entire
life, eventually becoming a prominent advocate of the Temperance
movement. He married a local school teacher, and together they had
five children, one of whom, May Cody Crawford, would be named after
another legendary Western personality who would become Crawford's
friend.
Inspired by popular dime novels, Crawford headed west in 1875 to
join the Black Hills gold rush in the Dakotas. His first job was as
a correspondent for the Omaha Daily Bee, reporting on
events in the mining settlements. The newly-formed town of Custer
elected him to their first city council in 1876. The following year
the town created a 125 man militia known as the "Black Hills
Rangers" to protect them from Indian attacks, and Crawford was
named chief scout in charge of a unit of twelve men experienced in
fighting Indians, who would seek out intelligence about hostile
activity and escort newly arriving families.
After the massacre of Custer's force at Little Big Horn in June of
1876, Captain Jack joined Gen. George Crook's forces as a civilian
scout. There he would serve along with "Buffalo Bill" Cody and
cement a long friendship. Crawford achieved national prominence
after he made a daring 350 mile ride in six days to carry news of a
Crook victory at the Battle of Slim Buttes to Fort Laramie so that
the event could be reported by the New York Herald.
Somewhere along the line Crawford had begun to develop his famous
aspirations as a poet, and was already displaying the colorful
personality which would later make him such an effective showman.
One of Crook's officers wrote that their "campfires were lively
after Captain Jack joined us. He sang his songs, told his stories,
recited his poems, and kept his tireless jaw constantly wagging for
our attention." Prior to Custer's defeat Buffalo Bill had grown
bored with camp life and decided to return to his stage career in
the East, and recommended Crawford to succeed him as chief of
Scouts for Crook's Fifth Cavalry. Crawford played an active role in
the Battle of Slim Buttes, in which the army captured the village
of Chief American Horse and recovered a number of relics from
Little Big Horn, including the guidon from Custer's Company I and
the bloody gauntlets of Capt. Miles Keogh.
Following the battle Crawford left camp without leave to deliver
dispatches to the New York Herald, and so ended his first
career as an army scout. However, he would trade on the story of
his daring ride to develop his celebrity status. Following the
Custer massacre Cody had briefly returned to the West to serve as
an army scout, and gained renown for personally killing Yellow Hand
in battle and claiming the "first scalp for Custer." By January of
1877, however, Cody was back East, putting together a melodramatic
show, also starring Captain Jack, in which the two men's exploits
were loosely interwoven to create a narrative which was
enthusiastically received. The partnership was short-lived,
however, as that summer the men had a falling out and Crawford left
the show.
In 1879 Crawford again turned his attentions westward, relocating
his family to New Mexico and rejoining the army as a scout in the
Apache campaigns. During the 1880s, while still angry over the
killing of Custer and his men, Crawford developed a more
sympathetic attitude toward the Indians, who he hoped would be able
to assimilate into the white man's world. He believed this could be
accomplished through property ownership and education, and publicly
sanctioned interracial marriage. From 1889 to 1893 he served as a
Department of Justice agent investigating illegal liquor traffic
with the Indians and fighting alcoholism on the western
reservations.
His reputation as the "Poet Scout" began in 1893, when he embarked
on a career of public appearances which included reciting his
poems, serious lectures, and Temperance advocacy, often drawing
crowds of 1000 or more. It was one of his poems, an ode to Custer,
which inspired Libbie Custer to present Crawford with her husband's
desk and one of his guns. He appeared onstage in a buckskin outfit,
sporting a Winchester and a six-shooter. As one journalist put it,
he presented a "frontier monologue and medley" which "held his
audiences spellbound for two hours by the simple narration of his
life." His story was one of courage and compassion, adventure and
individualism, but above all of opportunity. In many ways, his life
embodied the romantic ideal of the Old West which resonated with
audiences then and now.
Never shy about self-promotion, Captain Jack seems to have embraced
every opportunity to step before the camera, and a wide variety of
cabinet photos survive from this era of his career. More than any
other Western celebrity he liked to autograph his photos, leading
contemporary hobbyists to occasionally joke about seeing a rare
UNsigned Crawford photo! This article is accompanied by several of
his ubiquitous images which wonderfully convey the essence of this
fascinating personality. |
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As the fastest growing American-based auction house, financially
rock-solid Heritage Auctions continues to grow and seek the best
talent in the industry. If you are a specialist or have strong
general collectibles knowledge, we want to hear from you. These
specialists will, in some cases, head new departments and in others
will enhance existing department expertise. We have positions open
at our headquarters in Dallas as well as at our new
state-of-the-art galleries in prime locations in both Midtown
Manhattan and Beverly Hills.
Heritage is seeking to hire the world's best specialists in the
following categories:
- Asian Art Specialist
- Automobilia Specialist
- Coin Buyer
- Decorative Arts & Design Specialist
- European Art Specialist
- Modern & Contemporary Art Specialist: (New York, Beverly
Hills)
- World Coins Director: Hong Kong
If you are interested and feel you have the qualifications we
seek, please email your resume and salary history to Experts@HA.com.
We are also seeking to fill the following corporate positions:
- Client Data Specialist part-time
- Client Services Representative
- Consignment Coordinator
- Currency Consignment Director
- e-Publishing Expert
- Fine Jewelry Cataloger
- Interns
- Jr. Photographer
- Maintenance Assistant
- Nature & Science Auction Coordinator
- Photography Imaging Specialist
- Shipping Associate
- Web Content Specialist (part-time)
- Web Remarketing Specialist
- U.S. Coin Cataloger Needed
If you are interested in applying for one of these Corporate
positions, please apply here.
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The Adam Mervis Large Cent Collection offered at
FUN
Heritage Auctions is proud to present The Adam Mervis Large Cent
Collection, to be sold January 10 in conjunction with the
Official Auction of the 2014 FUN Annual Convention.
Assembling a complete set of the 295 Sheldon-numbered varieties,
with the nine additional sub-varieties, is among the greatest
achievements of large cent collecting, a feat accomplished by only
a handful of masters in the field. Adam Mervis accomplished that
goal and then some.
Not only did Adam Mervis collect all the Sheldon varieties,
including the legendary and extremely rare 1795 S-79 Reeded Edge cent,
he also assembled a fine array of the Non-Collectibles as well, 39
coins representing 35 of the 53 NC varieties. How many collectors
can claim to have owned two Strawberry Leaf cents at once? The Adam
Mervis Large Cent Collection contains both the unique NC-2 variety and the
second-finest NC-3,
one of just three known examples. The 1794 NC-10, a Head of 1794
variety, is another unique piece within these pages. In fact,
the 1794 large cents include every variety and sub-variety, both
numbered and NC. This is only the third time that a complete set of
the 69 coins has appeared in a single auction.
The Adam Mervis Large Cent
Collection continues with a magnificent run of Middle Date and
Large Date pieces, circulation and proof alike, including some of
the rarest Newcomb varieties. Highlights here include the finest
known 1818 N-4 Coronet cent, a
Condition Census-worthy proof 1838 N-11 cent, and
the finest of seven known 1849 N-25 cents. A handful
of special error coins also are present, including a twice-struck 1798 S-149
cent that also happens to be Condition Census-worthy for the
die pair.
This auction is open for
bidding now at HA.com/Coins.
More information about coin
auctions.
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FUN World Currency Auction opens for bidding
A selection of Australian specimen notes highlights the selections
in the 2014 January 9 & 13 FUN
World Currency Signature Auction, taking place in conjunction
with the Florida United Numismatists convention.
All told, there are 8 Australian specimen
notes in this auction, highlighted by an undated (1984)
Stone/Johnston $100 note, Pick 48s, graded Choice Uncirculated 64
by PMG. This note served as the plate note for the specimen
$100 note in the Renniks Australian Coin & Banknote Values, 24th
Edition. Australian specimen notes have proven to be highlights
in past Rare World Paper Money auctions, and we expect this trend
to continue.
Another fascinating lot appearing
in this auction is a complete set of the first
series of notes issued by Syria, ranging in denomination from 5
to 500 Piastres. Each note is in absolutely stunning condition,
with plenty of embossing remaining. These notes are roulette
cancelled once, and printer's annotations are seen on the 500
Piastres note. This set is a must-have crown jewel of any advanced
Middle Eastern collection.
This auction also features extensive selections from Canada. China,
India, South Korea, and Cuba, with further offerings from every
corner of the world. Just a few of the additional highlights
include:
This auction is open for bidding now at HA.com/Currency.
More information
about world currency auctions.
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Prospective consignors and sellers in all areas of Historical
material are invited to contact us to discuss consignment options.
Sell your high-quality Historical memorabilia in our prestigious
Signature Auctions. Remember, the earliest consignments get the
most press and publicity, so e-mail or call one of our experts at
(800) 872-6467 now! Clear
images of your items are always greatly appreciated.
Interested in
Selling?
Get the Most Money for Your Collection
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Heritage Auctions / bid@HA.com / 3500 Maple Ave / Dallas, Texas 75219 /
1-877-
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