Heritage Auction Features Treasures from America's Past!

Dallas, TX: "I'm very excited about our upcoming Political Memorabilia and Americana auction," said Tom Slater, Director of Americana auctions for Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries, "as it brings together several exciting fields that are fairly new to Heritage, as well as being deep in areas with which we've had proven successes."

"Leading off this upcoming auction is a fine collection of memorabilia related to our sixteenth President, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln has always been one of our most popular, and collectible, presidents, so this incredible collection is sure to attract some spirited bidding. One of the premiere items in this category is the spectacular Lincoln portrait flag from the 1860 campaign, one of only a handful known to exist, in superb condition. This is truly a museum-quality political textile, and a rare opportunity for the sophisticated collector of campaign memorabilia or Lincoln items."

"The Corbeil collection of Women's Suffrage items is fascinating," Slater said, "highlighted by a lovely yellow and white imprinted umbrella, most likely used for a parade. This extremely rare item, from the state of Oregon, has survived in excellent condition, with no tears or stains. This unusual and highly collectible item is merely the tip of the iceberg from this outstanding collection."

"Several auctions ago, we offered a marvelous assortment of slave tags, which were very well received," Slater said. "This time, we're pleased to be able to offer another fine selection of Charleston, SC slave hire badges, including possibly the rarest style of these fascinating historical curiosities, the seldom-seen 'Fisher' badge. This is the first time Heritage has had the privilege of offering a slave tag with this rare occupation, and though we have two in this sale, it's impossible to predict when we will ever have another. Additionally, we're also offering a very rare 1800 slave badge, from the very first year in which these fascinating artifacts were issued."

"Lovers of fine graphics have always been drawn to turn-of-the-century cigar box labels for their fine lithography," Slater said, "and this time around we're offering a generous selection of these beautiful artifacts. Such names as Lone Trail, American Twins, Chief Joseph, Dante, Gold Hunter, Grand Republic, Lady Macbeth, Legal Tender, Nabobs, Neptuno, Remember the Carpathia, Trojan Hero, and more are represented in a collection that is stunning in its breadth and scope."

"Another exciting area," Slater continued, "is vintage photography. Of particular interest is the Old West and Native American photography of the legendary Edward S. Curtis. Renowned as one of the most important early photographers of the American West and the Native American people, he was known as 'The Shadow Catcher' by some of the tribes he worked with. Curtis's photographs stand today as important documentary evidence of the traditional lives of tribes ranging from the Inuit in the frozen north to the Hopi in the American Southwest. Also included in this auction are scores of orotones, hand-tinted albumens and silver prints by such important artists as Norman Edson, William Dassonville, Arthur Clarence Pillsbury, William Henry Jackson, Carleton Watkins and Howard Clinton Tibbitts."

"Vintage toys have always had a high popularity among collectors," said Slater, "and in this auction we're pleased to present a number of vintage Marx tin wind-ups, many in their original boxes. The provenance of these classic pieces is impeccable, having come from the family of a Marx employee who acquired them directly from the Marx warehouse. Many of these toys have never been played with, and are in pristine condition, making this a remarkable find for toy collectors worldwide."

"This auction represents a wonderful opportunity for collectors of Americana to add some hard-to-find pieces to their collections," Slater said. "I'd encourage anyone with even the slightest interest in these treasures to visit www.HA.com, where they can view enlargeable, full-color images of each lot, read our complete and informative catalog descriptions, and even place their bids online."

Heritage Auction Galleries will hold their auction of Political Memorabilia & Americana on February 26 & 27, 2007 at their headquarters in Dallas, TX.

Highlights of the February auction include:

Lincoln & Hamlin: A Highly Important Large Portrait Flag from the 1860 Campaign:
ESTIMATE: $40,000 - $60,000

Extremely Rare Oregon Woman Suffrage Umbrella:
ESTIMATE: $3,500 - $4,500

1817 Charleston FISHER Slave Hire Badge. Number 14:
ESTIMATE: $4,000 - $5,000

1800 Charleston MECHANIC Slave Hire Badge. Number 183:
ESTIMATE: $4,000 - $6,000

Lone Trail Native American Cigar Label by Schmidt & Co., New York, 1901:
ESTIMATE: $500 - $600

Dante Cigar Label by the Sulzberger - Oppenheimer Co., Ltd.:
ESTIMATE: $350 - $375

Remember the Carpathia 10¢ Cigar Label by F. M. Howell & Co, of Elmira, New York:
ESTIMATE: $350 - $375

Trojan Hero Sample Cigar Label by George Schlegel, New York:
ESTIMATE: $450 - $475

William Dassonville: 67 Original 1908 California Mission Platinum Prints:
ESTIMATE: $45,000 - $60,000

Edward S. Curtis Original Portfolio Photogravure "An Assiniboin Camp" Plate 107:
ESTIMATE: $4,000 - $6,000

Arthur C. Pillsbury Extremely Rare Original D'Orotone "Sunshine Through Redwoods":
ESTIMATE: $15,000 - $25,000

Carleton Watkins Original Mammoth Plate Albumen Photograph:
ESTIMATE: $3,000 - $4,000

Cruise of the "Monongahela": Collection of 96 Circa 1880 Hand-Tinted Albumen Photographs from China and Japan:
ESTIMATE: $25,000 - $50,000

Marx "Dagwood the Driver" Wind-up Toy in Original Box.:
ESTIMATE: $1,200 - $1,800

Lot of Two Marx Toys Mechanical Horse & Cart With Popeye Driver Wind-up Toys are in Original Boxes:
ESTIMATE: $1,500 - $1,800

Marx Buck Rogers Rocket Ship Wind-up Toy:
ESTIMATE: $300 - $500

J. Chein & Company Boxing Popeye Wind-up Toy:
ESTIMATE: $500 - $700

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HA.com.

Prospective consignors and sellers of political memorabilia, Americana, and related collectibles are invited to visit www.HA.com and click on the "Sell Now" tab. Or simply email Tom Slater at TomS@HA.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Nicole Jewell at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 272, or visit www.HA.com to order by email.