The Breeder

Available here.

Ghosts in Burlap

I like the faint images on this interesting folk art painting on burlap.

Available here.

Vintage Press Photo of a Folk Art Cigar Store Indian

Available here.

A Brooklyn Carver

Circa 1930's folk art carved lamp base with the figure of a man and four nude women.

Sold on eBay for $281.00.

Tinsel

Thinking of Marie...

This eBay seller (I'm not sure whether he does the photos himself or just finds them?) is selling a photo that seems to be inspired by Eugene Von Bruenchenhein's wonderful photographs of his wife Marie. I sort of like it. Well, what's not to like in a pretty nude girl covered in Christmas ornaments, right?

Available here.

Happy Holidays everyone!

19th Century Tintype of a Joseph H. Davis Painting

Available here.

Raging Liz Taylor, Jordan Ramin and a thrown Michael Todd owned radio

Great story from this eBay seller!

Available here.

Seller's description:
About 20 years ago I met Jordan Ramin, who worked in Hollywood as a sound engineer for the producer Michael Todd. Mr. Ramin was a close friend of both Michael Todd and his wife, Elizabeth Taylor. He received the Regency radio in the book inscribed with his name as did about 60 members of the cast and crew who worked on "Around the World in Eighty Days." Mike Todd was killed in an airplane crash in 1958. Mr. Ramin went over to their apartment where Liz Taylor was in a rage "...throwing things around." He asked if he could have Mr. Todd's radio, Ms Taylor threw it at him, it hit a wall near his head. She screamed " Take it you're a schmuck!" Mr. Ramin picked up the radio and ran out. Taking his new radio, his three million dollar savings and tapping his Hollywood connections, he invested in the movie concept "Smell-O-Vision". An idea whereupon different smells would be released via small tubes under the seats in the theater, to accompany appropriate scenes and enhance your enjoyment of the film. Mr. Ramin said this was an enormous failure at the premiere. All the various smells were released at the same time filling the theater with something he described as "...a giant, awful fart." People exited screaming and holding their noses. He seemed quite broke when I bought these from him at his apartment on the upper west side of Manhattan. Now for your consideration these two radios will be offered as a set along with the book and Christmas gift card. Texas Instruments and I.D.E.A. started making these in 1954. The TR-1 was the first commercially produced transistor radio, and the first pocket sized radio. This auction is for two radios, one in Mandarin red that came in an Around the World in 80 Days leather book case. Also included is a Christmas card from Mr. Todd. The other is in an ultra rare swirled mahogany color, with a tan leather case with Michael Todd in gold printed on the top flap. Both radios are TR-1s and in good condition. Each has light scratches here and there, the leather cases have small amounts of wear. Mahogany radio has a chip on the top right corner (Picture #5) this is probably from when Elizabeth Taylor threw it at Mr. Jordan Ramin. It also has some wear on plastic body and metal tuning dial. The red radio has no cracks or chips, just light scuffs and scratches.These were expensive items at the time, $50 then (about $400 in 2011 dollars.) Radios and cases are uncleaned, unrestored, and untested. Radios measure 3" x 5" x 1 1/4" each.

Girl with Parrot

Sold for $60.00 on eBay.

Black Head Bank

19th century folk art redware pottery bank of a black man's head.

Available at Anonymous Works.

Snowflake

Circa 1900's cyanotype photo snowflake Christmas card.

Sold for $82.00 on eBay.

Sunday Painting

A couple of fine amateur paintings, one dated 1924, the other 1918.

Sold for $68.79 and $37.00 on eBay.

Jesus Jesus Jesus

Available here.

"Maid of the Rapids"

1901 cabinet card of the "Maid of the Rapids", Martha E. Wagenfuhrer.

From the seller's description:

Martha E. Wagenfuhrer was a young woman from Buffalo, New York, who thought that by being the first woman to ride the rapids of the Niagara Gorge she would find fame and glory.

Martha had grand marketing ideas. She planned her trip for Saturday, September 6th, 1901. She had chosen the date carefully as this was the day that a scheduled visit was planned for President William McKinley.

He would be visiting the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York and had planned on visiting Niagara Falls on that Saturday. As fate would have it an assassin’s bullet would put an end to the hopes of being witnessed by the President.

Martha began her journey on the afternoon of September 6th, but before her barrel could be set afloat it sustained damage when it accidentally rolled down the bank of the river. Martha refused to go ahead with her stunt until the barrel was repaired and later that day, slightly before 6 p.m. Martha was helped inside her barrel.

Unfortunately for Martha her barrel was caught in the Whirlpool Rapids for over an hour. With darkness setting in it became necessary for the Great Gorge Railway Illumination Car to be brought to the Whirlpool so its search light could illuminate the surface of the river. When it was possible to finally retrieve the barrel Martha was found unconscious inside and barely breathing. It took over ten minutes to revive the woman.

Available here.

Rockefeller Center

Paul J. Woolf
Rockefeller Center
1938
Gelatin silver print mounted on drawing
14 x 16"

Available at Leslie Hindman.

Jackson Pollack

Jackson Pollack
Untitled
Oil on glass block
7 3/4" x 7 3/4" x 3 3/4"

Available at Leslie Hindman.

Hair

A 19th century scrapbook of one family's hair over a 70 year period!

Available here.

Circa 1930's Drawing of a Baseball themed Dart Board

Available here.