Monday, August 25, 2014

19th Century Painting of Gluek's Brewery

Auction house description:

American School, Late 19th Century

Gluek's Brewery. Signed and dated "G.S.K.'89" l.r. Oil on canvas, showing the brewery, horse-drawn carriages, a freight train, two Victorian houses, and an extensive group of brewery outbuildings, many of which are identified: the stable, the ice house, and the bottlery, 28 1/2 x 40 in., in a molded wood frame.

Note: Gluek's Brewery was founded in Minneapolis on the banks of the Mississippi River in 1858 by Gottlieb Gluek. He ran a successful business, and despite the hurdles of an 1880 fire, Gottleib's untimely death shortly thereafter, and Prohibition, the Brewery was still operating independently under family control until it was acquired in 1964. Beer was sold under the Gluek label until 2010, and a restaurant named after the venerable brewing family still operates in downtown Minneapolis.

Sold for $3,998.00 at Skinner.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Circa 1840's Whalebone Box with Decorative Hands

This box from the New Bedford Whaling Museum's outstanding scrimshaw collection was made between 1840 and 1856 of whale bone and ivory, mahogany, wood and tortoiseshell. It employs hands and stars as decorative motifs.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Friday, August 1, 2014

Circa 1920's Comical Disguise Kit

Another great piece from the collection of Mel Birnkrant.

More here.