Atlanta, GA, USA, January 26, 2024 -- William Shakespeare's Second Folio dated to 1632, an 1818 copy of the Declaration of Independence as published by Benjamin Owen Tyler, and a sea letter from 1793 signed by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are just a few of the expected headliners in Ahlers & Ogletree’s auction slated for February 7th-9th, online and live in the Atlanta gallery.

The three-day event comprises the lifetime collection of important historical books and documents from the estate of Fred Bentley, Sr. – over 900 lots in all across the three days.

An avid reader and collector his entire life, Mr. Bentley gave generously to his community in support of this passion by founding the rare book rooms at Brenau College and Kennesaw State University. Born and raised in Georgia, Bentley's illustrious career as an attorney fueled his love for the written word, specifically rare collections, and his philanthropic acts are a testament to his enduring commitment to encouraging a love for reading and collecting in others.

Mr. Bentley's contributions have left a lasting legacy in his community, and the items in this auction offer an opportunity for bidders to invest in the collections that he curated over the course of his life.

Session 1, on Wednesday, February 7th, will feature Dickens, Shakespeare, Incunabula and early documents. Session 2, on Thursday February 8th, will contain historical books and documents from the Revolutionary War through the 19th century. Session 3, on Friday, February 9th, will showcase important works of fiction and poetry from Mark Twain and others.

The auction’s undisputed star lot is the Second Folio edition of Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and Tragedies, printed in London in 1632 by Thos. Cotes for Robert Allot. The folio, with annotations, contains John Milton’s first appearance in print (his anonymous epitaph to Shakespeare). The rare folio is expected to change hands for $200,000-$250,000.

The 1818 copperplate engraving on paper broadside of The Declaration of Independence by Benjamin Owen Tyler (1789-1855) was published by Peter Maverick (1780-1831). The facsimile is 29 inches by 20 ¼ inches (paper, less frame) and has a dedication to Thomas Jefferson and an endorsement to Secretary of State Richard Rush (est. $10,000-$20,000).

The incredibly rare letter boldly signed by George Washington (as President) and Thomas Jefferson (as Secretary of State) is a four-language cut ship document dated July 9, 1793. It is countersigned by Hodijah Baylies, the collector of customs, for the schooner Rebecca, to ship commander Samuel Swasey. It’s matted in archival glass and framed (est. $5,000-$10,000).

A President Abraham Lincoln signed document dated March 21, 1861 is for the appointment of Calvin Hudson of New York to be the Commissioner of the United States of which to advocate claims of U.S. citizens over Costa Rica, making him the first consulate there appointed by Lincoln. The document is framed, with a large illustration of Lincoln (est. $5,000-$7,000).

A first edition copy of Benjamin Franklin’s Political, Miscellaneous ad Philiosophical Pieces, published in 1779 by J. Johnson (London), is the only edition of Franklin’s writings (other than his scientific studies) published during his lifetime. The book is quarter bound in tan leather with marbled boards and the spine features gilt tilting on a black field (est. $2,000-$4,000).

A copy of William Shakespeare’s Midsommer Night’s Dream, taken from a Second Folio of Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and Tragedies (pages 145-162), was published in London in 1632. It’s the complete play, with correct watermarks for a Second Folio play. The pages have been bound in modern blue boards with vellum at the spine (est. $8,000-$10,000).

A copy of Francesco Petrarcha’s book Sonetii e Canzoni, printed in 1514 by Aldus Manutius (1449-1515) and the Aldine Press, is bound in a highly decorated hand-cut double-sided Venetian window design and hand painted within each of the 21 compartments located on each of its sides. The internal designs are hand decorated with armorial-like floral symbols (est. $4,000-$6,000).

A finely-bound two-volume, first edition set of Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians by George Catlin, published in 1841 by the author at the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, and printed by Tosswill and Myers, is an important work with over 400 illustrations. Both books have been re-bound and have marbled end papers (est. $2,000-$4,000).

A very early example of political cartooning, from the January 30, 1788 issue of the Massachusetts Centinel, 4 pages, depicts columns representing Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia and Connecticut awaiting the addition of the Massachusetts column uplifted by a pair of hands coming out of clouds, in a reference to the state’s ratification of the U.S. Constitution (est. $2,000-$3,000).

Samuel Clemens (better known by his nom de plume, Mark Twain) will take center stage on Day 3 (February 9th). Several of the more important Mark Twain offerings include the following lots:

- A first edition, first state copy of Adventures of Tom Sawyer, published by American Publishing Co., bound in the publisher’s three-quarter Morocco binding, one of 200 copies offered in leather by the publisher. In a custom leather clamshell case (est. $5,000-$7,000).

- A first edition, first state copy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in the rare blue cloth boards, published in 1885 by Charles L. Webster. Contains all first edition first state error points listed in Johnson (43-50). Gilt decoration on the book’s front (est. $2,000-$3,000).

- A circa 1901-1903 letter handwritten and signed, as “SL Clemens”, addressed to Louis Livingston Seaman (1851-1932), penned on Riverdale on the Hudson mourning stationery, possibly related to the death of his eldest daughter, Olivia (1872-1896) (est. $1,500-$3,000).

An original illustration for the classic novel Oliver Twist, drawn by Felix O.C. Darley (American, 1822-1888), titled Oliver Perfects His Technique (1887), executed in graphite and watercolor wash on paper and depicting an old man in a kitchen, is signed and dated in pencil lower left, with an inscription. The illustration is 15 ¼ inches by 12 ¾ inches (less the frame). (est. $2,500-$4,500).

An important and early complete five-volume set of Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Totius Theologiae, printed in 1596 by Franciscis Senenfem (Venice) is expected to bring $2,000-$4,000. Each volume is bound in original vellum over paper boards, which was then covered with an intricately stamped design, in red, of squares and spiked forms creating a matrix of design. The titles are handwritten.

Internet bidding will be available on Ahlers & Ogletree’s platform -- bid.AandOAuctions.com -- plus LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com. Absentee and phone bids will be accepted. Previews will be held by appointment only, in the Ahlers & Ogletree gallery at 1788 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard NW in Atlanta. To schedule an appointment, call 404-869-2478; or, email to info@aandoauctions.com.

To learn more about Ahlers & Ogletree and the three-day auction scheduled for February 7th thru 9th, online and live in the Atlanta gallery, visit www.aandoauctions.com. Updates are posted often. You can follow Ahlers & Ogletree via social media on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

An online-only antique map auction featuring a wide variety of material, from one of the earliest collectible world maps (Lot 42), to important works on Native Americans (Lot 769), to fascinating persuasive maps from World War II (Lot 693) will be in Old World Auctions’ Auction #196, online January 24th and ending on February 7th at 10 pm Eastern.

The auction is loaded with 790 lots, including rare antique and vintage maps, charts, atlases, decorative prints, illuminated manuscripts and historical documents from the late 15th century to the mid-20th century. There is no live gallery bidding. The catalog is up for viewing and bidding now, at https://www.oldworldauctions.com/catalog/current. It’s on no other bidding platforms.

“Some of my favorite pieces in this auction are the real early maps from the 16th century, such as those by Ortelius, Munster, and Wytfliet,” said Eliane Dotson, who co-owns Old World Auctions with her husband, Jon. “Their engraving styles were so distinctive and supremely decorative that they are artistic masterpieces.” She added, “There’s something to fit every interest and budget.”

Mr. Dotson said, “We are excited to offer Ludwig von Bucholtz’s A Map of the Rail Roads of Virginia (1858). This was Bucholtz’s first map of Virginia, published a year before he updated the famous 9-sheet Boye map. It’s quite rare, having been offered at auction only once before, and it provides an excellent view of Virginia’s transportation network prior to the Civil War.”

More than sixty lots will be offered with no reserve. The bidding will start at just one dollar.

Lot 42 is Secunda Etas Mundi by Hartmann Schedel (1493). This striking and important map of the world is the last map to appear before the dissemination of Columbus's discoveries in the New World. The map was printed a mere forty years after the invention of printing and is one of the earliest world maps available to the collector. Estimate: $12,000 - $14,000.

Lot 769 is History of the Indian Tribes of North America by McKenney & Hall (1854), the second octavo edition of an incredible work on the Native Americans, published in three volumes with 120 hand-colored plates of Natives. Thomas McKenney & James Hall's portfolio of Indian portraits documents an important part of American History. Estimate: $9,500 - $12,000.

Lot 162 is A New Map of Carolina by Thornton, Morden & Lea (1685). This is the rare first state of an important, early map of the Carolinas. The map shows early settlements, landowners, and includes depictions of Native Americans and animals, such as a turkey and even an ostrich. Estimate: $25,000 - $30,000.

Lot 85 is Carte Nouvelle de la Mer du Sud by Andries & Hendrik de Leth (1740). De Leth's pristine map of the Americas and surrounding oceans in full contemporary color is one of the most decorative ever engraved. The map features the Island of California, the sea routes of famous explorers, and scenes of cannibalism and human sacrifice. Estimate: $14,000 - $17,000.

Lot 756 is Theatri Geographiae Veteris by Hondius/Bertius (1618-1619). This superb historical atlas combines 27 Ptolemaic maps by Gerard Mercator, 14 maps from (or based on) Ortelius' Parergon, and Ortelius' Peutinger Table. Estimate: $12,000 - $15,000.

Lot 363 is Islandia by Abraham Ortelius (1585). This is one of the most spectacular of all decorative maps, filling the Icelandic seas with a Boschian array of sea monsters. Estimate: $9,500 - $12,000.

Lot 161 is A New Discription of Carolina by Order of the Lords Proprietors by Moxon/Ogilby (1673), Ogilby's scarce and influential First Lords Proprietors map. Much of the nomenclature on the map represents the names of the Lords Proprietors, who were granted control of the region by Charles II in the hopes of creating a new colony. Estimate: $9,000 - $11,000.

Lot. 8 is Orbis Terrae Novissima Descriptio by Hondius/Le Clerc (1633). This world map was engraved by Jodocus Hondius for Parisian publisher Jean Le Clerc. The map is based on Rumold Mercator's double-hemisphere map from 1587, and features a Northwest Passage, a huge Terra Australis, and an elaborate decorative border. Estimate: $4,750 - $6,000.

Lot 274 is A Map of the Rail Roads of Virginia by Ludwig von Bucholtz (1858). This rare railroad map graphically represents Ludwig von Bucholtz’s earliest work under the Virginia Board of Public Works, and presents the sizeable transportation network in the state. Estimate: $5,000 - $7,000.

Lot 63 is [Armillary Sphere] by Anonymous (1800). This French armillary sphere is depicted on the Ptolemaic model with the earth at its center. It features a miniature terrestrial globe flanked by two small metal discs representing the sun and moon that orbit by rotating brass arms. A lovely piece on an ebonized stand. Estimate: $2,750 - $3,500.

Lot 366 is [Europa Regina] by Sebastian Munster (1588). This is one of the most famous of cartographic oddities, showing Europe in the shape of a woman. The representation of “Europa Regina,” or Queen of the World, was first drawn by Johannes Bucius in 1537. This version appeared in several editions of Munster’s Cosmography. Estimate: $1,000 - $1,300.

Lot 205 is Map of San Francisco Showing Principal Streets and Places of Interest by Harrison Godwin (1927). This wonderful map is “one of the most ambitious of the early pictorial maps” and is packed full with illustrations of important sites, buildings, parks, and scores of cartoonish characters. Estimate: $1,500 - $1,800.

People can register to bid online at https://www.oldworldauctions.com/register. Bidders may also call in their bids, at 804-290-8090, or email them, at info@oldworldauctions.com. Previews will be held by appointment only during regular business hours, Monday thru Friday, from 8:30 am to 5 pm Eastern time. Call or email for an appointment.

Each Old World auction has a 10-minute rule, meaning each lot that has active bidding will stay open (past the closing time of 10 pm Eastern) until there have been no bids for 10 minutes on that lot. Those lots that stay open past 10 pm will have individual count-down clocks on the lot page to show how much time remains for bidding.

Old World Auctions offers full condition reports on everything in its auctions, and they offer a 100 percent money-back guarantee on the authenticity and condition of everything they sell. To learn more, visit www.OldWorldAuctions.com.

About Old World Auctions:
Established in 1977, Old World Auctions is the leading specialist in antique maps. The company has researched and listed over 100,000 maps and atlases in its auctions and offers its research free to the public through its online archive. Old World Auctions maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. To learn more, visit www.OldWorldAuctions.com.

Reno, NV, USA, January 21, 2024 -- Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC’s original plan was to have two auctions in January – a timed online-only sale in the middle of the month and a live auction (with online bidding) at the end of the month. That idea has been scrapped. Now, both sales will be combined into one catalog – the timed online sale Jan. 25-26 and the live auction on Jan. 27-28.

Taken collectively, the two auctions are titled Marvels of the West – aptly named due to their contents. Both events will contain about 500-600 lots per day, in the categories collectors have come to expect from Holabird: Western and Native Americana, Gold Rush, mining, coins and currency, railroadiana, tokens, philatelic, bottles, ephemera and more. Start times all four days are 8 am Pacific. The live auction, Days 3 and 4, will be held at 3555 Airway Drive in Reno.

“We know people love our live auctions, but don’t miss the timed online-only sales,” advised Fred Holabird, president and owner of Holabird Western Americana, LLC. “Hidden in those two days are goodies I call ‘bait’ – items to get folks interested in certain categories and steer them to the live sale on Days 3 and 4. Timed sales are very popular, especially with dealers worldwide.”

Mr. Holabird added, “The timed online sale provides a chance for collectors to compete for less expensive items on their own terms of value. Also – and this is important - all lots open for bidding at just ten dollars during the timed auction. Bargains will be in abundance.” Internet bidding will be facilitated by iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com.

“The live sale on Days 3 and 4 features great rarities in more than twenty different categories,” Mr. Holabird said. “You can scroll through the listings in the virtual catalog, which I always recommend, and also scroll through the listings on the various auction platforms. Don’t miss the Table of Contents page to help you find things in a general sense. Scrolling through the virtual catalog (the digital version of the printed catalog) is the easiest way to look through the listings.”

Perhaps the most intriguing and important item in the entire auction is lot #3027 on Day 3 - a remarkable and historic handwritten 1833 letter delivered to a US Indian Agent and intended for publication in the Buffalo Journal, an obscure, short-lived newspaper in which no copies have been digitalized, let alone finding out how many still exist in any form. Here, the Chiefs of the Six Nations proclaimed though this signed document written for them by their Indian Agent that they had no interest and would not trade any more of their lands at the Government’s request.

Apparently, some skullduggery had taken place between some Government officials, agents, and a few lesser Chiefs to acquire key land parcels in a dubious scheme to benefit a few (or line the pockets, as we might say today), without the permission or knowledge of the Council of the Six Nations. In this document, the Chiefs of the Six Nations at Council, all unilaterally proclaimed, “The Chiefs belong to the Nations, not the Nations to the Chiefs” … in short, the Chiefs cannot act individually or without consent of the Council for their own benefit. (est. $5,000-$10,000).

Several key collections will also come up for bid, beginning with a major collection of railroad dining ware that began in Holabird’s last auction. The massive, high-quality collection of logo marked china and “silver” items from US railroad company dining cars continues in this sale with hundreds of pieces. The collection is quite varied, offering items from dozens of America’s famous and not-so-famous (and rare) rail lines, mostly from the first half of the 20th century.

Then there is Ken Prag’s massive railroad stock collection, to be sold in the timed auction on Days 1 and 2. Offered will be hundreds of different US railroad stocks, some of which we haven’t seen in years, at a price level that bidders will set collectively. Holabird snuck in a few “ringers”, such as a rare stock signed by Declaration of Independence signer Robert Morris.

Longtime friend Ron Reed passed away last year, and his family asked Holabird to sell his collection of Colorado embossed bottles. Ron had purchased a number of key pieces out of the previous Gary Bracken sales, so those are now available. A few “ringers” in the timed sale have been snuck into the Reed Collection, to entice new collectors into collecting Colorado bottles.

Ron Reed didn’t have many Colorado tokens, but he did have an unlisted Central City pocket mirror. That will be in the token section of the live sale. He also had what many believe to be the all-time best collection of Colorado dose glasses – about 56 in all, mostly all embossed, though there are a few etched glasses. He also had odd-ball shaped, yet very attractive, dose glasses. There are at least 16 dose glasses unlisted in Preble’s book on Colorado Drug Store Bottles.

Among Reed’s many Colorado drug bottles, there are a number of “R5” bottles – the rarest category in Preble – and many of these are from the rare towns. Most of the bottles are mint, or very close to it. There is an obvious bias to part of his collecting, color and size. In a few cases, Reed was able to collect period photographs or ephemera from some of the drug stores with embossed bottles, and they are included with the bottles, which make those lots extra-special.

The collection also boasts around twenty 32-ounce ounce drug bottles, which are tough to collect in any condition. Most Western states are lucky to have a few 16-ounce bottles survive, and it is probable that most druggists and pharmacists never ordered drug bottles embossed that were that large. To put things in perspective, there are no 32-ounce embossed drug bottles in Nevada at all.

Color was also important to Reed. There are over 100 colored drug bottles from his collection in the auction, many of them Colorado drug bottles. There is even one or more 32-ounce specimen, as well as at least three different cobalt blue bottles with duplicates, teal drug bottles of Victor in many sizes, amber drug bottles from multiple druggists from multiple cities in nearly every size imaginable, plus mini sets of varied colored drug bottles, many in 3-, 4- and 6-ounce bottles.

Colorado pictorial drug bottles feature trunks, deer, birds, fans, antlers, owls, lambs and horses, plus druggist mortar and pestles. As for Colorado whiskey bottles, Reed had fewer than fifty of them. He has several of the very rare applied top amber fifths and quarts, all listed by Preble. In several cases, Reed was able to collect a billhead from the whiskey merchant, and it is included with the bottle. There are about three mini-jugs and three regular whiskey jugs in the auction.

There are not too many Colorado soda bottles, but the bottles in Reed’s collection are generally of the “blob top” or “sloped shoulder” variety, and thus are mostly very to exceptionally rare. This was a case where he had to settle for what he could get. Some have small damage or blemishes, but the total population of known examples is less than ten. And these are all clean.

Reed collected Pike’s Peak flasks; there are about six. Two don’t fit the carefully drawn sketches of Eatwell & Clint’s Pikes Peak Gold book on the flasks. According to experts, collectors are finding new variants all the time. These Pittsburgh produced bottles from the early days of the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush include USA Hospital bottles, pontiled inks and pontiled medicines.

Anyone owning a collection that might fit into a Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC auction is encouraged to get in touch. The firm travels throughout the U.S., to see and pick up collections. The company has agents all over America and will travel to inspect most collections.

To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC, and the four-day Marvels of the West auction slated for January 25th-28th, starting at 8 am Pacific each day, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com.

About Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC:
Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC is always seeking new and major collections to bring to market. It prides itself as being a major source for selling Americana at the best prices obtainable, having sold more than any other similar company in the past decade alone. The firm will have its entire sales database online soon, at no cost – nearly 200,000 lots sold since 2014. To consign a single piece or a collection, you may call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or, you can send an e-mail to fredholabird@gmail.com. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com

Clean Brands, the largest dry cleaning and laundry company on the planet, announced the opening of a fourth Martinizing Cleaners location at 2602 South Cherry Lane, Fort Worth, TX. The site had previously been Cherry Lane Cleaners.

Aledo, Texas resident Eric Monroe is the owner of Martinizing Cleaners of Cherry Lane. He also owns three other Martinizing Cleaners locations in Fort Worth: 7450 Oakmont Blvd; 5950 Cityview Blvd; and 9019 Benbrook Blvd, Benbrook, TX.

“We’re extremely excited about our new location for a number of reasons. First, there’s a built-in need for a cleaner in that area and I can’t wait to bring the Martinizing way of cleaning to previous Cherry Lane customers,” said Monroe. “Just as importantly, we’ve experienced tremendous growth at all our locations over the past five years. The equipment at the Cherry Lane location will help us provide even better service for our customers at all four locations.”

Martinizing Cleaners offers a wide array of cleaning services, including but not limited to: dry cleaning, shirt laundry, alterations, wash & fold, bulk laundry, leather cleaning, wedding gown cleaning and wedding gown preservation; and comforter cleaning. Martinizing also offers 24/7 access and pickup and delivery for total convenience.

Martinizing Cleaners of Fort Worth has more than 30 employees at the four locations—featuring two delivery routes.

In its five year history in Fort Worth, Martinizing Cleaners has established a reputation for doing good in the community. That includes offering complimentary dry cleaning services for unemployed people looking to get their interview clothes cleaned prior to their appointment.

“We’ve also done some work with churches and other non-profits, looking to help out those in need with some discounted cleaning services,” said Monroe who along with wife Holly have three children, ages 9, 11 and 14. “That’s something we are looking to do more of as we continue to grow.”

Hours of operation for all four Martinizing Cleaners in Forth Worth is Monday through Friday, 7am to 6pm, Saturday, 9am to 3pm.

For complete information on the Martinizing Cleaners franchise opportunity, visit martinizingfranchise.com or call 248-654-7009.

About Martinizing Cleaners:
As part of Clean Brands, Martinizing is among the largest U.S. based dry-cleaning franchise systems with more than 400 locations in seven countries including Canada, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan and Peru. Martinizing was founded in 1949 and remains a trusted, iconic name in dry cleaning in the U.S. For more information, visit https://www.martinizing.com/.

About Clean Brands, LLC :
Based in Naples, Florida, Clean Brands, LLC is now the owner of the following brands: Lapels Dry Cleaning; Martinizing Cleaners; 1-800-DryClean, Pressed4Time, Dry Cleaning Station and Bizziebox. Collectively, the brands have 400 plus stores in 40 states and nine countries. Clean Brands corporate office is located at 711 5th Avenue South, Naples, FL 34102.

For more information, go to https://calendly.com/martinizing/introduction or contact John Powers at jpowers@cleanfranchisebrands.com.

Bloomfield, NJ, USA, January 11, 2024 -- Nye & Company Auctioneers’ two-day, online-only Collectors’ Passion auction slated for Wednesday and Thursday, January 24th-25th, will feature folk art from the estate of Marjorie and Robert L. Hirschhorn; a curated selection of early American, English and Continental furniture; a fabulous assortment of silver; and a broad selection of fine art and maps.

The auction, beginning at 10 am Eastern time both days, will include property from several Tri-State area collections, including a selection of property from the Stanley Weiss collection. Real time Internet bidding and absentee bidding is available on multiple platforms, including Nye & Company’s redesigned website. Telephone bidding will also be available, on a limited basis.

January is traditionally a month when Americana crosses the podium and this year is no exception. The collection of highly-inlaid parquetry furniture, canes and walking sticks from the estates of Marjorie and Robert L. Hirschhorn anchors the artwork made on this side of the Atlantic, including Johnny Cash’s personal hand-carved owl-and rattlesnake-carved cane.

There are also commemorative, G.A.R., Civil War, allegorical canes and walking sticks, some with figural handles and highly carved shafts. There are examples with busts of dogs, humans, animals and even Abraham Lincoln. The Hirschhorns accumulated a number of elaborately-inlaid pieces of furniture and clocks, including a Roxbury-style tall case clock bought in 1993.

The rare two-part clock on stand was made by Clayton Williams of Mt. Airy, North Carolina, circa 1959, and was made with 7,260 pieces of wood from 25 different kinds of wood from across the globe. The 16-Sided, Elaborately-Inlaid Center Table is one of several pieces in the collection depicted in Richard Muhlberger’s American Folk Marquetry: Masterpieces in Wood.

Items from the Stanley Weiss collection include a classical giltwood overmantel mirror, a Queen Anne mahogany drop-leaf dining table and a Federal satinwood tambour secretary. Items from a Connecticut collector include a Chippendale birchwood blockfront kneehole desk, an American School double portrait of children, and a lovely Ichabod Potter mahogany drop-leaf dining table.

A Pennsylvania and Connecticut collector is selling a Chippendale walnut chest-on-chest with the idiosyncratic tall scroll-board of Lancaster County and a nice tall case clock. The aesthetic counterpoint to the previously-mentioned chest-on-chest is the ethereal Queen Anne carved walnut dressing table, attributed to Henry Clifton of Philadelphia, and made circa 1750-1760.

The overhanging top sits above an arrangement of drawers, on cabriole legs and delicately carved scroll feet (commonly called Spanish or brush feet). That piece comes from a small but choice Westchester, New York collection. Also included is a superb Federal serpentine front chest of drawers, illustrated in American Antiques from Israel Sack Collection, Vol. III.

Another piece with attenuated proportions is the Federal inlaid New Jersey tall clock, Isaac Brokaw, Bridgetown, circa 1800. Several nautical paintings from the Pennsylvania and Connecticut collection include a fine China Trade Hong painting, Fonggua School of Macao; a ship portrait of the “Kalos,” and a bucolic painting of a boat on a lake by Charles Harry Eaton.

The nautical theme continues with the oil on canvas by the American artist, Frank Shapleigh (1842-1906) who deftly illustrates a ship wreck off Anastasia Island and the Spanish ruin at St. Augustine, Florida. Of the large-format pictures are two Italian Old Master Paintings, from an Ohio family, depicting Abraham and the Three Angels and Expulsion of Hagar & Ishmael.

Another Pennsylvania and U.K. family is selling a full-length portrait of Queen Victoria by Charles Cohill, after Thomas Sully. The portrait is mentioned in Carrie Rebora Barratt’s book, Queen Victoria and Thomas Sully.

“All that glitters is not gold,” is illustrated by the offering of good pieces of sterling silver, such as the James Robinson, William Garrett Forbes and Gorham tea services. From English makers, there are salvers, casters, candlesticks and more. More pieces by Whiting, Tiffany, Jensen and others round out this area.

Fans of New Jersey’s extant tavern signs can acquire a rare double sided Wheat Sheaf Inn sign. Those going further afield will be interested in the large group of cartography. There’s Petrus Planicus’ Engraved World Map; a Willem Blaeu, Map of The Americas; Hondius’ Map of Virginia and the Carolinas; a Willem Blaeu Map of Bermuda; and other maps of China, Scotland, France and England.

Other collecting areas are represented by an assortment of lighting, rugs, porcelain and glass.

Internet bidding will be available on LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, Bidsquare.com, Bidspirit.com, the redesigned Nye & Company site (www.nyeandcompany.com) and application.

An online preview is being held now thru January 24-25t, so people can bid in absentia and online on the above platforms. Anyone looking for additional images, condition reports or info about an object can visit the Nye & Company website or email to info@nyeandcompany.com.

Nye and Company is proud to unveil its newly redesigned website (www.nyeandcompany.com) and smartphone application for 2024. The site is more fully illustrated and features a modern, boldly illustrated appearance. The increased functionality provides help for the auction veteran or the first-time consignor and executor with built-out FAQ, highlights and brochure sections.

Bidders will find the mobile app particularly helpful to participate whilst on the move. The online payment system is easier to navigate and will be released later in the first-quarter of 2024.

For more information about Nye & Company Auctioneers and the Collectors Passion online-only auction on Wednesday and Thursday, January 24th-25th, visit www.nyeandcompany.com. The full color catalog will be available shortly at www.nyeandcompany.com and the above websites.

About Nye & Company Auctioneers:
John Nye had a long and fruitful career at Sotheby’s before he and his wife, Kathleen, acquired Dawson’s in 2003 and started Dawson & Nye. With the move to Bloomfield seven years later, they renamed the business to Nye & Company (Auctioneers, Appraisers, Antiques). The firm is nationwide, but the vast bulk of the business comes from trusts and estates in the tri-state area. For more information about Nye & Company Auctioneers, please visit www.nyeandcompany.com.