May 29, 1998
Greetings Accumulators!
We survived a taxi strike here in New York City this week. Actually, most
of us didn't even notice there was one. Well, we noticed that traffic was
a lot more bearable than it usually is, and that there was a lot less
horn-honking!
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ALL BIDDERS MUST KEEP THEIR HANDS IN FULL VIEW
Remember the episode of "Seinfeld" entitled "The Contest"? It was the one
where the four friends anted up money in a competition to see who could -
um - refrain the longest. It all took place as a result of George's mother
walking in on him while he was having a tete-a-tete with a copy of Glamour
Magazine. For many fans, this stands out as the quintessential and most
hilarious of all Seinfelds. And it won an Emmy for Larry David, who wrote
it. Well, on June 18 it goes on the auction block as part of Christie's
East's annual sale of film and television memorabilia. The pre-sale
estimate for the bound script, which has been autographed by all four cast
members, is $1,500 to $2,000. I think the estimate is a sly joke by
Christie's. They have to know it will sell for several times that amount.
THIS SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD PLOT FOR A MOVIE DEPARTMENT
Okay, try to follow this: A sixteenth century German nobleman had a prayer
book with seven original paintings in it. Four are by the Flemish master,
Simon Bening. The paintings were ripped from the book (no, I don't know
whodunit) and somehow wound up in the collection of the University of
Kassel Library in Germany. During the Second World War, the University hid
the paintings in a mine shaft to protect them from bombing. After the war,
an American civilian employee of Republic Aircraft named William Braemer
was sent to Germany to get information about the German aircraft company
Messerschmidt. Messerschmidt had records stored in the mine shaft and
Braemer discovered the paintings there. He kept them in storage for thirty
years, and then sold them in his Connecticut frame shop for - get this -
$100. Whoever bought them from Braemer sold them to a rug dealer named
Thomas Chatalbash for $200 (no art experts, these guys. The actual value
of the paintings is $500,000) and he hung three of them on his office wall,
where they were spotted by a museum official. Once Chatalbash was apprised
of their value he was determined to keep them, but the University of Kassel
Library filed suit for their return. There was a little negotiating, the
suit was withdrawn, Chatalbash was given an undisclosed amount as an
"award", and the paintings went back to Germany. If canvas could talk!
WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER BUY AN ITALIAN-MADE SECURITY SYSTEM
If you can stand one more art story: three thieves in masks and stocking
feet stole Italy's only two Van Goghs and a Cezanne on May 19 from The
National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome. The Italian art world was caught
off guard, possibly because they were busy bragging about a renaissance of
their nation's art museums. The shoeless trio simply walked in, tied up
and gagged the three security guards, locked them in a bathroom, and walked
off with the paintings. Police are now waiting for a ransom demand to
surface.
BUYER BEWARE
If you love architectural artifacts and want to buy some for your lawn,
deal only with a reputable dealer. And make sure you secure what you
display. Thefts of iron lawn furniture and other outdoor artifacts is on
the rise, and some thieves are even robbing cemeteries. If a stolen
artifact is discovered in your possession it must be returned, and you will
lose whatever you paid for it.
Well, Accumulators, it is hot and sticky here in NYC, and we're in the
middle of a thunderstorm. Artie and I are headed up to the country to try
to cool off, to escape the evening news, which is full of people shooting
other people, and to shop - of course! Have a safe and enjoyable weekend.
Happy hunting!
Best,
Judith
© 1998 Judith Katz-Schwartz. All rights reserved.
Antiques and Collectibles Newsletter #44
U.S. Library of Congress
ISSN 1520-4464
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