February 14, 1999
Greetings Accumulators!
And a Happy Valentine's Day to you. It's quiet in New York City at 8AM on
Sunday. Also, the temperature has dropped twenty degrees in the last 24
hours, so people are probably too cold to get out of bed!
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF MAYBE THEY SHOULD GET THEM IN ALABAMA, WHERE THE
TUSCALOOSA
The United Nations has just announced that it is relaxing its ban on the
trade of ivory. Three African countries, whose elephant herds are now
recovered, will be permitted to ship ivory to artisans in Japan. One hopes
this will not encourage poachers to start up again.
Now, I know the hunters out there are going to be angry with me for this, and I understand that herds must be thinned out to prevent starvation, and that hunters who kill animals for their meat are merely doing it for survival. I can accept those reasons for killing certain animals, although I would never kill one myself, and I don't even ever want to see one being killed. What I do not understand is people who kill animals, remove their heads and then hang them on the wall as a trophy. You call this a sport? The only way this would be a sport would be if you gave the deer a gun too, and let it shoot back at you - now that would be a sport, because it would be a fair fight, and you would be a sportsman if you won! Please don't send me your angry mail - let's just agree to disagree, and don't get me started on boxing either.
I digress. Sorry. So, how will we be able to tell the ivory that's coming
out of Africa now and is "legal" from the ivory that came out from the late
seventies until now, which is not legal, from the ivory that came out
before the mid-seventies and is also legal? I don't think the UN thought
that one through.
WILL THEY BE USING TYPE O POSITIVE IN THE VARNISH? DEPARTMENT
The Henry Ford Museum has announced that it has completed restoration of
the bloodstained rocker in which President Abraham Lincoln was sitting when
he was assassinated. The silk fabric, which is very fragile, will be held
together with a thin poyester material. Kind of like most of the anorexic
models you see in the fashion magazines.
THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THE GLOBAL ANTIQUES MARKET
Now that we're involved in a worldwide market, it's a lot tougher to keep
secrets. Several issues back I reported on a theft ring in New Orleans who
had been caught stealing and marketing cemetery sculptures. Now it seems
their ring is much wider than it originally appeared. A few weeks ago,
trade papers reported the theft of some bronze statuary from the grounds of
the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library in Los Angeles, California. An
alert dealer, Charles Murphy of New Orleans, remembered seeing
similar-looking items in a Houston, Texas auction catalogue. He contacted
the library, and they contacted the auction house with proof of ownership.
The sculptures have been returned to the library which is, incidentally,
reassessing its security practices, and the authorities turned their
attention toward the consigners who brought the items to the auction house.
Apparently, the trail is now pointing toward the New Orleans theft ring.
The world gets smaller and smaller, no?
POOR CHER - COULDN'T SHE AFFORD A WHOLE ONE?
Christie's is planning a very interesting auction in March. It's a
fundraising effort in conjunction with AMFAR and The American Academy of
Motion Pictures, to raise money to support the fight against AIDS.
Scheduled to coincide with the Oscars, the auction consists of dresses and
ensembles worn by various actresses to Oscar presentations of the past.
Included in the list are fashions worn by Cher (who could forget that
one?), Goldie Hawn, Madonna, Elizabeth Taylor (no, don't ask me what size),
Sharon Stone, Uma Thurman and Anjelica Huston (she designed her own
dress!). Designers represented are Giorgio Armani, Nolan Miller, Geoffrey
Beene, Arnold Scaasi, Valentino, Edith Head and, of course, Anjelica
Huston. Christie's is selling a commemorative calendar with photos of the
stars wearing the gowns, for $50 at their headquarters or $55 by mail from
Christie's Publications (800)395-6300.
I'M ALBUQUERQUE BOUND
Are you impressed that I can spell Albuquerque? Artie and I are leaving
for five days in fabulous Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I will be doing an
appraisathon at The Antiques Connection, in honor of their first
anniversary. If you're in the nabe, please stop by and say "hi!". For all
the inportant facts, please go to http://kumo.swcp.com/mga/page47.html, the
site of Morning Glory, owned by Jane Clarke, who also happens to own
Antique Connection Mall. While you're there, have a look around at the
fabulous jewelry Jane has for sale. Yum!
Since we'll be off having a great time (and working hard), I can't promise
you a newsletter next week, Accumulators. I can promise to try, though.
We'll be back Sunday evening, and, if I have the energy, I'll write and
tell you what trends are hot in the Great American Southwest. Enjoy the week, Accumulators. Happy Hunting!
Best,
Judith
© 1999 Judith Katz-Schwartz. All rights reserved.
Antiques and Collectibles Newsletter #73
U.S. Library of Congress
ISSN 1520-4464
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