Tucked into a well-hidden large building in the Salt Point section of town, Dominick J. Navarra’s Hyde Park Country Auctions is a not-well-kept secret source for dealers and collectors of country Americana and other desirable antiques and collectibles. With more than 200 eager buyers crammed into the gallery, there was standing room only on Sunday, May 17. Navarra began outside with some garden elements and trade signs, but made his way quickly inside to sell the more than 500 lots offered.
Before the sale, Navarra showed off a find from a home in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. †the source for many of the top lots of the day. An American Revolutionary War flintlock, seemingly in original, untouched condition was found in the attic of the house. The rifle was stamped twice in the stock: once with the words, spelled out, United States, and once with “U States.” The working gear was pristine and the estimate was $5/7,000. “I have had so many calls on this one,” the auctioneer said. “I have eight absentee bids and one bidder from Virginia has called several times.” In the end, after competition from floor, phone and absentee bids, it was the Virginia collector who won the piece of history for $14,375.
Coming from the same Poughkeepsie house was a collection of art and decorative items that sold well. A lovely silkwork picture of a woman holding a basket of flowers and bird, standing on the lawn with sheep and a house in background sold for $2,185. The silk work of the woman’s dress was outstanding, still colorful and meticulously stitched showing shading and imparting the feeling of movement.
Several watercolors in old frames were offered: one was of a beached sailing vessel with people on the shore. Signed Fred S. Cozzens (New York, 1846‱928), 1915, the 11-by-13-inch work sold for $920. A signed D.F. Hasbrouck (New York, 1860‱934) scene of a cottage and stream went to $1,552; and an oil on panel grouping of ducks in a water hole, signed “E. Lemmens (France, 1821‱867),” was just 9½ by 6½ inches, but sold at $1,150.
A Nineteenth Century miniature grain-painted blanket box in black and red swirl paint, on a bracket base, caused quite a stir when it was held high. This 12-inch box was pushed to $488 by several bidders.
Another item brought in late to the sale was being inspected and discussed during the morning preview. A full-bodied copper prancing horse weathervane with traces of old gold leaf, a zinc head and tail †Navarra thought it was probably early Twentieth Century. Some savvy experts in the crowd must have thought differently, and a bidding war ensued. It ended with the horse prancing out with a floor bidder for $3,737.
W.M. Prior (1806‱873) was an itinerant artist who traveled throughout New York and New England painting portraits or landscapes. A Prior portrait, signed on the back “Mrs Mary Morrill Your Blake, age 74 †W.M. Prior 1853,” was in what was thought to be its original lemon gold frame. Many were looking at it closely during preview and several ventured to bid. The painting sold for $1,380.
Navarra has been running country auctions for many years, through good times and not so good times. He was encouraged on Sunday, not so much by the number of people at the sale, he says that has remained fairly constant, but by the number of absentee bids he had and the large number of phone bidders. “This is more than I’ve had in a long time,” he said, “and the phone bids were also way up.” He would not speculate on the meaning behind the rise, he was just happy to be able to keep the competition going with these bids.
Furniture has been moving slowly, in most cases, but Hyde Park offered a few pieces that sold well above presale estimates. A Centennial hand carved chair with an eagle crest had an attached label that read: “Chair was designed and made by pupils of The School of Industrial Art, Broad & Pine Sts, Phila. For Theodore Corsou Search.” Navarra mentioned that the school later became the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Search was one of the founders of Philadelphia University.
The chair sold above its modest $300/550 estimate, for a still-modest $690. An early Nineteenth Century stepback cupboard in old green paint, had an open top over two doors and sold at $2,012; an apple green cupboard with shoe feet and two raised panel doors, open top and bucket bench shelf below had a notice the feet had been replaced †it still sold for $977.
Another two-part cupboard with eight-paneled glass doors over a two-door base had a funny story. When children’s author and illustrator Alice Provensen decided to move, her farmhouse was in a terrible state of disrepair. When Navarra and his helpers went into the kitchen, the ceiling had fallen in. They removed the ceiling and found this cupboard underneath, “It was basically holding up the ceiling,” Navarra said. Despite its rough treatment, it still went for $920.
A burl walnut tantalus, Civil War era, had a secret lower drawer and fitted interior with wine bottles and glasses. Both doors were decorated with American flag inlays; it went to a floor bidder for $920. A tiger maple chest with four graduated drawers brought $1,610; an Eighteenth Century one-drawer tavern table with breadboard ends realized $1,035; and a folk art hobby horse in original paint rocked to $718.
Other highlights were a Nineteenth Century pair of sea captain portraits, one with a captain holding a spy glass went for $2,070 and the other, 24 by 19 inches, brought $1,667. They sold to two different bidders.
An outstanding theorem on velvet of fruit in a basket with a bird sold for $1,150; a folk art pen, pencil and chalk drawing of General Stonewall Jackson realized $1,265; a wooly portrait of an Indian chief, in original frame, sold for $1,135; and a oil on board of a California scene with a eucalyptus tree, signed Elizabeth Schleussner (1881-1956), in a Newcomb Macklin Arts and Crafts frame went for $2,185, and was clearly the surprise of the day.
Hyde Park Auctions will conduct its next country American sale in September, and is on track for a toy and ephemera auction in July. All prices include the 15 percent buyer’s premium.
For more information, 845-266-4198, 845-266-8498 or www.hpcountryauctions.com .
