Hot and Cool Double Auction at Clarke as Mid-Nineteenth Century Firefighting Collection meets Midcentury Modern Sunday July 27, 2008

    /24-7PressRelease/ - LARCHMONT, NY, July 25, 2008 - Clarke Auction proudly announces a two part auction to open with 120+ lots of firefighting memorabilia direct from the volunteer fire battalion of Mt Vernon New York, shifting to 300+ lots of Clarke's traditional monthly auction of midcentury modern, antique furniture, sterling, china and porcelain, and fine art.

The Mt Vernon collection of firefighting memorabilia is drawn directly from the volunteers' own collection dating from the 1850's. Highlights include a small wax sculpture of a 19th C. fireman, a massive folk art carved figural shield of a fireman and two firehouse dioramas; books, ledgers, rolls and minutes drawn from 3 firehouses from the 1850's through the 1950's, twenty fire helmets; numerous brass, leather and engraved silverplate speaking trumpets, many from the 19th C.; firefighting trophies, convention badges, an 1877 firemens' baseball, a rare, possibly unique 1857 C Currier lithograph of the NYC Fire Department; an original fire pole; huge framed honor rolls, antique silverplate pitchers and urns, an antique brass fire nozzle, and numerous photographs from horse-drawn hook and ladders and the firemen with Captain Kangaroo to two Diane Arbus-like pieces depicting Mt Vernon firefighters with "the tiniest 'fire eater' in the world... Vance Swift, midget, becomes a full fledged member of Engine 4..."

Clarke's regular auction will immediately follow with its usual strong midcentury modern collection including Jens Risom, Hans Wegner, Florence Knoll, Herman Miller, Alvar Aalto, Parzinger Originals, Charles Eames, Noguchi, Brno chairs, Les Prismatiques and many more.

Clarke's traditional and antique furniture includes handpainted Italian pieces, a 19th C. linen press, mahogany china cabinets, a possibly Horner oak cabinet, marble-top pieces, a fine Adams-style demilune cabinet , a finely carved antique throne chair with angels and putti, and other antiques.

Decorative arts include an Asian collection from Park Avenue - numerous porcelains, lamps, and a bronze censer; a large antique silverplate sailing ship, china from Limoges, Schlaggenwald and Rosenthal; a Doulton Lambeth urn, and Gorham Sterling.

Fine art features a monogrammed oil with a National Acaddemy exhibition label, a collection of Hungarian art, Judaic art including a 19th C. watercolor of a Jerusalem procession, and bronzes includes a large pair of dogs by PJ Mene.

Also noteworthy is a decorative collection of mounted game fish and two sawfish bills mounted in Lucite.

Note:Auction to take place at 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm Sunday July 27 with previews Saturday July 26 from noon to 6:00 pm and day-of-auction, noon to auction start. For further information, please call Clarke at 914-833-8336 or visit its website at www.clarkeny.com

About Clarke Auction Gallery

Clarke Auction Gallery, Westchester's Premier Auction Gallery, conducts catalogued sales monthly featuring distinctive fine and decorative arts, antiques, exceptional furniture, oriental rugs, sterling silver and mid-century modern. For further information, please contact us at (914)833-8336 or [email protected]

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