The entire contents of a 4 story Cambridge MA home full of art, furniture, books, toys & dolls from a dedicated collector will be sold August 13 and August 16 at the Riviera Inn of E. Providence RI.
The owner was an eclectic collector and the home had over 80 years accumulation of art, furniture, small antiques, ephemera and books, and the entire collection will be sold at auction at The Riviera Inn on Broadway in East Providence, Rhode Island under the supervision of Bob Fricker and Cornerstone Auction Gallery.
The first session will be on Monday Aug. 13th at 5:00 p.m., with a preview beginning at 3:00 p.m. A partial listing includes Antique Furniture in the form of a Colonial Bonnet Top High Boy, a Peter Hunt painted dresser, a Jacobean 2 piece sideboard, an iron fireplace back, (2) fall front desks, an oval gilt mirror, a wing back chair and an early Windsor chair, an embroidered Oriental fire screen, a drop leaf table and a gate leg table, a Secretary, a library table, a Deacons bench, bookcase, children’s miniature bureaus, an early tall wrought iron candle stand, spindled back church bench, early wrought iron set, early dolls bed and cradle, and more too numerous to list.
There will be a nice collection of Porcelain, Glass and Pottery including Chinese Canton dishes that include large 15” and 19” platters plus other Canton dishes and other pieces, an Italian tin glazed vase and a Palace vase, signed Grueby Scarab, some marbles, French pottery, lots glass paper weights, a pair of Foo Dogs, a Fenton epergne, a Chinese vase, an Oriental lamp, Rose Medallion dishes, a Pagoda Lantern, an Occupied Japan service for 12 and a Mt. Washington vase.
The owner loved ephemera and books and the auction will also include over 800 post cards including many of New England, Victorian Valentines and trade cards, Stereoviews, travel brochures, WWII newspapers, scrap books, sheet music, nude photo lot, large stamp collection, military photos, ambrotypes, daguerotypes, Frank Leslie’s “Illustrated Historical Register of Expositions” from 1876, an 1890s “Harper & Reviews,” (10) Wallace Nutting Books, a 2 volume “Artwork Of Pittsburgh” from 1894, a 2 volume “The Stage And Its Stars” from 1870, a 2 volume “Picturesque America” from 1872, a leather bound Scribners, Munseys & Strand “Masters in Arts,” an 1855 bound “Cultivator Newspaper,” “Revolution of America” by Raynal, a 1782 U.S. History of 1858, circa 1800 History, Geography and Religious books, early New England & European leather bound books, Children’s books including 20 “Big Little Books” and Pop-up books.
”When we first entered the house the amount of Art on hand was mind-boggling,” explained Gary Sohmers, appraiser of collectibles who appears on the PBS TV show “Antiques Roadshow,” who was the first to assess the contents when the owners decided sell the contents. “I discovered a drawing of “Lucy” in the Psychiatric Office signed by Charles Schulz and a color drawing of “Linus” signed “Sparky,” which were in my field of expertise.
The sale will include Oils on Canvas by artists including Bernard Hareston, Irene Michelini, W. Roessler, Presti, Feinger, Mabel Drake, H. Machsehefes, Flager, Schonfeld, William Gurry, Mosser, J. Wheatley, Ian Hur, Harry Gottlieb, plus many more unsigned or as yet unknown oils on canvas. There are numerous works of art in other mediums including a pencil sketch by Czerepat, a Nutting print, a deco etching, an Emile Gruppe charcoal, posters, prints, etchings, a painting on porcelain, framed tiles signed H.B., Oriental woodblocks, Chinese and African wood carvings, Eskimo art, stone carvings and numerous unsigned and as yet unidentified works of art.
Other items of interest include a whale oil lamp, Betty lamps, 1830s scrimshaw whale tooth, an1840’s scrimshaw ivory 7inch pie crimper, a carved Walrus pipe, an embroidered fireplace screen, a Chinese funeral statue, a circa1720 funeral Tag, an Arts & Crafts style Grandfather Clock, sleigh bells, Civil War era dominos, cameras, a Sun Bonnet door stop, an 11’ x 4’ x 8’ Herez rug, a sterling tea caddy, Indian baskets and an Indian pouch, Civil War DOR medals, toleware trays, inkwells, wooden bowls, a shaker scoop, an 18th century bronze urn, Victorian glass Christmas ornaments, a carved wood parrot on stand, a McCoy cookie jar, an Accordion, Astronaut patches, vintage homespun throws, curtains & yard goods, Bakelite purses, beaded bags, hatpins, perfumes and costume jewelry.
The second session will take place at the same location on Thursday August 16th beginning at 5 pm and will feature some Furniture including an oak 3 over 4 chest, a Windsor chair, foot stools, 2 over 2 bureau, a pigeon hole desk, a gateleg table, a country cupboard w/old paint, a 4 drawer bureau, old ladderback chairs, wingback chairs, floor lamps, a 3 drawer pine dresser, a crystal chandelier, a cedar chest, claw-foot cane seated chairs, a cobblers bench, an oak Gentleman’s chest, an iron fireplace screen.
The reason the nephew originally contacted appraiser Gary Sohmers was for his expertise in Toys and Dolls, and the home included a room filled with them including a Marx Fort Apache Play Set, a Nylint fire truck, trains, action figures, Star Wars toys, wooden toys, games, Fisher Price toys, Pop-Up books, a Star Trek belt, Superman puzzles, a tin King Features “Popeye Kazoo” and a tin “Popeye Dime Register Bank,” die-cast Matchbox vehicles, a “Rollmonica,” tin whistles, “Jiggs” and “Olive Oyl” wood figures, dexterity games, Auburn rubber cars, King Features, toy chest, G.I. Joes, Buck Rogers pin, Steiff Bird, early wood blocks, a set of Six Million Dollar Man action figures, Micronauts and
a large selection of Dolls including a Black Chatty Cathy, a Golliwog, a Bye Lo Baby, a Miss Liberty composition, a Tiny Tears in the original box, many character and advertising cloth dolls, Action Jackson and Barbara Ann outfits, several Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, Paper Dolls, Asian and International dolls, a Japanese doll w/5 wigs, a cloth doll w/painted face, “Little Kiddles” in original bottles, Mattel “Ricky” outfit in the package, Eskimo doll, Barbie Dolls, doll house furniture, Bisque, celluloid, half dolls, a fantastic Halloween 2 faced celluloid figure, a Vogue Shirley Temple, early wax candle doll , a Peanuts Linus pocket doll, African American plastic and celluloid dolls, along with many lots of 1960s and 1970s toys.
The second session will also include Porcelain, Glass, Pottery including fish plates, ironstone, Wedgewood, teapots, pottery planters, many lots of vintage glass and china.
There will be more Ephemera in the form of Baseball cards, Civil War books, social science maps, a Dickens Leather-bound group, many lots vintage Children’s books, coloring books, large lots of antiques reference and pricing guides, hundreds of vintage books including New England History and Art. The second session will also wrap up the balance of the variety of art including many lots of oils on canvas, watercolors, Bali rubbings, a signed Kiaoby, Wallace Nutting prints, a signed charcoal nude, oil on canvas “Sea Nymph,” a Tate Gallery poster, Asian lithos, engravings, celluloid 1960s face and hands sculpture, silk wall hangings, a sculpture of human head by Eastman, silhouettes, charcoals and lots of vintage frames.
Other items of interest include a large selection of vintage textiles, linens, quilts, buttons, sewing lots, vintage purses, drying racks, oriental lanterns, hats, tamborines, Victorian lamp shades, an alabaster lamp, several fabulous cement garden statues, Toleware trays, vintage Christmas decorations, decoys, silverplate, shutters, an iron candlestand, glass slides, room size rugs, The Beatles Irish linen, bottles, cast iron, Oriental table runner, a cast iron Oriental urn, Brass Victorian wall trim, dresser box, cameras, canes and jewelry.
Directions to the Riveria Inn in East Providence from Providence would be Route 195 East to exit 6, at the bottom of the ramp turn right, at the next red light, turn right again onto Broadway, and go 7/10ths of a mile to the Auction. From Fall River MA, take Route 195 west to exit 6, at the bottom of the ramp turn right and go 6/10ths of a mile to the Auction. The entrance is in the rear of the building.
For more info contact Bob Fricker at 401-439-0294 bbfric@cox.net, or Nanci Thompson at 401-439-2346. The auction preview begins at 3:00 p.m. and the website is http://cornerstoneauctiongallery.com/index.html.

Posted: 07|28|07 at 4:24 pm. Filed under: US News.