Published in Antiques & The Arts Weekly (The Bee), 11/15/2024
On November 29 & 30, Amelia Jeffers and her team will offer Americana enthusiasts a special alternative to the typical American “Black Friday” activities. Reviving an annual tradition that began over 60 years ago with Ohio auction legend Garth Oberlander, Jeffers will oversee the auction of select items from three lifetime collections in a 19th Century barn known to many as “Garth’s Auction Barn.”
Day one of the two-day auction will feature the lifetime collection of Robert Horn, from Eaton, Ohio, selling unreserved. Over a 50+ year span, Robert has maintained a low profile personally but purchased from some of the most legendary names in the Ohio and Indiana antiques market, including his friends and “running buddies” Clark Garrett, David Good, and John Auraden. Additions to his collection were chosen based primarily on intuition, a keen eye for unusual and special folk art, and a willingness to step up when opportunities presented themselves.
Gleaned by establishing a trusted connection and then visiting lodges throughout Ohio and Indiana, an extensive grouping of fine Odd Fellows material from the Horn collection includes heart-in-hand and ram staffs, cornucopia, bows and arrows, quivers, urns, ark figures, and architectural letters with original gilt decoration. Known as a sophisticated weathervane collector, Horn has handled several iconic vanes, including a dozen that will be offered in the sale, such as a full-bodied steer with copper body and wonderful verdigris surface attributed to Cushing & White of Waltham, Massachusetts. Robert’s large trade sign collection runs the gamut from the 19th to 20th Centuries and from simple, lettered examples to dimensional signs. Of note is “The” Western Inn sign, of Clark Garrett fame that last sold at Mike Clum’s Auction gallery in Rushville, Ohio, for nearly $140,000. Passing through the hands of Greg Kramer of Robesonia, Pennsylvania, the sign returned to Ohio when Camden dealer David Good purchased it after the auction. Several barber poles will be included, including a scarce black and white example which would have denoted post-mortem services. An unusual and possibly unique boot-form sign is beautifully detailed with open laces and punched trim that has been fitted with colored glass inserts, presumably for illumination. A double-sided cobbler’s sign for “J. Schneider” is styled in English on one side and German on the other, informing an attribution to Pennsylvania.
With more than 500 lots, the Horn collection is too vast to sum up in a few paragraphs. Amelia Jeffers commented, “The pre-auction process with Robert has been a lot of fun. I so appreciate when my friendship with a consignor deepens over their collection, and that has been the case in this situation. His passion for the material and people of this business is incredible and heartwarming. Robert is not only a savvy collector, but a good human being and a loyal friend and supporter of the people he has met along the
way.” Jeffers points to a few of her favorite items in the auction: “It is tough to pick a favorite when you are looking at so many great things. For me, the folksy case of drawers from Meigs County, the Queen Anne table in original paint, and the sweet little etui that just had to have been made by a gunsmith are at the top!”
Day two of the packed weekend features highlights from the collections of Carol Schulman of Chesterland and Joanne and Dr. David Woodyard of Granville (both in Ohio). “Carol is a spitfire,” smiled Jeffers when asked about the collection. “We signed her contract back in April, and then she bought things in my May auction. I asked if she planned to take them with her when she moves, and she said “No! You’ll sell them in my auction!’” Schulman has been a regular on the midwestern antique scene for decades, and counted among her closest friends are Gus Knapp, Marj Stauffer, Joan Darnell, and others. But her buying wasn’t limited to Ohio. Schulman regularly bought at Pook and Pook, New England Auctions, and Northeast Auctions. “Carol’s focus was less regional,” says Jeffers, “and more about period. She’s largely an 18th and some early 19th Century collector.” With a focus on lighting, redware, folk art, and smalls, Carol (who has regularly setup at shows and malls in the region) had retained her very favorite things and has now decided to put them all up, unreserved. Among the folk art and paintings highlights are 19th Century portraits by Charles Balthazar Saint-Memin, William Matthew Prior, and Jane Anthony Davis; dozens of charming watercolors, including a pair of full-length portraits of a mother and daughter, a Samuel Bentz fraktur, and a wonderful valentine from the Tom & Carolyn Porter auction at Garth’s in 2004. Carol’s lighting, treen, and redware collections are special with scarce examples in every category. Of note are a gimbaled early iron and wood stick, a tin “clip-on” booklight candle holder, and a folded tin make-do shelf candle holder. Many pieces of redware came from good friends Lew Scranton and David Good, several with great decoration and form - one described by Scranton on his invoice as “exciting!”. With a sweet collection of heart-form maple sugar molds, beautiful burl wood bowls, an early turned and painted master salt, and chip-carved boxes, the smalls in Schulman’s collection should create quite a stir.
With the fewest number of lots among the single-owner collections being offered, Joanne and Dr. David Woodyard have a concentrated group of early New England furniture and decorative arts with terrific provenance. While living “back East” during the 1970s, the Woodyards built a collection buying from such illustrious names as Liverant, Tillou, Riordan, Maine, Prickett, and Stuart. Moving to Ohio for Dr. Woodyard’s post at Denison University didn’t slow them down, as they continued to buy from Ohio dealers like Pick Richardson and Robbins Hunter. Early clocks include a documented Reuben Ingraham, a scarce Phineas Pratt, a lovely clock with silver engraved dial by John Avery, and a shell-carved block front from Nathan Howell. A wonderful diminutive north shore Massachusetts block front chest of drawers with original shaped top is complemented by a charming full-length portrait dubbed “Mariner’s Daughter” by Peter Tillou, likely because of the ship portrayed in her background. Two cased pieces carry an attribution to Benjamin Burnham: an impressive Chippendale desk and bookcase and a beautiful cherry dressing table with shaped top. “The apothecary pewter cupboard from C.L. Prickett has gotten a lot of pre-auction attention,” says Jeffers. “The surface and form are just great.” The Woodyards also collected select early brass candlesticks from Robert O. Stuart of Maine. “Sticks aren’t bringing what they once did,” Jeffers continues, “so this should be a great opportunity to scoop up some nice buys!”
A handful of smaller consignments that fill out the sale offer significant objects including an Odd Fellows lodge ceiling medallion with exuberant carving and original blue paint, ex Alan Katz; a scarce folk art corner cupboard attributed to the Ralph family of Sussex, Delaware; and a carved and painted box handled by Israel Sack, Inc.. and illustrated in their 90th anniversary catalog.
“The three core collections really do not compete with one another,” commented Jeffers. “The Woodyards are strong on early, very good furniture; Carol has great early smalls; and Robert’s folk art stands on its own. It came together beautifully, and it is not lost on me that these folks could have gone anywhere, and they chose us. Once again, I am so, so grateful to be working with amazing people and beautiful things!”
A printed and bound catalog is available for purchase for $30, postage paid. Preview is available by appointment throughout the month of November at Amelia Jeffers, Auctioneers & Appraisers warehouse located at 3037 Silver Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43224 and and during the week of the auction at the former Garth’s Auction Barn (now The Barn at Stratford), 2690 Stratford Road, Delaware, Ohio 43015. Seat reservations are recommended. Bidding is available at ameliajeffers.com. For more information, call 740.362.4771.