Schwenke’s Woodbury Connecticut Auction Features Aronson Folk Art Collection, Heisman Trophy Castings, and Warhol Illustrated Folio

On Sunday June 9^th at 11am, Schwenke’s Woodbury Auction presents its Fourth Anniversary Spring Fine Estates Auction. According to owner Thomas Schwenke, “this will be one of our strongest sales to date, and we are happy to be offering the wonderful American folk art collection of Arnold and Sheila Aronson - 150 lots of carefully selected American Folk Art examples comprising painted furniture, artwork, whirligigs, quilts, weathervanes and accessories.” The Aronson Collection will be auctioned as a special section during the sale, beginning at 12:30 pm.

American Chippendale Chair

One of the prime single lots is very rare cast bronze unawarded production model of the Heisman trophy from the Roman Bronze Works, grouped with an unassembled second model, being offered for the first time having been acquired by the consignor from the late Philip Schiavo, owner of the Roman Bronze Works. Several other bronzes, some from Roman Bronze Works, are also on offer, as well as a Portrait Bust by Elie Nadelman.

Elie Nadelman

Also featured is Andy Warhol’s “Wild Raspberries” a hand colored folio of 18 hand-colored lithographs created in 1959 and signed by Warhol to/for the original purchaser; along with the book “Pre-Pop Warhol”, published by Panache Press of Random House, which was written in part using this folio, and including two letters of thanks from the publisher to the original owner.

The sale also includes property from various estates and consignors from Litchfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York, and the Native American collection of a New York gentleman, including Navajo folk art carvings, New Mexican painted retablos, Hopi, Zuni and Laguna pottery, kachinas, artwork, and baskets.

Other decorative arts lots of interest include a thirteen piece Tiffany “Venetian” pattern desk set including the inkwell, blotter, pen holder, calendar, notepad, letter hold, pen tray, postage scale, stamp box, paper clip are being sold individually and are fresh to market from original owner’s family; a 17^th C. framed, silk trapunto English needlework of Romulus and Remus alongside a lion; and a Kathe Kollwitz, Etching, “Frau Mit Totem Kind”.

Seven distinctive pieces of Indian jewelry, including five Muhgal style 20K gold examples, are offered on behalf of a New York State private collector.

Many fine lots of American and English furniture are being sold as lots 502 to 614. Prime American examples include a Portsmouth inlaid mahogany swell front chest with fan inlays, a circa 1810 Federal tiger and birdseye maple server, most likely New Hampshire, an American Chippendale mirror with phoenix, an inlaid mahogany corner cupboard, a Sheraton figured maple drop leaf work table, and a Philadelphia Chippendale carved mahogany side chair. English featured pieces are a George II concertina card table, a George III mahogany pie crust table, possibly Irish, a signed London bracket clock, a Regency mahogany cellarette, and a pair of Sheraton brass mounted hall chairs.

George III Maghogany Pie Crust Table

This sale also will feature many estate oriental carpets including Persian and Caucasian room and scatter sized rugs, and other regional Asian rugs of varying sizes.

This sale is being held at the firm’s auction hall at 710 Main Street South, Middle Quarter Plaza, in Woodbury. Preview times are Sunday, June 2th from 11am to 4:00 pm; Friday June 7^th from noon to 5 pm; Saturday, June 8th from 10am to 5pm; and Sunday, June 9th from 8am to sale time at 11:00 am, with the Aronson Collection being sold at 12:30 pm.

The catalog for the sale is viewable at www.woodburyauction.comwww.woodburyauction.com. Absentee and phone bidding are available for this live gallery auction, and the sale will be broadcast live through Live Auctioneers.  To register or arrange for absentee or phone bidding, please call Woodbury Auction at 203-266-0323. 

For area information www.litchifeldhills.com

Steamin with Sadie at the Railroad Museum of New England

This June, Steamin' With Sadie will be the star attraction at the Railroad Museum of New England's Thomaston Station as restored Lehigh Valley Coal Company Engine #126 leads weekend trips over our scenic railroad between June 8 through 23, including Father's Day Weekend. Sadie, an 0-6-0 coal-fired steam engine and big sister to Hank the Tank, will be pulling their vintage train cars on hour-long trips along the Naugatuck River. For more information http://www.rmne.org.  For area information www.litchfieldhills.com.

All trips are on Saturdays and Sundays for three weekends beginning June 8 at 10 AM, 12 PM and 2 PM, boarding at historic 1881 Thomaston Station. They will also have extra displays, story book readings, live music and activities for kids of all ages at the Station. Tickets are Adults $20 and Children $15 (ages 3 – 12), age 2 and under are free. Purchase tickets online or call (860) 283-7245 to purchase from their agent. This is a special event you will not want to miss!

Between the 1830s and 1960, steam locomotives carried passengers and freight to every corner of America. They became part of our national history, a symbol of mobility and change. Over the years, steam locomotives became larger and more efficient. But technology advances after World War II changed the face of railroading forever. By 1948, steam engines were gone from the Naugatuck Valley, replaced by modern diesel locomotives on the New Haven Railroad from Bridgeport to Winsted, ending an important era in modern industrial history.

Lehigh Valley Coal Company #126 is a 40 ton coal-fired steam locomotive built by Vulcan Iron Works and put in service in 1931. It worked in Pennsylvania coal mines and was purchased by father and son team John and Barney Gramling from Indiana in 1993. Gramling Locomotive Works fully restored #126 to operating condition, completing it June 2011. Since then, #126 has traveled as far as Michigan, Illinois, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and now to Connecticut as a living, breathing Ambassador of Steam.

About the Railroad Museum of New England

The Railroad Museum of New England is a not for profit historical and educational organization and an all-volunteer organization. We are located in historic 1881 Thomaston Station at 242 East Main St., Thomaston, CT. Our mission is to tell the story of the region's rich railroad heritage through our educational exhibits and operation of the Naugatuck Railroad. The museum concept is more than artifacts; it's also the story of the region and the development of society around the railroad. We offer an entertaining and scenic train ride along the Naugatuck River with vintage locomotives and restored passenger cars, also featuring displays of freight equipment and cabooses.

Impressions of Light at Weir Farm National Historic Site

Black Birds over Weir Farm

Weir Farm National Historic Site located in Wilton and Ridgefield is hosting an art show through July 7 called Impressions of Light that features the work of modern-day American Impressionist Dmitri Wright of Greenwich, CT.  

This exhibition, Impressions of Light, includes paintings inspired by Weir Farm and by Wright's plein air experiences. Wright has a long history with Weir Farm National Historic Site, having led the park's Impressionist Painting Workshops since 2009 as Master Artist/Instructor. Continuing in the vein of Weir Farm's first American Impressionists, Mr. Wright's pieces for this exhibit were drawn "full-scale on location" in order express what is happening...behind nature.

In this show, Wright tries to communicate his visual experiences of how light changes the way matter appears and how refracted light affects color.  As Master Artist and Instructor at Weir Farm, Wright seeks to help others fulfill their unique gifts through the creative process, by helping them connect with their natural ability and the technical knowledge of their chosen school or schools of art. 

There will be a gallery talk on Sunday, June 9 at 2 p.m. when Wright will discuss the challenges and rewards of plein air painting.  He will use Weir Farm National Historic Site's unique setting to discuss the history behind, and future of, American Impressionism. Participation in these gallery talks is free, but space is limited and registration is required. To register or for more information, please call (203) 834-1896 ext. 28.

The exhibit can be viewed in the Burlingham House Visitor Center Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

About Weir Farm National Historic Site

Weir Farm National Historic Site, the only National Park Service site dedicated to American painting, was home to three generations of American artists including Julian Alden Weir, a leading figure in American art and the development of American Impressionism. Today, the 60-acre park, which includes the Weir House, Weir and Young Studios, barns, gardens, and Weir Pond, is one of the nation's finest remaining landscapes of American art. For more information about Weir Farm National Historic Site, please visit www.nps.gov/wefa or call (203) 834-1896.

For area information www.litchifeldhills.com

Greenwich Concours d'Elegance: Classic Cars, Aircraft and America's Cup 12-M Yacht

This year's Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, 1 and 2 June at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park will feature an interesting car that defies identification at first - or second or third - glance, baffling even knowledgeable collectors. Its smooth lines, lustrous red paint and Carrozzeria Ghia crest confirm its Italian heritage, but what, exactly, is it?

Selected as the Poster Car for the 2013 Greenwich Concours it is a 1955 Jaguar XK140MC, with a custom aluminum body by Ghia of Turin, Italy. The MC suffix signifies that the engine was upgraded to produce 20 more horsepower, for a total of 220 hp. It was built for Marge and Gower Champion, the Hollywood musical stars, who later sold it to fellow actor, Ricardo Montalban; it is currently owned by Greenwich-collector Michael Schudroff. Thanks to its hand-made aluminum body, the coupe is substantially lighter than a stock XK140. Its greenhouse has slender roof pillars and greater glass area for a bright and airy interior. The greatest owner satisfaction though, comes from the exclusivity and the stir it creates wherever it appears at a gathering of car enthusiasts.

The poster car of the 2013 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance is a 1955 Jaguar XK140MC, with a custom aluminum body by Carrozzeria Ghia of Turin, Italy. Photo by Bruce Wennerstrom

Also making an appearance at the Greenwich Concours this year is Andy Rooney's 1966 Sunbeam Tiger. The outspoken "60 Minutes" television commentator was a passionate "car guy." He lived in Rowayton, Connecticut, and his station car, the 1966 Sunbeam Tiger, was a class of car known at the time as a "hybrid." Not the politically correct electric/gasoline hybrids of today; Rooney's Sunbeam was Brit-built but was powered by a hot 289-hp American Ford V8. Such cars were called hybrids because they combined European coach work with American power trains, an amalgam of Yankee horsepower and sleek European curves. His Sunbeam was a light-weight two-seat sports car, painted, of course, in British Racing Green.America II and Lionheart, the Greenwich-based ex-America's Cup yachts will again be berthed by the Greenwich Concours and will offer two days of match racing. The association of classic cars and America's Cup yachts is appropriate, for the yachts are truly classic, in the same sense that the cars are, being the finest craft that yacht designers, builders and sail makers could create, and conceived for the sole purpose of defending the America's Cup during a series of challenges from sailors of other nations over a period of decades. 

This 1966 Sunbeam Tiger, with a hot 289-hp Ford V8 engine, was the favorite ride of Andy Rooney, the famous "60 Minutes" TV commentator will be shown at the Greenwich Concours. 
Photo by Russ Rocknak

The Greenwich Concours - considered one of the premier concours in the country - is unique.  Since its founding in 1996 it has comprised two separate concours, back-to-back; Saturday's Greenwich Concours Americana features American cars from the 1900's to the present, while Sunday's Greenwich Concours International is exclusively for imported sports, competition and touring cars, again from the 1900's to the present. From the beginning there has been a Best-of-Show trophy for the American cars, and a Best-of-Show for imported cars, with over a hundred classic cars and motorcycles on display each day.

Additionally, Bonhams auction company will hold an auction of rare and important collector cars and automobilia on Sunday, 2 June. The cars offered will be on display for the day prior to the sale and open to prospective bidders and the public.

Automobile Magazine is the Title Sponsor of the Greenwich Concours. Renowned radio host Bob Long, will be broadcasting live from the Concours for two hours each day. AmeriCares, the respected international relief organization, ranked best by Money magazine, is the charitable beneficiary.

In addition to classic Duesenbergs, Pierce-Arrows, Packards, Auburn Speedsters, 16-cylinder Cadillacs, Mercedes 300SL gullwings, and the popular post-war American muscle cars, spectators
can also check out the very latest offerings from the Concours' sponsor companies in a relaxed no-pressure setting. The new-car offerings of BMW, Cadillac, Corvette, Hyundai, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz and other sponsor companies will be on display for viewing by show attendees,
plus Chubb Personal Insurance has all the answers for insuring collector cars.

Greenwich Concours Basics
A great attraction of the Greenwich Concours is the stunning beauty of its waterfront site,  Roger Sherman Baldwin Park - a verdant peninsula at the head of Greenwich Harbor - which affords cooling sea breezes and a delightful water-side setting for alfresco lunches.

The Greenwich Concours Americana and the Concours International are open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. The admission is $30 per day, or $45 for a two-day pass, and children 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Parking is free, and food service is available on site. The dates for 2013 are 1 and 2 June, rain or shine.

The ease of getting to the Concours also contributes to its popularity, for it's immediately off Exit 3  of I-95, and within a block of the Metro North train station with express service from New York and Boston. And, within walking distance, is Greenwich Avenue - the Rodeo Drive of the East - with all of its many restaurants, antique shops, luxury stores, and numerous boutiques. Hotels, ranging from the modest to ultra-luxe, are also close by, with the Delamar, the host hotel, right at the Concours site.
The Concours web site, www.greenwichconcours.com includes a map, driving directions, and contact information.  For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com



Lorikeets Arrive at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk

This summer the The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk will welcome colorful exhibit of lorikeets that are native to the south Pacific. Visitors will step into a lush aviary to share a laugh and a squawk with beautiful tropical birds that will sip food right out of your hands !

"Lorikeets" will be open from May 25 through Sept. 2 on the Aquarium's riverfront courtyard and will feature about a dozen varieties of lorikeets, which are colorful medium-sized parrots native to the south Pacific (SE Asia, eastern Australia, Polynesia). They're naturally found in rainforests and woodlands, but also in wooded urban areas, where they primarily feed on the nectars of various blossoms and fruits.

Visitors will be invited to purchase a small cup of nectar before you go into the exhibit, that will encourage the lorikeets to land on your hand, or your arm, or even your head to get to your nectar.

Lorikeets are specially adapted to their sweet diet through their specialized tongue. Tiny hair-like appendages called papillae form a U shape on the end of the tongue. When the tongue is extended, these papillae stand up like bristles on a brush, expanding the tongue’s surface area and allowing the birds to easily soak up nectar. Unique to lorikeets, these papillae have earned the birds the nickname “brush-tongued parrots.”

Entry into “Lorikeets” will be free with Aquarium admission. There will be a small fee for the nectar cups.

For visitors with an aversion to close encounters with birds, viewing of the lorikeets will be possible from outside the aviary.

The Aquarium is located on 10 N. Water St. in Norwalk. FOR INFORMATION: Call (203) 852-0700 or go online to www.maritimeaquarium.org.  For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com