An uncommon William Aiken Walker painting was the show-stopping surprise of our speaking event at the Malta Community Center in May this year. The painting is a beautiful example of Walker’s larger works on canvas and was a really nice find to end the day. As happens with many antiques, however, the years had not let the painting escape entirely unscathed. The William Aiken Walker...
Precision Swiss Timepieces: An Antique Patek Philippe Pocket Watch
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A client brought us this beautiful Patek Philippe pocket watch in 2014, just in time to coincide with the renowned company’s 175th Anniversary. Patek Philippe is considered among the most prestigious of luxury Swiss brands and is respected for creating some of the most complicated mechanical watches ever made.
The company’s origins lie in Geneva, Switzerland. Antoni Patek began...
From the Archives: A 19th Century Henry Capt Carriage Clock
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Today we’re taking a look back at one of our auction highlights from 2010: a late 19th century bronze doré carriage clock.
The first carriage clock was invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet, the leading watchmaker of his day. Breguet (1747-1823) was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. His step-father came from a family of watchmakers, and while Abraham-Louis resisted joining the trade as a...
Louis Comfort Tiffany: Celebrating Innovation
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On this day in 1848, Louis Comfort Tiffany was born in New York City to Charles Lewis Tiffany, the founder of the renowned Tiffany & Co. Louis Comfort Tiffany forged his own artistic path, separate from the diamond jewelry legacy of his father, and became one of the most notable America designers in the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements. Tiffany began his artistic career as a painter but...
Oil Painting Restoration and Cleaning
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We offer professional conservatorial quality oil painting restoration and cleaning services. Oil painting restoration can bring a prized family heirloom back to its original beauty, or prepare a painting to be sold. A painting’s surface can be dimmed by environmental factors like water damage and smoke or dirt buildup and our skilled conservators can also expertly tackle more significant...
Antique Cast Iron Doorstops
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We always enjoy seeing antique cast iron doorstops come in– there is a very wide variety of motifs, which makes for decorative and useful addition to any home. Cast iron doorstops are heavy, hard-wearing, and often very charming. The casting process allowed the master craftsmen to create an array of whimsical, varied designs. Some are delightfully realistic, like this English bulldog with...
Rare Thomas Paine Document at Auction Today
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Today is the big day for the lucky Albany family – the Revolutionary War pamphlet that they almost threw in the dumpster hits the auction block this afternoon in New York City. Thomas Paine’s “The American Crisis” which begins with the words “These are the times that try men’s souls..” provided the inspiration to the demoralized Continental Army in the...
Mark Lawson Antiques announces the discovery of a rare and important American Revolutionary War Document
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The American Crisis by Thomas Paine
Upstate New York antiques specialist, Mark Lawson of Mark Lawson Antiques Inc. has identified a recently found original publication by American patriot Thomas Paine. The rare bound pamphlet of three essays was rescued from the dumpster by a local family cleaning out their late father’s estate. The bound group of 3 essays titled The American Crisis was...