EPHEMERA IS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST VINTAGE PAPER - THEY CAN BE OF CONSIDERABLE HISTORICAL, POLITICAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL VALUE
COLLECTORS OF ALL STRIPES APPRECIATE EPHEMERA FOR VARIED REASONS OF VALUE AND IMPORTANCE
Finding a personal letter signed by Charles Dickens? Washington Irving? George Washington? You might not think they exist out there, everything having been snapped up by museums, archives, libraries and wealthy collectors, but there are lots of surprises for the expert paper sleuth yet to uncover. A letter written by Group of Seven artist, A.Y. Jackson, or A.J. Casson? I've had both of their autographs and inscriptions in respective biographies, but one day, maybe I'll have an entire handwritten letter above their signatures; maybe correspondence exchanged between the two during the heyday of their art careers. Funnier things have happened, in the pursuit of old paper, letters and documents. If you wonder why there are antique dealers, at malls or shops you visit, with bins of such old letters and documents, often with big prices attached, this brief blog should address a few of those questions.
I turned onto ephemera, or otherwise known, "paper heritage," as a direct result of book collecting. I can even pinpoint the precise event, and specific purchases that peaked my curiosity, about old letters, handwritten recipes, documents, journals and hundreds of other bits and pieces of nostalgia paper, which you often get, whether you want them or not, when you buy box lots of old books at auctions.
It all began as they say, at the historic Ewing homestead, west of Bracebridge, on Highway 118, where my friend Art Campbell was running the estate auction. There was so much to sell, that day, and such a huge variety for dealers, collectors, and home decorators, that bidders did what any auctioneer fears, of his audience's mood to hold-back for what's yet to come. They were holding-out for some of the finest pieces of the day, not wanting to blow their budgets early in the sale, despite incredible temptations. Thus, as these sales often go, the lesser, or lower scale estate pieces were sold-off first, and Art was getting worried about the low prices he was getting, for about the first hour of slugging-it-out. Dealers have to stick somewhat to a budget, though we would rather poke out our own eyes, and there were a lot of interesting antique furnishings, pine cupboards, chairs and primitive tables coming up toward the end of the sale. I was broke to start with, but I have pulled off many coups in my day, with only a few bucks in my pocket. I remember that, besides the books I was able to secure for a good price, I also picked up about two dozen vintage sap pales from their sugar bush, which have always sold well in our shop.
When it came to the thirty or so boxes of old books, which Art began selling by the end of the second hour, (on choice) many folks were still holding back, in order to secure other more valuable auction items, on auction tables, closer to the Victorian era farmhouse. There was very little interest in the books, at this point in the sale, that were visibly in very rough condition. I was able to get ten or so boxes, with a sizable lot of regional cookbooks in a range of conditions, and enough vintage books to double my investment. When I got home, Suzanne was eager to check out the cookbooks, and after about a half hour, had pulled ten or so texts out of the bunch, suggesting they were well worth the money I had paid. I like to hear things like this from my business partner, especially the part that I'd made a good investment. Not like the time I arrived home, after a whole afternoon at a Bracebridge sale, with four box loads of old quilts, which, as it turned out, had been a bad purchase on my part. Suzanne found that two thirds of them had rotten fabric, that absolutely disintegrated, when she lightly rubbed the happenstance squares and triangles, of the sewn-together crazy quilts. I had not only over-paid, but had purchased quilts that would take hundreds of hours to restore. It's good Suzanne likes to sew and knows all about quilts. I know books. She knows vintage fabric and quilts; and yes, cookbooks.
We have always had a modest shop budget, that forces us to be resourceful to the exponent of ten. She showed me a large pile of loose paper, that she had removed from all the books together, and half of the material, represented elegantly penned recipes, written on a variety of paper pieces, including the backs of can and jar labels, on the open spaces of personal letters, backs of invoices and advertising sheets. It was amazing what she had found, as well, in neatly bundled old letters sent to the Ewing farm, over the century, and many other legal and township documents, dating back to the late 1800's. I found dozens of these folded up documents, in a book entitled "The Farmer's Everyday Book," published in America, circa the 1850's. I had made all my money back, as it turns out, not on the resale value of the books, which was my intent, but in fact, on the value of the heritage paper found in the books, and at the bottom of the boxes themselves. There is a huge market for ephemera if you possess the right materials, according to demand.
I search for old letters, and what I deem to be historic documents, (which vary in age), that have a significance the seller may not have realized, when pricing the piece(s). Let me give you an example, of what I mean by historical "significance." Canadian landscape artist, Tom Thomoson, is alleged to have drowned in Algonquin Park's Canoe Lake, in July, 1917. I have been working on this story, since the mid to late 1990's, with the intent, of one day, coming up with information that proves Thomson was murdered, and his body weighted, and deposited in the lake, by Mowat Hotelier, Shannon Fraser. I know this is what happened, and so do many others who have been diligently researching the story. My target is July of 2017, to have something better, in terms of information, and documentation, than presently exists, to mark rather poignantly, the 100th anniversary of his death. Thus, I am an historian and collector, on a somewhat time-restrained mission. So what does this have to do with collecting old paper? Well, when I'm going through collections of old paper, being sold by select dealers I know, and a few I don't, I am looking for anything from the period of 1915 to 1920, including newspaper clippings, about Tom Thomson, his art, his exhibitions, and of course, his death. If I find any letters to, or from Algonquin Park, regardless of where it was sent, and by who, I am looking for any content, even one sentence, or casual mention, that names Tom Thomson specifically. It could be a simple, short personal note extended from a cottager, on Canoe Lake at the time, to a friend, family member, or business associate, that makes reference to the problems encountered in the Park, when Thomson went missing, while traversing the lake on the first leg of a fishing trip. It doesn't have to be a full letter about Thomson, and it doesn't even have to use his name, to be of historic significance. It can just reference a drowning death, on Canoe Lake, near the hamlet of Mowat, and what was over-viewed at the time, by the letter writer. I can tell you, with considerable assurance, there would have been thousands of personal letters, written by folks in and around the area, referencing the tragedy of his death. His body took almost a week to surface, and the search for his body did create quite a stir around the hinterland community.
I have been looking for years, to find anything of this nature, and I've made some interesting discoveries, especially references in obscure texts and minor documents, published in small volume. Even advertising for Algonquin during this period, and related correspondence, interests me greatly, because it profiles to my general advantage, what it was like in and around the park at this important period of Canadian art history. For example, if I spotted a letter-head, in a collection of vintage paper, that was from a summer camp in Algonquin Park, such as Taylor-Statten, or from a canoe manufacturer and paddle manufacturer, in and around this period of Thomson's most prolific painting days, in the region, I would most definitely be reading every word printed, just in case there was some minor mention, of what was going on at the time in terms of news. In the several years and months leading up to Thomson's sudden death, it was known as one of his most prolific painting periods, unparaled in his chosen profession to that point. Obviously, I want to know as much about Thomson during this period as well, and sometimes this can be found in casual letters, with observations about activities in the park, on the lake, and in the hamlets of Algonquin generally, and the Town of Huntsville. Here's an example of what kind of information can be contained in casual correspondence, that has a greater significance in terms of research.
There was an occasion, shortly before Thomson's unfortunate demise, when a park ranger was paddling on Smoke Lake, on a normal traverse to check on conditions, and visitors to the area. He noticed a scent of smoke in the air, and saw the silhouette of someone on a point of land, with a full campfire. He landed his canoe on the shore, and trundled up the hillside to have a chat with the camper, to make sure everything was okay. He didn't want to startle the man, sitting by the fire, so he approached quietly from the back. The camper turned around, when he finally heard the steps up the path, and heartily welcomed the ranger to the encampment. Thomson was working at an art panel, at the time, while baking a blueberry pie in his handcrafted convection oven, situated above the fire pit. The ranger extended a greeting as well, and stood for awhile behind the artist, admiring his depiction of the broader expanse of Smoke Lake. He remarked that it looked amazingly close to what was clearly visible at that moment, as a panorama over the lake below. Thomson, feeling good about the kind comment, offered the ranger a slice of his freshly baked pie and campfire coffee. I think he may have even given the man the painting, he had been admiring upon arrival. Thomson, just so you know, was a competent cook, and well known for his baked pies, made from the berries he collected in season. The convection oven was made to suit his needs, and his canoe travels through the lakeland of Algonquin. Well folks, this was duly noted in Judge William Little's 1970's book, "The Tom Thomson Mystery," so there was a record made of the meeting between the artist and the ranger. These are the kind of mentions, I quest for, in my travels, and searches through ephemera collections, offered by dealers who may not know how significant these notations are, to the art history of this country.
As a minor example of the kind of history you can find, on even a simple business enquiry, that can have a greater investment worth, than face value as common ephemera, such as collectable letter-head (railroads, navigation companies, resorts etc), I have a 1929 enquiry from a cottager in New York City, sent to an Orillia canoe company (from the period), operated by Mr. Ross. (Ross Boat and Canoe Company). There are many of these letters to the Ross company in circulation these days, through a number of regional dealers, ourselves included, and we know who had the original bulk collection. Most are very general or too technical, as relates to marine engines and boat manufacturing, to appeal to a wider array of customers. When I come upon these, I look for those letters of enquiry, that have a little bit extra attached, possessing a broader historical implication. A letter dated the 23rd day of May, 1929, to Mr. J.H. Ross, comes from an interesting business, and proprietor, well known in the American entertainment network, on the cusp of what would become known, of course, as the "Great Depression."
The letter, which is a follow-up of a previous enquiry, and response from the boat company owner, has a heading that reads, (see images above), which reads, "T. Arthur Baker - Refined Vaudeville Musical and Lyceum Director - Furnishing Entertainers, Vaudeville and Concert Artists, Bands, Orchestras, Banjo, Coloured and Novelty Musical Combinations, Hawaiians and South Sea Islanders, Amateur Theatricals, Minstrels, and the Society Circus, Stamped and Coached, 2838 Grand Central Terminal Building, 70 East 45th Street, New York, New York - Telephone Vanderbilt 2315 or 2316."
The copy reads as follows: "Your letter of May 16th, to hand, regarding the 25 foot boat you wrote me about. Now your boat is just about what I was looking for, but I cannot see you only allowing me $200.00 for my (present) boat in trade. That price is ridiculous from the following facts connected with my boat - I had a one man auto top made by Cutton & Foster, of Toronto, put on a year ago, costing about $110.00. I had also a new borsch magneto, impulse starter put on last summer; this cost around $100.00. So you see your offer of $200.00 would merely pay for improvements I put on last year, allowing nothing for the hull or engine, both being in first class shape. All that is necessary to put the boat in first-class condition is some calking and painted and cleaned up a bit.
"The only reason that Ai want to buy a new boat, is to get greater speed and greater length. My boat is in first class condition, the engine goes off on the first turn of the crank; but its speed at best, is only 12 miles an hour and with a load, ten to eleven. While I am in the market for a new boat, I am certainly not going to give my boat away for any such price as you offered. I would rather use my boat another year and look around this summer for something suitable in a trade with a cash bonus. I would be willing to pay $1,500 cash, and my boat for a suitable trade, and if you would consider this offer, we could probably get together and make a deal, providing, of course, that the boat and equipment is as you represent.
"I will probably have a number of my family run up to Toronto and see you regarding the deal. I will not be leaving here myself until about the 20th or 21st of June, and as I am driving up in my car, I probably would not be able to go to Orillia until about the 26th of June. If you are interested in this proposition, let me hear from you, and if I do not hear from you, I would consider that you have decided not to accept my proposition and will wait until I get up North, and look around and see what I could do.
"I was offered $500.00 last year for my boat, that was early in the season, and refused it as I did not have any intentions then of selling or buying a new boat; it was working so splendidly and it is certainly seaworthy and dry. Awaiting a reply from you before coming to any decision regarding the boat; I remain, very truly yours, T. Arthur Baker."
The economic crash of New York's Wall Street, occurred on the 29th, of October, 1929. I wonder if this deal was ever completed to the satisfaction of Mr. Ross and Mr. Baker.
ON THE ANTIQUE AND COLLECTABLE TRAIL
ALWAYS LOOK IN BOOKS FOR THAT LITTLE EXTRA
I just wanted to share a little "hunt and gather" discovery today, made during a little travel-time adventure, down the road just "a smidgeon more than a tad." When I talk with budding collectors, still a little green, in the industry they have taken an interest, the first lesson I offer them, is the sage advice that was passed on to me, when I was starting out……"Never resign yourself to the hearsay of others, that the treasure is all gone." You just have to keep plugging along, as they say, and find the internal fortitude to carry on the antique hustle. And yes, it does pay off. I think it was Punch Imlach, of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who lived by the motto, "The price of success is hard work," or something like this. Well I think it was Punch who said it, and if he did, it was at a time when the Leafs were Stanley Cup contenders and winners. It doesn't really matter who said it. The point is, it is a workable strategy, that pays dividends. I've employed this ethic for as long as I've been in the antique profession. I quit looking for stuff when there is nothing left to dig through, excavate, pull out of attics, or haul out of either the water or the embrace of mother earth.
The point is, finding antique and collectable treasures isn't easy, but it's definitely a reward for expending the effort…… to pursue, hunt down, what is rumored, to be in short supply. Nonsense. It's plentiful out there, like the song "Big Rock Candy Mountain." There are gumdrops everywhere, if you are truly interested in finding them. The problem for many antique hunters I know, of the younger generation especially, is that they give up way too soon, and sooth their weary mind and body by stating with confidence…."There's just nothing out there." Well sir, you all know what this means to a scrounger like me? There's more left for me to find. Consider today's little gem, which I consider a nine out of ten……a ten actually being a signed painting, by well known Canadian artist, Charles Comfort. I will get this one day.
In a favorite antique shop, we haunt in the southern climes, I was on my way out of the shop, contented with our find of yet another, mint condition Singer "feather-weight" sewing machine, that Suzanne uses for specialized craft and quilting projects, and for an outstanding price. These units can sell for upwards of three hundred and fifty dollars. In fact, we saw one, not too long ago, at a local charity shop for this amount. These are working machines, so we aren't as concerned about profit margins, as these will both be earning their keep, as Suzanne develops new projects for using her collection of vintage fabrics. She collects old fabric from sales all around the region, to be used for quilt repair and other restoration jobs. For you information, the Singer we purchased today was obtained for about one hundred and sixty bucks. There is no problem getting a fifty percent profit on this outstanding, well built machine.
As I passed the book shelf, one more time, before heading out the shop door, (I always check twice, as an obsessive quality and quantity), I spotted a biography, in the Canadian artist series, Number 2, on "Charles Comfort," one of my favorite national artists. This particular 1976 hardcover release (with dustjacket), was published by Gage, of Canada, and was prepared by Margaret Gray, Margaret Rand and Lois Steen. I have a parallel book on A.J. Casson, (two in fact), signed by the artist. The note included in this book on Charles Comfort will explain the Casson book. The inside cover page, was inscribed as follows: "Autographed expressly for Phil Ambrose with kindest regards, Charles Fraser Comfort." While this is a nice inscription with provenance, it was the sheet of paper included with the book, that makes this text far more significant. I'm afraid this was missed by the book seller. It's what we look for, out on the hunt. The "sleepers."The note reads as follows:
"Your order for the A.J. Casson Book will be filled as soon as possible. About the middle of February Dr. Casson fell and broke his right wrist. Hopefully he will be able to sign the books in another month of so." It is signed "C.A.G. Matthews" and dated March Ist, 1977. The significance of this note, outside of the fact it reveals an injury sustained by Casson, one of the Group of Seven artists (who replaced Frank "Franz" Johnson), is that it is a letter from the head of one of Canada's best known commercial printers, especially as relates to art……"Sampson and Matthews, of Canada," widely respected by the art community throughout many decades of the 1900's. This is a substantial find, and for an original eighteen dollar investment, will have a market value of about $150, with this provenance included. The book is in excellent condition. Two great finds, in an associate's antique shop. Add to this, a great buy on a 1950's standing ashtray, with an elaborate glass base, and brass carrying handle, plus a half dozen important cookbooks for our ever-growing collection, and I would say it was a really good day out on the hustings. And we enjoyed our usual date with New York Fries on Highway II, which has become somewhat of a tradition in the past twelve years, of hunting and gathering in that general direction.
The antique business is always full of exceptions, and amazing adventures. You have to put in the work to pull in the benefits. There are lots of benefits. You know I wouldn't lie about this.
Thanks so much for joining me today. It's always nice to have you along for the ride. Lots more antique adventures to come. I've saved up some of my best stories for the coming months.
In tomorrow's blog, I'd like to offer a more in-depth and revealing biography, about the wild (if not crazy) challenge we have entered into, to create a unique and high quality cook book reference collection, which as a business will be known as "Suzanne Currie's Cookery Nookery," because we like strange names…..to match our own eccentricities. This will be the most significant challenge we have ever faced in the antique trade, and we've got two months to prepare for its July Ist opening, in our present shop in uptown Gravenhurst. It will coincide with Suzanne's retirement from teaching at the end of June. I'm legendary for challenging our family with enormous, virtually impossible projects, but this one is the king…..and with any kingdom making, there are lots of precarious moats to fall into, for both the collector and investor. We are having a good time hunting for old and rare cookbooks, and of course, handwritten recipes, of which we have a large inventory at present…..certainly good enough to start our reference collection (and sales) with……as a base to build upon. We have already had folks offering us vintage cookbook collections for free, in memory of their kin, knowing it will be used and shared by foodies in general, in the coming years. Now this is exciting….and one adventure after another. Every day presents a new challenge and a new discovery. It's never been a better time for us, to be in the middle of this dynamic, historic, storied profession…..than now. And we're enjoying every minute. We hope you will share this with us…..because that's what will make it the best it can be. See you again soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment