Featured The William K. du Pont Collection: Important Americana from Rocky Hill

At sales like this and the estate sale I went to this weekend, I hope for odds and ends that the sellers didn't realize were anything special. Of course at this one, it's ALL special, so....

 

Ditto, I find I usually do much better at sales where there are many outstanding examples in the same auction. I got a wonderful Pilgrim table with great provenance several years ago for chump change at the Vogel sale, everyone was focused on the big-ticket objects.

Yeah, that is going to be an issue no doubt at this sale. Since there are no recent comparables to this sale, hard to say how that will work out but, my usual practice of "stealing" overlooked objects could be in trouble at this sale.

 

I've been through Winterthur. Saw a few things I would like to say were mine.

 

At a sale like this I'd be lucky to afford the catalog!

 

LOL, I hear you!

 

Wow, sounds amazing! Only 8 months away... updates coming after the auction, I hope?

 

Should be a BOATLOAD of FUN to watch/follow at ANY RATE!!!!! Since we can't take it with us, I find these days there isn't much anymore that I can't live without, of course, never mind the fact of not being able to afford most of it anyway!!!!

 

Well, the main reason I registered this early is, as the auction gets nearer there are bound to be new developments and Sotheby's will almost certainly email everyone on the bidder's list.

 

There's always that random piece or two they might stick into the auction after the catalog goes out in the mail. Dunno as Sotheby's would do that, but small companies add things to auction previews sometimes.

 

Not sure that will happen in this sale, Bill was a hoarder of the 1st rank and had the resources to gather the best of the best. He cornered the market once on "line & berry" decorated early furniture and at one time had over 1200 pieces of early iron.
I predict many New England dealers that specialize will shy away from this collection as it is very Pennsylvania-centric, particularly around Philadelphia. After all, that's where the people were in the Delaware River valley in 1700 America.

 

Many auction houses will "add" to single collection sales to "fill in" to get to a 500 or more object sale. Many collections just aren't that vast which will NOT be a problem with Mr. Bill.
On the contrary with Mr. Bill, I suspect it will go the other way, what will they have to exclude to keep the sale manageable.

 

I’m hoping the name Dominy doesn’t come up. All that should be in the museum.

 

Who is that, MsAlicia?

 

Clock/cabinet makers from the eastern end of Long Island. Also a few windmills here and there are attributed to the family. The museum has their original woodworking shop with tools. I think I recall hearing that it’s housed on an upper floor and I don’t know if it’s on display. But a handsome collection of their works I believe are. I couldn’t say if they circulate items for display, so possibly on and off. The collection as far as I know is there still.

 

Interesting. I am a member of the 10th generation in my family born on LI. No relation, though.

 

I wondered about that, what did Bill donate/will to Winterthur that is in his collection. Haven't heard a word about it since the sale announcement.
I wasn't aware of the Dominy family of clock/woodworkers until you mentioned them, a quicky search brought this up from Winterthur.
http://dominycollections.winterthur.org/the-dominy-family/

 

Pssst - if there's one in the sale, don't tell the clock guys! Your nice table needs a nice clock on it.

 

What table, I didn't/don't see the table???

According to those that have viewed it, Bill's collection is very Pennsylvania-centric, so not sure how many objects are outside the Delaware River Valley. That bed warmer in the photo on 1st post is New England so I dunno.
He was very involved with Winterthur, the museum is named after the former Dupont estate it devolved from so I am pretty sure any museum donation is going to them.

 

Drat.(LOL)

 

????? I am not following you, AT ALL!

Thing is, it is probably true that many if not most of the objects this guy collected should probably be in a museum.