This year’s sale contains material related to slavery and abolition, Africa, art, Black Panthers, civil rights, education, Haiti, literature, military, music, religion, sports and more.

Highlights Include:

An archive of papers related to Dorothy Porter Wesley, spanning 90 years and in over 85 cartons, containing the noted scholar’s writings, research notes, manuscripts and ephemera.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Stride Toward Freedom, The Montgomery Story, inscribed to Civil Rights advocate & Senator Paul H. Douglas, shown top left.

An album of photographs of the Tuskegee Airmen based in Italy, 1944-45.

She’s a Swell Plane – Give us More!, a war poster, circa 1944.

The original tally of votes for and against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as taken on the floor of the Senate. Mounted on board with a typed note signed from Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island, presenting the document to Clarence Mitchell.

Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects Religious and Moral, a first edition from the library of George W. Brinley.

The bi-annual Contemporary sale is one of Sotheby’s must-see sales of the spring season. The March 9th event celebrates the work of established post-war masters such as Warhol, Rauschenberg and Calder alongside works by today’s most intriguing creators such as Yuskavage, Tomaselli and Condo. This highly curated sale features iconic and jewel like paintings, drawings, sculpture and photography dating from the 1930s through today. A few highlights this season include the iconic image Untitled Film Still #21 by Cindy Sherman. Additionally, the sale includes beautiful works by Gerhard Richter, one of the most desirable and celebrated artists of today. Finally, there are iconic and classical paintings and works on paper by Abstract Expressionists including Hans Hofmann, Adolph Gottlieb, Robert Motherwell and Willem de Kooning among others.

Catalogue for this auction is now available online.

Sotheby’s was the first international auction house to offer regular sales of Photographs, beginning in 1971 in London, 1975 in New York, and 2002 in Paris. We sell photographs from the entire history of the medium, from salt prints and daguerreotypes of the 1840s to contemporary works of the present decade.  Included in our auctions are works by a roster of blue-chip photographers from around the globe, from William Henry Fox Talbot in London, to Eugene Atget in Paris, to Richard Prince in New York.

Our international team, the most experienced and highly regarded specialists in the auction world, has established itself as a leader in scholarship and evaluation.  Their passion and expertise have resulted in dozens of world records for individual photographers, brought new categories of work to the public’s eye, and defined many of the market criteria against which photographs and collections are judged.

Major auctions of Photographs are held in April and October in New York, and in May and November in Paris. In addition, special sales are held at other times throughout the year as opportunities arise.

HERSHEY, Pa – “Toys, toys and more toys,” said Ronald M. Vastola, Outreach Coordinator of USA Theatres, producers of this weekend’s exciting, new event called the American Antique Toy & Coin-Op Show.

“There will be an impressive timeline of toys and collectibles on exhibit, dating from the late 1800’s to the late 1980’s,” Vastola said. “Exhibitors are already loading up their vehicles, in preparation of this weekend’s event,” he added.

The show will feature numerous dealers buying, selling and trading all sorts of antique toys and collectibles, such as tin toys, cast iron toys, mechanical toys, banks, character toys, action figures, playsets, model kits, dolls, diecast vehicles, lunchboxes, advertising items, posters, rock-n-roll memorabilia, penny arcades, slot machines, trade stimulators, fortune teller machines and jukeboxes, according to USA Theatres.

“This show is so diverse that you will find anything from hand-painted turn of the century toys to vintage Beatles memorabilia,” Vastola said.

The American Antique Toy & Coin-Op Show is set to debut this Saturday, March 3, at the Eastern Civic Center, located at 90 Harding Road in Old Greenwich, Connecticut (only 40 minutes via train from Grand Central Station NYC).

General admission into the event is $10 for adults and free for children under 12. Early buyers are welcome Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. and also Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. for $20 per person each day. Parking is free.

A variety of food and beverages will be available for purchase at the show, provided by Joemomma Foods, Inc. of Hershey, Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit the website, www.usatheatres.com/conventions

For hotel accommodations, attendees are encouraged to contact the Hilton Stamford Hotel & Executive Meeting Center, the official hotel of the American Antique Toy & Coin-Op Show. The hotel is conveniently located just 1.4 miles, 4 minutes from the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center.

Mention the show to receive a special room rate of just $79 per night (promo code: AMA). The hotel can be reached by visiting their website www.hiltonstamfordhotel.com or by calling them directly at (203) 967-2222.

Veteran celebrity journalist Barrett to donate proceeds to foundation benefiting seniors

Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen (French/Swiss, 1859-1923), ‘La Rue: Affiches Charles Verneau,’ lithographed color poster, artist-signed and dated 1896, 90½ by 116¼ inches, est. $50,000-$70,000. Clark’s Fine Art image.

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. – The southern California auction house Clark’s Fine Art is preparing its spacious gallery for a March 10 sale filled with beautiful artworks, quality furniture and decorative art. The 310-lot sale features several important West Coast consignments, including artworks from the collection of trailblazing entertainment columnist Rona Barrett. Proceeds from the sale of the Barrett collection will benefit The Rona Barrett Foundation, which provides assistance to seniors in need.

Additionally, the auction includes highly collectible drawings from the Diane and Sandy Besser collection; and desirable contemporary prints from the Irv Wiener collection. Furniture, paintings and decorative art objects have come directly from the Estate of Harold Berkowitz and the Estate of Guy McElwaine, who was chairman and CEO of Columbia Pictures during the 1980s.

Alexandre-Marie Colin (French, 1798-1873), ‘Man and Woman by the Shoreline,’ oil on canvas, est. $6,000-$9,000. Clark’s Fine Art image.

The caliber of fine art to be offered sets the tone for the entire sale. The selection is led by a Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen (French/Swiss, 1859-1923) lithographed color poster, artist-signed and dated 1896. Titled La Rue: Affiches Charles Verneau, the vividly colored impression depicts a bustling street scene populated with a cross-section of French society. Bright and lively, the massive six-panel Art Nouveau poster measures 90½ by 116¼ inches and is expected to make $50,000-$70,000.

Other 19th-century paintings to be auctioned include an Alexandre-Marie Colin (French, 1798-1873) oil on canvas titled Man and Woman by the Shoreline, est. $6,000-$9,000; and Hugh Bolton Jones’ (American, 1848-1927) Farmers Tilling the Fields, a 30 by 50-inch oil on canvas that could harvest a winning bid of $4,000-$6,000. Boy with Dog, a 19th-century Continental school oil on canvas, measures 40 by 30 inches and is estimated at $2,000-$4,000. All three artworks are from the Estate of Guy McElwaine.

Jacob Thompson (British, 1806-1879), ‘River Landscape with Horsemen and Peasants,’ est. $20,000-$30,000. Clark’s Fine Art image.

An outstanding 1837 British painting, after 17th-century artist Aelbert Cuyp, is Jacob Thompson’s (1806-1879) River Landscape with Horsemen and Peasants. A signed work, it is estimated at $20,000-$30,000. Peasant Girl in Field, a 1917 oil on canvas by the Polish artist Antoni Piotrowski (1953-1924), is signed and dated both at lower right and on verso. Its estimate is $5,000-$10,000.

The distinctive grace of the hand of Vietnamese artist Le Pho (1907-2001) is seen in his signed Flower Still Life, a tranquil 28¾ by 21¼-inch work that the consignor acquired from the Wally Findlay Gallery in Beverly Hills. Estimate: $10,000-$15,000.

Guy Dill (American, b. 1946-), monumental painted and welded-steel sculpture, est. $15,000-$25,000. Clark’s Fine Art image.

California artists are well represented in the sale. A monumental painted and welded-steel sculpture by Guy Dill (b. 1946-) could realize $15,000-$25,000; while Charles Arnoldi’s (b. 1946-) acrylic painting on chain-sawed multilayered plywood, titled Untouchable, is entered in the sale with a $7,000-$9,000 estimate. A 48-inch-square untitled mixed media on canvas by Mary Ann Corse (b. 1945-) was acquired directly from the artist, whose abstract works have been shown at the Guggenheim and Whitney Museum of American Art. It carries an estimate of $5,000-$7,000.

Other American artists include visualist and sculptor Robert Longo (b. 1953-), whose 1989 End of Season – a mixed media work numbered 9/11 on the artist’s label on verso – carries an $8,000-$12,000 estimate. The Longo comes from the Irv Wiener collection, as does a selection of prints by Louise Nevelson, Terry Winters, Carroll Dunham, Barbara Bloom and Helen Frankenthaler. The art selection continues with an Edward Curtis (1868-1952) platinum photograph titled Standing Woman in Dress and drawings by John Sloan and David Burliuk (Russian, 1882-1967).

Robert Longo (American, b. 1953-), ‘End of Season,’ mixed media, numbered 9/11, est. $8,000-$12,000. Clark’s Fine Art image.

A Dale Chihuly (American, b. 1941-) blue and gold work of acrylic and metallic paint on paper is framed with glass, reflecting the medium for which the Seattle-based artist is so widely acclaimed. It is estimated at $2,000-$3,000.

A beautiful array of Reuge music boxes will be auctioned, with estimates ranging from $200-$400 for an inlaid marquetry box that plays four songs to $1,000-$2,000 for a singing automaton bird box with oval pop-up. Also by Reuge, a musical erotic pocket watch, Louis XVI style, has a 15-inch gold chain and colored stone inlays and key. Estimate: $2,000-$4,000.

Archive of letters written by Charles Manson to his attorney, Irving Kanarek, during the infamous Helter Skelter trial, est. $1,000-$2,000. Clark’s Fine Art image.

Interior furnishings include a dining set, sideboard, mahogany cheval mirror and a sparkling leaded-crystal chandelier with 20 lamps, estimated at $2,000-$4,000. In addition, the auction features Chinese porcelains, sterling silver wares, an antique carousel horse, and a collection of letters Charles Manson wrote to his attorney, Irving Kanarek, during the infamous Helter Skelter trial.

Clark’s Fine Art welcomes all forms of bidding for its March 10 auction, including live at the gallery, absentee, by phone, or live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com. The gallery is located at 14931 Califa St., Space A, Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles), CA 91411. The auction will begin at noon Pacific Time. Preview 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, March 5 through Friday, March 9, and from 10 a.m. till noon on auction day.

For additional information on any lot in the sale, call 818-783-3052 or e-mail gallery@pacbell.net. View the fully illustrated catalog online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com. Visit Clark’s website at www.estateauctionservice.com.

San Francisco, CA  –  Feb 21, 2012

After analyzing membership records at www.Marks4Antiques.com, it quickly became evident that an increasing number of antiques professionals prefer using online methods to research their items.  “Almost half of our registered members are either antiques appraisers or auctioneers” says John of Membership Services at www.Marks4Antiques.com.  All other members are antiques dealers, online sellers or collectors.  The company believes that this validates their efforts in constantly researching and enhancing their members-only content.

One of the main advantages of using online tools to research antiques and collectibles is that they are always updated in real time.  Most members often contribute content by asking questions or pointing out latest news and market trends.  This information is then made available to all other members immediately and saves a great deal of effort and, very frequently, money by avoiding costly mistakes.

Another important reason is that access to online reference material is instant.  An internet connection to one’s mobile device or laptop is all that is needed to tap into thousands of makers’ marks & hallmarks, pricing results, historical context and timeline perspectives when researching any collection, whether at the office or on the road.  “I really appreciate the quick help as usual and the extra information you provide is top notch ” emailed Ron Leftwich of JLP Auctions in Culperer, VA, who conducts over 100 estate auctions per year at his own auction house and as many or more on clients’ premises in neighboring communities.

Even so-called traditional antiques professionals have begun embracing online research tools.  “We receive so many donated items all the time” says Annick Notter, Curator at the Museum of Art & History of La Rochelle in France.  “Subscribing to Marks4Antiques.com has cut down the time to process our items significantly and increased the accuracy of our attributions and market value estimates ten-fold” she added.  For the same reasons, many charity shops and non-profits are also members.

Although inventories for some antiques dealers or sellers may vary over time, antiques appraisers at many auction houses are the most frequent visitors of the members-only resources at Marks4Antiques.com.  “We sell upwards of a thousand precious antiques & collectibles every two weeks to a world-wide and sophisticated audience” said Colin Smith, President of Hampstead Auctions in London, UK, during a recent telephone interview.  “All of these items have to be researched with utmost accuracy before listing and advertising.  We are ecstatic that we can now check our facts instantly and also ask any questions when in doubt” he added, referring to the Help Guaranteed feature of Marks4Antiques.com.  As part of their benefits, members can send questions and receive an unbiased and confidential reply at no extra charge as often as they wish.  “It’s like having an antiques expert on retainer at all times” he says.

About www.Marks4Antiques.com

Founded in 2004, Marks4Antiques.com has been a pioneer in creating online research services to help members identify and appraise antiques or collectibles online. Members can swiftly find accurate information on makers marks, hallmarks, company & artisan signatures or logos.  Fake or reproduction marks are displayed side-by-side to authentic ones for easy and quick comparison.  Searchable databases also include millions of auction records to research prices or values for all categories of antiques and collectibles, with no need to send photos or descriptions.  All content is constantly updated and always available 24/7 from any computer or device connected to the Internet.

Contact email: Contact@Marks4Antiques.com