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.

1932 5c Mills Eagle slot machine that pays out in both coins and mints. Image courtesy Mark Schlesinger, dealer

HERSHEY, Pa – The economy is thriving amongst toy and coin-op collectors, according to USA Theatres, producers of the upcoming American Antique Toy & Coin-Op Show, who just announced that buyers will be coming from overseas to seek out American made antique toys and coin-operated machines.

“We have received several emails from collectors overseas who will be attending the show,” said Ronald M. Vastola, Outreach Coordinator of USA Theatres. “Buyers will be coming from the UK and Netherlands”.

Buyers will have the unique opportunity to acquire extremely rare, hand-painted turn of the century toys, not only made in the US, but imported from France and Germany by renowned toy dealer Lionel Fournier, owner of France Antique Toys.

If what was said, so far, doesn’t impress you, just check out some of the recently revealed dealers who will be exhibiting at the event.

Alan Green, owner of American Jazz Antique Toys, will be bringing some of his finest inventory of merchandise, followed by Mike Caffarella, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who will be offering early American tin toys, mechanical toys and banks.

Additional exhibitors will include Mark Schlesinger, of New Jersey, who will be bringing some antique penny arcades, occupying 16 ft. of exhibit space with Ken Schnoll, owner of Antiques Slots, who will be offering an array of antique slot machines and other coin-op related items.

If this still doesn’t impress you, here’s something to chew on… Rich Brinkos (a/k/a The Gumball Guy) will be loading up his truck with all sorts of antique and vintage gumball machines, while exhibiting next to Larry Garland, who will occupying 24 ft. of exhibit space to accommodate antique jukeboxes, pinballs, trade stimulators and other rare toys and collectibles.

Exhibitor Bob Adams, of Connecticut, will also be occupying 24 ft. of exhibit space to display antique amusement items, advertising items, and coin-ops, to name just a few categories.

A new addition to the show is exhibitor Tom Sage, Sr., of Allentown, Pennsylvania, who is one of the best-known antique toy dealers in the world.

More quality exhibitors from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, who specialize in antique and vintage collectibles, have responded to the show; including Ken Farrell, owner of Just For Kids Nostalgia, who is interested in utilizing 16 feet of exhibit space.

Those who are seeking vintage toys and memorabilia will be able to choose from a variety of dealers, including Wex Rex, Heroes Unlimited, and Milo Toys & Collectables.

“Exhibitor space inside the auditorium of the Civic Center is sold out,” Vastola said. “We are now expanding into a second exhibit hall”.

The American Antique Toy & Coin-Op Show is set to debut on Saturday, March 3, at the Eastern Civic Center, situated within walking distance from the Metro-North Train Station in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.

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.

Attendees are encouraged to come hungry, in order to taste a variety of food and beverages offered for sale by Joemomma Foods, Inc. of Hershey, Pennsylvania.

“Joemomma Foods of Hershey will be offering dinner on Friday evening and breakfast and lunch on Saturday,” Vastola said. “This will be a nice treat for everyone,” he added.

Exhibitors wishing to set up inside the second hall of the Eastern Civic Center, should contact USA Theatres at (717) 542-0567 or email usatheatres@yahoo.com

You may also visit the website, www.usatheatres.com/conventions

For hotel accommodations, everyone is 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 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.