Date: Fri 12-Feb-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: LAURAB

Quick Words:

Jackman-Veilleux-Thomaston

Full Text:

Tiffany Watercolor Tops Thomaston Place Sale

(with cuts)

By Bob Jackman

THOMASTON, ME. -- On January 30, Kaja Veilleux presented an outstanding

auction at his Thomaston Place Auction Gallery. Despite night-time

temperatures that had hovered around fifteen degrees below, the 11 am auction

was attended by nearly 375 enthusiasts from across New England.

The event was conducted in two segments. The first featured fine antiques,

with highlights found in the fields of paintings, furniture, silver and

Americana. The second offered a single-owner collection of advertising items,

with a particular depth in tins and porcelain signs. Prices in the first

segment were strong, but the second produced more varied results. Gross sales

were $320,000.

The auction's top lot was a Louis Comfort Tiffany (American, 1848-1933)

watercolor entitled "Town Clock in Dinan," which sold for $39,600. The work

was from his early period, and had a Western perspective and precise

renderings. Labels on the back indicated it had been exhibited at various

venues, including the Pennsylvania Academy of Art. The painting had originally

been cataloged as an unsigned Tiffany based upon those labels; however, upon

close examination, a street sign in the work read "Tiffany Painted."

Another work which did very well was a small (eight by 5« inches) oil on panel

entitled "Sunlight and Shadow" by Edward Lamson Henry (American, 1841-1919).

It sold to a phone bidder for $13,200. A record for works by Sarah Sears

(American) was possibly set when her 1897 watercolor "Poppies" sold for

$5,775.

The top furniture lot was Hepplewhite card table having a top with a D

configuration. When the table was consigned, most of the inlay was concealed

by an accumulation of surface grime. Veilleux sent the table to his French

polisher. After he cleaned and polished it, the table was a fine formal

example with extensive reserved inlay, including a series of four bell flowers

down each leg. The table sold for $15,400.

Another exceptional furniture lot was a collector's cabinet, decorated with

Wedgwood plaques, ebony, burl and inlay, which sold for $5,225. Stylistically

the cabinet was interesting as an example of furniture made on the cusp

between the Victorian and Edwardian periods.

The form, size and degree of ornamentation held to Victorian standards.

However the simpler, flatter, elegant designs and stylized decorative motifs

were all Edwardian. The workmanship was superb, and the piece had been

preserved in fine condition.

The few Civil War lots in the sale were exceptional. Topping that field was a

field desk which had belonged to T.J. Libby of the 12th Maine Regiment. The

desk, having square, slightly tapered legs, was painted in mustard with

Libby's name and the outline in green. Inside was an extensive collection of

documents associated with Libby's service. The lot sold to a phone bidder for

$4,950. Another attractive lot contained a Naval Civil War officer's hat and

epaulets in their original tin boxes, and sold for $1,045.

The advertising segment featured one collector's lifelong accumulation. The

collection itself was universally in excellent collection, and it contained

both rare examples, and some specialty areas, such as advertising which

featured African Americans.

The auction house was a bit handicapped by the owner's wish to remain

anonymous, however. One element of his anonymity was that the owner did not

call dealers and fellow collectors to alert them to the sale. Also, since this

was a famous collection, it could not be widely illustrated without tipping

the identity of owner. When specialists arrived at the auction, they

immediately recognized it. The owner was present, but he remained in a low

profile.

The advertising and tin specialists who attended were attracted by notices in

national publications. For example, Peter Lovejoy, of Warren, N.H., saw one of

these ads and attended his first Thomaston auction as a result.

"My business is named The Blue Tiger," he said, "so I am particularly happy to

have won the inverted Blue Tiger can. If this is the example which sold once

in Pennsylvania, then I think this is a one-of-a-kind item. The cylinder was

printed on sheet metal, then a machinist rolled over the lips to attach the

top and bottom. It may have been deliberate or maybe the maker was not

concentrating." He paid $1,650 for his prize.

Veilleux's grandfather owned Veilleux's Market in Waterville, Me., and various

lots in this current sale brought back the auctioneer's recollections of that

store. When a 36-inch Coca-Cola button sign came to the block, he commented,

"As kids we used to borrow these from my grandfather's store and ride them in

the snow down hills. If we had realized how valuable they would become, we

would have been more careful with them." The collector's sign sold for $385.

One couple who bought extensively had driven from Hopkinton, Mass. "We're

members of Quad A [American Antique Advertising Association], which is based

in Chicago. When we came in, we spotted several other members. It was a

wonderful collection, but there was too much merchandise [269 lots] for the

number of bidders. It's our first trip here, and it's a beautiful gallery."

Over the years, a consistent strength of Veilleux's sales has been silver. A

leading lot was a presentation coin silver water pitcher created by Boston

silversmith Richard Ward in 1820. Members of Boston's Light Infantry had

presented the pitcher to their past commander, Richard Codman. The work, which

combined artistry and history, fetched a proper $6,050. That price was also

paid for a seven-piece tea service by Gorham from the Civil War era.

One of the most surprising lots in the sale comprised an assemblage of 23

Christmas ornaments which were priced for a yard sale at $5 for the group. A

member of the consigning family had brought other lots to Veilleux's appraisal

day, so the ornaments were sent along. They were appraised at $200/400, and

consigned for auction. The lot sold to a phone bidder for $4,510.

Early Buddy-L trucks continue as a cornerstone of the American toy market. A

Railway Express model in very good condition sold for $ 2,090, considerably

more than the cost of the full-size Railway Express van in the 1930s.

A Prominent Figure

A Waterville native, Kaja Veilleux has been a prominent figure on Maine's

antiques scene for three decades. His father, Roland Veilleux, ran a used

furniture store in Skowhegan, and part of that business included antique

furniture.

Kaja Veilleux became interested in art during his high school years, when he

worked at Berry's Framing Shop on Main Street in Waterville from 1964 to 1969.

He first ventured into the antiques business in central Maine. In 1982 he

moved to the mid-Maine coast, and established a retail shop in Newcastle.

Veilleux conducted his first auction in Waterville in 1979. After moving to

Newcastle, he continued conducting auctions as estates became available. After

acquiring the Thomaston gallery, he became the first auctioneer in the region

to conduct auctions on a repeating monthly schedule.

The gallery runs a monthly Feature Auction, with fine antiques, the final

Saturday of every month. Veilleux calls those auctions, and they are held in

the main gallery. He also calls the off-site auctions, which are conducted in

the summer and fall months.

In addition, the firm hosts a series of auctions, known as Saturday Night

Sales, offering more general merchandise. These are conducted in the new

second gallery.

Once used as a weaving facility, the gallery contains four buildings,

including two weaving mills. When the weaving firm closed five years ago,

Veilleux recognized that the attractive, modern mill buildings had ideal

configurations for auction halls. He purchased the property, and renamed his

auction business.

Veilleux brought Plymouth, Me., native John Holmes on board as gallery manager

4« years ago. Holme, who also acts as auctioneer for the Saturday Night Sales,

brought a Raytheon engineering background to the firm, and the technology at

Thomaston Place is state of the art. This was apparent from the opening

announcements, when Veilleux's voice, with the help of a headset microphone,

was broadcast clearly and with consistent amplification. The firm has also

installed a computer system which they boast is "probably the most advanced in

the business."

Currently the business has a full-time staff of nine. Veilleux conducts

appraisals and secures consignments. The firm is both "user friendly" and

highly efficient. A private caterer provides good food at very modest prices.