Lists that Make Cents: Comic Books with Box Office Smashes
In 1989, something miraculous happened. That year, Batman arrived in the theatres. While the movie itself was good, that is not what the miracle really was. It was the first time the comics saw how …
Newell Convers Wyeth: Father of American Illustration, Patriarch of ‘First Family of American Art’
If Howard Pyle is considered the “Grandfather of American illustration,” then his arguably most successful student, Newell Convers Wyeth, would have to be thought of as the “Father.” Illustrating more than 112 books, including Treasure …
Baseball’s First Champions … and the Pioneer That Powered Them
Long before baseball was officially anointed America’s National Pastime — in truth, before even the first drop of blood was spilled in the American Civil War — there existed the Atlantic Base Ball Club of …
Lists That Make Cents: Top 10 Most Violent Comic Covers
For years, my biggest comic collecting regret has been that I didn’t know or understand how amazing Pre-Code Horror and Crime books were when I was younger. I am not a horror movie junkie. In …
The Numismatic Design Duo: James Earle and Laura Gardin Fraser
While you may have seen some of their designs on coins in your collection, did you ever stop to consider the story of the artists who created the Buffalo Nickel, the Oregon Trail Half Dollar, …
The History and Evolution of Pop Art
Pop Art was an art movement characterized by imagery of popular culture and consumerism. The word “Pop” was coined in 1955 by British curator Lawrence Alloway to describe a new form of “popular” art. Emerging …
Icon Spotlight: Norman Seeff’s Vintage Photographs
Norman Seeff has had a very interesting life. He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and was trained as a doctor eventually working as an emergency doctor under apartheid in the Black township of Soweto. …
Specialist Picks: Vintage Guitars for the Collector
With something as subjective as a guitar, opinions can vary widely, as can the appeal one guitar can have to different people. For many, it’s more about the relationship between musician and instrument than anything …
Celebrating Women’s History Month through our Fine and Decorative Arts Auction
Women’s History Month, which is celebrated in March in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, had its origins in a small-town school event in California that evolved gradually into Women’s History Week. Then, …
Childhood Revisited – on an Hourly Wage [Specialist Spotlight]
Young children love to dream of their future careers. Back (okay, WAY back) in my day, most kids I knew wanted to be cowboys, airline hostesses, firemen, or even President of the United States. As …