A U C T I O N S
Running long-billed curlew by Thomas Gelston of Quogue, Long Island, New York (est. $109,250/143,750) sold to a Massachusetts collector for $258,750, the top lot in the auction and an auction price record for its maker.
GUYETTE & DEETER AUCTION
Gelston long-billed curlew outruns the competition at Guyette & Deeter’s annual summer auction
A running long-billed curlew by Thomas Gelston of Quogue, Long Island, New York sold to a Massachusetts collector for $258,750, more than double its estimate, at Guyette & Deeter’s annual summer auction on July 28-29 at the Sheraton Harborside in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It was the top lot in the sale, an auction price record for its maker and easily outran the competition in an auction with broad regional appeal.
A decorative feeding yellowlegs with a fly carved on its base by A.E. Crowell of East Harwich, Massachusetts soared over estimate, selling to a phone bidder for $103,500. A Crowell decorative turned head golden plover also sold to the phone, just topping estimate at $65,550. A rare Crowell brant also topped estimate at $16,100.
A hollow-carved merganser hen by Charles Osgood of Salem, Massachusetts sold to a Maryland collector just short of estimate at $89,125. A canvas-over-wood-frame hissing Canada goose by Clarence Bailey also made the top 25 list, beating estimate at $15,525. Both were formerly in the collection of Dr. George Ross Starr.
Two hollow-carved stick-up Canada geese with laminated body construction by John Tax of Osakis, Minnesota sold separately, the feeder to a Texas collector within estimate for $86,250 and the upright to a phone bidder just short of estimate at $46,000.
There were seven lots by the Ward brothers of Crisfield, Maryland on the top 25 list, topped by a well-painted pintail at its low estimate $69,000. A pair of pinch breast pintails from the Glenn L. Martin rig sold for $25,875 and a 1936 model black duck brought $17,250, each lot just short of estimate.
A pair of their flying pintails mounted on a plaque was the best of the decoratives, selling to a phone bidder within estimate at $31,625. A decorative snow goose just missed estimate, selling to an absentee bid of $17,250, and pairs of canvasbacks and mallards went to phone bidders at $18,400 and $14,950. Also of note, a decorative hollow-carved preening Canada goose with a lifted wing fell well short at $13,800.
