ESTATE OF JIM BONNER - BIG EASY ESTATE SALES

ESTATE OF JIM BONNER

We are honored to offer for sale items from the estate of regional artist and graphic designer, Jim Bonner. Bonner was a graphic artist perhaps best known for his design of the iconic Barq’s root beer cans along with many other popular logos and designs during his successful advertising career. Although Bonner predominately devoted his career to advertising and graphic design, his real passion was creating art from nature influenced by his time fishing in Louisiana and Mississippi coastal waters, carving and painting duck decoys and painting in oil and watercolor coastal birds, ducks, saltwater fish, wildlife and gulf coast nature. He even painted portraits of pets Bonner promoted as “Family Portraits”. 

Bonner was known locally for his logo designs, many still noticeable today. Some of his more recognizable designs are brochure covers and logos for Audubon Zoo, Brennan’s, New Orleans Tours, Evans Candy, the original New Orleans Jazz NBA basketball team logo, and many others. Bonner entered the Federal Duck Stamp competition for over 20 years and his work has been exhibited at the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum in Biloxi, MS.

Bonner and his wife Patsy owned and operated The Bonner Collection in New Orleans as well as Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis where they spent most of their time together with family and friends.

Bonner’s enormous body of work connects us to the things we love so dearly in this part of the world. This sale includes a wide variety of Bonner’s work including original paintings, sculptures, carvings and hundreds of prints, many signed. Additionally, Bonner’s collection of artist’s supplies are available. This sale also includes property from their Pass Christian home as well as their gallery in Bay St. Louis. 
 

Read more about Jim Bonner and The Bonner Collection here. 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

We are running two separate sales at once – one upstairs and downstairs. There will be no entry to the basement from inside the house. Items purchased upstairs must be paid for upstairs and the same for the downstairs basement. Entry to downstairs and garage will be on Coliseum Street through a gate. Please form a separate line if you prefer shopping the basement first. Numbers will ONLY be passed out at the front door and will only apply to the upstairs. We will not pass out numbers for the downstairs sale – first come, first served. Mark Cotten has graciously agreed to oversee the downstairs sale this weekend while the regular crew will be upstairs. Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding on this unique layout. 

Highlights for this sale are divided by upstairs and downstairs to help direct folks where they want to go first. 

UPSTAIRS HIGHLIGHTS

Furniture highlights:

• 1960’s French Provincial style fruitwood and walnut living room furniture, including a sofa re-upholstered in silk, pair armchairs in gold upholstery, a matching marble top console cabinet, marble top server and armchair, and a small writing table
• 1960’s French Provincial style walnut dining room furniture, including a table with eight chairs and additional leaves, china cabinet and server by Basic Witz, Waynesboro, Virginia
• French Provincial style writing table with chair and matching chest of drawers 
• French Provincial style twin beds
• Pair 1960’s walnut octagon-shaped side tables 
• Antique carved mahogany armchair and another antique side chair
• Mahogany bowed glass lighted curio display cabinet 
• Italian inlaid side table 
• Kimball upright piano
• Stylish 1960’s inset marble top dresser or console cabinet with eight drawers
• Vintage faux bamboo bar and matching bookshelves and single table; pair rattan barstools 
• Faux bamboo rattan tri-fold room divider
• Vintage double size bed with caned headboard
• Vintage granite top cabinet 
• Vintage Stanley Furniture desk and matching side table 
• Vintage pair Stanley Furniture bookcases 
• Antique English or Dutch oak curved armchair with needlepoint seat
• Contemporary floor standing jewelry cabinet  
• Iron and glass patio table, seats six
• Iron baker’s rack
• Set of four bamboo style acrylic chairs

Decorative and Collectible highlights:

• Antique Ansonia Clock Co. figural mantle clock
• Other clocks include: Plymouth mantle clock, German wall clock, reproduction Regulator 
• Vintage and contemporary lamps, including two Stiffel - one very handsome burl walnut library lamp
• Antique scroll giltwood mirror
• Pair vintage brass and prism electric wall sconces
• Vintage gilt metal and prism four-light wall candelabra 
• Pair vintage Borghese cherubs on giltwood bases 
• Italian miniature painting of Madonna and Child in carved giltwood frame
• Florentine giltwood icon; Florentine trays and boxes
• Capodimonte figures: three large pieces (see photos)
• Capodimonte floral bouquet wall hanging 
• Vintage Italian Florentia tole bouquets 
• Vintage tole hanging light fixture and pair tole table lamps
• Bronze cherub statue, unsigned
• Herend decorative bowl and lidded box
• Bing & Grondahl Copenhagen porcelain bowl
• Boehm nativity figures of Joseph and Mary
• Shearwater Pottery, including two small pots and three figures 
• Pottery by Rumrill, USA, and many others
• Chinese imari and other porcelain 
• Large clear glass apothecary vessel 
• Vintage desk accessories; inkwells
• Rare Sheaffer’s Pen brass advertising lamp
• English brass “Stationary” advertising sign
• Some vintage tobacco-related items, including old pipes, boxes, oak humidor, tin sign
• Several antique boxes
• Antique wicker style suitcase with blue fabric lining 
• Collection of books, many antique; coffee table books on N.O. interests 
• Promotional booklets “Ursuline Still Lifes”
• Set of seven books "Vieux Carre Historic District Demonstration Study", 1960’s
• Huey P. Long books
• Vinyl records and 45's; repro record player with CD and radio
• Lots of old sheet music
• 1920’s Art Deco prints
• Bird sculptures in wood, brass and composite 
• Antique iron Americana items, banks, figures, toys
• Canton, Mississippi stoneware whiskey jug
• Sailboat model items
• Some religious items
• Vanity accessories, perfume bottles, large old Chanel No. 5 bottle
• Barware, including martini shakers, cocktail glasses, and a set of Saints highballs
• Barg’s root beer and Stewart’s Scottish Distilleries mirrored advertising signs

Art highlights: (upstairs Only)

• Jim Bonner original works, including a watercolor of "Hunted Ducks," "Olympia Brass Band member" and many others
• Jim Bonner “Preservation Hall” print in giltwood frame
• Misc. Jim Bonner framed prints (please note: hundreds of Bonner’s loose prints are downstairs)
• John James Audubon, “Mississippi Kite”, Plate 117, hand-colored engraving with aquatint, from The Birds of America, Havell edition
• Delacroix photo of a French Quarter courtyard; small vintage French Quarter paintings
• George Dureau signed poster “Figaro, the Barber of Seville”, 1977 Opera Ball Patron’s poster
• Attractive painting on canvas of Jim and his wife by Robert Hindel
• Several continental oil landscape paintings, some in nice carved frames

Closet and Fashion highlights:

• Judith Leiber star pill box with packaging
• Tori Burch sandals, new in box; Prada shoes and others, all size 7
• Michael Kors handbags, new with tags
• Ladies clothing, sizes small and medium
• Men’s designer and casual clothing, sizes small and medium, including sports coats, suits, dress shirts, golf shirts, casual clothing, shoes, ties, belts

Jewelry & Sterling Silver highlights: (more info and photos to be posted)

• 14K bracelets, cufflinks, rings and more
• Art Deco necklaces
• Sterling silver jewelry 
• Gorham "Melrose" sterling serving pieces
• Several sterling pieces in various patterns
• Pretty sterling serving bowl

Crystal, Glass. China and Kitchenware highlights:

• Royal Doulton “Grantham” dinnerware set, service for eight
• Crystal stemware in various patterns and sizes (all unmarked)
• Brilliant and other cut glass pieces
• Vintage dinnerware sets
• Vintage jadeite, FireKing and Pyrex
• Stainless flatware and various kitchen utensils 
• Lots of misc. kitchenwares 

DOWNSTAIRS & GARAGE HIGHLIGHTS

Furniture highlights:

• Vintage cane back sofa and armchair 
• Mahogany butler’s tray coffee table
• Large cedar chest manufactured and sold by H. Pukof, New Orleans
• King size bed
• White solid wood bedroom suite, including queen size bed, dresser, pair bedside tables
• Vintage dresser with mirror and matching chest of drawers 
• Vintage twin beds
• Antique Queen Anne style dresser
• Various occasional tables and shelves
• English oak wall shelf with hooks

Art highlights:

• Hundreds of Jim Bonner prints on paper, many signed and numbered and some artists proofs. Subjects vary, including saltwater fish, coastal birds, ducks, and many of local and regional interests 
• Some original carvings and sculptures by Bonner
• Numerous prints and engravings, etc. by various other artists – too many to list
• Some original works of art by various artists – too many to list 
• Hundreds of vintage and antique maps of the gulf coast

Misc. décor and collectible highlights:

• Collection of books – birds, fish, wildlife and nature, plus others
• Stiffel floor lamp
• Vintage German enameled wall laundry set – "Seife, Soda, Sand"
• Several sets of golf clubs, newer sets, some older 
• Ping pong table
• Telescope 
• Fishing supplies, including rods and reels, many old
• Misc. household items and accessories
• More men's and ladies clothing
• Vintage linens, blankets and more
• Christmas décor, including a vintage electric Santa with treasure chest and a variety of decorations, lights, etc.
• Stainless steel refrigerator 
• Washer and dryer
• LOTS TO DISCOVER!

Artist’s fixtures and supplies:

• Epson Stylus Pro 4880 color printer with ink and accessories in working condition 
• Epson slide projector 
• Craftsman 10 in. band saw
• Task Force 6 in. bench grinder
• X-ray-type viewer board
• Large professional paper cutters
• Drafting table
• Work benches/tables
• Dozens of frames
• Tools of all sorts

Outdoor and garage highlights:

• Iron patio set
• Concrete statuary and concrete planters
• Homeade planter’s bench with ironwork décor 
• Antique copper fish weather vane
• Outdoor and garden tools
• Retail clothing racks
• GARAGE IS FULL - LOTS TO DISCOVER!