The Renaissance Man: A Collection of a Lifetime

NATCHEZ RENAISSANCE MAN ESTATE — A COLLECTION OF A LIFETIME

This is not an ordinary household sale. It is the dispersal of an extraordinary, museum-like lifetime collection assembled by a true Renaissance man—a widely traveled collector, historian, film enthusiast, reader and connoisseur whose interests crossed continents, cultures and centuries.

The Natchez residence is filled room after room with art, fine furniture, historic objects, classic Hollywood memorabilia, books, textiles, stained glass, jewelry, military material, ethnographic pieces and fascinating discoveries gathered through decades of travel, auction buying and passionate collecting. The collection reflects a life lived with enormous curiosity: Cuba and Latin America, European decorative arts, Asian and Middle Eastern objects, archaeology and ancient cultures, cinema history, military history, space exploration, literature and the fine arts.

Collectors, designers, decorators, historians, dealers and anyone who loves the unusual should plan to spend time at this sale. There are important statement pieces throughout the home as well as accessible decorative objects, vintage finds and small treasures at every price level.

FEATURED FINE FURNITURE AND DECORATIVE ARTS

• Victorian Renaissance Revival / Aesthetic Movement cylinder or roll-front secretary, dating approximately to the late 19th century, with imposing architectural form and elaborate period detailing

• Exceptional Renaissance Revival table with boldly carved griffin supports and a pink marble top—a dramatic statement piece and one of the visual anchors of the collection

• Victorian walnut cabinet with marble top, combining fine period woodwork with an elegant architectural presence

• Gothic-arched display or jewelry cabinet with distinctive ecclesiastical-inspired form

• Large carved two-lid trunk with substantial scale and decorative presence

• Large early plank chest with wonderfully simple, time-worn character

• Traditional 19th-century Swat Valley dowry or grain chest from Pakistan, featuring extensive hand-carved geometric decoration, pegged construction, carved corner uprights and finials

• Black Victorian settee and additional period seating

• Large Venetian-style mirror and a gilt oval mirror

• Pair of substantial decorative sconce candelabra, bronze and copper lighting, and other architectural and ornamental metalwork

• Dramatic vintage stage light mounted on a tripod—an outstanding industrial or theatrical design piece

IMPORTANT ART, STAINED GLASS AND TEXTILES

• A collection of original oil paintings in a range of subjects and periods, many retaining period frames, labels or signatures that invite further study

• Oil painting bearing a T. W. LINNIG label or attribution information, with additional signature and back-label research underway

• Signed sailing or maritime painting with provenance and signature details under review

• Additional portraits, landscapes, maritime subjects, watercolors, prints and original works of art acquired over many years

• Remarkable group of Gothic-arched ecclesiastical stained-glass panels said to have come from a church, with coordinated turquoise borders, painted decoration, rich foliage and jewel-tone color; the group includes a complete upper-and-lower scene, partial panels and a damaged rectangular panel

• Large verdure-style tapestry with lush classical foliage and strong decorative impact

• Two large handwoven rugs measuring approximately 13 by 9½ feet and 13 by 10 feet, offered separately

• Additional textiles, decorative fabrics and objects from the owner’s travels

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD, FILM HISTORY AND AUTOGRAPHS

• Authentic framed Wizard of Oz principal-cast autograph collection featuring Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton, Billie Burke, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley—an exceptional centerpiece for a serious film collection

• Additional Wizard of Oz signed and still photographic material

• Original 1950 RKO re-release poster for Tarzan and the Amazons

• Johnny Weissmuller signed Tarzan photograph dated 1975

• Signed portrait of legendary actor Christopher Lee

• Original vintage film posters and lobby material, including titles connected to The Gambler from Natchez, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Johnny Eager and other Golden Age productions

• Original Myrna Loy and John Wayne / Dean Martin film material

• The Maltese Falcon photographic display accompanied by a reproduction Falcon figure

• Additional signed photographs, classic movie portraits, negatives, paper collectibles and entertainment memorabilia

CUBA, LATIN AMERICA AND HISTORIC PAPER

One of the most fascinating areas of the estate is a private Cuba and Fidel Castro photographic and paper archive preserved by a family with direct personal ties to life and travel in Cuba. The material includes unusual candid photographs with owner provenance, currency, maps and historic paper. The archive will be described cautiously and sold according to the evidence present; no claim of previously unpublished material is being made without verification.

Highlights include:

• An extensive binder of Fidel Castro and Cuba-related photographs, including informal and candid images

• Cuban currency and historic financial paper

• 1869 Cuban independence-era note

• 1896 Cuban PLATA overprint note

• José Martí donation bond

• Historic Johnson’s map of Cuba, Jamaica and Porto Rico, with exact edition research underway

• Additional Latin American material, including an Argentina tango-related piece

WORLD CULTURES, ETHNOGRAPHIC OBJECTS AND CURIOSITIES

• Large four-armed Southeast Asian / Khmer-style metal deity figure with visible wrist crack or repair

• Mayan-style, archaeological and ancient-culture objects being offered with cautious attributions based on available information

• Antique carved ethnographic two-compartment wooden object or container, with exact origin and original function still under research

• Asian, Middle Eastern, African, Latin American and other objects collected through extensive world travel

• Carved wood, pottery, metalwork, religious objects, small sculpture and ceremonial or decorative pieces

• An unusual early mechanical seated gentleman or automaton-type figure, tentatively dating to the late 19th or early 20th century, with final identification still under study

MILITARY, AVIATION AND SPACE HISTORY

• Signed Enola Gay photograph

• Signed World War II combat photograph

• Military and wartime objects, photographs, paper, tactical pieces and historic memorabilia

• Apollo and space-related material, including a signed portrait of Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean

BOOKS, EPHEMERA, JEWELRY AND COLLECTOR SMALLS

• A substantial personal library devoted to art, antiques, history, travel, archaeology, world cultures and literature

• Large-format art books, vintage volumes, rare-book candidates, miniature books and specialty titles

• Historic newspapers, vintage maps, documents, photographs and unusual paper ephemera

• Antique and vintage jewelry awaiting final sorting by hallmark, designer and precious-metal content

• Beaded and mesh purses, including Czechoslovakian examples

• Perfume bottles, decorative boxes, vintage accessories and clothing

• Vintage record albums, RCA Victor material and additional music-related collectibles

• Pottery, bronze, copper, carved wood, religious art, lighting, sculpture and curious objects in nearly every room

The owner wanted to be remembered as a Renaissance man, and his home tells that story beautifully. He did not collect in a single category or follow ordinary boundaries. He collected what captured his imagination, and the result is a deeply personal collection with remarkable breadth, visual drama and history.

This will be a three-day sale with new discoveries in every room. Whether you are seeking an important collector piece, an architectural statement for your home, original art, film history, a rare or unusual book, an ethnographic object or simply the thrill of finding something you have never encountered before, this is a sale you will not want to miss.

The home must be cleared, creating opportunities at every level—from affordable vintage and decorative smalls to significant furniture, art, archives and collector material.

Please study the photographs closely and check the listing often. We will continue adding images and information as the sale approaches, and the photographs can show only a portion of what awaits inside.

THREE-DAY PRICING

Friday — Full price

Saturday — 25% off

Sunday — 50% off

All items are sold as found and as-is. Descriptions reflect the information currently available, and buyers are responsible for inspecting purchases. Please bring appropriate assistance, packing materials and vehicles for furniture, rugs, stained glass, artwork and other large or heavy pieces.

Make plans now to join us in historic Natchez for this extraordinary Renaissance Man Estate—a true collection of a lifetime.