No Junk in This Trunk!

This vintage trunk is known as a wardrobe trunk.  Such sturdy and substantial trunks first became popular in the 1910s and were the perfect way to pack for long trips on ocean liners or for cross-country treks by train.  Designed to stand on one end, these trunks served as a combination portable closet and bureau, with drawers on one side and hangers on the other. 

A cloth covering protected the hanging clothing when the trunk was closed.

This multipurpose marvel for travel was made by the Oshkosh Trunk Company.  The company began producing trunks in 1898 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and was incorporated in 1902.  The city of Oshkosh was named after Chief Oshkosh of the Menominee tribe and the trunk company used the image of a Native American man as its symbol, including on the trunk's metal plaque.

Another plaque lists the company's many patents through 1926.  The factory closed in 1961. 

An old mailing label on the trunk, indicating that at one point this trunk resided in Nebraska.

Vintage trunks are popular decorator items, often used as coffee or end tables, adding not only a touch nostalgia, but also some extra storage space.

 All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

14827-2156

Rare Bird

This wonderful watercolor is a dramatic portrait of a bird of prey known as the common buzzard, but there is nothing common about this avian artwork.  It is a watercolor by British naturalist William Lewin (1747–1795) and is an illustration from his The Birds of Great Britain, with Their Eggs, Accurately Figured.  

Lewin began to issue the book in 1789, the result of twenty years of work and research.  Limited to a subscription of 60, each volume of the first edition contained 323 watercolors of birds and their eggs.  Lewin, a meticulous and skilled artist, painted each illustration for the entire first edition, a total of 19,380 individual paintings.  

Therefore this magnificent bird is one of original flock of 60.  One wonders how many survived over the past 230 years.

The book was so popular, Lewin, assisted by his three sons, began work on a second edition, this time using hand-colored etchings inscribed by Lewin.  This allowed a larger printing of 150 copies, which were issued in eight volumes from 1793 to 1801.  Lewin died in 1795, having engraved the plates for volumes one to three and his sons completed the illustrations for the remaining volumes. 

Sadly,  because of the beauty of its watercolors, the first editions were broken up by collectors and dealers for the individual illustrations, many of which have been lost or destroyed over time.  The second edition also suffered similar poaching of its beautiful bird illustrations and less than 30 complete examples are known to exist.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

10380-1063

Diamond Deserts

I roamed and rambled, and I've followed my footsteps

To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts

All around me a voice was sounding

This land was made for you and me

Woody Guthrie, 1940

This stark, yet stunning, desert landscape, infused with soft light and ethereal color, is indeed a gem. It was painted by California artist Herbert Sartelle. Sartelle, who was also a professional magician, could work magic with a brush as well as with a wand.

Sartelle was born in New York in 1885. When he was 18 years of age, Sartelle joined the Barnum & Bailey Circus, where he became an accomplished magician. Sartelle left the circus in 1909 and travelled the vaudeville circuit as a magician, painting and sketching as a hobby. In 1928, Sartelle moved to Los Angeles, and although he continued to work as a magician, he began painting landscapes, mainly in southern California. He is renown for his desert and mountain scenes that so beautifully capture the luminous sky and subtle coloring of these pristine and untouched natural settings. Sartelle died in Los Angeles in 1955. 

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

15315-35

Is the Beach Out of Reach?

Then escape into this gorgeous seascape, with the sunset gilding the glistening sands and turning the waves to liquid gold. You can almost hear the crash of the curling surf, illuminated by the fading light, as the seagulls call in the distance.

This beautiful beach scene is by artist Larry Prellop. Prellop was born in Austin in 1949. His family had a property on Lake Travis, instilling in Prellop a life-long love of nature. He started painting as a teenager and soon was selling his works at local craft and art shows. In additions to his seascapes, Prellop also paints landscapes and hill country scenes, often featuring fields of brilliant bluebonnets. In 1995, he opened his gallery in Salado, Texas. A well-known Texas artist, Prellop's works are featured in collections of prominent Texas officials, including former governor Rick Perry, as well as corporate collections.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

12708-1821