Artistic Interpretation of Early Austin

This striking and unusual artwork reimagines a vintage image of Congress Avenue. 

 

The center of the picture portrays a dapper Dr. Mathews as he stands in front of his office, while a smiling crowd looks on. 

A clue to the date of the image is the reference to the "Casino Theater." The theater opened in 1909 at 702 Congress Avenue and closed in 1924. The site is now the home of the Contemporary Jones Center. 

The artist, Raymond Zaplatar, has lived in Austin for over 27 years. He was born in Ontario, Canada and went to the H. B. Beal Secondary School in London, Ontario, renown for its excellent art department. Although Zaplatar has worked in pastels, graphite, acrylic, and oils, he finds himself returning to watercolor.  According to Zaplatar, the original image came from a historic foundation and he added the foreground figure, which is a portrait of a friend's father.

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

16750-30

A Wise Choice. . .

 . . . is what you will have made when you select this stunning signet ring in gleaming 18 karat gold. The ring features the helmeted profile of Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom. 

The image of Athena is actually a replica of a coin issued during the reign of Alexander III of Macedon, also known as Alexander the Great, from 336 BC to 323 BC. The obverse of the coin, visible from the inside of the ring, spells out "Alexander" in ancient Greek letters and includes the images of the club and bow of Hercules, which often appeared on coins of the era. Alexander claimed to be a descendant of this mythological hero. 

The inside of the ring is stamped "750," the assay mark for 18 karat gold, meaning that the metal is 75 percent gold.

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

14130-114

All Hale!

Which is what you will want to shout when you see this handsome and functional sectional bookcase by Hale Manufacturing Company. Originally dubbed "barrister bookcase," this style of bookcase was widely used by barristers in late Victorian England. In the English judicial system, a barrister was a lawyer licensed to advocate in court, particularly in the higher courts, and needed an extensive law library. These sturdy stacking modular bookcases not only allowed a barrister to arrange and add bookshelf room as needed, but a barrister could also remove a section or sections to easily and safely transport books to a court or to consult with another attorney or a client.

 The glass fronts, which smoothly slid up and over the books, helped protect the often costly volumes from dirt and dust. These useful and attractive bookcases soon became popular in offices and homes throughout Europe and in the United States, used not only to display treasured tomes, but also objets d'art.

Hale Manufacturing Company was originally founded in 1907 by Mr. F. E. Hale in Herkimer, New York, to manufacture barrister-style sectional bookcases. The company is still in business today.

 

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

7904-27

The Devil Wears Prada*. . .

. . . and so can you with these new treasures from our trove! Next-to-New has recently added an Apparel category, which includes carefully selected and curated designer fashions and menswear. We currently have a tantalizing trio of high-fashion footwear from Prada S.p.A., an Italian luxury fashion house that specializes in finely crafted leather goods, such as shoes, leather handbags, and other accessories. Each pair comes with its original box.

Prada was founded in Milan, Italy, in 1913 by brothers Mario and Martino Prada as a leather goods shop. Ironically, even though Mario did not believe that women should have a role in business, he was succeeded by his daughter, Luisa, who was later succeeded by her daughter, Muiccia. The company continues as a well-known luxury brand, and has since expanded into other areas of fashion, including men's and women's clothing, perfume, and eyewear.

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

* The Devil Wears Prada is a bestselling novel by Lauren Weisberger, who had previously had worked as the personal assistant for "American Vogue" editor Anna Wintour. The 2003 novel chronicles the not-so-glamourous life of a personal assistant to a powerful and demanding fashion magazine editor. It was made into a movie of the same title in 2006.