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2007 High Noon Western Americana Auction Recap
John Wayne Cowboy Hat Sets Record at High Noon Auction
High Noon wrapped it’s17th annual Western Americana Show & Auction, in Phoenix, AZ, the weekend of Jan 20th-21st, 2007, with a $3 million record setting auction highlighted by an $86,250 final bid (including buyer’s premium) for a John Wayne Cowboy Hat made by the legendary Rodeo Tailor, Nudie of North Hollywood.
The split-venue event which features a 200 dealer Western Fine Art and Antique Show at the Civic Plaza plus Saturday evening Auction at the adjacent Hyatt Regency saw robust attendance in spite of inclement weather in the region with some actual snow flurries in Phoenix’s Valley of the Sun.
The record setting 450 lot Saturday auction evening auction featured several important and unreserved, western collections from Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky and California.
Saddle highlights included the fabulous Main & Winchester 1880s San Francisco Saddle (cover lot), which set a world’s record at $230,000 (est. $100,000-150,000), a 1930’s brown Edward H. Bohlin, Hollywood saddle at $74,750 (est. $15.000-20,000), and an important early Santa Barbara, CA saddle made by Sherman Loomis and originally owned by one of the richest men in America, C.K.G. Billings, at $109,250 (est. $20,000-35,000), and an ornate Mexican Rose pattern saddle at $92,000 (est. $15,000-20,000).
Hollywood Cowboy movie & television memorabilia rode the nostalgia wave with a John Wayne Revolver used extensively by Duke’s in his very first 1930 feature film, The Big Trail, by Raoul Walsh -- hammering down for $51,750 (est. $15,000-30,000). A complete John Wayne outfit from “Big Jake” at $17,250 (est. $4000-6000), Clint Eastwood’s Rawhide TV series Hat for $13,800 (est. $1000-2000), and B-movie star Hoot Gibson’s personal spurs for $13,800 (est. $3000-5000).
Fine western art included works by several Cowboy Artist members with a 36 x 24 oil on canvas by 84 year-old Tom Ryan selling for $25,300, and a George Phippen from the Saxony Farm collection at $26,450. An Edward Chambers Oil painting tripled the artists pre-existing auction record at $26,450 while a Will James Charcoal on Paper brought $20,700, and a grouping of sporting art by Henry Hintermeister at $17,250.
Rare silver mounted Texas and California Spurs, always a staple of the High Noon Sales, set the auction tempo with 11 pairs selling for over $10,000 each, 3 pairs over $20,000 each and one pair by the highly coveted early Southern California maker, Jesus Tapia fetching nearly $40,000, nearly twice the high catalog estimate. A single collection from Dallas, Texas, featuring 47 pairs of rare, inside marked Crockett Texas spurs, sold as a single lot for $253,000.
Fancy rawhide work from the Joe & Derlyes Nab collection, made by the master braider, Luis B. Ortega sold from $1800 to $20,000 with several sets of presentation reins in the lofty $10,000-$15,000 range.
Important American Indian artifacts included a pair of beaded pictorial vests – the first from the colorful early Wild West Show performer Tex Cooper, and the 2nd, a fabulous Pendleton Round-Up “Jackson Sundown” vest – both selling for $28,750 each.
Other notable auction results included a Edward H. Bohlin fancy silver mounted Gun rig that purported once belonged to the infamous Jack Ruby at $18,400, a Panamint Pictorial basket at $13,800 and a Cowboy Quilt selling to benefit the Jim Bob Tinsley Museum and research center for $17,250.
Major museums and cowboy artists associations were well represented with Curator Jerry Smith representing the Phoenix Art Museum, Scott Hardy and Cary Swartz representing the Traditional Cowboy Artists, Don Reeves and Richard Rattenbury attending on behalf of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, John Gray, Executive Director of the Los Angeles based Autry National Center, James Nottage, Vice President and Chief Curatorial Officer of the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, and Jill Osiecki attending with Executive Director, Robert E. Shimp from the Buffalo Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody Wyoming.
The High Noon Show and Auction will return for its 18th year to the Phoenix Civic Plaza next January 26-27, 2008.
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© 2006 LA High Noon, Inc.