July 14th, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/14/2011
Unique artifact, folk art drawings of five Presidents on the bone bill of a swordfish. The artifact is 32-1/2’ tall, x 3” wide at the bottom (tapers to a point), x 1” thick. Although unsigned, the artist possessed exceptional talent as he presented black and white ink drawings of President Abraham Lincoln, President Andrew Johnson, President Ulysses S. Grant, President Rutherford Hayes, and President James Garfield. The largest drawing is that of Lincoln at the base, 6” tall, then following the taper of the bill, each president is slightly smaller finishing with Garfield, which still 3-1/2” tall. Each presidential drawing is separated with intricate flourishing designs. We are able to identify the source for most of these drawings: The beardless Abraham Lincoln drawing is after the Alexander Hesler photograph, June 3, 1860; the Andrew Johnson drawing is after period 1865 CDV of Johnson; the General Ulysses S. Grant drawing is after Brady’s 1863 photograph; the James Garfield drawing is from his 1880 presidential campaign. The piece is undated, circa 1880. There are a few vertical age cracks at the bottom which only add character to this striking piece.
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