While working for the Mortier organ manufacturers in Antwerp alongside his father, Belgian Joseph Bursens discovered he had a knack for creating his own musical machines. He opened his own factory in 1908 in the town of Hoboken and his craftsmanship was well-regarded in the industry. In 1928, Joseph’s son, Arthur took over the family [...]
There is no other sound that inspires revelry and the thrill of spectacle quite like the bellows of a boisterous fairground organ. The end of the Victorian era saw the rise of steam-powered roundabouts and fair rides of all kinds – one that would become timelessly popular – the carousel – and a new shift [...]
It’s been said that ‘necessity is the mother of invention’, and when prohibition bootleggers in the 1920’s needed a clever way to stash their hooch, they looked no further than their hard-drinking, forebears and their fool-proof cellarettes. First appearing as a traditional European style liquor cabinet, cellarettes, in early Colonial America, were popular pieces of [...]
“There are only two styles of portrait painting,” Charles Dickens famously quipped, “the serious and the smirk.” Indeed, portrait painting – or more appropriately, profile painting – dates back to the early days of ancient Rome & Egypt where noble figureheads could be found on the sides of currency, captured in bronze and marble, or [...]
Long before Frank Sinatra crooned the classic tune ‘Luck, Be a Lady,’ the gambling elites of Continental Europe, England and beyond were hedging their bets at low-lit games tables with painted cards and porcelain chips. The history of gaming reads like a modified version of traveling the Silk Road. Believed to have been first invented [...]
Arnaldo Coen’s work on offer, Olor a Lluvia Latin American culture speaks to a variety of influences, from tropical climates to contentious political regimes to hopeful, ancient mythology. It is no wonder then that the art produced south of the border tends to be riotously colorful, intellectually abstract or grippingly realistic. Long before [...]
Experienced bidders will tell you that live auctions can be a great way to acquire something rare and wonderful. But, like any opportunity for great reward, there are some risks involved with participating in an auction. To be successful, it’s important to fully understand the rules before you begin. Look for a quality description provided [...]
One of the most recognizable artists of the 20th century, Leroy Neiman boldly captured the American spirit with his colorful canvases depicting athletes, public figures, big game animals, and popular sports. With an oeuvre that appealed to both the aesthetics of Pop and Expressionistic art, Neiman injected his canvases and prints with a stunning sense of bravado [...]
In fashion it’s often said that everything old is new again, and that rings true not just for the haute couture mavens with eyes on the catwalk, but in the world of interior design and decorating as well. What was once relegated to a dusty corner of grandmother’s china cabinet, or piled in the attic [...]
Salvador Dali was, undoubtedly, one of the most influential and flamboyant artists of the 20th century. Born in 1904 in the city of Figueres in Catalonia, Spain, Dali was raised in a middle class family by a domineering father – the elder Salvador, a lawyer – and a soft-spoken mother who encouraged her son’s artistic [...]
