Black Cat clock brings CA$11,210 in Miller & Miller online auction

The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Friday, March 29, 2024


Black Cat clock brings CA$11,210 in Miller & Miller online auction
Important Black Cat Shoe Dressing clock (known to collectors as “The Black Cat Clock”), one of the most significant examples of Canadian advertising ever produced (CA$ 11,210).



NEW HAMBURG.- An important Black Cat Shoe Dressing clock (known to collectors as “The Black Cat Clock”) sold for $11,210, and an early 20th century Peabody’s Overalls single-sided porcelain sign realized $8,850 in Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.’s online-only Advertising & Breweriana sale held June 19th. All prices quoted are in Canadian dollars.

“Antique and vintage advertising continues to flex its muscles,” said Ben Lennox of Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. “A whopping 68 percent of the top 50 grossing lots from the 650-lot sale smashed past the high estimate. The desire for high-end advertising continues to climb at a feverish pace with both new and seasoned collectors looking to add rarities to their collections.”

The iconic Nonsuch Black Cat Shoe Polish clock settled in as the top lot, just as one did almost 40 years ago, in 1982, at the famed Bill & Pauline Hogan Collection auction – a sale that really solidified country store antiques and collectibles in Canada. While the clock hammered down $5,400 back then, in the recent sale it more than doubled that, when adding the buyer’s premium.

Well represented throughout the sale were signs and advertising pieces covering tobacciana, breweriana, gas station memorabilia (petroliana), soda pop collectibles and work wear. “In speaking with collectors post-auction,” Lennox said, “the consensus is that the rare and unusual will always attract eager buyers, and this has led to many signs hitting new price benchmarks.”

He added, “There is really no sign of a letup. Country store, service station, general store – whatever term you choose to put around it – the trajectory for advertising antiques continues on an upward trend with no signs of slowing down.” The auction grossed a healthy $389,164 and was headlined by the Peter Rea breweriana collection, a superb assemblage of top-quality pieces.

Following are additional highlights from the auction, which attracted 467 registered bidders, who participated through LiveAuctioneers.com and the Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. website: www.millerandmillerauctions.com. Just under half of lots sold met or exceeded estimates, and 20 percent of lots blew past the high estimate. All prices include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.

The Black Cat Shoe Dressing clock is considered one of the most significant pieces of Canadian advertising ever produced. It depicted a black cat, its jaws and whiskers erect, engaging with the product in pursuit of something beyond. It boasted, “Leads all others / Challenge the world to produce its superior” and was clearly marked lower left, “MacDonald Mfg. Co. Ltd., Toronto”.

The Peabody's Overalls single-sided porcelain sign, 15 ¼ inches by 48 inches, is one of Canada's great general store porcelain signs, achieving everything a good sign should. The "Peabody's Overalls" script spanned the sign, but the humor and salesmanship filled in the blanks: "Wears like a pig's nose", "Guaranteed Honorable" and "Railroad King".

Four lots finished with identical selling prices of $5,015. They were as follows:




• A Teddy Chocolate Soda single-sided embossed lithographed tin sign (Canadian, 1920s), 13 ½ inches by 20 inches, marked “St. Thomas Metal Signs, St. Thomas, Ontario”.

• A Ward’s Lime Crush porcelain syrup dispenser (American, 1920s), the rarest of the three Ward’s figural syrup dispensers, with a ball style pump, 14 inches tall by 9 inches.

• A Forest & Stream Tobacco lithographed heavy cardboard die-cut sign (Canadian, 1930s), 39 inches by 41 inches, with remnants of an easel on the rear, for counter display.

• A Firestone Tires double-sided porcelain wall mounting porcelain flange sign (1940s), marked “Made in USA”, 36 inches by 28 ¼ inches, with no restoration or color touch-up.

A circa 1938 Orange Crush porcelain sign, although not marked, was certainly a product of St. Thomas Metal Signs, Ltd. (Canada). The store side sign was made from self-framed heavy-gauge pressed steel with heavy-shelved porcelain and went for $4,720. Also, a Stubby Soda vertical tin lithographed sign (Canadian, 1940s), changed hands for $4,425. The single-sided embossed sign, measuring 47 ½ inches by 17 ¼ inches, was marked “CCC WS166” to lower right and left edge.

The Kuntz Brewery beer tray is among Canada’s most sought-after beer trays. It’s called “The Bologna Girl” because the subject, a young woman, is shown serving a bologna sandwich alongside a bottle of Kuntz Export Lager. The tray in the auction, 13 ¾ inches in diameter, was marked, “Kaufmann & Strauss Co. N.Y.” It finished under estimate, gaveling for $3,540.

A Brading Brewery Company early Canadian paper-under-glass lithograph from the 1910s, featuring the Brading’s “Stag” trademark icon flanked by the product, 23 ½ inches by 33 inches (sight), knocked down for $4,720. Also, a Kuntz Park Brewery lithographed paper, extremely rare, featuring a vignette of the Waterloo (Canada) brewery, followed by photos depicting the various equipment involved at each stage of the brewing process, framed, commanded $4,130.

A Regal Brewery (Hamilton, Ontario, 1920s) lithographed tin beaver tray, among Canada’s most sought after beer trays, featuring an outdoor scene with two beavers constructing a dam by a riverside, 13 ½ inches in diameter, brought $4,425. Also, a Pay Roll Tobacco single-sided tin lithographed sign (Canadian, 1920s), measuring 16 ¾ inches by 11 inches and marked bottom right, “The Thos. Davidson Mfg. Co. Ltd. Montreal”, went to s determined bidder for $3,540.

A Teddy Chocolate Soda single-sided lithographed tin sign (Canadian, 1930s), a product of Renfrew Bottling Works, 13 ½ inches by 20 inches and marked bottom center, “St. Thomas Metal Signs Ltd., St. Thomas, Ont.”, went for $4,130; while a Stubby Root Beer single-sided embossed lithographed tin sign (Canadian, 1940s), 19 ¼ inches by 27 ¼ inches, hit $3,540.

Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. has three major auctions planned for autumn, all of them falling on a Saturday. A Toys & Nostalgia auction featuring the Bryan Beatty collection will be held on September 11th; a Canadiana sale is scheduled for October 9th; and a Watches & Jewels auction will take place on November 20th. All will be online-only.










Today's News

June 26, 2021

Marco Tirelli, an Italian artist in London

World Wide Web source code is latest NFT for sale

How Basquiat and street artists left their mark on hip-hop culture

A space for cultivating creativity, 13 years in the making

Nigerian artists and entrepreneurs bank on crypto-art

Diego Cortez, a scene shaper in art and music, dies at 74

In France, virtual gallery showcases Leonardo's 'power and grace'

Los Angeles gets its own Gallery Weekend

A museum where every object helped a child endure war

David Bowie painting smashes auction record

'Prince Philip: A Celebration' display opens at Windsor Castle

Ballroom Marfa presents a series of new works by Donna Huanca

Exhibition honors a landmark American decorative arts bequest

Prince's handwritten lyrics for 'Nothing Compares 2 U' sold for $150,986 at auction

"The Painters of Pompeii" opens at The Oklahoma City Museum of Art

Black Cat clock brings CA$11,210 in Miller & Miller online auction

Michael Landy's 'Welcome to Essex' opens at Firstsite

Heritage Auctions first to top $900K in weekly Comics and Comic Art sales

Grove Square Galleries opens a solo exhibition by Zimbabwean artist Marc Standing

Ten contemporary artists explore the diverse cultures and people of New England

Nara Roesler opens a group exhibition curated by Raphael Fonseca

Hong Kong artists revive city's bygone era with miniatures

A Requiem, derailed by the pandemic, arrives when it's needed most

The Board of Trustees of the British Museum appoints George Osborne as their Chair

Current trends for your home garage door

Which Ring To Wear in What Finger as Per Astrology

Lil Sebastian Strain for Sweet Marijuana Lovers

Xigem Technologies Corporation On Remote Work

Top Rough Country Exterior Jeep Modifications

5 tips for maintaining a winning smile

Why Are Free Crypto Signals Important To Traders?

Top unusual and sophisticated hen-party ideas




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful