Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with collections of art, toys. Book, etc, but this new estate will be one that I will remember. I am happy to have the privilege to see and I hope in the near future, to have the pleasure of selling some of the items from one of the best Apothecary collection I have seen. Coming from one of the top collectors in Baltimore for his time, from the 1940’s onwards, this collection was the focus of Dr. Stephen J. Provenza.
I enjoy discovery and adding a piece of the puzzle of Baltimore’s History. Baltimore is one of older cities of the East coast, having or had had a large industry of Iron Works, the emanate Johns Hopkins University, the old Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, The Walter’s Art Museum (now and then) the BMA., and the list goes on. Having the chance to add to the discovery is a good feeling for Sturgis Antiques and me. I hope I can bring to light a forgotten collector and his collection.
Back to the collection of Dr. Stephen Provenza, he was a graduate of Baltimore City College, a Bachelors and Graduate Degree from Maryland School of Pharmacy as well as a Doctorate Degree from Milton University. He owned and operated his Pharmacy in famous and beautiful designed Medical Arts Building on Cathedral Street and Read Street for years. I will have a photographed posted soon of the Pharmacy that the estate has allowed me to show.
The Estate has kept this collection intact for over 40 or more years and this will be a re-introduction of the collection. In fact, they have copies of an Article written for the Baltimore Sun and Photos by A. Bodine. In the Article, it gives a background of Dr. Provenza as well as highlights of his collection. I have copied this article for you to read, please see attached photos.
This is a brief introduction of Dr. Provenza and his collection. The amount of items the estate has will be a large undertaking. Some of the items I have photographed are for sale and others will not be. Items that are for sale will be posted on the site. If you see an item in the photos and would like more information, please contact me. I hope you will enjoy seeing some of these items as much as I have.
If you have questions or if you are interested in a particular item, please feel free to contact me.
Domenico Morelli, 1823-1901, considered one of the most important 19th-century Neapolitan Italian painters. His career started at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Naples in 1836 and by 1868 Morelli became a professor of painting at the Royal Academy of Fine Art s in Napels.
He painting career starts as a Realist with his paintings drawing inspiration from the Romantics and images of the Middle Ages. By the time he becomes a professor at the Royal Academy, his paintings start to incorporate images and inspiration from Mysticism, Religious imagery and the Orientalists art movement. It is during this point of his life; Morrelli’s art shows Turkish, Arab and lore of the Egypt’s past imagery.
When Morelli dies in 1901, his estate and art is given to the government of Italy. His art has graced many museums and collection through the years and with the increased interest in the Orientalist and their styles this piece by Morelli is indicative of this growing taste. When this estate came to me, imagine my surprise in seeing this portrait of a Italian Zouave soldier. The painting shows a commanding presence of the soldier in his dress blue uniform and iconic Red Fez.
The signature located on the lower right is done in brighter red than in the fez, giving his signature prominence to the painting.
The painting is approximately 24 inches x 17 3/4 inches and the frame is 31 inches x 24 inches. The painting needs to cleaned and re-stretched which I can have done by my conservator. I can give you a detailed quote on the cleaning and restoration upon request.
I am happy to have Sturgis Antiques handling this prominent artist and will be happy to answer any and all questions about this painting.
Grace Turnull was one of the top women artists that Baltimore produced. She was born in the 1880’s, which gave her the fortune of being at the right time of Baltimore’s Artistic importance and recognition.
Baltimore in the early 1900’s was considered a major city, with the F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, H. L. Mencken, The Walters Art Museum, Hopkins and other great people and institutions moving here and operating, giving Baltimore a strong upper hand with intellectual elite and artistic people. These people and institutions helped pave the way and laid the foundation for the Arts in Baltimore and allowed it to prosper for many years. In some ways Baltimore beat out larger cities in clout and prestige, an aspect people have forgot.
In the Arts, Grace Turnbull pulled her influence from the social-minded trend in the arts as well as the Classics and contemporary Philosophy of the time. In her later life she blended these two ideas together creating art for social consciousness and awareness.
In the early 1950’s she put her thoughts and skills to the test, she created and designed medals for organizations that paralleled her ideals.
In these three examples I have for sale here, shows Grace Turnbull’s efforts with art in the style of social realism. Each Plaque was produced for the Maryland Conservation Association and shows the ideas of nature, purity and mans place in the balance of nature and society. On the back of each plaque, has a typed philosophical statement about the meaning of subject on the plaque. This is the combination, according to her biographical information, what she always wanted to produce, Art for social minded and conscious people.
Please take a look at these three pieces of a famous Baltimore artist as well as art from a time of social change and design.
People have many different ways they mourn for the loss of close friends or family members and many times these are dictated through their religious associations or beliefs.
One example of funeral rites is the memoriam wreathes of the Victorian age. This sometimes-macabre practice of making a wreathe out of human hair is usually the first thing people think of when you say Victorian Mourning Art, but that is not always the case. Here is a wonderful example of the religious practice of Mourning Art. A common practice of placing a photo of the deceased surrounded by a floral wreath this time made out of Wool Yarn is just as creative with the intricate detailing of the flowers. The colorful arrangement of wool yarn flowers pay respect and highlight this woman’s life.
The other piece, from the same estate is remarkable in another way; the flowers are made of cut and dyed feathers arranged also in a wreath shape. Both pieces show the devotion and love for the deceased, this strong devotion led people to express and remember the deceased.
Please visit this new arrival and see into another world of remembrance and see how people of the passed showed their love and loss of someone close.
After years of talking to this estate we finally agreed to start to post and sell this 500 + estate of Antiquarian and Out of Print Books. The estate has agreed with the first batch of 20 books with a wide arrange of styles and subjects. Six great First Edition with orignal clean dust jacket of Arkham House publishing and some signed by the authors. Arkham House had some of the best cosmic horror, fantasy and science fiction writers with incredible graphic covers. Some writers I have and that will be for sale are, Henry Whitehead, Clark Smith, Donald Wandrei and Frank Long. These are some of the best writing from the 1940's and 1950's in the genre of Horror in the vain of H.P. Lovecraft.
Here is a piece that is high on my list of wants for a long time, The Eccentric Mirror by G. H. Wilson published in 1806 by James Cundee in the complete 4 volume set. The original marble endboards with 3/4 Moroccan leather binding and many steel line engravings. A true rare and unique item that will be a major piece in a collector of Oddities, Medical or just the collector of Antiquarian books.
To contiue in that vein, an 1804 first edition of Lives of the Necromancers by William Godwin. This professional rebound edtion with marble endboards with beautiful Moroccan leather protects this un-trimmed book. A fantastic book of the early treatise on Occult, Magic and Early Culture's beliefs of the unexplained. A wonderful book in fantastic condition and a rare find.
I will have some piece on the site and I will be placing some of these books on www.abe.com, please go to booksellers and type in Sturgis Antiques or go to this link:
