Pook & Pook Announces Final Americana Auction of 2026

DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. — September, 2026 —

https://live.pookandpook.com/auctions/pook/americana-session-one-lots-1-400-22935

Pook & Pook, Inc. will hold its final Americana auction of the year on Thursday and Friday, October 1-2, 2026, presenting an extraordinary assembly of American folk art, period furniture, fraktur, fine art, and early pottery that ranks among the firm’s most distinguished seasonal offerings. Gallery preview opens Saturday, September 26, with viewing continuing through the week. The pre-sale program culminates Wednesday, September 30, with an exclusive gallery luncheon and a specialized lecture by Karl Pass, editor of Antiques and Auction News, on the folk art carvings of Wilhelm Schimmel. Bidding commences at 9:00 AM on Thursday, October 1.

Headlining the sale is an exceptionally preserved Mahantongo Valley painted chest of drawers featuring vibrant decoration attributed to Isaac Stiehly and a rare double pencil signature by John Mayer, making it the only known signed and dated example from the region. Closely related chests reside in the permanent collections of the Winterthur Museum and the American Folk Art Museum, lending this privately held survivor considerable institutional significance. Equally commanding is a monumental Wilhelm Schimmel large carved and painted spread-wing eagle retaining its original black surface with white head feathers, standing atop a green base, a celebrated work with an extensive exhibition and publication history. Leading the fraktur section is an outstanding early American double-page Schwenkfelder fraktur rich with patriotic elements, depicting George Washington holding what is presumably the Declaration of Independence.

The auction’s fraktur offerings extend further to include exceptional Vorschrifts, personalized bookplates, and intricate hand-drawn illustrations, among them a whimsical drawing titled “Jacob Leith’s Mastiff,” notable for its vivid, circus-banner aesthetic. Fine art highlights encompass works by Walter Emerson Baum, Hattie Klapp Brunner, and John Frederick Peto, as well as a striking western landscape by Ernst Blumenschein. Decorative arts are anchored by a rare copper double-wheel horse and sulky weathervane carrying impressive provenance, and by an S. Bell and Son seated spaniel, of which research confirms only one other stamped example is known to survive.

Collectors wishing to attend the gallery preview, register to bid, or view the digital catalog may visit pookandpook.com. Reservations for the September 30 gallery luncheon and lecture may be made by contacting Pook & Pook, Inc. at 463 E. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown, PA 19335, by telephone at (610) 269-4040, or by email at info@pookandpook.com.