GEORGE BARRIS
This Marilyn Monroe photo , taken not long before her death, is among two dozen lots of Monroe items in the Freeman's sale.
Freeman's will open its fall season early next month by reminding customers how much it has changed from the days when its business largely consisted of recycling the furniture and appointments of old Philadelphia families.
Contact David Iams at daiams@comcast.net.
The 300 lots of pop culture to be sold Sept. 3 range from Beatles memorabilia to a motorcycle jacket worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2.
Actually, the auction stretches the term pop culture a bit. One of the top presale estimates, $15,000 to $20,000 according to the color-illustrated catalog (available online at www.freemansauction.com), is for an autographed baseball signed by seven members of the 1927 New York Yankees. It is one of several lots of sports memorabilia, including a Seattle Slew horse blanket and a Peter Max photograph-printed-on-canvas picture of the 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers from the collection of the Comcast-Spectacor Foundation, which will receive the benefits of that sale item.
This sale also features a half-dozen lithographs by the contemporary artist Shepard Fairey, including two posters of President Obama, one titled "Hope" with a presale estimate of $300 to $500, the other titled "Progress" with a presale estimate of $1,000 to $1,500; a poster for The Sopranos TV show ($400 to $600); and a signed color photograph of pop star Britney Spears ($300 to $400).
The sale opens with two dozen lots of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, mostly photos and many with presale estimates of $1,000 to $1,500. Perhaps the most poignant is a photograph taken by George Barris weeks before her death, showing her inner anguish.
Not all of the lots in the sale have celebrity value. A limited-edition sculpture by Frank Kozik of Beethoven in a bowler hat titled Ludwig Van has a presale estimate of $4,000 to $6,000; a Kozik "mechana" that looks like a bronze peeled banana has a presale estimate of $2,000 to $3,000. And a group of three rare, tagged spray-paint cans, characterized in the catalog as "Graffiti Legends" that belonged to such artists as "IZ THE WIZ TMB," has a presale estimate of $1,000 to $1,500.
Entertainment memorabilia. Still, entertainment memorabilia are expected to bring the best prices. The top presale estimate, $25,000 to $30,000, is for one of the 10 lots of Elvis Presley memorabilia - a handwritten set list on stationery from the Hilton Hawaiian Village that names the songs he intended to sing with a personal letter written to a friend on the back.
The Schwarzenegger jacket has a presale estimate of $10,000 to $15,000 (a motorcycle jacket designed for and worn by Madonna has a presale estimate of $2,000 to $3,000).
A 1976, two-page typed letter from Frank Sinatra to Chicago journalist Mike Royko and signed simply "Sinatra" also has a $10,000 to $15,000 presale estimate. In it, Sinatra denounces a column Royko wrote about an alleged altercation involving Sinatra and challenges Royko to pull his "hairpiece," wagering him $100,000 if it moves and "a punch in your mouth" if it does not.
Previews are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 1 and Sept. 2 at the gallery, 1808 Chestnut St.
Freeman's also plans a single-estate sale on Oct. 5 of the collection of the late Joseph S. Sorger, who for many years lived at 2003 Delancey Place and filled it with 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century treasures. The 450 lots to be auctioned represent American classical furniture, American portraits, and Chinese bronzes and porcelain.
For further information about both the Sept. 3 and Oct. 5 sales, call 215-563-9275.
Coin sales. Coins - antique, vintage, or otherwise collectible - will be offered at two sales over the next few days.
Beginning at 4 p.m. Friday, Stephenson's Auction at 1005 Industrial Blvd., Southampton, will offer more than 500 lots of coins, mostly silver and gold and including early proof sets and some foreign currency. Among individual coins are buffalo nickels, Mercury and Roosevelt dimes, Morgan silver dollars dating to the 1880s, two-cent pieces, three-cent pieces, and what the online auction catalog identifies as a 1995 two-sided Washington dollar bill.
Preview is from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday at the gallery. For further information, call 215-322-6182 or see www.stephensonsauction.com.
Beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday at its gallery near Reading, Morphy Auctions will offer more than 180 lots of American and foreign coins not only with monetary denominations but also wild animal themes, such as a 1-ounce-plus 1993 Russian gold coin with an engraved bear ($1,200 to $1,500) and a 5-ounce Chinese proof coin dating to 1993 ($6,000 to $7,000). Among top items are a 1916-D Mercury dime ($11,000 to $15,000); a Pobjoy Mint gold proof coin from the Isle of Man depicting Queen Elizabeth II ($18,000 to $20,000); and a 1916 Standing (as opposed to the more common walking) Liberty quarter ($12,000 to $20,000).
Bids are already being taken at Morphy's online site at www.morphyauctions.com. The gallery, at 2000 N. Reading Rd., is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Wednesday. For further information, call 717-335-3435.
Contact David Iams at daiams@comcast.net.
