May 21, 2002

BRIGGS AUCTION FEATURES RARE & IMPORTANT BYRDCLIFFE FURNITURE
AT SPECIAL AUCTION OF AMERICAN DECORATIVE ARTS

(Boothwyn, PA, May 20, 2002)... A crowd of nearly 500 people helped drive strong prices at Briggs Auction, Monday evening, May 20, 2002 during their special auction of American Decorative Arts. The auction featured items from the inventory and collection of Robert Edwards, Swarthmore, PA. Edwards is a noted dealer, collector and historian, specializing in American Decorative Arts from 1860-1960.

Highlights of the Auction included four rare and important pieces of furniture from the Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony of Woodstock, NY. The most notable piece was a 1904 Oak cabinet with polychrome maple-leaf decoration, designed by Zulma Steele, a primary designer at the Byrdcliffe Colony. The cabinet sold to a private collector for $99,000. The cabinet sold on Monday is one of only four existing similar cabinets, each having a different, unique design on the door panels. This cabinet was probably painted by Jane Byrd McCall Whitehead, the wife of Ralph Radcliffe-Whitehead, who together, founded the Byrdcliffe Colony. The blue/green transparent stain on the cabinet is identical to that on the "sassafras cabinet" now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Other Byrdcliffe furniture included:

• A mahogany desk circa 1904 that belonged to Ralph Radcliffe-Whitehead (co-founder of the Byrdcliffe colony), inscribed with Greek and Latin phrases on the back and side panels, which sold for $7,150
• A unique birch library table (circa 1904), in its original green stain realized $12,100
• A cherry lamp stand with decorated side panels of lilies painted by
  Zulma Steele brought $11,000.

Bidding for these pieces was brisk, both on the floor and over 4 telephones, as dealers and collectors from across the country competed.

The Byrdcliffe pieces in this auction were from the estate of Peter Whitehead, son of founders Ralph and Jane Whitehead, and came from their "White Pines" home.

"We are very pleased with the turnout," says
John Turner, President and Auctioneer. "This was
a magnificent collection, and we are honored that Mr. Edwards chose us to sell it for him. We're extremely happy with the Byrdcliffe pieces. They are truly one-of-a-kind items for any collector."

Other notable items from the Edwards collection included:

• A rare pair of cypress-wood side chairs by John Scott Bradstreet that sold for $19,800. These chairs are part of a larger parlour suite, two pieces of which are currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Houston Museum of Fine Arts.
• A George Ohr free-form pottery bowl realized $6,160
• A pair of red and black Venetian blown-glass vases sold for $2,200
• A pair of oil paintings by Henry Albright in their original artist-designed framed sold for $2,310.

Briggs' May 20th Auction also featured items from the Estate of Kathryn Alexander of Broomall, PA. Highlights of that estate included:

• - An Oak figural-carved crystal cabinet that brought $5,060
• - A platinum-set diamond solitaire ring that sold for $7,040
• - A diamond ring with over 4.5 tcw set in platinum that sold for $8,470.

(All prices listed include a 10% buyers' premium).

Briggs Auction is a full-service auction house,
specializing in fine estates and collections. Quarterly and specialty antique auctions feature the finest 18th and 19th Century furniture, artwork, jewelry, heirlooms and collectibles. Weekly estate auctions are held every Friday night beginning at 6:00pm, and offer a full range of estate antiques, fine furnishings, accessories and more.

Briggs Auction, Inc. has been a family-owned business for three generations. It was founded in 1932 behind the Booth's Corner School, and has been in continuous operation at this same location for 70 years. Briggs Auction specializes in selling the finest quality merchandise at absolute auction without minimums or reserves.

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W.J.Briggs/J.H.Turner, Auctioneers • AU00098-L

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