Released on: September 22, 2008, 7:55 am

Press Release Author: Fred & Gail Taylor

Industry: Internet & Online

Press Release Summary: In a sale that was supposed to focus on the art of Raymond A.
Whyte a last minute entry delivers the cake.

Press Release Body: (St. Petersburg, FL) Burchard Galleries owner Jeff Burchard was
confident well ahead of his August 24 sale that this would be a signature event. He
was featuring over 45 works of art and personal artifacts of portrait and surrealist
painter Raymond A. Whyte (American 1923-2002). While Whyte’s work is on display in
many major collections, they are seldom offered for sale and this presented a rare
opportunity for art collectors. In addition to the Whyte works over 450 lots of art,
furniture, silver and jewelry were to cross the block.

Only thirteen days before the sale and on deadline day for the placement of an ad
for the sale, Burchard received a call from a lady from across the bay in Tampa who
asked if he was interested in selling a dining room set she and her husband owned.
Always game Burchard said, “Sure. Do you have some photos?” When the emailed photos
arrived minutes later Burchard was astounded. A contract was signed and Burchard was
able to include the set in the last advertisement.

The consignors told the story of the set being acquired from a dealer nearly twenty
years ago by a member of the prominent Lykes family of Tampa. But Mrs. Lykes felt
the set was too large and returned it to the dealer who then offered it to the
current owners, a Tampa doctor and his wife. He described the set as being German
from the Black Forest region around the turn of the century. He was right about the
date but wrong about the origin. The set turned out to be a show stopping “Man of
the Mountain” twelve piece oak figural set by none other than the famous American
cabinetmaker and carver R. J. Horner of New York. Burchard said it has been reported
that Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie has a matching set.

The set included a 39in diameter quarter sawn oak table with five 14in leaves and
caryatid figural legs, a 93in tall by 74in wide sideboard with Horner winged griffin
shelf supports and Man of the Mountain front supports, a 68in high by 54½in wide
server with the same front supports, an unusual five panel glass triple front china
cabinet with figural columns, 98½in high by 53½in wide with serpentine glass
flanking the center panel with glass shelves, mirrored back and illumination and a
set of eight matching chairs with two captain’s and six sides.

This outstanding set, carrying a presale estimate of $30,000/$50,000, attracted 32
bids and quickly outstripped the estimate to close on the phone to an Alabama buyer
for $80,500 including the fifteen percent buyer’s premium.

The sale, carried live online by LiveAuctioneers.com, attracted 193 bidders
registered in- house and 2855 registered online with 350 people in attendance.

All of the lots from the Whyte estate were sold without reserve and in keeping with
the “surprise” theme of the day, many far exceeded their estimates. The top Whyte
lot was an oil on masonite of woman in a green velvet dress with embroidered brocade
drape, 30 by 18in. Estimated at $700/$900, it sold for $4,500 plus premium. It was
followed by a surreal oil on board of chrysanthemums in a crystal vase with bronze
cherub supports, 10¾ by 9⅜ in. Estimated at $600-$800 it closed at $4,000. But
the biggest Whyte surprise was a Classic Games Napoleonic plastic chess set hand
painted by Raymond Whyte. It doubled the estimate selling for $1,100. Virtually all
other Whyte items exceeded the estimate.

Still other unanticipated results lurked in the sale. One was a Zsolnay Hungarian
pottery loving cup, 8¼in high. It had an obviously repaired break in the stem and
was estimated at $150/$200. To Burchard’s amusement it drew 38 bids and soared to
$4,500 plus premium.

But the biggest amazement of the day for Burchard occurred about one third of the
way through the sale. As he prepared to announce the next lot, suddenly a Mariachi
band dressed in traditional Mexican Mariachi attire walked into the gallery playing
and singing Che Lito Lindo and then Happy Birthday in honor of Jeff Burchard’s
birthday. The auction then proceeded and the band played in the lobby for another
hour.

For more information call (727) 821-1167 or (800) 520-2787, email to
mail@burchardgalleries.com or visit the website at www.burchardgalleries.com.
Burchard Galleries normally has an auction the last weekend each month with a
“discovery auction” on Saturday and an antiques sale on Sunday. Check the website
for details.

Written by:
Fred Taylor
www.furnituredetective.com
800-387-6377


Web Site: http://www.burchardgalleries.com

Contact Details: Burchard Galleries
2528 30th Ave. N.
St. Pete, FL 33713
727-821-1167
mail@burchardgalleries.com