Example of one of the WWI posters that was found in collections
The following article was submitted by the Rahr-West Art Museum as a part of its Art Forward series.
The Rahr-West Art Museum is hosting a Fine Art and Treasures Sale June 3-5, 2022 to benefit direct collections care and new acquisitions. The sale is a result of a recent spring cleaning at the Museum which allowed us to rediscover some amazing treasures we want to share with the community. Most of the items in the sale are non-collections items that have been living at the museum for a while that we find to be surplus, like the set of rattan chairs that used to be in the Mansion kitchen recently used as a break room. Director Greg Vadney remarked, “healthy museums clean their spaces every once in a while. We are excited to invite the public in for the great deals and hope that the items find good homes.”
The objects in the sale come from a variety of sources. A few items have been deaccessioned, which means that they were removed from the permanent collection. Examples include a Bruno Ertz painting of a blue jay that is almost identical to another work in the collection. There are also available decorative arts items that don’t connect to the history of the Mansion.
Some of the objects, like the large collection of WWI posters, were found in collections. They were being stored at the museum but were never officially brought into the permanent collections by the Museum Board. All in all, there were one hundred and ten posters found in the collection addressing issues like food shortages, war bonds, and even providing books to soldiers. Forty-nine of them will be for sale at the Art and Treasure sale. A few have been disposed of due to poor condition or saved for future paper conservation practice while the remainder will stay at the museum and hopefully add to the collection. The Museum hopes to do an exhibit of the WWI propaganda posters in a few years, as this treasure trove includes many fine examples with imagery by renowned artists such as Howard Chandler Christy and James Montgomery Flagg. However, we don’t need duplicates and are happy to offer these extremely collectible items for sale.
There will also be a variety of odds and ends, furniture, and even a piano! The basement meeting room will feature a special sale area for used books and holiday decorations.
The hours for the sale are as follows:
Friday, June 3, 2022, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday, June 4, 2022, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sunday, June 5, 2022, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
The sale will open a day early on Thursday, June 2, 2022 exclusively for Rahr-West Art Museum Members. If you are interested in becoming a member and getting the first pick of the treasures, you can visit the museum in person to register, call the Museum at (920) 686-3090, or go to https://www.manitowoc.org/1041. Sunday will feature a 50% off discount on most items not yet purchased.
