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Click here to subscribeBINDING: Quantity including: Rollin’s Ancient History of the Egyptians… in 6 volumes. T. Tegg, 1835, Full calf by Riviere; Mrs. Beeton’s Household Management, New edition, one volume bound in three; Cox’s History of Greece, 2 vols. 1847; Knox’s Essays morals & literature, 2 vols. 1784; Churchill’s History of the English Speaking People, 4 vols. First editions with dust jackets; ETC. (Qty)
Rowling, J K: The Tales of Beedle the Bard. 2008, First edition stated (1-12), Collector's Edition (Offered Exclusively by Amazon). Spine with raised bands, silver-coloured metal corners, centre metal skull vignette and metal clasp, all with blue stones. Ribbon marker. Protected in a maroon velvet string-top bag, bearing the embroidered signature of J. K. Rowling in gilt thread, housed in a book-shaped clamshell box. Also inside in their own printed envelope are ten 7 by 10 inch Collector's Edition Prints. Last page with a tear, otherwise VG+
PHOTOGRAPHY: BRUCE WEBER: 1- Bear-Pond. Bulfinch Press, Little, Brown & Co., 1990, First edition stated, dust jacket, VG+/Fine; 2- Bruce Weber. Alfred A. Knopf, 1989, First edition stated, dust jacket Plus glassine printed dust jacket. 4to. Couple of small cuts to the glassine dust jacket and fading to borders. (2)
SIGNED PHOTOGRAPHY: HERB RITTS: 1- Pictures. Twin Palm Publishing, California, 1988, first edition, dust jacket, LIMITED edition of 6000, this copy inscribed, Signed & numbered: 12/88; VG+/Fine; 2- Men/Women; two volumes in slipcase. Twin Palms Pub, 1989; one volume signed by Herb Ritts, Fine; 3- DUO: Herb Ritts Photographs: Bob Paris & Rod Jackson. Twin Palms, 1991. VG. (3)
"BB" (Denys J Watkins-Pitchford): 13 first editions, plus one other, including: The Little Grey Men; Brendon Chase; Fisherman's bedside book; shooting man's bedside book; Narrow boat; Letters from compton Deverell; the white road westwards; autumn road to the isles; idle countryman; wayfaring tree tides ending; sportsman's bedside book; etc. (14)
FOOD & DRINK: [Craddock, H]: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Constable, 1936. Original orange cloth; damp stain to rear endpaper; Simon, A: Concise Encyclopaedia of Gastronomy, 7 vols/sections. Sauces; Fish; Vegetables; Cereals; Fruit; Birds; Meat; & Wine, 1939-46. (7 are first editions); Bunyard: The Anatomy of Dessert. 1933; Golding/Simon. We shall eat and drink again; The complete Imbiber. 1958, and two others (13)
SHOOTING & FISHING: Thornhill, R B: The Shooting Directory. For Longman, Hurst, Rees, & Orme, 1804, first edition (LATER ISSUE: with pages 215-220 suppressed). 4to. PP: xvi, (ii) contents, 432, (ii) Technical terms, (iii) index, (I) Errata; PLUS: Frontis, 8 Plates (6 sepia aquatint plates), and 3 folding tables. Later 19C half leather over marbled boards; rubbed; browning to 4 leaves; Shand, A E: Shooting. Dent, 1902, Deluxe Limited edn. #147 of 150 copies on hand-made paper specially bound. Illustrated with photogravures after H.L. Richardson and J. Smith; Covers, endpapers, chapter headings, and tail-piece vignettes by Arthur Rackham. Original bevelled-edged full vellum with gilt decoration by Arthur Rackham; little rubbed; Hawker, Lt. Col. P: Instructions to young sportsmen in all that relates to Guns and Shooting. Longman, 1824, 3rd. Edn. With 10 plates (3 in colour). 3/4 morocco by Hatchards, teg. Little rubbed; Zouch, T: The Life of Issac Walton. T Gosden, 1826. With 18 engraved plates, including frontis. Full morocco by Riviere, aeg. Little rubbed; Pilkington: With a Gun to the Hill. 1948, 1st. edn; S Buxton. Fishing and Shooting. Murray, 1902, 1st. Edn. Inscribed: "To John Burns, a sportsman in the best sense of the term, from the author Nov. 1912”; Stephens. Grouse Shooting. 1939; Heilner: Duck Shooting. 1951, 1st; Cameron. Rod Pole and Perch. 1928; Hearn: Shooting and Gun Fitting. H Jenkins, nd, stated 1st. Edn. Spine faded; PLUS 20 Others. (30)
WILDFOWLING: Chapman, A: First lessons in the Art of Wildfowling. H Cox, 1896, 1st. Edn. With 36 ill. By the author and 3 by C Whymper, plus 34pp of sporting adverts. Original green cloth; rubbed; Sir R Payne-Gallwey. The Fowler in Ireland. Van Voorst, 1882, 1st. Original cloth; little rubbed; Southgate: Wildfowl and Waders. 1940; Pitman: And Clouds Flying. 1947. (4)
Brian Sanders (British, B. 1937) "USS Fanning & USS Nicholson" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. A deadly new weapon called the submarine made its appearance in World War I, wreaking havoc on Allied shipping. On November 17, 1917, American destroyers Fanning and Nicholson made the first U-boat kill of the war for the Yanks, using depth charges to sink Germany's U-58 -- then mercifully rescuing its desperate crew. Image Size: 10.5 x 13 in. Overall Size: 14.5 x 17 in. Unframed. (B15959)
Brian Sanders (British, B. 1937) "Arthur T. Harris and Avro Lancaster" Original Watercolor painting on paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the Great Britain 31p Sir Arther Harris/Lancaster stamp issued September 16, 1986. During World War II few men had more impact on the Allies' aerial attacks on Germany than Arthur T. Harris. At the beginning of the war, Harris was put in charge of Number 5 group of the Royal Air Force, but his natural leadership became apparent early on and he rose rapidly through the ranks. First Air Vice-Marshall, then Air Marshall, Commander-in-Chief of the Bomber Command and Air Chief Marshall, Harris was promoted time and again for his brilliant efforts in attacking the Axis powers. Throughout the war, Harris strongly supported the production of heavy bombers like the Avro Lancaster. He urged the abandonment of attacks on enemy targets in favor of saturation bombing. The persuasive Harris won his point and from 1942 on, the air attack on Germany bore the Harris trademark. The Avro Lancaster is probably the most famous British heavy bomber of World War II, and a natural vehicle for the type of bombing operations advocated by Arthur Harris. The first squadron to be fully equipped with Lancasters flew in early 1942. The Lancaster performed excellently and was there fore ordered in large numbers. A total of 7,366 were delivered. Widely used by Bomber Command until the war ended, the Lancaster won a place in history as the aircraft that made the successful attacks on the Mohne and Eder Dams on May 16-17, 1943. It was also the only British bomber capable of carrying the 12,000 pound "Tallboy" and the 22,000 pound "Grand Slam" bombs. Image Size: 12 x 14 in. Overall Size: 14.25 x 18.5 in. Unframed. (B10538)
Charles J Lundgren (New York, Connecticut, 1911 - 1988) "Royal Canadian Icebreaker - St. Roch" Signed lower right. Original oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the Canadian 14c St. Roch stamp issued November 15, 1978. Built in 1928 from sturdy Douglas fir and Australian gumwood, the 104-foot patrol schooner, St. Roch, was soon the pride of Vancouver and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for whom she was built. Under the command of Sergeant Henry Larsen, the legendary St. Roch, with a crew of nine, made the first single-season transit of the treacherous Northwest Passage, a feat to which ships of much greater size had aspired for centuries, in hopes of opening a commercial sea route between the Atlantic and the Pacific. On his first historic trip, Sergeant Larsen and the St. Roch left Vancouver on June 23, 1940, and miraculously arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia -- on the Atlantic coast -- on October 11, 1942. On this grueling twenty-eight month voyage, the St. Roch was twice frozen in for months at a time. In 1944, she made the famous return voyage, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, in a single season: over seven thousand miles in eighty-six days. On both trips through the Passage, she proudly flew the blue Ensign which featured on its outer edge the buffalo head badge of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In 1950, the St. Roch sailed from Vancouver to Halifax via the Panama Canal, thus becoming the first ship to completely circumnavigate North America. Her last ocean voyage was in 1954, and in 1958 she was given back to her home port of Vancouver. Image Size: 18.5 x 20.5 in. Overall Size: 22 x 26 in. Unframed. (B06151)
Charles J Lundgren (New York, Connecticut, 1911 - 1988) "U.S.S. South Dakota" Signed lower right. Original oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which appeared on the Fleetwood Commemorative Cover for the U.S.S. South Dakota. The first of a new class of battleships designed to withstand 16-inch shell fire, the U.S.S. South Dakota was commissioned on 20 March 1942 with Captain Thomas L. Gatch in command. On 12 October 1942 she began training as part of Task Force 16 built around the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Enterprise. The Task Force rendezvoused with the U.S.S. Hornet's Task Force 17 near Espiritu Santo on 24 October. The combined forces (now designated Task Force 61) operated in the Santa Cruz Islands under Rear Admiral T.C. Kinkaid. The U.S.S. South Dakota moved with the group southwestward to block Japanese forces from approaching Guadalcanal. At noon on 25 October, patrol bombers sighted an enemy carrier force. The next morning the Japanese spotted the American forces, and the air battle of Santa Cruz began. The first enemy attack was concentrated on the U.S.S. Hornet ten miles from the U.S.S. South Dakota. At 1045-hours, the U.S.S. South Dakota moved into position to protect her carrier the U.S.S. Enterprise from incoming dive bombers. Within the next hour, 40 torpedo planes attacked the two ships. The U.S.S. South Dakota took a five hundred pound bomb on her number one turret, yet managed to down twenty-six enemy planes. She went on to win thirteen Battle Stars in World War II. Image Size: 13.5 x 15.75 in. Overall Size: 20.5 x 21.75 in. Unframed. (B11170)
Charles J Lundgren (New York, Connecticut, 1911 - 1988) "Columbia" Signed lower right. Original oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood Golden Age of Sail Collection Columbia porcelain plate. Until the advent of packet ships like the Columbia, sailing vessels traveled between American and European ports with great irregularity, departing only when fully laden with cargo. Furthermore, scheduling was completely at the mercy of prevailing weather, for no ship dared set sail except under favorable winds. Built in 1821, the Columbia belonged to a special fleet known as the "Black Ball Line." These legendary ships ended many of the uncertainties involved in sea transportation. For the first time emphasis was placed on passengers as well as freight. Ships left port on specific days -- regardless of weather conditions -- and routes were predetermined. The Columbia was especially noted for sailing at her advertised time, wind or no wind. To meet her schedules, the Columbia had to make fast passages across the forbidding Atlantic. But like most packets of her class, she was not built for speed. However, what she lacked in swiftness she made up for in ability, for the Columbia was able and strong and could sail in rough waters that other ships shunned. Image Size: 22.75 x 25.5 in. Overall Size: 30 x 31.25 in. Framed behind plexi-glass. (B06781)
Charles J Lundgren (New York, Connecticut, 1911 - 1988) "Fram - Roald Amundsen" Signed lower right. Original oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. The Fram was perhaps the most famous ship ever to engage in polar exploration. It was specifically built under the supervision of Fridtjof Nansen, one of the world's great polar explorers. The shape of her hull was designed so that the pressure of the ice would tend to push it up rather than squeeze it in. Her hull was over two feet thick and braced with steel to withstand the grinding ice floes. Her name Fram (meaning Forward) was true to her course. Under Nansen's command, she drifted in the ice pack to the latitude 86? 13', 160 miles farther north than any other ship had ever been. The Fram also gained world fame by sailing south with Roald Amundsen at the helm. Amundsen's expedition of 1910-12 was originally intended as an attempt to reach the North Pole, but he turned the Fram around when he learned that Robert Peary had already reached the mark. Then, Amundsen surprised the world. He cabled Scott that he was heading South. This could mean only one thing to Scott, Amundsen intended to be the first to reach the South Pole. Thus, the race between the Norwegian and English parties began. Amundsen arrived at the Bay of Whales on the Ross Ice Shelf, a place that was sixty miles closer to the Pole than Scott, who was at Cape Evans on Ross Island. Amundsen embarked on the still unexplored Axel Heiberg Glacier, and managed to win the luck of the draw: his journey to the Pole was fast and easy in contrast with that of the ill-fated Scott. Image Size: 18.5 x 18.5 in. Overall Size: 26 x 24 in. Unframed. (B09198)
Charles J Lundgren (New York, Connecticut, 1911 - 1988) "Fram Sailing Ship" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. The Fram was perhaps the most famous ship ever to engage in polar exploration. It was specifically built under the supervision of Fridtjof Nansen, one of the world's great polar explorers. The shape of her hull was designed so that the pressure of the ice would tend to push it up rather than squeeze it in. Her hull was over two feet thick and braced with steel to withstand the grinding ice floes. Her name Fram (meaning Forward) was true to her course. Under Nansen's command, she drifted in the ice pack to the latitude 86? 13', 160 miles farther north than any other ship had ever been. The Fram also gained world fame by sailing south with Roald Amundsen at the helm. Amundsen's expedition of 1910-12 was originally intended as an attempt to reach the North Pole, but he turned the Fram around when he learned that Robert Peary had already reached the mark. Then, Amundsen surprised the world. He cabled Scott that he was heading South. This could mean only one thing to Scott, Amundsen intended to be the first to reach the South Pole. Thus, the race between the Norwegian and English parties began. Amundsen arrived at the Bay of Whales on the Ross Ice Shelf, a place that was sixty miles closer to the Pole than Scott, who was at Cape Evans on Ross Island. Amundsen embarked on the still unexplored Axel Heiberg Glacier, and managed to win the luck of the draw: his journey to the Pole was fast and easy in contrast with that of the ill-fated Scott. Image Size: 18.25 x 18.5 in. Overall Size: 26 x 24 in. Unframed. (B09244)
Don Balke (North Carolina, B. 1933) "Grayling" Signed lower right. Original Watercolor painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 37c Grayling Arctic Animals stamp issue of July 2, 2003. One of the most unusual and beautiful fish of the far north, the arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus is an elegantly formed cousin of the trout distinguished by its sail-like dorsal fin. Dotted with large, iridescent red and purple spots, this distinctive fin stands three to four inches tall when fully extended. Depending on its situation, the arctic grayling can be highly migratory or quite stationary in its range. To cope with the often harshly cold waters of the north, it may use vastly separate locations for spawning, juvenile rearing, summer feeding and overwintering. Or, it may spend its entire life in the same short section of stream. Primarily a "drift feeder," the arctic grayling prefers to establish a feeding location in flowing water and let the current automatically deliver its meals. Subsisting mainly on aquatic insects and their larvae, this hardy fish will also dine on mollusks, prey fish and fish eggs -- especially when sharing the same rivers as spawning salmon. The area's dominant grayling will install itself at the upper end of the pool or stream to ensure first pickings of incoming food; subordinate graylings occupy less desirable positions downstream. All summer long, the arctic grayling feeds voraciously in preparation for the lean months of winter -- a period which it often spends beneath a thick sheet of ice. Its ability to tolerate low levels of dissolved oxygen in its environment allows it to survive the protracted arctic winters. Image Size: 7 x 6 in. Overall Size: 14 x 14 in. Unframed. (B17097)
George Sottung (American, 1927 - 1999) "Tourism Sites of Kosrae - Sleeping Lady Mountain" Artist stamp lower right. Original Oil painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Federated States of Micronesia First Day Cover for the 29c Tourism Sites of Kosrae stamp issued February 11, 1994. At the easternmost limits of the Federated States of Micronesia lies the island of Kosrae. Its jungle-covered volcanic peaks rise majestically above the sparkling waters of the Pacific Ocean. One of the most breathtaking views of the island is best seen from offshore. From that viewpoint, the aptly-named Sleeping Lady Mountain resembles the silhouette of a reclining woman. One of the many legends tied to this fascinating mountain states that this formation was created at the beginning of time by powerful gods. Image Size: 18.25 x 23.5 in. Overall Size: 22 x 27.75 in. Unframed. (B14592)
Gregory Rudd (American, B. 1952) "Uncle Sam" Signed lower left. Original Oil painting on Cold Press Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover of the 32c Folk Heroes Se-tenant Block of 4 issued July 11, 1996. The symbol of the United States, Uncle Sam originated as a nickname for the U.S. government during the War of 1812. The term was apparently derived from the initials "U.S.," stamped on barrels of salted meat provided by Samuel Wilson, a meat inspector and provisioner for the U.S. Army. Citizens in areas of New York and Vermont who opposed the war coined the term "Uncle Sam" to refer to the United States. American cartoonists have portrayed Uncle Sam in political satire since the early 1830s. In the 20th century, the familiar image of Uncle Sam was used in James Montgomery Flagg's design for a World War I recruiting poster. The caption read, "I Want You." In 1961 the United States Congress passed a resolution declaring Uncle Sam a national symbol. Image Size: 14.5 x 12.25 in. Overall Size: 17.25 x 15.25 in. Unframed. (B15524)
Harry Schaare (New York, Arizona, 1922 - 2008) "Over There - Yankee Doodle Dandy" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. Known as the "Father of American Musical Comedy" George M. Cohan was born on July 3, 1878, in Providence, Rhode Island, and grew up in a show-biz family. His parents were traveling vaudevillians and when George and his sister Josephine joined the act, the family became known as "The Four Cohans." By age 13, he was writing songs and lyrics for the act. Cohan soon became the starring actor and was also selling original songs to other vaudeville performers. By the age of 20, he was managing the family's business and had complete control of the act. He later turned his attention to Broadway and composed his first musical in 1902 called The Governor's Son. He formed a partnership with Sam Harris and their show Little Johnny Jones opened on Broadway and became a huge hit featuring Cohan's popular songs The Yankee Doodle Boy and Give My Regards to Broadway. But perhaps his most memorable contribution to musical theater was his 1906 hit show, George Washington, Jr. Audiences thrilled to spectacular patriotic musical numbers, and cheered as Cohan marched up and down the stage carrying the American flag while singing You're a Grand Old Flag. Image Size: 17.5 x 14 in. Overall Size: 18 x 15 in. Unframed. (B05213)
Howard Koslow (American, 1924 - 2016) "Mt. Rushmore and U.S. Flag" Signed lower left. Original Acrylic painting on Cold Press Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original which was published on the Fleetwood First Day of Issue Maximum Card for the U.S. 29c Flag Over Mt. Rushmore stamp issued March 29, 1991. America, in its vastness, has many natural wonders befitting a great nation. Yet of all these, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, located southwest of Rapid City, South Dakota, is a bit unusual, for it is both a natural and man-made wonder. Each year, more than two million visitors gaze in wonder at the stern visages of four great men who molded the nation, their faces carved from a huge mountain of solid granite. Legendary men all, with ideas as rock solid as their granite profiles. In 1927, Gutzon Borglum, an impassioned student of Rodin in Paris, began the nation's most ambitious sculpture. Working for fourteen years, Borglum guided his crews in meticulously measuring, marking and chiseling into the tough granite of the 5,725-foot high mountain. "There is not a monument in the country as big as a snuff box," he exclaimed before he began his huge project. It was a task which he would not live to see completed. His son, Lincoln, closed down the project in 1941. Each of the presidential faces is as high as a six story building. George Washington looks out across a country he helped to create; Thomas Jefferson gazes over land he acquired through the purchase of the Louisiana Territory; Theodore Roosevelt's square-jawed countenance rises above forests he helped preserve -- and finally, Abraham Lincoln eternally watches over a union he kept under one flag. Image Size: 8.75 x 12.25 in. Overall Size: 13.75 x 17.25 in. Unframed. (B13000)
Ivan Akimovich Sushchenko (Russian, B. 1930) "Steamship" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 1c Pan-American Invert: City of Alpena Steamship stamp issued March 29, 2001. During the 19th century when Americans began traveling West by the thousands, the Great Lakes provided a convenient route for passenger and freight. Vessels powered by sail were commonly used -- just as they had been for centuries throughout the world. The invention of the steamboat revolutionized waterway transportation. American engineer and inventor Robert Fulton designed the first commercially successful steamboat -- Clermont. He adapted James Watt's steam engine (patented in 1769) to his boat and, in 1807, the Clermont steamed 150 miles up the Hudson River from New York City to Albany in 32 hours. The boat later provided regular passenger service on the Hudson and opened the door for other steamboat service on the Great Lakes and along the Atlantic coast. In 1809, the Phoenix, designed by John Stevens, became the first steamboat to make an ocean voyage, traveling along the Atlantic coast and up the Delaware River from New York City to Philadelphia. It was only a matter of time before steam would be used to power ships across the Atlantic, and in 1819, the American ship, the Savannah, became the first steamship to do so. The Savannah traveled from New York City to Liverpool in 29 days. However, in 1838, the British side-wheeler Sirius became the first ship to cross the Atlantic under steam power alone. Image Size: 9 x 13.75 in. Overall Size: 11.75 x 16.25 in. Unframed. (B16913)
Jack Fellows (American, B. 1941) "Curtiss P-36A Hawk" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was originally published on the Republic of the Marshall Islands 33c Curtiss P-36A Hawk stamp issued February 10, 2000. Throughout its service, the Curtiss P-36A Hawk was flown by 10 different pursuit groups both stateside and abroad. As part of the U.S. Army's fighter forces stationed at Pearl Harbor, a Hawk was credited with scoring the first kill by a U.S. combat aircraft in World War II. Image Size: 16.5 x 14 in. Overall Size: 18.5 x 16 in. Unframed. (B14419)
Jack Fellows (American, B. 1941) "C-119C Flying Boxcar" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original which was published on the Republic of the Marshall Islands 33c C-119C Flying Boxcar stamp issued February 10, 2000. First produced in 1948, the twin-boom, high-wing Fairchild C-119C Flying Boxcar could accommodate 78 troops, 42 paratroops, 34 litters or up to 9 tons of freight. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, the highly-versatile C-119C served the U.S. Air Force well, playing an important role during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. Image Size: 16.5 x 14 in. Overall Size: 18.5 x 16 in. Unframed. (B13356)
Jim Butcher (American, B. 1944) "Spacious Skies/Flag & Eagle over Farm" Signed lower right. Original Oil/Pastel on Cold Press Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 34c Flag over Farm stamp issued February 7, 2001. Most farmers in early America were largely self-sufficient, producing only enough for the needs of themselves and their immediate families. At the beginning of the 19th century, significant changes in farming began to occur. Settlers began to homestead the Great Plains, using horse and mule labor with iron and steel plows, reapers, planters and threshers. In 1862 Congress passed the Homestead Act, which granted 160 acres to settlers who worked the land for 5 years. Within 3 years, over 15,000 homestead claims had been established. Over the next half century, immigrants from Scandinavia, southeastern Europe and Mexico transformed the Great Plains from barren prairies into fertile fields of American bounty. During the 1920s and 1930s the gasoline-powered tractor came into general use. In 1940, the average American farmer supplied food to some 10 people. During the 1950s America experienced an agricultural revolution with the number of tractors on farms exceeding the number of horses and mules. In 1850, some 90 labor hours were required to produce 100 bushels of corn. A century later, only 15 hours were required for the same result. By 1960, one farmer was supplying food to over 25 people. By 1970, this figure had tripled as a result of using better fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and strains of crops. Today, agriculture in the United States continues to be the msot efficient and productive in the world. Image Size: 16.75 x 14.75 in. Overall Size: 20.25 x 18.25 in. Unframed. (B07137)
John Benson (American, B. 1949) "Oklahoma Territory Land Rush/Homesteader" Signed lower right. Original Mixed Media painting on Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day of issue U.S. Postal Card for Settling of Oklahoma issued April 22, 1989. The state of Oklahoma was settled quite late compared to the states around it. Once settlement began, however, it happened practically overnight. In the beginning, the area was inhabited only by Native Americans who followed huge herds of buffalo across the grasslands. These nomads were joined later by eastern tribes forced to move west and out of the way of white settlement. Treaties promised the lands of Oklahoma to the Indians "as long as grass shall grow and rivers run." After the Civil War, however, the treaties were broken. First, land was taken from tribes who had "supported the South." This land was to be distributed among other, loyal tribes, but when there was no more free or cheap land available elsewhere to white settlers, it was quickly opened to land-starved pioneers. Almost 1.9 million acres in central Oklahoma became available for settlement at noon, April 22, 1889. About 50,000 people moved into Oklahoma by that evening. In a single day, Guthrie and Oklahoma City acquired over 10,000 inhabitants. In 1893, another part of Oklahoma was opened in the same manner; other lands were distributed by lottery. The area became known as the Twin Territories -- what remained of the Indian Territory, where Native Americans still held land, and Oklahoma Territory, settled by whites. Delegates from these territories drew up a constitution as one entity, and on November 16, 1907, Oklahoma was admitted to the Union as the 46th of the United States. Image Size: 14 x 12 in. Overall Size: 23 x 20 in. Unframed. (B12002)
Dennis Lyall (American, B. 1946) "The First Pledge of Allegiance" Signed lower center. Original Oil painting on Canvas. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood Commerative Cover for Old Glory's Proudest Moments postmarked on the anniversary September 8, 2002. In 1892, the Boston-based Youth's Companion magazine, the Reader's Digest of its day, sponsored a national program to advance patriotism by encouraging the display of the flag over every American schoolhouse. Working with educators, the magazine organized a National Public School Celebration for October 12, the 400th Anniversary of Columbus' first voyage to the New World, coinciding with the great Columbian Exposition to be held in Chicago. Francis Bellamy, a former Baptist minister who worked for Youth's Companion, wrote an allegiance pledge that was published in the magazine on September 8, 1892. Encouraged by a special proclamation by President Benjamin Harrison, 12 million school children in 44 states recited the Youth's Companion pledge on October 21, 1892, and flags were raised over schoolhouses. Throughout the country this Pledge of Allegiance quickly became a standard fixture of the school day. In 1923, twenty patriotic organizations met to formulate a Flag Code, and nearly two decades later, in 1942, Congress adopted a U.S. Flag Code that established the Pledge of Allegiance in law and instructed civilians to place their hands over their hearts during the recitation. On June 14, 1954, the words "under God" were signed into law by President Eisenhower. The Pledge has remained unchanged ever since. It is always voluntary because, according to a 1943 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, to require it would violate the very freedoms symbolized by the flag. Image Size: 15 x 13 in. Overall Size: 18.5 x 16 in. Unframed. (B17030)
Dennis Lyall (American, B. 1946) "Flag First Praised As "Old Glory"" Signed lower center. Original Oil painting on Canvas. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood Commerative Cover for Old Glory's Proudest Moments postmarked on the anniversary March 17, 2002. The legend of "Old Glory" begins with the War of 1812. The exploits of fast, new naval frigates such as the U.S.S. Constitution or "Old Ironsides", impressed the world, especially residents along America's coastlines. The memory of these magic ships and America's triumphant flag must have been strong in William Driver, a ship's cabin boy born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1803. At the age of 21, Driver was experienced enough to become master of the merchant ship, Charles Doggett. For his birthday on March 17, 1824, his mother and a group of Salem girls presented him with a fine new flag for his ship. There were speeches, and a crowd watched as Captain Driver hoisted his new colors to the masthead. The ship's salute gun banged. Against an azure sky the brilliant, 24-star flag unfurled magnificently. Moved by the poetry of the moment, Driver nicknamed his flag "Old Glory." In 1834, after years of sailing, he retired to Nashville, Tennessee where he proudly displayed the flag at his home. During the Civil War, Confederate sympathizers tried unsuccessfully to confiscate the flag, but Driver and his friends had sewn it into a comforter. Shortly before he died in 1886, the old sea captain reportedly placed a bundle into his daughter's arms, saying "This is my ship flag, Old Glory..." The flag was kept as a family treasure until 1922 when it was placed in the Smithsonian Institution. Carefully preserved, the original "Old Glory" remains an important piece of Americana. Image Size: 15 x 12.75 in. Overall Size: 18.5 x 16 in. Unframed. (B16967)
Dennis Lyall (American, B. 1946) "Benjamin Franklin" Signed and dated lower right. Original Oil painting on Canvas. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for The Signers of the Constitution Collection issued on September 17, 1987. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Born in 1706 in Boston, he was the son of a soap and candlemaker. A self-made man, Franklin received some formal education, but was principally self-taught. He won international renown as a printer/publisher, author, philosopher, scientist, inventor and philanthropist. At the age of eighty-one, he represented Pennsylvania at the time of the Convention. If Frankin alone had been responsible for writing the United States Constitution, some things would have been different. He would have placed the executive power of the government in the hands of a council of several men, rather than in a single president, and he opposed the payment of salaries to executives of the new government. Franklin believed, however, in the necessity of compromise. In fact, when the Convention seemed to be near the point of breaking up, Franklin made a short speech imploring the delegates to ask for Divine guidance. Because of the high regard in which he was held, his name on the Constitution was a major factor in winning its ratification by the states. At the age of eighty-four, Benjamin Franklin died at his home in Philadelphia. Image Size: 15.75 x 13.5 in. Overall Size: 20.5 x 18.25 in. Unframed. (B10867)
Dennis Lyall (American, B. 1946) "Nat "King" Cole" Signed and dated lower center. Original Oil painting on Hot Press Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 29c Nat "King" Cole stamp issued September 1, 1994. Nathaniel Adams Coles was born in Montgomery, Alabama, on March 17, 1919. The son of a Baptist minister, he moved to Chicago at the age of five. As a young child he was proficient at picking out tunes on the piano, and at 12 Coles had already become a competent musician. In 1936, he joined the company of a black revue known as Shuffle Along. Although the group disbanded a year later, Coles found work as a soloist, performing in small nightclubs in California. Taking the advice of a lounge manager, he formed a combo known as the King Cole Trio. The group's title was created by dropping the "s" from his family name. The "king" portion, a nickname that stayed with the musician throughout his life, came about when he was required to wear a paper crown during a performance. The trio attracted an avid following of Jazz enthusiasts and played at Hollywood's leading nightspots. In 1941, the group embarked on a national tour and began recording with the newly-formed Capitol Records Company. By 1943, Cole had become a solo artist. Referring to his success, he humbly explained, "I guess it's the hoarse, breathy noise that some like -- that's why they call me The Sound." Regardless of the reason, Cole's style was inimitable. His first recording, 1943's Straighten Up and Fly Right, was inspired by one of his father's sermons. It quickly became one of the biggest hits of the early 40s and was followed by many more, including Get Your Kicks on Route 66, Mona Lisa, Too Young and Smile. Image Size: 18 x 15.75 in. Overall Size: 18.5 x 16.5 in. Unframed. (B14756)
Ed Vebell (American, 1921 - 2018) "Emancipation Proclamation" Signed lower right. Original Acrylic painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood Commemorative Cover for Epic Events in American History series issued in 1985. We know almost everything there is to know about Abraham Lincoln, but each generation puts upon him a different stamp of greatness. He was one who, in the words of Stephen Spender, wore at his heart the fire's center, and one who "born of the sun, left the vivid air singed with their honor," In his First Inaugural Address, Lincon said to the South, "We are not enemies, but friends. Passion may have strained, but it must not break our bonds of affection." And when the greatest of rebellions ended, Lincoln saw to it that not one soldier who bore arms against the United States was punished for treason. To freemen and slaves alike he was "Father Abraham." Simple and sincere, he dealt with all equally; not to slaves alone was he the "Great Emancipator." At Gettysburg, and again in his Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln reached heights of eloquence unknown since Pericles' Funeral Oration. No other American -- perhaps no other statesman of recent centuries -- has been so celebrated in song and story, in marble monuments; no other has been so loved by all the world. As Boston patrician Charles Francis Adams said of Lincoln's Second Inaugural speech: "Once at Gettysburg and now once again on a greater occasion he has shown a capacity for rising to the demands of the hour which we would not expect from orators of highest school. His inaugural, in its grand simplicity and directness is for all time the historical keynote of the war ... In it a people speak in the sublimely simple utterance of ruder times." Image Size: 19.75 x 22.5 in. Overall Size: 25.75 x 27.25 in. Unframed. (B05764)
Ed Vebell (American, 1921 - 2018) "Edison Invents Electric Light" Signed lower right. Original Acrylic painting on Hot Press Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood Commemorative Cover for Epic Events in American History series issued in 1985. From the beginning, circumstances decreed that Americans would address themselves not so much to "Natural" Philosophy, as to the immediate and practical potentialities of Science. They were a new people in a new world. New methods of farming were required, now tools, even new measurements. The American Philosophical Society made this clear in its 1769 Charter: it was to address itself to agriculture, botany, navigation, and similar subjects. Benjamin Franklin -- who had seized the lightning from the skies and toppled tyrants from their thrones -- was one of the Society's first presidents, and a model to its members. Thomas Alva Edison was in many ways Franklin's legitimate successor. Like Franklin, he could not refrain from improving everything he set eyes on. Not a theoretical scientist, he was the most successful of all scientists interested in the well being and convenience, the wealth and health of the ordinary man. Everything he touched, he improved: the telegraph, the telephone, the phonograph, photography, motion pictures, and -- perhaps most important of all -- electric lighting, one of the greatest boons to mankind. When he was 80, Congress awarded Edison a Gold Medal for "inventions that revolutionized civilization." More literally than anyone else of our time, Edison merits the motto: Fiat Lux, let there be light. Image Size: 19.75 x 21 in. Overall Size: 26.5 x 26.75 in. Unframed. (B05695)
Gene Boyer (American, 20th C.) "Martin Luther King, Jr." Signed and dated lower right. Original Acrylic painting on Cold Press Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day of Issue Proofcard for the 15c Martin Luther King, Jr. stamp issued on January 13, 1979. "Violence is not only morally repugnant, it is pragmatically barren." With these words, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, planted the seed of an idea that would become his lifelong dream. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, where this Proofcard was issued, Dr. King graduated from Morehouse College, and then completed advanced studies at Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, and at Boston University. Like his father and maternal grandfather, he had planned to be a Baptist minister. Yet, his approach to religion was unique. He believed that the church was not defined by the outer walls of a building or Bible studies alone; but that the economical, social and even political needs of all people were within the scope of his personal responsibility. Racial violence in the decade between the mid-fifties and sixties mapped out his ministry for him. King insisted that nonviolence was the only way to effect a lasting change. In 1954 he led a boycott of the Birmingham, Alabama, transit system to force desegregation. His continued nonviolent protest activities drew more and more participants resulting in the formation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1964 Dr. Martin Luther King received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in Civil Rights. He had a dream and gave it substance, creating a ministry that spans the continents. Image Size: 11.5 x 10 in. Overall Size: 18.5 x 17 in. Unframed. (B05984)
Howard Koslow (American, 1924 - 2016) "American Samoa" Signed lower right. Original Acrylic painting on Cold Press Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 33c American Samoa stamp issued June 14, 2000. Archaeologists believe Samoa was settled over 2,500 years ago by voyagers from the Melanesian islands to the west. In 1722 the first European to sight the islands, Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen, sailed by without landing. In 1768 French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville rediscovered the archipelago. In 1830 John Williams established a mission for the London Missionary Society. Nine years later, Lieutenant Charles Wilkes led the U.S. Exploring Expedition in surveying the islands as a possible whaling station. In 1872 U.S. Navy Commodore Richard W. Meade negotiated with the Samoans for the use of the natural harbor on the island of Tutuila as a coaling station. International rivalry between the United States, Great Britain and Germany over Samoa was resolved in 1899. Germany took control of the islands west of the 171 degree W meridian, while the remaining seven islands fell under the auspices of the United States and became known as American Samoa. After World War I New Zealand administered the western islands as a League of Nations mandate and following World War II as a U.N. trusteeship. In 1962 the territory gained its independence as Western Samoa. The U.S. Navy administered American Samoa until 1951 when the Department of Interior assumed responsibility. Today, American Samoa is an unincorporated United States territory. The U.S. Postal Service issued this beautiful stamp to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the historical union between the United States and American Samoa. Image Size: 14 x 12 in. Overall Size: 20.25 x 18 in. Unframed. (B16743)
Ivan Akimovich Sushchenko (Russian, B. 1930) "Christopher Columbus" Original Oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original which appeared on the $5 Columbus stamp Souvenir Sheet issued May 22, 1992. Until recently, history presented a rather simplistic, and arguably inaccurate, view of Christopher Columbus and his achievements. School children read that Queen Isabella of Spain pawned her jewels to finance his first voyage. They were also told that he actually discovered America, a term under which one massive continent falls. The truth is infinitely more interesting. Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy, to Domenico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa. To this day, no one really knows what he even looked like. He went to sea as a youth, possibly as young as age 14 but more probably at age 19 or 20. His journeys took him to Africa, England and Ireland -- perhaps even to Iceland. He eventually settled in Portugal, marrying into one of the country's first families of exploration. Denied sponsorship for a voyage of discovery by the Portuguese king, Columbus turned to Spain. In 1492 he set sail to test his theory -- that the east could be reached by sailing west. Queen Isabella never had to pawn her jewels, and his first landfall in the New World fell on the beaches of present-day San Salvador, not on the continent of North America. For a few years he blazed brightly at the Spanish court. But eventually stripped of his honors and glory for bungling the administration of New World colonies, he died in 1506. This portrait is based upon a painting by Italian artist Lorenzo Lotto which is just one of the many renditions of Columbus. Image Size: 18.75 x 16.25 in. Overall Size: 22.75 x 20.25 in. Unframed. (B13766)
J. Craig Thorpe (American, B. 1948) "Wisconsin Locomotive" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original which appeared on the Fleetwood Legendary Locomotives of the 50 States Wisconsin Commemorative Cover postmarked November 25, 1994. On November 27, 1892, curious onlookers scanned the eastern horizon at Kewaunee, Wisconsin, peering out over Lake Michigan to catch a glimpse of the Ann Arbor No. 1 as it approached, destined to become the first carferry to transport boxcars across that Great Lake. Although the Kewaunee, Green Bay & Western (KGB&W) had conceived this route to avoid the Chicago railyard bottleneck and serve as a more economical means of moving freight through this part of the Midwest, it was initially difficult to find shippers. Such a craning had never been attempted on an open body of water this size, thus many feared this mode of transportation was too risky. However, after the KGB&W pressured its fuel supplier to become its first customer, the Ann Arbor No. 1 carried four carloads of coal from Frankfort, Michigan, to Kewaunee on its maiden run to Wisconsin. After more than four hours of fitting the behemoth carrier to the Wisconsin harbor's apron, the Ann Arbor No. 1 unloaded its cargo and accepted 22 carloads of Pillsbury flour bound for England. This means of transportation ultimately became so successful that it significantly altered the rate structure for shipping flour and grain to the East. Displayed on this artwork is a depiction of the KGB&W's engine No. 36 loading freight cars onto the Ann Arbor No. 3 carferry at the Kewaunee harbor. This 2-6-0 Mogul type engine was built in 1909 by the American Locomotive Company. Image Size: 14 x 12 in. Overall Size: 18 x 15 in. Unframed. (B14931)
J. Craig Thorpe (American, B. 1948) "Connecticut Locomotive" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original which appeared on the Fleetwood Legendary Locomotives of the 50 States Connecticut Commemorative Cover postmarked March 16, 1995. During the first half of the 1890s, one of the most popular modes of transportation between New York City and Boston was a six-hour ride aboard the New England Limited. Also known as the "White Train," this lavishly appointed white and gold train of the New York & New England Railroad (NY&NE) was one of the most elegant of its time. Each royal buffet smoker was outfitted with 20 upholstered chairs, two card tables and writing desks, affording passengers a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere in which to make their journey. On the White Train's inaugural run of March 16, 1891, no detail was overlooked. From the white jumper of engineer Gene Potter, to the whitewashed coal in the tender, the preparations for the first trip were meticulous. And they were well-grounded, for the train quickly became popular, not only for its elegance but also for its punctuality. However, the pristine color that made the White Train unique also led to its downfall. Though master car builder F.D. Adams had argued that white passenger cars would be less adversely affected by heat, and that the finish would be more durable if it was properly applied, it in fact soiled more easily than darker colors and required constant care. Thus, on October 20, 1895, the legendary White Train made its final journey. One of the locomotives that pulled this noted train was NY&NE's engine No. 167 - a 4-4-0 type built by the Cooke Locomotive Works in 1890. Image Size: 14 x 12 in. Overall Size: 18 x 15 in. Unframed. (B14988)
Mark Schuler (American, B. 1951) "Flag over Yosemite" Signed lower right. Original Mixed Media painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 25c Flag over Yosemite stamp issued June 8, 1996. The Indians called it Ahwahnee, the deep, grassy valley. To Horace Greeley it was "the greatest marvel of the continent." Teddy Roosevelt found Yosemite "the most beautiful place in the world. " But perhaps it was writer and naturalist John Muir who was most profoundly inspired by the naturally magnificent grandeur that is now Yosemite National Park. Until the end of his life, he wrote of the region's natural majesty. It was Muir, in fact, who led the way to the creation of Yosemite as a protected National Park. A great wilderness of glittering lakes, rushing streams, jagged peaks and granite domes, Yosemite lies in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in east-central California, about two hundred miles from San Francisco. The park is a haven to flora and fauna as varied as it is plentiful, a place where everything from deer to bear find shelter among towering sequoias and lush ferns. After seeing a painting of the area, Muir was so drawn to it that he would later spend six years exploring the park's 790,000 acres of High Sierra territory and lower-level giant sequoia groves. His fervor about the area aroused public interest, and led Congress to create Yosemite National Park in 1890. The state of California ceded Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove, not then part of the park, to the United States government to complete the beautiful reserve in 1906. Thus, as John Muir had hoped it would be, the breathtaking splendor of Yosemite has been preserved to inspire awe in generations to come. Image Size: 16.25 x 14.75 in. Overall Size: 22 x 19.75 in. Unframed. (B11612)
Mark Schuler (American, B. 1951) "White House" Signed lower right. Original Mixed Media painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood Commemorative Cover for The Presidents of the United States of America Collection. Each Cover was postmarked at the birthplace of each President and on the anniversary of his birth. Both today and in years gone by, the home of the Presidents, the White House has been a proud symbol of America's democracy. The White House was built according to the plans of Irish architect James Hoban, who won a five hundred dollar prize for his design. The first President to live in the White House was John Adams. After only four months of shivering in their chilly "castle," the Adamses were free to leave Washington when Thomas Jefferson won the Presidency. The first President to spend an entire term in the White House, Jefferson devoted his efforts to improving the mansion and furnishing it in style. Following Jefferson's two terms, the Madisons moved into the White House and the famous hostess Dolley Madison began her efforts to redecorate the White House. Sadly, much of her work was lost when the British burned the White House. However, the quick-thinking Mrs. Madison managed to save many Cabinet papers, the White House silver and a painting of General George Washington. White House architect James Hoban supervised the restoration of the White House. President James Monroe added greatly to the mansion's decor by selling to the government valuable Louis XVI furniture he had acquired while serving as a diplomat in Paris, France. In ensuing years, each American President and his family have left something of themselves in the White House, but the Monroe furnishings form the heart of the historic collection of the Executive Mansion. Image Size: 15 x 12.25 in. Overall Size: 20 x 18 in. Unframed. (B10000)
Mark Schuler (American, B. 1951) "Flag over Yosemite" Signed lower left. Original Watercolor painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Maximum Card for the U.S. Flag Over Yosemite stamp issue of May 20, 1988. Serene and dreamlike in its misty dawns, and inviting all with lush, green meadows and giant trees, Yosemite National Park is among the most beautiful places on earth. People come by the thousands to experience this land apart from the cares of modern society. In 790,000 acres of High Sierra and world-famous lower level giant sequoia groves, Yosemite offers the best of America's natural majesty. Her smooth, granite domes -- polished by 2,000-foot thick glaciers many thousands of years ago -- and her steadfast, immovable mountains with thunderous falls cascading down, leave visitors breathless and awestruck. Thus, it is no wonder, that centuries of dreamers have found refuge in the land now called Yosemite National Park. The Indians called it Ahwahnee, meaning "deep, grassy valley." And Horace Greeley noted it as, "The greatest marvel of the continent." To Teddy Roosevelt, Yosemite was, "the most beautiful place in the world." And to Writer/Naturalist John Muir, it was worthy of his praises for many, many years. Muir first saw Yosemite in a painting in 1863, and was drawn to it. Arriving in 1868, he spent six years haunting the area, exploring its precipices, scaling its spiraling cliffs, and he would write of its unequaled beauty the rest of his life. In fact, it was John Muir who led the fight to make Yosemite a protected National Park, preserving its countless wonders for centuries to come. Image Size: 9.5 x 13.5 in. Overall Size: 15.25 x 19.5 in. Unframed. (B11611)
Mel Crawford (Canadian, B. 1925) "Metropolitan Opera" Signed lower left. Original Mixed Media painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 20c Metropolitan Opera stamp issued September 14, 1983. Since Opera combines acting, singing, orchestral music, costumes, scenery, and often ballet or some other form of dance -- most operas call for a large orchestra and a large cast of performers. As a result, operas are usually performed in large, specially designed theaters called opera houses. One of the best known and most revered opera houses in the world is the famed Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Since its first opening night on October 22, 1883, the Metropolitan Opera has entertained and brightened the lives of millions of Americans through hundreds of spectacular and famous operas ... such as Verdi's Othello as depicted here. In addition, it has delighted theater-goers across the nation with its many national tours, and through radio broadcasts and telecasts. In 1966, the Metropolitan Opera was moved from its original building to a new, ultramodern structure. Image Size: 14 x 11.75 in. Overall Size: 17.25 x 15 in. Unframed. (B08085)
Mel Crawford (Canadian, B. 1925) "Carolling in Cathedral at Christmas" Signed lower right. Original Mixed Media painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 20c NiccolinCowper Madonna, by Raphael stamp issued October 28, 1983. The magical season of Christmas is a time of merriment; but it is also a time for sincere reverence. On Christmas morning, churches all over the world hold special, joyous services to celebrate, with rich ceremony, the humble birth of the Savior of the World . . . Jesus Christ. Merriment and reverence are united by a special bond during this sacred time of the year. The sincere, yet joyful worship of Jesus Christ as the Babe of Bethlehem . . . born in humility . . . was especially stressed by St. Francis of Assisi. This Holy Saint is associated with Christmas because of his great love of the simple religious songs which were the forerunners of our modern Christmas carols. He once advised a devout Brother to mix light-hearted singing with his preaching -- "for what are the servants of God if not His minstrels, who ought to stir and incite the hearts of men to spiritual joy?" When St. Francis celebrated Christmas in Greccio in 1223 it was humble indeed . . . especially when compared with the Christmases of today, which involve diverse customs developed through two thousand years. But all Christmas customs, whether rooted in pagan festivals, folklore, or church rituals, express that "spiritual joy" of which St. Francis spoke . . . a resplendent joy to the world which we glory in manifesting, both in song and praise, during the magical season of Christmas. Image Size: 13.75 x 12 in. Overall Size: 16.75 x 14.75 in. Unframed. (B08334)
Michael Garland (American, B. 1952) "Santa Claus and the Children" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Cold Press Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 32c Victorian Christmas stamps issued September 30, 1995. Children of all ages eagerly await the annual visit of a jolly old gent named Santa Claus. But it wasn't always that way. St. Nicholas was once revered as the protector of sailors, merchants and scholars, as well as of children. More recently, he became the patron saint of Greece and Sicily. He has even been known as St. Nicholas of Bari because, after his remains were stolen, they were taken to that Italian city. When Dutch immigrants brought their Sinter Klaas to America, it wasn't long before he was transformed into the robust fellow today called Santa Claus. Now, instead of bringing gifts on his December 6th feast day, he makes a command appearance at chimneys everywhere on Christmas Eve. And while his role as patron of sailors and scholars is largely forgotten, children and merchants alike warmly thank Santa each and every Christmas. Image Size: 20.25 x 17.75 in. Overall Size: 23 x 20 in. Unframed. (B15143)
Paul Calle (1928 - 2010) and Chris Calle (B. 1961) "1920s - Prohibition" Signed lower right. Original Painting Mixed Media on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. Celebrate the Century Series 32c Prohibition Enforced stamp issued May 28, 1998. On October 28, 1919, the Volstead Act was passed, providing enforcement of the recently ratified 18th Amendment, prohibiting the manufacture, sale or transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States. President Herbert Hoover declared Prohibition to be "a great social and economic experiment, noble in motive and far-reaching in purpose." Most Americans, however, tended to disagree, especially those living in cities where illegal saloons or speakeasies flourished. Along with speakeasies came the men who supplied the illicit spirits, gangsters such as Frank Costello and Al Capone. Before long, the explosive growth of bootlegging and organized crime led to the broad corruption of public officials. Fewer than 1,600 liquor enforcement agents patrolled a nation inhabited by more than 105 million people, which possessed two lengthy borders and more than 18,000 miles of coastline. And since agents were paid miserable wages, few were dedicated to their work. Two notable exceptions were agents Izzy Einstein and Moe Smith -- famous for donning elaborate disguises to catch offenders. Calls for repeal of Prohibition began as early as 1923. It wasn't until February 20, 1933, however, that Congress passed the 21st Amendment, repealing the 18th Amendment and making liquor legal again. Image Size: 16.25 x 14.25 in. Overall Size: 23.25 x 16.25 in. Unframed. (B16125 / B16126)
Paul Calle (1928 - 2010) and Chris Calle (B. 1961) "Oldest Democracy Celebrates Bicentennial" Signed lower right. Original Mixed Media painting on Cold Press Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Republic of the Marshall Islands The 20th Century Series 60c Oldest Democracy Celebrates Bicentennial stamp issued November 15, 1999. On July 4, 1976, America celebrated the 200th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Festivities in the world's oldest democracy started on a mountain in Maine, where dawn first reached the country. Magnificent clipper ships breezed into New York Harbor in honor of the holiday. From coast to coast, spectacular firework displays lit up the sky. Cities throughout the country held parades featuring marching bands in Revolutionary War regalia, while streets were festooned with red, white and blue streamers and confetti. Families and friends gathered at beaches and parks. As an important part of the enormous celebration, thousands of people were naturalized as American citizens in solemn ceremonies. Image Size: 10 x 15 in. Overall Size: 13 x 20 in. Unframed. (B16587 / B16588)
Ron Fletcher (Australian, B. 1925) "Lightweight Sharpie/Yachting in Australia" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Canvas Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the Australia 35c Lightweight Sharpie/Yachting stamp issued October 14, 1981. The Lightweight Sharpie derives from the International Twelve Square Meter Sharpie last sailed in Olympic competition in 1956. With experimentation by Australian designers a lighter weight hull together with acceptance of aluminum spars and synthetic sails gave birth to the Lightweight Sharpie. In 1961, this yacht gained national status, and it became Australia's firt class yacht to be registered in all Australian States. Approximate length of the Lightweight Sharpie is 6 meters with a beam of 1.47 meters and weighing 86.4 kg. This class yacht is manned by a crew of three and as it is unballasted, it must be kept upright by crew weight alone. Co-ordination technique between the helmsman, main hand and forward hand on trapeze plays an important part in controlling the yacht. The Lightweight Sharpie requires strong handling and the ideal age for learning is between 16 and 18 years of age. This class of yacht competes in the State and National Championships held in a different Australian State each year. The first National Championship was in Hobart in 1961. Competing teams are chosen from Australian State selection trials. Image Size: 12 x 14 in. Overall Size: 14 x 16 in. Unframed. (B07273)
Shannon Stirnweis (American, B. 1931) "German Settlers" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original which appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 20c Concord stamp issued April 29, 1983. After a long and tedious voyage from the shores of Germany, the Concord ... a rugged sailing vessel that carried the first German immigrants to America ... arrived in late 1683, in the vicinity of Pennsylvania. As soon as these German immigrants arrived by way of Philadelphia, almost all spread quickly into the country just outside the periphery of early English and Quaker settlement and control. The first real German settlement was at Germantown, founded by Francis Daniel Pastorius, the leader of this first group of German Settlers. Pastorius had purchased the land for the settlement from William Penn ... from whence Pennsylvania was named. According to Pastorius, "We named the place Germantown, which means the Brother City of the Germans." Pastorius' group included mainly people that had experienced religious oppression in their homeland ... German Quakers and a scattering of Mennonites, all in search of freedom and opportunity. All of these people brought their own special talents with them to their new home -- thus, making their living from their many trades and crafts. During the next forty years, several thousand more German and Dutch immigrants swarmed into Pennsylvania. A few found work either in or around Germantown, but most moved into the surrounding country and became successful farmers. Image Size: 17.75 x 15 in. Overall Size: 21.5 x 18.75 in. Unframed. (B07972)
Steve Ferguson (American, B. 1946) "EC-121 Constellation" Signed lower left. Original Acrylic painting on Cold Press Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 32c Constellation Classic Collection Series stamp issued July 19, 1997. The C-121 Constellation evolved from Lockheed's Super Constellation Model 1049 -- the last piston-engined aircraft to be built by Lockheed, with production ending in 1958. Equipped with four Wright turbo compound engines, the plane was supplied to a variety of civil airlines around the world, including America's Eastern Airlines. The long-range, military transport version shown on this painting carried additional fuel in two wing-tip tanks and one fuselage tank, for a total fuel capacity of 8,750 gallons -- enough for 24 hours of continuous flying time. The transport could be quickly converted to carry 75 passengers, 47 litter patients and attendants, or 14 tons of freight. Image Size: 16.25 x 13.75 in. Overall Size: 20 x 14.75 in. Unframed. (B15647)
Tom McNeely (Canadian, B. 1935) "Otis Redding" Signed lower right. Original Watercolor painting on Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original which appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover of the 29c Otis Redding American Music Series stamp issued June 16, 1993. As a high school student in Macon, Georgia, Otis Redding was so impressed by local blues-shouting singer Little Richard that he decided to pursue a full-time career as a professional musician himself. In 1959, at just 18, Redding was already on his way toward achieving that goal, cutting his first record, She's Alright. He continued to doggedly follow his dream for the next three years but with little success, until fate took a hand and propelled him to stardom. Visiting his friend Johnny Jenkins during a recording session in Memphis, Redding used Jenkins' left-over studio time to quickly cut These Arms of Mine, his first record to break into the Hot 100. Over the following four years, Redding charted with a number of other hits, including Try a Little Tenderness, Mr. Pitiful, and That's How Strong My Love Is. Redding's rendition of Jerry Butler's I've Been Loving You Too Long hit Number 21 in 1965. The up-tempo Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa also climbed the charts, reaching Number 29 in early 1967. But Redding's career was to be all too short. Eight years after rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper died in an airplane crash, history repeated itself. Redding and several members of his band were killed when their plane smashed into a frozen lake in Wisconsin on December 10, 1967. Ironically, the ballad Dock of the Bay, released a month later, became Redding's biggest hit. It reached the Top 10 in both the United States and Britain, ensuring his status as a Rock 'n' Roll legend. Image Size: 22 x 17 in. Overall Size: 29.5 x 24 in. Unframed. (B14287)
Tom McNeely (Canadian, B. 1935) "Baseball" Signed lower left. Original Mixed Media painting on Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. The repetitive cries of a concessions vendor peddling freshly roasted peanuts and stadium hot dogs; the resounding crack as bat meets ball; the crowd's deafening roar of approval as the batter sails one out of the ballpark and trots leisurely around the bases -- these are the sights and sounds of America's favorite spectator sport. Legend says Abner Doubleday invented baseball in 1839 in Cooperstown, New York. Baseball scholars stoutly maintain that the l7th century English game of rounders is the true precursor to the sport, but Alexander J. Cartwright is largely credited with creating in 1845 a standardized version of the game, from which modern baseball evolved. After the Civil War, the game's popularity skyrocketed. Amateur teams sprang up throughout the country, and in 1869 the Cincinnati Red Stockings became America's first professional baseball team. By the early 1900s, America boasted two professional baseball leagues -- National and the American, and in 1905 the first World Series became an annual event. During the 20th century, baseball fever has become a world-wide epidemic, wildly popular in countries such as Japan, Venezuela and Puerto Rico. In 1992, baseball teams from across the globe traveled to Barcelona, Spain, to compete for the first time in the summer Olympic Games. Image Size: 15.75 x 22.5 in. Overall Size: 19.25 x 24.25 in. Unframed. (B12072)
Rembrandt (1606 - 1669) Drypoint Etching. This is an etching and drypoint by Rembrandt entitled Landscape with Trees, Farm Buildings and a Tower. The etching was done about 1650, and it's unsigned and undated. It is the fourth state of five, and it comes with a digital certificate of authenticity from Stakenborg-Greenberg Fine Art, an art gallery on Main Street in Sarasota, Florida. The etching is listed in Nowell-Ustickes Catalogue as Nr. 223, and described as RRR, extra rare. The piece is a very fine impression of the fourth (final) state, and one of the rarest of Rembrandt's larger landscape etchings, despite the fact that Rembrandt took this plate through four different states. Very few impressions of this print have come up for auction in recent years. The plate actually began as a precise record of an existing building, namely the building with the tower at the right. In the extremely rare first and second states, the tower is taller and topped with a cupola and a short spire, and those characteristics helped scholars identify the building as that of tax collector Jan Uytenbogaert. Presumably for artistic purposes, Rembrandt changed the appearance of the tower in the third state by burnishing out the upper parts of the tower and obliterating what it really looked like. In his landscapes, Rembrandt usually refrained from depicting the sky with etched lines. He preferred plate tone and polishing scratches or sulphur tinting, but here he covered the left side and part of the lower sky with etched lines to indicate dark clouds. The trees on the left are still overcast and dark, while the rest of the buildings are bathed in sunshine. This strong contrast creates the effect of the sun suddenly breaking through receding rain clouds, and the almost blank foreground evokes a sparse and lovely landscape. Image Size: 4.75 x 12 in. Overall Framed Size: 14.25 x 23.25 in. Framed behind glass.
Brian Clinton (Australian, B. 1942) "Fishing - Fisherman Holding Fish" Original Watercolor painting on Hot Press Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Combination Cover for the Australian Fishing stamps issued October 24, 1979. "I never lost a little fish - yes, I am free to say it always was the biggest fish I caught that got away." Poet Eugene Field's words still ring true today, a century after they were originally penned, for modern fishermen continue to boast about immense catches that consistently seem to wriggle off the hook. Typically, prize catches are found in deeper waters, far from shore. To pursue such creatures, fishing from boats is essential. Throughout the world, such vessels are vital to those who depend upon the fruits of the sea for their survival and livelihood. In Canada and throughout Polynesia, for example, canoes are among the most popular watercraft used for fishing. Relatively unchanged from those once fashioned by early inhabitants, these time-honored boats continue to carry modern fishermen to areas beyond the casting range of shore anglers. Another craft commonly used for plying offshore waters is a rowboat. These small vessels are easily maneuvered in places such as sandbanks and shallow stretches of sunken mud, where fish gather to feed on worms, dead crabs and even smaller fish. Image Size: 12 x 14 in. Overall Size: 16 x 20 in. Unframed. (B05579)
Chuck Ripper (American, B. 1929) "Humboldt's Penguins" Signed lower right. Original Gouache Water Color on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the United Nations s7 Humboldt's Penguin stamp issued March 3, 1993. Also called the Peruvian Penguin, the Humboldt's Penguin is a rare bird indeed. Unlike most penguins -- which are residents of bitterly cold Antarctic regions -- the Humboldt's Penguin is found almost solely along the coast of South America, as its other name would suggest. Interestingly, the Humboldt's Penguin has evolved unique methods of adapting to tropical heat. Compared to Antarctic penguins, it has very sparse plumage and even completely bare spots to permit heat loss. The thick layer of subcutaneous fat found in other penguins is far thinner in the Humboldt's Penguin, which also has increased blood supply to certain areas of the skin, enhancing heat radiation. This fascinating bird formerly thrived in the cold waters of the Humboldt Current off the coast of South America. Nutrient-rich, these waters support large quantities of fish -- including the anchovies and pilchards which are the Humboldt's Penguin's favorite food. But despite the ability to breed all year, Humboldt's Penguin populations have been declining at an alarming rate. Human interference with nest sites, egg removal and habitat reduction caused by guano collection have all taken their toll. Today this bird faces yet another human threat. Commercial fisheries are removing anchovies and pilchards in large numbers, reducing the food supply and adding stress to the penguin's already tenuous grip on survival. Image Size: 14.75 x 12.25 in. Overall Size: 17.75 x 14.75 in. Unframed. (B14188)
Chuck Ripper (American, B. 1929) "Brown Pelican" Signed lower right. Original Gouache/Watercolor painting board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 20c Brown Pelican stamp issued October 2, 1996. The Brown Pelican is a large coastal bird that weighs eight pounds and has a seven-foot wingspan. During the breeding season, this waterfowl is characterized by a large gray bill, featherless black throat patch, white head, gray-brown body, and cinnamon-brown hindneck and nape. A colony nester, this bird often lays three eggs in a nest of dead vegetation or directly on the ground. When feeding, the young pelican practically crawls into its parent's beak to eat the partially digested food its parent produces. With its large beak, short tail and waddling walk, the Brown Pelican appears awkward and clumsy on land. When airborne, however, this bird is a graceful flier. The pelican launches into flight with several rapid wingbeats. Once aloft, it glides occasionally, flapping its wings to maintain altitude. Brown Pelicans often fly quite close to the water's surface while hunting for fish, but even 20 to 50 feet above the water a pelican can easily spot its prey. Although graceful in the air, the Brown Pelican appears to make a crash landing as it swoops down to catch a fish. This impressive bird will emerge from the water with a fish held crosswise in its beak, then effortlessly flip the prey into its pouch. Over the past few decades Brown Pelican populations have drastically declined. This is due to pesticide use that has contaminated rivers and coastal waters. The Brown Pelican absorbs the chemical through food that causes thinning of its egg shells, decreasing successful reproduction rates. Image Size: 14.5 x 12.5 in. Overall Size: 17.75 x 15 in. Unframed. (B15509)
Dean Ellis (American, 1920 - 2009) "Henry Ford" Signed middle right. Original Oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood Commemorative Cover for The Shapers of America series issued in 1987. Born on a farm in the midst of the Civil War, Henry Ford did not find his true profession until he began working with the internal combustion machine, chiefly "to lift farm drudgery off flesh and blood and lay it on steel and motors." He quickly discovered, however, that "people were more interested in something that would travel on roads, than in something that would do work on the farm." His first motor car was a two-seater buggy powered by a four horsepower gasoline engine, and was on the road in the Depression year of 1893. Depression or not, it caught the public fancy; soon thousands, then tens of thousands, were on the dirt roads, and soon the popularity of the new motor car led to a nationwide demand for paved highways. In the meantime, Ford tried his skills at building racing cars: these proved effective, but not profitable, and he returned to making a car so cheap that everyone could afford to own one. In 1908, he devised his most ingenious idea ... the ever-famous Model T which, by devising an assembly line technique, he was able to sell for less than four hundred dollars! The Model T was, or seemed, almost indestructible. The most typical American of all cars, the Model T was the first mass-produced assembly line car: the first car that everyone could afford. In its appearance and its character, it represented the symbol of American equality. Image Size: 18 x 21 in. Overall Size: 24 x 27 in. Unframed. (B10995)
Dean Ellis (New York, 1920 - 2009) "Life of John F. Kennedy - Nuclear Test Ban" Signed lower right. Original oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the First Day Cover for the Republic of the Marshall Islands 55c Nuclear Test Ban stamp issued May 29, 1995. In August 1963, the United States and the Soviet Union signed a treaty that eliminated all above-ground atomic bomb testing in a diplomatic coup, Kennedy knew that his Soviet adversary, Nikita Krushchev, would welcome an olive branch after testing America's will to fight less than one year earlier. On October 22, 1962, Kennedy had placed a brief "quarantine of shipping to the island of Cuba after learning Soviet missiles were being based there. Thus, on June 10, 1963, Kennedy suggested a limited nuclear testing ban in a speech at the American University in which he stated, "If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity." Khrushchev later said it was "the best speech by any President since Roosevelt." On September 24,1963, the treaty was ratified by the U.S. Senate. Image Size: 11.5 x 14.5 in. Overall Size: 14 x 15.25 in. Unframed. (B15042)
Don Balke (North Carolina, B. 1933) "Cardinal" Signed lower right. Original Watercolor painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day of Issue Maximum Card for the U.S. 30c Cardinal Flora and Fauna Series stamp issued June 22, 1991. A flash of red streaking through densely wooded park land accompanied by a sweet, clear trill indicates the presence of one of North America's most popular songbirds -- the cardinal. Often referred to as a cardinal grosbeak or redbird, the cardinal is common to North and South America but maintains a decided preference for the temperate regions of the Midwestern and eastern United States. While both the male and female possess a distinctive crest, the male outshines its mate in brilliant plumage. He jauntily sports the deep crimson feathers and black-ringed beak associated with the species, while her dun-colored mantle provides camouflage for brooding. Cardinals begin to mate in April and frequently breed until mid-September. The female often takes three to five days to build her cup-shaped nest in bushes or hedges close to houses, and lays from two to five eggs. Two weeks later the downy young hatch, and within nine days they are on their own. Within a year the juveniles are able to sing, warbling the flute-like, descending song which characterizes the species. Image Size: 14.5 x 17.75 in. Overall Size: 14.25 x 17.75 in. Unframed. (B13149)
Don Balke (North Carolina, B. 1933) "Belgium/Mallard Duck" Signed lower left. Original Watercolor painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood International Audubon Fund First Day Cover issued February 9, 1989. Due inpart to its wide distribution, the mallard is perhaps the world's most easily recognized duck. It inhabits parts of Europe, Central Asia, North Asia, North America, several islands in the Pacific Ocean and even parts of Australia. This hardy waterfowl can be found in nearly all humid zones of Belgium as well, and as a result of crossbreeding with ducks in city parks, it even inhabits many Belgian towns. Mallards are dabbling ducks. They bob downward to reach food in the water, or they stir the mud. They feed not only during the day but also at night, mainly on insects, molluscs and plants like duckweed. These ducks form pairs during noisy courtship displays, and break up soon after the eggs are laid. At this time, the drakes leave the hens and take to the marshes to moult. By July, the hens and ducklings have also left the breeding grounds for other climes. Image Size: 19 x 17.25 in. Overall Size: 20.5 x 18.5 in. Unframed. (B12331)
Don Balke (North Carolina, B. 1933) "Ruby-throated Hummingbird Taking Nectar" Signed lower right. Original Watercolor painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 29c Ruby-throated Hummingbird stamp issued June 15, 1992. "No sooner has the returned sun again introduced the vernal season, and caused millions of plants to expand their leaves and blossoms to the genial beams, than the little Hummingbird is seen advancing of fairy wings, carefully visiting every opening flower cup. Its gorgeous throat in beauty and brilliance baffles all competition. Now it goes to a fiery hue, and again is changed to the deepest velvety black." Thus wrote the great naturalist, John James Audubon, of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Audubon -- like many before and since -- was entranced by the little flying jewel. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the best known of North America's Hummingbirds, for it is found regularly in eastern North America. Ranging from Panama to Nova Scotia, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird also has one of the most impressive migrations of the hummingbirds, although not quite as great as that of the Rufous Hummingbird. However, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird must cross the vast expanse of the Gulf of Mexico in one shot, an astounding accomplishment for such a small bird. Yet, with enough fat reserves, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is able to make the journey without mishap. Image Size: 19.75 x 17.5 in. Overall Size: 21 x 18.75 in. Unframed. (B13682)
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