Property from the Estate of John Delph lots 405-467 John Delph (1942 - 2003) was a born collector. As a teenager, he would often walk the fields near his home in Indiana after they had been plowed, looking for Indian arrowheads and relics which he would methodically label and record in a log book. More than 40 years ago, he began to seriously collect American Folk and duck decoys, learning quickly along the way. His enthusiasm, passion and knowledge grew with his successes and he wrote several books on duck decoys including New England Decoys, Factory Decoys of Mason, Stevens, Dodge and Peterson and Firearms and Tackle Memorabilia. He was on the board of the Daguerreian Society and bought and sold photography as well. His collecting was prolific and varied. It was not good enough to be an early buyer, he always had to be first in line if at all possible. A New York Times reporter at the Winter Antiques Show documented this desire one January. She interviewed him as he stood first in line to get into the show and followed him once he was inside to see what he would find and purchase in the first fifteen minutes. Throughout the years his interest and knowledge expanded and John and his wife, Tina, pursued collecting with a strict sense of style and condition. Attending antique shows, flea markets and auctions had become a major part of their lives. Each item in their collection had a story that was treasured just as much as the item itself. John has an artistic eye which was unmatched by the average collector. He stayed true to his own sense of style, unafraid to be different and never trendy. His unique style of collecting is missed by the collecting community and the lives he touched.

AMERICAN SCHOOL, 19TH CENTURY

Three Portraits of General John Harris, His Wife, and Their Daughter

Details

AMERICAN SCHOOL, 19TH CENTURY
Three Portraits of General John Harris, His Wife, and Their Daughter
inscribed on the reverse Gen John Harris and Wife, Lowell MA, Gorham St; on the reverse Laura M. Harris (1823-1903)
watercolor on paper
4 ½ x 7 1/8 in. the double-portrait; 4 ½ x 3 ½ in. the single

Sale room notice

Please note these miniatures are attributed to Rufus Porter (1792-1884)

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