South Bay Auctions is pleased to announce a single-owner sale of more than 400 selected lots from the estate of world renowned quilt expert, dealer and author, Laura Fisher (1945-2021), happening at South Bay Auctions in East Moriches, New York on Saturday, May 21st, 2022, starting at 11:00 am. The auction will feature a premium selection of quilts, hooked rugs and other textiles ranging from the late 18th to mid-20th century, alongside exceptional Americana, Folk Art and jewelry, including some items from Fisher’s personal collection being offered for the first time.

Highlights include a “Flags of the Nations of the World” commemorative 1876 U.S. Centennial Exhibition quilt with provenance to J. Watson Webb of Shelburne Museum, a rare Amish Roman Stripe quilt made in Holmes County, Ohio, around 1910 to 1920, and many other Amish quilts in bold geometric patterns such as “Diamond-in-the-Square” (pictured). These quilts are popular with collectors and interior designers for their resemblance to works by Josef Albers, Victor Vasarely, and others, though most pre-date the major 20th century art movements they call to mind. 

Other top lots include a unique late 19th century pieced quilt with a Passover verse from the Book of John, a rare Vermont needlework sampler made by Lucinda Townshend in 1820, and three 1940s pictorial hooked rugs by Mercedes and James Hutchinson with their characteristic witty sayings.

Laura Fisher was born and raised in the Bronx and graduated from Cornell University where she studied home economics. Her career in antiques began in 1975 when, on a whim, she bid on and won three months of storefront space at Manhattan Art & Antiques Center in a charity auction for New York’s Channel 13 PBS station. In the 45 year long career that followed, Fisher became a recognized expert on Americana specializing in textiles. Top collectors and designers would vie for the unique finds she sourced internationally. 

A frequent guest on Martha Stewart Living Television, Laura lectured at museums and universities and was known for her extensive writing on quilts. Books by Fisher include “Quilts of Illusion” and “Home Sweet Home: The House in American Folk Art” (with Deborah Harding), and she contributed essays to “Diamonds and Bars: The Art of the Amish Quilt”, “America’s Glorious Quilts” and others. A regular contributor to periodicals such as Architectural Digest, House Beautiful and Country Living, her shop was also featured frequently in Town & Country, The New York Times Magazine and The New Yorker, among many others.

“Laura Fisher’s golden reputation was unmatched in the world of antique quilts,” says Jean-Paul Napoli, co-owner of South Bay Auctions, “and when we were approached about doing a single-owner sale of her collection, there was no hesitation. We are honored to present this auction celebrating Fisher’s legacy of style and scholarship.”

South Bay Auctions is a family-owned auction house that has been operating in East Moriches, New York for more than 40 years.

Preview:
Sunday, May 15th – Friday, May 20th, 2022, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm, and by appointment
South Bay Auctions, 485 Montauk Highway, East Moriches, NY 11940

Auction:
Saturday, May 21st, 2022, 11:00 am
South Bay Auctions, 485 Montauk Highway, East Moriches, NY 11940
For complete catalog, and details, visit: www.southbayauctions.com

Bid in person or live online at Invaluable and LiveAuctioneers
Telephone and absentee bidding also available
*Note: The full catalog will be available Friday, May 6th, 2022

Contact:
Sarah Reynolds
sarah@southbayauctions.com
(631) 878-2909