ARTFIXdaily News Feed - Breaking News from the Art World

Oakland Museum Struck by 2 Burglaries

SFGate / January 9th, 2013

Valuable Gold Rush artifacts were stolen from the Oakland Museum of California in separate burglaries over the course of two months, according to police.

"Death Wish" Director's Winnie the Pooh to lead Sotheby's Sale

Wall Street Journal / December 10th, 2012

An original illustration of Christopher Robin dragging his beloved bear down stairs is the star lot in a Sotheby's sale in London this Wednesday.

Judy Garland's Wizard of Oz Dress Brings $480K at Julien's Auction

ArtfixDaily / November 12th, 2012

The blue and white gingham dress memorably worn by Judy Garland in the "Wizard of Oz" went for $480,000 at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills. Trouncing its estimate was a slice of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding cake which brought...

Nazi-seized Poster Collection Heads to Auction

ArtfixDaily / November 6th, 2012

Now worth millions of dollars, 3,600 posters stolen by the Nazis in 1938 have been returned to the collector's son and will now be offered on the auction block.

George Washington's Constitution Copy On View at Mount Vernon

CBS / September 17th, 2012

Nearly $10 million was spent to acquire George Washington's copy of the Constitution, complete with his handwritten notes on Presidential duties, for display at the Founding Father's Mount Vernon estate.

Babe Ruth Jersey Hits $4.4 Million at Auction

Time / May 22nd, 2012

A 1920s road jersey—the earliest existing New York Yankees jersey known to have belonged to the legendary slugger Babe Ruth—soared to $4.4 million to become the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold at auction.

Leica Brings Record Price for Camera at Auction

BBC / May 13th, 2012

A prototype Leica camera from 1923 brought an auction record of 2.16m euros ($2.8 million) in Vienna, Austria. One of only 12 Leica A prototypes known to survive, the camera went to...

Naval Flag Collection Fetches $784,500 at Auction

Washington Post / May 1st, 2012

Eleven rare and historic naval flags brought a total of $784,500 at a Freeman's auction in Philadelphia, according to reports. Banners that flew over the course of two centuries from the USS Constitution...

Titanic Auctions Mark Disaster's 100th Anniversary

ABC News / April 11th, 2012

One hundred years ago, on April 14, the supposedly unsinkable Titanic hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic, resulting in one of the world's worst sea disasters. Auctions commemorating the tragedy this week offer up a poignant array of artifacts related to the ship.

Heiress Huguette Clark's Jewels Head to Auction

ArtfixDaily / March 18th, 2012

The jewels of reclusive copper heiress Huguette Clark, who died at age 104 in May 2011, will be going up for auction at Christie’s in April. Seventeen pieces of jewelry are expected to bring somewhere between 9 to 12 million dollars. They have only recently emerged from a bank vault after ...

Elizabeth Taylor Estate Auctions Wrap with $183.5 Million Total

ArtfixDaily / February 9th, 2012

Star power drove prices for items from actress Elizabeth Taylor's estate to five, ten or even 50 times their pre-sale estimates at a series of Christie's sales. Bidders worldwide clamored for 1,817 lots of fine art, jewelry, fashion, decorative arts and memorabilia from the late Taylor's personal ...

Record Amount of Fine Wine Sold in 2011

Wine Spectator / January 11th, 2012

The price per lot has fallen flat, but a record amount of fine and rare wine, totaling $478 million, was sold in 2011, up 17 percent from 2010, according to sales results from the major auction houses. Hong Kong was the driving force...

World War II Posters Get an App

Unbeige blog on mediabistro / January 3rd, 2012

Britain's Imperial War Museum has launched a free new app featuring striking World War II posters. From a collection of 20,000, a select 30 posters can be explored in depth on the iPhone or iPad. Marked by bold designs, humor, memorable slogans and patriotism, these vintage graphic designs include such classics as 'Keep Calm and Carry On'...

Titanic Mega-Lot Heads to Auction

ArtfixDaily / January 1st, 2012

As the 100th anniversary of the inaugural run and subsequent sinking of the RMS Titanic approaches, Guernsey’s auction house in New York prepares to sell off more than 5,500 items from the ill-fated ship.  Part of a single collection, the huge grouping will be auctioned as one lot on April ...

Audubon May Soar to Record Price in 2012; Top Book Lots at 2011 Auctions

AE Monthly / January 1st, 2012

An elephant folio first edition of John James Audubon's Birds of America was the most expensive book sold at auction in 2010 and, at well over $11 million, sold for the highest price ever for a book. On January 20, 2012, bidders will again have a chance...

Elizabeth Taylor’s Precious Jewels, Gowns Take the Crown at Auction

ArtfixDaily / December 15th, 2011

Seven world records were set at the jewel auction of the late Hollywood screen legend, and ardent jewelry lover, Elizabeth Taylor, that took place at Christie’s New York this week. On Tuesday, 80 singular lots were offered and all 80 quickly sold, fetching a total of $115.9 million, making it ...

George Catlin Indian Portfolio Sparks International Bidding Battle

ArtfixDaily / November 28th, 2011

In a German auction, George Catlin’s “North American Indian Portfolio” almost doubled its starting price of 45,000 euros with a final result of 87,600 euros including commission, leaving several competitive bidders from the U.S. empty-handed. The heated bidding skirmish for the rare period ...

Museum director accused of selling off collection

The Independent / September 5th, 2011

The trustees of the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum are pitted against its former director in a fight over the sale of 150 objects. In a police report leaked to The Art Newspaper...

$16.4 million Ferrari tops record-breaking vintage car auctions

ArtfixDaily / August 22nd, 2011

A 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototype raced to a record-breaking $16.4 million at a Gooding & Co. auction on Aug. 20. In a $80 million RM Auctions sale, a Mercedes-Benz set a record for the maker of...

Record gold, silver prices spark antiques meltdown

Bloomberg / August 7th, 2011

A buffet of 18th- and 19th-century silver and gold boxes, candlesticks, flatware and salvers are increasingly heading to the furnace as prices for precious metals have soared in 2011. Collectors and attic raiders are...