Pook & Pook Delivers Major Two-Day Auction
From Mahantongo Valley Chest Of Drawers To Schwenkfelder Fraktur, Folk Art Ruled The Sale
By Karl Pass - October 23, 2026
Pook & Pook Inc. of Downingtown, Pa., held a big multi-consignor two-day catalog sale on Oct. 1 and 2, featuring some exceptional American folk art. Of the 820 lots, 794 sold, for a 97 percent sale rate, grossing $2,843,558. Prices realized include a 27 percent buyer’s premium. The high estimate was $2,013,900.
Opening the sale was the Johannes Mayer (Northumberland County, Pa. 1794-1883) Mahantongo Valley pine chest of drawers, dated “Jenner” (January) “1829” with paint decoration attributed to Isaac Stiehly (1800-1869), and twice signed in pencil “John Mayer” on a drawer rail, making this the only known signed and dated piece from the region. A well-known exhibited and published piece from the famous Schwaben Creek Valley, the elusive often paint-decorated material from this rural Pennsylvania German enclave has been sought after for more than 100 years and was being sold out of the valley by the beginning of the 20th century. In 1987, the chest of drawers was in the exhibit “Decorated Furniture of the Mahantongo Valley” at Bucknell University and in numerous publications, one of which was Henry Reed’s book “Decorated Furniture of the Mahantongo Valley,” pl. 11, p. 32. Some of the previous owners were historian Henry Reed, dealers Pat Bell and Ed Hild of Olde Hope Antiques, and collector Barbara Gordon.
It realized $228,600, selling to a fairly new private buyer to Pook & Pook bidding online, according to Jaime Shearer, underbid by a bidder on the phone. It brought $18,700 in 1980 at the Garbisch sale held by Sotheby Parke-Bernet. Beginning in the 1940s, Col. Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch would eventually become among the most legendary collectors of American decorative arts in the country. Their country estate (Pokety Farm) was just west of Cambridge, Md.
Selling for the same $228,600, on day two, an incredible unframed full sheet Pennsylvania ink and watercolor patriotic double-page fraktur bookplate, attributed to Samuel Shultz, depicting George Washington holding a rolled document, likely the Declaration of Independence, with homestead in upper corner and a flowering tulip basket with bird, the opposing page with spread wing eagle, went to the trade bidding on behalf of a collector, underbid by a museum. Samuel Shultz was one of a few known teachers who set and decorated ciphering books in the school near the Hereford-Upper Hanover Township border. Information on Shultz is in Dennis Moyer’s “Fraktur Writings and Folk Art Drawings of the Schwenkfelder Library Collection,” pgs. 208-212. The fraktur along with a small group of Schwenkfelder vorschrift (writing samples) came from The William Penn Shop, which was a Philadelphia and Reading, ca. 1930 to 1980, antiques business. Founded as part of a family dynasty of antique dealers whose roots date back to 1892, The William Penn Shop was renowned for acquiring antiques in southeastern Pennsylvania. This consignment descended through successive generations of the family and has been off the market, unseen for more than 60 years.
Another consignment was from a New York City folk art collection, lots 59 to 99. Many of the fraktur in the group came through David Wheatcroft. From this collection was a 21-inch wingspan and 14.5 inches high spread-wing carved and painted eagle attributed to Wilhelm Schimmel, bringing $24,130. Selling to David Schorsch, it brought $36,300 in 1989 at Sotheby’s. Schorsch also bought it in 1989.
One of the top tier frakturs in a sale, also from this collection, was the Samuel Gottschall (1800-98), dated 1834, vibrantly colored 13-by-8.25 inch (image size) fraktur with a variety of floral and geometric devices and human faces. It sold for $101,600, going to Connecticut dealer David Schorsch, underbid by a collector on the phone.
A Pennsylvania chalk paint-decorated rabbit figure sold for $1,143. It did $1,540 on Sept. 9, 2000, at one of the Clyde and Betty Youtz estate sales held by Conestoga Auction Co. A chalkware cat, with black spots, minor wear, sold for $3,048. A Berks Co., Pa. paint-decorated lift-top chest on blue ground with two tombstone ivory panels with floral decoration, feet and base molding replaced, sold for $24,130. It previously realized $15,990 on June 25, 2021, at Pook & Pook’s sale for the Joyce Bowes Collis estate. A New England paint-decorated apothecary cabinet sold for $3,810. On June 24, 2021, at the Joyce Bowes Collis estate, it went for $11,070. With a “S.Bell & Son” stamp, the Strasburg, Va., redware seated spaniel sold for $16,510. At a Crocker Farm sale on April 8, 2022, it sold for $28,800. A miniature Pennsylvania painted foot stool in original vibrant floral decoration on a yellow ground, repaired break to one leg, another leg replaced, sold for $5,952 at the Don and Trish Herr sale in 2022 at Pook & Pook and sold at this sale for $2,159. A very fine Reamstown, Lancaster County, Pa., silk on linen sampler dated 1826 sold for $6,000 hammer ($7,620 with premium). It sold for $6,000 hammer ($7,440) with the then 24 percent premium in 2022 at Don and Trish Herr sale at Pook & Pook. It is an exceptional example of Lancaster County needlework. A Berks County, Pa., paint-decorated pine “Bucher” dome-lid box in original floral and house decoration realized $7,620. It sold for $8,060 at Pook & Pook on Jan. 13, 2022. Two small paint-decorated carved roosters attributed to Wilhelm Schimmel from the Sollenberger/Hassinger families sold for $6,500 each about 30 years at a sale held by Dave Rowe at the Huntsdale Fire Hall, west of Carlisle, Pa. They sold on day one of this sale, the first bringing $4,826, the second, $3,810.
An American oil on canvas portrait of Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg (1753-1815) sold for $16,510. The buyer being Historic Trappe, where the portrait is already on view. Historic Trappe oversees three historic sites, two of which are the Muhlenberg House, and the Speaker's House. The former being the home of Lutheran patriarch Henry Muhlenberg and his son, General Peter Muhlenberg, the latter, the residence of Frederick Muhlenberg, the first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Ordained as a Lutheran minister, the Muhlenberg in the portrait eventually settled in Lancaster, Pa., where he served as the first president of Franklin College. He is most remembered for his passion to and contributions in the field of botany. Another portrait of Muhlenberg by Lancaster artist Jacob Eichholtz is in the collection of the Philips Museum of Art at Franklin & Marshall College.
The two-day sale catalog with prices realized is online by visiting www.pookandpook.com.
For further information, call 610-269-4040.
Opening the sale was the Johannes Mayer (Northumberland County, Pa. 1794-1883) Mahantongo Valley pine chest of drawers, dated “Jenner” (January) “1829” with paint decoration attributed to Isaac Stiehly (1800-1869), and twice signed in pencil “John Mayer” on a drawer rail, making this the only known signed and dated piece from the region. A well-known exhibited and published piece from the famous Schwaben Creek Valley, the elusive often paint-decorated material from this rural Pennsylvania German enclave has been sought after for more than 100 years and was being sold out of the valley by the beginning of the 20th century. In 1987, the chest of drawers was in the exhibit “Decorated Furniture of the Mahantongo Valley” at Bucknell University and in numerous publications, one of which was Henry Reed’s book “Decorated Furniture of the Mahantongo Valley,” pl. 11, p. 32. Some of the previous owners were historian Henry Reed, dealers Pat Bell and Ed Hild of Olde Hope Antiques, and collector Barbara Gordon.
It realized $228,600, selling to a fairly new private buyer to Pook & Pook bidding online, according to Jaime Shearer, underbid by a bidder on the phone. It brought $18,700 in 1980 at the Garbisch sale held by Sotheby Parke-Bernet. Beginning in the 1940s, Col. Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch would eventually become among the most legendary collectors of American decorative arts in the country. Their country estate (Pokety Farm) was just west of Cambridge, Md.
Selling for the same $228,600, on day two, an incredible unframed full sheet Pennsylvania ink and watercolor patriotic double-page fraktur bookplate, attributed to Samuel Shultz, depicting George Washington holding a rolled document, likely the Declaration of Independence, with homestead in upper corner and a flowering tulip basket with bird, the opposing page with spread wing eagle, went to the trade bidding on behalf of a collector, underbid by a museum. Samuel Shultz was one of a few known teachers who set and decorated ciphering books in the school near the Hereford-Upper Hanover Township border. Information on Shultz is in Dennis Moyer’s “Fraktur Writings and Folk Art Drawings of the Schwenkfelder Library Collection,” pgs. 208-212. The fraktur along with a small group of Schwenkfelder vorschrift (writing samples) came from The William Penn Shop, which was a Philadelphia and Reading, ca. 1930 to 1980, antiques business. Founded as part of a family dynasty of antique dealers whose roots date back to 1892, The William Penn Shop was renowned for acquiring antiques in southeastern Pennsylvania. This consignment descended through successive generations of the family and has been off the market, unseen for more than 60 years.
Another consignment was from a New York City folk art collection, lots 59 to 99. Many of the fraktur in the group came through David Wheatcroft. From this collection was a 21-inch wingspan and 14.5 inches high spread-wing carved and painted eagle attributed to Wilhelm Schimmel, bringing $24,130. Selling to David Schorsch, it brought $36,300 in 1989 at Sotheby’s. Schorsch also bought it in 1989.
One of the top tier frakturs in a sale, also from this collection, was the Samuel Gottschall (1800-98), dated 1834, vibrantly colored 13-by-8.25 inch (image size) fraktur with a variety of floral and geometric devices and human faces. It sold for $101,600, going to Connecticut dealer David Schorsch, underbid by a collector on the phone.
A Pennsylvania chalk paint-decorated rabbit figure sold for $1,143. It did $1,540 on Sept. 9, 2000, at one of the Clyde and Betty Youtz estate sales held by Conestoga Auction Co. A chalkware cat, with black spots, minor wear, sold for $3,048. A Berks Co., Pa. paint-decorated lift-top chest on blue ground with two tombstone ivory panels with floral decoration, feet and base molding replaced, sold for $24,130. It previously realized $15,990 on June 25, 2021, at Pook & Pook’s sale for the Joyce Bowes Collis estate. A New England paint-decorated apothecary cabinet sold for $3,810. On June 24, 2021, at the Joyce Bowes Collis estate, it went for $11,070. With a “S.Bell & Son” stamp, the Strasburg, Va., redware seated spaniel sold for $16,510. At a Crocker Farm sale on April 8, 2022, it sold for $28,800. A miniature Pennsylvania painted foot stool in original vibrant floral decoration on a yellow ground, repaired break to one leg, another leg replaced, sold for $5,952 at the Don and Trish Herr sale in 2022 at Pook & Pook and sold at this sale for $2,159. A very fine Reamstown, Lancaster County, Pa., silk on linen sampler dated 1826 sold for $6,000 hammer ($7,620 with premium). It sold for $6,000 hammer ($7,440) with the then 24 percent premium in 2022 at Don and Trish Herr sale at Pook & Pook. It is an exceptional example of Lancaster County needlework. A Berks County, Pa., paint-decorated pine “Bucher” dome-lid box in original floral and house decoration realized $7,620. It sold for $8,060 at Pook & Pook on Jan. 13, 2022. Two small paint-decorated carved roosters attributed to Wilhelm Schimmel from the Sollenberger/Hassinger families sold for $6,500 each about 30 years at a sale held by Dave Rowe at the Huntsdale Fire Hall, west of Carlisle, Pa. They sold on day one of this sale, the first bringing $4,826, the second, $3,810.
An American oil on canvas portrait of Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg (1753-1815) sold for $16,510. The buyer being Historic Trappe, where the portrait is already on view. Historic Trappe oversees three historic sites, two of which are the Muhlenberg House, and the Speaker's House. The former being the home of Lutheran patriarch Henry Muhlenberg and his son, General Peter Muhlenberg, the latter, the residence of Frederick Muhlenberg, the first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Ordained as a Lutheran minister, the Muhlenberg in the portrait eventually settled in Lancaster, Pa., where he served as the first president of Franklin College. He is most remembered for his passion to and contributions in the field of botany. Another portrait of Muhlenberg by Lancaster artist Jacob Eichholtz is in the collection of the Philips Museum of Art at Franklin & Marshall College.
The two-day sale catalog with prices realized is online by visiting www.pookandpook.com.
For further information, call 610-269-4040.
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