VERY RARE “PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD” WEATHERVANE.

Late 19th century, New York or New England. Finely formed example of a quill pen breaking a sword blade in copper with very good handle detail and having zinc quill pen nib. Marked on the side of the blade “C. Curtis/ Wyncote Penn/ 1892”. We believe the engraving on the blade refers to the actual owner of the weathervane as we have discovered to date. Owner: Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis (1850-1933). Curtis was an American publisher of Saavy magazines and newspapers including the Saturday Evening Post. His wife Louisa Knapp was editor of Ladies Home Journal also published by Curtis. Born in Portland, Maine in 1850 the son of Cyrus Libby Curtis he was named after one of Portland’s most famous and beloved musicians Hermann Kotzschmar who resided with the Curtis family. Curtis relocated to Pennsylvania in 1876 and founded Curtis Publishing in 1890-1891. Also in the 1890s Curtis purchased “Lyndon” a Renaissance revival style mansion on Church Road in Wyncote, Pennsylvania. Landscaping was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. After Curtis’s death in 1933 the mansion was demolished and the potting shed and pergola were retained and the property was donated to the township and the Curtis Hall Arboretum was created. It is our thinking the renowned publisher Cyrus Curtis, was the owner of this weathervane and that it was mounted on the “Lyndon” property in or about 1892, and that it was removed at the time the building was demolished. The choice of this weathervane by Cyrus Curtis for use a Wyncote is a logical extension of Curtis’ profession as an important publisher. After Portland City Hall burned in 1908 Cyrus H.K. Curtis donated, in memory of his childhood friend, the grand pipe organ known as “The Kotzschmar Organ”. NOTE: Similar example illustrated in 1893 pg 121. Mounted on a museum stand. SIZE: 40″ x 36″. PROVENANCE: Letter from the original owner to the current owner supplied by consignor: “My father Frank Dummer acquired this weathervane sometime in the mid-thirties during the depression. He got some work near Philadelphia to demolishing buildings there. As partial payment for his labor he agreed to take this weathervane which was on one of the buildings. I can remember seeing this since I was a little girl growing up in the forties. My father would always say ‘the pen is mightier than the sword,’ when talking about war. He also said, ‘sadly the pen rarely prevented war though.’ He loved weathervanes and we had quite a collection in our home while I was growing up. This was one of the ones that I got to keep after he died in 1981. It has an inscription on the blade which I believe reads CURTIS WYNCOTE PENN 1892. I was told this was probably the maker of the vane but research has not produced any weathervane makers named Curtis. I hate parting with this but economic times have forced me to start selling things.” Similar example sold at Northeast Auctions August 2006 Lot 1623. CONDITION: Very good with verdigris finish with traces of original gilt. Now offered with museum stand. 9-94486 (20,000-40,000) – Lot 2214

Auction: Fine Art, Asian & Antiques - August 2014

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	2214	$47,400.00	VERY RARE “PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD” WEATHERVANE. Late 19th century, New York or New England. Finely formed example of a quill pen breaking a sword blade in copper with very good handle detail and having zinc quill pen nib. Marked on the side of the blade “C. Curtis/ Wyncote Penn/ 1892”. We believe the engraving on the blade refers to the actual owner of the weathervane as we have discovered to date. Owner: Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis (1850-1933). Curtis was an American publisher of Saavy magazines and newspapers including the Saturday Evening Post. His wife Louisa Knapp was editor of Ladies Home Journal also published by Curtis. Born in Portland, Maine in 1850 the son of Cyrus Libby Curtis he was named after one of Portland’s most famous and beloved musicians Hermann Kotzschmar who resided with the Curtis family. Curtis relocated to Pennsylvania in 1876 and founded Curtis Publishing in 1890-1891. Also in the 1890s Curtis purchased “Lyndon” a Renaissance revival style mansion on Church Road in Wyncote, Pennsylvania. Landscaping was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. After Curtis’s death in 1933 the mansion was demolished and the potting shed and pergola were retained and the property was donated to the township and the Curtis Hall Arboretum was created. It is our thinking the renowned publisher Cyrus Curtis, was the owner of this weathervane and that it was mounted on the “Lyndon” property in or about 1892, and that it was removed at the time the building was demolished. The choice of this weathervane by Cyrus Curtis for use a Wyncote is a logical extension of Curtis’ profession as an important publisher. After Portland City Hall burned in 1908 Cyrus H.K. Curtis donated, in memory of his childhood friend, the grand pipe organ known as “The Kotzschmar Organ”. NOTE: Similar example illustrated in 1893 pg 121. Mounted on a museum stand. SIZE: 40″ x 36″. PROVENANCE: Letter from the original owner to the current owner supplied by consignor: “My father Frank Dummer acquired this weathervane sometime in the mid-thirties during the depression. He got some work near Philadelphia to demolishing buildings there. As partial payment for his labor he agreed to take this weathervane which was on one of the buildings. I can remember seeing this since I was a little girl growing up in the forties. My father would always say ‘the pen is mightier than the sword,’ when talking about war. He also said, ‘sadly the pen rarely prevented war though.’ He loved weathervanes and we had quite a collection in our home while I was growing up. This was one of the ones that I got to keep after he died in 1981. It has an inscription on the blade which I believe reads CURTIS WYNCOTE PENN 1892. I was told this was probably the maker of the vane but research has not produced any weathervane makers named Curtis. I hate parting with this but economic times have forced me to start selling things.” Similar example sold at Northeast Auctions August 2006 Lot 1623. CONDITION: Very good with verdigris finish with traces of original gilt. Now offered with museum stand. 9-94486 (20,000-40,000) – Lot 2214 Auction: Fine Art, Asian & Antiques - August 2014 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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VERY RARE “PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD” WEATHERVANE.