Bonhams' American Stories Sale Totals $2.4M, Led by Iwo Jima Monument at $610K
Bonhams' 'American Stories: Celebrating 250 Years of Independence' sale concluded on June 30 in Massachusetts, achieving $2.4 million and surpassing its pre-sale estimate. The live auction featured 34 lots spanning nearly three centuries of American cultural, political, and artistic history, with 85% of lots sold. The top lot was the Original Iwo Jima Monument by Felix de Weldon, a 20-foot sculpture from 1945 that more than doubled its estimate to sell for $610,100. Other notable results included Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze's 'Columbus' First Landing in America' at $445,000, and Bob Ross's 'Mountain Summit' from 'The Joy of Painting' which exceeded its estimate over eight-fold to reach $406,900, with net proceeds benefiting Ball State University.
The Signal
The sale's strong performance signals sustained collector appetite for Americana and historical artifacts, particularly those with direct ties to pivotal national narratives. The record price for the Marquis de Lafayette sword and the multiple lots exceeding estimates by threefold or more suggest a robust market for Revolutionary War and patriotic memorabilia. The inclusion of works by self-taught artist Joshua Johnson and the Bob Ross painting, which appealed to both fine art and popular culture collectors, demonstrates Bonhams' strategy of broadening the category beyond traditional historical pieces to attract a wider buyer base.
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- Artists: Felix de Weldon, Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, Joshua Johnson, Bob Ross, Andrew Clemens
- People: Felix de Weldon, Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, Joshua Johnson, Bob Ross, Marquis de Lafayette, James Dixon, Andrew Clemens
- Auction Houses: Bonhams
- Locations: Massachusetts
- Prices: $2.4 million, $610,100, $445,000, $406,900, $176,250, $165,600, $140,200, $64,625, $53,760, $29,375
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