Library builder

I blog about auctions, but generally only after they've taken place because, well, why encourage competition? But I'm making an exception today, partially because I'm broke until payday, and mostly because I think it's a rare opportunity a number of you might find interesting. Soodie, ArchitectDesign and Mrs. Blandings, I'm thinking especially of you. So here's what's up:

I've mentioned the quarerly Fine Arts & Antiques auction at KC Auction Co. here in town before. The next one is this Tuesday, the 13th, and looking at the catalog it's going to be a killer sale. But in particular, there is a collection of books any of you interested in architecture, garden design, or history should be aware of.

The JC Nichols company developed what many would argue are the best residential and commercial areas in Kansas City. The Country Club Plaza, Crestwood, Brookside, Fairway, as well as many of the neighborhoods along Ward Parkway. He called his method of development "planning for permanance," and if you ask a Kansas Citian today to name a desirable area to live, chances are they'll give you the name of an area originally developed by JC Nichols.

Nichols developments are known for varied and interesting architecture, mixed sizes of housing in close proximity, pocket parks, and extensive use of fountains and statuary. It's a formula that differentiates our neighborhoods from many.

So what does this have to do with the auction? The JC Nichols company is closing their Kansas City office and selling their library, and some of it looks very interesting. A sampling:

-Lot 1: 1921 English Homes 6 Volume Set
-Lot 2: 1936 Early Architecture of Western Pennsylvania
-Lot 3: 1929 Old World Inspiration for American Architecture
-Lot 5: 1926 The National Terrazo and Mosaic Contractors' Association Catalog
-Lot 6: 1914 California Gardens
-Lot 7: 1925 Brickwork in Italy
-Lot 9: 1921 Country Residences in Europe and America
-Lot 10: 1929 Ecclesiastical Lighting Fixtures Catalog
-Lot 14: Cottages Farmhouses and Other Minor Buildings in England
-Lot 17: 1911 Distinctive Homes of Moderate Cost
-Lot 20: 1922 Sketches of Early American Architecture
-Lot 22: Architectural Details From the Classic and Renaissance Periods folio
-Lot 24: Architectural and Decorative Plaster Ornaments Catalog
-Lot 31: 1929 Italian Doorways

You get the idea. I could practically list the entire collection as nearly every title is intriguing, and quite likely rare.

So if you've got some extra cash, there's your tip for the week. The auction begins Tuesday evening at 6pm central. For those of you not in KC, the Fine Arts & Antiques auctions include online bidding through Proxibid. Registration is free, and even if you're not bidding you can listen and watch the auction live online.

The link above is to the auction house website, where you'll find a link to the online Proxibid catalog, be sure to take a look.

6 comments:

MR Architecture said...

Completely amazing. This barely made it onto my radar; I am an architect with a very serious interest in classical & traditional architecture; the titles in this collection are outstanding. It is incredibly hard to believe this collection isn't going to be preserved in a UMKC rare books collection.....as much as I'd like to snag a few pieces, it will be a huge shame to divide these books from one another. Essentially this subject range informed a "gentleman architect" (Nichols) into creating one of the most beautiful secrets of the Midwest.

David said...

A very good point, well stated MR. In my excitement over a really good sale I hadn't even thought about preservation.

The Elegant Thrifter said...

Goodness! Being from the Kansas City area, I can imagine how fabulous this will be! Stan

soodie :: said...

David, I agree... great point from MR about books being added and preserved in UMKC's rare books collection.

I have temporarily been "banned" from buying any more books. I need them for work, after all, but SOMEBODY who I live with doesn't agree with me and is sick of having so many books spilling out from the bookshelves and shoved into closets and under beds. I was told to go to the library instead. It just isn't the same.

I was salivating at the second to last auction Dirk Soulis had -- liquidating an antique shop with countless hardback reference books -- where SOMEBODY had to drag me away. Really, a wife could have worse problems than be a book addict.

House gods please be on my side for a larger space to live so that I may fill another room with glorious, glossy reference books!

Karena said...

David, by the way, I have tagged you as a Kreative Blogger. If you have done this before please consider doing it again, or pass it along. I chose the ones who helped me and made the biggest difference when I first began blogging!

soodie :: said...

i've tagged you too...