The
Coffee House
Gala Benefit Auction 2004
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Cover Illustration by James Stevenson
Dear
Coffee House Members and Friends:
The
Auction Committee is pleased to send you the catalogue for the 2004 Benefit
Auction, to be held at the Club on Wednesday, October 27,
2004.
The Items that will be auctioned have been donated by members and
friends, and the Club extends its sincere thanks to all for their contributions.
Table
of Contents
Rules
of the Auction......................................................
Absentee
Bids..................................................................
Conditions
of Sale..........................................................
The
Live Auction............................................................
Absentee
Bid Form........................................................
The
auction is open to everyone; bidders do not have to be members.
Everyone
who wishes to bid must obtain a “paddle,” and must register his or her name
and paddle number with the Club. Registration
indicates your acceptance of the auction rules.
If
you are unable to attend the auction on Wednesday evening, October 27, 2004, you
may submit Absentee Bids to the Auction Committee. An Absentee Bid form is
available by Hyperlink. Absentee bidders will be assigned a bidder’s paddle
number.
Due
to time constraints, Absentee Bids will be accepted by phone or fax up until 12
noon, Wednesday, October 27, the day of the auction. If you are faxing, please
call beforehand so we can turn on the fax machine. Call 212.391.5609 or
212.840.7696 and fax 212.391.5609.
If
you would like to submit the bid by phone and there is no one available to take
your call, please leave all the required information on the answering machine.
If you need to contact someone from the Club immediately, please call the first
number, and if no one answers, please try the second number.
During
the live auction, the auctioneer will be informed of every absentee bid on each
lot.
An
Absentee Bid must be made for a specific amount of money to be bid for a
specific lot. No one at the Club
may lower or raise - or alter in any way -
a bid submitted by an absentee bidder.
An
authorized auction representative will make every effort to ensure that all
absentee bids are properly executed, but the club assumes no responsibility for
unsuccessful absentee bids.
All
absentee bidders who successfully purchase a lot will be notified by telephone
on Thursday, October 28.
Neither the Club, the donor, nor the Auction Committee makes any representation of any kind about the property. Nor do they--individually or collectively--give any guarantees about the delivery, conditions, or value of items purchased. Nor do they assume any liability for any lot that is purchased.
The
Club reserves the right to withdraw any lot at any time before the hammer falls.
The Club is entitled to set a minimum price below which any lot will not be
sold.
The
highest bidder as determined by the auctioneer shall be the purchaser. In case
of a dispute, the auctioneer shall have the sole discretion to determine the
purchaser.
All merchandise purchased must be paid for by cash or check, and must be removed from the Club premises by the day following the auction, unless other arrangements have been made with the Club.
All
merchandise purchased that is not removed from the Club premises within 60 days,
notwithstanding any arrangements that may have been made for its disposition
prior to that date, may be disposed of at the sole discretion of the Club.
Checks
must be made payable to “The Coffee House.”
Your bid on any lot indicates your acceptance of these terms.
The
live auction will begin at 7 p.m. and will be conducted by Simon Jones, with
assistance from volunteers.
All
lots will be sold in the order in which they are listed in this catalogue. The
highest bidder, as determined by the auctioneer, shall be the purchaser. In case
of a dispute, the auctioneer shall have sole discretion to determine who is the
purchaser.
In
all matters concerning the running of the live auction, the auctioneer’s
decisions are final.
1. Lights, Camera…You!
Give
your family a gift they will always remember – your life story.
Award-winning TV producer Alvin Perlmutter (PBS, NBC) will put your
memories on videotape in an unedited interview. Your grandchildren will treasure it.
Value:
Cheap at $2,500
Donated
by Alvin Perlmutter
2.
How to Write your Memoir
If
you always wanted to write about your life or your family, but didn’t know how
to get started, Bill Zinsser, author of On
Writing Well, will help you think about some of the necessary approaches and
decisions.
A
two-hour tutorial.
Value:
$500
Donated
by Bill Zinsser
3.
New York Headliner
Nancy
Winston, author, pianist and singer at the Café Pierre, donates an evening of
piano and song. Two hours of entertainment. Give a cocktail party or a private
dinner at The Coffee House!
Value:
$500
Donated
by Nancy Winston
4.
Sail Away
Aboard
a sleek 30-foot J class sailboat off beautiful Long Island Sound. Captain Ned
McGuire will provide a great lunch for up to four. You ship out from Rye, N.Y.
Date to be mutually agreed.
Value:
$500
Donated
by Ned McGuire
5.
Spin Control
Ever
wonder what they will say about you when you’re gone? Why not have seasoned
reporter and top writer Peter Cullum write your life story? It might come in
handy someday.
Value:
$1,000
Donated
by Peter Cullum
6.
Scrabble Champ Will Show You How to Play & Win!
Scrabble
veteran of 20 years with five trophies, Lois Kahan will show you the ropes in
three sessions.
Value:
Could change your life.
Donated
by Lois Kahan
7. Escape to the Vineyard
Comfortable
-- not fancy -- two-bedroom, one-bathroom house on Martha’s Vineyard on Middle
Road in West Tisbury. Four- or five-day weekend during May, June, July, August or
September.
Value:
$1,500 Reserve: $500
Donated
by Fifi Oscard
8.
Lovers’ Hideaway in Provence
Ancient
2-story stone stable has been renovated into a cozy and charming on- bedroom
house at the end of a cul-de-sac in the petit Provence village of Le Beaucet.
(30 kilometres from Avignon TGV Station) All
comforts, complete with queen-size bed. Within walking distance of award-winning
Auberge. Available for one week on a Saturday to Saturday basis.
Subject to availability: November
to December 2003, January to April 2004, and July to August 2004.
Longer time can be arranged directly with owners at the rate of $650 to
$950 per week depending on season. Reservations
require a $300 refundable deposit. Please
see website.
Value:
$950 Reserve: $600
Donated
by Nielson Abeel and Tori Bryer
9.
Ole! Perfect Holiday for Couple
Live
the high life in the center of Mexico City. Arlene’s beautifully restored home
is in Condesa, a quiet neighborhood of Mexico City filled with sidewalk cafes
and shade trees. Arlene’s
comfortable, very private home has the feeling of Mexico and all the modern
conveniences, including glass shower stalls and a walled garden complete with a
fountain and patio fireplace. Her
tour of the Other Mexico City is without compare.
She knows all the places where “Frida Kahlo slept here”. Two bedrooms
and one bath. Have breakfast in her romantic garden. Jack Dierdorff and Lindley
Kirksey can provide references.
Value:
$750 Reserve: $450
Donated
by Arlene Hershman
10.
All That Jazz-and Then Some
Long
time jazz aficionado Stu Bryant and
his charming bride Sylvie will show you (two persons) the New York jazz scene.
Dinner for two at a Greenwich Village bistro and then on to the Village
Vangard at 10 p.m. where the joint will be jumpin’ with the Vanguard Jazz
Orchestra. Dinner and cover charge
included.
Value:
Money can’t buy this sort of thing but think $500
Donated
by Mr. and Mrs. H. Stafford Bryant
11.
Big Treat for Yankee Fans in 2005
Four
seats in the famous Jock Whitney box, first row between home and first -- behind
the dugout. You have never seen baseball like this. Yours for an afternoon or
evening game, depending on preference and availability.
Value:
$1,500
Donated
by Frances Hill
12.
Puccini’s Masterpiece: Madame
Butterfly, Friday,
January
28, 2005
Two
seats in Row F center aisle, 117 and 118 on the aisle, in the “must have died
and gone to heaven” section of the famed Met. These seats cost Met supporters
$195 each -- but are never available to the general public.
Donated
by Joanna and Daniel Rose.
13.
Tales
of Hoffman,
Friday, December
10, 2004
Same
two center seats, Row F, 117 & 118 for the Offenbach classic and perennial
favorite. This year's Met production was highly acclaimed. public.
Donated
by Joanna and Daniel Rose.
14.
Memoir of the Bookie's Son, by Sid Offit, and Virtual Love by Avodah Offit
Custom
signed by the author to anyone the bidder suggests.
Value:
Sentimental
Donated by Sidney Offit
15. Guaranteed to make a widow merry!
A bottle of Dom Perignon, 1988 - the Cuvée named for the inventor of champagne now at its peak of lusciousness.
Value:
$150
Donated by Ronald Rosner
16.
Classic Photo by André Kertesz
Chairs
of Paris, 1927, Silver gelatin print 7 5/8" x 9 5/8", handsomely
matted and framed 18"x 22".
Value:
$2,000
Donated by Roger Angell
17. Sail on the High Seas
The
owners will take you on an unforgettable day for one to four persons on the S.
Y. Echo, a 53-foot J160 Sloop recently returned from a trip around the world. A winner of races. Your
day includes gourmet lunch and libations. Port
of embarkation is New York Yacht Club in Newport..
Select a mutually convenient day in May or June.
Value:
$1000
Donated
by John and Nancy Eills
18. Shirley Glubok Tamarin
Shirley
is renowned for her lectures around the world and her talks at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. Her forty-six books range from The Lives of 24 Artists (Dürer to
Picasso) to the art of various cultures (Indian, Eskimos), and she is an
authority on arms and armor. Shirley will show you and a few friends a Met you
never knew - by appointment.
Value: $350
Donated
by Shirley Glubok Tamarin
19. Dinner and Theatre at The Players Club
Dinner and theatre event for two at The Players Club, the historic Edwin Booth townhouse on Gramercy Park, which has its own theatre. The legendary Players Club on Gramercy Park was the favorite club of Stanford White (who belonged to all of them) and Mark Twain. As one has been described as a prude, at least when it came to Titian, and the other as a pervert in his Vanity Fair obit, the club must have range. Here is a chance to see for yourself.
Value: $300
Donated
by John Donnelly
20.
Original Poem by Barbara Hazen
Original
poem to celebrate any occasion -- birthday, wedding or lottery windfall.
Value: Priceless
Donated
by Barbara Hazen
21.
Country Lunch for You and Your Friends
It’s
just 45 minutes to the North Salem horse country and the charming 18th
century home of Charles Dickey. When
not representing Fortune 500 clients, Chick has spent much of his time traveling
in Italy and France, studying the finer points of great cooking.
Chick will cook for up to four guests – but we will auction two places
at a time.
Value:
$150 per person
Donated
by Charles Dickey
22.
Asia Society Private Tour for 4-5
Currently
there are three handsome exhibits that are related in theme and exceptionally
beautiful.
1.
IN THE REALM OF GODS
Selections
from the Polsky Collections and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
2.
WHEN FOLD BLOSSOMS
Indian
Jewelry from the Susan L. Benningson Collection
3.ASIAN
GAMES
The
Art of Contest.
Lindley Kirksey, docent, time to be arranged.
Value:
$50 per person.
Donated by Lindley Kirksey
23.
A Unique Theatre Experience
The home of the Amateur Comedy Club has been a 19th century carriage house, just off Sniffen Court, since 1893. Successful professionals from all walks of life join together to make theatre magic for the pure love of it. Their first production this season will be The Mousetrap; the titles of the three other plays will be announced later. This is a chance to meet very interesting people. Two seats to four Comedy Club plays. Each ticket is worth easily $40.
Donated
by Lois M. Kahan
24.
Art in the Great Tradition!
Adam
Van Doren’s meticulous studio once belonged to Childe Hassam. His exquisite
style – slightly impressionistic – is reminiscent of John Singer Sargent’s
Morocco period. He has been interviewed and featured in the New York Times and
splashed in color in Town & Country (see link on website). His annual show
of new work, held in the historic studio, the giant fireplace ablaze and the
lights of 57th Street streaming though the two-story north wall of glass, is a
New York must. Tout New York parade by Adam’s visions of the Racquet Club, the
Library’s lions, the Yacht Club’s façade, flutes in hand, as if in a Beaux
arts dream. Adam descends directly from the Willam Merritt Chase, James McNeill
Whistler, John Singer Sargent school of gentlemen artists wherein years of study
were required in both Rome and Paris, and bespoke tweeds were de rigueur when
working at the easel. Adam Van Doren will do a water color of your home or
apartment building. This will give you a treasure to frame for the wall and the
possibility of producing note cards, Christmas cards, posters, etc.
Value:
$2,000
Donated
by Adam Van Doren
25. Any Port in a Storm!
One
Bottle 1985 Taylor’s Vintage Port. Bottled
by Taylor Fladgate and Yeatman. Product
of Portugal
Value:
$150
Donated by Jon Lee
26.
Baseball, a film by Ken Burns
The whole nine
VHS cassettes, never opened, never played, pristine.
1.
Our Game
2.
Something like a war
3.
The faith of 50 million people
4.
A national heirloom
5.
Shadow ball
6. The national pastime
7. The capital of baseball
8. A whole new ballgame
9.
Home
Value:
$150
Donated
by Jon Lee
27.
Make Monday Perfect!
Sylvie
Bryant, who oozes charm in both English and French, can guide you and three
friends through the maze of masterpieces at the Metropolitan Museum of Art any
Monday. See blockbuster shows like
China or the American wing. Kids
love the mummies.
Value: Although culture cannot be bought, $300 would go a long way.
Donated by Sylvie Bryant
28.
Delightful Landscape
Acclaimed
artist Gregory Ilich (Art Forum Magazine) has done a spontaneous and charming
study, entitled “Bandshell”. Framed
pastel painting on canvas, 1998, 20’’ x 36”.
Notes on Gregory Ilich: he is an artist currently residing in Manhattan
and longtime Coffee House member. He
has lived in Paris, London, Milan, and Sydney.
After studying at the École
Camondo and the Rhode Island School of Design, Gregory graduated from Brown
University. He then went on to
attend the Graduate School of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania.
In addition, he has attended the School of Visual Arts and Design School
of New York. “Art is my life, my freedom and it is what gives life meaning.”
Gregory Ilich’s expanding body of work will only be stopped by his death.
Please feel free to visit his virtual gallery at website: www.gregoryilich.com---“Take
a look at my vision, my point of view.”
Value:
$800. Reserve $250
Donated by Gregory Ilich
29.
Legendary War Photographer Larry Burrows
The
Vietnam War produced many terrific photographers but none in the same league as
extraordinary LIFE photographer Larry Burrows, who was killed in battle late in
the war. His son Russell
(with his wife Bobbi) have given us one of his great images.
Color print (Type C) unframed
Value: $5,000
Donated
by Russell and Bobbi Burrows
30.
The Best of Laurel and Hardy, 5 VHS Cassettes
New,
never opened, never played
Night
Owl,
The
Hoose-Gow
Perfect
Day,
Berth
Mark,
Men O’ War
Value
for set: $75
Donated
by Jon Lee
31. Fire Island Weekend
Three-bedroom
house in Fair Harbor, Fire Island. Beach
and bay close by. For a
three-day weekend or midweek stay. Date
to be arranged (summer available).
Value:
$700
Donated by Sara Kendall
32.
American House Styles
John
Milnes Baker will create a pen-and-ink drawing of the exterior of your house or
the interior of your apartment, together with an autographed copy of his book, American
House Styles.
Value: $400
Donated by John Milnes Baker
33. Family Treasure
Silver
tray, Romanesque, and art books
Donated
by Louise Espy
34.
4 tickets to Comfort
Women
The
new play by Chungmi Kim brings Korean dance and music to the stage through a
lyrical and compelling play relating the past to the present and on to the
future with a lovely relationship of a grandma from the old world and her
granddaughter, Jina, a student at NYU. The
play is set in New York 1994 when the Japanese Emperor was here to speak at the
UN. Two “comfort” women (i.e.
those forced into military brothels by the Japanese during World War II) from
Korea protesting his visit meet Grandma and Jina.
This powerful encounter changes their relationship and lives.
Value: $200
Donated by Frances Hill
35.
We’ll Always Have Paris!!
Weekend
(or midweek) stay in the guest quarters of a spacious apartment on avenue Victor
Hugo, in the elegant XVI arrondissement of Paris, close to the Arc de Triomphe.
Includes breakfast, a dinner at the local bistro, and two passes to the Louvre
(no waiting!). Members Sylvie Bryant, Barbara Hazen and Sara Kendall report that
“C’est Magnifique.”
Value:
$1,000 - Compare it to the Crillon
Donated
by Marilyn and Jim Palik
36.
Personally Guided Tour of Cyberspace
Be
the guest of honor at a cyber-power-lunch with high-tech guru David
S. Rose at an Internet Café, during which you will receive a
personalized introduction to computers and the Internet. Absolutely no
prior computer experience is required (but the tour will be geared to
the recipient’s background, so even a mega-computer-geek will enjoy it.)
Explore the World Wide Web and all the latest technology with a computer expert
named by Crain’s New York Business as one of the 25 Top Dogs in New York’s
Silicon Alley.
Value: Priceless...plus lunch!
Donated by David Rose
37.
Rare Russian Poster 1932
Julien
Bryan was a devoted member and a global traveler and intrepid filmmaker.
His son and Club Pillar Sam is parting with this last bit of his
fathers’ nostalgic collection. Horizontal
21’’ x 26’’ framed.
Value:
$500 and going up
Donated
by Sam Bryan
38.
Sound City $150 Gift Certificate
Sound
City is the place to go for state of the art plasma TV, sound systems, A/V, etc.
If it plugs in they probably have it. Tell
Mel the Coffee House sent you.
Value: $150
Donated by Sound City
39.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels on Broadway - 2 great seats down front!
Word
of mouth from California says our own David Brown has done it again with the
musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Tryouts in the golden state were Boffo! NY
Previews start January 30, 2005, and show opens March 3.
David will work with you on dates for either preview shows or the regular
run.
Value: $200
Donated by David Brown
40. Chateau d’Yqem Sauterne 1986
An unimaginable taste of luxury.
Value: $350
Donated by Daniel Rose
41.
Champagne Heaven
A
SALMANAZAR of Moët & Chandon champagne (containing the equivalent of 12
regular bottles). The ideal size
for celebrating or drowning your sorrows on Election Night – chill in the
bathtub
Value: $500
Donated
by Yau Choy Lin
42.
Sterling Reputation
English
round mahogany tray with silver–plated gallery and center medallion.
The perfect venue for your decanter of vintage port!
Value:
$200
Donated
by good neighbors Jean’s Silversmiths, 16 West 45th Street
43. Kiss in the Dark
A
haunting original work by Thomas (Theodore) Bostelle, 1969. from Who’s Who
in American Art, 1976 (NY: R.R. Bowker, 1976 : b West Chester , Pa.
Nov. 16, 21; Work: Del Art Mus; West Chester State Col.; Southeast Nat
Bank, Hist Soc,West Chester; Tower Hill Sch, Wilmington, Del; plus other work in
private collections. Comm: Portraits for private collectors. Exhib: Over 50
one-man shows. Bianchini Gallery, 57-60; Selected Artists, 63; Carspecken-Scott,
Wilmington, Del, 75; retrospectives, GeorgeWashington Univ, 69 & Del Wart
Mus,73. Teaching: Instr drawing & painting, Fleischer Art Mem, 52-55; instr,
Wilmington Soc Fine Arts, 56-60; pvt classes, 60- Pos: Aesthetic adv. One
World or None & Stuff for Stuff. Awards:
Four Christian Brinton First Prize Awards & three Wyeth First Prize
Awards, 45-72.
Value: $1,250
Donated by The Coffee House
44. California Dreaming
California Wine Country Vacation!
Sharon and David Beckman, Coffee House transplants to northern
California, will open their house for a two night stay for two.
Fly to San Francisco or Oakland (Jet Blue fares to the latter are
especially affordable), where the Beckmans will meet you.
Pleasures to be had include brilliant northern California sunshine,
Sonoma and Napa wineries, towering redwoods, local food, and the exquisite
Pacific coastline. You’ll have
your own guest room and relax on the Beckman’s redwood deck with a view 20
miles toward the Pacific. Transportation
back to the airport will be arranged.
Value: $1,000
Donated
by Sharon and David Beckman
45. Sterling
Candle Sticks
Perfect
touch for romantic dinners. Appraised
at $300 by Jean’s Silver
Donated by Cathe Giffuni
46. A Touch of Class
Tweed
is the navy blue of the Coffee House
$100
Gift Certificate donated by Jerry Haber at J. Press
47. Oval Rose-toned Crystal Platter
This one-of-a- kind piece by Izabel Lamb, famed crystal and china sculptor featured in Bendal’s and other top retail establishments is sure to be your bragging rights of a lifetime
Value:
$150
Donated by Virginia Joy
48.
Unique African God
This
hand-carved wooden sculpture of a Chieftain procured in a tribal market by a
member on safari in South Africa, is an original and never duplicated handsome
addition to any collection.
Value:
$150
Donated by Josephine Lyons