Television Producer Auctions Off A Lifetime of Collecting
Last year we covered the listing of the house of television producer Douglas S. Cramer, whose credits include TV series such as "Dynasty" and "The Love Boat." Cramer and his partner, artist and writer Hugh Bush had relocated from California to Roxbury, Connecticut to Dogwood Farm, a charming 11,000 sq. ft. collection of converted barns on a 130-acre estate. Now that house has been sold off and much of the furniture and and artwork is being sold through Stair Galleries on June 26.The 500-piece sale will include all of the contents of the farmhouse with proceeds of some sales benefiting select charities including: The Miami City Ballet, The New York City Center for Dance, Save the Children, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and a trio of Miami Art Museums. Mr. Cramer and Mr. Bush have moved to Florida where they are at work on their latest home (number 19!).
The auction features a collection of furniture selected for the couple by celebrated style icons: David Anthony Easton, Michael Taylor, Mica Ertegun & Chessy Rayner of MAC II and Nicky Haslam, all of whom designed residences for Mr. Cramer in California, Connecticut, Martha's Vineyard and the Caribbean and have been featured in a number of publications including Architectural Digest, Vogue, Vanity Fair, W Magazine, Elle Décor and House & Garden. The sale is a collector's dream with offerings including Staffordshire China; King Charles Spaniels in porcelain, paint or bronze; Mercury glass; Georgian and Victorian English Furniture; American, French, Italian, and Chinese furniture; Oriental rugs; Tribal artifacts and antique garden appointments including Regency benches, limestone finials, and a pair of life-size 18th Century carved limestone lions.
"Shopping around the world for wonderful home furnishings is as exciting as looking for fabulous art to adorn a house. Both pursuits have been longtime passions of mine, shared with Hugh Bush, over the past two decades. Dogwood Farm was my favorite residence of the eighteen that I've owned and loved," said Cramer in a press release. Cramer is the former President of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art and a current Board Member of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and has many prints and posters by artists such as Ellsworth Kelly, Josef Albers, Jim Dine, David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, Robert Motherwell, and Robert Rauschenberg, many of which are personally signed to him.
The sale includes "MADE IN CALIFORNIA," a striking, bright-orange, limited edition lithograph initialed, dated, and inscribed by Cramer's friend, pop-artist, Ed Ruscha. Also included in the sale are a Warhol print from his famed Flower series, as well as posters from the Torso and the American Indian series, which were gifts from Warhol after he appeared in an episode of "The Love Boat." The piece shown at right, a screen print of "Flowers" is estimated at $20,000 to $40,000 and proceeds from the sale of this lot will be donated to the NY City Center restoration fund. Lots also include gifts from Candy and Aaron Spelling.
Prices for lots start at around $250. You can bid in person, by phone, or online through www.artfact.com.
