Rock Island Railroad Reversed Glass Sign SOLD FOR $25,000!!

[Larry White]

One of those nice Railroad signs that Rick liked so much is up for auction on ebay. This one looks very pristine, makes you wonder if Rick restored it.
Rock Island Railroad Reversed Glass Sign Ebay Auction

There's also quite a few other nice old advertising images in this auction of 1500 items.

That train sign will probably only fetch a plate of beans....[/b]

[Tony Segale]

I don't invest in glass.

[Kent Smith]

I think this is the one that had minor damage in the lower areas and Rick restored it back in the 80's. I have heard of it on display in Ann Arbor at U Mich. (Judi's uncle is Prof emeritis) but no details. Since there are only a couple dozen of these, I hope the value is maintained for the sake of collectors and those of us who repair glass signs.

[Larry White]

Yes indeed...quite valuble items. This sign had 42 bids from the auction floor and closed at $25,000. WOW!!!

-WB

[Tony Segale]

you have a right to make a profit, too.

[Larry White]

Got wind of another Rock Island pearl train picture listed on ebay. The auction listing had some good photos along with some history. I figured I'd capture it and post it here so it doesn't get lost. I'll keep an eye on this to see what it sells for. It's listed with an opening bid of $10,000, with a reserve price. Enjoy!

















This is still in good condition with some damages from years of hanging where steam was years ago. The damage is along some windows of the train cars. The picture has been protected by the current owner with plexi glass and another frame. The picture measures 93"long and 30"wide and 4"deep with frame and all. This picture is very large and very heavy, the best way to protect this historical picture would be to pick it up from owner, but we are looking into shipping possiblities. This is a very rare picture and has been cherished for many years. The Mother Of Pearl is beautiful on this train and the detail is phenomenal. The pictures do not do this picture justice and with any research you can see the value and detail.
The engine is an 801, the tender says Rock Island, then Rock Island 1684.Rock Island Observation 1674,Rock Island Dining Car 1812, Observation, Rock Island Swanhilda and Pullman Circassia Car
Shipping and Handling is the buyers responsiblity and we can discuss how you want to ship this item or if you would like to pick it up from the owner. Cashiers check is the only way you can pay for this item and it will need to be made out to the owner. (I am not the owner) Again, Shipping costs will have to be made after it is sold so we can take this item to a Shipping company that will pack and secure its safety. This is a very large and very fragile item. We will work together to get it to you safely.
Please read the information I found on the internet it is very interesting.
BACKGROUND ON MOTHER-OF-PEARL PICTURES


Do you remember the "pearl train" pictures that the Rock Island made as
passenger traffic advertisements way back in the early 80's and 90's?

Perhaps you can see one of these pearl trains glistening as you even
today from the wall of some hotel lobby or at an occasional passenger station
along the 8,209 miles of the Rock Island Lines. For some thirty or forty years
ago these ornate pictures, with insets of shiny pearl along the engine cab
and sides of the coaches, were much in demand. Two of them, it is remembered,
were sent as exhibits by the Rock Island to the European Exposition at the opening
of the Eiffel Tower.

From the Rock Island research material it is found that around 1880 a
veteran car builder in the 47th Street Shops, Mr. Andrea T. Gavell, developed
a technique of working on the glass faces of a number of clocks which
were later put in the executive offices. As an outgrowth of his artistry, he
produced some small three-quarter view pictures of a train located near La Salle,
Illinois.

Mr. Gavell, in later years, described the method of painting the pictures as
follows: "After the design of the object had first been drawn on a conve-
nient size of paper, a clean glass, the size of the intended picture, is placed
over it and the design very carefully traced in black oil color, following very
carefully the line on the underlying paper. Then the surrounding landscape is
painted on, free-hand, as well as it is possible to accomplish this. When this
is done and well backed up, it is also allowed to dry very hard. The open
spaces formed by the black lines on locomotives and cars are then glazed
over with transparent colors, that is, the places on the picture representing
windows, doors, curve of the boiler, etc. When this also has been thoroughly
dried, thin pieces of pearl, pieces from a quarter of an inch to an inch big, are
placed over the glazed open spaces, using clear white Demar varnish as an
adhesive. This, when thoroughly dried, finishes the picture and when the
glass is reveresed, will reveal the success of the work."

Since these were free-hand drawings and paintings, each individually
handeled, the results showed quite a variation, not only in color, but in
the type of locomotive used and in placement of cars in the train.

Mr. Gavell's technique was adopted by other craftsmen who were experts
at carving and inlaying of mother-of-pearl in the construction of the old
Rock Island observation cars. The result was that engines were of different
types and bore different numbers, and the trains depicted were of different
lengths. We have no accurate knowledge of how many of these might have
been created in the early days, but shortly after the turn of the century, due
to quite a demand for the mother-of-pearl inlays, the Rock Island obtained
bids on a commercial basis, and the Western Sand Blast Company of Chicago
was awarded a contract. We have a record that the contract called for 50
pictures over a period of two years, and it appears we paid $50 for each.

The mother-of-pearl picture we have on display at the First National Bank
is a view of a train crossing the plains with the Rocky Mountains forming
a backdrop, Engine and Tender #1101, U.S. Express, #621 Chair Car, two sleeping
cars and a dining car.

The text between the asterisks (* * *) appears to have come from the Rock
Island. The last two sentences were deleted and the additional text added by the
bank.

In 1986, The Villanova Preparatory School of Ojai, California advertised a RI
mother-of-pearl picture in TRAINS magazine. I wrote them and they replied
saying that it was sold in September to the Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway
Company of Colorado Springs. They included the original RI text above.

Here are confirmed and possible locations of the mother of pearl
paintings that the Rock Island gave to its biggest customers:

1. Clyde's bar on M Street Northwest in the Georgetown section of
Washington, DC confirmed by telephone 5/21/1999
2. Clyde's bar in Tyson's (Corners) VA confirmed by telephone
5/22/1999
3. One listed in a book from an auction house in New York City in
1996 (info from Clyde's bartender)
4. Private home in DC yeah - big help, Pick (perhaps No. 2?)
5. Venachen's or Venachin's Junction, a Hyatt House dining room
in Peoria (no telephone listing 5/22/1999)
6. RR Museum at Knott's Berry Farm in Los Angeles (will try to
confirm by phone later - closed)
7. Best one he'd seen: Travel Office at the Broadmoor Hotel in
Colorado Springs (will try to confirm later)
8. Broadmoor Hotel basement in Colorado Springs in poor condition
9. Broadmoor Hotel basement in Colorado Springs damaged beyond
recognition
10. Destroyed in a hotel fire in Michigan
11. Pick Temple's, possibly in the Phoenix area, his notes say
he paid $500-$600 for it in the 1950s
Pick Temple actually saw numbers 5, 6, and 7. The above
information was hand written in a Copy of Hayes' Iron Road to
Empire which was given to Pick Temple which was on a list of
books from a Scottsdale, AZ railroad hobby store which was going
out of business.
12. The copy Maytag had and is now in the Iowa State Historical
museum (or library?) in Des Moines.
According to Temple, 15 were made, so that leaves 5 unaccounted
for as of almost 20 years ago. Where they are now is anyone's
guess other than number 12.
One of them may be in the Chicago Historical Society in the same
room as the "Pioneer" locomotive of the CN&W.

-AHO!

[Bobbie Rochow]

Wow! This is fascinating! This is Indiana Jones material! I would LOVE to see one of those in real life, what treasures they are!

I can picture kent Smith with his Indie hat on, on the trail of #13!

[Tony Segale]

that scenery and train...

has given me a few ideas.

[Billy Pickett]

...Rick Glawson visited here in Sept. 2001 to purchase, prepare and package one of these trains for shipping to his place in Ca. He bought it from a very local antique dealer for (if I remember correctly) $2000. We set it up (horizontally, face up) in my shop, and to "stabilize" it for shipping and arrest any further popping paint, Rick spent a day carefully massaging (using Q tips) a mix of thinned varnish between it's blistering paint (in small areas) and the glass. It had larger holidays that he would paint in later. We boxed it up, and (on Sept. 10th) I drove it to a specialized art shipper up in Maryland. I think they were planning to fly it across country, (but due to the terrorist attacks on the 11th) ended up driving it instead. (!) ...Then later (again if I remember correctly), he sold it for $25,000. Its shipping probably cost him as much as he paid for it.

[Kent Smith]

Nice History...does not look like the original frame. Interesting.

A few years ago there was another one in the Hotel Denver in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. I cannot lay my hands (or mouse) on the photos to check the number on the engine. They used to have a photo of their lobby on their website and you could see it on the wall to the left of the main desk.

[Kent Smith]

Update: In the history section, the Hotel Denver site has info on their train. www.thehoteldenver.com