Pilgrimage Prints

Michael Ivankovich Antiques is pleased to have been once again selected to offer at our June 2nd Auction a very rare and unique Wallace Nutting collectible...Pilgrimage Prints. We originally sold this book at Auction #23 on June 23, 1995...and again at Auction #50 on June 21, 2002.

This cloth-covered, string-bound portfolio book/picture album consists of 25 separate pages, each 14"xl8", featuring a Black & White picture on a non-indented paper matting. Most pictures are titled (lower left) and signed (lower right), with either the earliest "W over N" signature, or the more standard "Wallace Nutting" pencil signature. The title on the hard-bound cloth-covered cover is hand-printed.

We believe that this was probably Nutting's first assembled "Book" of pictures (with subsequent "Books" being the "Up at the Vilas Farm" and "Old New England Pictures"). Pilgrimage Prints consists of pictures that Nutting had taken while on his 1904 "Cruise of the 800" throughout the Mediterranean Sea region. Most pictures are from Italy, Palestine, Egypt, Greece, Malta, etc., and generally represent some of Nutting's earliest and rarest work.

Although throughout the years we have seen single framed pages from what we believe were other Pilgrimage Prints books, we are presently aware of no other complete Pilgrimage Prints books still in existence.

What Do We Know About Pilgrimage Prints?

We know that this is the same Pilgrimage Prints book that we sold on June 23, 1995…and on June 21, 2002...where it has resided in a private collection.

Prior to that Pilgrimage Prints had been owned by a member of the Wallace Nutting Collectors Club for many years. It was periodically mentioned in early Wallace Nutting Collectors Club Newsletters, and was publicly shown and displayed by the former owners at a previous Wallace Nutting Auction/Wallace Nutting Collectors Club Annual Convention.

Pilgrimage Prints was also photographed for an article that had been published on the former owners.

Prior to 1995, the former owners offered Pilgrimage Prints for sale. In an open letter to members of the Wallace Nutting Collectors Club and other potential purchasers, this item was described as follows:

"…A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE PILGRIMAGE PRINTS ALBUM:

IN 1987 WE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM A WOMAN IN PASADENA, CALIFORNIA. SHE WAS A VINTAGE CLOTHING DEALER AND A CUSTOMER HAD BROUGHT AN ALBUM OF BLACK & WHITE WALLACE NUTTING '1CTURES INTO HER STORE ALONG WITH OVER A DOZEN OTHER BLACK & WHITE PICTURES WHICH WERE ON THIN RAG PAPER MATS. ALL THE PICTURES WERE TITLED AND SIGNED BY W.N. IN PENCIL. THE OWNER WANTED TO SELL THE ALBUM AND LOOSE PICTURES AND THE STORE OWNER WAS TO ACT AS A GO-BETWEEN. NEEDLESS TO SAY WE WERE THERE THE NEXT MORNING AND AFTER LOOKING EVERYTHING OVER WE STRUCK A DEAL AND BOUGHT EVERYTHING. AT THAT TIME THE STORE OWNER TOLD US THE FOLLOWING REGARDING THE HISTORY OF THE ALBUM AND PICTURES. THE ORIGINAL OWNER WAS A MINISTER FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK. HE AND HIS WIFE (THE SELLER) HAD BEEN WITH NUTTING ON THE "CRUISE OF THE 800" TO THE HOLY LAND AND AFTER THE CRUISE NUTTING HAD MADE UP THE ALBUM AND PRESENTED IT TO HIS FRIEND AS A GIFT. PRESUMABLY THE LOOSE PICTURES WERE ALSO GIVEN TO HIM AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. AT THE TIME THE GO-BETWEEN PROMISED TO PUT US IN TOUCH WITH THE SELLER, A PROMISE SHE NEVER KEPT EVEN THOUGH WE CALLED HER SEVERAL TIMES. WE SUSPECT THAT, FOR HER OWN REASONS, SHE DID NOT WANT US TO COME IN CONTACT WITH THE OWNER/SELLER.

SO THAT'S ALL WE WERE ABLE TO FIND OUT REGARDING THE FOLIO/ALBUM AND THE LOOSE PICTURES THAT ACCOMPANIED IT. IT WAS APPARENT TO US THAT THE GO-BETWEEN KNEW THAT THE FOLIO HAD SOME VALUE BUT SHE DID NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT WALLACE NUTTING OR HIS PICTURES. IN FACT, SHE KNEW SO LITTLE THAT WE WERE QUITE SURE THAT THE STORY SHE TOLD US REGARDING THE HISTORY OF THE FOLIO WAS GENUINE AS YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE A BIT OF A NUTTING PERSON TO MAKE UP SUCH A TALE.

THE FOLIO CONSISTS OF 25 PAGES OF WHITE RAG PAPER. EACH PAGE SERVING AS A MAT FOR ONE BLACK AND WHITE PICTURE. IT CONSISTS OF A PHOTOGRAPHIC TRAVEL-LOG OF THE HOLY LAND CRUISE OF THE 800. SINCE IT IS SUCH A UNIQUE AND UNUSUAL ITEM WE KNOW THAT THE MAJORITY OF W.N. COLLECTORS WOULD NOT BE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING IT. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED, JUST SENT ME A NOTE OR CALL AND I WILL SEND YOU A FAIRLY DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FOLIO AND IT'S CONTENTS. PERHAPS I SHOULD MENTION THAT OF THE TWENTY FIVE PICTURES IN THE ALBUM FOURTEEN OF THEM ARE, WE BELIEVE, ONE-OF-A-KIND SINCE THEY DO NOT APPEAR IN THE ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF W.N.'s WORKS IN MIKE IVANKOVICH's BOOK ON THE SUBJECT. AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE "BY THE SEA, CAPRI", A PHOTO OF A SECTION OF A BEACH VILLAGE WITH SEVERAL DORY TYPE BOATS DRAWN UP ONTO THE SAND AND SEVERAL VILLAGERS ALONG WITH ONE OR TWO PEOPLE IN THE BLACK CLOTHING WORN BY MINISTERS OF THAT ERA. SOME OF THE "800" MEMBERS NO DOUBT. OUR ASKING PRICE FOR THE FOLIO, WITH ITS 25 PICTURES IS..."

Please remember these were the written words of the former owners of the Pilgrimage Prints book, not the Michael Ivankovich Auction Company, Inc.)

How Does One Determine the Appropriate Value on a Rarity Such as This?

The best place to start is an area that we are reluctant to discuss, but something that must be addressed... the break-up value of the look. This particular book consists of 25 Black & White matted pictures, most of which are rare or unusual, many of which are titled and/ or signed, and each of which is capable of being framed. So the beginning point in determining an approximate value would be the sum total value of 25 individual pictures.

This number should be adjusted by the rarity of this book. Although we obviously cannot guarantee that no other copies of this book will surface, this is the only copy of Pilgrimage Prints known to us, and we have been unable to locate any other Wallace Nutting collector who can positively confirm the existence of another copy.

And finally, we will leave it up to you to form your own perception of this condition of this book.

This Is How We Are Selling This Book

Upon a close inspection of the book, we found that some of the 'Wallace Nutting Signatures" contained in the book were signatures hat we recognized as authentic. There are other signatures on some pages that we did not recognize. Perhaps these signatures are very early and were applied by an individual who did not sign later pictures; perhaps these signatures were added more recently. We do not know. Although we do guarantee that all of the pictures in this book are original Wallace Nutting pictures, we cannot guarantee each and every "Wallace Nutting Signature" with 100% certainty, and we are selling this Pilgrimage Prints book as such.

The information contained in this description is all we know about the background of Pilgrimage Prints, and this is how we are selling it.

This lot will be offered with a $5,000 Reserve. If we receive a Starting Bid of $5,000, we will continue to sell this item to the highest bidder. If we do not receive a Starting Bid of $5,000,we will withdraw the item and return it to the Consignor.

Because of the unique nature and special value associated with this item, Pilgrimage Prints will not be made available for open inspection during the Auction Preview. We will conduct periodic, publicly-announced viewings during the Preview. Serious bidders are invited to schedule a private and confidential inspection anytime prior to the sale. Absentee and Live Telephone bidding is encouraged for those interested bidders unable to attend the actual sale. However, we strongly recommend that all prospective Bidders, or their designated representative, inspect the book to their personal and professional satisfaction prior to bidding. Settlement must be in the form of Cash, Certified or Bank Check, or pre-approved personal or business check.

Titles in "Pilgrimage Prints"
Title	Type of Signature
1) Grosser Kurturst at Malta	W over N
2) Sunset Farewell to Malta	W over N
3) Temple to Olympian Lows, Athens	W over N
4) Diagonal of Parthenon, 1904	W over N
5) Amalfi	Wallace Nutting
6) Pergola, Amalfi	Wallace Nutting
7) Amalfi -Sorrento Road	Wallace Nutting
8) St. Paul's Bay	Wallace Nutting
9) Temple of Jupiter, Baalbec	Wallace Nutting
10) Monolith, Baalbec	Wallace Nutting
11) The Approach to Constantinople	W over N
12) Via Dolorosa	W over N
13) Section, Via Dolorosa	Wallace Nutting
14) Gesthomane	Wallace Nutting
15) On the Way to Bethany	Wallace Nutting
16) By the Nile (Copy)	Unsigned
17) Street in Positano	Wallace Nutting
18) On the Stairs	W.N.
19) Sorrento-Amalfi Road	Wallace Nutting
20) Valle de Moline	Wallace Nutting
21) On the Heights	Wallace Nutting
22) By the Sea, Capri	Wallace Nutting
23) Marina, Capri	Wallace Nutting
24) At the Well (Sorrento)	W over N
25) Under the Cliff	Script