An Auction in Kansas
I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan. How I learned about an auction in Effingham, Kansas on February 15, 2014 is beyond me. I must have been surfing on the Internet when I came across the notice. The auction was being held at a farmhouse to liquidate farm implements, clothing and other miscellaneous items. So why was this of interest to me? Because nestled among all the other items were 3 - three sheet posters for Sarah Bernhardt films. Wow! I had done a great deal of research about Bernhardt and had never see these posters. Neither had my friend, David W. Menefee, who had written two books about her. They were a real find!
It was two weeks until the auction. I wanted to bid remotely but the auctioneers were not amenable to this. They were local people, not established auctioneers, and were not interested in remote offers. I was hot to bid but the location was seven hundred and fifty miles away – over eleven hours by car! I obsessed and obsessed and decided to let the excitement wane and opportunity pass. Then, the day before the auction I changed my mind. I jumped in my car and drove to the auction, staying in a hotel about an hour away that night.
There were so many items on the docket, it would take more than a day for everything to be dealt with. Half way through the first day I asked if the posters could be brought forward sooner. The auctioneers agreed.
As it turned out, the posters were in poor condition, even crumbling in places. They were, after all, over one hundred years old and had been stored under less than ideal conditions. I was still interested, recognizing I would have to invest some money to have them restored.
At first, the bidding went well. No one else was interested. I bought the first poster for a song. Then, others in the crowd saw this lady (me) from the big city bidding and began to prop up the price by joining in the bidding. The prices were now elevated. I still managed to buy the second poster. The bids for the third poster were sky high. I wanted the poster but was about to drop out when the last bidder besides me stopped bidding! I bought all three posters. When I averaged the cost of all three, it was still acceptable.
So how in the world did these three posters end up in a farmhouse in Effingham, Kansas? Evidently, the woman who lived there had gone to a local college where there was a prop room. At some point, drama students had been told they could go into the prop room and take something they liked. She had taken the posters which remained rolled up in an attic area for well over half a century.
Ultimately, I had a company that restores old posters partially restore them. Each one was put in a bath to remove its backing. They were then affixed to museum quality, acid-free canvas. The posters are rolled up and stored now and will be used on the set for my movie musical, Bernhardt On Broadway.
But that’s not the end of the story… On the way home from Effingham, a severe weather alert snow storm materialized. I was on the road and within minutes I couldn’t see more than ten feet ahead of me. I did see a tall sign at a distance for what looked like a motel. The sign, however, was blank. Not knowing what to do, I pulled off the expressway and drove with difficulty to the building by the sign. It was clear that the business was not in operation. But there were a few cars in the parking lot. I was desperate. I got out, went to the front door and started banging. After several minutes, someone answered the door. She explained the building was newly acquired and while they were planning to go into business soon, they were not operating as a hotel yet. I explained my predicament. We both knew my situation was desperate due to the weather. She invited me in, found bedding and set me up in one of the rooms. Really, this scene was something out of a Grade B horror movie. Luckily, it was real life with kind people who were willing to help.
The next day I headed home with my new-to-me, old three sheet posters for La Tosca and Camille – starring Sarah Bernhardt. Happy ending. :)