Gamage Antiques - your source for Antiques, Appraisals, Auctions and much more

Important Estates Auction

Saturday, January 17th, 2026, 12:00 noon

Josiah Hook items

1/17/26 auction list

Previews: Fri. 3:00-6:00pm, Sat. 9:00am-12:00pm

Rockland Elks Lodge, 210 Rankin Street, Rockland, Maine

I am pleased to present our Annual Winter Estates Auction this year! Historic items from the Philip Booth estate of Castine, Me. and the Francis Bush estate from Camden and Brewer, Me. along with a plethora of fresh to the market estate items. The Booth estate housed several important American history items. Booth being a descendent of Josiah Hook (1774-1827) the Main St. Castine house was home to several Josiah Hook items including an important 18 th c. portrait of Hook attributed to John Brewster, Jr.(1766-1854). Also, Hook’s original 1802 appointment as Inspector of Revenue for the Port of Penobscot, signed by President Thomas Jefferson, a rare 18 th c. tall clock by Daniel Balch of Newburyport, Ma., and his North Shore tambour desk with eagle inlaid door, and more!

Other auction highlights include: Important pre-surrealist oil by Giorgio De Chirico (1888-1978) fresh from a famous American artist’s family collection, Russian Imperial tea service by Andrey Alexandrov (circa 1908), rare lithograph titled, “A view of Castine from Hospital Island,” by Fitz Henry Lane (1804-1865), 18k gold pocket watch belonging to D.H Rivers of Thomaston, Me., Captain of the ship A.G.Ropes. The watch was presented to him by the British Government for his kindness and humanity of the shipwrecked crew of the Barque Glanperis, off Cape Horn in 1892, a quarter plate ambrotype of Castine, Me. showing the landscape, houses, etc., map of Penobscot Bay dated 1776 by Joseph F.W. Des Barres, several Native American beaded items from a Maine collection including peace pipes, tobacco bags, vest, drum, early eye dazzler rug, pipe bag, sheath with eagle sword, and more. Lots of good sterling silver flatware and hollowware items, 150 American silver Morgan and Peace dollars, Province of Maine 1794 map by Samuel Lewis, wonderful selection of American period furniture from the Francis Bush estate including a fine inlaid secretary desk, Chippendale tall blanket chest, Boston Sheraton bow front chest, rosewood chest/cabinet by Stephen Smith, Boston cabinetmaker (circa 1830), Civil War items include a Sharps and Hankins .52 cal. Carbine, Manhattan Arms pepperbox pistol, several swords, belt, and more. A rare 1912 porcelain motorcycle license plate and a collected set of Maine from 1914-1949, fine mahogany brass inlaid captain’s travel desk, several oriental rugs, collectibles of all kinds.

Try not to miss this one! It will be the biggest little auction in Maine this winter. I will not disappoint you ! We gladly except absentee and live phone bidding.

My best, Bruce

Directions: Take Rte. 1A by-pass in Rockland on Broadway and follow auction signs at Rankin Street


Josiah Hook (1774-1827) attrib. to John Brewster Jr. (1776-1854), 24x30in.	This portrait was featured in the July 1980 edtion of the Magazine Antiques	Very important historical piece of Americana


Josiah Hook's original appointment signed by President Thomas Jefferson 1802	Also signed by James Madison	Pair of Chinese carved wall shelves


Rare coffin top tall clock by Daniel Balch, (1761-1835) Newburyport, Ma.


Hook's Federal North Shore Ma. tambour desk with eagle inlay, circa 1800



Impotant oil by Giorgio De Chirico (1888-1978), pre- surrealist era, 5in.x7in. image size. Fresh from the family collection of Ben Mildwoff, 1907-1991, designer, art collector



Original lithograph, (A view of Castine from Hospital Island) by Fitz Henry Lane, 1855, 26x35in.


Ambrotype of Castine, Maine quarter plate


Map of Penobscot Bay by Des Barres, 1776


Early Caucasian runner, 3'2in.x 9'7in. circa 1910


Samual Lewis map of the Province of Maine, 1794		Inuit items including a walrus baculum, or penis bone


Russian Imperial silver tea service by Andrey Alexandrov, Moscow, circa 1908 - 71 troy oz.


Fine brass inlaid captains travel desk, circa 1860


	Josiah Hook's Hebrew Bible


Historic 18k Presentation watch, Capt. D.H. Rivers from the British Government, 1892


Delicate Sheraton secretary desk with fine inlay, circa 1810


Early country work table with stretcher base		Early Maine license plates and more !



Set of Maine license plates 1914-1949


Native American dreamer tobacco bag, probably Sioux		Vintage farmstand sign, 22in.x60in.


Native American tomahawk pipe with beaded bag. 24in.


Native American coin silver pipe axe with beaded handle, 14in.


Native American beaded sword with Shannon Miller sword


Native American beaded vest		Scrimshaw whale tooth by the late Bob Spring scrimshaw master


lot of 6 Native American pouches		Canton china separate lots.



Native American painted drum in original okra paint, 6in.


	Southwest turquoise and silver concho belt


	Eye Dazzler Navajo rug, 58in.x 94in. circa 1910



	Caved Eider drake decoy with mussle in mouth25.


Southwest oil on canvas s Robert Franklin Gault, 1918, 18in.x24in.


	Manhattan Arms pepperbox pistol


Rare Sharps and Hankin carbine, 19in. barrel, .52 cal. Pat. 1859


	19th c wooden canteen, cica 1840, 11in. t.


Maine decorated dome box, circa 1830		. Large selection of Canton China sold as (1) lot


Early American tall blanket chest		Tray with (6) sculptures by Nina Scott- Hansen, sea serpents etc.


Persian hand woven carpet, 9'2in.x 12'9in		Adirondak chairs lot of (3)


19th c. custom made cabinet by Stephen Smith, Boston, circa 1840, 24in x 67in.		Folk Art painting of old gentleman sitting in the park, signed Sterling, 14in.x18in.


Oil painting by Franklin Gault, 1898-1977, Washington and Lafayette, 19x 27in. circa 1918.


18th c Governor Winthop slant front desk, old refinish, 37in. w.		Pair of sandwich glass peg lamps


Hand carved Folk Art eagle wall shelf		Emeralite desk lamp


. Early Native American Navajo woven rug, 31.5x 40.5 in.


	Chinese bronze Tang style horses, 30in. tall


	Boston Sheraton bowfront chest


Art Deco slag glass table lamp		Diamond dinner ring, approx. 1.25ct. 14k


Original sign from the Castine Meeting House, 3 pieces, needs restoration.


Early slipware bowl, 11.5 in.		Diamond dinner ring, 14k


Dress sword with shark skin pommel and tassle		Wonderful Royal Satsuma palace vases, 19in. tall


Early bronze fish head sculpture, circa 1880, 9in. t.		Double sided R.R. wooden sign, 16in.x48in.


Important table top tambour desk, purported to be from the Woolworth Estate, Winthrop, Me.		Persian Bidjar geometric rug, 5'3inc6'4in.


Bronze by Henryk Kossowski, 1855-1921, (Old Salt), 17in. t.


19th c. Calligraphy of a swan, 12in.x16in		Lady Liberty match striker, circa 1880


Great little oil seascape on board, unsigned with gallery label, 11in.x14in.


	Rare French majolica (Wet Dog in a Barrel), 10in.


Mixed media painting attrib. to Philip Barter, b.1939, 14in.x24in.		Pair of Black Americana tobacco ads. 20in.x29in. each


Rare set of (6) Black Americana ads, Old Virgina Cheroots and Duke's mixture, 1902, 15inx19in.


	Persian runner, 2'8in.x9'6in.


Automobile mascot of a gazelle by Sabino Art Glass, Paris		Great little oak desk box


Rare hand painted roll-up map of the world, 28in.x34in.		Collection of wonderful leather boxes


Fine Chinese silk embrodery, gold and silver thread, 19th c., 34in.x34in.



Lot of (3) cast iron still banks, excellent condition and paint


Native American coil basket		Collection of Native American sweetgrass baskets, collected in Maine


	(2) Van Briggle art pottery vases


Copeland Parian sculpture, 14in.		19thc. oil painting of a cat sitting on a tree stump looking at birds. unsigned, 8in.x12in.


Sterling silver	Sterling silver	Sterling silver


Sterling silver	Sterling silver	Sterling silver


Sterling silver	Sterling silver	Sterling silver


Oil by Mattilda H. Turner, b.1869, Annisquam, Ma. cottage, 9in.x12in.		Shaker sewing rocker #4


Renaissance pewter wall sculpture of Perseus, 14in.x18in. circa 1880		Hand signed Franklin D. Roosevelt print, some foxing, 18in.x24in.


Watercolor by Henry W. Rice, 1853-1932, 12in.x18in.		Store display case, Sheaffer's


Gold gilded sword with scabbard		Early cast iron lot


Rare canted gathering basket with swing handle		Costume jewelry


Abstract painting, heavy application in Art Deco frame, 8.5in.x9.5in		Bowditch's American Practical Navigator, 1914


Foreign Quarterly Review 1835		Persian enamel plate and purses


Joseph Conrad, Life and Letters, 2 vols. 1927		Chinese Ancestral portrait,


19th c. chest in old red paint		Bradley and Hubbard bookends


Rare hand forged broad axe dated 1744		Oil by William E. Greet, 1928-2010, 36in.x48in.


Abstact oil, Shirt Tail Point, Camden, Me., 16in.x20in.		Early toleware trays


Yarn collage, 24in.		tray loy of early choppers


(2) Folk Art airplanes made from matchsticks, incredible work		Boxed microscope


Etching of ducks in the marsh		Tea tins


Watercolor by Majorie Vickers Very, 1895-1985, 10in.x14in.