Saturday Morning, September 12, 2026
Too Many Fish in the Sea
One aardvark meets another and they mate. One robin meets another and they nest. One porcupine meets another and they, well, court carefully. The natural order of life. Giraffes are a different breed. Divided into four distinct species, notable by their markings, they do not crossbreed. A North African giraffe would not be found comingling with a South African. Nor would a Reticulated giraffe be caught hanging out with a Masai model. Why? It is not for us to conjecture. It is a just so story. Mind you own damn business say the giraffes.
Lladro figure, 18" H.
Fenwick & Sailors sterling cufflinks. The Gods laughing at us.
This arrangement raises an interesting question. Are all species this specific with whom they mate? Or is it only the Homo Sapiens?
Bud and John Fenwick & Ovid Sailors, working post WWII and into the seventies, created jewelry from their Hollywood location, selling their products worldwide in select boutiques. One client, Bob Hope, was an avid buyer.
Does a male alligator choose a female by the way she looks sunning on the bank? Does a male tarantula swing over to a female web because he notices her legs? Humans do. In Darwin's natural order, only the strongest survive. He says nothing about their appearance. All this jabberwocky boils down to one question. What is beauty?
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
And redheads. And brunettes. What do women seek? Adventure first, stability second, Fabios last. Actually, men and women are attracted to each other for many reasons. Looks, personality, success, and for certain, kindness and comfort. Much easier to live under a Bermuda high than a Nebraska tornado.
Hand painted miniature - Miss Gertrude Wood, by Chris Adams (1867-1960), Caversham Heights, Reading, Berkshire, England. Chris Adams, so successful in miniature portraiture, was commissioned to paint two miniature portraits for Queen Mary's doll house.
One fact is obvious. It takes more than looks to rear children together. The threshold to a relationship is the initial activation point. A spark. How our cosmetic and fashion industries know this. Billions are spent on polishing the positive. Olfactory senses unite! Today we can blush and tuck, from dentistry to surgery. Despite all this glitter, beneath the cornerstone lies the gold.
Austrian .900 silver guilloche enameled dresser box, by George Adam Scheid (1837-1921), Vienna
Beauty and the Least
In the 1950's, Marilyn Monroe defined beauty. From her calendar to her movies, she set the bar. Celebrities. Endorsements. The kudos never ending.
Brian English, Wrestlers, silver gelation print, 2/25.
Where the Boys Are. A 1960's movie exploring teenage sexuality. The scene was Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The story unfolds like a Tennessee Williams play, with the same horrid climax. But the movie would define the movement known today to every collegiate as Spring Break.
Then, one day, from England, arrived a pretender, a waif. Her name? Twiggy. As thin as a wafer, and armed with a miniskirt, she seized the title. Five feet, six inches tall and 91 pounds, this 1960's starlet influenced a boomer generation. One high school after another slammed down a dress code to no avail. Useless rhetoric blocking pheromones.
Leather and silver bridle, fit enough to control any male.
And the men? They just bobbled and ogled along, like dancing balls on Mitch Miller's television show. No news here. Twiggy's closest competition was the Prell girl, soon to be followed by the RC girl. The counterpoint for the males was the Marlboro man. He-man for sure. But who wanted to date a guy smelling of stale smoke and a horse stable?
Beauty's Only Skin
A pop hit recorded aptly by the Temptations. But beauty is not determined by an ad agency, or a Hollywood agent. Beauty's depth reaches fathoms, Facebook's four hundred friends ephemeral. As we age, we soon realize beauty is better defined as commitment. Sharing life with someone who will stand by you, no matter the challenges, no matter the hardships.
Comic books define the absurdity in life.
Wide selection this week.
We witness this testament often, elderly couples walking hand-in-hand. Time has bent their backs, aged their skin, stole their senses. No outward flirtation here. Just a deep love. A relationship honed in youth now patinated in the later years. All superficiality stripped. In this resides true beauty, unpasteurized, non-homogenized, good until your last drop.
Doors open at 8 AM. Auction starts at 9 AM. PA AU 1265L [bb]