The Pioneer American Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Donald A. Shelley

The Pioneer American Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Donald A. Shelley, Realized Total: $9,778,129, 850/853 lots sold, 100% sold. Donal A. Shelley was born in York, Pennsylvania on July 11, 1911. His remarkable life was shaped through his pursuit of personal academic achievement and later, the education of others via his museum work as a curator and a lecturer. His many articles and books pertaining to American decorative arts are still regarded as excellent resources by scholars. *He began his education at The Pennsylvania State College, where in 1932 he received a B.A. in Fine Arts. A Masters in Art History from Harvard University followed in 1933. He then spent several years at Teachers College at Columbia University during which time he and Esther were married. The young couple was then off to England where Donald continued his studies at teh University of London. In Germany, on a grant from the American Association of Museums, Donald began his lifelong pursuit studying the origins of Pennsylvania decorative arts. *Donald began his doctorate work at the New York University Graduate School while working in various capacities for several New York museums, including the Rockefeller Foundation at the Brooklyn Museum, the Children's Museum of Queens, and the New York Historical Society. He also served as first curator of the Chrysler-Garbisch Collection of Primitive Art. During this time Esther and Donald had two children, David and Lee. *The family then moved to Michigan, where they lived for the next 24 years, as Donald pursued his career at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village as Fine Arts Curator, Executive Director, and President. Under his direction, the museum became one of America's leading institutions. *In 1976, Esther and Donald returned to Pennsylvania to live on the early homestead in the Oley Valley that they had purchased before moving to Michigan. They restored the 18th century home and barn, sensitive to the original elements of the buildings. When an opportunity arose to purcahse a log home that was being torn down in the Lehigh Valley, they transported the pieces to Oley and rebuilt it on the property. Throughout the following decades, Donald continued his endeavors in the antique field with lectures, numerous writings, and association with local historical societies in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Esther tended to her beloved gardens, orchard, and home. She was very involved with her local church, continuing to deliver meals to congregation members into her nineties. *Donald passed away in the Spring of 2006. To this day, Esther continues to enjoy their home, friends, and family. *Pi*o*neer, n. - a person who goes before, preparing the way for others. Webster's definition is a perfectly appropriate description of Dr. Donald A. Shelley and his work. As one of the trailblazers who forged great collections with little guidance, relying only on sheeer determination, a keen eye, and a thirst for knowledge, Shelley joins the ranks of Lorimer, Horton, Reifsnyder, Geesey, and others of their time who were totally on their own. Barber had written Tulip Ware, and Horner's Blue Book documented furniture by means of local Philadelphia lineage, but the majority of the reference books of the period were long on pictures and conspicuously short on scholarship. Primary research for early collectors translated into long drives on rural roads to inspect birth and baptismal records, grave stones, and the homesteads of original settlers. New discoeries and knowledge were eagerly shared both at formal sessions such as The Ford Forum, and at casual dinners. Instant internet information regarding "Mahantango furniture" or "William Will" was undreamt and decades into the future, so regular get-togethers with Sittig, Kindig, and Pavey helped all determine origin, age, and authenticity. *Donald Shelley's lifelong quest for knowledge put him in the forefront of these early luminaries. The breadth and depth of his interests were remarkable. While the full saga of these visionary pioneer collectors is yet to be written, the sale of the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Donald A. Shelley will be the final chapter. R. Pook.