Sand Picture in a Glass Bottle with American Eagle, Flag, and Urn of Flowers

Description:

Sand Picture in a Glass Bottle with American Eagle, Flag, and Urn of Flowers, Andrew Clemens, McGregor, Iowa, c. 1885 multicolored sand arranged in a glass bottle, one side of the bottle portraying an American eagle in flight, an American flag, and a banner reading "M.W. COLE," the reverse depicting a flower filled urn, both designs flanked by several multicolored and shaped borders, ht. 9 3/4 in.

Note: Andrew Clemens was born in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1857. At the age of five he became deaf and mute after an illness. He earned his livelihood by painstakingly arranging colored sand to make pictures in glass bottles. The sand came from the naturally colored sandstone in the Pictured Rocks area of Iowa. He worked in McGregor, Iowa, and for a short time he made and exhibited his work at South Side Museum, a dime museum in Chicago, Ill. He died in 1894 at the age of 37 years.
Estimate $4,000-6,000

Very good condition, no maker''s label.

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