I recently bought a collection of Zane Grey photos and stationery from a gentleman by the name of Brian Curtis. Brian acquired the items through his friendship with Dan Brock. In the early 90’s, Dan invited Brian to Zane Grey’s Altadena mansion to help the current owner, Rosejane Rudicell sell some of the vintage furniture in the estate. Brian is an antiques and fine arts dealer/appraiser by trade, having operated a business in Santa Cruz, California for over 25 years. While there at the mansion, Brian and Dan helped Rosejane clean out a lot of the rooms. She sold Brian a selection of photos and assorted Zane Grey memorabilia while he was there. I have signed certificates of authenticity for all the items I purchased from Brian. Unlike a lot of ZG items that come up for sale that came from “a friend of a friend of a friend of the plumber”, I purchased these items from the individual that physically found them in the mansion. The provenance is very solid.
I had only wanted to buy certain photos from Brian’s collection, as I was already pressed for wall space in my tackle room, but Brian wanted to sell the collection as one big lot. I am offering the items I do not have room to display at my cost, plus the cost of shipping and handling. Some of the photos are quite large and color-tinted. If you are looking for some nice Zane Grey memorabilia for your tackle room, please PM me. I might have something that will work for you. Items for sale include an old leather suitcase with ZG's initials on it, and one of only four of the artist's proofs Pflueger sent to ZG for his approval before publishing in their 1927 catalog. Below is a sample of what I have.
I still have a few items left. I have a pair of pictures of Lillian Wilhelm Smith's daughters. Lillian illustrated many of Zane Greys novels, and painted scenes on the walls of his Altadena Mansion. The girls used to accompany ZG on some of his fishing trips. This pair of 13” x 22” enlargements (17x26 total frame size) were made from the original 5x7 photos, found in the mansion. Brian Curtis subsequently sold the original photos to Brigham Young University. Only two copies of these were made. Dan Brock has the other pair. Both photos are custom-framed. Price is $300.
I also still have the framed Pflueger artist's proof. This is custom framed in a 21.5x31.5 inch shadow box that is two inches deep. The AP itself is about 14x19. Frame includes two Pflueger hooks and a small B&W photo signed by Zane Grey. The AP and the hooks were found in the mansion. Price is $1100. All the items come with a signed certificate of authenticity.
