Historic Civil War and militaria auction slated for Aug. 15 by Fontaine's in Pittsfield, Mass.

[Antique Auctions]

Huge Civil War and militaria auction slated for Aug. 15 by Fontaine's
in Pittsfield, Mass.
Over 500 lots of important Civil War items, rare and vintage firearms
and all manner of militaria will cross the block at an auction slated
for Saturday, Aug. 15, by Fontaine's Auction Gallery in Pittsfield,
Mass., beginning at 11 a.m.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Jun 24, 2009 – (PITTSFIELD, Mass.) – Over 500
lots of important Civil War items, rare and vintage firearms and all
manner of militaria will cross the block in an auction slated for
Saturday, Aug. 15, by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery, beginning at 11 a.m.
Featured will be the lifetime collection of the late George J.
Bisacca, whose mainly Civil War collection was housed in the Eastover
Resort complex in Lenox, Mass.

It is the first time Fontaine’s will have dedicated an entire
auction to war memorabilia. Company president John Fontaine said the
early buzz has been encouraging. “The initial reaction to the news
within the collecting community has been tremendous,” he said. “Mr.
Bisacca owned an astounding, museum-quality collection that will be
selling to the highest bidder, without reserve. This is an opportunity
for collectors that may never come along again.”

Included in Mr. Bisacca’s collection is a Colt M 1883 Gatling Gun,
named after the man who invented it and a precursor to the modern-day
machine gun. It had ten barrels and pumped out over 600 rounds per
minute. The one being sold is fully operational and is in fantastic
condition. There is also a second Gatling Gun in this auction.

The cannons in Mr. Bisacca’s collection are no less impressive.
These include a British 1812 Naval mount cannon, a Coehorn mortar
cannon, an 1861 Civil War ordinance rifled cannon with CSA markings, a
Mann Smooth Bare prototype cannon, a Mann rifled prototype cannon, an
1892 Hotchkiss mountain rifled cannon, other cannons, and cannonballs.

Also from the Bisacca estate: hundreds of firearms (including
dozens of rifles), cannon shells, drums, bullets and other
projectiles, pistols, muskets, saddles, swords, bayonets, canteens,
belts and buckles, period uniforms, spurs, daguerreotypes, powder
horns, ramrods and more. Most items are from the Civil War, the
Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II.

The Bisacca collection comprises well over half of what will be
offered. “His has been called one of the largest privately owned Civil
War collections in the world,” Mr. Fontaine remarked. “It has been
enjoyed by thousands of visitors to Eastover, from visiting
schoolchildren to seasoned Civil War buffs. We will have people from
every part of the country coming to this very important auction.”

Mr. Bisacca died in 1983. His collection has remained, virtually
untouched and on display, at the Eastover Resort ever since. He was an
Italian immigrant who came from humble beginnings, only making it
through the ninth grade. But he developed a fierce passion for the
Civil War and devoured countless books on the subject. He also went on
excursions to hunt for relics from the era.

Eastover Resort, a longtime Lenox landmark and vacation
destination, was originally built in 1910 by New York City stockbroker
Harris Fahnestock, as a summer cottage for his family. The property
comprised a main building (which he called “Eastover”), a stable (now
called “Tally Ho”), a chauffeur’s home, an eight-car garage (now
called “The Lodge”) and a pump house, all on 1,500 acres.

Upon Mr. Fahnestock’s passing, his heirs sold the Eastover estate
at auction in 1941, and it became a boy’s school. But when that went
bankrupt in 1944, Mr. Bisacca expressed an interest in acquiring the
property (by then pared back to 500 acres). He made the purchase in
1946, for a mere $41,500. On Memorial Day weekend the following year,
Eastover Resort officially opened for business.

Over the years, Eastover Resort has hosted high school proms,
company gatherings, school field trips, holiday parties, weddings and
family reunions. It has also served as the site of the Massachusetts
Special Olympics Winter Games for more than 20 years. Sadly, all that
will come to an end later this year, as the current owners – Mr.
Bisacca’s daughter, Dorothy H. “Ticki” Winsor, and her daughter, Betsy
Kelly – have made the painful decision to close the Eastover Resort’s
doors for good, on Nov. 1. They cited increased operating costs, a
slumping economy and local and state regulations as reasons for the
closing. Eastover will be sold, on a date still to be set.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bisacca’s legacy – his prized collection – will be
brought from its special room at Eastover to Fontaine’s Auction
Gallery for the Aug. 15 sale. A packed house is expected. Online
bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com and Proxibid.com,
and directly through the Fontaine's website, www.fontainesauction.net.
Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. A color catalog may be
ordered by calling Fontaine’s at (413) 448-8922. Previews will be held
the week prior.

Fontaine’s Auction Gallery is always accepting quality consignments
for future sales. The firm is actively seeking quality lots for its
summer and fall auction series. Wanted are firearms, clocks, watches,
barometers, antique lamps and lighting. To consign a single item, an
estate or a collection, you may call them directly, at (413) 448-8922;
or, you can e-mail them, at in...@fontaineauction.com.

To learn more about Fontaine’s Auction Gallery and its calendar of
upcoming events, please log on to www.fontainesauction.net.