Brian Lebel sees it all. Everything from paintings and bronzes to guns and saddles. More scrupulous collectors might draw the line at what is fine art, but not Lebel. If it tells a story about the West, then it can be art.Visitors view the auction lots prior to the sale of the 2020 Mesa Old West Show & Sale.

“That’s what’s great about these items we come across,” he says, “they all tell stories.”

Lebel is returning with new stories during his annual Mesa Old West Show & Auction in Mesa, Arizona. Due to health restrictions, the show portion of the annual event has been canceled, but the sale will still take place on Saturday, January 23. The auction is expected to bring more than 500 Western lots to bidders. John Wayne’s iconic 10-button bib front worn in the film The Searchers.  Estimate: $30/40,000

Noteworthy collections in this year’s sale include historic artifacts from the Montana Territory collection of Jerry “Buzz” Nyhart and the Roger Wilmot collection of bits and spurs. Wilmot, a noted expert and collector, died just a week prior to the 2020 Mesa Old West Show. “Roger loved top-of-the-line, high-quality items, and he was one of the top guys out there as far as knowledge goes,” Lebel says. “And he was also a fantastic human. They recently started a foundation in his honor at the University of Wyoming. He was loved by a lot of people.”Phillips Gutierrez Spurs  Estimate: $12/18,000

This year’s sale will also feature a number of collectibles and memorabilia related to Hollywood Westerns, including many screen-worn outfits and accessories from actors such as John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Steve McQueen, Lorne Greene, Sam Elliott, Ronald Reagan and others. One of the highlights is Wayne’s iconic 10-button bib front worn in the 1956 John Ford film The Searchers, widely regarded as one of the most important Westerns ever made. The lot is estimated at $30,000 to $40,000.Edward H. Bohlin (1895-1980), Clark Gables’ silver saddle  Estimate: $10/15,000

“When you start looking at these kinds of materials, a lot of them were altered from film to film. But John Wayne was a big enough star that he kept all of his costumes and they were never used in other films again,” Lebel says, adding that the Hollywood materials are dear to his heart. “When I was a kid I ran a movie theater, so
I love the movies. What’s great about movies is you remember where you were when you saw them. And when you see them again, it’s just nostalgia and good feelings, fond memories. They trigger something in people.”Edward Borein (1872-1945), Bucking Horse, pen and ink, 75/8 x 5 ¼”  Estimate: $8/12,000

The auction will also feature a gun McQueen used in Henry Hathaway’s 1966 film Nevada Smith. The Wells Fargo revolver is an important and historic gun even without McQueen’s provenance. “It was made around 1880, and it was altered over and over again,” Lebel says. “It was in John Wayne’s first movie, The Big Trail. It was altered to look pretty for him. Then it was in Bonanza, and just passed around all over until it got to McQueen.”

Other lots include Clark Gables’ silver Edward H. Bohlin saddle (est. $10/15,000) and a set of Phillips Gutierrez spurs (est. $12/18,000). 

Edgar Payne (1883-1947), Mountain Verdue, oil on canvasboard, 11½ x 15”  Estimate: $8/10,000

In the fine art category, the auction will once again offer impressive works from a variety of Western artists, including pieces from Joe Beeler, Thomas Hart Benton, Carl Oscar Borg, Maynard Dixon, Nicholas Firfires, E. Martin Hennings, Will James, Sheldon Parsons, Edgar Payne, Charles M. Russell, Sandy Scott, Matt Smith, Ray Swanson, Olaf Wieghorst and many others.Eric Michaels, To the Man on the Trail, oil on canvas mounted on board, 24 x 30”  Estimate: $6/7,000

Some noteworthy lots include Payne’s Mountain Verdue (est. $8/10,000), Eric Michaels’ To the Man on the Trail (est. $6/7,000), Gerald Shippen’s Great Plains Warrior (est. $3/4,000) and Marjorie Reed’s Butterfield Stage Line (est. $2/3,500). Lebel’s events frequently highlight works from Edward Borein, and this year is no exception with Bucking Horse, a pen-and-ink work estimated at $8,000 to $12,000.Gerald Shippen, Great Plains Warrior, bronze, 23½ x 16 x 7”   Estimate: $3/4,000

Due to the pandemic and health protocols that could change by the show weekend, potential bidders are encouraged to watch for updates at www.oldwestevents.com. For anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable traveling yet, Lebel wants bidders to know he has them covered. “We will have extra phone lines in place for the sale, and we always have internet bidding and absentee bidding. We’ll take your bids however you want to send them—call them, fax them, mail them. Whatever makes you comfortable,” he says. “We also have an app, so you can bid right from your phone.”Marjorie Reed (1915-1996), Butterfield Stage Line, oil on canvas, 25 x 35”  Estimate: $2/3,500

He continues: “We want to have fun, but more importantly we want to make every effort to keep everyone safe. That’s our top priority.” —

Mesa Old West Show & Auction
January 23, 2020
Delta Phoenix Marriott Mesa, 200 N. Centennial Way, Mesa, AZ 85201
(480) 779-9378, www.oldwestevents.com

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