Crescent City Auction Gallery will Hold A Two-Day Important Estates Auction, May 7th & 8th

2026-07-13 03:06:35 Art & Entertainment

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New Orleans, LA, April 22, 2026 -- A 1986 Land Rover Defender Custom automobile, a patinated bronze bust of Robert E. Lee after Henry Merwin Shrady (American, 1871-1922), and a large iron Megatron Transformer figure designed by Kalifano are a few of the expected top lots in Crescent City Auction Gallery’s Important Estates Auction slated for Thursday and Friday, May 7th- 8th.

The auction, starting at 10am Central time both days, will be held online and live in the New Orleans gallery located at 1330 St. Charles Avenue. Offered will be a wide range of French, English and American furniture; original paintings, watercolors, photographs, and drawings; sculptures of various sizes and ages; prints and etchings; Middle Eastern and Oriental carpets; and decorative art items. Estates range from local antiquarians to famed New Orleans hotelier and property developer, Joe Jaeger, Jr. estate items.

The 1986 Land Rover Defender Custom vehicle is the overall expected top lot of the two days, with a pre-sale estimate of $60,000-$90,000. It features a black exterior with black interior and corbeau seats, and a replacement Corvette engine with automatic transmission. Also, a 2021 Vanderhall Venice Blackjack roadster, outfitted as a Batman edition, with a black exterior and black interior, having just 1,769 miles on the odometer, should speed off for $8,000-$12,000.

The iron Megatron Transformer figure, impressive at 100 inches in height, was designed and built by Kalifano in this century, using an assemblage of recycled auto parts. The Kalifano family specializes in creating one-of-a-kind works of art from crystals, gemstones and recycled metal, often from cars. The Megatron, from the Joe Jaeger, Jr. estate, should sell for $4,000-$8,000.

The patinated bronze bust after Henry Mervin Shrady, titled Robert E. Lee, is expected to hit $4,000-$8,000. Shrady was an acclaimed American sculptor, best known for the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial on the west front of the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. Also, an oil on canvas by James Michalopoulos (New Orleans, b. 1951), titled Yellow Charmer (2007) has an estimate of $5,000-$7,000. Michalopoulos is best known for his colorful interpretations of New Orleans.

Robert E. Lee will make multiple appearances in the auction. An oil on canvas Portrait of Robert E. Lee, rendered in 1898 by Nicola Marschall (Ala., 1829-1917), is estimated to reach $4,000-$6,000; while a pair of patinated bronze busts by Frederick Volck (German/Md., 1833-1891), titled Ulysses S. Grant, Richmond, VA, 1869 (18 ½ inches tall) and Robert E. Lee, Richmond, VA, 1863 (18 inches in height), will be offered as separate lots, each with an estimate of $1,000-$2,000.

An oil on linen mounted on board by Emil Miller/Muller (German, N.Y., b. 1819), titled Folk Portrait of Sisters in the Garden with Their Pets (N.Y., 1952) is expected to change hands for $1,000-$2,000. Also, a 19th century oil on canvas after Palamedes Palamedsz the Elder (Dutch, 1607-1638), titled Cavalry Battle (1626-1628) should find a new home for $3,000-$5,000.

Other artists in the sale will include Diego Dayer, Niek van der Plas, Bill Mack, George Rodrigue, Peter Max, Thierry Guetta “Mr. Brainwash”, Alexander J. Drysdale, Hilda Neily, William Cotton Faed, Mose Tolliver, James Muir, Robert Refvern, Amelie Casini and others.

Internet bidding will be provided by www.CrescentCityAuctionGallery.com (and the Crescent City app), as well as LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com. Phone and absentee bids will be accepted. In-gallery previews will begin on Wednesday, April 29th, through Wednesday, May 6th, from 10am to 5pm Central Time, excluding Saturday and Sunday. No appointment is needed.

Absentee and phone bids will be accepted until 1 pm Central Time the day before the auction. A 28 percent buyer’s premium will be applied for online bidders or those paying with a credit card. A 25 percent buyer’s premium will be applied for in-house bidding. A printed catalog is available; call 504-529-5057 or send a request via email to info@crescentcityauctiongallery.com.

For more information regarding Crescent City Auction Gallery and the Important May Estates Auction slated for May 7th and 8th, online and live in the New Orleans gallery at 1330 St. Charles Avenue, please visit www.crescentcityauctiongallery.com. Updates are posted frequently.