FRANCES ELKINS (1887-1953)
12.06.2025 00:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
20000USD $ 20 000
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CHRISTIE'S| Auctioneer | CHRISTIE'S |
|---|---|
| Event location | United Kingdom, London |
| Buyer Premium | see on Website% |
ID 1436497
Lot 20 | FRANCES ELKINS (1887-1953)
Estimate value
$ 20 000 – 30 000
Unique Settee, circa 1937
possibly produced by Myron Oliver Studio, Monterey, California
cerused oak, vinyl upholstery, patinated steel
43 ½ x 105 x 25 ½ in. (110.5 x 266.7 x 64.8 cm)
Provenance
Mr. and Mrs. James D. Zellerbach, Pacific Heights, San Francisco, circa 1937, commissioned from Frances Elkins (Bar)
Norah and Norman Stone, Pacific Heights, San Francisco, 1994
Acquired from the above by the present owner, Pacific Heights, San Francisco, 2022
Literature
D. Warwick Reed, "A New American Style, Why Frances Elkins is the decorator's decorator," The Connoisseur, London, January 1984, p. 91 (present lot illustrated)
J. Chatfield-Taylor, “An Elkins Revival: Classic Lines and Contemporary Art in San Francisco,” Architectural Digest, New York, special issue, vol. 53, no. 2, February 1996, pp. 144-151 (for a discussion of the interior)
Z. Sardar, San Francisco modern: interiors, architecture & design, San Francisco, 1998, p. 30 (present lot illustrated)
S. M. Salny, Frances Elkins: Interior Design, New York, 2005, pp. 118-119 (present lot illustrated), 108-123 (for a discussion of the commission)
P.-E. Martin-Vivier, Jean-Michel Frank, l'étrange luxe du rien, Paris, 2006, p. 254 (for a discussion of the commission)
P. E. Meza, Inventing the California Look, New York, 2022, pp. 228-229 (present lot illustrated), 226-229 (for a discussion of the commission)
S. Powell, Frances Elkins: Visionary American Designer, New York, 2023, pp. 4, 176-177 (present lot illustrated), 174-179 (for a discussion of the commission)
Further details
In Situ Images: Photography by Flying Studio
| Artist: | Frances Elkins (1888 - 1953) |
|---|---|
| Medium: | Acrylic glass, Leather, Wood, Oak wood, Plastic |
| Art style: | Art Nouveau |
| Category: | Settee |
| Auction house category: | Furniture and Lamps, Armchairs and chairs |
| Artist: | Frances Elkins (1888 - 1953) |
|---|---|
| Medium: | Acrylic glass, Leather, Wood, Oak wood, Plastic |
| Art style: | Art Nouveau |
| Category: | Settee |
| Auction house category: | Furniture and Lamps, Armchairs and chairs |
| Address of auction |
CHRISTIE'S 8 King Street, St. James's SW1Y 6QT London United Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
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| Phone | +44 (0)20 7839 9060 | |
| Buyer Premium | see on Website | |
| Conditions of purchase | Conditions of purchase |


















