Ranlett Family Ephemera Prevailed In Merrill’s China Trade Auction – Antiques And The Arts Weekly

WILLISTON, VT. — On November 3, Merrill’s Auctioneers and Appraisers presented its 540-lot China Trade and Americana auction, which featured a total of 20 lots from the Ranlett family, including portraits, objects and ephemera. Among the lots were papers belonging to Captain Charles Augustus Ranlett (1804-1878), his son, Captain Charles A. Ranlett (1836-1874) and other family members. A lot containing the younger Captain Ranlett’s papers, including letters written from Shanghai, far surpassed its $400/600 estimate and was one of the top lots of the sale, reaching $8,820 and selling to an institution in Massachusetts. Another Ranlett family lot featured diaries that were estimated at $200/300 and sold for $5,015 to a floor bidder from Maine. Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. A more extensive sale recap will appear in a future issue.