The Dali Of The Distelfink A Brief Look At The Artwork And Life Of Johnny Ott
By Karl Pass
John J. (Johnny) Ott (1890-1964) was a revivalist painter, businessman, and restaurateur. He was a well-known figure during the height of the Pennsylvania Dutch tourist trade era of the mid 20th century for his “Hex Sign” art.
Born in Reading, Pa., Ott was a hex sign artist and proprietor of the Lenhartsville Hotel (Deitsch
Eck, or “Dutch Corner”). The sign above the door of the still open restaurant read “Volkommen” which translates to “a perfect work of art or complete.” His obituary was in the July 30, 1964, “The Morning Call” (Allentown, Pa.). He died at 73 and was predeceased by his wife Emma.
A well-done exhibition titled “Hex Signs: Sacred and Celestial Symbolism in Pennsylvania Dutch
Barn Stars” at the Glencairn Museum in Bryn Athyn, Pa., was mounted in 2019. If sounding familiar to regular readers, I wrote about this in Antiques & Auc tion News during the exhibit’s tenure. Curated by Patrick Donmoyer, director of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University, it explored multiple themes behind the imagery in hex signs and discussed Ott’s legacy. Donmoyer also wrote a book on the topic “Hex Signs: Myth and Meaning in Pennsylvania Dutch Barn Stars” (2013). These colorful murals/symbols such as geometric stars and
their craft. Ott, being a hexologist, was “all-in,” explaining the work as possessing mystical powers. As explained by Donmoyer in his exhibition catalog, “He told tourists that each design not only had a succinct meaning, but also served as a charm for a wide variety of concerns and infirmities,
sunbursts on barns in southeastern Pennsylvania represent an American artistic tradition. They speak to an agricultural identity crossed with a folk art expression unique to America and unique to Pennsylvania cultural history. As the exhibit outlined, the interpretation of these symbols, this art form, is complex. In the mid 20th century, Ott successfully both celebrated and commercialized them. He did not paint “Barn Stars” but was an important figure in the Pennsylvania Dutch artistic tradition as a “hexologist” reinterpreting these decorations on newly available composite signboard called masonite.
A contemporary of Ott, Milton Hill (1887-1972) was a traditional barn star painter. Both men were at the 1953 Kutztown Folk Festival, which began three years earlier. The two had different visions for
everything from assurance of success and prosperity, to assistance with love and romance. This concocted commercial mythology ensured that Ott’s customers not only received a piece of his work, but also a story.” Author and scholar Donmoyer later explained that while Ott consciously bolstered the “Professor of Hexology” persona and commercialized the mythology surrounding his work, he once gave an interview early in his career that he began the whole subject as a joke, but it evolved into commercial success. This was during a time when America was booming in both car travel and tourist trade enterprises. Think “Roadside America.”
Ott’s Lenhartsville Hotel, at old Route 22 and Route 143 in Lenhartsville, Pa., has a storied history which continues today. Originally,
Continued on page 7
By Karl Pass
“Wild Lettuce” is a surrealist masterwork painting by Johnny Ott done in 1952.
“Hex Signs: Sacred and Celestial Symbolism in Pennsylvania Dutch Barn Stars” was an exhibition in Glencairn’s Upper Hall in 2019, curated by Patrick Donmoyer. Glencairn Museum is in Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Postcard of Ott and his signs. Courtesy of private collection.
A welcome sign by Ott. Courtesy of John Cellucci.
These are Chanting Clerics, from the Windmill Psalter, England, London, late 13th century, from the Morgan Library & Museum, MS M.102, fol.100r (detail image).
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EDITOR: Karl Pass kpass@antiquesandauctionnews.net 717-278-1404
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Comic And Comic Art Results
Frank Frazetta’s “Famous Funnies” No. 214 Buck Rogers Cover Original Art Breaks One Million
When the hammer fell after the sale of Frank Frazetta’s “Famous Funnies No. 214” Buck Rogers cover original pen-andink art in Heritage’s Comic & Comic Art Signature Auction, the result was out of this world.
This magnificent painting, which portrays Buck Rogers sailing through space, sold for $1,035,000 to lead the June 26 to 29 event to a gross total of $22,653,352.
“Frank Frazetta is universally acknowledged as one of the premier artists in the comic world, and his work has been eagerly collected for decades,” according to Barry Sandoval, vice president at Heritage Auctions. “This piece is widely regarded as one of the greatest comic covers of all time, and the final result certainly validates that.”
This magnificent page of original art is the seventh work by Frazetta to bring more than $1 million at Heritage. Frazetta’s “Dark Kingdom” painting (1976), soared to $6 million in 2023.
“I knew our comic art selection was pretty special, but it’s always gratifying when the bidders agree,” continued Sandoval. “The first 30 lots in the comic art section averaged $168,000 per lot, and it seemed like every one of those brought a furious bidding war. Between comic art and comic books, we had 27 lots over $100,000.”
A copy of a CGC Near Mint 9.2 issue of “The Incredible Hulk No. 1” (Marvel, 1962), which is tied for the highest-graded copy ever offered at Heritage, realized $780,000. The issue, which marks the Hulk’s debut, ranks second on Overstreet’s list of Top 50 Silver Age Comics.
Another impressive result came in for “Fantastic Four
A “Fantastic Four #1” White Mountain Pedigree (Marvel, 1961), CGC NM 9.2 white pages, realized $600,000.
The CGC Near Mint 9.2 issue of “The Incredible Hulk No. 1” (Marvel, 1962), which is tied for the highest-graded copy ever offered at Heritage, drew 36 bids on its way to $780,000.
No. 1” White Mountain Pedigree (Marvel, 1961) CGC NM- 9.2 white pages, which climbed to $600,000. This issue presents Marvel’s first superhero team and the first appearances of Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, the Thing and a re-imagined Human Torch, as well as the Moleman and other characters, and it ranks No. 3 on Overstreet’s list of Top 50 Silver Age Comics. Comic art doesn’t have to be big in size to make a big impact at the auction block. Consider Bill Watterson of “Calvin and Hobbes ” fame. The first appearance of Spaceman Spiff, a hand-colored daily comic strip of original art dated 11-2985 measuring 4 by 12 inches, a mini-masterpiece, tied the record for the most ever paid for a piece of comic strip art at $480,000. It was a result that equaled the sum paid for another “Calvin and Hobbes” strip by Watterson that was sold at Heritage in 2022 and an Alex Raymond original Sunday comic strip artwork for “Flash Gordon No. 1” in 2020. The strip
Continued on page 7
The Whiz Comics No. 2” (No. 1) (Fawcett Publications, 1940), CGC FN/VF 7.0 offwhite to white pages, sold for $288,000.
Frazetta’s
Frank
original pen-and-ink artwork for “Famous Funnies #214,” the Buck Rogers cover from 1954, sold for $1,035,000.
Vintage Poster Auction
Sale Hightlighted By Examples Of Propaganda, Travel And Art Nouveau
Swann Galleries’ yearly August poster auction is set for Thursday, Aug. 7. The sale features a strong and curated collection, with a particularly sharp focus on propaganda, travel and Art Nouveau posters. Collectors, enthusiasts and connoisseurs will be impressed not only by the historical scope and messaging but also by the quality and condition of the posters presented.
Highlights from the auction include some of the most powerful and moving American and international propaganda from WWI and WWII. The selection of WWI posters includes Harry Ryle Hopps’ impactful and scarce “Destroy This Mad Brute,” ca. 1917 (est. $12,000 to $18,000); both the 1915 and ca. 1917 editions of Fred Spear’s chilling “Enlist” (est. $7,000 to $10,000 and $3,000 to $4,000); and both the English and the Yiddish version of the famous Canadian poster “The Jews the World Over Love Liberty, Have Fought For It & Will Fight For It,” 1917 (est. $6,000 to $9,000, each). The section is also supported by iconic American posters such as James Montgomery Flagg’s two classics, “I Want You For U.S. Army,” 1917 (est. $3,000 to $4,000), and “Wake
Up America Day,” 1917 (est. $2,000 to $3,000).
The WWII posters are anchored by stirring images as well, such as “Dear God, Keep them Safe! / Buy War Bonds,” 1942 (est. $15,000 to $20,000), and Karl Koehler and Victor Ancona’s “This Is The Enemy,” 1942 (est. $2,500 to $3,500). The classic “Keep Calm and Carry On,” 1939 (est. $7,000 to $10,000), is being offered along with another, lesser-known poster from the same series, “Your Courage/Will Bring Us Victory,” 1939 (est. $1,500 to $2,000).
A stunning Art Nouveau section features some of the finest works to be offered in this category in years, including over a dozen beloved and famous images by Alphonse Mucha, such as “Monaco Monte-Carlo,” 1897 (est. $15,000 to $20,000); “Salon des Cents,” 1896 (est. $8,000 to $12,000); “Krajinská Vystava v Ivancic Í ch,” 1896 (est. $3,000 to $4,000); and a ca. 1900 gouache mural study (est. $7,000 to $10,000). Famous works by Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen, including his tender “Compagnie Française des Chocolats Et des Thès,” 1895 (est. $8,000 to $12,000), and “Chat Noir,” 1896 (est. $6,000 to $9,000), will also be featured.
Two rare works of note are Ludwig Hohlwein’s “Salmenbrau,” ca. 1913, and Leonetto Cappiello’s scarcely seen “Buvez L’Eau Vercingétorix,” 1923.
Beach and Summer Resort posters feature travel destinations from the coast of France to the Berkshires, Mexico and Mozambique. Top highlights include Roberto’s “Beira,” ca. 1948 (est. $2,000 to $3,000); Jean-Habriel Domergue’s “Monte-Carlo,” ca. 1950 (est. $1,000 to $1,500); and a “Recreational Map of the Berkshire Hills,” 1939 (est. $1,000 to $1,500).
The sale is rounded out by Mather Work Incentive images, Lincoln Center posters, American literary covers, automobiles and bicycle images, food and drink, and Russian propaganda.
Bidding is available through online platforms, absentee, the phone, and live in-person. Live online bidding platforms will be the Swann Galleries website, Invaluable, and Live Auctioneers. The complete catalogue and bidding information is available at www. swanngalleries.com and the Swann Galleries App.
Marius Rossillon’s “À Votre Santé”/”Le Pneu Michelin,” ca. 1898, will be estimated at $6,000 to $9,000.
AUGUST 2ND, 10:00 Am
Show
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for day
and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
two. Gas up the truck, get some seasonal garb, and stroll among the best pickers together at one unique antique and artisan event. As in the past, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, attendees are asked to wear a touch of pink. Donations will go to Wellspan Sechler Family Cancer Center in Lebanon, Pa.
This fall show is managed by the owners of Miss Morgan’s Milkweed Antiques, Diane Gibble and Troy Tranquillo. The two started the show in the backyard of their former shop in Bethel, Pa., with several vendors and eager shoppers who came dressed in witch hats and costumes to celebrate the event. Each year, the show grew bigger and better, and with that came bigger and better venues. This will be the seventh year that they have brought their show to the Lebanon Valley Expo Center. All facility overhead doors (and there are many) will be open to transform the facility into an open air show, so please dress accordingly. The show will go on rain or shine. With over 75,000 square feet indoors and 70-plus acres outside, be sure to wear good walking shoes.
This year’s lineup of quality vendors will not disappoint. The slogan “bring a truck” isn’t a joke. Shoppers will need one to haul off their goods. Each year, the lineup of vendors grows, and this year is no different. This is part antiques show and part crafts/artisan show. Many well-known talented artisans will be on-site selling their wares, and many antiques dealers bring traditional antiques to this show. No event is complete without great food, and there will be a variety of delicious foods from which to choose, including the in-house food vendor. Top it all off with a Harrisburg Farm Show Milkshake made by ELCO FFA. The organizers are amazed at the way the show has grown over the years and grateful to have so many talented pickers and artisans set up at the show.
Happening again this year is the ability to prepurchase show tickets online and enter the show one hour early. To learn more, attendees may visit www.MorgansMilkweedAntiques.com. Tickets will be available at the door. Choose from a $10 early buyer twoday pass or the $5 Saturday pass. There is plenty of free parking. For further information, call 484-256-7610.
CALENDAR S
INDIANA
08/02/2025, ShipshewanaSat 9:30 AM & Online, chupp auctions.com. Petroliana Auction. Chupp Auctions 10/22/2025, Shipshewana - Wed 9 AM, shipshewana tradingplace.com. Antique Toy Auction. Shipshewana Trading Place
MARYLAND
08/09/2025, Historic Frederick - Sat 9:00AM, parzow auctions.com. Pinball machines, arcade games, gambling games, slot machines, skill games, grandmother predictions fortune teller machine, a rare 1917 Links coin drop Nickelodeon with original stained glass panel in excellent working condition & more! Howard B. Parzow Auctioneer
NEW YORK
07/26/2025, Frewsburg - Sat 10 AM, coreybrownauction. com. Country & Advertising. Corey Brown Auction
OHIO
09/27/2025, WilloughbySat 10 AM & Online, mile stoneauctions.com. Fall Spectacular Auction. Milestone Auctions
PENNSYLVANIA
07/11-31/2025, MillersburgEnds Thurs. 6 PM, Online only, liddickauctions.hibid.com. Antiques, quilts, collectibles & more from the estates of Brooks & Ruth Robinson. Liddick Auction Services
GEORGIA
08/07-10/2025, Atlanta - Thu 10 AM - 4 PM, Fri & Sat 9 AM6 PM, Sun 10 AM - 4 PM, 3650 & 3850 Jonesboro Road, Scott Antique Markets
09/11-14/2025, Atlanta - The 10 AM - 5 PM, Fri & Sat 9 AM6 PM, Sun 10 AM - 4 PM, 3650 & 3850 Jonesboro Road, Scott Antique Markets
MARYLAND
07/30-08/08/2025, SparksWed through Fri., 15900 York Road, Crocker Farm
NEW JERSEY
08/03/2025, Barnegat Light - Sunday 9 AM - 5 PM, 19th & Bayview Ave., Historic Viking Village
09/14/2025, Barnegat LightSun 9 AM - 5 PM, 19th & Bayview Avenue, Historic Viking Village
07/25/2025, York - Fri., auctions bykeystone.com. Table top auction and Oriental rugs, fine art, furniture, American collectibles, hunting, toys, jewelry & more! Keystone Auctions
07/25-26/2025, Ephrata - Sat 9 AM & Online, horstauction. com. 445 lots of firearms. Horst Auctioneers
07/26/2025, Mt Wolf - Sat 9 AM & Online, rentzelsauction service.com. Antique tools & primitives. Rentzels Auction Service
07/28/2025, Dillsburg - Mon 6 PM, haars.com. Furniture, collectibles, tools, John Deere mower & more! Hardy’s Auction Service
07/31/2025, Kinzers - Thurs. 10 AM & Online, invaluable.com. Books, ephemera, photographs & postcards. Embassy Auctions International
08/02/2025, Ephrata - Sat 9 AM, hibid.com. Hunting, fishing & military collectibles & accessories. Horst Auction Center
08/02/2025, Orwigsburg - Sat 10 AM, auctiontimebidboard. com. Firearms, coins, jewelry, furniture, antiques/vintage, toys, glass, sports collectables, instruments, china & pottery & more! Auction Time Bid Board
08/05/2025, MyerstownTues 1 PM, Online only, klein felters.com. Summer firearms, military & taxidermy sale. Kleinfelter’s Auction, Inc.
08/07/2025, McalistervilleThurs., pmorganauctions.com. 22 acres of prime mountaintop woodlands with an 1155 sq foot pine ridge cabin. Patrick Morgan Auction Services, LLC 08/07/2025, BoyertownThurs. 4 PM, jrsauctioneer ing.com. Coin auction. JRs Auctioneering
08/09/2025, Mars - Sat 9 PM, pulpfest.com. Pulps, books, art, posters, baseball magazines & more! Pulpfest Auction
09/12-13/2025, Ephrata - Fri 2 PM, Sat 9 AM, horstauction. com. Cataloged antique auction. Horst Auction Center 09/19-20/2025, York - Fri 10 AM - 6 PM, Sat 10 AM - 5 PM, theoriginalyorkantiques show.com. 185th Semi-Annual Antiques Show & Sale. Melvin Arion
the Washington Hotel in the late 18th century, it suffered a fire ca. 1914, and was owned by Ott from the 1930s until his death. Decorating parts of the interior, he proverbially wore
several Chesterfield top hats, serving as chef and bartender and keeping a studio on a side porch. In 1971, it was purchased by the Deitsch Eck Hotel and Restaurant Inc, a subsidiary of the PA Dutch Folk Culture Society (PADFCS), a nonprofit organization. Sometime
in the 1990s there were plans by the PADFCS to relocate the museum complex and artifacts to the Kutztown University Heritage Center. Steve Stetzler, a local resident; former employee of the restaurant; and graduate of Penn State’s Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management program, was asked to manage the business. In 1997, the PADFCS sold the restaurant and building’s apartments to Stetzler. Visit www.the-eck.com for hours of operation.
This artistic tradition was done by many regional artists such as Johnny Claypoole beginning in 1962. Claypoole died in 2004. His son Eric paints barn stars and hex signs today and was a long-time exhibitor at the Kutztown Folk Festival. The festival was not held in 2025, which is its 75th anniversary.
“The Baltimore Sun Magazine” (Oct. 14, 1954 issue) did a cover feature on Ott titled “Hexer Hextraordinary”
published 71 years ago. A few of the original photograph proofs are illustrated here. Among featured artworks was
his “Wild Lettuce,” a surrealist painting Ott painted in 1952. One look at this work, and you will understand the title of this
article. If any readers know the current whereabouts of this painting, please contact the author.
The Morgan
Continued from page 1
Psalms throughout medieval art, prayer, and everyday life.
On view from Sept. 12, 2025, through Jan. 4, 2026, “Sing a New Song” traces the impact of the Psalms on people in medieval Europe from the sixth to the 16th century, encompassing daily practices and performance, as well as the creation and illumination of Psalters (Books of Psalms). Drawing on five years of scholarly research, the exhibition and accompanying
Heritage
Continued from page 2
in the 2015 auction is the earliest known to hit the collecting market. Watterson has held on to nearly all of his original drawings from the strip’s 10-year run, with exceptions made for occasional gifts to people close to him. This one had been given to Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Jim Borgman and his family.
Another lot that soared past pre-auction expectations was
publication take the Psalms out of their established place in religious texts and paint a vibrant picture of the people who used them - men, women, and children, both religious and lay.
Psalms are some of the most beloved texts in the Abrahamic traditions of the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These sacred poems constitute the longest and most popular book in the Bible. They include expressions of lament and loss, petitions and confessions, and exclamations of
Todd McFarlane’s “The Amazing Spider-Man No. 311” Mysterio cover original art (Marvel, 1989), which drew 48 bids on its way to $456,000. The first McFarlane “Amazing Spider-Man” cover art offered at Heritage Auctions in nearly a decade, it portrays the Webbed Wall-Crawler as he is reflected in Mysterio’s “fishbowl” helmet, and is one of the reasons McFarlane’s work is coveted by collectors.
“W e have been working with Heritage for decades, and
joy and thanksgiving, universal themes that speak to what it means to be human. Included in this show are the varieties of books that aided in these devotions - Psalters, Breviaries, Missals, and Graduals, among others - some of which were exquisitely illuminated. The exhibition explores how the Psalms were used, both at church and at home; how they were illuminated; how they were performed; and how they appear at both the beginning and the end of life. To learn more, visit www. themorgan.org.
like the Martin Shamus collection, Heritage was able to get record prices for some of these modern masterworks,” said Stephen Shamus, who consigned the “Detective Comics No. 880” cover art. “The record price realized for the cover, which is considered one of the most important 21st-century covers, is a testament to Heritage’s leadership position in the marketplace,” finished Shamus.
For complete results, visit www.HA.com/7418.
“The Baltimore Sun Magazine” issue (Oct. 14, 1954) did a cover feature on Ott titled “Hexer Hextraordinary.”
This is the original photograph proof used for the “Baltimore Sun” cover story, a staged shot of Ott with a “sun-and-rain” sign. Courtesy of private collection.
Ott in his studio. He was quoted for the “Baltimore Sun” article that he would paint anything that will hold still! Notice his Chesterfield gray top hat, which he stopped wearing in the early 1960s, instead wearing a flat black hat. Courtesy of private collection.
A welcome sign by Ott. Courtesy of John Cellucci.
A pair of oval hex signs by Ott. In the lower red heart reads “Romaine and Donald 1967.” Courtesy of John Cellucci.
This sign hung in Ott’s restaurant and studio. Courtesy of Brad Hamilton.
This snapping turtle shell was painted by Ott. Courtesy of Brad Hamilton.
The menu from the Hamburg Moose Lodge was embellished and painted by Ott. Courtesy of Brad Hamilton.
antiquesandauctionnews.net
MONDAY – AUG. 4, 2025 - 6:00 P.M. FURNITURE - COLLECTIBLES – SNAP ON TOOLS/CHEST- TRAINS - ETC. Located at 185 Logan Rd. (RT 15), DILLSBURG, PA 17019 Restaurant & doors open @ 5:00 P.M. Porches begin @ 6:00 p.m. weather permitting; FURNITURE: chests; pictures; dressers; stands; antique furniture; nice estate lots; TOOLS: snap on tool chest; SNAP ON TOOL COLLECTION; Matco and Craftsman tools along with so many other mechanics’ tools and tool boxes; STAGE AUCTION: TRAINS (Rail King, Lionel, etc.); Victorian prints; Vintage Christmas; Watt primitives; Longaberger; crocks; clocks; decorative items; collectibles; primitives; retro; antique items; etc. NOTE: Only a partial listing, STILL MUCH MORE TO UNPACK and set up!
Check www.haars.com for pictures and updates. Office 717-432-8246 or Doug & Vickie Hardy auctioneers 717-432-3779.
