DEXTER HORSEATTRIBUTED TO CUSHING & WHITE | Dexter HorseAttributed to Cushing & White

Trevor Phillips & Son, Ltd., London.

Tom Geismar and Harvey Kahn, Spiritually Moving:  A Collection of American Folk Art Sculpture (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1998) pl. 4, illus. in color.

Wear consistent with age and use. B.B. shot marks on the flanks. A few dents to each side. Apparent resoldering to the leg seams. The mane has been resoldered. IMPORTANT NOTICE: Purchasers may pay for and pick up their purchases from any of our Americana Week sales taking place from January 17-20, 2019, at our York Avenue headquarters until the close of business on Sunday, January 20, 2019. After this time, all property (sold and unsold) will be transferred to our offsite facility, Crozier Fine Art, One Star Ledger Plaza, 69 Court Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102. Once property has been transferred from our York Avenue location, it will not be available for collection at Crozier Fine Arts until Friday, January 25, 2019. Crozier's hours of operation for collection are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday. Please note, certain items of property, including but not limited to jewelry, watches, silver and works on panel will remain at 1334 York Avenue. Invoices and statements will indicate your property's location. For more information regarding collection from our offsite facility, please visit sothebys.com/pickup.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Harness racing was America's first popular spectator sport, and champion racehorses the sports superstars of their day. Printmakers Currier & Ives sold vivid color lithographs of race winners to eager fans, and weathervane manufacturers, including A.L. Jewell and Cushing & White, followed their lead by offering three-dimensional sculptures of legendary trotters to top barns and stables. Dexter, who was born in 1858, dominated harness racing from his introduction in 1864 to his retirement in 1867, when he twice lowered the world speed record. He was a powerful horse with a picture-perfect gait and a dramatic and determined head-down style that thrilled crowds, all qualities that are well captured in this contemporary vane.

In September 1867, Robert E. Bonner, the publisher of the weekly story paper The New York Ledger and the owner of a number of other outstanding racehorses, purchased Dexter for $35,000 (just over $1 million in today's currency). Under the publisher's care, the great horse lived until 1888.