Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum Items Unveiled At Bonhams & Butterfields 5/27

Bonhams is pleased to announce the Los Angeles highlight  exhibition for the upcoming spring auction of Natural History in New  York on May 27, 2010. During the preview, the firm will unveil more  than 100-lots from the upcoming sale on May 6-7, 2010. The auction will  also preview at Bonhams New York May 22-27, 2010.

The Los Angeles highlights exhibition will feature a diverse group of  high quality and distinctive mineral specimens, exceptional fossils,  gold nuggets, lapidary works of art, and exotic gemstone jewelry  including a selection of property deaccessioned from The Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum, Branson, Missouri, to be offered without reserve.

During the 1960s, the "King of the Cowboys", Roy Rogers and his wife, Dale Evans (Queen of the West) acquired the Apple Valley Inn, near Victorville, California. Already a popular tourist accommodation at the time, the Inn was visited by celebrities such as Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne in its heyday.

Roy and Dale built the Roy Rogers Museum across the road from the Inn, displaying a varied group of memorabilia including costumes, saddles and various gear used in their films. Featured as well were Rogers's gun collection, hunting trophies and personal mineral collection.

Rogers began collection minerals in 1968 upon moving to the high desert region. An article entitled "Happy Rock Trails" appeared in Gems and Minerals magazine stating "the (mineral) hobby is a natural for anyone living in the desert where there is so much to collect". Rock hobbyists in the area shared their interest with Rogers and he soon got the "bug" to acquire more. Whenever he had a chance, Rogers took his Jeep out into the desert and hunted cutting material and specimens. He purchased a combination unit with a diamond saw, grinding wheels, sanders and polishing buffs, and began cutting cabochons. Although some of his collecting was done with a "silver pick" - meaning he also purchased several collections of minerals and rough gem material from area hobbyists. Rogers's favorite gemstones were Agate and Biggs Picture Jasper, but the mineral specimens he prized were crystal groups. As he posed for the cover picture of Gems and Minerals, holding the quartz crystal cluster on offer at Bonhams, he remarked about the beauty and symmetry of the crystals.

After Roy's passing in 1998 the museum remained open for a period of time until it was moved to Branson, Missouri in 2003. After a steady decline in visitors and high fiscal obligations, sadly, The Board of Directors of the Museum voted to cease operations. On December 12, 2009 the museum closed its doors permanently after having been open to the public for over 42 years.

Items of note will include a large group of decorative petrified wood, agate and jasper specimens, most of which were collected by Rogers himself (est. $600-800); a unique men's Fire Agate and yellow gold ring, handcrafted by Rogers (est. $500-700); a rare published Arkansas Quartz specimen, accompanied by a copy of the Gem and Mineral magazine where it was featured on the cover in April 1968 (est. $700-1000); a large group of Native American arrowheads and hand tools (est. $1,200-1,500) and a large group of rare American minerals from California localities, most
of which were field-collected by Rogers himself (est. $700-1000).

Highlight Preview: May 6-7, 10am-5pm, Bonhams & Butterfields Los Angeles