Property from the Estate of Judge Joel M. Flaum, Chicago, IL

Description:

Two Pairs of Bookends and a Ceramic Eagle Planter, comprising a pair of wood bookends with metal cannons and cork bottoms, a pair of gilt metal eagle bookends with felt bottoms, and a white glazed ceramic planter with eagle crest on front and back, marked 'Hull - USA, f481' on bottom.

The vocation of the late United States Court of Appeals Judge Joel M. Flaum was the law. His avocation was collecting. A self-described “picker,” he collected the works of early and mid-twentieth century Chicago and Illinois artists, World War I posters, presidential memorabilia, and mementos of his extraordinary judicial and military careers.

Originally from Hudson, New York, Flaum worked as a stock boy in his family’s small grocery store before graduating from Union College and moving to Chicago where he received his J.D. and Masters of Law from Northwestern University. He worked as a county, state, and federal prosecutor before serving for nearly fifty years as a federal judge on the trial court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago. For over twenty years, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the JAG Corps.

Flaum’s exceptional legal career was capped in 2024, when he received at the United States Supreme Court the Edward J. Devitt Award, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a federal judge. .

A lifelong lover of art and student of history and politics, Flaum was fascinated by World War I posters, in part because they were created by well-known contemporary artists and because they were the first posters designed for political purposes—to engage all sectors of society in the war effort. His eclectic collection, built over the span of his remarkable life, includes antique maps and prints of his native Hudson Valley, New York to President Abraham Lincoln collectables from his adopted home state of Illinois, and more.

Measurements: Height: of planter 10 in. x Width: 5 1/2 in.

Condition:

Good condition, general light wear and scratches, rubbing to gilt on eagles, some wear on wood bookends where cannons have shifted, glue and floral foam residue on interior of planter, in need of gentle cleaning.

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