Monday, October 4, 2010

Treasures of the King - Your Tithe Money at Work

These pictures are from an auction held in New York City, April 11, 1995 at Christie's.  This was just one of many auctions held in New York and Los Angeles concerning the sale of Herbert Armstrong's collection of gold, silver and fine art.  Much of  the fine art and metalwork were purchased during the time HWA was mailing out letters to the membership demanding that they cut back and send in more money.  The "Work" was always in a state of distress. Many members did indeed sacrifice and mailed in more money.  The result - HWA was on treasure hunting trips to Harrod's in London and other UK locations buying treasures for his three homes and college campuses (St Alban's, England, Big Sandy, TX and Pasadena, CA).

While Mrs. Armstrong was alive and in the early years of the church they lived in a modest house on Hill Ave (now owned by Cal Tech).  When Loma Armstrong died Herb began shedding his 'simple' life style for the extravagant one.  This was also the time Gerald Waterhouse and Dean Blackwell started blabbering that HWA was an Apostle.  And as you all know from the Bible, Apostles were meant to travel around the world speaking to world leaders, give them gifts of Steuben crustal, and play host to them at extravagant dinner parties at the various campus homes.  Apostles were ordained by God to live lives with the finest the earth and humankind has to offer.  This easy justification lead to multiple millions of dollars in extravagance by HWA,  evangelists, faculty, certain department heads and many ministers.

Somewhere I have the actual auction sale prices. the ones listed here are the estimates  printed in the catalog.

Click on picture to view larger size



 Elizabeth II Gold Table Service 14 karat
Used at all dinners in HWA's dining room
Auction estimate $50,00-80,000

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 Regency Silver-gilt Four Light Candelabra, Benjamin Smith, 1812
These sat on the buffet in the dining room.  They were also used on the dining table.
Auction estimate $80,000-120,000

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George III Silver-gilt Candelabra and matching candlesticks, Paul Storr, 1802
Auction estimate $60,000-90,000

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The Duke of Norfolk's Coronation Cup
William IV Silver-gilt Paul Storr, 1831
Auction estimate $20,000-30,000

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 Regency Silver-gilt Centerpiece, Paul Storr, 1818
The Three Graces occupied the place of distinction on HWA's dining room table.
Auction estimate $30,000-50,000

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Regency Silver-gilt Wine Coolers, Paul Storr 1813
Used to keep the hundred dollar wine bottles cool
Auction estimate  $60,000-90,000

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 A pair of George IV Silver-gilt Wine Coolers 1826
Imagine chilling your wine and champagne at home in these!
Auction estimate $50,000-80,000

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The sterling silver pictured here is an Elizabeth II Table service. Service for 12.  
This was HWA's everyday silver.
Auction estimate: $10,000-15,000

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Except for the "everyday silver", all of these estimates are more than I make in a year. :-(

Deborah said...

I have been away from that cult for years and years ... what happened to all of this finery after Armstrong died? I'm guessing it didn't go back to the people he ripped off.

NO2HWA said...

There were numerous auctions of fine art and assets of the Pasadena campus top the public. The Pasadean campus items, publishing, press, transportation, CIS, landscape, custodial, etc, all went up on the auction block. The aucitosn in New York sent these really good stuff into wealthy hands around the world.

The items in Pasadena went into the public's hands here in the Los Angeles area.

Some church members bought things, include some of the expensive stuff. Ironically they paid Herb the money for him to buy it and they turned aorund again and paid the WCG money again to buy it for themselves.

The only exception to that was that Gerald Six Pack Flurry who bought one of the Auditorium pianos, the two lobby candelabra's and I think a conference table (not sure about that one). He has installed them in his new mini-Me Auditorium in the flatland's of Oklahoma where his dangerous cult is located.

Anonymous said...

So GF didn't buy any flatware for the flatlands ?

Anonymous said...

Someone is currently trying to get me to go to H Rock church in Pasadena California and really is putting on the pressure. This is as I thought, a con job, and a dangerous cult ! Yeah, yeah, yeah: go to the church and what little I have left over give it to the so called church: no vacations, work, work , work die , but not before leaving all to this demonic entity called a church!

As far as the so called minister being an apostle , well there only as many apostles as were recorded in The Bible, or the word of God! False prophets, I say that probably prey on the older etc. with assets that can be obtained through continual bombardment with threat of the agony of damnation, end times etc.CULT!