Stalter Collection To Be Auctioned Nov. 18
SIDNEY—The remarkable collection of Dr. Kenneth Stalter (1954-2012) will be sold at unreserved public auction at the American Legion Hall, 22 Union Street in Sidney, on Saturday, November 18. The auction may be previewed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, November 17 and beginning at 8 a.m. on the day of the sale. Inquiries may be directed to (607) 287-5320.
Stalter grew up in Delaware County, where he developed a lifelong interest in Native American tools and cultural materials.
He had a great appreciation for the artistry and design of the objects made for daily use by New York’s indigenous peoples. Over the years, his collection grew to focus primarily on historical and cultural items from the American Plains Indians.
According to a release, his primary emphasis was on rare 19th-century quill-decorated and bead-embellished pieces including headdresses, leggings, moccasins, breastplates, smoking pipes, bags, quivers, bows, arrows and more. Many items in the collection are from the Sioux and Crow peoples.
Prehistoric artifacts in the collection include stone tools from the early Paleolithic (beginning about 12,000 years ago). Many were rediscovered in Delaware and Otsego Counties. They include axes, projectile points, gorgets, pendants, celts, mauls and more.
Dr. Stalter was a respected surgeon at A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital and an avid outdoorsman who visited Mount Everest three times and reached the summit in 2008.